Kira's Reckoning Read Online Free Page A

hands and Ronan slid his other arm around her to steady her.  "I'm okay.  They didn't hurt me except when they knocked me on the head." She reached up to touch the tender spot and Brendan pushed her hand out of the way.
    "Let me check it, sweetling ," Brendan said gently as he began to examine her head.  He probed around the spot and then said, "It doesnae look too bad, but we will have a doctor look when we get you back to the glen."
    Kira shivered at their voices and comfort poured over her.  She had to shake herself mentally and take a step back or she would have thrown herself into their arms.  It would not do to get too close , she reminded herself.  Kira had grown up very close to her sisters and loved them very much but she had never been good at relationships.  She didn't have any real friends, outside of her sisters, and men were non-existent.  She had had one serious relationship that had ended over a year ago. 
    She shook her head as if to clear it but the memories were all too vivid.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Kira was a visiting professor at Georgetown University in Fairfax, Virginia .  She traveled all over the world, going on digs and doing studies, sometimes for the University or for companies that she contracted out to. She had even published several books on the subject and known the world over.  She was in high demand and it had taken its toll on her as of late. 
    She had been seeing another professor at Georgetown, Stephen Bollock, who was also in her department .  When the opportunity had come up to go on a dig, she had invited him to go along.  He had jumped at the chance, being on one of Kira's digs lent prestige to one's reputation in their field.  She had been asked to go to Kuala Lampur on behalf of the University in order to study a possible find of Tektite and its properties.  Tektite was natural glass that formed from terrestrial debris ejected during extraterrestrial impacts.  In other words, it came from outer space.
    She had thought by asking Stephen to go with her, they could see where their relationship was going .  They had dated for a few months, going out to dinner and a movie.  So far nothing had really sparked for Kira, there had been kisses and a few make-out sessions, and they had sex a few times.  Kira wasn't sure that was in the cards for them, but she hadn't ruled it out.  Stephen was what anyone would think of when they thought of a professor of geology.  He wore the tweed jackets and was more engrossed in a rock than in the people around him. 
    Once on the dig it had taken Kira about a week to figure out Stephen was an ass.  He seemed to try to take over at every turn.  He had tried to undermine her authority with the workers and had even gone so far as to tell the student interns he was in charge.  Kira was so frustrated she had wanted to send him packing, instead she had confronted him.
    "I am only trying to help ," Stephen whined. 
    "Well you aren't helping, you are hindering this dig! The students are getting confused because you are telling them one thing and then I try to give them instructions.  They don't know what to do or who to answer to."
    "Well someone needs to take charge .  You are being too soft on them," Stephen sniffed disdainfully. 
    Kira sighed .  "This is your final chance, Stephen, or so help me I will send you packing," she told him hotly.
    Stephen ’s face reddened and he sneered at her as he said, "You are so full of yourself.  No wonder the sex isn't good, you are too frigid.  Stuck in your own world.  Good luck with that."
    With that, Stephen had moved his things to a separate tent and proceeded to ignore her for the most part .  That was when small issues had started to come up.  There had been permit problems, scheduling issues, and then there had been the threat against Kira herself. 
    They had been at the dig for about a month when Kira had found a significant amount of Tektite .  She was excited to see that it