Page 53 of Synnr's Ride

Hanna sat staring out the window as if nothing bothered her. Then again, Jori had the uncomfortable realization that she'd spent a lot of time stuck in a very small room. She hadn't even had a window.

"It’s been less than an hour since our debrief," she said after a moment.

He wasn't looking at the clock. "Every minute we're here is another that Kark could be stripping away evidence of his crimes."

"And transporting the humans," she added softly.

Jori stopped pacing. "That really bothers you." It wasn't a question.

"Of course it bothers me!" Indignation laced her words. "Why wouldn't it? Doesn't it bother you?"

"But you're Aps—" He cut the word off.

"Seriously?" She pushed out of her chair and turned to glare at him. "I thought we—never mind. Yeah, Jori, I'm Apsyn. It doesn't mean that I'm fine with turning people into pets or science experiments or worse. Besides, we found that girl in Synnr territory. The shipping marks on that crate were for Synnr space. Do you honestly think it's only the Apsyns who bring aliens down to Kilrym?"

He didn't have an answer for that. He was a Synnr, he respected the legitimacy and intelligence of non-Zulir life. Apsyns, as a whole, didn't. He knew that.

And yet Hanna had never been like that. And Morn Kark jumped at every chance to declare Zulir superiority. No human or other alien had dared step foot in his bar, andbrazlike that wasn't supposed to happen in Osais.

Synnrs and Apsyns were both Zulir. They didn't have some sort of biological difference that informed their prejudices.

They were all just people.

He took too long to answer, and Hanna made a sound of disgust. "You must be glad to get rid of me."

"No!" Jori got it out through gritted teeth, eyes blazing with passion. He stepped in close, so close that he could feel the heat radiating from her body. His fingers ached to reach out and touch her, but he held back. He didn't want her flinching from him.

"Even though I'm a dirty Apsyn spy?" she asked softly.

"Are you ever going to let me live those words down?" A smile pulled at the side of his mouth.

Hanna's expression softened, with a hint of a smile to match his. "Maybe. If you earn it."

But before anything could happen, the door burst open and Solan stomped in, his human Match at his side. She was an intimidating woman, her expression hard and unbending. But when she stood next to Solan, her body angled his way just a little.

"Lena." Jori nodded her way. She was one of the humans he'd helped rescue from Apsyn custody several months ago.

"Jori," she returned.

"The human is in second stage cryo-sickness," Solan said, and Hanna flinched, but he continued. "Medics say she'll probably recover. They've got her set up and will transfer her to a hospital as soon as she's stable. We're mobilizing a team right now. We'll have Kark in custody this morning."

"I want in." He and Hanna said it at the same time. Hanna nodded to let him continue. "Wewant in," he said again. "We've been on this guy for weeks. We need to see him taken down."

Lena glanced Solan's way. Jori knew Matches didn't have any sort of telepathy, but from the silent conversation that passed between the two of them, he was willing to believe in magic. Lena finally shrugged.

"It's your call. But you're on cleanup crew. We've already got the breach team prepped and we're notpuntingthat up. Let's get suited up."

The four of them strode out of the office and to the armory, strapping into gear with military efficiency.

"Can you get this strap?" Hanna turned her back to him and pulled her hair to the side, revealing a hard to reach fastening over her shoulder.

Jori tugged it tight and secured it, then rested his hand on her back. She leaned into the touch and he breathed deep, taking her scent deep into his lungs. It was embedded in him now, after so many weeks together. Any hint of the floral soap she used would make him think of her.

He wanted it surrounding him. For good.

Solan cleared his throat, and Lena looked at both of them with a smirk.

Hanna broke the contact and Jori finished suiting up, holstering a blaster just in case. "Let's go get thispuntingbastard."

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