up.”
Stumbling from the shower, he stood with his back to her. It was a test, he decided, his chest heaving as he stood there—one he would pass. Closing his eyes, he got himself under control and straightened up. By the time he returned to the shower, even though she was naked, he managed to look at her with a neutral eye, noting the bruises and marks over her delicate skin as a result of the fight. Just the sight of them angered him, but he kept the rage in check and held the towel open as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping her in it.
“Come on,” he murmured, leading her back into the bedroom. “You need to sleep.”
7
Nyek had looked after her.
Indra stood on the hangar bay deck, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched the lean alien warrior out of the corner of her eye. He was less than ten feet away, organizing a group of warriors loading supplies onto three shuttles.
“I don’t see why we all have to leave,” Gracie whispered next to her. “I mean, Madison is staying, so there’s going to be at least one human on board. Why do the rest of us have to go?”
“Because,” Nyek said as he walked back over to them. “Lady Madison will be guarded by the war commander’s most senior warriors. Warriors he has known practically from the cradle, who will utterly crush anyone who decides to make a move on the lady.”
Indra frowned. “You plan to use her as bait. Does she know this?”
He lifted an eyebrow, looking at her steadily. Seeing him now, she wouldn’t have guessed that somewhere under that formal manner and speech was the gentle man who had cared for her last night. He hadn’t mentioned it, at all. Not taking her back to his quarters, nor holding her upright in the shower as he washed her, and he certainly hadn’t mentioned letting her sleep held safely in his arms under the beautiful view of the stars above.
In fact, as soon as they’d left his quarters this morning, it was like it had never happened. Which was fine with her, she decided, wrapping the jacket he’d given her tighter around herself. He’d seen her at her most vulnerable and she hated that. Hated that anyone had seen her like that. Being vulnerable meant being weak, and she couldn’t afford to be weak. The weak were taken advantage of and she was not someone anyone took advantage of.
He could have taken advantage last night, but he didn’t, the little voice in the back of her head reminded. He hadn’t even touched her… not like that, stepping from the shower to let her wash herself. She shook her head to dispel the thought. It didn’t matter. He would never see her that vulnerable again.
“It was the lady’s own idea,” he replied, his voice level and calm. “And with all resources dedicated to keeping her safe, it was decided that for the rest of you, the safest option would be to remove you from the ship completely.”
“I can see that,” Keris said, her metal feet almost soundless on the deck as she joined them. For an entity made entirely of metal, Indra had no idea how she managed to move so soundlessly. “It creates just one target for the hostiles and protects the rest of you.”
“Protects us? Have you seen these tin cans?” Gracie wrinkled her nose as she pointed to the shuttles in front of them. “What if we come across more Krin?”
“Shhhh shhh,” the big warrior who had become Gracie’s shadow over the last few days said soothingly. “We’re way too far out for Krin. You’ll be safe. I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”
Indra rolled her eyes as the two made cow-eyes at each other. “Sheesh, why don’t you two just get a damn room?” she muttered and then looked at Nyek. “Please do not put me on the same shuttle as the happy couple here. I don’t think my barf reflex could take it.”
He shifted his gaze from them to her, his dark eyes implacable. “No indeed. Warrior K’Vass will take one shuttle with Lady Gracie. Warrior… M’rln,” he inclined his head toward Keris, “will accompany the human male, Stephens, in another and you will join me in the last shuttle.”
She pursed her lips but then nodded finally. He still had a stick up his ass, but, yeah… she wasn’t stupid enough not to realize he was a damn good warrior. She