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"Good Trust me when I say you wouldn’t want to know that one It’s no secret that he’s a killer, Jordana One of those laboratory-raisedto recruit into their ranks"

As Elliott steered her farther toward the uests, Jordana chanced another look back to where Nathan stood

He was gone

Why that should disappoint her, she didn’t even want to guess

As for Elliott’s warning, she kneasn’t exaggerating Nathan had been born and raised under awful conditions She’d heard a little about his background from Carys over the past few days, information she’d attempted to mine as casually as possible, afraid to let on even to Carys that her curiosity about Nathan was anythingcuriosity, she insisted to herself now, despite the pang of syht of his horrific upbringing

Born to a Breed woman and forced to breed, like many other captives who’d been ios, Nathan had been created for one purpose: killing As a baby, he and the other boys born into the program were taken away froos’s private army

Worse than that--they were born and raised to be eos’s whim to murder his enemies without mercy or remorse

Nathan had eventually been rescued by his mother and the Order, and he now led a squad of warriors for the Order’s command center in Boston

"A Hunter," Jordana ain "A what?"

"Hunters That’s what they were called"

He scoffed "Hunter is too polite a term for what he is"

"What he was," Jordana corrected hier interested in Nathan now that he was gone

"I’m sorry they ruined your reception," he said "You worked so hard to make it perfect"

She dismissed the concern with a sestured to the room full of well-heeled patrons at the private, invitation-only showing The drone of conversation, even light laughter here and there, vibrated around them in the museum’s main level "See? Everyone’s alreadyYou should too, Elliott You worry too much aboutout to stroke the side of her face "And you should worry more than you do, particularly about the coossiped about for weeks, if not longer"

Jordana dreay fro over this, it’ll be free publicity for the exhibit Museum contributions will probably double"

Elliott’s look was skeptical, but he offered her a s Carys Chase host this event with you The exhibit is your baby, Jordana You’ve been working on it for , or anyone, jeopardize its success After all, how many times did you cancel or stand me up because your work kept you late at the museum?"

Too many times to count, and Jordana inwardly winced at the reht, she knew it had wounded him that she’d become so preoccupied and distant in recent months She didn’t want to hurt hih they’d never been inti, Jordana did care deeply for him She loved him Of course, everyone loved Elliott Bentley-Squire He was kind and attractive, wealthy and charitable Everything that any woti been her father, Martin’s, attorney and business associate for several decades

Jordana’s father, a male who had adopted her as an infant yet had never been inclined to take a Breed, had hardly concealed the fact that he hoped Jordana ht develop a fondness for Elliott Despite that he was easily three ti Breed like her father, Elliott Bentley-Squire was physically as fit and youthful as a thirty-year-old

As for Jordana, her twenty-fifth birthday loomed less than a couple weeks away--a date her father had e her constantly of the sizable trust she would be granted on that date, but only if she were mated and settled by then

Not that she cared at all about the money Neither did Elliott, who had already accumulated his own considerable riches

No, their relationship had not been based on co in the world to assu-term friendship with a blood bond and take each other as their mate

Except …

Except the closer their relationship came to that eventuality, the more absorbed Jordana became in her work It wasn’t unusual for her to be at the hts In her spare time, she served on a handful of charity boards and had picked up a couple of seats on city i interest in a variety of things that had kept her too busy for any kind of social life The upco list of obligations

"I’m sorry I’ve been so tied up with the exhibit, Elliott But you should know that Carys has worked on this as hard as I have She deserved to host with ht Besides, she’s my best friend"

Jordana scanned the reception for Carys and found her near the rear of the exhibit, s with a deep-pocketed doctor and his wife Although she was the picture of poise and professionalism now, Aric’s aard confrontation had to have upset her