Adjusting his backpack, he started forward, making sure to keep to the shadows.
As he walked along the quiet street, he reprogrammed his debit card for Fain Hauk, Dancer’s older brother. The good thing about the last name Hauk, it was so common for Andarions as to be ridiculous and Fain, unlike Dancer, was also a common name for them. While Fain, as a criminal, was notorious, the name itself was generic enough to not raise many, if any, questions over it.
And if they did confuse him with Dancer’s brother, their fear of Fain’s ruthless reputation would be such that none should question or bother him.
He slid the card into his back pocket. If he dared to turn on his computer, he could reprogram his facial recog too, to match the name, but that would be begging for trouble. He’d have to wing it and hope they didn’t bother to check his facial recog. If they did…
Please let me have that one more small favor.
With any luck at all, the so commoness would continue to cover him enough that he wouldn’t have to make a mad dash in his busted body or use the adrenaline shot. But as he crept forward, he saw a shadow mimic his movements.
Yeah, it was definitely following him.
16
Desideria started to follow after Caillen even though he’d told her to stay put. She didn’t like being left behind. What if he didn’t come back?
Or if the Andarions found her while he was gone?
You turn yourself in and hope they don’t eat you. Yeah, getting eaten would definitely stink. And it was strange that while he was unconscious that fear hadn’t been as potent as it was now. Now it was palatable.
What is wrong with me?
She could fight the Andarions on her own. It would be easier now since she wouldn’t have to cover someone who was unconscious. She tightened her grip on her blaster as she plotted various escape and fighting scenarios in her head. Luck always favored the prepared. One thing her people knew how to do was plan for battle.
Caillen had left her with two weapons, but he’d taken his backpack. She hated that. Over the last few days, she’d come to rely on it as much as he did. There was something weirdly comforting about its contents. No wonder he’d risked his life to go back for it.
I’ve gone insane.
Who would consider a backpack worth their life?
Besides Caillen.
And with every second that passed, she sensed more of her sanity slipping away. In fact, time stretched out to the point she had to get up and pace around the cramped, empty space. Odd how it hadn’t bothered her to be here when Caillen had been unconscious. Even passed out, he had such a commanding presence that it’d soothed her and kept her patient.
Yeah, okay, I am losing it for real this time.
’Cause all she could focus on was how much she’d enjoyed using his body as a pillow at night and dragging her finger down the line of his whiskered jaw right before she went to sleep. He’d probably kill her if he realized she’d done that. But he’d been irresistible and it’d led her to thoughts that she shouldn’t have about any male. Especially since she couldn’t mate for at least a year.
That was if her mother didn’t fully degrade her back to child status once she was home.
Don’t think about it.
She continued to pace the small area as she waited. It seemed like years had come and gone before she heard a sound above.
Her heart stopped. Pulling out the blaster, she braced herself for a fight and aimed it to shoot whoever was about to pounce on her. The rusted lock turned with excruciating slowness as someone fumbled with it.
Finally, the door creaked open to show her Caillen. Unconcerned about the heart palpitations he’d given her, he lowered himself into their space. He ignored the fact she had a blaster aimed at his head, as if it were a normal occurrence for him, then shut the door tight.
Handing her a small bag as she holstered her weapon, he grinned. “You a cannibal?”
She scowled at his peculiar question. “Beg pardon?”
“Do. You. Eat. Humans?” he repeated, carefully enunciating each word.
“Not. That. I. Know. Of.” She mimicked his staccato rhythm and dry tone.
“Didn’t think so.” He dropped his backpack in the corner, then took out a new light stick that he snapped and shook. He dropped it on the floor before he faced her. “Any idea how hard it is to score nonhuman meat in this place? Really, the League would have a shit fit to see the menu items on this rock.”
She would have been amused, but for his new appearance. There was a cut above his eye and his clothes were even more rumpled than they’d been before he left.
Had he been in a fight? Surely not and yet…
“Are you bleeding?”
He scratched at his chin in the most adorable sheepish action she’d ever seen. “Flesh wound.” Oh yeah, that tone was completely defensive.
“What happened?”
He let out a tired sigh. “Would you believe some psycho dumb ass tried to mug me? Me? At first, I thought it was the authorities with a lucky strike. Nah. Moron. He’s having a worse day than we are.”