To learn a lesson.
The only lesson Saedra learned was that her father would kill her without concern and no one would stop him. He’d summoned a basic medic to see to her several days later after she continued to complain of the pain. A medic whose presence on this backward moon station told her all she needed to know about the quality of his skills.
Razan had been quite unrepentant about not completing his medical trials after his instructors had complained about his numerous errors and risky behavior on the surgery table.
As a result of his inexperience and disregard, Saedra’s bone hadn’t been treated correctly and the leg healed wrong. She limped when too much strain was put on the limb or the muscles spasmed. Which didn’t happen often but when it did, the pain was fierce. Like now.
“Where to next?” Garik asked, gaze studying her upright posture and lingering on her legs which were thankfully covered by her skirts now.
She pulled the cloak back up over her hair and tipped her head to the road before him. “Further down. A hover-cycle for us to use. We wouldn’t be able to escape on foot otherwise.”
His eyes shifted behind her to the hidden hole and the property beyond. “You’ve planned this for a while.”
Since the answer was obvious, she didn’t respond just grabbed for his shirt sleeve and pulled him forward. Fear at having gotten this far was a living breathing beast inside of her. “We should go.”
Over the next ten minutes, they kept a steady pace down the gravel path at the side of the road that ran parallel to the edge of her father’s property. Any moment, Saedra expected her father or his guards to jump out and attack. Calming her overloud breathing was a lost cause. It didn’t help that she could still hear the krels and knew they wouldn’t quit the hunt unless given the command to do so. Those vicious hounds were relentless and never quit tracking prey when they had the scent unless the huntsman could call them off. Even then, it wasn’t a guarantee to work.
Right when Saedra was about to give up on spotting their transport, she spotted the dun covered mound off to the side of the road. Relief wooshed through her. It was exactly where the message had said it would be. “Here. Right here.”
She let Garik’s hand go and headed for what she hoped was their ride. It had been difficult getting the name of someone who could purchase it then do the arrangements all under a false name. Paying the credits in advance had made her leery, but she’d done it. In her haste, her trembling fingers slipped on the heavy covering hiding the hover-cycle.
“Let me help.”
Garik was at her side in an instant. Together they pulled back the tarp, revealing a sleek high-end, black hover-cycle. Saedra’s shoulders sagged and her balance wobbled. Garik shot her a look and she waved his concern away. He had no idea how worried she’d been that her contact had cheated her.
As Garik propped the bike up on its midi-stand, Saedra had a belated thought. One that could derail everything. “Do you ride?”
The corners of his mouth twitched and it was so at odds with his stern, beaten appearance that Saedra’s breath caught. His face in all its austere lines would be beautiful if he let the smile fully form. Dimly she recalled his laughter in the cell. It was a shame it had been too dark to see.
“What were your plans if I didn’t?”
Once more she was unsure if he was teasing her. Going on a limb and hoping it was humor she noted, Saedra quipped, “We would be pushing this together.”
His gray eyes brightened and she waited. To her dismay, no smile was forthcoming. It really was too bad she’d missed it earlier. Saedra sighed and continued. “I don’t ride. It’s why I only purchased one cycle instead of two.”
“You’re in luck.”
Instead of starting the cycle, he squatted at the back of the machine and ran a hand over the horizontal pipes protruding from above the retractable rear wheel. His fingers glided over every inch. He moved along the body of the machine, continuing his touch and seek mission.
Further behind them, a howl split the night with its eerie tones. Saedra wrapped her arms about her torso and cupped her elbows. “What are you doing?”
Didn’t he realize their lead dwindled with each passing second?
“I don’t ride anything I haven’t checked over myself.”
Saedra drew in a sharp breath. It had never crossed her mind to question the condition of the vehicle. “Do you think it’s been tampered with?”
He made some indecipherable noise under his breath, causing Saedra to bite her lip and hold back any further questions.
Once his check was complete—at least she assumed so—he stood and slid one long leg over the seat, treating Saedra to the sight of his pants tightening over a quite nice butt and the stretch of firm thighs. Her pulse picked up as he straddled the cycle and leaned forward, hands gripping the horizontal guiding bar.
Celestial Father and Mother have mercy on her licentious thoughts. Never before had she ever experienced such a surge of lust for a man.
He looked back over his shoulder at her and arched a brow. “Coming, petti coinçin?”
Unsure of what he called her, Saedra dropped her arms but couldn’t force herself to move. She really hadn’t thought this through. The idea of getting on a hover-cycle was bringing to mind all the dangerous ways one could die since the sleek ride could easily hit an excess of 200 kms if the rider was competent enough to handle it at that speed.
***
Garik wasn’t sure the scared rabische would get on with him. Her eyes were so wide the whites dominated their brown depths. He had to admit he was surprised at her planning so far. The hidden hover-cycle was a smart choice versus something larger that could easily be spotted by Lord Maurin’s guards.
Plus, it was one of the fancier models with silent propulsion and a mini defense weapons array. Enough firepower to ward off would-be thieves but not hold off a full-on attack. The 3XL-elite was something he would have selected for several reasons, not the least of which was the speed. Speed was something they very much needed in their current situation.
The sounds of snarls and growls drew closer. Garik cursed. His rescuer stood frozen in the middle of the road. If she didn’t put a move on it, they would lose the slight lead they’d managed to get from her clever plan. And there was no doubt this was a well thought out plan, from the stolen keys, to the tunnel beneath the barrier on the property and now this cycle.
“Saedra,” Garik hissed.
She jerked but didn’t move. His hands clenched on the steering rod handles. Instincts honed as a homeless kid left on the streets to survive told him to leave her. Training under the Assassins Guild told him to leave her. Fuck, being an assazi urged him to leave her. Garik had always counted on himself and no one else.
Yet his heritage as a Gerelin held him back. Garik had crossed many lines in the years since finishing the classes at the Guild. Leaving his bonded mate, it seemed, was the one cultural taboo he couldn’t abandon.
“Sesi, we have to leave now,” he murmured, making eye contact and holding her gaze with his own. He gentled his tone because he’d picked up how sensitive she was to the subtle nuances. “Otherwise, this was all for naught, yeah?”
Her brows drew together, but miracle of miracles, she darting toward him with the odd limping gait that still pissed him off. She came to him on the right side and he released the rod with that hand to nudge her waist.