and that only their leadership were not.
“Stop her!” Rorkk stumbled out of the suite. How was he still alive? She thought of the mayor she’d castrated all those years ago. You never finish the job, Keira. “She tried to kill me!” he roared.
“I don’t have to,” she said. “They will.”
She heard his plaintive cries as the gang of angry men closed in on him. And then she ran.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The ship smelled like bad meat, he thought, striding down the passageway leading from the docking station. If this was the warlord’s personal vessel, Jared was a bit disappointed. It was nowhere near as well-kept as the Coalition ships he’d seen.
Dressed in a red Drakken battlelord uniform, he attracted a few curious glances but nothing suspicious. Frix had told him exactly where to go, but even if the guard hadn’t, Jared’s gut instinct would have steered him to his mate. It had to be his imagination, but he sensed her, felt her.
She’s here.
He fought off images of her being assaulted. It was her nightmare, he knew, and he would save her from it.
A commotion erupted from somewhere deeper in the ship. Guards ran in the direction of the noise. He was almost swept up in the traffic, but he hung back, slipping onto the bridge. The bridge of the Imperial Flagship. If his life had become an episode of Star Wars, then this was the Death Star.
“Jared!”
He couldn’t name the emotions that exploded inside him at the sight of his wife running toward him. She was dirty and her clothes were torn. But so much love and relief shone in her eyes that it nearly blinded him.
A large man covered in armor lunged for her from behind a wall of equipment. Blond, beaded dreadlocks dangled from his helmet. Ornate patterns covered his neck. Keira swerved to avoid him and slipped. Her head hit a console. She crumpled to the floor without a sound.
A raw, hoarse cry exploded out of Jared’s chest as the warrior drew a firearm and took aim. Jared was a second behind him, sending a beam of energy at the attacker.
The man ducked, then returned fire. A thunder crack echoed off the passageway walls. His pistol flew out of his hand. Okay, well, he needed more time on the ray gun practice range.
Without a second of hesitation, Jared jumped him. They wrestled for control of the weapon. The gun went off, heat scorching his knuckles as the beam glanced off a wall.
Muscles straining, they struggled and spun, banging into walls and pieces of equipment. The man’s muffled breaths hissed from behind his helmet. So this was what the four years at Stanford, his military pilot wings and his broker’s license had gotten him—a wrestling match on a starship against Darth Vader.
As long as the dude didn’t say he was his father, everything would be fine.
On the floor behind their attacker, Keira stirred. Her slipper-clad feet slid back under her.
She was alive! He had to get to her, but he had to get rid of Darth first. Hang on, Sunbeam. Hang on.
Her moan dragged Jared’s attention back to her. In that moment of distraction, the man swung his pistol in a wide circle. The air crackled as it fired. Jared flew backward, avoiding involuntary castration by one too-close-for-comfort millimeter. “You must have taken lessons from my wife.”
“Huh!”
A dagger sailed through the air and sank into Darth’s exposed throat.
The man stumbled backward, clawing at his wound, blood spurting. He crashed into a panel of instruments and fell. His thick boots gave a couple of twitches and he went still.
Jared swung his focus around to Keira. She stood there, her chest heaving, her wild hair spilling over her determined face. Then she looked up and grinned.
“What a woman,” Jared said.
They crashed together in one hell of a frantic, furious hug. He crushed her close, burying his face in her hair. He’d never take her for granted again. He’d never let her go. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I let you believe I was a prince.”
“I didn’t care what you were, only that you didn’t confide in me. But I understand what drove you to do it. I shouldn’t have made you choose. It was wrong. You never forced me to choose between my people and you.”
“I never will.” Stroking her sweet face, he said, “We’d better get out of here.”
They raced to the docking bay. “He’s dead,” people were shouting. “The warlord is dead!”
Jared spun his gaze to Keira. “Was that him?”
“Yes. Lord-General