Nix. (Den of Mercenaries Book 3) (16 page)

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?

Kit passed him the key, coming around the front to join Luna on the sidewalk. After passing 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.

* * *

R
obert Morrison was
a man that loved fast cars, quick money, and women that 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 were 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, 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 in 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 in 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 went 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.

Sitting his cards face down on the table, Kit turned back with a smile. He purposefully ignored Robert’s hand on her shoulder as 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 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 that Robert with 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 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 everything.

“Alright, 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.”