The Dancer (Men of the North Book 7) Read online

  Books in this series

  CHAPTER 1

  Zero Tolerance

  CHAPTER 2

  Meeting Willow

  CHAPTER 3

  Morning Swim

  CHAPTER 4

  Reunion

  CHAPTER 5

  Questions

  CHAPTER 6

  New Assignment

  CHAPTER 7

  Touring

  CHAPTER 8

  Kingston

  CHAPTER 9

  Unwanted

  CHAPTER 10

  The Threat

  CHAPTER 11

  Soft Words

  CHAPTER 12

  The First Show

  CHAPTER 13

  Midnight Run

  CHAPTER 14

  Checking Up

  CHAPTER 15

  Tristan and Hunter

  CHAPTER 16

  Where Is Solomon?

  CHAPTER 17

  Danger

  CHAPTER 18

  Freeman

  CHAPTER 19

  Reflections

  CHAPTER 20

  Cultural Breakdown

  CHAPTER 21

  Taking Chances

  CHAPTER 22

  Town Hall Meeting

  CHAPTER 23

  Alpha to the Core

  CHAPTER 24

  Redemption

  CHAPTER 25

  The Verdict

  CHAPTER 26

  Crowded Bedroom

  CHAPTER 27

  Breakdown

  CHAPTER 28

  Last Chapter

  Copyright © 2018

  By Elin Peer

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, excepting brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

  Asin: B07FGDT8PX

  The Dancer – Men of the North #7

  First Edition

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons or organizations is coincidental and not intended by the author. Recommended for mature readers due to adult content.

  Cover Art by Kellie Dennis: bookcoverbydesign.co.uk

  Editing: www.martinohearn.com

  Books in this series

  The Men of the North series can be read as standalone books – but for the best reading experience and to avoid spoilers this is the recommended order to read them in.

  The Protector – Men of the North #1

  The Ruler – Men of the North #2

  The Mentor – Men of the North #3

  The Seducer – Men of the North #4

  The Warrior – Men of the North #5

  The Genius – Men of the North #6

  The Dancer – Men of the North #7

  The Athlete – Men of the North # 8

  The Fighter – Men of the North # 9

  The Pacifist – Men of the North #10

  To be alerted for new book releases, sign up to my list and receive a free e-book as a welcome gift. www.elinpeer.com

  PLEASE NOTE

  This book is intended for mature readers only, as it contains a few graphic scenes and some inappropriate language.

  All characters are fictional and any likeness to a living person or organization is coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To Angie

  My badass truth teller friend.

  Thank you for always having a cold drink and a warm smile when I pop by your house.

  Elin

  CHAPTER 1

  Zero Tolerance

  Solomon

  You can’t kill a person without giving up a part of your humanity.

  As a soldier I’ve executed seven men and I remember each of their names, faces, and final moments. Not because I want to. It’s just a fact that taking another man’s life somehow leaves a mark on you. Like their last breath creeps inside of you and stays there as a burden to bear.

  “You wanna do this one?” Zasquash asked me while chewing on the last part of his apple. “I did the last two.”

  “Maybe Khan will pardon him,” I muttered in a low voice while leaning against the wall.

  Zasquash raised an eyebrow and gave me a “yeah, right” look. We returned to watch our ruler, Khan Aurelius, and his brother Magni interrogate Ray, who had made the mistake of his life yesterday when he killed his wife.

  “I already told your men this many times. I never intended to hurt her, it was an accident.” Ray’s voice, which had been pleading when Zasquash and I tracked him down in the woodlands five hours ago, had now turned hoarse from arguing his case.

  Sitting astride a turned-around chair in front of Ray, Khan leaned his chest against the backrest with his arms resting on top of it. I wondered if he unconsciously wanted the back of the chair as a shield between himself and the Nman who had committed the most gruesome crime in our country. Khan’s eyes were fixed on Ray with a hard glare. “You want us to believe it was an accident that your wife fell down the stairs?”

  “Yeeessss,” he pleaded, his movements stressed as he turned from side to side.

  Magni had been pacing the room but turned and hissed, “We should fucking kill you on the spot for insulting our intelligence. Women don’t get handprints around their necks from falling down a staircase.”

  “I… I… I tried to wake her up. I might have grabbed her a bit harder than I intended.”

  Unlike Magni, Khan kept his voice calm but stern. “You thought strangling Josephine would wake her up?” Khan’s face scrunched up in revulsion. “If that were true, then why did you run?”

  Ray was sweating; he pulled at his shirt, which was damp and clung to his body. His eyes were darting around. “It looked bad and I panicked.”

  Magni towered over Ray, who shrunk in his seat. “Bullshit, you ran because you’re a pathetic coward.”

  For five hours Ray had insisted on his innocence. Now with Magni screaming at him, he leaned forward covering his head with his arms, hiding from the inevitable.

  Magni kicked at his chair and roared in fury. “Be a man and take some fucking responsibility.”

  Zasquash and I exchanged a glance when Ray’s shoulders bobbed up and down with the muffled sounds of his sobbing.

  “Look at me, Ray,” Khan ordered and when Ray lifted his head, his voice trembled with defeat.

  “I’m going to die, ain’t I?”

  It had been a call from neighbors that alerted the police and when they arrived to find Josephine in a pool of blood on the floor, Ray had already made a run for it.

  After Zasquash and I were called in as members of the Domestic Violence Unit, it had taken us four hours to track him down. Under normal circumstances we would have dealt with Ray without involving others, but this wasn’t a normal domestic violence case. Ray had been married to Josephine, a Motlander bride who had picked him in the Matching Program only seven months ago. She was not the first Motlander to experience domestic violence, but she was the first to lose her life. Informing our Commander, Magni Aurelius, had been a no-brainer. He had arrived within the hour and the fact that he’d brought his brother and our ruler, Lord Khan, was a testament to how severe this situation was.

  The Council of the Motherlands would be horrified to hear that one of their own had died a violent death. It was to be expected that they would shut down the Matching Program that had served as one of the biggest integration projects between our countries.

  Khan leaned back on the chair and stretched his legs in front of him. “You knew when you married Josephine that we have a zero tolerance of violence against women.”

  Ray had his head down again. “But I loved her.”

 
Khan’s voice was patient. “No one said that you didn’t, but something went wro…”

  Magni interrupted Khan, fisting a hand into Ray’s hair and pushing down on his neck while hissing at him. “You’re fucking wasting our time. Just man up and tell us the truth. What were you two fighting about? We keep asking you the same questions and you give us vague answers. What led to the argument and how did she die?” With a growl he let go of Ray, whose hair was ruffled where Magni’s large hand had been.

  Ray turned his head away and kept crying.

  “Magni is right, you can die a liar or spit out what really happened,” Khan added in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “I’m telling you the truth. I loved her.” His voice broke. “I would die for Josephine. She means everything to me.”

  “She’s dead, Ray, and you’re going to tell us how she died.”

  Ray used the back of his hand to dry his right eye. “She fell down the staircase.” He pointed up and moved in his chair, which stood right next to the place where Josephine’s body had been when we arrived.

  Magni looked tempted to kill Ray on the spot. “You pushed her, didn’t you?”

  Khan’s hand silenced Magni. “Our men spoke to your neighbors and we’ve been told that it wasn’t the first time you and Josephine were heard fighting. You have a fiery temper, don’t you, Ray?”

  His shoulders were still bobbing up and down when he lifted his arm and used his sleeve to dry away his snot and tears. “I swear I didn’t mean to kill her.”

  “But you did!” Magni pressured and with contempt oozing from him, he pulled Ray’s hands down.

  “No.” Ray squirmed in his chair and moved back to create distance between him and Magni. “Josephine was going back to the Motherlands.”

  “On vacation?” Khan asked.

  “That’s what she said.” Ray’s voice cracked again. “But she packed all her clothes and that’s when I knew she wasn’t planning on coming back.”

  “And you snapped,” Magni shouted. “Didn’t you?”

  Ray used his shirt to dry his nose and eyes. “You don’t understand. She was going to leave me.”

  Rising up to his full height, Magni scoffed. “Oh, I understand alright. The whole fucking country was laughing at me when my wife left for the Motherlands. It tore me apart, but I didn’t fucking kill Laura for it.” Magni took a step back, shaking his head at the broken-down Nman in front of him.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Ray kept repeating. “I loved her so much. I never meant to kill Josephine.”

  A sound of metal legs scraping over the floor came from Khan’s chair when he stood up. “We’re done here.”

  Pushing out from the wall, I squared my shoulders and waited for orders.

  Khan and Magni were both still facing Ray. With his head held high and his legs spread in a strong stance, Khan spoke in deep rumble. “You are a disgrace to our nation and your violent actions will cost all of us. Rumors have flourished in the Motherlands for hundreds of years that we Nmen are violent monsters who murder our wives. By killing Josephine you proved them right. What you did was abhorrent and cannot be excused, tolerated, or forgiven. All the Motlanders who oppose the integration between our nations will demand that the Matchmaking Program be shot down.”

  Ray’s shoulders hung low and his face was stricken with grief. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Khan turned his back on Ray, walking toward me and Zasquash. “Make sure everything is filmed and done according to protocol.”

  “Yes, Lord.”

  “Any questions?”

  “An eye for an eye?” Zasquash asked.

  Lord Khan crossed his arms and took a second to look up the stairs from where Josephine had landed before he spoke. “There’s no need. An eye for an eye only serves as rehabilitation to teach a valuable lesson. Ray won’t get a second chance, and we need to send a strong signal to the world that we stand firm on our zero-tolerance policy.”

  “Understood.”

  “Let Ray pick his preferred way of dying and get it over with.”

  Zasquash and I nodded and moved forward, pulling Ray up from the chair. Even with his sunken shoulders and head hanging low, Ray was no small man, and there was a sadness in me for having to take the life of someone as young, strong, and vibrant as him.

  Magni and Khan looked on as Zasquash and I led Ray outside where a few police officers were still waiting.

  “Leo,” Magni shouted behind me and waved the police inspector over. “Did you talk to all the witnesses?”

  “Yes, Commander, all neighbors were interviewed and they tell the same story.” Leo stopped in front of Magni. His long dark hair was in a messy bun on top of his head and his dark beard trimmed in the new fashion with a square look and a single bead braided into it. I’d worked with Leo many times and we’d shared beers in pubs over the years. He was someone I respected and considered a close friend.

  “Good.” Magni patted Leo’s shoulder and turned to give me a nod. It was my cue to do my job.

  “Ray Dermuth, you have broken the most sacred of our laws and admitted your guilt. Today, August 11th, 2447, will be your final day. Do you have any last words?”

  Ray raised his head up and looked at me with eyes red from crying. “Can I make a last request?”

  “What is it?”

  “Josephine had family and I know they will have questions. Can I write them a letter explaining how much I loved her?” He gave a deep sigh. “I don’t want them to think I was a monster.”

  “No.” Magni stepped closer. “There will be no letter. You can record a message for them. Whether her family chooses to watch it is up to them.”

  Ray dipped his head with a low “Thank you.”

  Using my wristband, I recorded Ray’s message as he spoke in a hoarse shaky voice.

  “The day Josephine picked me was the happiest day in my life. I loved her from the moment we met, and we had so much fun together.” Ray wet his dry lips, his hand scratching his neck. “Sometimes we got into arguments and yesterday morning things got out of hand. I would never hurt Josephine. I mean I never planned to hurt her. It just happened when I found out she was leaving me. I guess, I panicked and…” Ray used the heel of his hand to dry away more tears and shook his head like he couldn’t believe it had really happened. “I’m so sorry.” He sniffled. “I held on to her when she wanted to leave. Josephine, she…” Ray swallowed hard and his voice broke again. “She insulted me, calling me names, and when she pushed to get away from me, I finally let go. We were close to the stairs and she lost her balance, falling down and landing at an odd angle.”

  A memory from my past was pressing as I remembered how close I’d come to Ray’s destiny seven years ago. Willow hadn’t died from her fall, but her broken arm and bruises could have cost me my life.

  “I’m hoping this video message can clarify what happened between me and Josephine and show that I didn’t kill her in cold blood. I loved her more than anything and I’m deeply sorry.”

  I ended the video and Zasquash placed his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Any wishes as to where you want us to bury you?”

  He let the heels of his hands run over his eyebrows down to his mouth where he exhaled deeply. “Could you spread my ashes in the forest? I’ve always loved the woods behind my house.”

  I exchanged a glance with Khan, who gave a small nod.

  “We can do that.”

  “What about Josephine?” Ray asked. “What will happen to her?”

  “She’s going back to her family in the Motherlands,” Magni answered.

  I had once been in the Motherlands and seen a graveyard so I added. “They use bio-urns and she’ll grow into a tree of her family’s choice.”

  “They do?” Ray’s head lifted. “Can it be a magnolia tree? Those were her favorites.”

  “Her family will decide what happens to Josephine.” I frowned. “The only thing you get to pick is how you want to die. The easiest way to go is a bullet,
but if you prefer we can break your neck or slit your throat.”

  “Can I do it myself?” Ray’s eyes fell to the gun on my hip.

  “No.” Magni stepped closer. “You could easily turn the gun on one of us.”

  “Can I at least look out over the mountains?” Ray lifted his chin to the beautiful view with millions of fir trees in the distance and the lake that was so still that it reflected the clouds in the sky.

  Without a word, I walked Ray in the direction he had pointed and let him stand with his back to us. The sky was beautiful with the evening red from the sunset.

  “I love this view,” Ray mumbled. “I wish it was a clear day and there were no clouds.”

  Raising my gun, I pointed it at the back of his head, not saying a word as he continued.

  “Fluffy, white clouds were always my favorites. As a kid I used to lie on my back and watch them drift by. My friends and I would disagree on what shape they had. I would see a dragon and they would see something different.” His voice was trembling with emotions.

  I let Ray talk and disappear into a different time.

  “Josephine loved the thunderclouds. It excited her when there was lightning and thunder in the air. One time she curled up to me and we sat out here watching the show from afar counting between the thunder and the lightn...”

  Bang.

  Ray never ended his sentence. His body fell heavily to the ground, his life gone and his last moment branded in my memory like another scar on my troubled soul. Another weight on my subconscious.

  As if he wanted us to never forget him, thunder rolled in less than three hours after he was dead.

  Magni, Khan, Zasquash, and I were in a small pub in the local village where the bar-bots had seen better days and the five local patrons kept looking over and whispering about the unexpected presence of their ruler and his brother.

  Khan had declared that he and Magni would just have a single beer before they went back home, but by now we were on the fourth pint; he seemed to prefer the wooden bench in this small pub to the golden palace he called home.

  “Did you tell Pearl?” I asked.