Kiss of a Dark Moon by Sharie Kohler Page B

that arrogant prick. Must run in the family.”
    â€œWaste the bitch.” The second guy grunted, clambering to his feet off the driveway. He stared at her balefully from small, deep-set eyes as he leaned forward, one hand braced on his knee, his face red and mottled, a thin trickle of blood seeping from his beaklike nose.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” she taunted. “Can’t take a woman beating the crap out of you?”
    â€œWaste her,” the man said again. “That’s why we’re here.”
    â€œShut up, Davis,” Lockhart snapped.
    â€œYeah, listen to Davis there and do your job,” Kit suggested with more bravado than she felt, guessing that their appearance had something to do with EFLA’s arrival in town. “You’re both EFLA’s dogs now, aren’t you?” She shrugged. “Maybe they’ll give you a nice desk job. All the donuts you can eat.”
    Lockhart frowned, staring at her intently. Ignoring her jibe, he demanded, “You know about the merger? Who told you?”
    â€œJust tell me this: How did they justify killing Cooper? Did they have a good excuse for whacking him? How can you look yourselves in the mirror? He was your boss. He brought you in and trained you.”
    Lockhart shrugged. “Cooper had become a liability to the organization. Like you and your brother. He impeded the ultimate goal to rid the world of lycans.”
    â€œThere’s nothing noble about NODEAL anymore.” She leveled a glare at both men. “You’re just a bunch of murderers now. Assassins. EFLA’s dogs.”
    Lockhart shrugged. “You’d see it that way.” Raising his leg, he pulled his gun from his ankle holster. “And what you think doesn’t amount to shit.”
    Kit ceased to breathe as he pressed his gun to the side of her head, the steel cold and unforgiving against the soft skin of her temple.
    â€œAre you such idiots you would shoot her in broad daylight for the entire neighborhood to witness?”
    Kit’s head whipped around at the droll, rolling voice. Air escaped her in a sigh.
    Rafe Santiago stood there, a faintly bored expression on his too-handsome face as he surveyed them.
    â€œSantiago,” Lockhart exclaimed, easing the gun off Kit’s head. “What are you doing here? We can handle this.”
    â€œCan you?” Rafe cocked a dark brow, drawing closer at an ambling pace. “Have you never heard of discretion?” He slid a sharp glance to the gun in Lockhart’s hand. “Put that away.”
    Lockhart hesitated, looking from his gun to Kit, indecision writ in his expression.
    She cocked a brow, taunting. “You heard the man.”
    Lockhart’s face reddened and his hand tightened around his weapon.
    â€œStop provoking him,” Rafe growled, looking at her with dark, intense eyes. “If I were in your position, I would say very little.”
    She thrust out her chin but held silent.
    â€œNow put away the gun,” Rafe commanded, his face hardening as he looked back to Lockhart. For all the quiet of his voice, his words came out harsh, an order to be obeyed.
    Lockhart complied, putting the weapon back in his holster.
    Rafe flicked his hand as if swatting a fly. “Now step away from her.”
    â€œYou have to watch this one,” Davis chimed in, pressing one hand to his nose in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. “She may be small, but she fights almost like a man.”
    â€œI fight better than a man,” Kit goaded. “And I fight better than you.” She flicked Lockhart a scornful glance. “Better than both of you.”
    Rafe’s lips gave the barest smirk. “I’m not worried,” he assured the agent, eyes locking with Kit’s. Something electric passed from his gaze to hers. Heat washed over hers, stinging her cheeks as she recalled their fight last night—and how it had ended. His eyes grew bright, and