Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas #2) - N.J. Walters Page 0,47

explosion rocked the entire building. Fire erupted, spewing across the docking platform. The roar was followed by an enormous blast of heat and air. Men screamed, their anguished cries rising above the crackling flames.

An alarm sounded and fire retardant rained down from the ceiling. Smoke billowed, providing a good cover.

Delphi jumped up, ignoring the scrapes and bruises and small burns from flying embers as she ran for Ivar. He was already on his feet, heading toward her.

She scooped up a blaster from a fallen guard and tossed it to him. He grabbed it on the fly, checked the charge, aimed, and fired in one motion. The muscles in his arms bunched and flexed, his jaw hard, his eyes filled with intensity—the hunted had become the hunter.

“This way,” she shouted to be heard over the din of the alarm. Looking both up and down, left and right, she cleared a path down the right side of the station, using the docked ships as cover. Ivar flanked her, guarding their rear.

It was the first time she’d ever had backup on a mission.

Pausing behind a huge steel girder, she took a breath and centered herself. They were both alive. That was good. But they still weren’t out of here.

Where was Balthazar?

The big man had vanished at the first sign of trouble. He had more lives than an ancient Terran cat, which was rumored to have nine.

Ivar crouched behind her. “What’s the plan?” His breath was warm on her neck and sent a shiver down her spine.

“Get to my ship and get the hell out of here.” The snipers in the rafters were going to pose a problem.

“So you can give me to the Gravasians.” His hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around. “That’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Sweat burned her eyes. She blinked to clear them. Soot marked his forehead. The scar on his cheek stood out in harsh relief against his skin. A muscle under his eye twitched.

“They’re not going to hurt you.” He could have shot her in the back and taken his chances, but he’d followed her lead, trusting her after spewing all those hateful lies. She owed him her honesty. “Trust me. They’ll kill anyone who harms you.”

Ivar frowned and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Not the time or place.” They’d already been in one spot too long. “Move now. Talk later.”

His jaw clenched but he jerked his head in agreement. “Fine. But you’re going to tell me everything as soon as we’re out of here.”

They’d see about that. She scooted around the side of a large Dansker trading vessel, keeping her back to the metal exterior. A blast hit inches away. She ducked and swore.

“Sniper. I’m going to have to take him out.” With her left arm gone numb from the glancing hit she’d taken, she’d need to get a hell of a lot closer for that. A precision shot wasn’t happening. She’d have to get up close and personal for the kill.

Ivar grunted and disappeared.

“Where the three hells of Brenam are you going?” She was torn between chasing him and taking out the target to protect him. “I’m going to kill him,” she muttered.

“You might want to wait.” Ivar reappeared through the smoky haze. The blaster was tucked in the waistband of his pants. In his hands, he gripped a long-range laser rifle.

“Where did you get that?”

Ignoring her, he knelt, raised the rifle, and settled. A guard appeared out of the smoke. Delphi fired one shot, taking him down. Ivar never flinched, never wavered, his concentration absolute.

His index finger caressed the trigger. The laser shot to the other side of the building and up. The blast echoed. A man screamed. The sniper toppled from his nest in the rafters.

Ivar was up, shouldering the laser rifle and pulling his blaster.

Was her mouth hanging open? It might be. That was an impossible shot. Or should have been from this range and angle with the amount of smoke in the air. Not to mention the air currents being whipped up by the fire which still wasn’t quite under control. Looked like old Balthazar skimped a little on the fire-retardant system.

“Let’s go.” He motioned with his weapon.

“Right. Keep close.” What other hidden talents did he possess? “I’m at the very end of the station.”

“Of course, you are.” His muttered complaint made her smile. In spite of the craziness of the fire and having people trying to kill them, she was happy because they were both still alive and together.

She caught a