Page 12 of Abducting Sarah

“And you would tell her to kill him, like it was nothing?”

“Not like it was nothing.” Deacon solemnly shook his head. “Nonconsensual infidelity is punishable by death—is that not the human custom, as well?”

“Not where I come from—not usually and not legally, anyway.” My mind ran wild with the thought of it and slipped into a pool of logistics to avoid thinking of the actual problem of killing Ryan for an affair.Since this is a hallucination, am I thinking of killing him?“…I wouldn’t want her to be arrested.”

He laughed and it was a peculiar sound. Almost as if he didn’t do it often. “No human prison could keep Lanai Dea, but more importantly, she would never be caught. The moment the deed is finished, she can use her locator ring and be automatically transported here. Just say the word, Sarah Hollinger, and your partner will be—”

“You taste so fucking good,” Ryan moaned against the robot’s pussy. She shoved him down again, and he groaned for it. Ryan had always hated whenItried to be rough with him…

“Is this…is he drugged, like I was?” I asked in confusion. “Or is this something he’s choosing to do?”

Deacon nodded. “Lanai Dea is not the only woman he has had congress with, apart from you.Allegiant, the others.” As we watched the monitor, pictures of Ryan with other women, some clothed, some not, flashed on half of the screen. “He has been having dozens of other women. I sent Lanai there as a police officer investigating your missing person case. Everything you see here has been his choice. Say the word and he is done.”

I was enraged and I spun my engagement ring until it slipped from my finger. When the large diamond hit the floor, it made the smallest sound, like it had hardly ever existed at all. My heart felt as if it sheared into two pieces. It wasn’t that I was madly in love with him or that I thought he was with me. I was hurt, certainly, but I was more upset about the alteration of my future. I was nothing without his money, and that fact embarrassed me.But I would rather live in my car than have that cheating bastard in my life after watching him fuck a robot.

“No,” I shook my head, halfway not-believing I was turning the offer down, “I can’t have his death on my conscience. I don’t want anything of his anymore.”

“Very well. Lanai, come back when you are ready.Allegiant, outside view.” The monitor switched from their escapade to a haunting view of space.

Okay, if I play along with my hallucination, then maybe I found evidence of Ryan’s affairs and that’s why my mind shattered like this. If I play along with the scenario, I bet I’ll wake up….That had been a lot of work for this alien to set up for me.Maybe he sees me as someone worthy of the effort? If I treat him well, maybe he will do the same, take me home, and I’ll wake up?

I asked, “Could you bend down here?”

He frowned but did as I asked, lowering until his head was level with mine.

I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

He stood up straight again and stared at me. “Why are you thanking me? How can you go from seeing that betrayal to gratitude?”

“You sent your robot to Earth, putting her at risk of whatever dangers she could encounter, all so you could have proof of my cheating asshole fiancé and you could show me the truth. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Then you need better friends,” my stalker piped up.

I laughed bitterly and said, “That’s probably true.”

Deacon explained, “I only did what any Ladrian would do, Sarah Hollinger. Betrayal is the highest offense. Loyalty is everything to us.”

I took one of his hands in mine. It was enormous and far warmer and softer than I had expected. He was shocked by the gesture but in my hallucination, he let me hold his hand.

I smiled and said, “Loyalty is everything to me, too.” I gave his hand a squeeze before I let him go. “Now, do I get to go home?”

“No.”

CHAPTER 5

Jacaranda

Sarah’s delicate nature would get her killed on Halla, but I didn’t want to say that and scare her. “You see what I was saying, Deacon? She’s too soft for the job ahead of her. She can’t even give the order to execute her betrayer. She doesn’t have what it takes. Too weak.”

“I was strong enough to cut you,” she snapped, hand on her hip.

Deacon laughed. “She has a point, Jac.”

“Is that your name?” she asked.

“He did not introduce himself?” Deacon asked.

I sighed. “I didn’t think I would need to. I hoped you would come back to your senses.”

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