Page 10 of Badass Alien Boss

Her opinion shouldn’t matter. She was a human temp hire who’d serve out her contract and then go home where she belonged. He’d never have to set eyes on her again. With any luck, the day would come sooner rather than later.

“There were four of them,” she said.

“You can count.”

“You killed one of them.”

“Yes.”

“That’s…impressive isn’t the right word.”

“I believe the word you’re looking for is futile.” The first guy had come at him, and he’d snapped his neck. But then the other three had attacked at once.

“You’re lucky to be alive.”

Some days, it didn’t feel like it.

“You were targeted.”

“That’s Korsan’s theory.”

“You don’t think so?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the men. Nobody followed me from the convention center. I would have noticed. No one was in the alley when I entered. I’m vigilant and observant—although in light of what happened, you may not think so.”

She was vigilant, too. Head high, arms free, posture erect, she scanned the street, alert blue eyes assessing.

“The authorities believe the attack was random. They basically said if I had been targeted, the assailants would havedone a better job.” He laughed humorlessly. They’d done a pretty thorough job in his opinion.

“I think it was meant tolookrandom,” she said.

“The end result is the same.”

“No, it’s not. If you were randomly selected, it’s over. But ifyouwere the premeditated target, they’ll seek to finish the job.”

“You’re a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”

“You must have considered that.”

It kept him up at night. Along with the pain and the phukking bed. Maybe he should try sleeping on the floor.

“Where do you think the men came from?” Her question sounded thoughtful, serious, not tinged with skepticism the way the authorities had asked it.“The men weren’t there, and then they were,”he’d explained in a painkiller-induced haze after the attack.

“What do you mean?” she said, and he realized he’d spoken aloud.

“They just appeared.”

“Like out of nowhere?”

“That’s what it seemed like.”

“All four at the same time?”

“One, at first. After I killed him, three more showed up. I guess they decided they needed reinforcements.”

“Huh.” To her credit, she didn’t state the conclusion everyone else had reached—he’d failed to notice he was being followed, or the men had already been in the alley when he entered.

“Do you always cut through the alley?”