Nix. (Den of Mercenaries Book 3)(13)

“So freely given, yet you haven’t the slightest idea who you’re offering it to.” Downing more of his drink, he added, “There’s a reason why they call me the Kingmaker. One of these days, I’ll do something that will inevitably test that loyalty you’ve promised. We’ll see where you stand then. Consider this your warning.”

Luna expected remorsefulness in his tone, or something like it, but he didn’t seem bothered by how he described himself.

Just stated it as though it was mere fact.

“Do I need to call you that?” she asked, remembering what he had said when he first introduced himself.

Though she’d seen glimpses of ‘The Kingmaker,’ it sounded weird, even in her head, calling him that regularly.

His expression may have softened a fraction. “For you, Uilleam is fine.”

That felt almost … nice.

But she had no idea why.





Chapter Four





Sitting in a late model Rolls Royce, Luna stared through the tinted windows at the gold ornate gate, a large ‘R’ in the center of the crest parting down the middle as it opened.

Uilleam had agreed so easily to half-a-million dollars and while she had thought the amount was exorbitant, now she was starting to understand how he so easily parted with the money.

From the looks of it, he probably had more money than she could even fathom. Not just because of the jet he chartered, or even the car they were riding in, but because when they arrived here—wherever here was exactly—she saw a true testament of his wealth.

“Runehart Chateau,” he said absently as they idled, waiting for the gates to open far enough that they could drive through.

While he had seemed quite interested in her when they first boarded the plane and he questioned her about her life both before and during her captivity with Lawrence, he hadn’t said much else once they landed.

But the silence was a welcome relief.

“You’ll remain here,” Uilleam said as he pocketed the phone that held his attention for the last hour or so. “And to quell whatever thoughts you have of running the moment you’re out of my sight, I have this for you.”

He held up a thin black band in his left hand, a red light illuminating from the middle of it like a beacon.

“It’s a tracking device,” he explained. “A bit more sophisticated than most—waterproof and tamperproof—and should you think to run with this little device on your leg, it will send seventy-thousand volts of electricity through you. Now, I hope that deters any hint of rebellion, but should it not, feel free to test it. It’ll amuse me. Of course, you’re free to walk the grounds if you’d like, but should you go beyond those gates we drove through, you won’t like the consequences.”

When he reached for her leg, she jolted back, though there was hardly any room in the car for her to get anywhere. “You don’t have to do that. I won’t try to leave.”

“I believe you,” he said, though he didn’t sound like he believed that at all, “but you’re an investment I can’t afford to lose.”

Investment … It wasn’t the first time he’d said something similar, but she couldn’t for the life of her understand what he meant.

Before she could pull away again, he fastened the thing around her ankle, smiling proudly as though he had given her something special.

“Give it time,” he said sitting back. “You won’t even realize it’s there.”

Though she was very much aware of it in the moment, she did believe that he was right. It was significantly lighter than the chain Lawrence had always kept on her.

As they slowly made their way up the winding drive, Luna understood exactly what he meant by ‘grounds.’ They were extensive, lush green lawns extending as far as the eye could see and beyond, and there were enough trees in the distance that it allowed for privacy from anyone within miles of this place. Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall seeing any other residences on their drive here.

The grounds, however, were nothing compared to the looming structure that grew larger the closer they came. A chateau, he had called it. Had he not, she would have thought the massive place was a castle.

Yet, as magnificent as it all was, her attention was snared by the number of guards stationed around the property. All of them were in dark gear with assault rifles strapped across their backs.

There were four that she could see, all wearing intricately detailed masks.

One was gunmetal gray with dark eye sockets, but nothing where the mouth should have been—to see, but not be heard. Another was painted to resemble a melting skull. The third was plain black, but there were words scrawled in white along the top of it—iarta-ma—and the last only had a rather wide smiling mouth drawn on it.

Seeing them waiting there, Luna wondered just who Uilleam was, and who he was expecting to come after him to hire men like these.

Once they finally slowed to a stop, the door to the car was opened, a hand popping in to assist her out. Uilleam wasn’t far behind.

She followed the man in front of her across the drive, and up the sandstone staircase toward heavy oak doors that made up the front entrance. Uilleam pushed both open as he entered, sunlight spilling into the foyer where a chandelier that was twice the size of any one she had ever seen glittered with the reflecting light.