Lethal Game (GhostWalkers 16)

Gino turned, his gaze running over Amaryllis. “You should get to Cayenne and Trap.”

He made it sound like Cayenne might need Amaryllis, and Malichai was grateful for that. In truth, Cayenne was lethal as hell and she would protect Amaryllis.

“I’m not leaving Malichai. In any case, have you noticed, I’m a bit of a distraction? I’m betting when the real deal walks in, I won’t be. That’s how you’re going to know the difference.”

Malichai wanted her gone, but he also wanted to get Whitney’s clone supersoldiers out of Marie’s beautiful home before it was destroyed. He had to get past the goon filling the doorway. She was being stubborn, refusing to retreat. He took another step to his right, sliding his bad leg and struggling to keep from wincing. His opponents would find out soon enough that he had a weakness.

“Amaryllis, come here,” the soldier in the doorway said and snapped his fingers at her, as if that would make her mind him.

“That’s not going to happen,” Malichai said very quietly. “Amaryllis is engaged to me. We’re getting married in a few days. You need to tell Whitney to back off.”

“Fuck Whitney. Amaryllis is mine. She had no business running off. You need to mind your own business before you get hurt.”

Owen the first continued to shake his head and rub his chest. He didn’t look at Malichai as he took several steps toward Amaryllis. His brows came together, and his mouth twisted into a frown. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Amaryllis. No one has to get hurt.”

“I’ll take this one,” Gino said. “He looks bigger and I haven’t had much to eat today. You can have number two in the doorway.” He cracked his knuckles and grinned.

We need to get them outside of the house if possible. This is going to get nasty, Malichai said. If any more show up, we’ll need reinforcements.

He nodded at Gino, skirting around Owen the first, who barely glanced at him. Owen the second continued to be conflicted, not moving from the doorway but going back and forth between staring at Amaryllis as if his life depended on it and flicking his gaze at Malichai from time to time.

Malichai heard the thud of fists as Gino attacked behind him, galvanizing him into action. He hit Owen the second much the same way he’d done Owen the first, wanting to knock him out of the doorway. As his boots hit the second supersoldier square in the chest, he heard Amaryllis cry out. It was a gasping, mewling sound, not loud.

He was already in midair, but he had the flexibility of a cat and he turned, landing in a crouch, almost exactly where Owen the second had been. A third Owen had Amaryllis and she was fighting him in earnest. This had to be the real one. The one he knew from all those years ago. Cunning, calculating, out for himself, this man would use anything or anyone to get what he wanted, including lethal force—and he wanted Amaryllis.

Amaryllis was limited by the small area she had to fight in. Gino couldn’t give her any help because he was engaged with Owen the first. The supersoldier was slow, but he was a tank with enormous strength, and he knew how to use it. Amaryllis looked very small in comparison to the real Owen, but she wasn’t giving in and she knew what she was doing. She slammed her foot into his ribs, coming under his armor and then spinning in midair to drive her foot down and across his cheek, nearly slamming him to the floor. He had no choice but to let go of her to break his fall.

The two stood facing each other, Owen between Amaryllis and Malichai.

Owen grinned at Amaryllis. “Did you really think you’d get away from me?”

“I managed to escape when you bragged no one could,” Amaryllis pointed out, backing up slowly to give herself a little more room.

Malichai could see she was trying to reach the main common room. It was larger and would give her more of an area to avoid Owen. She couldn’t afford for him to get his hands on her. She would have to fight him with hard, quick, running strikes. She’d had a lot of time to think how she would take Owen down. Malichai didn’t want her to do it alone.

He started toward Owen, when he was hit from behind. The blow felt as if an oak tree had fallen across his back. He staggered forward, nearly fell and caught himself, whirling around to face Owen the second. The supersoldier rushed him, thinking to take advantage while Malichai was off-balance, but Malichai’s body was always in perfect balance. He kept turning and caught the soldier coming in with a hard roundhouse kick to the side of the face, on the chiseled jaw, slashing downward, to drive him to the floor.