He didn’t take his eyes off the brute and she didn’t know how he found his target but the alien at the side howled in pain and fell to the floor.
For a moment, nobody moved and then one of the remaining three cronies let out a deafening squeal.
She didn’t know how she heard it but Ka’Cit’s voice was so measured, so sure, it cut through the noise.
“Whatever you do, ta’ii, don’t move.”
And then he was a blur.
One moment, he was standing in front of them, the next he’d let go of the brute’s wrist and he was gone.
The three remaining cronies charged forward but Ka’Cit wasn’t where they’d aimed for.
That split second was enough of a delay on their part and the first blast sounded in the room as Ka’Cit’s blaster fired.
He was above them.
Nia’s eyes widened as she watched him.
How the fuck did he get up there so fast?
His claws were dug into whatever material was in the roof and he held on with one hand, balancing with his legs on two beams.
One of the cronies went down with the first shot but it alerted them to his location.
Chaos erupted around them.
There was scrambling and noise as the other aliens in the room tried to hide and when the second shot went off, somebody let out a loud screech that bounced off the room’s walls.
Another shot went off and the third crony fell.
Nia’s heart was in her mouth. It all happened so fast she hardly had time to blink, but she remained unmoving, as he’d instructed.
As Ka’Cit fell from the ceiling to land on the counter, his gun arm extended and the muzzle was suddenly pointed in the face of the alien who was holding her.
The arm around her neck loosened immediately.
“Now,” Ka’Cit began, “let her go.”
The alien released her so quickly, she almost stumbled forward.
“Come behind me, ta’ii.”
He didn’t have to ask twice.
As he hopped down to the floor, Nia rushed over to his side.
She still had her gun gripped under her cloak with one hand but she hadn’t even had to take it out.
“I’d have broken your bones, every single one of them, for daring to touch her,” he said and the brute gaze flicked to her for only a moment. “But, I’m afraid I don’t have time for that. She’s about to have her dinner.”
At that moment, the bartender returned from wherever he’d gone with two steaming trays. He almost dropped them when he witnessed the carnage before him but he somehow managed to keep his face straight.
“Look, just in time. You almost spoiled her meal.” Ka’Cit took a step forward and the brute winced. “Are you sure you need to be here…at this station…right now?”
The brute shook his head. “N-no. I was just leaving.”
“Hm.”
The singular syllable seemed to confuse the brute and for a few moments, it felt as if time stood still.
Nia stared at the alien before her.
Ka’Cit was terrifying.
She hadn’t seen that side of him till this moment, not that she’d been around him a lot, but it was certainly eye-opening.
Was she scared?
No.
Was she interested?
…Maybe.
Ka’Cit pressed the muzzle into the alien’s head. “You’re still here.”
The alien rushed from the room and only when he was gone did Ka’Cit lower his weapon.
He seemed to ignore everyone and everything else in the room as he turned to face her and pulled her into him.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Nia nodded. “I am.”
“Phekking Hordreks,” he murmured before glancing at the bartender. “Get someone to clean this up.” He motioned to the bodies of the cronies. “I’ll pay.”
The bartender shook his head. “No need, Crusher. They’ve been causing trouble across the stations for the past few months. I’ll clean them up for free.
Ka’Cit jerked his head in a nod and Nia was mildly aware that the aliens who’d tried to hide and protect themselves were slowly returning to their seats.
Ka’Cit reached into his pocket and retrieved a coin. He slid it across the counter to the bartender who took one look at it and his eyes lit up.
“For the drinks, food, and,” Ka’Cit glanced at her, “a room.”
A room?
Why that made her heart thump in her chest, she didn’t know.
“Gladly.” The bartender snatched the coin as if he was scared Ka’Cit would change his mind. “I will send the meal in the chute up to your room.” He slid a square card to them.
Ka’Cit nodded and placed a gentle hand at her back.
“Let’s go.”
Nia glanced at him. “To our room?”
“The Hordreks aren’t the only idiots who frequent service satellites. You’ll be safer there and at least you can have a rest while our ship is fixed.”
Nia nodded but she wasn’t sure how she was going to have a rest after all that’s happened.
“Then we’ll find a way to get that package?”
Ka’Cit stiffened a little then nodded. “Then we’ll find a way to get that package.”
25
She was quiet.
Truth was, he had no idea how he was going to retrieve that package when the chance was already gone.
But that was not the only thing troubling his mind now.
As he led her from the bar and toward the lift, she didn’t say a word.
He was aware of every being in the room watching them as they left, aware of every sniffle, every movement, yet, he couldn’t care less about any single one of them.
All he could think about was what was going on in her mind.
His hand still rested against her back as they stepped into the lift and the moment the door closed, he expected her to pull away.
He hadn’t meant to kill in front of her.
For some reason, around her, he’d felt the urge to hide that side of him but the Hordreks had rubbed him the wrong way. When he’d seen the male grasp her neck, something old, something wild, something that appealed to his basic instinct had clawed its way to the surface.
He watched her in the silence as the lift went even higher, glad
