Chapter 10 #2
I side-eyed him, wondering why he was so ready to volunteer. Maybe my paranoia was getting the better of me. After all, he was Araced and we were on his home planet. If anyone could slip past a building unnoticed, it was him.
“Win me a prize,” Leah demanded, dragging me to a game booth where the challenge was to throw weighted darts at floating targets.
I raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were a strong, independent woman who didn’t need a man to win her prizes.”
“I am,” she agreed, rising on tiptoes to brush her lips against the shell of my ear. “But I want to watch your muscles work while you throw things. Indulge me.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. I paid the booth operator, a grizzled Zangrel with more arms than teeth, and took the three darts he offered. They were heavier than they looked, with magnetized tips that would complicate the throw.
The first dart hit just left of center on the first target. The second struck true. The third I purposely let fly wild, not wanting to draw too much attention. Skilled dart throws from a supposed construction worker might raise questions.
“Two out of three,” the operator grunted, reaching for a medium-sized prize, a fluffy children’s toy.
Leah clapped, bouncing on her toes in a way that made her curls dance. “That was amazing! You’re so good at that!”
I handed her the prize—a stuffed animal that resembled a cross between an Earth cat and a Lanterian spider—and she hugged it to her chest like it was precious.
“I’m naming him Aano Junior,” she declared. “Where did Yahn go?”
Yahn appeared from behind us at just the right moment. “Aano Junior? The resemblance is uncanny.”
We wandered through the fair until the crowd began to thin, Leah’s energy somehow never flagging despite the long day. It was only when Yahn pointed out the late hour that she admitted to being tired.
“We should find somewhere to stay for the night,” he suggested. “There are a few decent hotels near the market district.”
Leah’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, a hotel! With real beds? I was worried we might have to sleep on the shuttle.”
“The shuttle would probably be more comfortable than anything in Numae,” I warned her. “Don’t expect luxury accommodations.”
She waved away my concern. “Part of the adventure! Besides, how bad could it be?”
Yahn and I exchanged a look that contained volumes.
As we made our way back toward the market, now mostly shuttered for the night, I kept one hand on Leah’s back and my senses on high alert.
Numae changed after dark, predators of all kinds emerging to hunt for tourists and easy marks.
Leah, with her designer clothes and obvious wealth, might as well have had a target painted on her back.
“So what’s the verdict?” I asked Yahn quietly as Leah stopped to admire a night-blooming flower that had pushed its way through a crack in the pavement.
“Someone had ransacked the safehouse.” He glanced around. “We need to find somewhere secure to stay, then make contact with... alternative channels in the morning.”
“Alternative channels.” I let skepticism color my tone.
Leah rejoined us, slipping her arms around both our waists. “You two look so serious. Are we having a secret meeting?”
“Just discussing accommodation options,” Yahn said smoothly. “Aano has high standards.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have survival standards. There’s a difference.”
“Well, I vote for wherever has the biggest bed,” Leah said, giving us both a suggestive look that sent heat spiraling through my core. “For practical reasons, of course.”
“Of course,” I echoed, my voice dropping to a register that made her cheeks flush pink.
Yahn’s tail curled around her waist, which meant he was feeling protective of our little princess. “There’s a place two blocks from here. Clean, secure, and they don’t ask questions.”
The hotel, when we reached it, was better than I had expected. A three-story building with a reinforced door and security screens on the windows. The lobby was small but well-maintained, with a bored-looking Araced behind the desk.
Leah, however, couldn’t hide her shock when she saw the room. It was clean but spartan—one medium-sized bed, basic amenities, and a window that looked out on a brick wall.
“This is...” she started, then caught herself. “Cozy.”
I laughed, dropping our bags by the door. “It’s a shithole by your standards, princess. But it’s safe and clean, and that’s what matters right now.”
She nodded, setting Aano Junior on the pillow with careful dignity. “The basics are all that matters. I completely agree.” Then she turned to us with a mischievous smile. “Though I have to wonder how we’re all going to fit on that bed.”
“Creatively,” Yahn murmured, his eyes darkening. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was up to, and he held my gaze, letting me know that he wasn’t ready to back down.
Leah stretched. “Okay. Well, I’m going to use the bathroom and get ready for bed. You two can continue your intense staring contest or whatever this is.”
As she disappeared into the tiny bathroom, I stepped closer to Yahn, lowering my voice. “What aren’t you telling me? And don’t say ‘nothing,’ because we both know that’s bullshit.”
His jaw clenched, reddish-brown eyes meeting mine with equal intensity. “Not everything is about you, Aano. Some of us have... personal considerations.”
“Personal considerations that just happen to interfere with our mission?”
Something flickered in his eyes—pain? Guilt? It was gone too quickly to identify. “Some things you’re better off not knowing.”
“That’s not how this works.” I moved closer, until we were nearly chest to chest. “We’re in this together, and I’m the commanding officer. All the cards on the table, or I’m headed straight to that safehouse to find out what you saw there.”
His breath hitched, nostrils flaring slightly. For a second, I thought he might actually confess whatever he was hiding. Then the bathroom door opened, and Leah emerged in a silky sleep shirt that barely reached mid-thigh.
“The bathroom’s free,” she announced, then paused, taking in our tense postures. “Am I interrupting something?”
Yahn took a step back, composure slipping back into place like a well-worn mask. “Just deciding who’s going to be on top. Nothing to worry about.”
She didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.” She climbed onto the bed, curling her legs under her. “But if you two are going to fight, could you at least do it while taking your clothes off? For efficiency’s sake.”
Despite everything, I felt my lips twitch toward a smile. Leah Sheffield was nothing if not consistent in her priorities.
“We’ll take it under advisement,” I said, not breaking eye contact with Yahn. “Right after we finish our discussion.”
“Later,” he countered, moving toward his bag. “It’s been a long day. We could all use some rest.”
I wanted to push, to demand answers now, but he was right about one thing—we were all exhausted. And confronting him in front of Leah would only complicate things further. Whatever game Yahn was playing, I’d figure it out. I always did.
For now, though, there was a beautiful woman in the bed and the promise of physical connection that might, temporarily, quiet the alarm bells in my head. I’d give Yahn his reprieve. But tomorrow? Tomorrow, I’d get answers, one way or another.
I watched him as he busied himself with unpacking essentials, his movements precise and controlled. His tail, however, continued its agitated twitching—a silent broadcast of the tension he was trying so hard to hide.