Page 2 of BaOBy

Some men he killed, some he threatened with imminent slaughter and used her gifts to ruin them financially. Five he left alive to be his puppets. As long as they did everything the Andaran asked them to do—keeping the Galactic Alliance from realizing the planet was no longer under committee rule—he allowed them to live in the manner they’d become accustomed to.

Outsiders and travelers to Viant didn’t see the dark side. They believed everything went on the same as it had for hundreds of years. And if they noticed something… off? Well, the air was perfumed with Violeta, keeping everyone aroused and mildly sedated. So, no one complained.

The slavery ring was well-hidden. And any who discovered the truth—believed the implantation of killer embryos to be wild speculation. No one would ever do something so evil… right?

Cat had been ‘gifted’ a re-breather. So, the perfumed air didn’t affect her. The Andaran wanted her to have a clear head when she managed his money. That was the only mistake the big-headed creep made with her. She didn’t serve him willingly and when he could no longer force her compliance with threats, he realized he miscalculated.

Catalina knew where all the bodies were buried—literally. She also knew where each and every monetary stash was located. And just how the Andaran kept the Galactic Alliance away from Viant so they wouldn’t discover he’d taken over the planet.

When the Andaran finally realized just how much she knew… he sentenced her to death.

But first, he wanted to ensure she suffered along the way, before dying in the most violent and vile way possible. It was a win-win for him. He’d make a shit ton of money, torture her for many months with the knowledge of how she’d die, and eventually… when that day came, he’d get rid of the one person who knew everything about him.

Her days were numbered, and time was running out. Cat fully understood that she was going to die. She told herself that she made peace with that. But before she died, she planned to ruin the Andaran. To get him killed or arrested for his crimes against humanity. No. He had to die. The Andaran had too many mind-bending skills for anyone to arrest him. He’d end up talking his way out and disappearing. The man needed to die.

Cat didn’t know how she would accomplish that—until she noticed she was being watched.

Not by any of the guards who were supposed to watch her. Not by the Andaran super-spies—she could spot the SS a mile away.

But by a tall, muscular, green-skinned male. She’d never seen green skin like that. It was a deep, rich, forest green. So vibrant and… amazing. She could stare at him for hours and so far all she’d been able to make out was the color of his skin and that he had long, dark brown hair.

That was it—she was a fan.

Cat had either seen or felt him watching her for the last five nights in a row. He always positioned himself in the garden on the roof across the street. Sometimes he stayed there all night, other times he was only there for a few minutes before disappearing. She knew he could see right through the living room windows. He often watched when she was in the room. The guards allowed her to open the curtains during the day and sit in the sunshine.

She willed him to stay in place tonight. To nap—spy—whatever kept him on that roof. She didn’t care.

Dressing carefully, Cat waited for the guard to change. She had a plan. It just required a small army to see it through. In the last three months, there hadn’t been a blip in her security or any change in routine. She wanted to take down the Andaran, but she couldn’t do it alone. This green man had been the only anomaly in months of consistency.

She had to take this chance. It might be the only one she had.

The multi-colored Viant robe hid her body. With the hood up, she was completely covered. These colored robes denoted nobility and could only be worn by the ruling class. No one would stop her and risk banishment.

Some of the Andaran’s policies worked against him. He didn’t believe anyone would dare challenge his laws. Not even one as stupid as who could wear what color of robe.

He was wrong. The robes hid a multitude of sins.

Slipping out the window and across the street, it took only moments to climb the outside stairs. Cat held her breath, hoping he’d still be there.

“I thought you were a prisoner.” The deep-voiced whisper thrilled her.

Thank God he was still here.

Chapter Two

BaOBy

“ I am a prisoner,” she answered him. “My jailers are tired of me. Bored. They’ve been at it for months and I haven’t done anything worth watching. I haven’t tested their skills. Until tonight. Hopefully, they won’t discover I’m gone. I plan to be back in bed before they realize I left. Who are you? Why are you up here?” Her voice was low, soft, and worried.

Bao felt every note as if his body were a tuning fork. There was fear, stress, and hope that she’d found her savior.

He could be that for her. Or die trying. It didn’t matter to him what troubled her. She was his mate. His damn bands were doing cartwheels under his skin. There was no mistake.

She didn’t come closer. Or ask if he’d been spying on her. The answer to that was an obvious yes. The why he did it was a little harder. And he was at a disadvantage, lying down, staring up at the stars. “Do you mind if I sit? It’s uncomfortable on my back, looking up. I can’t protect you from this position. I am not here to harm you.”

Snorting at his offer of protection, she still agreed to his request. “Put your hands in front of your body where I can see them. Keep them there. Don’t stand, but you can sit. Stay where you are.”

He was almost positive she had a weapon of some sort. Good. He didn’t want her wandering around at night, avoiding her jailers, without one. He would have followed her directives even if she weren’t armed. There was no need to cause his woman more anxiety than he already felt from her.

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