was a Gravasian assassin.
“He didn’t steal it. It belonged to him.”
“Fuck me,” her brother whispered. “I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t want to.” Kyler suddenly fell to the side and rolled. A knife flew through the air, embedding in the neck of a man who’d been sneaking up behind him. He was back on his feet and facing them as though nothing had happened.
“I’m not who you want.” Her brother gripped her arm hard enough to leave bruises and swung her in front of him. “She’s the one who drugged him. Hell, it was her idea from the beginning. She’s the one who told me about him.” His blade pricked the back of her neck, daring her to contradict him. “Take her and we’ll call it even. I heard the tech was destroyed anyway, so no harm, no foul. We both go our separate ways.”
She almost felt sorry for Balthazar. There was no escaping justice for their crimes. A sense of calm settled over her. Whatever happened, she could live with it. It would finally bring her peace for her part in these events. The girls were safe. That was all that mattered.
Etta wished she could see Kyler’s face, but the memory of it was imprinted on her forever. He might not fully trust her, and she couldn’t blame him for that. He angered her, challenged her, and made her crazy with the way he held himself back. But she’d come to understand that was as much his personality as it was his training.
He owned her heart. They’d only had sex once, but it didn’t matter. What she felt for him went beyond the physical. She reached out with her heart, willing him to understand. “Do what you need to do.” Forgoing his duty, his honor, would irreparably damage him. She wouldn’t be a party to that.
****
Fury bubbled beneath his calm exterior. How had Balthazar found Etta? She was supposed to be safe in all this.
She was pale, but her gaze was steady, her eyes locked onto him as though she was trying to communicate something. But what?
“You heard her,” Balthazar yelled. The big man was sweating, his flaming red hair wild around his face. “She was trying to make a run for it in my ship, but I stopped her. She’s all yours. Just let me get to the Rebel and you can have her.”
Did he really believe Kyler would bargain with him? Balthazar was a dead man the moment he touched Etta. Blood trickled down her cheek from a small cut. If he wasn’t already sanctioned for death, Kyler would have killed him for that insult alone.
But his mission remained, and as long as his target had hope, she would be safe. She was also too close to her brother for him to be able to move on the man. The stiff way she was holding herself was a clear indication there was a weapon pressed against her. It was up to him to get his target to make a mistake to allow him a clear shot. “Is she the only one involved?”
Balthazar smiled, his green eyes gleaming. He truly thought he was gaining the upper hand. It was fascinating to watch and gave him a better understanding of how the man’s mind worked. “Helldrick is also involved.”
Truth. “And you’re the only innocent one in the family?” Skepticism was ripe in his tone.
Laughter boomed across the space. “I don’t claim to be innocent. Just not as guilty. Go back to the Gravasians. Hand Etta over to them. Tell them about my goodwill gesture and have them call off their assassin.”
“You don’t know much about Gravasians, do you?”
“They say they’re badass, but they hide on their own world when the universe is theirs for the taking. Or would be if they were as good as they claim to be.”
“Maybe they don’t want to control the universe.”
Balthazar shook his head. “All men want power.”
Several more of the man’s henchmen were creeping up behind Kyler. They would die as soon as Etta was safe. In the meantime, he might be able to use them to destabilize Balthazar. When her eyes widened, he knew she’d noticed them.
“Behind you,” she cried.
So much for using them as a possible distraction. He dropped to his knees, spun around, and fired a blaster three quick times, dropping them all. Movement came from behind him. A laser blast struck him center back. He dropped, pretending to be hurt to draw Balthazar closer.
Etta cried out. Surely, she knew he was