Bound. Jen Colly

      Cover Copy

      The streets are a battleground for humans, vampires, and demons alike—where survival is a skill, love is a weapon, and the most dangerous act is to care for another . . .

      Keir is an assassin devoted to Lady Arianne, the last of her royal bloodline. He is sworn to protect her, and that means eliminating any threat to her life. But while on a mission, he is set upon by a pack of demons, barely escaping with his life.

      Cleopatra lives by a set of rules so rigid she no longer knows her true self. But her kind and loving nature resurfaces when she finds a man, bloodied and dying. Moved to help him, she risks her future and her life to save a stranger far below her aristocratic station.

      Their attraction to each other is as powerful as it is forbidden. But even as their love grows, Keir keeps his true identity a secret—and this lie is not the only threat to their love . . . or their lives.

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      Books by Jen Colly

      The Cities Below

      In the Dark

      Bound

      Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

      Bound

      The Cities Below

      Jen Colly

      LYRICAL PRESS

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Copyright

      Lyrical Press books are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2016 by Jen Colly

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      First Electronic Edition: January 2017

      eISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0147-4

      eISBN-10: 1-5161-0147-2

      First Print Edition: January 2017

      ISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0149-8

      ISBN-10: 1-5161-0149-9

      Printed in the United States of America

      Dedication

      For Corie. Your encouragement, insight, and excitement keep me going. Of course, your understanding of my scatterbrained author logic helps, too.

      Jenn B., you’ve waited long enough. Now the Cassavar twins are waiting for you…

      Acknowledgements

      Paige, I thank you for your hard work, and for believing in me. I can’t wait to do this again.

      Thank you Ryan, for never letting me pass up an opportunity to celebrate the little achievements in writing. Love you!

      Chapter 1

      Galbraith

      Morley twisted the hilt of the dagger into his fist as he scanned the wide hall behind him. Still empty. The eerie quiet should have helped, made him more comfortable with his stealthy approach. It didn’t. The plush red carpet, dim lights, and massive framed paintings made him feel like he traipsed through a tomb. He shouldn’t be here.

      Inset beneath a deep arch trimmed in gold, he found the door, framed with pillars and a mock roof overhang. He approached the door, stood close enough for his nose to touch the white wood. Bolts and locks no doubt secured the door from the inside. He didn’t need a key.

      Drawing in several long, deep breaths, he struggled to transform, to shift into his Spirit. When the change finally washed over him, he disappeared, completely invisible. A ghost. In this form, he took a single step and easily passed through the door.

      He could only manage that single small feat. On the other side of the door, he couldn’t hold his Spirit, and he appeared, reaching out to the door to steady his wobbling muscles. Exhausted, Morley panted for breath. His body had never tolerated the change well.

      At least he didn’t have to worry about disturbing his target. She lived alone, and at this time of day, should be sound asleep. Creeping past her expensive furniture and fancy knickknacks displayed on random, useless little tables, he ventured farther into her home. The glass double doors to her bedroom were closed, and as he eased one open, he caught a glimpse of the sleeping woman. Arianne. The lady of Galbraith.

      He’d never killed anyone before, didn’t know exactly how he’d do it, only that it must be done. Personally, he didn’t care one way or another. The last royal left in the city, her death would end the bloodline. When gone, another stuffy aristocrat would take her place. Nothing would ever truly change for those of his lower class, but he wasn’t here for a change. He was here to do a job.

      Morley edged toward her bed. Fluffy pillows, more than he’d seen in his lifetime, lay piled near the top of her bed. Several smaller, purely decorative lacy pillows surrounded her. Yep, he was jealous. He’d gone without luxuries most of his life, often counting himself darn lucky to have a door to temporarily shut out the rest of the world. Soon, using the money he’d get from this job, he could finally purchase his freedom. No longer a servant, he’d walk away from this city with the shirt on his back and enough money in his pocket to buy a decent life somewhere else.

      The lady lay curled on her side facing him, a downy white comforter tucked under her satin-clad arm. Vampires didn’t die easily, a gift to his species from whatever god had created them, but if he drove the blade directly into her heart, she’d be dead in a few minutes. Unless, of course, she’d just fed.

      Roll her onto her back. Stab her. It would be that easy. Again he twisted the dagger in his fist, readying himself to finish the deed swiftly. His knees touched the edge of the mattress. Weapon raised in the air, he reached out to move her.

      A heavy body crashed into him, tackled him solidly from shoulder to hip. He landed on the floor hard, his breath momentarily squeezed from his lungs. What the hell?

      Face smashed into the carpet, he couldn’t see a thing. The sharp jab of a knee ground into the center of his back. Morley tried to lift his head, to take a look at the man he hadn’t realized was in the room, but the man planted his forearm across the back of his neck, reunited him with