“We are Styx. We honor family. Loyalty. And we take care of those weaker than ourselves. As an Enforcer, that is part of my job. I hunt those who prey on the weak, those who threaten our legion, those who disobey Styx, and those who think they are above our laws.”

“And you kill them?”

“Yes.” There was no apology in his tone. No shame. He simply stared at me and waited for me to accept or reject him.

“Is that— Is that your only job?”

“I provide our legion with information and advise my brother if asked. Otherwise, yes, that is my only job.”

Whoa. I wasn’t sure how I felt about his work, but I was sure how I felt about him. Hot. God help me, he was sex on a stick. “I want to kiss you right now.”

His shoulders dropped slightly, and I realized he’d been tense, maybe expecting me to hate him now. Or be afraid?

Cormac crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at me. “Any more questions?”

Why not bait the tiger? “You still didn’t answer me. What did you do to earn a bride?”

“Coalition spies occasionally ask for our help smuggling illegal Hive technology, weapons, or prisoners. Sometimes they have an issue to deal with that would cause them political problems if they interfered directly. They appreciate our discretion.”

“Is that all you are going to tell me?”

“Yes. To tell you more would put you at risk. You do not need to know.”

Well, shit. Curiosity killed the cat and all that. “Okay.”

Cormac’s dark brow raised in disbelief. “You are satisfied?”

“No.” I reached toward him, struggling to touch him. Thankfully, he lifted his much longer arm and laced his fingers with mine. Everything in me settled with that one simple touch. “I am curious as hell. But I trust you. You’re one of the good ones.”

“I am a killer.”

Why was he arguing with me? “Yeah. That’s what you said.” Something blasted outside the pod, under my feet. It felt like we were on the inside of a rocket that had those thruster things I’d seen in the occasional science fiction movie. I wasn’t really a fan, but two of my old boyfriends had been obsessed with every alien invasion and monster movie they could get their hands on.

Hah! Look who was actually in outer space now, bitches.

“Abby?”

I found my feet, thankful for the harness that had held me in place, and looked up at him. “What?”

“I do not believe you understand what I am.”

My turn to raise an eyebrow. “You kill people who fuck with your family. I’m okay with that. Somebody has to do it. It’s not like you have police or the FBI or anything like that.” I frowned. “Or do you? Have police?”

“I am responsible for dispensing justice for my people.”