“For the hundredth time, yes,” I said. “Now, will you stop asking me? You are acting like an overprotective nanny.”
He didn’t laugh or quip back smartly, not that I thought he would. He had been watching me like a hovering nanny since Samkiel was taken, and after my fight with Kaden, he had decided he was my bodyguard. Even now, I could feel his eyes boring into me, trying to find a fracture in my armor, and I wasn’t talking about the physical suit I wore.
“I know. With everything that’s going on, plus what Kaden said, I just …”
“Love me?” I tossed him a quick smile as we turned a corner. I knew he did, and I adored our friendship and all it had become. Despite the disembowelment, we had grown close. “I know, and I love you, too. I promise I am fine. Our biggest concern is ensuring that this plan works. After that, I am going to need a drink.”
He covered his laugh with a cough. “Take me with you, please.”
“Always.”
We stopped by a large staircase, the lights above us shimmering with power. We both waited in silence until the next set of guards passed us, and then I turned to look at him.
“You know what you have to do.”
He nodded. “Game time, baby.”
“Be careful.”
“You know. If it wouldn’t kill you, I would so use Kaden and Isaiah as a body shield,” Cameron said with an evil grin.
I couldn’t help but snicker. “Bye, Cameron.”
Cameron slipped down the hall and back into the hull, where the others continued to work. I knew this would work. It just required the right timing. If I missed my window, we were all severely fucked. Walking back upstairs, I gave a small nod to the guards I passed, having made a point of learning their names. I was glad I wasn’t questioned, but gods, how had this place not been broken into yet? The security was shit. We hadn’t found any cameras or other forms of technological surveillance. Did her royal cuntiness have that much of an ego?
There was one final thing I needed to obtain, and I knew exactly where to go to get it. I turned a corner, making sure no one was following me before I shifted. A small mouse scampered down the hall in my place, hurrying to the ventilation grate and slipping through. My small feet pushed me forward as I darted from vent to vent. Voices reached me as I passed rooms and communication areas. I kept going until there was nothing but the tiny patter of my feet to break the silence. Looking down the shaft, I saw her main holding dock. The room seemed empty minus the giant fucking glowing metal device in the center. It resembled a round table, but the buttons proved I had reached my goal. I jumped through the slit, landing on my own two feet as my body bent its shape again.
Cautiously, I looked around before approaching the circular device. I stared at the panel, trying to decide which buttons to press. I picked the ones most worn and corroded by sweat, trying over and over for the code. Suddenly, a beep sounded, and a light turned green before a screen popped up. I did a little victory dance, smiling happily as I swiped across the screen.
Weapons showed up first, and I saw those damn cannons she’d hit me with. I scrolled and saw the net I had met up close and personal. That damn thing had stung. A few more images passed. Large ships that matched her warship in size, but they were shaped differently and bristling with weapons I had never seen before. What the hell was she preparing for? Had she made that? Fuck. Milani may not only be the commander of Nismera’s armada, but she may also be her weapons specialist.
The door hissed open. I had no time to hide, and there was no way to avoid being seen. I pressed the button with the red triangle, and the screen faded to black. My nervous heart pounded, but it wasn’t a guard standing in the doorway.
“Samkiel,” I said quietly, relief washing over me. I ran to meet him. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. I think I found—”
I stopped, the impassive look he was giving me sending a shudder of fear down my spine, and stealing my words. I had seen it before. It was the one where they had grown tired of you, moved on to someone else, anything else. Forgotten. That’s what it was. Samkiel always looked at me as if I were the center of his world. This was not him.
“What’s wrong with you?” I demanded, fear making my voice harsh.
He said nothing as he looked down at me. His hand snapped out, his fingers wrapping around my throat. I should have been used to that. There had been plenty of times when I’d even requested it, but right now, as he squeezed the air out of my lungs, there was just pain and fear, but none of it was because of the hold. My elbow came down on his arm, and he released me. I tried to duck past him, but he grabbed me by the shirt, tossing me to the console. My back hit hard, and I hissed. He stopped for a second, but when my eyes met his, I saw nothing but lethal killing rage.
I rolled to my feet as he approached and struck out, landing a solid kick to his chest, sending him flying to the other side of the room. “Hey, if you wanted to fight, and then fuck to work out your frustration, all you had to do was ask,” I said, watching him flow to his feet, his silver gaze molten. Oh, gods, the lack of warmth in his eyes when he looked at me was devastating.
He had no smart comeback. He only stood and stalked back toward me.
“I wouldn’t put up much of a fight if I were you,” a soft, feminine voice said from the entrance behind me. “He’s not your boyfriend anymore.”
I turned to correct Milani, not thinking anything of turning my back on Samkiel. He proved the foolishness of my trust, grabbing the back of my hair and slamming my head against the console, knocking me out.
IWOKE UPto soft giggles, and when I opened my eyes, I wished I were still concussed. Milani sat on Samkiel’s lap, feeding him berries of some sort. His hands were around her waist, and she was giggling as he nuzzled her neck and cheek, his lovely, strong lips brushing kisses along her skin.
“Oh, gods,” I groaned. “Please stab my eyes out with that fork.”
They both stopped and looked at me. Ennis, her knucklehead brother, stepped forward, eager to comply. He was such a freaky fucker.
Milani held up her hand, and he backed down, looking confused.
I took a few seconds to gauge my surroundings. We were in a massive dining area. Open windows lined the entire wall to the right, and various floral arrangements added bright pops of color to the already overly decorated room. It was much too bright, and it didn’t help that everything was white with gold and cream accents fucking everywhere. A weight pressed against my neck, and I felt the prick of small spikes each time I tried to move. I suspected it was a collar similar to the one that Samkiel was wearing. I tried to move my limbs, but stopped when I felt the soft ties binding my wrists and ankles.
