Brave Men Die: Part 2 Read Online Free Page A

beloved royals under their very noses, and gotten away with it too. The Prince still needed to die but that would have to wait for another day.
    Thom bounded up the stairs three at a time, confident now that no one was left alive that could hear any noise he made. He went back into the master bedroom, closed the door behind him and went out onto the balcony. Planting one foot onto the balcony rail, he twisted his body around and leapt for the roof. His fingers caught the gutter and he pulled himself up, straining from the effort and the pain from his hand. Moving quickly he got over to the other side of the roof, hit it at a run, and leaped over the alley beside the apartment and onto the roof of the building next door.
    Not bothering to stop and check that no one had heard his scrabble to regain his footing, Thom rushed on, jumping from roof to roof, building to building, before he leapt down into a shadow filled alley. He removed his mask and gloves, checked to see that his knives were safely tucked up his sleeves, and walked calmly from the alley out into the night with a smile on his face.

CHAPTER TWO
    ‘My girls are dead!’ Reza screamed as he was restrained by two of the Murukan knight-generals. Braithe held him on one side, Rodderick the other, as he launched himself forward at Dejeski and the men behind him.
    Spittle flew from his mouth as he snarled and struggled against men who had trained all their lives for service in the military. Reza’s light frame strained against their muscled forearms. ‘I want them dead. They’re useless, can’t do what they are bloody trained to do. Fuck. Bastards.’ The ranting turned into rambles and sobs but the anger never left his eyes.
    Dejeski stood with his arms folded across his chest and kept his body between the men of the royal guard in question and the distraught Prince. His remaining eye stared unblinkingly, his jaw set and the white scar that ran down the left side of his face twitching involuntarily.
    ‘It was a trained assassin Reza. Those bloody Kyzantines are murderous scum and are very good at it. Even the best of ours might not have seen him.’
    ‘If I was there I could have done something, led those men,’ he screamed, pointing at the four men of the royal guard.
    ‘If you were there and not in Sarkridge on business, he would have killed you too, and that would have thrown the Kingdom into chaos.’
    ‘And it isn’t already?’
    ‘The loss of your wife and daughters is a tragedy Reza, but to lose you the same night that the King is murdered would be an event that we might not come back from. The Kingdom needs you to be strong. Your brother is now the King and you the heir to the throne. We are at war with our neighbours and any sign of weakness could be the end of us.’
    ‘These men travelled from Nethvan to report the crime to you personally. It was a professional hit, by a man that would never be seen unless he wanted to be. It was their duty to guard them and they failed, but they did the honourable thing and came here to ask forgiveness.’
    Reza went limp in Rodderick and Braithe’s arms.
    Reza’s eyes went to the four men in military uniform, standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, their eyes on the ground and genuine regret and sadness haunting their features. His own heart sunk even further.
    ‘The woman that killed my father …’
    ‘Was also a Kyzantine assassin. She had no chance to get out of the palace once the King’s body was found and we had all the harem girls cornered. The devil put up quite a fight before we put her down along with the rest of the little bitches.’
    Reza pushed the two generals’ arms away and leaned back. Straightening his jacket, he composed himself the best he could. His cheeks were still red but there was nothing that could be done about that.
    Directing his attention to the four members of the royal guard he ordered, ‘Get out of my sight. Assign yourselves to some outpost along the