The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(24)

“They reassigned people to me?”

“What did you think would happen, principessa?” he sneered. “That we wouldn’t give you extra special treatment?”

I shoved myself between Tree Trunk and him. I could fight my own damn battles, thank you very much. “Newsflash, jerkwad, no one has told me jack. Believe it or not, I want to be part of your ‘no girls allowed’ club even less than you want me here. But you can’t keep me in the dark.” I whirled to Rohan. “You have to tell me important stuff.”

“The Executive hasn’t decided how they feel about you,” Rohan answered, not bothering to soften that information. “As the first female Rasha, you’re either a dream secret weapon or–”

“A walking nightmare,” Drio cut in.

Rohan raised his eyebrows at him like “really?”

“With the deciding factor being what?” I asked.

Drio clicked his tongue. “Your performance. Supposedly your early death would be a bad thing.”

“Wow,” I said, “don’t I feel precious?”

“You,” Rohan said to Drio, “stop antagonizing. And you,” he turned to me, “don’t think I’m thrilled to babysit your ass.”

“Why you?” I demanded.

“Because I’m such a people person.”

“Or because you’re a screw up?” I scratched my chin with the edge of my thumbnail. “Is that it? Did I get exiled to the island of misfit toys?”

Drio’s hands balled into fists.

“Enough.” Kane’s voice cut smoothly through the tension. He pushed me back a few steps. “A little gratitude here,” he said, with a tap to the end of my nose. “You’ve been given the best of the best. Baruch has put his brilliant military mind to use creating weapons and training Rasha to become even more effective. Rohan and Drio,” Kane placed a hand on Angry’s shoulder, “are two of our top intelligence officers and analysts on demon behavior. Thanks to them, we’ve unearthed and taken down a lot of demons living among us in positions of enormous power.”

I cocked my head. “And you?”

He shrugged. “I’m just the lone Vancouver member who wasn’t reassigned.”

Drio laughed. “Kane’s nickname is the Kiss of the Death. He’s one of the top Rasha in demon kills.” His fond amusement morphed into an ugly leer. “We are the best. And you’re the bright shiny trophy the entire demon world will want to bag. Be grateful or we won’t keep you alive.”

I rubbed my skin as if to wash his disgusting look off. “Never in a million years.”

Drio shrugged, exiting with a tossed-out, “If the demons do get you, you won’t be missed.”

I flinched.

White spots of rage appeared on Rohan’s cheeks. His eyes darkened to volcanic fire. He didn’t say a word. Just sped from the room.

“Oh no,” Kane said. He and Baruch raced after him, with me bringing up the rear.

We caught up in time to see Rohan leap from midway up the second flight of stairs onto Drio, tackling him. They crashed onto the main floor landing.

Drio managed to flip onto his back, but that merely allowed Rohan to pin him between his thighs.

Rohan pulled his left arm back. I tensed, waiting for his hand to curl into a fist and Drio’s nose to be shattered. Instead, five short, wickedly sharp looking blades snicked out of Rohan’s fingertips, with one long blade running up the entire outer edge of his arm. Like an outline. That longer blade slashed right through the center of the heart tattoo on his bicep.

Holy. Fuck.

“Finally decide to kill me?” I couldn’t tell if Drio sounded anxious or hopeful.

I stared wide-eyed at the two of them. Not even daring to breathe. There was a powder keg of unspoken issues between them, and I was scared I was the fuse that could blow it all sky high. I didn’t like Drio but I didn’t want his death on my conscious.

Necessarily.

With a blur of motion, Rohan swiped.

Drio flinched, eyes closed, but Rohan jammed the blades into the ground beside his head.

“The demons will be after her,” Rohan said, in a low rumble. “Which means we stick close and protect her. With. Our. Lives.” He sounded oddly bleak about the concept. “Got it?”

Drio pushed Rohan off him. He gave a mocking salute. “Got it.” With one last baleful look my way, he jumped to his feet and blazed off.

Rohan yanked his finger blades from the floor, leaving two inch gauges in the pretty planking. He shot an unreadable look after Drio before storming off in the opposite direction.

That left Baruch, Kane, and me standing there. “What was that about?” I asked.

Baruch was Mr. Impassive, which was no great surprise, but based on my short acquaintance with Kane, I was sure he’d give up the goods. Nope. He remained infuriatingly tight-lipped as well, simply saying, “I’ll check on Drio.”

Baruch shook his head when I glanced in the direction Rohan had taken. “Let him cool down,” he said, before following Kane.

I never was any good at doing what I was told.





7





I found Rohan in the library, one of those massive floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, book-filled rooms found only in Victorian mansions and Hollywood movies. It even had rolling ladders to reach high shelves, Persian carpets on the floor, and comfortable seating to curl up in. A long wood table with sturdy chairs ran along the bank of windows on the far side of the room.