“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.”
Silence was his response.
“Did you kill her?” Vee needed to know.
“No. She’s alive and well. Maybe bruised.”
“You didn’t kill her?”
“No.”
Her heart thrummed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, female. She’s only alive to prove a point. I’m eager to go back and finish the job.”
Vee lifted her brow from him. “What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer.
“Cypher? What do you mean?” She moved to stand in front of him and stopped when she saw the rage in his eyes. His eyes had gone a bright yellow, and even still, there was darkness in them. “What happened?”
“She was never after you, Vee. She was after me. Diatrix is a half-breed. She’s Trentian. Her hatred for men goes beyond their sex, and she hates my kind most of all. Like I do hers.”
“You can’t be serious? Half-breeds aren’t allowed on Earth. She doesn’t look alien at all.” She thought back to the few encounters she had with the woman. Not in a million years would she have ever thought Diatrix was half-alien.
“Apparently there’s a lot more residing here than we know of. If they can hide from my kind, they can easily hide from humans.” His gaze moved to the wall behind her. “At least she has a reason to hate me…”
“What are you going to do?” After what she saw in Laprencia’s simulation, she couldn’t believe Diatrix still lived.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes.” Cypher tore his eyes from the wall behind her and stood. “I’m going to shower.” He stormed from the room before she could say anything more.
Stunned, Vee watched him go, listening to his heavy steps recede into the distance. Minutes passed as she stared at the exit. Part of her wanted to chase him down, but something stopped her.
He doesn’t want me to follow him.
Why would he?
Ever since she pretendedto beCypher, his life had gone up in flames. Though she only knew a little about his past and what he was doing before he sought her out, she knew his life had been altered completely because of her.
And the EPED.
But still because ofher.
Now that everything has come to an end—Vee wrung her hands together—maybe his feelings toward her had dulled as well.
Where mine has grown, have his staled?She looked around the medical lab, the bloody bullets on the floor catching her eye.I’m not worth this. Maybe he’s come to the same conclusion.Her chest squeezed, her heart sinking.
She made her way back to the captain’s quarters knowing what she needed to do. Pack up, get out, and move on. Move on somewhere far from here so she could keep a modicum of pride. As she neared the room, the sound of running water sounded. She chewed on her lip and walked in anyway.I’ll be quick, then I’ll wait in the lounge.
Vee made the bed, picked up her clothes and threw them in her duffle, and rounded up any other items she’d been using since her stay. She heard the water turn off right when she finished typing in a code on the panel next to the room’s door to clean the space with cleaning bots.
Cypher stepped out of the lavatory, steam rushing around his large frame, right when she tried to scurry out the door. His eyes landed on her, and she stopped.
