His eyes searched hers. “I believe you.”
“Then let me help?”
He remained silent, and she tensed, knowing he was reading her. She wasn’t going to lie to him—that was idiotic, he would know immediately—but she could omit the truth.
“No,” he decided. “We need to finish talking first, you and I. Until then, I can’t let you leave. I won’t let you leave,” he said, his voice hardening.
“Tonight,” she forced out, bringing the covers up over her shoulders. “We’ll talk.”
A burst of teal filled the room, but it was gone a moment later. Hysterian growled. “Tonight, Alexa.”
With one last look between them, Hysterian strode to the door. He caught her eyes once more when he reached the threshold. “Tonight,” he warned.
The door closed, and he was gone.
Twenty-Four
Alexa waited,staring at the shut door. Adrenaline coursed through her, erasing her exhaustion and some of her sorrow. Her heart was shattered, but it had been that way for so long. The pain of loss was a long, lost friend having returned once again.
Hysterian’s voice came out of the intercom. “Landing to commence in fifteen minutes.”
That was her cue.
She scurried from the bed and pulled out her duffle from under the bed. She grabbed her dirty clothes off the floor and stuffed them in, checking the room once more for anything else she might need to take with her.
There was nothing. Not even something of Hysterian’s to steal. The room literally had nothing in it—not even something she could use against herself, and she cursed him for it. Her plan would be much easier if there was something in it to use…
She ran to the shower and quickly cleaned up, scrubbing her swollen sex, letting the cold water rinse the smell of sex from her skin.
Alexa was dressed and sitting on the bed when the ship’s lights flickered and the ship’s gravity changed, indicating descent.
Now to wait.
Once Hysterian was gone, all she had to do was hurt herself enough that she’d need medical attention, and the door to the room would open. TheQuestorwas built with AI technology, and AI technology could be manipulated if it wasn’t specialized. As far as she knew, Hysterian hadn’t done anything with the AI in the last few months. It would respond to her…
If it didn’t, something was bound to open the door and feed her soon.
Alexa pushed her bag back under the bed when the lights stopped flickering and the gravity changes ended.
We’ve landed.
Her fingers went white as she clutched the bedding. She waited a few minutes, but Hysterian didn’t come back. She waited a few minutes more.
When she was certain he had to be off the ship, she snatched her bag and went for the door.
Right as she was about to figure out how to hurt herself, it opened.
Horace stood on the other side.
Alexa recoiled.
He stepped into the room.
“What are you doing?” she gasped. She hadn’t expected to see Horace.
“Getting you out of here,” he said, looking around the room. His eyes landed on the bed. He cursed. “Didn’t believe Pigeon when he said the captain had you locked up in here, keeping you prisoner. Thought you were just recovering.” His eyes went to her. “Sorry, Dear.”
She went to correct him but stopped. “It’s okay…”
