Free Katie's Hellion (Rhyn Trilogy, Book One) by Lizzy Ford

and traded the champagne for a triple shot of whiskey on
the rocks. She sipped, surprised at the smooth flavor. It wasn’t
cheap like the stuff she bought.
    "Triple shot of whiskey, no ice."
    She shifted as the male form attached to the
voice squeezed into the area behind her. Saluting the bartender
with her glass, she started to move away when a warm hand on her
forearm stopped her. She turned, surprised, and looked up into eyes
the color of her jewelry. Most of his face was hidden behind the
mask, but his silver-white hair was too familiar to be anyone
else’s.
    "We have similar taste in alcohol," he said,
and lifted his glass to her.
    "Did you follow me here?" she demanded,
refusing his salud.
    "I got you invited."
    She suddenly felt foolish for believing David
Kingsly. No blue blood like the Kingslys gave a damn about some
small-town assistant GM at a fast food joint! She tossed the
whiskey back and gulped it down, then slapped the glass on the bar
before turning away.
    She searched for half an hour before spotting
her sister sitting in one of the airy rooms off the hallway near
the buffet. There were several women sitting and talking while
choosing delicacies from large silver trays. They’d all removed
their masks.
    Hannah glanced up with a smile at her
approach and patted the seat beside her. Katie sat, irritated to
see who followed with a confident stride and two glasses of
whiskey, one with ice and the other without. He drew the eye of
every woman in the room and silenced those around her with his
presence.
    "Excuse me, ladies. Katie, you forgot your
drink at the bar," Kris said, holding out the iced whiskey to
her.
    She didn’t miss Hannah’s stunned look, as if
it were a miracle her homely sister could catch the eye of
anyone!
    His move was too deliberate to be other than
planned. He stood far enough away that she had to stand and walk a
step to reach him. When she accepted the glass, he followed with a
quick and confident, "Let’s take a walk around."
    If not for Hannah’s surprised silence, she
would’ve refused him. He held out an arm she ignored, instead
marching past him. He caught up to her in the hallway.
    "Whatever it is you want, the answer is
no."
    She felt his gaze and suspected she’d pissed
him off again with her directness. He placed a hand on the small of
her back and led her through the crowd to the ballroom with the
orchestra and the dancers. He snatched the whiskey from her hand
and placed their glasses on a table.
    "I don’t dance," she told him.
    "Hush."
    He spun her to face him and pulled her
against him with one arm while his other took hers to the side for
a waltz pose.
    "Where you been hiding?" he asked
casually.
    "None of your damn business!" she snapped,
craning her neck back to look up at him. Even in her heels he
towered a head above her. His eyes flared amber then faded to
tanzanite as he gazed down at her.
    "You drop off some sort of demon in my house,
try to convince me I’m either completely crazy or suffering from
amnesia, stalk me to this gala, and expect me to tell you where I
spend every minute of every day?" she demanded at his silence.
    She tugged at her captured hand and was
squeezed against him even harder.
    "You weren’t supposed to remember anything,"
he replied calmly. "You have a genetic --"
    "Don’t want to hear it. Take Toby and the
damn death guy and leave me the hell alone."
    "I can’t."
    "The hell you can’t."
    "You’re in danger."
    She studied him.
    "Some very bad people know who you are
now."
    "So what? You feel guilty for dragging me
into this and are obligated to help me?"
    "Guilty, no. Obligated, yes. You're destined
to work alongside us immortals."
    His honest answer silenced her. She stepped
out of his embrace, the two of them freezing in the middle of the
dance floor like rocks in a flowing creek.
    "Katie, I need to talk to you about something
very serious."
    He made no move toward her. At his severe
tone, she took another step back, ready to