Free Assassin: Fall of the Golden Valefar (A Paranormal Romance—Book #6 in the Demon Kissed Series) by H.M. Ward Page A

he… Eric realized how much he wanted her to live. There
was no life for her if she chose to hang around him. Intentionally steeling his
voice, he growled, “Go find some regular guy to fuck and have babies with—I’m
not him.” He glared at her. That had to be the reason. That had to be why she
was here. She didn’t see him. She didn’t see what he really was. He was certain
she was looking at him like a hero and he wasn’t. He wasn’t. And it didn’t
matter what he did, she didn’t see it.
    “You’re wrong,” she said, barely loud enough to hear.
    He laughed callously, wringing his hands before snapping at
her, “About what?”
    “About me,” she moved quickly, her fist colliding with his
face, sending him flying backwards. Eric’s body hit the floor with a loud thud.
She’d never hit him like that before. There was power in that punch, more than
a girl her size should have. Before he regained his senses, her foot collided
with the side of his head. Eric staggered. The world went black and the last
thing he heard was the door lock scraping open and Natalia saying, “And I was
wrong about you.”

 

 
    CHAPTER NINE

 
 
    Carina stood over him, hands on her hips when his eyes
flicked open. The last person to hit him like that was Kreturus. When he opened
his eyes and saw the owner, he rubbed his hands over his face. She was grinning
ear to ear. “Your meal walked out of here about five minutes ago.”
    Eric sat up, shaking off his shock. “She walked out?” She
hit him so hard his ears were still ringing. The side of his face felt like it
had cracked open. Touching it softly, he winced. There was no blood, but it
still throbbed. Eric stood and collected his things, looking around the room,
not knowing what to think.
    Carina nodded. The tassels from the belt of her robe were
in her fingers. She was stroking the silky strands as she spoke, “Yup, she
walked out of here like she owned the place. One of the girls asked her what
happened. Her make-up was a mess and her hair, well, she looked horrid. And a
paid girl is supposed to stay put. Sasha didn’t answer, she just left. I sent
my guards after her…” she glanced at Eric, trying to gauge his reaction. She
wondered if the girl meant something to him. If she did, then Carina wanted
her.
    Who the hell is Sasha? he thought before realizing that she meant Nat. Damn, she’d hit him hard. Eric
hissed at her, “She cost a fucking fortune, Carina. Patrons aren’t supposed to
get attacked…”
    “You unchained her,” she retorted dropping her tassel.
    “You trained her to fight back.”
    Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, “You were
supposed to subdue her.”
    “You were supposed to screen your hires. What the fuck is
she? I was under the impression that I was with a mortal.” Rage flashed through
Eric’s eyes, the rims of his iris burning bright red. Carina saw it happen and
swallowed hard. She was afraid of him. Good. He stepped nearer to her.
    Carina stepped back, “She is mortal. She bleeds. She
breaks. She breathes. She passed the tests we give to detect Valefar.”
    “Prove it.” Eric’s body was corded tight. His mind was
reeling, trying to figure out what happened. That had to be more than a lucky
shot. Valefar hadn’t been able to clock him like that, which meant what? Eric’s
body was about to explode. He wanted to hit something, break someone. If Carina
didn’t prove what she was saying, he knew it would be her.
    “I will. Follow me.” She turned promptly, signaling for the
guard to return Eric’s belongings. He pocketed his things, pulled his shirt
over his head, and slipped his feet back into his boots, before following
Carina across the room. He wove his way between patrons and half naked women,
until he walked into an office with Carina. The door slammed shut and he knew
there were guards nearby.
    Eric was ready for a fight. He snapped at her, “Well? What
the hell is she?”
    “Mortal. We test these