“Why didn’t you say something in my room?”
“I didn’t want your roommate to know. I have to make sure all of you are safe for a few days.”
She scowled at him. “You’re really scaring me. I know something’s wrong. What is it?”
“I’m going to get us out from under his fist.”
She stopped so abruptly that he lost his grip on her. “What are you going to do? Is it dangerous? It better not be dangerous… Is it dangerous?”
He had to clamp down on the urge to strangle her for holding them up. While Arturo didn’t care about Drake or their mother, he did check up on Annalise from time to time—a virgin princess was worth a lot more on the marriage market than a used one. And the guards he’d knocked out would wake up soon and find her gone.
They had to be off planet before that happened or they’d never make it.
“Lise, I don’t have time to explain, okay? I need you to trust me and cooperate.”
“All right.” She lifted her hand to touch the scarred side of his face. “But please don’t get hurt, sashi. Not for me or for anything. You’re the only father I’ve ever known, and you’re the only person in this entire universe I know I can call if I need something. I can’t lose you, you know? You’re all I have.”
Touched by her heartfelt words, Darling kissed her on the forehead. “It’ll be fine. Now we need to get moving.”
She nodded before she finally picked up the pace.
He led her through campus and out toward the landing bay where he’d left his unmarked fighter.
They were almost home free.
Just a few minutes more.
If they could make it to launch, no one would be able to stop them. He’d have her safely tucked away with Nykyrian, and everything would change for the better.
Tomorrow, they would be free to live the lives they should have been living all along.
C’mon, fate, don’t screw me in this.
Inside the hangar, Darling glanced over at a small group of six men dressed as college engineers, but he paid them no heed as he led his sister toward his ship on the left.
Not until he overheard one of them speaking to the others in Caronese—a language that wasn’t common here in the Garvon sector. Fearing assassins were after him, he listened to their conversation intently. “Hey, isn’t that the princess we’re after?”
Those words registered at the same time he saw the group rushing toward them, reaching for weapons.
What the hell? They weren’t Caronese soldiers or guards his uncle might have sent. They were dressed as civs.
But their weapons were military grade…
Shit. It was an attack.
When their leader ducked out from the corner in front of them, Darling’s blood ran cold.
It was Clarion Lubomir. Zarya’s right hand… and his ally.
No, not Darling’s ally.
Kere’s.
Double shit. Clarion would never believe that Kere was also the Caronese heir they fought against and hated. None of them would. All they saw was a royal-blooded enemy who stood for everything that had ever repressed them. Every failure in their lives. Every disappointment from not having a better job to being saddled with a spouse who nagged them to distraction.
It was all his family’s fault.
Not one of those men knew how many shots he’d taken to protect their backs. How many times he’d fought by their side against his uncle’s soldiers.
How many times he’d carried them to safety when they were wounded or under fire. And right now, even if they did, they most likely wouldn’t care anyway. You wear the uniform, you’re judged by the banner on the sleeve—the same banner we’ll wrap around your body for your burial.
Fuck me…
They opened fire.
Darling moved to cover his sister. “Run, Lise! Get to my ship.”
Without questioning him, she dropped her tote, and for once, obeyed. Running backward, Darling tried to protect her as best he could.
He mentally reviewed the weapons he had on him. They were all designed to kill. If he used even a single one, it’d tear his allies apart. That was the last thing he wanted. They were good men with families he knew in some cases on an intimate level. They didn’t deserve to die over a stupid mistake.
Think, Darling, think. The last thing he’d anticipated was his own allies assaulting him.
Damn it! Why hadn’t he even considered it?
’Cause the bastards were supposed to be in Caronese territory, not Garvon.
Oh yeah, there was that…
Not to mention, they’d never gone after his family before. Arturo, his wife and daughters, yes. But Darling’s immediate family had always been off limits.
He growled in frustration. He’d only had the two stun blasts he’d used on Lise’s guards. Why hadn’t he brought more?
’Cause who would have thought of this?