Page 25 of Maar's Girl

He nods. “I laid down as much covering fire as I could till the shuttle took off. Then I swapped ID tags. Now I’m trying to save your life again.”

"By whisking me away to who knows where? How do I know this isn't just another trap?"

He turns to me, his eyes intense. "Because I love you, Alyssa. That wasn't a lie."

I want to believe him. Part of me aches to throw my arms around him, to feel safe in his embrace. But the rational part of my mind screams at me to stay alert, to not fall for his tricks again. He’s cold, he’s hot… what I know for sure is he’s lethal and a liar.

"Love?" I scoff. "You don't even know me. The real me. Just like I don't know you."

"Then let's start over," he suggests. "Right now. No more lies."

I laugh, the sound hollow and pained. "Start over? While we're running from assassins? While my entire world is crumbling around me?"

Maar nods, his expression grim. "It's not ideal, I know. But it's all we have."

I turn away again, watching as Olympus Mons looms in the distance. My mind races, trying to make sense of everything that's happened. The man beside me is a killer, a fraud, a criminal. But he's also the man who made me feel alive, who understood me in ways no one else ever had.

I sit in silence, my mind reeling from everything that's happened. Maar's presence beside me is both comforting and unsettling. I want to hate him, but my heart won't let me.

"Alyssa," Maar says softly, breaking the tense silence. "I need you to understand something about the jalsaghar bond."

I turn to face him, curiosity getting the better of me. "What about it?"

His eyes meet mine, filled with an intensity I've never seen before. "It's more than just a connection. It's... it's brought me peace. For the first time in my life, I feel whole when I'm with you."

"How can I believe that?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Maar takes a deep breath. "Because it's changed me, Alyssa. This love... it's not something I ever expected. I was a killer, a criminal. But with you, I've found a reason to be better."

His words strike a chord within me, but I remain silent, letting him continue.

"Every moment with you has been like coming up for air after drowning for years. Your laugh, your touch, even your stubbornness – they've all become part of me now. I can't go back to who I was before."

The spaceport looms ahead, a stark reminder of our precarious situation. Maar's grip on the controls tightens.

"I only want to keep you safe now," he says, his voice thick with emotion. "You can come with me, and we'll face this together. Or..."

"Or what?" I prompt, my heart racing.

He turns to me, his eyes blazing with determination. "If you choose to go your own way, I'll follow. Whether you like it or not, I'll fight to keep you alive. And if I fail..."

The words hang in the air, heavy with implication. I find myself holding my breath, waiting for him to finish.

"If I fail, I'll take down as many of those bastards as I can before I die. Because without you, Alyssa, I have nothing left to live for."

His declaration hits me like a physical blow. I struggle to find words, my emotions a tangled mess.

"That's... that's a lot to put on someone, Maar," I finally manage.

He nods, a sad smile playing on his lips. "I know. But it's the truth. You've become my reason for existing, Alyssa. My purpose. My home."

As we approach the spaceport, I'm torn between fear, anger, and a love I can't deny. Maar's words echo in my mind, leaving me with an impossible choice.

The aircar touches down with a soft thud, kicking up a swirl of red Martian dust. Maar's hand hovers over the door release, his eyes locked on mine.

"Alyssa," he says, his voice low and urgent. "You have a choice to make."

I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest. The spaceport looms before us, a gateway to countless possibilities - and dangers. I can smell the metallic tang of the air, feel the vibration of distant ships taking off.

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