“Watch, you’ll see.”
Nia set down the bucket and shovel just as Morpheus dipped his head to chew on her hair.
“Morph—” The tilgran stopped and she focused back on Lauren. “What do you mean, I’ll see.”
Lauren shrugged. “When it’s your turn, you’ll see.”
Nia shook her head. “I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen.”
“What makes you so sure?”
Well, maybe because the only man she could think of having a relationship with had forgotten about her?
She didn’t say that though.
She only shook her head. “Would take a miracle.”
Lauren grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “Miracles do happen.”
Nia nodded and acquiesced.
Yes, they did.
But if every human had been given a certain number of miracles. She was sure she’d already used up all of hers.
39
Ka’Cit’s fingers brushed over the braids in his hair.
Well, the remnants of them.
It had been weeks now since her fingers had crafted them into his locks and he’d tried his best to preserve them.
But every day that passed, they unwound more and more. A bit like everything within him.
He was hardly keeping it together.
A glance at the reflective control panel of his hover car and he let out a breath.
His green eyes met him and so did the rest of his face.
He wasn’t wearing his mask today…neither was he wearing his standard dark clothing.
Today he wasn’t the bounty hunter who did jobs for free.
Today he wasn’t the Bone Crusher.
Today he was himself.
Ka’Cit Urgmental.
The male Nee-ya saw him to be.
His life organ clenched within his chest at mention of her name and it solidified why he had to do this.
He’d have done it sooner too if he’d been able to sort things out in time, but what should have taken days had ended up taking weeks.
It turned out that not keeping records of his assets all this time, not really caring about all that he’d built since being on his own, hadn’t been the wisest of ideas.
But, he couldn’t be angry with himself about it.
He hadn’t cared about his worldly possessions. And he hadn’t cared because he’d always lived the last day as if it was just that…his last.
Only now…
Phek.
He ran a hand over his face as he stared at his reflection.
Now, he had reason to think about those assets.
They finally had some purpose.
Slipping out of the vehicle, he locked the doors and turned on the protective shield.
No one glanced at him as he made his way through the Exchange and more people dared to bump into him.
He could almost pretend as if he fit in.
He had one destination—a huge government building at one end of the Exchange.
He had someone he needed to see there. Someone he trusted to handle this properly.
Caught up in his thoughts, it didn’t take long for him to reach the building and he blinked as he stepped within the doors, his life organ thumping against his chest.
The decision he was about to make was big. But it was the right one.
A clerk behind the desk looked up at him, her singular eye blinking with boredom as she gestured him over.
“I need to speak to Geblit.”
The clerk blinked at him once more.
“Ambassador Geblit Cakhura,” he repeated.
“Ambassador Cakhura does not take personal calls. We handle all inquiries here at on this floor.”
Ka’Cit held back a growl.
This was where his mask helped.
Beings always underestimated those they thought had no power.
Releasing a breath, he reached into the papers he was holding and flipped through them. The clerk watched him with disinterest until he found the one he was looking for and slid it in her direction.
Her bored eye flicked to the paper and she blinked slowly as she read what was there.
He saw the moment she realized her error, when her gaze suddenly became alert and her head snapped in his direction.
“Oh.”
Ka’Cit’s gaze narrowed. “Right. Now where is he?”
For the next few minutes, clerks came out of the woodwork all around the building, most ignoring their duties to pander to him.
Word had apparently spread.
He was offered refreshments. An invite to the private waiting room. Entertainment while he waited.
Ka’Cit ignored them.
He only wanted to speak to Geblit.
He was just about to rise and go look for the Torian himself when he heard Geblit’s voice echo down the hallway.
“All right, all right. Give me space. I swear, it would seem like the first time you beings were ever in the presence of a dignita—”
Geblit’s eyes widened as they settled on him and the Torian’s lips formed a thin line.
He shook his head and began turning to go in the other direction. “No,” he said and Ka’Cit was sure he heard the clerks gasp.
Ka’Cit stood. “It’s business, Geblit.”
Geblit glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “If I recall, your sort of business…”
Ka’Cit smiled a little. “Clean business.”
Geblit’s gaze narrowed some more before it darted to the interested clerks watching them.
“Well, what are you looking at? Get back to work.” He shooed them off. “And you, follow me…though I’m sure I’m asking for trouble by inviting you to my office,” he murmured as he headed back down the corridor. “You and your friends have always brought me trouble.”
Geblit continued muttering to himself even as the door to his private office closed behind them and he sat behind his desk.
“What do you want Urgmental? And please do not tell me,” he closed his eyes for a second, “do not tell me it has something to do with smuggling anything.”
At his blank expression, Geblit let out an exasperated breath.
“Fine. I guess I have no choice but to listen. I rue the day I got involved with you three.”
Ka’Cit huffed out a laugh. Geblit had always said that about him, Riv, and Sohut. “You’re here already. It’s logged in the records. If anything I will just say you came to discuss your assets.”
“That is what I am here to discuss.”
“Oh,” Geblit brightened. “Then by all means, take a seat.”
He gestured to the seat in front of him before activating his
