Chapter 6
CHAPTER
SIX
Despite the lingering tension between him and Anna, or perhaps because of it, Rehz focused his attention during the following week on fortifying the house and grounds.
He felt things at the presidential retreat were almost too pleasant and too quiet, and Kai agreed with him.
That unease was confirmed on the eighth day when Bron came into the kitchen, his expression grim.
“Palk’s been spotted with a small group of armed followers coming into this valley. We’d prefer it if you all stayed inside for the next day or so while we find and detain him.”
“Good luck with that.” Kai snorted.
Rehz met Bron’s gaze. “What can we do to help with the internal security? Do you have additional weapons for us?”
“We have more weapons. We also have a safe room in the lower levels, where we will place Anna and Aled if things become difficult.”
“You mean if the house is under siege, or if Palk and his men succeed in getting inside.” Rehz glanced over at Anna, who had gone very still. “I think that’s an excellent suggestion.”
“I doubt Palk will find a way in,” Bron reassured him. “This place is a fortress. I’ve informed the president of the situation, and he is sending more troops.”
“When do you think Palk will get here?”
Bron scowled. “Within the next day or so. He’s moving quite openly at the moment. We’re not sure how he’s getting through the security checks.”
“Great.” Kai slid off his seat. “Take me to the armory. I need something to shoot at people.”
Kai, Aled, and Bron went out together, arguing about the merits of various weapons, leaving Rehz alone with Anna. She had remained at the breakfast table, her eyes on her plate. He went over to her chair and crouched in front of her.
“We need to resolve this, Anna Lee. If a fight breaks out, I can’t fight for you if my head isn’t in the right place.”
“You don’t have to fight for me.”
“Rallshit Anna, we’ve been through this already!”
She looked down at him, her blue eyes full of shadows. “I’m sorry.”
He reached for her hand. “For what ?”
“For not being strong. I know that’s what you expect of me and—I—”
“Anna, what the fuck is this all about? I know you’re strong. I dragged you into this, remember? I picked you as Tribute. This is all my fault.”
“You didn’t know what you were doing. I’m a danger to the whole Mitan race. Maybe that’s why the authorities have always refused to acknowledge my planet exists. Maybe they knew it was dangerous to them.”
“It doesn’t matter what they thought or did. What matters is that we are together.” He tried desperately to put his feelings into words. “I don’t want to die knowing you hate my guts.”
“I don’t hate you.”
He soldiered on. “I’ll do it if you want.”
She went still. “Do what?”
“Go back in there and find out if they took anything from you—from us.”
Her blue eyes filled with tears. “Rehz . . . that’s not what I want. How could you ever think that of me? I’d never expect you to go into Ungrich space again just for a possibility.”
He held her gaze. “Anna, I know you. You don’t think it’s a possibility. You believe they took something from you. All I’m doing is offering to get it back.”
There was a long silence while she searched his face and then slowly shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. Whatever they took from me cannot be restored. I can’t mourn something that will never exist in this world.”
“I don’t fucking believe you. That’s why you are upset, isn’t it?”
Her grip tightened on his hand. “You have to believe me. How can I go on if you don’t? We have to make something positive out of all this mess, Rehz Akran. And that is my future with you.”
His throat tightened and he had to swallow hard to get any words out at all.
“I always told you I’d die for you. But I want you to know that I will do this.
” He tried to laugh. “I never thought I would be able to say that, but I can, because I want you to have everything, Anna Lee. Every fucking thing in the universe.”
Her arms came around him and she kissed him hard and he kissed her back and then he was on top of her, shoving their clothes aside, pushing his way into her body, joining them in the most basic way possible. Because there—flesh to flesh—they truly belonged and could finally make their peace.
The door burst open and Kai appeared, his arms loaded with weaponry.
“No time for fucking, people. Palk’s here. You and Aled are going with Bron down to the safe room, Anna. Aled’s pissed as hell about it, but he’s still going because I told him I’d shoot him if he didn’t.”
Rehz moved off Anna and helped her straighten up before handing her the smaller of the two weapons he’d selected. “Kill anyone except me and Kai who gets through that security door,” he instructed. “Don’t hesitate.”
“I won’t.” She met his gaze, her blue eyes clear.
He gave her one last, heated kiss. “Go on.”
She nodded, tucked the weapon under her arm, and followed Bron, who’d been waiting impatiently at the door.
She didn’t look back. Rehz wondered if that was the last time he would see her, marching away from him, her head held high.
It reminded him of the day they’d met, when she’d tried to bite his dick off.
How the hell could she think he didn’t believe she was strong? He’d never met anyone like her.
“Rehz.”
A sharp nudge from Kai brought him back to his surroundings. He immediately checked his weapons and listened with half an ear to Kai’s lecture about how they would defend the house until the president’s additional troops arrived. The plan seemed adequate, and he nodded as Bron reappeared.
“The safe room is on level 4-M, Rehz. There’s an elevator in the central hall that goes down to it. There’s also one in the president’s suite. And if the power fails, there are stairs beside the president’s elevator. Got that?”
He looked up. “What’s the security code to get in?”
Bron came over, pulled up the sleeve of Rehz’s black protective gear, and wrote a series of numbers on the inside of his wrist. He did the same for Kai.
“The ink will disappear in approximately four hours. I figure we’ll either have beaten Palk by then, or we’ll be dead.”
Rehz shoved down his sleeve. “I assume there’s a way for Anna and Aled to get out by themselves if no one comes for them?”
“The safe room is stocked to withstand a siege for a month. If we all die, they can either get out themselves or sit tight until the president’s special forces reach them.” Bron grimaced. “I told them it would be better to stay put.”
“You don’t think Palk’s men will be able to get in there?” Kai asked. “Is it possible that someone on his side knows about the safe room and has the codes?”
“Someone might know about the room, but they won’t have the codes. I just generated them. Only my team, the president, and you two have them.”
“Yeah, but we’ve seen how good your security is. Palk’s right here.”
Bron scowled and shoved a hand through his military-short black hair. “Fuck, I know that, but there’s nothing else I can do except fucking die for them, okay?”
Kai grinned at him. “Rehz and I were planning on doing that anyway, so you’re welcome to tag along.”
Bron handed over two earpieces. “This connects all the team. Aled and Anna can also hear what’s going on, but they can’t respond.”
“So mind my language,” Kai quipped.
Rehz glanced over at his friend, whose green eyes were glittering like hard, multifaceted gems. There was something about combat that brought out a new side of Kai, and his crazy death-defying hilarity. It was terrifying.
Rehz fitted the earpiece and immediately heard the chatter of the two men watching the approach roads around the compound. Counting him and Kai, there were twelve of them ready and willing to protect the house and its precious occupants.
“Let’s go,” Bron said.
Kai stood and Rehz grabbed his arm, holding him back. “Listen, if I die, you’ll stop Anna from doing anything stupid, won’t you?”
“Like what?”
“Going back into Ungrich space.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed. “Why the fuck would she do that?”
Rehz tightened his grip. “Because she thinks they have her offspring. Don’t let her go in there, okay?”
“I promise I’ll do my best. But she’s one determined female.” Kai met his gaze, all the humor wiped away from his expression. “And you’ll kill Aled if I can’t, right?”
“Yes.”
Kai bent his head and brushed his mouth over Rehz’s. “Good hunting, my friend.”
“You too. I promised Anna Palk’s head and balls on a plate, so I’d better get on that.”
Kai checked his weapon. “I’ll hand them over when I’ve killed him.”
“We’ll see about that.” He slapped Kai hard on the back and they ran for the doorway, where Bron was already shouting for them.
Anna wrapped her arms around herself and paced the room again.
It wasn’t as small as she’d feared, but she still hated being trapped anywhere.
It was set up like a small apartment with a well-stocked kitchen, eating area, and soft couches grouped around a black vidscreen that was currently turned off.
Having already explored the rest of the place, Anna knew there were three bedrooms, an armory, and a huge storage area filled with foodstuffs and protective gear.
It was one hell of a secure space, but it still made her feel uneasy.
This far below the surface, sound was reduced to dull thumps and echoes that set her senses straining and her nerves jumping.
“Here.” Aled came up behind her and put a thick jacket around her shoulders. “I found these in the storeroom. It’s colder down here.”
She slid her arms into the sleeves and let him button her into the jacket. “I hate this.”
“Yeah.”
“I want to be out there killing Palk, but I’m also terrified of being captured.”
“Yeah.” Aled stepped back, his expression rueful. “Neither of us are used to being babysat.” Something in her face made him catch her hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”