“I’m not going to let her get hurt. I sent my report to my war commander. They’re compiling all intel they have on the Kantos assassins.”
The Kantos wouldn’t get another chance to hurt Finley. Or inspire more nightmares for her.
“Drink?” A smiling woman with dark hair and bright-blue eyes materialized in front of Sabin. She held out a glass of something clear and fizzy.
“Be nice,” Gadon whispered. “Your scowl is scaring people.”
Sabin managed a smile. “Thank you.” He sniffed the drink. It was water with the scent of citrus.
“I’m Whitney.” A cloud of strong scent wafted over him. She was wearing a very intense perfume that smelled like a garden of flowers.
“You’re a scientist?” he asked.
She moved closer, her arm brushing his. The scent intensified—cloying musk and flowers. It wasn’t to his taste.
“No. I’m an administrator. I keep all these geeks organized. They’d forget to eat or sleep, otherwise.”
That just reminded him of the late-night meal he’d shared with Finley. The small tastes, the kiss.
His helian pulsed, and he shifted. Whitney pressed a hand to his arm and leaned in, her breast brushing him.
“Are you enjoying Earth?” she asked.
“It appears to be a nice planet, but I’m here to work.”
She stroked his arm. “Surely you get some time off. I could show you around.”
Her scent nearly overpowered his senses and he felt the need to get away. Did she not understand the severity of the Kantos? Her entire planet was at stake.
He lifted his head.
Finley was watching them. Her gaze hit his, dropped to Whitney, then skated away. She turned her back to him.
“No, I don’t have time off.”
Whitney’s lips—painted a very shiny pink—tipped down. “What about in the evenings?” Her voice was almost a low purr. “Have you ever been with a Terran woman? You’re so big. I bet we’d have a good time.”
Sabin felt nothing. No heat, no lick of desire. “I’m currently assigned to protect Dr. Delgado.”
Whitney’s nose wrinkled. “Devil Delgado. I’m so sorry you’ve been saddled with her.”
Finley stiffened and Sabin knew she’d heard Whitney’s words. He watched as Finley murmured something to the people beside her, then moved across the room.
Cren. He tensed. He’d warned her not to go anywhere without him. “Dr. Delgado is a brilliant scientist. I’m honored to protect her.”
“Oh.” Sensing something in his hard tone, Whitney looked uncomfortable.
Sabin saw Finley pause at the restrooms and slip inside.
Whitney eyed Rade and the warrior lifted his drink, clearly not wanting to be Whitney’s next target.
Sabin frowned at the restroom door, waiting for Finley to return.
His communicator pinged. He pulled it out and saw a call from Malax.
“Excuse me.” He stepped away from Whitney. “Malax.”
His war commander looked grim. “Sabin.”
Sabin’s hand clenched on the communicator. “What?”
“We received intel on the Kantos assassins from Davion on the Desteron.” War Commander Davion Thann-Eon was the first warrior to mate with a Terran, after Eve Traynor had abducted him.
“It appears the assassins work in a small pack. Usually, three or four assassins and their stalkers.”
Sabin swallowed a curse. “So, there are likely more here.”
“Yes. They’re bred for stealth, very good at avoiding detection, and very focused on their target.”
Which meant they’d try to attack Finley again.
“Sabin?” Rade moved closer.
Gadon was right behind him, frowning.
“The Kantos sent a team of the assassins after Finley,” Sabin told them.
The other warriors scowled.
“Sabin, keep her safe, and get the StarStorm operational,” Malax said. “Fast.”
“Yes, War Commander.”
“Security Commander?” Admiral Barber appeared, Captain Rodriguez behind her. “Is there a problem?”
“My war commander just confirmed that the Kantos didn’t send just one assassin, they sent a team of assassins after Finley.”
The admiral gasped and Captain Rodriguez cursed.
Sabin looked at the bathroom door again. Finley had been gone a long time.
He felt a prickle along his senses. He strode across the room.
“Security Commander!” the Admiral called.
He reached the door. Whitney was standing nearby with some other women.
“That’s the ladies’,” Whitney said. “You can’t go in there.”
He shoved the door open.
The tiled room was empty.
The window was blown out, just ragged shards of glass left behind.
There was no sign of Finley.
“Rade! Gadon!” he bellowed.
Then, heedless of the fact that he was two stories up, Sabin leaped out the window.
Finley stomped into the bathroom, her belly churning.
Ugh. She pressed her hands to the edge of the sink. She was a mess. She was angry, jealous, hurt.
See, this was why she steered clear of men.
Last night, Sabin had just switched off. It was clear that despite the attraction between them, he didn’t want her enough. He’d turned it off like it didn’t matter. Like she was so easily ignored and shunted aside.
Every other man had easily ignored her, so she shouldn’t be surprised.
Yet, he’d comforted her after her nightmare and stayed with her until she’d fallen asleep.
She looked in the mirror. An ugly twist of emotions tightened in her chest. She barely knew the man. Hell, she’d agreed they should keep things professional.
But her body didn’t agree.
Then he let pretty, pouty Whitney crawl all over him.
Finley blew out a breath. Okay, maybe not crawl over him, exactly, but there was definite flirting going on. He’d smiled at her.
“Oh, your muscles are so big.” Finley rolled her eyes. Then she caught her gaze in the mirror.
She wanted him. She wanted Sabin’s big arms around her. After her nightmare, she’d dreamed about him the rest of the night.
“Goddammit.” She was all messed up. There was a hot ball of hurt and jealousy in her chest, and she clearly wasn’t focused on her project. “Get yourself together, Finley.”
She raised her head.
And met the multi-eyed gaze of a Kantos assassin right behind her.
Finley’s adrenaline spiked, and she opened her mouth to scream.
The alien lunged.
It wrapped his arms and wings around her, and all she could see was black.
A clawed hand slammed over her mouth. She jerked and bit it. Oh, yuck, she was biting an insectoid alien.
The alien made a sound and spun toward the window. Its wings shifted enough for her to see the grassy area, two stories down.
Oh, no.
It lifted its other hand, and she saw that it was holding a small device.
Suddenly, the window shattered soundlessly, glass falling like it had been put on mute.
The device was somehow canceling the sound.
She fought and twisted, but the creature’s wings were holding her too tight.