Eve of Destruction Read online

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  PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © Woodward McQueen, LLC

  Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Designs

  Published by Oliver-Heber Books

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Also by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  She was exquisite violence. There was no other way to describe her. Normally, Jinx Shadowborne wouldn’t have given her more than a passing glance.

  But she was impossible to ignore.

  She wore competence and war like an accessory. Her posture bled experience, especially since she was in this dive hole, alone.

  With no visible weaponry.

  Only a woman of extreme stupidity would dare enter a dive as sorry as the Hunting Ground alone.

  Or one more than capable of taking care of herself.

  Indeed, predatorial grace bled out from every pore of her lithe body. The way she slid her glance around to cover every inch of the bar to how she stood with her weight equally distributed.

  If someone came at her, they wouldn’t be able to unbalance her easily. She’d have them on their ass faster than they could blink.

  He was impressed. She was a well-trained warrior.

  But it wasn’t just that. She was incredibly beautiful. Dark copper skin that matched her sharp pale eyes.

  A walking contradiction of beautiful destruction. Human body with black Andarion warrior braids. In fact, if it wasn’t for the light blue of her eyes and human teeth, she’d pass for Andarion.

  Was she a hybrid?

  “Jinx? Did I lose you?”

  He blinked at the voice in his ear. “Sorry, Savage. Distracted.”

  “Since when?”

  Never. But for some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she went to the bar to order a drink.

  Forcing his gaze away from her, Jinx scanned the occupants again. “This was a complete waste of time. No one’s coming.”

  “Told you it was bullshit.”

  “I know. But I still say I’m on to something.” He frowned as he noted a man entering the bar. He looked like he had potential. “Hey, Sav, we might have a winner. Let me call you back.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Always.” Jinx tapped his ear to close his link as he watched the man who stood out in this crowd as much as the woman did.

  He wasn’t just a freelance assassin. This man had some serious skills.

  And he looked to be heading this way. Maybe this was the informant who’d contacted Jinx.

  At least that was his thought until the man veered off to the table where the woman had taken her drink.

  To her credit, she didn’t appear shaken at all by the man’s obvious attempt to intimidate her.

  She leisurely sipped her drink as if he weren’t glaring at her with murderous intent.

  “You know, Eve, today’s a good day to die. But it’s an even better one to make the other asshole pay.”

  Eve Erixour passed a droll, unamused stare at the hired enforcer in front of her who’d dared to interrupt her Happy Hour at her favorite pub.

  Sicarius Veneficus. Tall. Smug.

  Dirtbag.

  And it pained her to admit just how handsome he actually was, with his well-toned physique, dark brown hair and eyes so pale they seemed to glow. Though he’d be a lot more attractive if he didn’t have that venomous air around him that said he’d rather gut someone than talk to them.

  ‘Course a lot of folks said that about her, too. But she, at least, tried to mitigate it.

  He, on the other hand, flaunted it like a prized trophy.

  “Tell your pimple that I don’t have his money.”

  Sicarius arched a brow at her and the nonchalant boredom in her tone. He glanced around the crowded bar, knowing as well as she did that if he shot or beat her in here no one would notice or care. Which was one of the reasons she liked this place so much. “You’re really going to make me do this?”

  “I’m not making you do anything, but I don’t have the money. So if you’re willing to get bloody, so am I.”

  He let out a tired sigh before he took a step forward.

  Eve braced herself and moved her hand to her blaster, under the table.

  Yet before he could reach her, a giant shadow blocked his path. “There a problem?”

  Sicarius tensed as he sized up the new threat.

  So did Eve.

  Not just because she wasn’t expecting anyone to intervene on her behalf, but because of who was intervening.

  A League assassin.

  What the hell?

  Even taller than Sicarius, who towered over most, the assassin was fierce.

  And gorgeous.

  All masculine power and lethal grace. Like the finely-honed killing machine they’d trained him to be.

  Yet for all that threat, Sicarius didn’t back down. “This is private business. Has nothing to do with The League.”

  “Really?”

  Sicarius nodded. “Really.”

  The assassin clicked his teeth. “See, I’m afraid I’m going to have to differ with you about that. Being that you’re a hired thug for Rufus Syter.”

  Eve wasn’t sure which of them was the most shocked by his words. Mostly because it was true.

  How had the assassin known that?

  Why would he care?

  “I’m not doing anything wrong. Just collecting a legal debt for a loan the lady took out.”

  The assassin gave him a cold grin. “You’re not. But your boss is doing all kinds of things that are questionable. So let me tell you how this is going to end. You’re going to walk out of here and leave Zarana Erixour alone, then you’re going to make a call and tell Syter that he will forgive her all debts or else her League friend will make sure the Prime Commander gets a file with enough dirty deeds to see to it that your boss isn’t accorded a trial. Just a rather unpleasant execution. Understood?”

  She saw his urge to argue, but Sicarius knew what she did. The League was law. And given that this assassin was dressed all in black, he was one of their highest-ranking members.

  No one argued with their high command.

  No one.

  So he inclined his head respectfully. “Understood.” And with that, Sicarius headed for the exit.

  Eve was stunned by what had just happened. And her mind kept repeating one thing. This was a League assassin.

  They killed people.

  For any reason they wanted. Real or made up. There was nothing anyone could do. To draw on them was a death sentence.

  They made the law, and they were deployed to annihilate whatever target their bosses fixated on.

  Man. Woman. Child.

  Varmint.

  Didn’t matter. They had no choice and no say.

  Kill or be killed.

  Good deeds were as nonexistent to them as common sense to the average person on the street.

  “Why would you help me?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t like people abusing their power over others.”

  “But you work for The League.” That was how they ran their business and their government.

  “I was conscripted into The League. There’s a big difference.”

  True. The only way out for an assassin was death. The League never allowed them to leave. They owned them. “Still, you work for the bad guys.”

  “Yeah, I do.” And with that, he headed for the exit.

  Eve mentally kicked herself for her stupidity.

  And her rudeness.

  Rising from her seat, she caught up to him and took his arm to pull him to a stop.

  He immediately twisted and reached for her throat, then caught himself before he made actual contact.

  Wincing, he held his hands up and stepped back from her. “Sorry. Not used to anyone touching me unless they’re attacking.”

  “And I attacked when I should have just said thank you. But like you, I’m not used to anyone doing something for me unless they want something in return.”

  “Guess we both spend a lot of time around assholes.”

  Those words caught her off-guard and made her laugh. “More than you know . . . So, is there a name to go with that whole let-me-kick-your-ass persona or do I just call you Cutie Pie?”

  “Pardon?”

  She smiled at his shock. “Yeah, guess you’re not used to anyone teasing you, either, are you?”

  “No. Not really.”

  “You guys do have names, though, right?” Now that she thought about it, she’d never heard of them referred to as anything other than assassins or by their ranks. And none of them she’d ever seen had a name listed on their uniforms. It was as if The League didn’t think they were important enough to
have them.

  “Jinx.”

  She scowled at that.

  What a peculiar name. And it seemed rather playful for someone who killed for a living. “Really?”

  “Technically Jinxanthus, but most people get bored after the first syllable so . . .” He shrugged.

  She laughed again. “You are nothing like I thought an assassin would be.”

  “Oh I can go back to being a total dick if you want. That’s really easy for me.”

  No doubt. It seemed to be the natural state of being for most people, these days. “That’s okay. Like you said, I get enough of that already. I like the change of pace.”

  He inclined his head to her. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

  “You, too.”

  And then he headed off, leaving her with a weird pang in her chest that she couldn’t explain.

  How weird was that?

  She wasn’t the kind of woman who cared about men as a rule. They were nice whenever she had a biological itch to scratch, but that was all she wanted one for.

  Men came with baggage and her life was screwed up enough. Last thing she wanted was more drama or more complications.

  But something about Jinx . . .

  You’re an idiot!

  Assassins were forbidden to have any kind of relationship with anyone. Physical or friendly.

  To do so was a death sentence for them and for anyone dumb enough to try to befriend them.

  But what a shame for a man that fine to be off-limits. Really, that alone should be a crime.

  Oh well.

  Putting it out of her mind, she headed back to her table to find her second-in-command, Jedidiah Tweedle, sitting down with new drinks for her and one for him. “Where were you just now?”

  “Long story.” She sat at the table and knocked back her shot, then took a gulp of her Tondarion Fire to chase it. “Where have you been?”

  Jedi took a much more cautious sip of his alcohol. “Scrounging for contracts, but they’re anorexic right now.”

  Made sense. The League was cracking down on mercenaries and freelancers. Even the Virgyls like the one she used to work for were feeling the bite of League scrutiny in a way they’d never felt before. In the past, The League had left them alone to oversee the conduct of their members. But lately, The League had been randomly auditing each Virgyl and then shutting them down and executing all members who held permits for bounty hunting and assassination.

  For no reason other than the Prime Commander was a paranoid piece of shit convinced that one of the Virgyls was going to send an assassin after him to end his life.

  He was far more likely to die at the hands of one of his own than from a hired blaster.

  Idiot.

  But there was nothing they could do, other than try to survive until nature took its course.

  And it always took its course. Paranoid assholes never made it long.

  Jedi pulled the tie from his hair and released the mass of unruly dark curls that fell to the middle of his back.

  Eve reached for the bottle and poured another drink. “Did you talk to your friend Syn?”

  “He was in the middle of something. Said he’d call as soon as he could.”

  Damn the timing. “I can’t stand the thought of my sister rotting in prison over our father’s stupidity. I have to get her out of there.”

  “I know, hon. Doing everything I can. Syn’s our best shot. He actually escaped prison.”

  “Yeah, but you said he had help on the inside.” Jayne didn’t.

  Eve winced at the horrors she was sure her sister was facing every waking minute. While they were both hardcore gutter rats who knew how to hold their own, it still wasn’t the same as having to fight for every scrap and breath in such a hell hole.

  If anyone touched her baby girl, she’d hand feed them their intestines.

  But there was nothing she could do while she was out here and Jayne was locked up.

  Frustrated, she slammed her glass down on the table. “This isn’t helping. I need to go and at least make my brain think it’s doing something constructive.” She got up and sighed, wishing she’d not been so quick to send her assassin friend on his way.

  Maybe he could have shared some intel about Jayne’s habitat.

  Most likely not, but it could have been worth a shot.

  Jedi stood up and left his half-finished whiskey to follow after her.

  “You don’t have to come with me, you know?”

  “In the mood you’re in . . . yeah, I do. There’s no telling what kind of trouble you’ll find on your own.”

  She laughed at the truth of that statement. God help whoever came across her tonight. She might gut them just for the distraction.

  Contract or not.

  Jedi held the door open for her. “I know you don’t like working with the Tavali, but the Septs are looking for Runners.”

  She grimaced at the mere thought as they left the bar for the deserted street. Being that Jed had been raised in the Septurnum Tavali Nation, that was always his go-to for anything they needed.

  But there was one problem. “They don’t pay contract help enough to make it worth our while.” Especially given the danger. If they were caught blocking League officials from the pirates, they could be executed for it.

  If they were caught with Tavali cargo or gear, they’d be tortured and then executed.

  Given how little the Tavali paid for that kind of risk . . .

  Not worth it.

  “I’d rather find a war to fight in.”

  Jedi snorted. “We have plenty of those to choose from.”

  Sadly true.

  Even sadder was that the pay wasn’t much better and you usually had to wait longer for it.

  Damn. She had to do something to up her revenue stream. Killing and maiming bad guys didn’t pay what it used to.

  Eve paused as she suddenly heard something off in the distance.

  Instinctively, her hand went to her blaster.

  What the hell was that?

  She gently pulled Jedi behind her so that she could stare into the dark.

  “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  She gestured for him to stay put as she crept toward the alley behind them. It could just be vermin scurrying. A hobo finding a spot for a bed or a drink.

  Or something much more lethal.

  Since her life hung in the balance, she wanted to assess the threat before she casually dismissed it.

  Making sure to cling to the shadows, she skimmed them until she was at the opening and could peer in without being seen.

  At first glance, it looked empty.

  Until she saw something out of place. Most would never have seen it, but most people weren’t part Andarion. They didn’t have her heightened vision or hearing that she’d inherited from her grandmother.

  Indeed, humans passed off her darker complexion and tall, athletic build as Hyshian and she let them. The only hint she had of her Andarion genes was her black hair that she kept in warrior braids and the paleness of her blue eyes that were almost silver in color. But again, people just assumed it was a human color since she lacked the traditional Andarion fangs.

  That was fine by her.

  She liked catching others unawares.

  But she didn’t want anyone sneaking up on her . . .

  Slowly, carefully, she crept toward the outline of a boot, while making sure to stay attentive to the shadows around her where an accomplice might be lurking.

  Eve pulled the light out of her pocket and used it to illuminate the alley.

  Only trash and filth littered the forgotten area. Until the beam reached the boot. She followed that up a long, long leg that was wrapped in a black League uniform.

  A uniform she’d seen not long ago . . .

  “Holy fuck!” Jedi’s low, unexpected voice made her jump.

  “Damn It, Jed! You scared the shit out of me! Make some noise when you move!” How anyone so tall could be so quiet, she’d never understand.

  Of course, his ability to move like a ghost was exactly why she’d hired him, but at the moment . . .

  It only made her want to shoot him.

  “Sorry. I didn’t know what you were doing and I was worried.” He took the light from her and shined it on the face of the very man who’d saved her. “That’s an assassin, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jedi turned around and scanned the street and alley. “Is he alone?”