“Yeah, that was my people. We had to cause a distraction so I could get in here unencumbered. Come on, we’re running out of time. We have to get out of here. I’m Kaia, by the way.”
“Shar,” the woman said and slowly stood. “Wait! My schematics. I can’t leave them. He…he wants them for himself. He doesn’t want to share with anyone, not even his own people,” she said.
Kaia felt rage building at that. The selfish bastard. “All right, let’s grab them and get the fuck out of here.”
The woman quickly rolled them up and tied a strip of leather around them. “I kept telling him they weren’t complete, but I think he was beginning to doubt me,” she said, and there was real fear in her voice.
“Did he hurt you?” Kaia asked as she opened the door and looked out. So far it was still clear. “Stay behind me and do exactly what I tell you to.”
“Some,” Shar admitted. “I will. Just get me out of here,” she promised.
They were almost out when things turned difficult. Drago stepped into the hallway from the exit. “Where do you think you’re going with my bitch?”
Kaia saw the way Shar shrank back, saw the way she began to shake, and she knew. He’d done a lot more than just hurt her. He’d raped her. A red haze filled her vision. Without thought she pulled her pistol from its holster, lifted it, pulled the trigger, and shot him between the eyes. Then she turned to Shar and put her arms around the other woman. “It’s okay. He can’t hurt you ever again. No one will ever hurt you ever again,” she swore. It was in that moment she made the decision to not hand her over to Silas. She didn’t trust that bastard to keep his filthy hands off the beauty either. “Come on. We have to go. Just don’t look, okay?” she said gently as she led Shar past Drago’s body. She knew killing him could cause a clusterfuck of problems, but she was hoping to smooth things over with his son, Draigen, who was more reasonable. Later. After they offered to help repair the damage their explosives did to their compound. For now, she needed to let her team know to retreat. As soon as she had Shar at the secret entrance she gave the signal and everyone made their way out and reconvened at the rovers.
“Any injuries?” Kaia asked once everyone was there.
“A few minor but nothing serious,” Tuck said.
“Good. Everyone, this is Shar. Shar, meet the team that helped get you out. The big guy is Tuck, that’s Micah, Calix, Rafe,” and then she introduced the rest of the team. “Now, let’s get the fuck out of here before they figure out that Drago is dead,”
“What the fuck, Kaia?” Rafe asked.
“He got between me and the exit. It was a choice between him or me and I chose me,” Kaia replied.
“Do you realize the clusterfuck this is going to cause?” he asked.
“Yeah, well, we’ll figure it out. Let’s go. Shar, you’re with us,” Kaia said, opening the back door of the rover for the woman. Tuck took the other side and soon they were on their way back.
Once back at Silverspell, Kaia got Shar settled into a room and then she and Rafe went to talk to Baz.
“Has he caused any trouble?” Kaia asked Tala.
“Nope. He’s mostly stayed in his room. He came out to eat but that was about it.”
“Thanks.” Kaia knocked on the door and when Baz opened it she stepped inside. “Mind telling us why you’re really here?” she asked.
“I already told you why I’m really here. I needed sanctuary.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Let me start by explaining why I left. Do you remember that merc job I took two years ago, the solo one you were leery of?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, you had good reason to be. It was a set up. The target was a rival of Silas’. I didn’t know it at the time, but Silas was recording the entire thing. He used it to blackmail me, Kaia. He was going to release it, to get his rival's associates coming after you and Rafe, if I didn’t work with him. He wanted it to be a permanent thing but I negotiated it down to two years. I had two months left on my contract with him but after what I found out he was planning, I couldn’t stay.”
“Damn it, Baz! You should have told us! We had a right to know,” Kaia told him.
“I know, beautiful. But I didn’t know how without getting you involved, and that was the last thing I wanted. It was my fuck up to fix. Plus, my pride was hurt. I know that’s a stupid excuse for hurting you, for breaking both your hearts. I was stupid and selfish and I wish I could go back and change it, but I can’t.”
“No, you can’t. You still should have told us, instead of just leaving like you did.”
“What is he planning?” Rafe interjected.
Kaia gave him a dark look but she let it drop for now. He was right, without saying it. Their personal shit could wait.
“He’s going to sell the woman to the highest bidder,” Baz said, disgusted.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’d already decided I wasn’t handing her over to Silas then, huh?” Kaia countered.
“You what?” Rafe asked.
