Chapter 9 #2
“Anna . . .” He grabbed her elbow and yanked her into his arms, one hand coming up to cup her chin. “You’ll be fine. If it gets too much, ask for me. I promise I’ll come straight away.”
He kissed her and let her go before she could do anything but gape at him in shock. A gentle cough behind her made her turn back to the medical technician and follow him through to the inner workings of the hospital.
Rehz strode down the hallway toward the corridor that linked the hospital with the administration wing.
Damn, he shouldn’t have kissed her. But she’d looked so fucking scared and he hated that.
Hated that he’d been the one to do that to her, to take away everything that had made her such a fierce competitor and leave her trembling like a child.
“Hey.”
He kept moving, unwilling to deal with anyone.
“Hey.” An arm closed around his bicep. “It’s me, Kai. What’s up? Who died?” Kai’s expression hardened. “Don’t tell me Lee didn’t make it.”
“She’s okay.”
“Then why the scowl?”
“They’re testing her right now.”
“And she’ll be fine. If she survived the Ungrich, she’ll survive our military.” Kai still had hold of Rehz’s arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got an appointment with admin, and then I need to get back to Lee.”
“Greez, I was hoping you had time to talk. I guess I have the appointment right after yours.”
“You’re putting in for retirement from the program too?” Rehz asked.
“I’m not sure.” Kai’s green gaze was somber. “I think we’ve both done our stint, but if we both go, who’s going to run it now? Palk? No one wants him leading the trainers again. I’d like to end on a high note.”
“Bad luck about Solly.” Rehz hesitated. “Would you do me a favor? I don’t like leaving Lee on her own. Can you sit in and make sure Palk doesn’t get near her until I’m done?”
“Sure.”
“Maybe after we’re all finished, you’d like to come back to my place, and we can talk. It’ll be a lot more private.”
“That’s a great idea.” Kai gave him a casual salute. “I’ll go and see if I can find Lee.”
So everyone was being nice to her, but she was still scared shitless.
The walls were white and not pink and the voices were definitely Mitan, but she still felt like a specimen and that reminded her all too forcibly of her week with the Ungrich .
She jumped when a door behind her banged, and jerked around.
“Hey, Lee.”
“Kai ?”
He shut the door, nodded to the technician, and grinned at her.
Like Akran, he was dressed in the familiar black Mitan uniform and was heavily armed.
His white hair was cut super short and barely showed against his dark skin.
“How are you doing? I saw Rehz in the hallway and he said you were here.” He studied her carefully. “You look good.”
“I look like someone who hasn’t been outside for months.”
He came a little closer but didn’t touch her, his expression serious. “That’s an easy fix. Can you swim, Lee? I have a boat on the shore of Lake Rataska. You’re welcome to come out with me any time.”
“I like to swim. As long as there aren’t any creatures with tentacles or. . .” She swallowed down the rest of the sentence and just sat there shivering, her hands clenched together in her lap.
Kai sat beside her. “If I can get in that water, you can. That’s one thing you can always rely on with a fellow survivor, Lee. You don’t have to explain anything. We all get it.” He punched her arm. “It does get easier.”
She darted a quick look at the technician who was setting up the next set of internal screenings, but he appeared preoccupied.
“Is it true that you and Akran went in twice?”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “He told you that?”
She nodded.
“That’s correct. It . . . wasn’t fun, but it was easier than the first time because we knew what to expect. They also remembered us.”
“I don’t think I could do that.”
“Go back in?” He shrugged, his shoulder brushing against hers.
She remembered him fucking her, the scent of him up close and personal.
It was weirdly kind of comforting because he knew her and everything she’d been through.
“The alternative was outright war and extinction. It seemed a reasonable price to pay.”
“But why didn’t the government just grab a few more felons that year and send them in instead?”
“Good question.” His smile twisted. “Palk said the Ungrich made that decision, not him.”
The technician came toward her and nodded at Kai. “If you wouldn’t mind sitting over there, Commander, that would be most helpful.”
“Sure.” Kai winked at Anna. “I don’t want to screw up your results. How’s she doing?”
“From what I can see so far, she’s healing up nicely.”
“Good.” Kai took his seat, folded his arms, and stretched out his long legs. “Take as long as you need, Lee. I’m not going anywhere.”
Anna scrambled into her clothes and shut the locker door with a bang. She was exhausted and longing to get back to bed and fall asleep, preferably next to Akran so that when she had a nightmare, he’d be on hand to offer an alternative to sleeping.
But she didn’t have to go back with him, did she?
She’d been cleared to find her own apartment and begin her new life as a valued Mitan citizen.
Which was weird in itself. Up until a few months ago, she’d thought only of getting off the planet, but now there was Rehz to think about.
Not that he wanted her to think about him, but she had no choice.
Despite everything, there was a bond between them that she didn’t want to break.
When she went out into the admissions office, Akran and Kai were both there, talking to her doctor, who was smiling.
Kai had originally left when Akran came back.
She noticed Akran didn’t look particularly happy, but then he rarely did.
Had she ever seen him smile without some hint of self-mockery or derision?
How had he come to believe that he was his job, that what he did meant that he had no right to be happy or have a real life?
And even more importantly, why did she care?
“Lee.” He looked over and nodded. “Are you ready to go?”
She went to the two men and shook hands with the female doctor.
“I’ll have the entire report sent to you when it’s completed, Anna, but so far everything’s looking good.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor looked from her to Akran. “Commander Akran will help you settle into your new life and will remain your primary contact with us and with the military.”
“That’s fine. He’s been very . . . kind to me.”
Kai’s eyebrow flew up at that, but he didn’t say anything. Neither did Akran. The doctor went into her office, leaving Anna with the two men.
“So Rehz invited me to share dinner with you, Lee,” Kai said. “Is that still okay? You look tired.”
“No, that’s fine. If I fall asleep, you can entertain each other.”
And she wouldn’t have to deal with being alone with Akran on their last night together.
That was probably for the best. Hadn’t she read something once about an ancient syndrome in which the captive fell in love with the captor and lost all sense of reality?
Was that what was happening to her? Because the thought of leaving Akran was . . .
“Are you coming, Lee? There’s a vehicle waiting.”
Anna kept her thoughts to herself and followed Kai and Akran out into the military all-purpose truck.
They were both big guys, and people automatically got out of their way in the hallways, so they moved through faster than she had expected.
One thing she’d learned during her training was to gather her resources and expect the worst. All she had to do was keep it together for a little longer and everything would work out fine.
Yeah, that was right.
“Fine,” she muttered as Kai held the door open for her.
“Did you say something, Lee?”
She summoned up a smile. “Just thank you.”
Rehz watched as Anna Lee struggled to keep her eyes open on the journey back to his apartment. She kept falling against Kai’s shoulder. Eventually, after a wry look at Rehz, Kai picked her up and sat her in his lap.
“You might as well get comfortable, Lee. Judging from the traffic, it’s going to take a while.”
From what Rehz could see, she was deeply asleep before Kai even finished joking with her. Kai’s arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head.
“I’m glad she made it.”
“So I see.”
Kai frowned. “You don’t sound very happy about it.”
“Trust me, I am.”
“You just don’t like me holding her, do you?”
Rehz didn’t even bother to answer that and looked out of the window instead.
“I heard you and Palk had a falling out. He’s been telling everyone you’re pussy-whipped and that he can’t wait to get you out of his unit.”
Kai had never known when to shut up.
“As of today I’m officially retired. Fuck Palk.”
“So are you?”
“What? Fucking Palk? Not anymore. That’s why he’s talking greez about me.”
“No, pussy-whipped. You and Lee got something going on?”
“No.”
“Yeah right. I saw you holding her hand, Akran.”
“I’m just doing my job. She’s still vulnerable, and keep your fucking voice down. She doesn’t need to hear all this.”
Kai glanced down at Anna’s sleeping face. “She’s out for the count. She won’t hear a thing. Why did you tell her that we went in twice, then?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You never tell anyone. Hell, we’ve never even discussed it ourselves.”
“I was trying to help her feel better about what she’d been through.”
Kai looked unconvinced. “So are you fucking her?”
Rehz glared at him. “That is none of your goddamn business.”
“So you are. Good for you.”
“If it were true, what would be good about it? It’s not like any of us are capable of maintaining a real-life relationship, is it?”