A blade appears in her hand, and I watch as she sets her jaw. Light glints off the bright metal just before she buries the knife into Volethos’ side. The Vesen howls, releasing his grip on Annah just enough for her to break free.
That’s when everything switches to slow motion. She breaks free of his grip, and I watch her vault over the counter, rolling and then falling to the ground on the other side. At the same time, I’m also in motion. Lunging, needing to get to her, to catch her before she hits the ground. But it’s like I’m slogging through mud. I watch as she lands on her hip. Hard.
She squints at the pain, but then she’s pushing herself to her feet. Her eyes, blue like the skies just before full dark, are on me. Her arms reach out, and then I have her.
Pulling her against my chest, I lift her off the floor and race out of the room. I don’t stop until I’ve found a small room where we can hide. It’s safe enough, at least for now. Only then do I let her feet hit the ground.
I mean to tell her how terrified I was, seeing her in Volethos’ clutches. How brave she was and how proud of her I am. Instead my hands grip her upper arms, and I shout, “What were you thinking!” I give her shoulders a shake for emphasis.
She stares at me for one breath, then two, and I know I’ve said the wrong thing. I’m about to start apologizing when her lips split into a wide grin. And Gods, it lights up her entire face. Then her arms are around my neck.
“I was worried about you too!” she tells me.
My arms snake around her tiny waist, and I bury my nose in the side of her neck as I hold her. Gods, I was so close—too close, to losing her.
“Promise me you’ll never do that again,” I groan.
Annah giggles—fucking giggles!—and then leans back so she can look at me. “No.”
“No?”NO!What does she mean, no?
One of her dainty hands cups my cheek, and she tilts her head to the side. “No. You’re just going to have to stick around, so you can keep me out of trouble.”
If it wasn’t for the adrenaline coursing through my system, I would have been furious with her. Instead, all I can do is shake my head. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be the death of me?”
“Naw.” Her thumb brushes across my cheek before she gives it a pat. “I plan to keep you around.”
Before I can respond, my comm goes off in my pocket.
I pull it free and swipe my thumb across the screen. An image of Igid appears in the air.
“Where are you and your human hiding?” She grins, even as laser fire zips past her head at least twice. “You’re missing all the fun!”
“We’ll be right there,” I tell her before shoving my comm back into my pocket. Then I pull a blaster from the back of my pants. Before I can explain how it works, Annah snatches it from my hand.
“Deja gave me lessons.” She looks the blaster over before flicking off the safety.
“Who are you?” I ask her. “And what have you done with my frightened little human?”
“Oh, she’s still here,” my Annah says with a shy smile. “She just got tired of everyone telling her what to do and how to act.”
“Ah.” For the first time, I think I finally understand what she’s been trying to tell me. Not that I didn’t understand before, but I put my feelings before hers and tried to tell myself it was for her benefit. “I’ve been an ass, and I hope you can forgive me.”
She reaches for me and pulls me to her lips. But it’s only a quick kiss.
I growl, pulling her closer, wanting more of her mouth. Her tongue. Her…
Annah breaks free of my grip and grins. “There’ll be time for that later, but first let’s go take care of a certain Vesen.”
As I adjust my cock in my pants, I’m tempted to put her over my shoulder and carry her somewhere quiet, somewhere with fewer interruptions. Instead, I nod and reach for her hand, threading her fingers through mine before heading back to the source of the fighting.
“Rovos! Nice of you to finally join us!” Igid shouts from across the room, where she’s just dispatched three Zetas. “Good to see you again, Anna!”
“Where is Volethos?” I ask after a quick scan of the room turns up empty.
“Coward is hiding,” Igid spits. “But he’s still here somewhere. He has to go through us to get to his ship.”
A volley of laser fire has Annah and me spinning around just as Sone and Treto take out a bunch of the Zetas still left alive.
