Page 34 of A Lion's Heart
Nisa nodded in his direction. “You were honorably discharged from the US Marines six years ago. After that time—”
“After that time,” Decan interrupted, his brow furrowed as he sat up and leaned closer to the table. “I went to a place where there were some humans who assumed they knew. They died. No one that will be at that gala tomorrow night knows who or what I am.”
“Which is why Rome knew you were the one for this job,” Jace continued.
His anger held a potent aroma, one that alerted her cat and had feelings of protectiveness riding close to worry. Dismissing the feelings quickly, Nisa cleared her throat.
“Then we’ll both go,” she announced. “They don’t know who we are so they won’t be expecting us.”
“You do not know how to handle them,” Decan countered. “I was trained to do what I do above ground. You were not. Once they realize who and what you are, they will attempt to kill you.”
“One,” Nisa stated as she met his glare, “I am not a helpless cat. I’ve been tactically trained all my life. I can defend myself. And two, we would have guards, just as my father assured I had guards to accompany me through the tunnels.”
“This is not what you were trained for,” Decan insisted.
“But it is what I’m prepared to do,” Nisa stated.
“It is what will be done,” Jace finished the dispute. “I’ll assemble the guards myself. Decan, you be prepared to speak to them and go over some tactical scenarios in preparation. Amelia, you and Nisa go over the floorplan of the hotel and all the players scheduled to be present.”
Nisa knew not to look triumphant, no matter how much her feet wanted to tap a happy dance along the white glossed floor. Instead she gave Jace a solemn nod and stood when he did, in preparation to leave the room.
“Nobody else is to know about this,” Jace stated. “No other family members or friends. No one. Do you understand, Nisa?”
Jace knew how close she and Shya were. He knew that because of the shifters they’d been born to and the specific dangers each one had faced growing up, that they had a special bond, a trust that could not be matched. If Nisa’s knowledge and this assignment put her in danger, telling Shya more about it would rope her in as well. Nisa wasn’t on board for risking her friend’s life, especially not after Shya had been fighting so hard to live.
“I understand,” Nisa told him.
Amelia went over to say something to Jace, and Nisa headed for the door. Decan was right behind her, grabbing her arm to stop her departure.
“You have no idea what you’re walking into,” he said through clenched teeth.
“And I’ll never know until I walk into it,” she replied. “I can do this, Decan. The question is, can you?”
“You know damn well I’m better trained for this than you are. They’re humans, Nisa! They will kill you the second they see your eyes shift.”
“I’m not an idiot, I don’t plan to walk into the room purring and growling, Decan.”
She pulled away from him at that moment because the spot where his fingers touched her skin were on fire. She barely restrained a hiss of relief when he dropped his hand and did not attempt to touch her again.
“I know what I’m doing,” she reiterated when he continued to stare angrily at her.
“You don’t,” he insisted. “But I do. And I don’t plan to let you out of my sight for one minute.”
“Is that so?” Nisa asked with an arch of a brow. “Then I’d suggest you get your horny cat in line. If it’s growling and moaning every time you touch me now, it might be the one to give us away.”
He looked as if he doubted her words, as usual. Nisa tried not to be offended, anymore. He didn’t trust her training, just like her father. She was going to prove them both wrong.
“What the hell are you wearing?”
Decan asked the moment she opened the door. He’d come to her room earlier than they were scheduled to leave for the gala because he hadn’t been able to find a moment alone with her since Jace gave out the assignments at breakfast yesterday. It was late into the evening by the time Decan had finished with all the impromptu training sessions and the private briefing with Jace. Then Gold had appeared at his door and when he’d finally left, Decan had convinced himself that going to Nisa’s room at that time of night wasn’t going to end well.
It probably would have ended with him on top of her or some other version of him being buried deep inside of her. Which on the surface may have sounded—and most definitely would have felt—good, but would only further complicate this situation.
“It’s called a dress,” she replied and attempted to move past him.
“It looks like you don’t know what size you wear,” he continued, ignoring her sarcasm and concentrating instead on the slip of black material they were referring to. Clasping his hands at her waist he pushed her back into the room and stepped inside with her. Kicking the door closed behind him he looked at her once more as she huffed.
“Really?”
