Read Online Vengeance (SSU Trilogy Book 1) by Vanessa Kier - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vanessa Kier
Tags: Fiction, romantic thriller
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like a punch to the eye. Her artist’s sensibilities bled with horror.
The couch had screaming red-and-orange striped upholstery. Straight ahead, red velvet drapes covered tall windows, matching the red in the flecked carpet. The only relief from the color theme were the cream walls.
It was bordello meets tsarist throne room meets…Jenna shuddered, not wanting to go further. “Ugh. The decorator deserves to be shot.”
The corner of Niko’s mouth quirked up. “Yeah, it’s a bit much. You’ll get used to it.”
She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. “Um. That’s not particularly reassuring.”
“So.” Niko opened a door to the left of the windows. “I’ll clear my stuff out and you can have the bedroom.” He crossed over to the closet and yanked out a worn black duffel bag.
“The SSU paid for a suite?” she asked.
Niko shrugged and carried the bag into the sitting room. “Not exactly,” he muttered as he passed her, clearly embarrassed.
She raised an eyebrow.
“I…ah…thought…if something went wrong and I needed to keep you with me…that you’d…ah…feel more comfortable with your own room. No big deal,” he added in a rush.
Oh. My. God. Niko was turning pink. How sweet. And he was totally right. Having her own space, particularly now when she could still smell her attacker on her clothes and body, was exactly what she needed.
“Thank you,” she said thickly, forcing the words past the lump of emotion in her throat.
Niko shrugged again as he moved back into the bedroom and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. The light threw his face into angular shadows that emphasized his slightly hawkish nose and the hollows underneath his cheekbones. With his worn jeans and scuffed leather jacket, Niko looked the part of an operator—all tough edges, with the confident grace of a hunting cat.
She should have been feeling an increase in wariness, yet instead she felt protected. And touched by his embarrassment. She had the fleeting image of him slipping into the shadows, content to have his good deeds remain anonymous.
“The sheets haven’t been changed since I got here, but it’s only been two days. I don’t have lice or any weird rashes, so you should be okay.” He scowled at the bed, as if it didn’t quite live up to his expectations. “You can sleep on top of the sheet if you want, only it gets a little chilly in here at night and you might want the extra warmth.”
Still scowling, he pulled the covers down and fluffed the pillow.
Growing up, Jenna’s mother used to turn down the bed for her and plump the pillows like that. To her horror, her bottom lip started to tremble.
“Dammit, I upset you.” She heard the edge of male panic in his voice and almost smiled.
“Listen, let me go downstairs. I’m sure I can find some fresh sheets.”
Jenna shook her head. “No. I don’t mind sleeping on your sheets,” she said. “It’s just…” She shook her head and turned away, fighting back tears.
Don’t fall apart in front of Niko, she told herself. You haven’t cried in nearly two years. Don’t you dare start now.
A drop of water slid from her hair down her back and she shivered, both from cold and from remembering the feeling of suffocation when her attacker shoved her face into the basin full of water.
Of course Niko noticed. He cursed in a language she didn’t recognize. “You’re wet and cold.” He brushed past her and headed for another door. “Here’s the bathroom. The towels are fresh. I’ll call down for more when I need to shower.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “We need to get you cleaned up.” His eyes slid impersonally over her, like a doctor checking out a patient. “Do you want help?”
“No! I…” She shook her head vigorously, then winced as the motion started her wounds throbbing. No matter how safe she felt with Niko, she didn’t want any man’s hands on her, even to clean her cuts. It had been bad enough suffering the
The couch had screaming red-and-orange striped upholstery. Straight ahead, red velvet drapes covered tall windows, matching the red in the flecked carpet. The only relief from the color theme were the cream walls.
It was bordello meets tsarist throne room meets…Jenna shuddered, not wanting to go further. “Ugh. The decorator deserves to be shot.”
The corner of Niko’s mouth quirked up. “Yeah, it’s a bit much. You’ll get used to it.”
She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. “Um. That’s not particularly reassuring.”
“So.” Niko opened a door to the left of the windows. “I’ll clear my stuff out and you can have the bedroom.” He crossed over to the closet and yanked out a worn black duffel bag.
“The SSU paid for a suite?” she asked.
Niko shrugged and carried the bag into the sitting room. “Not exactly,” he muttered as he passed her, clearly embarrassed.
She raised an eyebrow.
“I…ah…thought…if something went wrong and I needed to keep you with me…that you’d…ah…feel more comfortable with your own room. No big deal,” he added in a rush.
Oh. My. God. Niko was turning pink. How sweet. And he was totally right. Having her own space, particularly now when she could still smell her attacker on her clothes and body, was exactly what she needed.
“Thank you,” she said thickly, forcing the words past the lump of emotion in her throat.
Niko shrugged again as he moved back into the bedroom and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. The light threw his face into angular shadows that emphasized his slightly hawkish nose and the hollows underneath his cheekbones. With his worn jeans and scuffed leather jacket, Niko looked the part of an operator—all tough edges, with the confident grace of a hunting cat.
She should have been feeling an increase in wariness, yet instead she felt protected. And touched by his embarrassment. She had the fleeting image of him slipping into the shadows, content to have his good deeds remain anonymous.
“The sheets haven’t been changed since I got here, but it’s only been two days. I don’t have lice or any weird rashes, so you should be okay.” He scowled at the bed, as if it didn’t quite live up to his expectations. “You can sleep on top of the sheet if you want, only it gets a little chilly in here at night and you might want the extra warmth.”
Still scowling, he pulled the covers down and fluffed the pillow.
Growing up, Jenna’s mother used to turn down the bed for her and plump the pillows like that. To her horror, her bottom lip started to tremble.
“Dammit, I upset you.” She heard the edge of male panic in his voice and almost smiled.
“Listen, let me go downstairs. I’m sure I can find some fresh sheets.”
Jenna shook her head. “No. I don’t mind sleeping on your sheets,” she said. “It’s just…” She shook her head and turned away, fighting back tears.
Don’t fall apart in front of Niko, she told herself. You haven’t cried in nearly two years. Don’t you dare start now.
A drop of water slid from her hair down her back and she shivered, both from cold and from remembering the feeling of suffocation when her attacker shoved her face into the basin full of water.
Of course Niko noticed. He cursed in a language she didn’t recognize. “You’re wet and cold.” He brushed past her and headed for another door. “Here’s the bathroom. The towels are fresh. I’ll call down for more when I need to shower.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “We need to get you cleaned up.” His eyes slid impersonally over her, like a doctor checking out a patient. “Do you want help?”
“No! I…” She shook her head vigorously, then winced as the motion started her wounds throbbing. No matter how safe she felt with Niko, she didn’t want any man’s hands on her, even to clean her cuts. It had been bad enough suffering the
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