Page 85 of Star-Crossed Captive
Nia removed his hand, halting his words. Her chest had gone tight at the concern etched in his face. He didn’t want to leave her here, but he’d do it if he must.
“I want to go with you,” she said simply.
His face relaxed, and he nodded. Noise outside the corridor had him tensing once more. “They’re here.” He pressed her against the bulkhead, out of sight from the corridor, then grabbed a device out of his pant leg. A round orb similar to the one he’d used onElara Fivesat in his hand. When he threw it out into the corridor, it didn’t make smoke. Repetitive weapon fire filled the air. Then silence.
“Let’s go.”
Holding onto her hand, he poked out his head. After two heartbeats, he pulled her after him into the corridor.
They stepped over bodies.
“I really wish you wouldn’t kill all these people,” Nia said, not able to stop the words from leaving her mouth.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “It’s what I do, Nia.”
“I know, but I don’t like it. They have lives and families and you killed them all. They aren’t mindless clones or drones. Or at least they used to be before you killed them and that makes me feel awful. But then again, some of them could be horrible like Major General Forna. And the Slattery guy. I’m not sadthey’redead, deranged assholes—”
Nia stopped her words at Mace’s incredulous look over his shoulder. She slapped her free hand over her mouth. He turned around, and they continued. He fired down the next corridor, making their way around more bodies.
Nia tried to focus on Mace’s broad back, but her eyes drifted lower. She dropped her hand from her mouth.
“You have a nice ass.”
“Thanks.” A tinge of disbelieving laughter laced his tone.
“I noticed in the beginning. When you kidnapped me and threw me over your shoulder. There has to be something wrong with me for noticing, right? I mean, you shouldn’t be admiring your kidnapper’s bum, should you? I should probably be psycho-analyzed or something—”
When he cast another look in her direction, she clapped her hand over her mouth again. Amused or not, she had to remember they were in a dire situation and she needed to be quiet.Yes. Very quiet.
Chapter thirty-one
EversinceMacehadheard her scream in agony when he’d arrived on this deck, he’d been shaking. The need to kill every last person on this ship dictated his every action.
He pulled Nia to the side at a junction. One more corridor to go, but it was blocked by defenders.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Nia pull at the nodes on her head with one hand, her mouth covered with the other. Her eyes held a shimmer, like she’d drank too much alcohol.
“You aren’t going to start spurting blood out your head when you yank those off, are you?” he asked, frowning at her.
Her hand dropped, eyes widening comically. “God, I hope not. I should have asked how to get them off. They’re not like the cortical nodes I’ve used before. I wouldn’t want the nanos to take permanent residence in my brain. How would I ever keep my secrets, then? That would be horrible. And I see the way you’re looking at me right now. I’m supposed to be quiet. Okay, how’s this? My voice is really quiet right now. Pretty good, right?” She finished on a whisper.
Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the corridor. His stomach fell. He was going to have to leave her again. A fire fight would bring more defenders, and right now they had the advantage of his jammer. He took his secondary weapon from his left thigh and handed it to her.
“Take this and shoot anyone who comes from that direction.” He jerked his chin the way they’d come.
Her hand dropped from her mouth. “Mace, I can’t. I’m a doctor not a warrior.”
He touched the panel on the side. “It’s set to stun.”
“Okay. I can do that.” She held the weapon aloft, face flushing.
Mace returned his attention to the threat ahead. The first corridor was clear. He sprinted, then stopped at the junction. He waited. Footsteps.Just about there.Mace lunged, incapacitating the first with a slice to his femoral artery before turning to the second. The third farther along only startled him slightly. He slit the second’s throat and threw the blood coated knife at the third, hitting the sweet spot.
The first wasn’t dead and making too much noise. Mace took a knife out of his boot and slit his throat. All without getting a shot off.
And they’d changed to teams of three.Good to know.
He hurried to retrieve Nia. Once he turned the corner, he pushed the barrel of the gun out of his face.
