Read Online Bear's Kiss (Bear Heat Book 2) by Natalie Kristen - Free Book Online

you for
information about the girl. You'll sell me out.”
    Terrence tried to speak, but
only a gurgling sound escaped from his throat. He turned and clawed
at the door, desperately trying to escape. Ray kicked his chair back
and walked over to Terrence. “You've been useful, so I'll make
it quick for you.” His tone was almost kind. And with that,
he shot Terrence point-blank between his eyes.
    Putting away his gun, Ray
turned to his trusty bodyguard and said, “Get the bag, Tom.”
    Tom detached himself from the
shadows and pried the bag of cash from Terrence's hands. Handing the
bag over to his boss, Tom signaled to two black suits standing in the
corner.
    Prisha found herself unable
to tear her eyes away from Terrence's body as it was carted out
unceremoniously by the two black suits. In death, his body seemed
to diminish, becoming thinner and bonier.
    She swallowed painfully,
feeling no joy or relief at his death. Terrence had been stalking
her, feeding off her fear and pain. She should have suspected that
Terrence was a psychic vampire. She had heard of psychic vampires,
people who used the dark arts for their own gain and preyed on the
emotions and fears of others.
    They were always quick to
take advantage of others, always looking for a way to profit
themselves. Ray was right in this regard. They had no integrity, no
loyalty and no guts. They would avoid a head on, open confrontation,
but they wouldn't hesitate to stab you in the back and sell you out.
    Terrence had sold her to the
Mob. Surely he knew that her life was forfeit once he handed her
over to Ray Shapez. But he didn't care. He never cared for her.
And she had to wonder if she had ever truly cared for him. Did he
use his witchcraft on her, twisted and manipulated her emotions to
make her think that she was in love with him?
    Prisha shook away the
memories and thoughts of Terrence. He was no more. But she was
still in grave danger.
    Quietly, she watched Ray and
his men. She saw that while Ray sent his other bodyguards on various
errands, he kept Tom by his side.
    It was obvious that Tom was
Ray's most trusted bodyguard. The man had taken a bullet to his
chest, and lived. The man had almost died carrying out Ray's order,
yet he remained in Ray's service. Tom had loyalty and guts, and it
would appear, Ray's trust.
    It didn't hurt that Tom was
built like a mountain. To get to Ray Shapez, you'd have to overcome
that insurmountable, and evidently, indestructible mountain.
    “What shall we do with
her?” someone asked.
    “Leave her here,”
Ray said, striding to the door without even looking at her. “She's
quite safe here.”
    Prisha let her head loll on
her shoulders as she cracked open an eye.
    All she glimpsed was Tom's
broad back covering Ray before the door closed. The hum of the
generators stopped suddenly and the lights went out.
    There was the click of a lock
and Prisha was left utterly alone in the dark.

CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

    Prisha stood in front of City
Hall and stared straight ahead at the podium. She would be watching
the Mayor give his speech. She would hear him announce the new
budget that would be allocated to the police and other crime-fighting
agencies, and she would watch the Mayor unveil the crest of the
special task force that would be set up to fight organized crime.
Then she would witness his assassination.
    Ray Shapez stood beside her
and looked towards the stage with a bored expression, but Prisha knew
that his eyes were alert and scanning the large crowd behind his
dorky sunglasses. He had ditched his designer suits for a pair of
flip-flops, khaki shorts and a cheap, store-bought shirt.
    Looking at him, no one would
know that this stooped man with frizzy, graying hair sticking out
from under his hat was the most powerful crime boss of the city. He
looked like just another gawking, curious resident, soaking in the
carnival atmosphere here in front of City Hall.
    He was unarmed as far as
Prisha could see. There was no place to conceal