AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That last one wasn’t me. The shooter was aiming for Colby.”
“The shooter changed the intended victim, which was you. He thought Reynolds was a higher value target, but he botched it.”
“I’ll bet he regretted that.”
Nora shrugged. “I doubt he had time for regrets. The Master does not forgive failure.”
“So, this ‘Master’ sent you to do what others had not been able to?”
“Yes. I’m his top assassin; he raised me to be the best at what I do.”
Hutch leaned back. “He raised you to be a killer?”
“Yes. He adopted me from the foster care system in England, raised me, gave me the finest education, and taught me to kill those who opposed him.”
“You sound pretty dispassionate about it. Like you don’t care.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Hutch, not anymore. I won’t sit here and tell you I felt threatened or that I didn’t know what I was doing was wrong. I did tell myself, at least at first, that the people I killed were as bad or worse than the Master. After a while, there was so much blood on my hands, I just didn’t care anymore.”
“What will he do to you when you refuse to kill me? You are refusing to kill me, right?” he asked with a flicker of a smile.
Nora smiled back. “I think from the first moment I saw you, I knew I couldn’t do it.”
“What will he do?” Hutch pressed.
“He’ll kill me; then send someone here to kill you and anyone else who gets in his way.”
“That may be his plan, but I’m here to tell you, the only death he’ll find in Mystic River is his own.”
“You need to let me go. If I move quickly, I may be able to get to him before he gets to you.”
Hutch shook his head. “Not happening. It seems your Master left out a critical piece of your education. Fated mates are bound together through eternity. We are stronger together than we are apart. We will figure it out and be together. If need be, we will have the community of Mystic River behind us.”
“If I don’t kill him, he’ll kill us both—first me and then you. If he realizes we’re fated mates, he’ll kill you first and make me watch. But either way, we’re both dead.”
“I will protect you. I will keep you safe.”
“You don’t understand…” she said, heartbreak evident in her voice.
“But I do. This Master of yours took a vulnerable child, took all of her choices, and trained her to be his weapon. I think you’ve always been afraid of him; it’s just been so long that you’re used to the feeling. Is he in Boston?”
She shook her head slowly. “No. Lundy Island off the coast of Devon in England. He has an impregnable fortress.”
Hutch grinned slowly. “No such thing. Do you know much about his dealings within the shifter community?”
“More than I want to. I know he’s the puppet master behind the Shadow League.”
“We—”
“We?”
“The resistance and Colby’s intelligence network. No one believed it was the Ruling Council. Who is he?” He held up his hand and waved it back and forth. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll talk with Colby in the morning. I’m going to call Hamish to let him know you’ll be with me and that we can go up to Windsong together.”
“What makes you think I’ll just sit back and let you run my life?” she asked with a smirk.
“Because I’m your fated mate and that’s the way it works.” He glared at her, daring her to challenge him on the issue. “And in case you missed it, I’m the one that had you pinned to the wall in the alley.”
“Yes, but I’m the one who jumped you and initiated the fight,” she returned.
