"Death Row 03 - The Avenger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Black Jaid)

“Outsiders?”

She felt like she was going to be sick. “I think so,” Kora murmured. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when so much was riding on the development of the serum.

“Shit.”

Her thoughts exactly. “What in the name of Kalast do we do?” She stopped pacing, her expression searching.

Dr. Reddy sighed as she slid a charged flash-stick into the worn leather holster she wore at her hips. “We go get her back.”

Kora slowly nodded. “And Dr. Kan?”

Her eyebrows rose. “We get her too.”

She released a pent-up breath. This would work. It had to work. She didn’t know how much time she had left, but she conceded it couldn’t be long. She could feel the metabolic changes coming upon her regularly now—especially in the eves. Slowly but surely, the beast was engulfing her. “It’s about damn time.”



Chapter 34


Kerick’s warm lips pressed against Nellie’s temple. She feigned sleep, not wanting him aware of the fact she had awakened long ago. With wakefulness would come questions—questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

Last eve had been bliss—they had loved each other the whole night long, clinging to one another as though they would never let go. She didn’t want it to end, but suspected when the truth came out it would. There was the issue of his mother’s diary, the need she had to go to the Xibalba and continue her work…

And the irrefutable fact she was the daughter of Abdul Kan. The Abdul Kan.

Her Husband’s mortal enemy.

Sweet Cyrus, she thought, her stomach muscles clenching, how can I possibly tell my Husband His beloved mother’s death most likely came at my sire’s hands?

Nellie kept her eyes closed, letting herself enjoy the feel of Kerick’s lips pressed against her skin. She realized full well the sensation might be a foreign one after she told him everything.

* * * * *

Stretched out on the harem bed, a beautiful, naked wife pressed against his left, a beautiful, naked wife pressed against his right, and a beautiful, naked wife sucking his cock, he looked like the emperor he thought himself to be, the master of all he surveyed. A trembling girl of eighteen stood next to the bed, scared out of her mind by what was to come. She had been purchased on the marriage auction block by Master Kan just this eve and was to become his fifth wife—sixth if you counted the dearly departed Sinead.

Sinead. The eighteen-year-old girl shared a striking—and haunting—resemblance to her beloved, deceased friend. The same wine-red hair, same creamy porcelain skin, same blue eyes. Same everything. Almost.

Naked and hungry, her dark hair in disarray, Nicoletta Kan stared at the husband she hated from the cage she had been locked up in. Over the years she had grown rather accustomed to being caged for every little offense she committed, so in truth the punishment no longer bothered her. Or at least it didn’t bother her to the extent that it bothered Master Kan’s other wives.

Pathetic milksops, the lot of them, she thought, frowning. Every time one of those three was caged you’d have thought life as they knew it was coming to an end. They would weep and beg and promise to be good girls—everything the Master wanted to see and hear.

Everything Nicoletta would never do or say.

The cage. This time Master Kan had sentenced her to a full week in the wretched thing. Well, a week or until she begged his forgiveness. In other words, a week…

“Abdul!” a male voice boomed out, snagging everyone’s attention.

Nicoletta glanced down from where her gold-gilt cage hung suspended from the ceiling. Because she was across the bedchamber from the harem bed, she was closest to the intruder and able to recognize him immediately. Her dark eyes narrowed at him, disgust churning in her stomach. He was as vile as her husband, perhaps more so.