Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Xander yanked his mouth away from Malin’s and charged forward, not sure where he was headed.
Blood pounded through his veins as his systems worked overtime to cool him down. And dammit, emotion he couldn’t control stormed through him, leaving a blood-red haze across his eyes.
The taste of her was still strong in his mouth, competing with the thoughts that thundered through his brain. The throb of his injuries. Gurion. The thought of that Rahl touching Malin. His planet. Lastly, his team and his brother, trapped, tortured, and killed.
His mission was so tangled up with Malin Phoenix he couldn’t separate the two.
He didn’t want to.
But his desires really didn’t matter. He shouldn’t be allowing distractions to interfere with his mission. She was the one causing these unfamiliar emotions. He needed focus.
He set her down.
“Xander, are you okay—?”
“Quiet.” He sucked in air.
“You took some—”
“I said, be quiet.” He didn’t yell but did raise his voice.
He saw her eyes widen and she went silent.
He shook his head, wishing he could shake out all the confusing, conflicting emotions eating at him. “I had no business fighting that fight. We’re here for information vital to my planet.”
“I know—”
He sliced a hand between them. “You are a distraction I don’t need. I am not working efficiently and I’m wasting time with you. My only priority is Centax.”
She flinched, all color seeping from her cheeks. Xander felt a spasm in his chest but the roar of sensation in him was a wild tangle he couldn’t pull apart.
Her lips had parted, her cheeks were now flushed. “Okay.”
“Hey, Xander, you okay?” Dathan’s voice came through Xander’s internal systems. He’d calibrated them to work with the communication system on the Infinitas.
Discreetly, he touched the implant at his temple. “Yes.”
“Look, we just picked up a bunch of transmissions about your taking out the boss of the Rahl in a fight. Please tell me you didn’t fight.”
Xander stayed silent.
Dathan groaned. “They are not happy.”
Xander scanned the room. He saw several Rahl in the crowd shooting him hard glances. “We can’t leave without the information.”
“Then get to the Taskmaster,” Dathan said. “Now.”
Xander released a shuddering breath. “We will.”
“Keep Malin safe and get to the shuttle as quickly as you can. We’ll see you in orbit.”
“Affirmative.” He gripped Malin’s arm. “We need to get to the Taskmaster.”
She yanked her arm from his hold. For a second, he was taken aback. She’d never pulled away from his touch, even when he’d first met her on Centax.
“Let’s do it.” She swiveled on her heels.
But the Taskmaster wasn’t at the table where they’d seen him.
Xander scanned the crowd. “There.”
The man was slipping through a side door out of the arena area. Xander flicked through the maps of the arena in his internal database and the overlay came up. “He’s headed into the living areas.”
Xander moved, touching Malin’s lower back to urge her forward.
She jerked away and shot him a narrow stare. “Wouldn’t want to distract you.”
His jaw tightened as he watched her move toward the door. Now that his emotions were settling, he realized how harsh his words before had been. “Malin—”
She gave him her back. “Let’s just get this done, Xander. Then you can get on with your precious mission…without any distractions.”
Now wasn’t the time to discuss this. With a heavy gut, he pushed open an inconspicuous door and gestured her in.
He led her down the twisting corridors, keeping well back from the Taskmaster, pausing at every corner to make sure the older Rahl didn’t notice them.
The Taskmaster reached a door, opened the lock, and disappeared inside.
Xander and Malin reached the door. He pressed his palm flat against the locking mechanism and attempted to interface with it. Nothing happened.
He gave it a thump and tried again.
“Out of the way.” She nudged him aside and held up her multi-tool.
He tried to imagine where she’d had the tool hidden.
“This mechanism is old school. No computer.” Her tool whizzed as she removed screws and pulled the plate off. She messed around inside, muttering to herself.
He was shocked to find he wanted to smile at her. He loved to see her intense concentration. And of course, her skill as a mechanic. Instead, he forced his expression to remain neutral.
The door opened without a sound.
Xander went in first. It was a large living area. Large couches and tables were scattered around the room, and the place was a mess. Clothes tossed on the floor, plates filled with half-eaten food stacked on the tables.
Malin wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t the cleanest guys, are they?”
There was another doorway directly ahead. “Come on.”
They’d made it half way across the room when a noise made them freeze.
A snuffling noise.
He cocked his head, trying to identify it. An animal, maybe. No, that wasn’t quite right. The sound had a slightly mechanical element to it.
Something moved in the shadows beyond one of the couches.
“Xander,” Malin whispered, stepping closer to him. Her multi-tool was clutched in front of her, set to her trusty laser cutter.
Whatever it was rose from where it had been lying.
A giant cat.
It stepped into the light, watching them with glowing orange eyes. Its shoulders would reach Xander’s waist.
Not just a cat. He saw the long line of the beast’s flank was covered in fur but its legs were glossy metal. As was its enormous head.
It sniffed, its tail stiffening, its mechanical head lowering. It opened its mouth in a silent roar—baring very sharp, very long fangs.
“Jesus,” Malin muttered.
Then the cat charged.
It ran, leaped over a couch, and headed straight for them.
Xander shoved Malin out of the way. He then dived to the side.
The cat landed, swiveled, and pounced again.
It landed on Xander.
The force of the hit made them roll. He felt the enormous weight of the creature and the prick of claws on his chest.
He grabbed the cat’s jaws, holding them back before they clamped onto his face.
The damn thing was stronger than he’d estimated. He struggled to hold it off. It wanted his head.
“Mal-in.” He managed to get her name out.
His human hand slipped a little under the strain, bringing those vicious canines inches from his eyes.
Mal scrambled to her feet, racing over to where Xander was wrestling the cat.
A bio-mechanical cat. It was so incredible. If they weren’t fighting for their lives, she would have liked to study it.
She rushed up and shoved her laser cutter into the cat’s side.
It let out a mechanical screech. Hot, red blood sprayed out, covering Mal. Her stomach lurched.
Ugh. She ignored the blood, twisting the laser cutter. Here, the cat seemed like a regular, living creature. She felt the laser cut through flesh and bone, and for a second, she felt intense sorrow for killing it.
Until it reared back in an attempt to protect itself. Its giant jaws snapped at her.
Mal fell back on her ass with a cry.
Xander punched out with his mechanical arm. His fist slammed hard into the cat’s head, knocking the creature off its feet.
It was clearly dazed, shaking its head. Mal scrambled back toward it.
She reached her arm into the gash she’d opened up. She was in the creature’s chest cavity. Her hand touched its pulsing heart—its metallic heart.
She cut through it with her laser.
The cat dropped to the ground like a starship with no engines.
She yanked her gore-covered arm back and sank to her knees. Safe. Stars, when she’d seen that thing trying to take Xander’s head off… The cyborg might drive her crazy but she quite liked his head where it was.
Xander moved up close behind her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
“Thank you for saving me. Again.” His breath puffed across the side of her neck.
“I’ll add it to your bill,” she said.
Leaning down, he brushed his mouth against her ear.
She stiffened. “What are—?”
“You are a distraction, Malin. But you’re the most pleasant distraction I’ve ever experienced.”
She paused, staring straight ahead. Something inside her trembled. “Xander…”
He nipped the shell of her ear. “I’ve never been distracted by anything or anyone before. Only you.”
Her forehead dropped. “Jesus, you twist me up.”
His hands pressed to her waist for a second, then he moved back. “Let’s keep moving.”
She let him help her up. She snatched a discarded shirt off one of the couches and did the best she could to wipe the blood off her hand and arm.
Then they moved through the next doorway.
Xander came to a sudden halt, and Mal slammed into his back. Righting herself, she stepped up beside him.
Stars, no. Her mind went blank. Then fury rushed into her belly like molten fire.
The Taskmaster hadn’t seen them yet.
He was too busy crooning to the cages that lined both sides of the room. Crooning to his captives. All women.
At first, Mal only noticed that they were all shapes and sizes. Then she noticed they all had darker skin tones. Honey browns to gorgeous polished obsidian.
Then she noticed the implants.
She hissed in a breath. All the women were Centaxian.
There were twelve of them. Many were naked, the rest in see-through wisps of fabric. They all looked tired, scared, and dejected.
Beside her, Xander was silent, but an icy menace pumped off him.
Before she could say anything, he was sprinting forward.
The Taskmaster barely had time to turn before Xander was on him.
Xander took the Rahl down and was systematically pummeling him in the face.
Mal raced up, tried to grab Xander’s arm. “Don’t kill him. We need information first.”
But Xander was like a syndroid, not reacting to her, set only on his task. His eyes were glowing neon.
“CenSec.” The Taskmaster’s face blanched. He kept raising his hands to protect himself, but Xander’s relentless punches were too strong.
“Xander!” Mal pressed herself to his side and planted her mouth to the side of his neck.
As soon as she licked his skin, his fists paused. He grabbed her, plastering her to him.