Page 43 of On a Rogue Planet
“Quiet.” He sucked in air.
“You took some?—”
“I said, be quiet.” He didn’t yell but did raise his voice.
He saw her eyes widen and she went silent.
He shook his head, wishing he could shake out all the confusing, conflicting emotions eating at him. “I had no business fighting that fight. We’re here for information vital to my planet.”
“I know?—”
He sliced a hand between them. “You are a distraction I don’t need. I am not working efficiently and I’m wasting time with you. My only priority is Centax.”
She flinched, all color seeping from her cheeks. Xander felt a spasm in his chest but the roar of sensation in him was a wild tangle he couldn’t pull apart.
Her lips had parted, her cheeks were now flushed. “Okay.”
“Hey, Xander, you okay?” Dathan’s voice came through Xander’s internal systems. He’d calibrated them to work with the communication system on theInfinitas.
Discreetly, he touched the implant at his temple. “Yes.”
“Look, we just picked up a bunch of transmissions about your taking out the boss of the Rahl in a fight. Please tell me you didn’t fight.”
Xander stayed silent.
Dathan groaned. “They arenothappy.”
Xander scanned the room. He saw several Rahl in the crowd shooting him hard glances. “We can’t leave without the information.”
“Then get to the Taskmaster,” Dathan said. “Now.”
Xander released a shuddering breath. “We will.”
“Keep Malin safe and get to the shuttle as quickly as you can. We’ll see you in orbit.”
“Affirmative.” He gripped Malin’s arm. “We need to get to the Taskmaster.”
She yanked her arm from his hold. For a second, he was taken aback. She’d never pulled away from his touch, even when he’d first met her on Centax.
“Let’s do it.” She swiveled on her heels.
But the Taskmaster wasn’t at the table where they’d seen him.
Xander scanned the crowd. “There.”
The man was slipping through a side door out of the arena area. Xander flicked through the maps of the arena in his internal database and the overlay came up. “He’s headed into the living areas.”
Xander moved, touching Malin’s lower back to urge her forward.
She jerked away and shot him a narrow stare. “Wouldn’t want to distract you.”
His jaw tightened as he watched her move toward the door. Now that his emotions were settling, he realized how harsh his words before had been. “Malin?—”
She gave him her back. “Let’s just get this done, Xander. Then you can get on with your precious mission…without any distractions.”
Now wasn’t the time to discuss this. With a heavy gut, he pushed open an inconspicuous door and gestured her in.
He led her down the twisting corridors, keeping well back from the Taskmaster, pausing at every corner to make sure the older Rahl didn’t notice them.
