—
Kess fulfilled his promise, pleasuring Karen until she breathlessly begged him for a reprieve. She promptly fell asleep and Kess dozed with her until a thumping sound woke him late in the night.
He sat up, his years of training honing him to be on high alert right after rousing from sleep. He gazed around the dimly lit room. He never slept with the lights entirely off as a deterrent from falling into too deep a rest.
He stood and the thumping stopped.
“Perimeter scan,” Kess ordered. A holographic, rotating video of the Reihanat’s exterior appeared before him as his security systems searched for any aberrant activity.
Kess relaxed marginally when the system detected nothing out of the ordinary save for the underwater life swimming close to the Reihanat. Even if he’d benefited from military-grade protection systems, nothing was foolproof. Advanced cloaking technology existed and they oft had a habit of falling in the wrong hands.
Perhaps it had been a cuar. The mammoth sea creatures lived in the depths of the ocean, rising up infrequently to nudge against the Reihanat when they were bored.
Kess turned his gaze to Karen. She lay on her side, snoring softly, her golden hair tousled and splayed across his bed. The sight of her calmed him. He returned to the bed, content to watch her in the quiet. The temperature controls nullified the need for bed sheets, so her body was on display to his admiring gaze.
He couldn’t resist sliding his hand along her smooth flesh, into the dip of her waist and up over the curve of her hip. He felt himself hardening again. Wanting her again. This human female was both a curse and a blessing made real and incredibly desirous.
You can’t have her.
He knew that, but in every known story when an object was verboten, the desire to possess it intensified. Yet he didn’t want her because it was forbidden. He wanted her because he recognized that the point of no return had passed him by. In a short space of time, this human female whose existence he barely registered in the past was now an important part of his life.
None of it mattered if she didn’t value him similarly. And if by some miracle she did, he would have to make certain choices to deserve her and their baby in his life. He would have to make choices even his Administrator had demanded during their meeting as she reinstated him as Commander: give up his quest to avenge Riva, or face dishonour and dismissal from the Union Police.
Sorrow accosted Kess, his loss a tangibly hollow sensation in his chest. He’d sought revenge for over two standard years, blocked by every turn. Liol had died, carrying with him whatever vital information Kess needed.
Despite his efforts and resources, Kess was no closer to learning anything new about his brother’s untimely end. There was this unshakable sense that something insidious lurked in the truth surrounding what happened to his brother. As much as he wanted closure, Kess wasn’t certain he was ready to discover his brother was anything else than what he had appeared when he was alive.
He was an expectant father now. Perhaps it was time he forget about the past and focus on the present… the future—
The alarm systems blared to life, alerting him of an unidentified object approaching at high velocity overhead. Then an explosion followed the announcement. The Reihanat trembled, the sound of shattering glass and squealing metal thunderous.
Karen lurched up, her eyes as wild as her hair.
“Kess? What’s… what’s going on?” she asked, her voice thick from sleep.
“Stay here,” Kess commanded, hastily sliding into a new pair of trousers. He didn’t bother with any other article of clothing. Only his knife and his gun would do.
“Attention required. Significant damage to main level. Shutters engaged,” announced his alarm, repeating the warning in cold, ominous tones.
He charged out of the room, confronted by four Xarxi lizards on the west stairway leading to the main level. He was one Dava male with a knife, a laser gun and telekinetic abilities, yet he fought them all. He leaned on his rage, on his indignation that these bastards violated his home and posed a threat to the mother of his unborn child.
He sent his knife flying into the chest of one Xarxi, two laser blasts into another. He dodged the attacks of the other two as they advanced on him, their laser blasts scorching the floor and the walls. As he rolled to his feet and gunned down the last two Xarxi lizards, the sound of Karen’s terrified scream over the sound of the alarm drew his attention.
Kess spun and raced back to where he left her. A force slammed into his chest and he fell backward with a grunt. He swept for the source of the Dava who’d just attacked him as he pushed to his feet. A man stepped into view from the east stairway, dragging Karen with him, an armed Xarxi lizard in tow.
Karen wore her dress and it gave Kess some modicum of relief the man hadn’t captured her in a vulnerable state. He was proud of her quick thinking, even if the terror on her face pained him. He swallowed his dread. Instead, he harnessed the mindset honed from his years of military training and police work.
Calmness in crisis. He would not let fear or panic subvert his mission.
In retrospect, it was easy to live by these rules when it was only his life on the line. He was no stranger to dangerous situations, and his lack of fear of death had put him at an advantage. Yet in this occasion, the woman he’d fallen in love with and their unborn baby’s life were in the hands of ruthless, violent criminals.
A heavy, unpleasant sensation burned in Kess’ chest and curdled in his stomach.
Guilt.
This was his fault.
Karen’s life… his baby’s life… they were both at risk because of him.
The man held a laser gun to her head, his black eyes shining with sinister satisfaction. Kess see-sawed between burgeoning desperation to protect Karen and confusion at the man’s familiar face.
“Commander Reihan, look at this treasure I discovered running to help you.”
“Varrack,” Kess spat, flexing his fingers in preparation for a fight. “Release the Klara’s kin. Whatever is your purpose for barging into my home does not concern her.”
“Release her?” Varrack laughed, the sound harsh and humourless. “For you to make such a request proves you are incredibly foolish and blind to your disadvantage.” Varrack smirked, tightening his hold around Karen’s waist, his fingers visibly digging into her skin. “She is my gift. Your repayment for what you did to my best cohort.” The unpleasant smile dissolved into a sneer. “For killing Liol.”
Kess froze, the dots rapidly connecting. It couldn’t be. All these years and the man he sought had existed right on his home planet?
“At last, your tenacity bears fruit, Commander. A prevalent trait in your bloodline, it seems. Your kin’s determination made him succeed as my most efficient importer. A shame I had to kill him when he developed worthless morals.” Varrack’s lips curved again, clearly delighted to reveal the truth. “Alas, I must not tarry. Here I am to reunite you with your dearly departed brother.”
Before Kess could react, Varrack turned the gun away from Karen’s head, aimed it at him and fired off a blast.