The human was quick to snatch up another pillow.He flung it at Jin’s face without hesitation.It landed, forcing Jin to rock back on his heels.
“Meat sack!”
“Got something to say, Tin Can?”Raider jutted out his jaw and stroked his cheek tauntingly.“Or maybe there’s something you’d like to do?”
Jin’s gaze was wintry as he shifted his attention to Kira.“You’ve made your point.”
“I’m so glad.”
It was tempting to gloat, but Raider was doing enough of that for the both of them.
Jin barely glanced at the assembled oshota before stabbing his finger at Dylan.“Him.”
If she was being honest, she’d thought he would go for one of the other two.Dylan was a good choice if Jin planned to let him do his job, but a terrible one if his goal was to duck and dodge the oshota until he gave up and quit of his own volition.
It made Kira wonder what Jin was actually thinking.
Her friend wasn’t the greatest around those who only saw the world in terms of black and white.He’d buck at the first sign of authority.When they served in the military, it had been like pulling teeth to get him to even pretend to obey their senior officers.
The moment Dylan pulled rank, Jin would push back.Kira could already feel the headache that would cause.
Seeing her hesitation, Jin grinned evilly.“You said choose.”
“So I did.”To Dylan, “I guess you’re it.”
“We’d say congratulations but you’re probably going to regret this within a week,” Raider chimed in.
A week?Kira gave it an hour.
“There.It’s settled.Can we go now?”Jin asked.
He didn’t wait for an answer, spinning toward the door and throwing it open.
Caius, Roake’s military adviser and commander of a large portion of its forces, the third in command after Harlow, loomed large in the opening.
The room froze as several things occurred to Kira at once.
First—Caius was the person Raider, Finn and she had chased from the Nexus.
Second—he’d somehow managed to follow them after they lost him.
And lastly—there was something wrong with his synth armor.
“Hello, there.”An unnatural smile stretched across Caius’s lips as his eyes glittered at Jin.“You’re not who I was looking for, but you’ll do nicely.”
Three
Kira
Thechillthatcourseddown Kira’s back acted as a siren.
She lunged forward.“Get back!”
For the first time ever, Jin froze.His panic beat at Kira through their bond.She could feel the way his mind blanked.
Suddenly her vision doubled to include Jin’s perspective.Dual scenes played out before her eyes.
Peering up at Caius in horror.Charging forward with everything she had.A knife appearing in Caius’s hand.Plunging downward.
