His Fire Maiden - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,16

Josselyn glanced back but didn’t see her.

“We’ll follow her,” Isaac said, joining her side. “We’ll kill them both away from the security cameras and be done with this. Afterward, I’ll buy you a drink.”

“No,” Violette answered, gripping the holo-box tight. She didn’t want to admit that she’d hesitated. Josselyn had spoken, and Violette had been unable to pull her gun on her. “We’re leaving.”

“What?” Isaac stiffened. “Have you lost your nerve? Did the two humans make friends?”

“Stow it,” she ordered. Violette kept her tone hard to hide the doubt she was feeling. “You were right. She doesn’t deserve a quick death. I’ll hunt her instead.”

Isaac nodded in approval. “Ah, that’s the right spirit.” He directed his stare after Josselyn and Evan. “We’ll take everything she loves first and then you will have your final revenge. This is the better plan.”

Violette couldn’t answer. She knew what duty called her to do, and yet she wasn’t a killer. When Isaac wouldn’t stop studying her expression, she nodded. “Let’s find the others.”

Chapter 7

Dev didn’t like this. Not at all.

The Glamour District welcomed all kinds of species, but he didn’t feel comfortable traveling within the rich crowd. His crewmen were trying to blend and all his appearance tended to do was the opposite. It always amazed him how many intelligent, educated people still believed demons and devils looked like Bevlons. In Dev’s experiences, demons were much more ordinary and deceptively normal.

No, that was just an excuse he told the captain. He was lying to himself. The real reason he stayed on the ship was because he was afraid of seeing Violette again. She was inside his head. When he closed his eyes, he saw her face. The idea of her was all he could think about—those emotion-filled eyes, those parted lips, that proud stance. He didn’t want to face her in a fight. He didn’t want to have to choose between his family and an idea. His dreams were filled with her, of moments and touches that could never be. Dev didn’t want those dreams to end, even as they tortured him. Reality had a way of crushing dreams.

After stopping to check on Parker to make sure the electronic caretaker was in working order, and that the baby’s room security codes were locked in, he made his way back toward his private quarters. Like most rooms on the ship his was small, metal and equipped with all the necessities. The bed unit was attached to the wall, and he was thankful the mattress was spacious enough to hold his larger size. Dev didn’t bother to decorate the walls, and he kept his belongings in an old cargo box under his bed.

Dev made a move to lie down when suddenly the ship’s security alarm beeped in warning. Without hesitance, he ran out the door toward the cockpit. He thought of Parker and almost turned back around but knew that the security codes were entered correctly since he’d done them himself. The baby would be safe. Jarek had pre-programmed the caretaker unit with every contingency plan imaginable, including a pod function that would transport the child across the stars to one of his parents’ home planets should anything happen to the ship.

Reaching the cockpit, Dev glanced at the security monitor. The outside hull showed on the viewing screen. Every muscle tensed, ready for battle. Someone leaned close to the underbelly of the vessel. Thankfully, they were not trying to breach the entry hatch. Dev took the controls and launched a tiny camera orb to get a better view. The figure’s body quivered beneath a long coat.

Dev grimaced. “Blasted drunks. Find somewhere else to lose your liquor.” Recalling the camera to the ship, he automatically felt for the gun at his side before going to the hatch to scare the man away. The last thing they wanted was vomit on the side of the vessel. Plus, as mundane as it was, frightening a drunk gave him something to do. Hitting the button to open the hatch, he didn’t wait for the deck to lower all the way before he started walking down the metal plank. He grabbed onto a metal protrusion and leaned over.

“Out of here, rocket boy,” he growled in his meanest tone. His naturally low voice made it easy to strike fear into others. “Foul up your own ship!”

When he looked to where the man had been leaning, he frowned. The drunk was gone, but there was something not right about the scene. It was

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