Page 32 of Victoria's Embrace

“Crik me.”

Victoria was just as shocked as he looked. “He was one of the gladiators here. I’ve never seen him be anything but loyal to Aria. Ifhe’sa traitor… ” Meeting her guys’ gazed, she let out a slow breath. “We can’t trust anyone.”

After restraining Vaiz’ak, they stashed him in a room and kept going, but they were a hell of a lot grimmer than they had been moments ago.

They were almost to the intersection that led to the elevators when Thorn held up a hand.

“Female. Armed. Moving toward us.”

“Who is it?”

“The irritating one who tried to touch me. I do not know her name.”

Who tried to touch… Ah.

“Bree. Should we try to capture her for interrogation? We need to know what kind of numbers we’re up against.”

“Wise thought. Snitch?” Thegan whispered.

Her pet gave a decidedly anticipatory warble, went invisible, then pushed off her shoulder.

Wondering absently what Bree had done to get on Snitch’s bad side, or if he just took personal offense to another female trying to encroach on Victoria’s man, she watched from behind the cover of the bend, shoulders tight with worry.

She understood why he was usually the one they sent in first, but that didn’t mean she liked it. He was trained and fierce and more than capable, but anything could happen.

Worrying her lip with her teeth, she watched on as Bree was thrown to the floor by an invisible force, sending her gun flying out of reach. The second they saw she was no longer armed, they took off running.

Stopping a couple of feet away, Victoria aimed her tranq gun on the struggling woman while Thorn and Vi’kail hauled her to her feet.

“Snitch? Does she smell like Salesh?”

Her little pet became visible and flew in a circle around Bree’s head, sniffing at her hair and clothes. When he finished, the look he gave her was confused as he warbled, shaking his head no.

Relieved, if also a bit confused, she let out a breath and lowered her gun. She would’ve pegged Bree as infinitely more likely to be a traitor than Vaiz’ak, but she trusted Snitch implicitly and if he said he didn’t catch a whiff of Salesh, she believed him.

Cocking her head, she eyed Bree closely, wondering if perhaps she didn’t smell like Salesh because she was female.

With a mental shrug, she decided asking couldn’t hurt. Even if she didn’t tell the truth, her reaction might give them something.

“Are you a traitor?”

Vi’kail lifted the hand he’d had over Bree’s mouth so she could respond.

“Fuck you,” she spat angrily, struggling in their grip.

Instantly irritated, Victoria narrowed her eyes. “Answer the question.”

“How do I know you’re not a fucking traitor?”

“Because we didn’t shoot you?” she

Bree narrowed her eyes right back. “Not good enough.”

“How about because we haven’t been here. If we were traitors, wouldn’t you have seen us before now?”

Bree shook her head. “This could be a trick so I lead you back to our hideout.”

Victoria hid her relief at the mention of a hideout, but the implication that there were people to hide was heartening.

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