The Curse (Belador #3)(55)

Evalle would like to get a better look at this woman beyond what she could see in her peripheral vision, but Isak still had his weapon pointed at her chest.

He’d picked up a night-vision monocular somewhere, looking even more deadly than usual—like a cyborg on a death mission. He said, “So what was this trip about, Evalle? Thought you could come here and kill all of us?”

She shook her head, suffering unexpected pain at the look of disappointment on his face and even more at his words. She’d had a strange relationship with Isak so far, but she’d always considered him a friend. “No. I don’t harm humans.”

“That’s a hard sale when I know what an Alterant is capable of. What’d you do to make our forklift guy turn into a beast?”

He thinks I’m the reason that Rías shifted? “What makes you think I can make someone change into another form?”

“I have no idea what something like you can do. I don’t make a habit of letting Alterants live long enough for someone to study them.”

She flinched at the insult, then moved straight from terror of dying to seriously pissed off.

But now was not an advisable time to let her temper rip. Isak hadn’t shot her. Yet.

This called for diplomacy.

She sucked at that, but gave it a try. “I know you don’t like Alterants, Isak—”

“I like ’em just fine … well-done.”

The brunette clicked across the concrete floor until she stepped up beside Evalle.

Men armed for combat formed a perimeter of firepower.

Isak’s finger trembled as if it took all his willpower to not shoot. Muscles flexed in his jaw, his neck, his forearm, straining against his need to act.

Even though the brunette’s head barely reached Evalle’s shoulder, she spoke with unquestioned authority. “I mean it, Isak. Don’t shoot her.”

“She’s an Alterant, Kit.”

So that was the woman’s name. It fit her.

“She saved my life.”

“Alterants are killers.”

Evalle shook her head. “I have never harmed or killed a human. I have protected thousands.”

Halogen lights started coming on overhead, slowly brightening the warehouse.

Out of reflex, Evalle reached toward the sunglasses.

Weapon controls clicked in succession all around her.

Kit ordered, “Stand. Down. Now!”

Who is this woman? Evalle felt her sunglasses being tapped against her arm, and Kit said, “Here, sugar. Put these on.”

Evalle took the glasses and slipped them over her eyes, shocked to see all the weapons at ease.

All except Isak’s.

When Kit said, “Isak?” it was as though the little woman hit a pressure release valve.

He ground out a curse that could ignite the air, lowered his weapon to his side and took a step toward Kit.

Evalle jumped in front of the brunette. “Don’t take it out on her.”

Isak’s jaw shifted out and back with unrestrained fury. “Get out of the way, Evalle.”

“Not until you promise not to—”

“Not to what? Do you really think I’d hurt a woman?” Isak’s rage went up another notch at that implication.

Evalle hurried to calm him. “No, of course not, but I don’t want you to … to fire her.”

Feminine laughter erupted behind Evalle, then Kit stepped up beside her. “Thank you, sugar, but I run this place.”

“Oh.” Evalle lifted her shoulders at Isak, who was still ramping up his death glare.

He shifted his steely glint to Kit. “You almost died because of her kind.”

Technically, the beast that had just attacked Kit had been a Rías, but Evalle would save that clarification for later.

“You’re wrong,” Kit argued. “Jasper, the other one, does not have bright green eyes like, uh … Evalle, was it?”

Evalle nodded mutely, keeping her attention on the biggest threat in the room. Isak.

Kit continued. “Thought Alterants had neon-green eyes.”

Nothing swayed Isak. “I am not letting beasts, with or without green eyes, walk free to kill humans.”

Kit stepped up to Isak with her hands on her hips, looking just as intimidating as Isak in that moment. “You’re not killing this one, son.”

Son?

“You don’t know what they’re capable of, Kit.”

“Considering how she stopped that forklift with kinetic energy, if Evalle was going to attack anyone, she would have done so already.” Kit turned to Evalle and smiled. “Of course, if you make a threatening move at this point, every man here, including Isak, will use any means to stop you. Now that we have all that clear, thank you for saving my life.” She extended her hand. “Everyone calls me Kit.”

Isak ground out a disgusted sound and stepped past Evalle without another word, on his way over to where the forklift driver was still on the floor.

When Evalle’s brain spun into gear, she stuck her hand out for a brisk shake with Kit. “Thanks for saving my hide, too. Please don’t kill that Rías.”

“What’s a Rías?”

“The man who shifted into a beast is not an Alterant, but a Rías.” Evalle couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a human. She didn’t want to think about how many VIPER rules she was breaking at the moment. “I’d like a chance to talk to him.”