To catch a witch assassi.., p.9
To Catch a Witch Assassin, page 9
Gentry continued talking, “— I need his location because I remember him selling me out to a coven. The Nethertons must’ve paid a coven to curse me, to tie me to Drayer. Soul magic isn’t the type of stuff any witch off the street can do. I need names. Whoever did this must have a way to undo it.”
That wasn’t necessarily true; there were all sorts of curses that couldn’t be undone. But Kit didn’t have the heart to say that. “I’m surprised you don’t already know where your dad is, then.” If there was one thing he’d learned about Gentry, it was that her research was immaculate.
For the first time since they’d entered the hotel room, Gentry looked away from her screen at him. Her green eyes burned with what he finally recognized as rage. “He lives his life in debt. He only ever left Tunsa because he was driven out, so he rotates his gambling spots frequently. I have a list, but his pattern isn’t too predictable. Even with the information I have, this will take a while.” She gave him a soft look. “You look tired. Get some rest.”
Feeling thoroughly dismissed and even more lost than before they started their conversation, Kit sat on the bed. Did he even want to steal the Favors back? Visha had made her bed with the Weavers, and he had no plans beyond wandering cities as a nomad. Gentry clearly had a future she wanted, plans he couldn’t comprehend.
Although her plans sounded eerily similar to his when he’d avenged Raja. For so long, he’d thought everything would be fixed if he could just avenge the older members of their clan and protect Visha and the others. But all revenge did was blind him to Visha’s greed.
But just because he didn’t love Visha anymore didn’t mean that he didn’t owe her. He couldn’t let Raja’s daughter die, not after he sacrificed his own life for Kit’s.
“Are you doing this for revenge?” Kit asked the question although the answer wouldn’t change his plans.
Gentry paused her typing for a beat. “Revenge would be nice,” she said without hesitation, “but I really just want my life back. When I was a kid, I chose to run cons with my dad rather than spend time with my mom and little sister. I’d like the freedom to make it up to them.”
Chills went down his spine at that answer. It reminded him of Mary and the others, and how he’d chosen to join the Jumpers rather than help them find their place in Skadra.
Kit lay down on the bed, nervous about his plan. Gentry kept typing at the kitchenette. He eyed her back. She was a small woman, her feet hardly touching the rungs of the barstool. He’d have to wait for her to sleep before searching for his cell phone and the Favors.
He glanced at the open window to see the pinprick glints of witches traversing the dark Sky Road. With a flick of his wrist, he shut the blinds. Then he whispered the most powerful protection spell he knew, the one he usually only used if he wasn’t alone.
The magic flowed easily out from his palms. His magic had recouped from venting and he no longer felt sick from magical poisoning. For the first time in a long time, he was at full-strength. He closed his eyes.
It was almost hypnotic, listening to the clicking of Gentry’s keyboard. Kit kept his mind awake but his body still. It reminded him of the many nights he’d lain in wait near the Redback hideout. Watching. Waiting. Observing habits so that he could get his target alone for a fight. He hadn’t played any dirty tricks as he’d faced each one of Raja’s killers on his own. Which was more than they had deserved.
An eternity later, the typing finally stopped. A chair creaked as Gentry finally left the one domain she had total control over. Kit waited for the bed to sink beside him, but it never came. Only her breaths gave the woman away.
She was sleeping on the floor.
Kit’s eyes snapped open. A frown carved its way across his face. No way in hell was he letting a lady sleep on the floor while he was on a soft bed. But he’d have to wait to correct that later if things went right.
Within minutes, Gentry was snoring, the sound melodic and adorable. As silently as possible, Kit climbed out of bed. He considered casting a silencer spell on the girl, but wasn’t sure whether that would somehow trigger the Favors into punishing him. He couldn’t take the risk of harming a single hair on her head, or else he’d be the one unconscious on the floor.
It was time to free himself so he could save Visha.
thirteen
Kit
Gentry was curled in a ball on the floor, her knees to her chest and her face troubled. He crept around her, his feet silent and sure. She’d wisely put all of her items up in a backpack that was pressed against the wall and her back. But luckily for him, she’d shifted in her sleep.
His lips curved despite himself. Clever girl. But that only made things worse for himself as he knelt down at her head and slowly dislodged the backpack. Gentry stirred slightly but remained asleep.
His heart thundering in his chest, he retreated to the bathroom and cast a silencing charm.
It took some digging, but he found his cell first. Fully charged. He fumbled with the gadget. All thoughts fled his head when he saw his home screen. “Oh no,” he whispered. Visha. Visha had called him twelve times. His heart raced when he saw the last call had come in at midnight the night before, and he immediately tapped on her picture to call her back. And again. No answer.
He called Samar next, who answered on the first ring. “Is everyone safe?” He cut to the chase.
“If you mean that we’re being babysat by Weaver recruits, then yeah, we’re all fine and dandy over here,” his friend responded sarcastically, his voice thick with sleep. “Where the hell are you and Visha? What’d you do to get baby Weavers raiding our supplies for snacks? We are broke enough as it is without mean teenagers stealing our cookies.”
Of course, she abandoned ship. It was typical Visha behavior. “Visha isn’t with me.”
”Well, she left at the same time you did. Days ago. Left me to mind the recruits and everything else. So considerate of her,” Samar said drily.
“Sam, Clea has her hair. She made a deal with the Weavers.”
The line went quiet for a few moments. “She manipulated you into doing something stupid, didn’t she.” It wasn’t a question.
Kit squeezed the phone in his hand and closed his eyes. “Yeah, she did. Only this time she gambled on the one thing I couldn’t do. Now I’m not sure how I’ll get us out of this.”
“Shit. That’s bad,” Samar bit out, and it was to his credit that he didn’t ask any further questions. “Well, let’s hope the Weavers don’t burn our camp to the ground in a few days. That fucking bitch.” He sounded pissed.
“I’ll figure something out,” Kit said, unsure of what else to say.
“Find Visha,” Samar said, “there is a way to deal with this. She can offer her own head to the Weavers. A debt paid with blood, Kit. We have kid apprentices. They don’t deserve to die because she’s more greedy than smart.”
“No”—the word tore itself from his throat—“there has to be another way.”
“You know I’m right, Kit.”
Kit hung up, not wanting the conversation to continue. He never would’ve thought that Samar would suggest such a thing. The other man had grown up with Visha, had considered Raja his father too. How could he ever suggest killing Raja’s daughter, the woman he once considered his sister?
Because Samar is a leader now. He has to think past his own feelings. On an intellectual level, he understood it. He’d seen the shift in his friend over the years, from follower to leader as Visha skirted her duties. Perhaps if Kit had been around to meet the new recruits, invest in them, he’d feel the same.
Pushing back his feelings because time was limited, Kit dug through the rest of the backpack. He needed to get those Favors and leave, preferably before Gentry woke up. He didn’t want to linger any longer than necessary.
Triumph sang through his blood once he found the first pink-tinted paper smeared with red in a small envelope. Power emanating from the small slip made his fingers tingle.
He made quick work through the rest of the backpack, which was stuffed full of electronics and old, annotated notebooks that would make any librarian proud. Dread and desperation took its hold as he realized the second Favor was nowhere to be found. He flipped through the notebooks, checked the lining, dismantled phone cases.
Nothing.
It was only after an hour of searching that Kit realized there was one last place he’d yet to check. She had to be hiding the final Favor on her person. Frustration made him clench his teeth.
That girl was too clever for her own good.
fourteen
Gentry
Gentry blissfully dreamt of nothing. Perhaps Drayer Netherton was too exhausted to torment her with nightmares the way he had at Sophia’s orphanage, or maybe he was busy buying the entirety of Skadra’s nomads to hunt for her. Either way she appreciated drifting in the abyss, relaxing, even if she was on the floor.
She knew it was a terrible idea to sleep in the same room as the witch who’d tried to kill her, but one could only run on adrenaline for so long.
So she had to rely on the Favors to keep Kit at bay. The ancient magic had done her well so far. While she wasn’t so sure of loopholes, she did think it kept the witch from trying to snap her neck again.
At least, that’s what she thought until she felt warm, strong arms lift her up. The cloud of relaxation broke as she snapped her eyes open.
Ice-cold fear ran through her as she realized Kit had her cradled in his arms like a baby. Before she could struggle, he gently set her on the bed, which felt every inch like it belonged in an acclaimed five-star hotel.
“What’re you doing?” Gentry growled, her aggression softened by grogginess. For being so freaked out, her body hadn’t seemed to have gotten the memo.
“A lady shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor,” the witch said, sounding like an old-school gentleman, but Gentry woke right up when she realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Kit was cut in the way where she could tell he used his body for work, his arms corded with muscles and every bit of him sleek and dangerous. Even in the dim light of the hotel room, it made a healthy dose of pure desire stir inside Gentry. It didn’t help that he looked at her like she was something to eat.
It also irrevocably pissed her off that he thought such an obvious trick would work on her.
“My bag—”
“—is right where you left it, darling. Promise.” Without taking his eyes off her, Kit hooked a thumb towards the wall where she’d been guarding it. Sure enough, it looked exactly how she left it.
“See?” he murmured. “Nothing to worry about. Now let’s get you settled.” He dared caress her cheekbone like she was an animal to be gentled.
The tiny amount of physical contact set Gentry’s body on fire. She clenched her legs together, her denim jeans providing enough friction to make the situation worse. She gritted her teeth. Five years of celibacy had been too long, but she needed to regain control.
She’d be damned if her streak were broken by a smooth-talking cowboy witch assassin.
Kit’s hand was still on her cheek, but he’d stiffened like he hadn’t expected her response. “You know, I would’ve thought you’d tell me to stop already. You really should. Aren’t I one of those filthy witches you hate? Letting me touch you seems counterintuitive.” His thumb pulled her bottom lip down, exposing her teeth.
Rather than his words killing the mood, it murdered the last remnants of Gentry’s self-control. Her body burned with want. Fuck this. She knew when someone was running a con on her. Especially a novice like Kit. But fuck if it wasn’t working. She wanted the gorgeous man to touch her.
It was time to show him how a con was really run.
Gentry put his thumb in her mouth and sucked. She bit lightly and let go, enjoying the way Kit’s eyes widened with surprise. She nuzzled his hand and caught his wrist, guiding him to hold her throat.
Just as she predicted, his hand went slack, applying no pressure where she’d like it the most. “What’s wrong,” she purred, “I’d actually like it this time.” She ran his hand between her breasts and down her stomach and released his wrist just before it went too far.
Kit pulled his hand up as if she’d burned him. “I won’t do that. Not again. I won’t hurt you.”
God, but he sounded sweet and so desperate. Hiding her surprise at his sincerity, she smiled up at him and delivered the final blow. “Then I’ll settle for a kiss since you’re not man enough to give me what I really want.”
The words worked like a charm. Kit’s eyes narrowed. He looked equal parts pissed and turned on. “Fuck. You are crazy,” he said before fisting her hair and pulling her up into a sitting position.
Gentry’s scalp burned wonderfully and she bit back a moan, particularly as he stepped between her spread legs in a single smooth motion. His erection provided the friction she needed, and her legs wrapped around his waist instinctually. He lifted her up by her ass, not a second wasted. Kit was a man on a mission.
Feeling deliciously manhandled, Gentry’s brain hardly had time to keep up when Kit crushed his lips to her own.
fifteen
Kit
Kit never felt more out of control as he claimed Gentry’s lips. This wasn’t at all what he’d pictured when he thought to seduce the little computer geek. He’d thought a few soft kisses and rolling around on the bed would suffice to distract the computer geek while he felt her up for the Favor.
It’d been simple, easy in his head. A nice, slow seduction for an innocent woman who’d been locked up by the government for years. No harm done as he snatched his ticket for freedom and showed a beautiful lady a good time.
But then she had sucked on his thumb like a whore and he’d lost his goddamned mind.
Nothing felt slow or nice as he forced his tongue in her mouth and squeezed her plump little ass with his hand. Every inch of him burned for her. It felt like she was the one controlling him, her soft tits and pussy grinding against him and making all his blood pump straight to his cock. He felt close to insane, battling for the upper hand with absolutely no chance of winning.
She nipped his lip hard.
The slight pain gave him the clarity to remember why he was in this situation in the first place. He flexed his hand against her ass again, trying to discern whether there was a lump in her back pocket.
If only I knew sleight of hand-magic, he thought desperately, but then Gentry pulled his hair and he lost focus again. She was a fierce thing, far more active than Visha or any of the women he’d been with on their ‘off’ months. Most women seemed to like him in charge. Gentry made him fight for it.
Pickpocketing wasn’t a skill he’d picked up — his time on the streets of Skadra had been brief, and underage witches often were given food cards as part of the sanctuary programs — but somehow Kit managed to slip a piece of paper out of Gentry’s pocket. He let it flutter to the floor harmlessly as he set her on the bed, her gorgeous silky black hair fanning against the white sheets.
Her lips were swollen from their kiss and her emerald eyes wild. Triumphant, Kit’s pulse picked up as he chose to straddle above her. This was a fantasy coming to life that he hadn’t realized he’d wanted. A wild romp with a wild girl.
He could leave now. Nothing was stopping him. The Favor was secure; all he had to do was get off the bed and claim it. There was no way she could overpower him in a fight, regardless of magic.
But he stayed, the lust overruling the slight bit of sliminess he felt. “Take your clothes off,” he breathed in her ear, his voice hard.
“Then stand up and watch,” Gentry purred back. She raked her nails through his shirt and he shuddered at the contact.
Holy fuck, she’s perfect. Kit settled back and almost couldn’t believe the show his little nerd put on. She arched her back in a sensuous stretch, the hem of her shirt riding up to reveal a smooth, sleek stomach. Just before he was about to demand more, she pulled her shirt off in one motion.
Her tits filled the satin cups of her bra far more than he anticipated, the white globes plump and perky. His dick threatened to mutiny when she slid her dainty hands up and cupped herself. She slipped her hands in and Kit’s world stopped. Literally.
The Favor mark on his left collarbone burned and he stumbled. He’d felt this way back at Mage Headquarters when Gentry had torn the first Favor.
“How?” he asked, his voice hollow to his own ears. Everything in his body screamed Obey. Fighting to draw a breath in, he looked down at the floor where the Favor should’ve been and was horrified to see an ordinary blank sheet of printer paper. He’d fucked up.
Smiling evilly, Gentry took her hands out of her bra to reveal a pink slip of paper punctured between her right index finger and thumb. Never breaking eye contact with him, she smugly said, “Nice try with the seduction angle. Really. You can try it again for the next one. As for the Favor you need to fulfill, you will help me find and capture my father tomorrow.”
The Favor releasing him, Kit sucked in air. For a second, Gentry looked stricken at what she’d done, but she recovered quickly as she sat up straighter on the bed. A queen overseeing her servant.
“Oh, you can sleep on the floor this time too.”
The dismissal came swiftly as she turned the hotel room lamp off and turned onto her side.
Kit did as he was told.
sixteen
Gentry
Excerpt from Gentry’s research notes:
3rd notebook — page 1
Where is the bastard?
He took me to Mom’s thirty hours after the ritual was over. He was never seen anywhere else again after that. Either the coven he cut a deal with killed him or… he relocated.
