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Instead, he’d spent the bulk of the day in the co into public records--and some not so public--in his search for intel on Cassian Gray
All he’d discovered was that theto be as elusive on paper as he was in person For all the lack of infor careful steps to cover his tracks froo
As if he’d been planning all along for the day he’d need to vanish
Nathan downloaded what little he had on Cass to a mission intel file, then shut down the computer and left the lab With sundown just a few hours away, he had ti and prep his weapons for the night’s patrol with his tea him, and he knew damn well it had less to do with frustration over a stymied mission than it did a certain platinuht to desire
An unschooled virgin besides
Fuck
Never mind the fact that she was Carys Chase’s best friend--as of today, her rooh society, Breed and human alike Never mind that she had all but proation or naivete, it didn’t matter
No, Jordana Gates was off limits for many reasons, but most of all this: Because she was pure She was innocent
He wouldn’t be the one to take that from her
He couldn’t take that froers ran
He hadn’t beento scare Jordana when he told her that he was the lastOne he hoped to hell she took to heart, because God help her if she trusted him to be the hero
On a curse, Nathan stalked into the vacant armory of the Order’s weapons room He stripped off his black T-shirt and powered hi hour of solo exercise with a pair of long daggers The exertion woke up his muscles and bones, reminded his body of what it was trained to do
More ihts in ruthless focus on executing the patrol ahead of hiht
Elsewhere, in the main arena of the weapons facility, he could hear Rafe, Eli, and Jax still running one another through the paces of mock combat A fourth voice--Aric must have joined theether, steelsteel
Nathan finished his solo one before the other warriors wrapped up their work in the adjacent room, but no sooner had he stepped under the hot spray than footsteps falling heavy on tile and lighthearted insults sounded in the locker area outside
Elijah’s lol echoed over the rest of the ht that fifth round of hand-to-hand and blade as a good idea" A ered naked into the showers, slanting Nathan a casual nod of greeting
Eli took his place across fro as the hot water coursed over hilyph-covered ars from wounds he’d sustained in the practice, but already the lacerations were beginning to heal
Minor injuries were of no consequence to their kind Cuts and contusions vanished in minutes, sometimes less time than that
"Don’t be such a sore loser," Aric Chase taunted Grinning, he strode in and took a spot tn froing Nathan before going to separate corners of the showers "What’s the ot trounced by a trainee?"
"Trainee," he said, ser warrior and sluiced water off his face "Daywalking, sive you that But don’t think I didn’t notice you waited to take one four rounds with tarriors who actually kno to fight"
Aric chuckled as he soaped up and shot a look at Rafe across the rooo Must be that weaker, late-generation Breed blood in him"
"The hell you say" Eli snorted, his drawl thicker now "Ain’t nothin’ fragile about onna drop you on your daywalker ass before I kick it frohed and rinsed off the suds "Tell you what If it’ll ive you a handicap next tiht now, sunshine" Elijah flashed his fangs at the other va his flaccid dick It was a jest and a challenge--one Aric tried to return, but wasn’t quick enough
Both laughing now, Eli grabbed him in a headlock under the water and let hi, Jax and Rafe joined in the skir around like a close-knit wolf pack
Like the tight band of brothers they were
Nathan watched for a moment, detached from the caaainst his nature Against the rigid discipline that had made him a consummate killer by the time he was seven years old
He chased
He conquered
He destroyed
His training as a boy in the Hunters’ cells pere thirteen had saved Nathan, a part of hios’s lab and likely never would
He was the fighting dog, rescued froht into a kind, loving hoiven a new chance He had parents and friends he cared for He had felloarriors ould die for hi re, when a hand reached out to him--in play or in co it
The distance betho he was now and what he’d been raised to be was a thin razor’s edge that he toed with meticulous discipline each and every day No one knew the effort it took for him to seem normal To appear that he fit in with decent people, that he belonged
They sahat he wanted the more