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

Kerick shrugged. Xavier was always at one Pussy Parlour or another. Such was not precisely breaking news. “And?”

Xavier took a deep breath and blew it out. “And I spotted some biosphere scouts, so of course I had to find out why they were there. They pretended to be businessmen looking for one of the men’s runaway wife.” He snorted. “We both know better.”

Yes. They did. No biosphere-bred businessmen would dare venture to the Outside, let alone to a sector within the Underground so far removed from aid. Not even for a wife. He would consider her lost yen and purchase another one when money and availability allowed. Unless the men in question had been well-trained and arrogantly believed themselves invincible. Which meant that any way you sliced it, they could not be businessmen.

Kerick said nothing, just nodded, indicating Xavier should continue.

“The name of the runaway wife,” Xavier said softly, his eyes flicking up to meet his friend’s, “was Nellie Kan.”

Kerick’s eyes slowly narrowed, a feeling of unadulterated possessiveness swamping him. “I see,” he muttered. As jealous as Xavier’s words had made him feel, it was the sense of urgency creeping up his spine that was alarming. He had known all along that Nellie was valuable to the Hierarchy. He just didn’t know why—still didn’t know why. He had been a fool not to press her for that information right from the start.

“There is more.”

He had been afraid of that. “Go on.”

Xavier reached into the pocket of his woolen black cloak and pulled out a holographic image roughly the size of his hand. “The scouts were dispensing these holo-cards at Gingus’s last night.” He placed it into Kerick’s callused palm. “I think you better take a deep breath before you read it, amigo.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. Kerick’s eyes bore into Xavier’s as he closed his hand around the card. He slowly tore his gaze away, then glanced down to read it.

A photo of Nellie—three photos actually. The images flicked back and forth to show his wife’s face and body at all angles. In Spanish beneath the photos were the words One million yen reward for the safe return of Dr. Nellie Kan.

Kerick’s breathing stilled when he saw the name of the man posting such an outrageously huge sum of money for Nellie’s capture. His gaze flicked up to meet his friend’s. His heart felt as though it might pound out of his chest.

“Abdul Kan,” Xavier murmured. His eyes narrowed. “The Abdul Kan.”

* * * * *

Nellie bit her lip as she searched for Tara Riley’s diary. She knew it was here. She just didn’t know where. Her nostrils flared as she continued to search the earthen bedchamber. It was bad enough she had to choose between the lesser of two evils. It was unthinkable that, should she choose to run, she do it without the journal.

She searched under the pillow-bed—nothing. She looked again under the animal hide chair nearest the small kitchen—nothing. Damn! Damn! Damn! She frowned. Apparently all those orgasms last eve had left her utterly witless.

She stilled as the answer came to her. The diary was behind one of the wall sconces. She blew out a breath before investigating them, wishing she could recall which wall sconce. Not that it mattered, she conceded. It would be nightfall at best before Kerick returned.

Ten minutes later, Nellie pulled the vacuum-sealed pouch containing the diary out from behind the last wall sconce in the chamber that she checked. She snatched it out, a reverent hand running over the faded leather journal. She sighed as she did so, her thoughts turning to the man who meant as much to the diary’s author as he did to Nellie.

Kerick.

Twice he had saved her life. The first time she hadn’t known it until after the fact—the night when he’d stolen her away from the biosphere. That eve she hadn’t yet known the Hierarchy was hunting her. She hadn’t known until she’d escaped the man who had inadvertently thwarted their deadly intentions that they wanted her erased from existence.

The second time her husband had saved her had been in the catacombs. That night she could have been raped or worse. Those brothers had been devolving. Had Kerick not killed them, it would have been only a matter of time before one of them had turned and killed them all.

And this was how she was to repay him? By running? She sighed as she rubbed her temples, feeling as though no matter what choice she made it would be a bad one. Run from Kerick and work on the serum, or stay and let Kora devolve.

Yes, Kora was infected. It didn’t take a scientist to figure out as much. Her eyes…there was something about her eyes every now and again that was not…right. And now Kora Riley, nйe Williams, carried Tara Riley’s unborn grandchild in her belly.

Decisions—impossible decisions.

Nellie needed to work on that serum. She also needed to not run from her husband—again. That left but one alternative—give him the full truth about everything and talk him into taking her to the Xibalba. She grimaced, hating that choice as much as the other two. When he knew who she was, and who her sire was in particular, everything would change. Not to mention the fact he would be angry that she’d not informed him of her background from the beginning.