Everything had changed.

Not that Kit was complaining.

From the moment she had invited herself up to his room, she made a regular habit of it, and he found that he rather enjoyed showing her how good it could be.

He was fucking insatiable for her—to the point that even when he was in the middle of business, his thoughts still drifted to her and the nights they spent together.

Before, he had been able to come and go with little problem. Now, he was finding it harder and harder to leave her.

The crescent moon hung heavy in the night sky when Kit ventured from his bedroom in the wee hours of the night for the basement where his pool was located.

There were trios of lights that were inlaid within the pool, but he rather liked the dark stillness, almost like he was willingly falling into the abyss.

The pool, itself, was a rather cavernous affair, one that he had spent a fortune having installed, but he hadn’t minded the expense considering how much time he spent down here.

Circling around to one end, Kit tossed his shirt aside and dove in, drawing in a breath before the heated water engulfed him.

From one end to the next and back once more, he pushed himself as he always did when his thoughts were cluttered, pushing himself to exhaustion, if only until the chaos in his head quieted.

But as he reached the end, his feet landing on the wall before pushing himself off again, Kit just caught sight of Luna at the edge of his vision as she came down and ventured over to one of the poolside chairs.

“That was thirty-two, I think,” she said once he finally came to a stop, that silky brown hair of hers spilling over her shoulder as she leaned toward him. “Pretty good.”

“It was nothing.”

“Maybe for you, but since I don’t know how to swim, anything more than one is impressive to me.”

His head tilted to one side, he brushed water out of his eyes as he asked, “You don’t know how to swim?”

“I could say that I never got the chance, but I’ve never been thrilled about swimming in water where I can’t touch the floor with my feet.”

Kit laughed. “Would you like to learn?”

“I’m not really dressed for it,” she said with a wave of her hand down to the clothes she wore, or what little there was.

There was a natural sensuality to her—the way she held herself, and the curves he doubted he would ever get tired of—because he was sure there was nothing about her sleepwear that should have held his attention for as long as they did.

It was the woman inside them.

“You can always take that off.”

Her lips parted in surprise, her gaze shooting over to the staircase that led up to the main house.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “no one is going to come down here.”

Fang was undoubtedly busy with Aidra, and the others had gone into the city to do whatever they pleased.

With careful fingers, Luna tugged at the strings of her shorts until they loosened enough for her to slide down her legs and letting them fall at her feet. The top was next, the material pulled over her head in one fluid move and dropped.

Dragging his gaze up, he took his time as he followed the curves of her hips, the indent at her waist, and high breasts he was already picturing without the sports bra she wore.

“The water is heated,” he told her as he gestured for her to climb in.

But she didn’t dive in. Instead, she sat at the edge before dipping her toes in. “I’m not jumping into anything where I can’t see the bottom.”

Fair enough.

Kit almost smiled as she gingerly lowered herself into the water, hesitant until she realized her feet could touch the floor.

“Why do you have the lights off?” she asked coming over to him, not realizing that with each step she took forward, he took one back until they had ventured further into the deeper end of the pool.

“I think better in darkness.”

Realizing what he was doing, she reached for him, hands curling around his shoulders as she latched on, preventing him from moving further. “Right, ‘cause that doesn’t sound ominous at all. But, ya know, whatever works.”

“I won’t let you drown,” he reassured as he drew her in, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Luna’s smile was shy, her gaze dropping as she tucked the now wet strands of her hair behind her ear. “I thought you were teaching me how to swim?”

“We’re getting to that.”

When they were only a few steps from where the pool’s floor gave way, he pulled away, albeit reluctantly.

“It’s all about balance,” he said as he kept one hand at her waist, the other underneath her legs as he kept her afloat.

Luna’s laugh was strained. “Mind over matter then?”

“You’re too tense.”

“I can’t float.”

“I’m right here,” he reminded her. “You have nothing to worry about. Now, close your eyes and try to let your thoughts go blank.”

There was uncertainty in her eyes as she looked up at him, dark lashes spiked by the water. She told him everything with that look. Her fear. Her trust.

He didn’t want to break it.

Gradually, as she began to relax, he was able to slowly draw his hands away. It only took a few seconds for her to lose her balance, bobbing in the water as she tried to catch her footing.

“You can’t just trust me,” he said with a slight smile. “You have to trust yourself.”

She waded back over to him, plump lips parting as she said, “Let’s try again.”

All she needed was a little push—incentive.

During their first training session, he had thought she would balk, and she did, but he hadn’t expected her to return as soon as she did.

Kit had been ready to give her a few days, let her work through the demons she battled, but only a couple of hours had passed before he felt her behind him.

She didn’t apologize.

She didn’t make excuses.

She faced him with her head held high and said what he hadn’t expected.

Don’t go easy on me.

Maybe it was then that Kit really saw her—saw the potential of who she could be if given the chance.

The attraction wasn’t immediate—at least not in a way that would have made him act on it. She was a beautiful girl, but there was no ignoring the trauma she had suffered.

Kit didn’t particularly like broken things—especially not broken people.

It was too easy to break them further beyond repair.

He valued strength above all else.

Working for the Lotus Society for as long as he had, he’d seen the varying levels of brokenness in people—that will to live slowly disappearing as the future seemed bleak. They gave up without a fight just because the possibility of winning was so slim.

It was during those moments that Kit usually put them out of their misery.

He had anticipated that brokenness in Luna, waiting for the moment when she folded and gave in to what had been done to her.

But she hadn’t.

If anything, she held her head higher.

And it fucking thrilled him.

“I have a question if you don’t mind answering,” she said moving back to his side, allowing him to lift her once more.

“Ask.”

“Did you ever have anyone special, Kit?”

The question caught him off guard. Of all the things he thought she would ask, that was at the bottom of the list.

“Not anyone worth remembering.”

Not anyone quite like her.

His world was dangerous, more so than anyone realized. It wasn't because of his former life as an assassin, or even his new work as The Facilitator, but the fact that his last name was Runehart was enough to put a target on his back.

There had been plenty of women over the years, most one-night stands when he was in the mood. None had been worth more than that.

Luna, however … he wasn't sure when she had crawled beneath his skin. In the beginning, he had tried to deny what he felt. There were other beautiful women in the world—he didn't need to fixate on her.

But none of them had that charming dimple in their left cheek when they smiled.

Or played with their hair when they were nervous.

Even the way her nose scrunched up when she was confused made him smile.

Kit could think of a million reasons why she was different and why he wanted her, but none that would keep him away from her.

The night she had come to him, willingly and of her own accord, he had stopped fighting the draw and gave himself over to it.

He wanted her, and he would be damned if he didn’t have her.

When her expression shifted, he asked why, and she asked a question of her own. “You’ve never been in love?”

“Then how will you know if it happens—not saying that you’re falling in love, or anything. I’m not saying that I’m falling in love either, I’m just—”

“D’you remember that sense of wonder you felt the first time you found something that made you happy? It might have been your beloved Blanco, or the first time you picked up a knife here. It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach at the idea of never having it again—of losing it all.”

He tucked wet strands of hair behind her ear as he pulled her close, the need to have her there nearly overwhelming him at that moment.

“You don’t have to have felt love to know once you’ve find it, Luna,” he said with the slight smile at the look in her eyes—starry-eyed wonder. “You’ll know.”

Going up onto the tips of her toes, she kissed him, taking him by surprise for only a moment before he dragged her closer, and took her mouth the way he wanted.

He coaxed her lips to part, even as he bent to grab her by the back of her thighs and lifted her up. He carried her through the water until she was nearly completely out of it, though it still came up to his knees.

Drawing her legs off from around him, she stared up at him with wide eyes as his fingers tugged at the panties she wore, nearly ripping them off her in his need to get her bare.

Shifting out of the water, she was poised at the ledge, legs spread in invitation. Just the sight of her like that—the same hunger he felt reflected in her eyes—was enough to make his cock hard. Droplets clung to her skin, drawing his gaze to her pussy. He couldn't resist the urge to touch her there, tracing his index finger up her lips then between, drawing a breathless moan from her.

Just seeing the way she squirmed, the restlessness that had already overtaken her made masculine pride flare. He'd barely touched her, just the slightest brush of his fingers against her, and she was already sensitive to the touch, just begging him to give her what she clearly wanted.

But the last time he had her spread open for him like this, he had wanted it to be about her, for her to understand how good it could feel.

Now? Now was about him.

He wanted to see how far he could push her—how far she could go before she broke.

Kit admired strength in others, but he often liked to test it.

He could feel her squirming beneath his touch, whether turned on or shy, he wasn't sure, though he thought it was a combination of the two. She even went as far as to attempt to cover herself, but he grabbed hold of her hand before she could.

An idea sparking in his head, he drew her fingers back until he only had her middle and ring finger extended, then he carefully guided her where he wanted them.

“I don't … but I want you to touch me,” she murmured, voice barely loud enough for him to hear.

“I will,” he promised, “but not before you touch yourself. I want to see.”

He expected her to deny him again—coaxing her into it had always been his intention—but she surprised him when her fingers moved almost experimentally, as though trying to mimic what he’d done to her.

This was what he wanted—the abandonment. He wanted her mindless and needing whatever he chose to do to her.

The need to stoke a fire in her was riding him hard, but he reined it in, contenting himself with the sight of her playing with her pussy.

“Talk to me,” he said as he drew closer, his face now mere inches from her where he was dying to be. “Tell me how good it feels. Tell me how wet you are.”

She murmured words he couldn’t understand, but her pussy told him what words couldn’t.

Fuck, the way she clenched and unclenched around his invading fingers made his own breath hitch as he realized she was— “Don’t come yet, Luna.”

Her lips parted, but whatever she thought to say was forgotten as her body seized and it was too late for her to heed his words. If anything, his words only seemed to make her jolt harder as she came, riding the wave he’d sent crashing through her.

Before she could come down, he pulled his fingers free before replacing them with his mouth, dragging the flat of his tongue up her cleft before delving between.

The taste of her was like a drug, heightening his fucking senses as he sucked her little clit between his lips, taking satisfaction in the feel of her thighs pressed against his head.

She was lost in the sensations, her fingers sifting through his hair before grabbing the strands tight. He loved her like this, open and willing to accept whatever he gave.

He relished in it.

A ragged moan tore from her throat as he ate at her, his fingers digging in to the flesh of her thighs so hard he was sure she would have bruises by the morning.

But she didn’t complain.

She didn’t try to pull away.

She took it all, like she was made for him.

“Dios mio …”

Her words washed over him in a rush, making him smile against her slippery flesh. He knew what she wanted, could tell from the way she restlessly rolled her hips, silently begging for more.

But she knew that wouldn’t do.

He needed more from her.

“Kit, I-I need you.”

“Oh?” he asked as he drew away, carefully pushing two fingers inside her, greedy feminine muscles sucking him in. “Is this what you need? Does your pussy need to be filled?”

Even as he punctuated his words with a sharp twist of his fingers, he already knew the answer she wasn’t yet brave enough to speak. It wasn’t enough—she wanted his cock.

Her need was too great, and he was only playing with her.

Despite the water he was still knee deep in, Kit felt hot all over as he worked her, his cock painfully rigid—the throbbing pulse nearly making him want to say fuck it all and give her what she wanted and put them both out of their misery.

“Fucking Christ, Luna, say it.”

“Take me!” she all but shouted at him as tremors wracked her frame.

It was enough.

He surged out of the water, dragging her to him as he hastily jerked at his own clothing trying to rid himself of the shorts. Kneeling between her thighs, he was offered an unobstructed view of her glistening pussy, the flush beneath her skin beautiful.

The second he had his hand wrapped around his cock, he dragged his fist from the root to the tip, squeezing just hard enough to tamp down his own need to come.

He wasn’t ready for this to end.

He never wanted it to end.

The pleasurable torture was too good to resist.

Angling his cock down, he rocked his hips forward, sliding his length along her cleft, the same as he’d done with her tongue. Once she was practically vibrating beneath him, he concentrated his efforts at that little bundle of nerves, tapping the head of his cock against it.

“I know what you need,” he whispered as her legs fell open wider.

She was a squirming mess beneath him, but this time as he slid down again, he found the notch at her opening and pushed inside, the tight heat stealing his breath away. Already, the need to fuck her hard was riding him and he was desperate to answer its call.

She was just so fucking slippery and tight—so fucking tight—around his cock that it was nothing short of sheer concentration that didn’t have him spilling inside her.

Her pussy rippled around him as he fed his cock into her, his gaze leaving where he penetrated and going up to her face.

He loved her expressions—the way everything he was feeling was reflected there.

Gritting his teeth, Kit forced his attention on her—the look of abandonment on her face. On tight nipples that were begging to be sucked.

He wanted to fucking possess her.

Once he was in as far as he could go, he planted himself there, giving her a moment to adjust to him, but he couldn’t help a shift of his hips, a measured thrust that had him sinking deeper inside her before pulling out, her glistening arousal covering his cock.

Luna’s head fell back as she moaned, the sound seeming to wrap around him.

How eager she was as she arched, meeting his thrusts, but with each one, her cries grew louder, the sound amplified because of the water.

“Shh,” he whispered with a smile, pressing his finger against her lips, cursing low when she pulled it into her mouth, the soft suction of her mouth just as much a tease as it was a promise. “Voices carry in here—you wouldn’t want everyone to know you’re getting fucked, hmm?”

Luna shook her head hard, eyes cloudy with pleasure as she released his finger, only to bite her lip.

Gradually, he worked his cock in and out of her, holding her legs wide as he gave himself over to it.

At least until he felt her hands sliding along his back—until he felt her nails digging in and dragging down, scoring his skin.

His control snapped.

Kit needed to fucking consume her, to take everything she offered and more.

Shoving himself into her body, his thrusts were nothing short of savage as he fucked her harder and harder, loving the way her breath hitched.

“Such a good girl,” he praised leaning down to lick a path up her neck. “Is your pussy hungry for me? Are you ready to come again?”

She wrapped her legs around him then in answer, as though to keep him there—like there was any other place he would rather be.

Already, she had forgotten his warning, her mindless cries echoing, but it was like music to his ears, but as much as he loved it, he clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle them.

Seeing her like that, mouth covered and his body practically pinning her to the floor, he knew he wouldn’t last long.

Is this how you like it, he whispered before biting the cord of her neck, dragging his teeth over it. Is this how you like to get fucked?

A guttural sound left him as he watched her head fall back and he was gifted with the sight of her reaching climax a split second before her pussy clamped down like a vise around his cock, milking him for everything he was worth, and he had no choice but to give in.

One brutal thrust, another, and finally a third, then he was rapidly pulling out of her still pulsating pussy. He fucked his fist, her name falling like a prayer and a curse from his lips as he came, arcs of milky white fluid lashing across her stomach and breasts.

It wasn’t enough.

It was too much.

It was everything.

---

“Sleep.”

Luna nearly jumped at the sound of Kit’s voice. She had been sure he had already fallen asleep once they had come back up from the pool, showered, and climbed into his bed.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t tired, she definitely was, but thoughts of what the new day would bring had her too anxious to sleep.

After they came up from the pool, Kit had told her about the assignment he needed to go on, and that she would be going with him. He hadn’t explained much about what she would be expecting from this job, but the sheer unknown of it all had her mind racing with possibilities.

Kit wouldn’t have such worries, and after the energy he expended in the pool, she was sure it wouldn’t be long before he was asleep, but her fidgeting must have kept him up.

“Sorry.”

With a powerful arm hooked around her waist, he dragged her deeper into his side, his hand splaying low over her belly.

“There’s nothing to fear,” he said, fingers fiddling with the strings of her shorts. “I’ll be right there with you.”

“I know.” And she did. It wasn’t fear that was keeping her awake.

“Just nerves then?” he asked, his tone taking on a playful note as his thumb dragged over the edge of her shorts, seconds before he was pushing inside. “Do I need to help you relax?”

She didn’t get the chance to answer because he made the decision for her.

And by the time he kissed the nape of her neck after she’d come down from the cloud, Luna was finally able to relax.

---

Luna was still sleeping peacefully when Kit woke the next morning. Carefully, he pulled his arm from beneath her as he climbed out of bed.

As much as he wanted to stay there with her, there were a few last-minute details he needed to handle with Aidra before the flight out.

After a short trip to the bathroom, Kit made his way downstairs, finding Aidra already dressed for the day with a look on her face that told him he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

“While Fang may appreciate your new found interest in Luna because that makes me more available for him, I’m …”

“Not?” Kit asked, bypassing her to go through the kitchen door.

“Who you choose to have relations with is none of my concern, but if your behavior changes, then I’m concerned,” she finished hastily.

“Would you care to tell me what you mean?” Kit asked her. “I have a schedule to keep.”

“Not only have you decided not to bring The Wild Bunch with you, but you’re not even taking me.”

“Your point?”

“One deviation could be the beginning of a pattern, Nix. While I trust that you’re capable of taking care of yourself, this is her—” This she said with a nod toward the kitchen door as though Luna stood there. “—first time being around other people besides perverts and us.”

Kit poured a mug of coffee as he thought over her words. “I once carried out my own personal invasion of the Balan’s Home for Boys, or did you not know that I was the one to rescue your lover from that place?”

It hadn’t just been Fang either, but the rest of The Wild Bunch as well. He still didn’t know how long they had been in the orphanage—there were some secrets they refused to share—but when he had come for the Professor, he had freed as many of the children as he could.

“No, he never mentioned that,” Aidra said softly. “You know he doesn’t like to talk about where he came from.”

“Seven guards, three teachers,” Kit sneered the word, remembering some details of the assignment that had stuck with him all these years, “four chefs, and The Professor himself. Understand me, Aidra, if I thought I couldn’t protect Luna, I wouldn’t have agreed to this.”

“It’s different when you care about someone, or have you forgotten that? As I said, it’s not your skills that are lacking, but she can be a distraction for you, whether you want to admit it or not.” Aidra blew out a breath, as though he were the one annoying her. “And I don’t believe you had much of a choice in the decision, no? She does work for your brother, or have you forgotten that?”

How could he forget?

Already, just the thought of the contract she would be made to sign annoyed him. Uilleam was fond of his games, and Kit didn’t doubt for a second that he would attempt to use Luna to leverage something from him.

That was who he was—who they both were.

“Your concerns are noted, Aidra.”

“But you’re not going to change the plans, are you?”

“I’m sure you already know the answer to that.”

“Then at least keep yourself in one piece by the end of it. Someone has to sign my paycheck.”

“You have the routing and account numbers for at least a dozen of my off-shore accounts, I’m sure you’ll make do.”

Aidra shrugged, annoyance forgotten as she smiled. “I was trying to make you feel important.”

Kit rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee. “Now that we’ve had this chat, would you like to go over the itinerary?”

She pulled out her tablet, swiping through a few screens before she read, “Your flight leaves at nine—funds have already been wired to the pilots—you’ll land at noon with your car waiting. The keys to the Easton property will be waiting for you there.”

Kit frowned. “Why that one? It’s nearly an hour’s drive away from the casino?”

“It has the wall of windows remember?” Her smile was coy. “The view is nice.”

She didn’t even attempt to hide her meaning. “You’ve been with Fang too long.”

“Have I? I haven’t noticed. Between your arrival and the next seven hours you’re free to do whatever you want, including fu—”

“Move on, Aidra.”

Her laugh echoed in the silence of the room. “The games start at ten sharp. Your buy-in has already been delivered. I also emailed you a more detailed report, should you need it.”

“Anything else?”

Her expression sobered as she regarded him. “Be careful. Despite what you may think, it is possible for you to get distracted.”

He wouldn’t deny her words, not when there was truth to them. Even he had noticed the way a glance in Luna’s direction could turn his thoughts from work to her.

But even distracted, his skills were far superior to anyone he would face this night.

“I hear you,” he said in return, and this time meant it.

Heading back upstairs, he found Luna where he’d left her, this time facing the opposite direction as though she had sought him out in her sleep.

They needed to take care of one last little detail before they left.

Going over to the nearby dresser, he opened the top drawer, rooting around the bottom of it for the spare knife he kept hidden inside.

Once he had it clutched in his hand, he walked over to the bed, drawing the blanket and sheets away from Luna’s legs, spotting the tracking device that was still attached to her ankle.

Slipping the blade beneath it, he gave a quick jerk of his hand to slice it through.

“I was wondering when that was coming off,” Luna said in a sleepy voice.

His gaze drew up her body until he met her eyes, and Kit held it up for her to see. “Well now it’s gone.”

Luna sat up further, stretching her arms above her head before reaching for the cup in his hand. He was glad for the difference time could make.

“I’ll be ready shortly,” she said with a sly smile and a glance over her shoulder as she crossed for his bathroom.

Naked.

They were going to be late.

---

Kit made her feel alive.

It took effort keeping the smile off her face now, and that was mild compared to how she felt when he was with her. His moves were always deliberate. It took weeks of careful studying to notice that he didn’t fidget.

At all.

Fang had a habit of drumming his fingers on any nearby surface, Aidra tapped the back of her tablet, and Invictus had a habit of turning a silver coin over between his fingers.

But Kit … he was always so still, so when he did move, she noticed.

It felt intoxicating being in his presence, as though he had found a way to infect her thoughts and feelings and her very being. He was a comfort without even trying.

Despite his warning about being late—though he hadn’t cared about that considering he had taken his sweet time—they made it to the private airfield before takeoff—the same field she was sure she had landed in when Uilleam had brought her to him.

This time, once she was in the air and the seatbelt light flicked off, she didn’t remain in her seat, but rather went to have a proper look around.

This was her first time, voluntarily, on a plane—especially one that looked like this. Like Uilleam’s, there was a private bedroom, and this one felt far more intimate with dim lights that lit up beneath the frame of the bed.

Luna could almost imagine Kit inviting her back here with that smile of his, tempting her with promises she knew he could keep.

Deciding it was best to close the door back and head to the front before her thoughts could take her away, she found Kit as he was, studying the file on his iPad. With his gaze firmly fixed on the screen, she hadn’t thought he noticed her until she was about to walk back to her seat before he spoke.

“Please. Sit with me.”

Taking the one next to him, she peeked over at his screen to see what he was reading. “Is that the file?”

Once she was officially a part of the Den and given an assignment, Kit had explained, a file would be sent along—one that was complete with everything she could have possibly needed to know about the person she was sent after. Names of close contacts, dates, travel itineraries, and information on any properties they might have owned—not to mention everything that was public, and private, about their business.

“Always find your own information,” Kit had told her during one of their earlier training sessions. “Clients often hide vital details that could mean the difference between completing a mission and fucking it up.”

She had often wondered what his file would look like should he ever become a job of someone’s. Sometimes, the information could span back decades. The thought of that reminded her that despite them being intimate, she actually knew very little about him.

“How long have you done this?”

Kit’s gaze flickered from the screen to her. “What, exactly?”

She thought of saying kill people, but that felt too elementary compared to who he seemed to be. Sure, that was the extent of what she had seen him do, but she could tell there was far more to him than that.

“You said you were an assassin, right?”

“Former. And if you’re asking how long I did that, it was for little more than a decade.”

Even as that wowed her, she wasn’t very surprised. He had a skill with weapons that was still baffling to behold.

After she had gotten the hang of knives with Tăcut, she had thought to show him how much she had improved—at the time, she hadn’t wanted to think that she was trying to impress him.

But what she had done was nothing compared to what he could do. He’d asked if she trusted him—she said yes— and then asked her to stand against the wall where the target was.

It didn’t take her long to realize what he wanted, not when he picked up one of the blades, her gasp making him smile as he touched the sharpened metal to his forehead, an indicator for where she was meant to look.

In rapid succession, he launched three of them across the room, and she was too frozen in fear to move even a millimeter as they sunk into the paper around her—very close, but not a single one hitting her.

Yeah, Kit was very good.

“Since you were a teenager?” Luna asked.

His frown, that turned down the corners of his lips and drew his brows together, made an appearance as he regarded her. “Yes. A bit younger than you in fact.”

She tried to do some quick math in her head. “So that would make you twenty-seven?”

He nodded. “A year older in April.”

So he had just celebrated a birthday, though he hadn’t mentioned a word about it. Come to think of it, he had been gone most of that month. Was it because he didn’t want to celebrate?

“You’re younger than I thought,” Luna muttered, realizing belatedly that she had voiced that thought aloud.

His deep chuckle made her blush. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It was meant as one,” she whispered with a slight shake of her head.

“When is yours?”

It only dawned on her then just how close her birthday was.

June 1^st.

Tomorrow.

There hadn’t been many reasons to celebrate her life over the last three years, but now … now she was looking forward to it a little. It wouldn’t be a full year since she was free of Lawrence, but it was close enough.

And that was reason enough to celebrate.

“How close is it?”

“Well … tomorrow, actually.”

One dark brow shot up. “Were you going to tell me? Birthdays are important.”

“Not really—it’s just another day. Besides, there’s nothing I want more than what you’ve already given me.”

She didn’t have to explain what she meant—he knew.

Seeming at a loss for words, Kit cleared his throat. “You said you thought I was younger than I am? What else have you thought of me?”

His head was canted to the side, as though whatever answers she gave him would be fascinating—she was glad for the distraction. “I’d only be assuming …”

“Then tell me of your assumptions.”

Shifting in her seat, crossing one leg beneath her, she said, “Well you’re smart, obviously.”

“Not an assumption—I’ve told you of my schooling.”

That was true enough. “You speak at least five languages.”

“Why five?”

“Well …” Luna thought about how best to answer that. “English, for one.”

“Does that really count?”

“It should,” Luna said with a laugh, remembering how hard she had found it to learn the language. “Welsh, obviously. There was that man who came to see you a couple of weeks ago—I think he was Italian? Spanish, for another, and French.”

His smile said he was impressed. “Your observation skills are serving you well. All true, but I also speak Swedish, Russian, and Gaelic, though only when I’m in the mood.”

“How did you learn all of them?” she asked.

He regaled her with stories, one where he spent weeks in a Mexican jungle, hunting down an arms dealer that had thought to escape into the forest—it hadn’t ended well for the dealer. Another where he was in Spain setting up contracts with people known only as The Family.

She didn’t think she could ever get tired of hearing him speak—the smooth, lulling cadence, or the way the tales were embellished with details that she hadn’t asked for, but liked to hear all the same.

She liked him.

“Pyotr was one of my first assignments in the Lotus Society, and despite finishing the job mostly unscathed, I still had to remain in the country for another two months before I could be extracted. A local man had been all too willing to teach me the language should I pay him to keep his mouth shut.”

“How many did you do before you retired? Assignments, I mean.”

“One-hundred and thirty-six.”

Luna blinked. “That’s … wow.”

He shrugged. “It’s merely a number. Others have done far more.”

“Was it hard in the beginning?”

“No,” he said without hesitation. “Does that surprise you?”

“A little.”

Kit seemed genuinely curious now. “Why?”

“You’re taking someone’s life. I can’t imagine that was easy for someone as young as you were.”

“When you’ve already experienced trauma, it no longer matters. Many often find freedom in vindication. This is not me saying that it’s easy, or that everything will be the same once you take a life, but the payoff was worth it—at least to me. It was like being reborn.”

She thought of the wings on his back. “Did you choose your name, or was it given to you?”

“It was given.”

“Fang and The Wild Bunch too?”

“Yes.”

“And The Kingmaker?”

Kit lost his smile. “Believe me, no one would call him that if they had a choice—his was self-appointed.”

“Will I get a name?”

“In due time.”

“How does that work exactly?”

“That’s a question you’ll need to ask one of the Den, I’m afraid. I don’t know how their process works.”

Luna kind of hoped it would be something memorable—something that stuck out amongst the sea of others there were.

“But enough of that,” Kit said as he passed her the iPad. “You have work to do.”

Accepting it from him, she settled in to read all about Kit’s target for the night.

---

By the time they were landing, Luna was sure that she could recite back every detail of that file if Kit were to ask.

She had grown rather used to the black SUVs that were always parked near the château, but as she stepped off the plane, shielding her eyes with her hand, there was another car just off in the distance—one that had her staring in open admiration.

It sat close to the ground, and looked as if it were better suited for a racetrack than at a hangar. Painted a light shade of cream, the car was pristine, with darkened windows that prevented anyone from seeing inside.

Luna might not have known what kind of car it was exactly, but she could guess it was very expensive—but seeing Kit’s château, she wasn’t surprised.

Kit handled their bags before walking her over to the car and opened the passenger door for her.

The leather was the same shade of cream as the exterior, and Luna was almost afraid to touch anything with how pristine everything looked—as though the car had been made and delivered minutes before they landed.

Glancing over at the steering wheel, she tried to make sense of the logo—what looked like a backward E and a B—but it was unfamiliar.

Once Kit was next to her, donning a pair of opaque sunglasses, she asked, “What kind of car is this?”

He smiled at her as he started the car up, the low purr of the engine sounding. “Bugatti Veyron. Do you like it?”

Like was a bit of an understatement. “It’s a surprise, I guess.”

“Oh?”

“I thought you would drive something more … I don’t know, classic?”

“And what does classic mean to you, Luna?” There was a slight smile on his lips as he looked back to the road, his hand wrapping around the gear shift.

“Something a bit less …” she grappled for the right word. “Ostentatious.”

He shrugged. “But most don’t go from zero to sixty in two-point-four seconds.”

“Wow. Does it really?”

He didn’t answer her question, merely showed her. One minute they were shifting lanes, the next she was jolted back against her seat as his foot pressed harder on the gas.

With the windows down, her hair whipped around her face, making her laugh as she shoved the strands out of her eyes, wanting to make sure she saw everything.

Like with most things, Kit seemed to handle the car like he was born to do it, expertly navigating them through traffic at a ridiculous speed.

Her heart in her throat, Luna had never felt more alive.

Though he had been able to gun it through the streets of whatever barren place they had flown into, he eventually slowed when they got to the city proper.

Luna didn’t think she had ever seen so much traffic.

She tried to contain her wonder as she looked out the passenger window as they slowly passed buildings and parks alike. The city felt narrow, like everything was on top of each other—and even with all the cars honking and edging forward, there were just as many people walking on sidewalks, hurrying to their destinations.

Some slowed, doing double takes as they passed, others more bold, taking out their phones to snap pictures.

It really was a nice car.

Another forty-five minutes passed before Kit pulled over in front of a building made of mirrored glass and steel. He had barely put the car in park before two men came forward, one opening the door for each of them.

“Mr. Runehart,” the one with hazel eyes and a sharp smile greeted respectfully.

How often did he come here?

Coming around the front to join Luna on the sidewalk, he passed the keys to one of them with a rather telling stare, he led the way inside and through the brightly lit lobby until they were at a bank of elevators.

Twenty-seven floors later, the doors were opening once more and she had to contain the awe she felt as she took her first step into the penthouse suite. Directly ahead of her was a wall of windows, allowing an unobstructed view of the city below. She could see the tops of trees, birds flying overhead, and a bridge in the distance.

Just outside, there was a wrap-around balcony, one that housed a rather large seating area and a swimming pool that appeared to be made of glass.

Unlike Kit’s château, this place was far more modern, with all the luxury fixtures one might expect.

“Our room is through there,” Kit said pointing, distracted by the phone call he’d received on their way up.

Our, he said.

Why did that thrill her so much?

Unlike his room back at the château, this one was more neutral with shades of cream and white. There was even a balcony that overlooked the city below, the sheer expanse of it breathtaking from this far up.

She wondered if it would always be like this. The jets, mansions, and penthouses that seemed almost unreal.

She wondered if she would always have Kit.

---

Robert Morrison was a man that loved fast cars, quick money, and women who were willing to give him the time of day—and sometimes those that wouldn’t. For the past seven years, he worked for the Adeline Construction Company in west Philadelphia as the lead accountant.

It was a family-owned business, one that had been around for more than three generations. The CEO, a man whose name Luna didn’t know—it wasn’t in the file—had only hired him after his daughter fell in love and agreed to marry him. After a slew of affairs, one with her former best friend, she had quickly regretted her choice in a husband.

“What’s the job, exactly?” Luna asked as she tugged the hem of her dress down a bit more, an action she was sure she would be doing all night—the thing refused to stay in place.

Besides several documents filled with information about the man, his business, and his finances, she hadn’t seen anything that told her what they were supposed to be doing at the casino.

“D’you want me to tell you, or would you rather I show you?” Kit asked as he kept a hand at the small of her back, leading her down into the private rooms that were off-limits to everyone except those that had the password.

A part of her wanted to know now, so she could be prepared for whatever was to come. The dress she wore was entirely too tight to hide a gun, but carefully concealed in the messy bun she wore was two pins that were sharp as razors.

Security waited for them at the bottom of the staircase, a wire wound around his ear. He touched a finger to it, his eyes darting as he listened, before he allowed them by.

“You’ll do fine,” he murmured before they walked into the room.

Yeah, she hoped so.

A table was set up in the center of the room, a bar against one wall, with the bartender standing behind it carefully wiping down the polished wood.

Men in tailored suits were sitting around the table, drinks within reach as they all talked amicably until Kit and she walked into the room.

Now, they were looking at them, and Luna understood all too clearly what her role was to be this night.

Eye candy.

Sure, the men spoke to them both, but their eyes lingered on her, never going any higher than the low-cut neckline of her dress that did wonders for her cleavage.

Some weren’t ashamed at all by their staring, even with dates at their sides.

“Leave it to Nix to bring the most beautiful woman in the room,” a man said with a chuckle, and as her gaze shifted in his direction, she saw that it was Robert—Kit’s target.

It didn’t seem to matter that the woman sitting on his lap frowned, glaring at him, though Luna didn’t feel much sympathy for her since she was pretty sure that wasn’t his wife.

Robert Morrison was much shorter in person that she was expecting, five-five, if an inch. He wore wire-framed glasses that were propped at the end of his nose. And despite the way he wore his hair, she could still see the bald spot he was trying to conceal.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight, Dick,” Kit lied smoothly as he pulled out a chair for Luna to sit in before claiming his seat at the table.

It was clear that Robert didn’t like that name, but he was smart enough to not call Kit on it. Then again, he seemed too interested in looking Luna over to say much of anything.

“We landed a new contract at the firm,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder and a squeeze of the woman’s ass sitting on his lap. “I thought I’d celebrate.”

“By losing all your money?” Kit asked with a quirk of his lips, “Doesn’t seem very much like a celebration.”

Robert laughed boisterously. “Am I losing to you? Don’t forget, Nix, you may have a mind for business, but your poker face is shit.”

Luna’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly she was wondering if they were talking about the same man.

Kit’s poker face was better than anyone she knew.

Which could only mean that if they played together before, Kit had purposely showed his hand, if only so Robert would let his guard down.

“I’ve brought my good luck charm this time,” Kit said.

“And what a charm she is.”

Luna wondered if he even realized how smarmy he came across, or if he actually thought what he was saying was charming. It wasn’t what he said, necessarily, but how he said it.

But she ignored him. There was nothing to worry about with Kit at her side, especially considering he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She wondered how he could possibly be winning when every time she looked up, his gaze was trained on her instead of his cards.

Not that she was complaining.

It was thrilling, being the object of his desire—especially in a room full of exceptionally beautiful women.

Luna wasn’t ugly, though she thought her eyes were a little too wide, and her chin a bit too pointy, but these women looked like they made it their job to look as attractive as possible—from the expensive dresses and heels, to the expertly blended makeup they wore.

Yet still, Kit only had eyes for her.

“A drink for the lady,” Robert said with a nod, setting a glass filled with a yellow liquid in front of her.

She hadn’t even realized he’d moved from his spot at the table, let alone that he had gone through the trouble of fetching her a drink. But despite the gesture, she didn’t touch it.

“I—”

“She’s not going home with you, Dick,” Kit said, his eyes finally back on his cards as he scanned what the house had laid out, then tossed out a few chips.

“You’ve never been opposed to sharing before,” the man threw back with a sly grin, tapping his thumb against the felt of the table.

Luna knew better than to react to the man’s dig, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about what he meant.

No, she knew what he meant—that was pretty obvious—but she was curious whether or not it was true.

It was possible—he had told her there had never been anyone special before—but the idea didn’t sit well with her. She remembered all too well what it meant to be ‘shared’ and the idea that Kit would do something like that … but that wasn’t who he was.

She didn’t believe he would force a girl to do something she wasn’t comfortable with.

He had shown her that.

“Are you playing the game, or not?” Kit asked with a nod of his head at the table in front of them, but whereas his tone had been indifferent before, there was an edge now.

“Of course, of course.”

But he didn’t move away, not immediately. Robert lingered instead and for the third time that night, he touched her shoulder.

“Is there anything else I can get you before I beat Nix, here?”

Still trying to play coy, Luna smiled but shook her head—she didn’t even want the damn drink.

Setting his cards face down on the table, Kit turned back with a smile. He purposefully ignored Robert’s hand on her shoulder as he maintained eye contact with her.

He cradled her face in his hand, his thumb sweeping over her cheek. “If he touches you again,” he said, that smile of his growing wider, “I’ll cut his fucking hands off.”

Kit was smiling as he said it, as though he hadn’t just threatened the man—the words in Spanish for only her to understand.

Luna didn’t think she had ever been more surprised, or turned on, by the promise of violence.

And as though he knew exactly where her mind had gone, he gave an arrogant little half-smile that lit up his usually cold eyes. “I’ll take care of you later.”

She couldn’t wait.

“I raise,” Robert said as he returned to his chair, seeming a little miffed now, and tossed more chips into the pot.

“You really are celebrating,” Kit responded thoughtfully as he picked his cards back up. “Your bid usually stops well before now.”

The other man didn’t catch the hint—the knowledge that Kit knew what he had done.

“Worry about your own money,” Robert said as he peeked at the house’s cards.

Slowly, as the game went on, Kit’s chips had steadily decreased in number until he was down to four blue, seven green, and a handful of reds, but he didn’t seem bothered by his dwindling stacks.

Robert’s good fortune had gone to the man’s head, and he’d become practically insufferable.

The girl he had been sitting with all night was pushed to a corner, forgotten and ignored as he started to care more about the money he was raking in than her.

It also didn’t escape Luna’s notice that every other member had disappeared, leaving only six people in the room altogether.

But, with a glance in their direction, the bartender slipped out the door, and even the woman with Robert had ventured off, probably in search of something more excited.

And now there were four.

“It seems you’re holding a shit pot over there, Nix,” Robert called out with a tilt of his chin. “You’ve always been bad, but this is new for you.”

“I can afford to lose it.”

And just that quickly, as they laid out their cards for another hand, Kit lost once more.

Robert laughed as he swept up the chips, his gaze falling back on Luna. “Try again next time, Nix.”

Kit laughed, laying a hand on Luna’s thigh. “I guess that’s game for me.”

“There’s still something of value you can bid, if you wanted—something more valuable.”

“You’re asking for Luna,” Kit said without any inflection to his words. “But there’s nothing of yours that’s worth half of her, so why would I agree to that ridiculous wager?”

“Then name your price,” Robert said gesturing to his chips. “I have a million dollars here, easy.”

“And what do you think, Luna?” Kit asked smiling at her. “Should I take that bet?”

“What are you asking her for?” Robert asked with a frown, “her opinion on it doesn’t matter.”

“Do you trust me, Luna?” Kit asked her, ignoring Robert’s outburst.

“Of course.” Not just in this, but in everything.

“All right, Dick, I’ll see your offer.”

As the dealer shuffled, then passed them their cards, Kit turned in his seat to better face Robert. “How’s the construction business, Dick?”

“Really fucking good,” he shot back with a laugh. “Or have you not been paying attention?”

“Curious that you can afford this game on your salary.”

This time the pointed remark penetrated. Robert had a beer bottle in hand, tipping it to his lips when he processed Kit’s words.

“Like I said, a lucky year.”

“Not too lucky, I don’t think. The firm is in the red this year, or didn’t you realize just how big of a hole you dug once you started embezzling.”

It was so quiet in the room, Luna could almost hear the stutter of Robert’s heart as he came out of the fog he was under. He was only now realizing how empty the room was.

“What makes—”

“That wasn’t a question, Dick. I know you’ve been embezzling, though you did quite well in hiding it, but you took too much for it to go unnoticed.”

Robert swallowed, his cards forgotten. “I can pay it back. Right now, I’ll pay back every dime.”

“Edward told you to pay it back months ago, and yet here we sit.”

“I-I didn’t have it then,” he said with an almost involuntary shake of his head. “I have it now.”

Kit tapped his card with a finger. “You sure about that?”

Robert might have nodded, but the uncertainty on his face showed. “Flush,” he said displaying his cards.

Kit made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat. “Four of a kind.”

Kit barely had his cards on the table before Robert was bursting from his seat and dashing for the door. He had a few seconds of a head start, but it didn’t matter—he couldn’t outrun a bullet.

In one fluid move, before Luna was sure he could even get an accurate aim, Kit had his gun brandished and pointed at Robert a second before pulling the trigger, the silencer attached to the end muffling the sound.

His hand had barely touched the knob before there was a hole in the back of his head and he was face down on the floor.

In the blink of an eye, it was over.

Luna didn’t even flinch.