A wicked grin crossed her face. “Oh, wow. Look who they sent to babysit me. If it isn’t Christian Holm himself. Colton told me all about you.”
Ignoring her taunt, Christian slid the other chair near the door and sat in it. He tried to appear as bored by her as possible, but staring at the woman who looked so much like Gemma made him cringe. Where Gemma was wind and courage folded into restraint, though, Nadine was fire with no damper. She had the same dark hair but was taller and curvier than Gemma. Nadine’s features also were a bit angular, her blue eyes gleaming with a dangerous kind of pride.
“I can see why my sister fell for you.” Her voice danced, singsong and razor thin. “You really are quite handsome.”Nadine ran her gaze down Christian’s body slowly, eyeing him like a predator in heat.
When he didn’t rise to the bait, she tilted her head. “Not going to say hello?” she teased. “Bit rude, considering I’m tied to a chair.”
He continued to glare at her.
She laughed softly. “Right. Silent type. I get it. Keeps the mystery alive.” Her eyes glittered beneath the flickering lights. “You don’t look like a Systems loyalist. Not really. A little too sharp around the edges.”
Christian kept his expression neutral, though his jaw flexed once.
Nadine leaned forward slightly, straining against her cuffs. “Let me guess. You passed your Trials, thinking you could make things better. Like maybe if you were the one pulling the trigger, fewer innocent people would get caught in the crossfire.” She sat back. “Or maybe you’re just on the run from the Falaichte and are so jaded, you don’t really care who you kill.”
His nostrils flared.
She smirked. “Got ya.”
A younger version of himself would’ve taken the bait, would’ve snapped back or paced the floor or have even shoved a chair. But now, he knew how to wait.
Christian propped one foot on top of its opposite knee and fixed his eyes on her with the steady calm of a man built for siege. Unfortunately, Nadine had also learned how to play the game.
“I’m curious,” she said, “did they give you a badge before or after they knew how many concussions you’ve caused? Oh yeah. I know who you are. The ring-fighter everyone put money on. Pride of the Falaichte.”
He didn’t answer.
“Not that I’m judging. Everyone’s got a body count these days. The difference is some of us admit it.”
His hands were clenched so tightly they hurt. But he still refused to reply.
“I bet you think this is a win,” she added, smile never faltering. “You caught the big bad rebel. Stopped the smuggling lines. Maybe you even think the worst is behind you.”
Christian didn’t flinch, didn’t move. Just stared.
Nadine tilted her head. “You don’t talk much, do you? Colton said you were like that. Thoughtful, brooding, terrifying in a fight.”
He didn’t respond.
Nadine sighed dramatically. “You know, it’s funny. I used to think the Systems were the most dangerous thing crawling through the galaxies. But then there’s you. The dog who turned on the very people he tried so hard to protect.”
Heat burned up his neck as the hold on his temper began to dwindle.
“So, tell me,” she said sweetly, “when did you figure out they’d never let you save her?”
That hit like a solid punch to the groin. He kept his face still, despite the steep hike in his pulse rate, but Nadine smiled like she’d seen it.
“Oh yeah, I also know about you and Gemma. You think Colton didn’t tell me every last detail he could remember? She’s my sister. I know she survived the Trials. I even know all about the little adventure you all took across Reva.”
Christian’s jaw ticked, but he forced himself to stay planted, his fists clenched so tightly that they started to cramp.
Nadine drove the blade deeper. “Colton said Gemma found a temple, and afterward her eyes turned violet. That her blood wasn’t red anymore. He even said she shielded herself from the desert drifters with some violet light. Sounds . . . alien.”
Bile burned his throat. He forced himself to stay still, to breathe.
Nadine’s smile turned smug. “Tell me, Christian. What do you think the Systems will do to someone they see as a threat?”
The casual venom in her tone made his skin crawl.
