He would never leave her behind.
That left only one option…a risk they would have to take.
“Do it,” she whispered, nodding, reaching forward to take his hand. “If you think you can, then get it out of me. Make sure she never finds us again.”
Relief—and dark determination—flashed over his face.
In the next moment, he was kissing her, a desperate, wild thing that made her want to smile and laugh.
For their future?
She could handle anything.
“You have to do it quickly,” Tavak cut in, making the both of them pull away from their kiss. The other male looked pensive, focused. “If the tracker sends its transmission for too long, she might be able to determine our course.”
Valerie sobered, her fingers digging into Dravka’s shoulders.
“We also can’t afford to wait here,” Ravu argued, exchanging a look with his brother. “We should leave Everton now. Get the tracker out within an hour of our flight. That should be fast enough.”
Valerie blew out a breath. Her gaze returned to Dravka’s.
He gave her a small nod.
“Are you ready?” he rasped.
“Yes,” she said, her voice firm, though her hands shook. It wasn’t from the fear of pain, however. It was the excitement and possibility, and the adrenaline of finally leaving Everton. With him.
Nothing else mattered.
She wanted to scream her happiness, her relief, up to the sky and let it echo around Everton.
But they didn’t have time for that.
“My brave female,” Dravka murmured down to her, clasping her hand in his own. “I’ll take care of this. I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
And because she believed him, trusted him more than anyone…Valerie had never heard sweeter words in her entire life.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Once they got on board the vessel, they were greeted by expensive, clean, modern furnishings. There was a row of seating for takeoff and landing, ten in total and none that would seat a Keriv’i male comfortably. Beyond the seating area was a large open space, complete with a small bar—the bottles of sloshing liquor magnetically secured—the largest Nu device that Dravka had ever seen mounted on the wall, and plush white couches that made an ‘L’ shape around the room.
They hadn’t been in the vessel for more than a couple minutes before Ben, the pilot, returned and informed them they were ready to launch and to strap in. Valerie had squeezed his hand—her cheeks flushed, her eyes glittering—and they’d taken a seat next to each other while Tavak and Ravu strapped in on the opposite row.
“Is this really happening?” Valerie whispered to him, stroking her thumb over his hand.
“Pax,” he murmured to her, but his mind was elsewhere. “Let me feel where the tracker is. Show me.”
She brought his hand to the back of her shoulder and pressed his fingertips into the hard bone. She wiggled his grip, flinching slightly when he felt a little groove there.
His nostrils flared again. He might not ever see Madame Allegria ever again but it didn’t stop him from wishing he could…if only to seek the vengeance he needed. She’d had her niece implanted with a tracker. He’d heard of this kind of surgery before.
And feeling where it was placed now? He worried he wouldn’t be able to get it out. It felt like it wasinthe bone.
Dravka took his hand away.
What if he couldn’t get it out? he wondered.
Would Madame Allegria hunt them across the universe?
