Page 3

“This must be Momma,” Daisy said, her pulse ricocheting in her throat. Whoa, this stunning creature was huge and pissed off.

Rexx leapt in front of Daisy, his gun already out of its holster.

“No, you don’t. No shooting.” Daisy grabbed his arm and gave it a warning squeeze. “She’s protecting her young. Her frill is half-extended, which means she’s giving us a chance to get lost. We’ll back up nice and slow and show her we’re not a threat.”

The creature’s long yellow tongue poked out as she tasted the air. She growled again and shimmied her frill.

Daisy dug her fingers into Rexx’s solid bicep. “Move slowly. And keep your gun lowered.”

There was a sharp shriek and a clatter of metal behind them.

The female zinibar’s head bobbed, and she alarm-called a high whistle scream.

Daisy spun round and looked at the trap. Her stomach clenched. This was bad. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but the male had gotten in, grabbed the food, and was out before the door had slammed on him. And he was racing toward them, his head down.

Before Daisy had a chance to react, her feet were taken out from under her, and she was carried away by Rexx, who had tucked her half under his arm.

“For the love of all things... Rexx! Put me down.” She’d lost count of the number of times he’d done this. It was like he thought she didn’t know when to run when they slammed into danger.

“Not yet.”

She twisted in his arms, pulling herself over his shoulder so she could see if they were being pursued.

The two adults stood over the babies, checking on them.

“Rexx, that’s enough. We’re safe. They’re not chasing us. Put me down.”

He slowed to a jog and then a fast walk. He finally stopped when they were among a copse of stunted trees and placed her gently on her feet.

As he always did after a near miss, his hands ran over her, starting at her head, tracing over her face, over her shoulders, and down her arms. They’d sweep over her back, always skimming her chest, and then down her legs. Although there was nothing sexual in his investigation of her potential injuries, his touch stirred a heat inside her. And why shouldn’t it? She was young, single, and hadn’t had fun in bed for months. But for Rexx, this was business. He was making sure his partner was uninjured. He had to make sure she was operationally fit.

Daisy jerked her head back as his fingers brushed her cheek in a rare tender gesture. Her heart spasmed, and she forced herself to step away. It meant nothing. Rexx wasn’t romantic. He wasn’t the alien for her. But no one had ever looked after her like Rexx did. Not even Johnny. No, he was dead to her. And he deserved to be dead for real.

Daisy cast a mournful look in the direction of their abandoned mission. Her hand went to her stomach again. After being tossed around by Rexx, she felt like she’d been on a quadruple spin rollercoaster. The kind that threw you about until your head pounded and you couldn’t see straight for hours.

“I know you’re not happy with me, but I had to get you out of danger.” Rexx’s gaze shifted to her hand, which still rested on her stomach. “It was the right thing to do. Especially since you’re not—”

“I know. You don’t think I’m operationally capable.”

“You’re more than capable. But we need to rethink the capture. You want this to succeed but not at the expense of your health.”

She blinked several times and took a deep breath. Rexx never lied or exaggerated. He was always doing the right thing by her. And as she focused, she realized just how gross she felt. Her tongue was furry, there was a weird, metallic taste in her mouth, and her stomach was churning.

“I’m gutted we didn’t get the zinibar, but it’s all good. And I know what you need to do.” Daisy let out a resigned sigh. “Make the call to Cleo. Tell her this is a bust.”

He gave a swift nod and opened a comm link to the Apocalypse. “This is Rexx. I’m calling mission abort.”

Daisy tipped back her head. Mission abort. Sometimes, when they had shitty days like this, she wanted to call an abort on her entire career.

***

“You should rest.” Rexx tracked Daisy’s movement as she paced in front of him. He’d never get bored with seeing her elfin figure. Her dark hair was cropped short, still growing back after being partially shaved off when she’d been briefly captured. That memory had his fists clenching. No, she was here with him. So long as she was close, he’d look after her.

“I don’t know how many ways I can tell you there’s nothing wrong with me. I don’t need to rest. I’ve changed my mind. Let’s cancel the mission abort. We still have time.”

“When we’re collected, we can leave another team down here. We know where the nest site is. The traps are set. The hard work’s been done.”

“The parents will be searching for somewhere new to hide their young. We do it now, or we’ll have lost the chance. We shouldn’t waste time.”