Free Two-Faced (Assassin at Court Series Book 1) by Nia Davenport Page B

for the benefactors, the people who took out contracts on other people to kill, and the assassins. He was the middleman that protected the identities of both parties involved. Right now, I needed him not to do his job so damn well. But I did not press him for the information. Giving it up would mark him as a dead man.
    “I know,” I let my question drop. Our relationship may have been a casual, superfluous distraction, but he was still my friend and I did not want to see him dead.
    He stared at me for a long time before finally speaking. “Your benefactor is getting anxious. He has spies inside the palace who report you don’t appear to be trying to kill the Prince at all. You have been alone with him several times and yet he is still alive.”
    “What the hell do they want me to do? Murder him in the royal gardens?” I asked incredulously. I clutched the knife I held in my hand tighter in frustration.
    Kade threw up his hands. “I’m just the messenger, remember. Don’t stab me.”
    “Trust me, if I wanted to stab you, I would have done it a long time ago.”
    “You mean like during one of those nights I tried to take advantage of you?” His grin was devilish and I almost changed my mind about not stabbing him. He could be damn infuriating at times.
    It was one of the reasons he was only my sort-of-sometimes-boyfriend. We met when he delivered my first contract to me. He flirted shamelessly with me the entire time, and I threatened to gut him if he did not stop undressing me with his eyes. Samael used him as his main messenger and me as his main assassin so we saw each other a lot. Eventually he wormed his way into my good graces. We hung out whenever he was in Arythmia and over time became friends. We ended up having as much as a relationship as two people like us could have. It never evolved into anything serious though. Whenever he was in town, we hung out but kept things light and casual between us. It is the reason why I never accepted any of his sexual advances. I liked him but I did not love him. As insane as the notion sounds, I wanted my first time to be with someone I loved. Obviously that had yet to happen. Assassins don’t live a life conducive to falling in love.
    “I changed my mind. I’m going to gut you,” I leveled the knife at his torso.
    He burst into laughter. “You said that exact thing to me the first time we met. I think that was the day I fell in love with you.”
    It was my turn to laugh. “You don’t love anybody but yourself.” I was teasing him but it was also true. Kade was possibly the most self-conceited person on the planet. With his athletic build, dark bedroom eyes, and boyishly handsome looks, he looked good, he knew it, and he made sure everyone else knew it too. 
    His expression closed off. “I wish that were true. It would make what I have to say easier,” he said quietly.
    I sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”
    Kade said what he had been sent to say then apologized a dozen times for saying it. Both Samael and the benefactor were growing impatient and doubting rather I would fulfill my contract. I was now on a deadline. I had two nights to kill the Prince or Samael was putting a price on my head. Every assassin and wannabe assassin looking to prove himself or make a nice chunk of change would be gunning for me.
    Having delivered his message Kade turned to leave but then he faced me again. He stared at me with searching eyes.
    “Do you love him?” He finally spoke.
    “I think I might.” It was the first time I admitted it out loud.
    Some emotion I could not quite place flashed in his eyes. I would call it hurt if I didn’t know him better. “Skyler, even if you walk away, his life will steal be in danger. I honestly don’t know who the benefactor is this time. I’ve only been dealing with Samael. But I do know that whoever he is, he wants the Prince dead and will not stop until he is. You do know they will send somebody else?”
    I nodded in