Page 18 of Badass Alien Boss

“I know what you’re thinking. Go ahead. Say it,” he said. “I deserve it.”

“Say what? For a man who professes to be security conscious, you couldn’t have picked a better place to get attacked? I wouldn’t say something like that.”

His lips twitched. “I appreciate your restraint.”

As a general rule, she didn’t believe in taking unnecessary risks. However, if the crime rate was as low as the government claimed, the shortcut should have been safe. Except he’d been targeted,hunteddown. If the attack hadn’t occurred in the alley, it would have occurred elsewhere.

It still could. She shivered. Having failed to get their target, would the cartel try again? She had to assume so. “Ready to go?” she asked.

“Ready.”

They moved down the winding alley. Out of sight of the attack zone, she recognized the back of the bar from the vid. Mounted over the door, a tiny, inconspicuous camera spied on the alley. A lucky break for her.

“This is where they vanished,” she said.

“This isn’t far from where they attacked me. They didn’t waste any time, did they?” he said.

“No.” As soon as they’d gotten out of sight, they’d done the disappearing act.

The alley gave her the creeps. Aware the attackers had cloaking devices, she half expected the assailants to pop up at any time. “I’ve seen enough.”

Chapter Ten

Why me? Why now? What next?Finding answers only uncovered more questions. Ruyn felt more unsettled now than before. There was no doubt in his mind the attackers had soughthimout. If they hadn’t ambushed him in the alley, it would have been somewhere else.

Which meant they’d try again. Relentless in pursuit of their aims, the Prellim wouldn’t give up and move on to something else. He’d tangled with them before on a few faraway planets. Had he killed a cartel general? Shut down an illegal operation? Interrupted a shipment of drugs?

“Maybe it’s payback,” he said.

“Payback for what?”

“Luturna has embassies and outposts on various planets. My space force unit had been deployed to planets where the Prellim had gained a toehold. We engaged the cartel several times.”

“But why single you out?”

“I’m the vulnerable one? The others in my unit are still in the military.”

“That’s a viable theory.” She nodded. “But maybe you’renotthe only one. Maybe others in your unit got ambushed. Your military may not even realize it was the Prellim.”

“I’ll check into it. My former CO might tell me if there have been attacks on personnel, and if not, maybe the other men from my unit will.” He’d start at the top and work down.

“Good. I don’t have contacts in your military,” she said.

“If the Prellim have gone after men in my unit, that might help to rule out an infiltration on Luturna.” He hoped that turned out to be the case. He stepped wrong, and a sharp pain shot through his leg.

“Leg hurting you?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “It’s getting better, though. Every day, it improves a little.”

“Your physical therapy is pretty strenuous.”

“I prefer it strenuous.” He paused. “I’m not ready to go in for the night. Instead of going home, how would you feel about grabbing a meal? There’s a nice restaurant close to our building. Not fancy, but the food is good.”

“I’d like that!” she replied right away, and he felt ridiculously pleased.

* * * *

Mama Murta, wearing a colorful apron and one of her matching head scarves, scurried out from the kitchen. “Sit! Sit! I saved a table for you in the back.” She ushered them to a spot at the rear of the tiny eatery. There were only a dozen tables, and ten of them were occupied. He recognized several diners who’d been there previously. Mama had her regulars.