Unleashed by the Defender (Brides of the Kindred #25) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,41
“I was afraid those Horvath guards…”
“They did make it more difficult not to revert to my feral state—especially since I spent the last three or four months in it,” J’are admitted, running a hand over his hair. “But I’m trying to stay in my thinking mind—I’m no good to you if I revert to my wild side.”
“You’re fine either way but it is easier to have a conversation with your, uh, thinking mind,” Imani admitted. She sighed. “Though for right now, all there is to talk about is how fast we can pack and get out of here. I can’t believe the manager is throwing us out when it was her employee that tried to kill us! Did you see anything when you ran down the hall?”
J’are shook his head.
“No, but that doesn’t prove anything. Fucking morphids are quick.”
“Who do you think sent it?” Imani looked around nervously. Even if they hadn’t been kicked out of the Luxx, she would have wanted to leave. There had been two attempts on her life in the past twenty-four hours and both of them had involved the huge pink praying mantises which seemed to be everywhere around here—no matter what the manager said.
“But why?” Imani asked. “Do they think you know something? You didn’t recognize whoever it was on the vid-clip.”
“Yes, but they don’t know that,” J’are pointed out. “I was in my feral state in court yesterday.” He shook his head grimly. “Someone must think I know something and they want to keep both of us quiet. My guess is we’ll need to be on our guard until we can get off Yonnie Six.”
“Well, right now I want to get out of this hallway.” Imani led him into the suite which wouldn’t be theirs for much longer and closed the door. There were too many people milling around—Mistresses and their bodyslaves poking their heads out to see if things were safe—for her liking.
She chose an outfit at random from her cube and was about to go into the bathroom to put it on when she caught sight of J’are’s back. The broad, muscular surface was streaked with blood and there were still several pieces of jagged metal sticking out.
“Oh, J’are!” she exclaimed, causing him to turn around with a surprised look.
“What is it? A problem?”
“Your back!” Imani felt terrible that she hadn’t noticed it before. He had gotten those wounds saving her—how could she forget?
“What about my back?” he frowned.
“What about it? You have pieces of shrapnel still stuck in you from the tray bomb!” Imani exclaimed. “Can’t you feel them?”
“Oh those…” He looked over his shoulder and shrugged dismissively. “Don’t worry about it—Nightwalkers are excellent healers.”
“Of course I worry about it!” Imani said. “Come on—let’s get you fixed up.”
She took his arm and tugged until he went with her into the bathroom where she had him sit on the edge of the huge marble tub. Digging through her carryall cube, she found a pair of tweezers.
“Don’t move,” she told J’are and began to extract the shrapnel as well as she could. “God, your poor back!”
“It’s nothing,” J’are said stoically. He didn’t even flinch as she pulled the twisted metal out of his flesh. “I’ve had worse in the hole.”
Imani heard the pain in his voice, even though it didn’t show on his face and her heart went out to him.
“I’m so sorry, J’are,” she murmured, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I wish I could have gotten here sooner to free you from that awful place!”
“You’re here now.” He turned his head and caught her eyes with his own. “That’s all that matters,” he rumbled. “You saved me, Imani.”
Imani found she was getting that breathless feeling again and her heart was pounding.
“You…you saved me too,” she pointed out. “If you hadn’t realized that breakfast tray was a bomb and thrown yourself on top of me…you risked your life to keep me safe.”
“A male must always protect his female, once she’s Claimed him,” he growled softly.
“J’are…” Imani didn’t know what to say. She wanted very much to go where this was leading but it wasn’t right—he was her client. Also, they were about to get kicked out of the Luxx and she wasn’t packed or dressed yet.
“Of course, I know you didn’t really Claim me,” J’are said, looking away. “It only feels that way.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Imani said softly. “But it really would be inappropriate for us to get into a,