Page 23 of Alien in the Depths

“Who’s this?”

Zaraq clenched his fists as Slik’s slimy voice came over the speaker.

As he listened to Sofia enquire after a job, he became more determined to get himself, and her, out of this mess before it went too far.

“We run a very prestigious establishment here,” Slik was saying. “We don’t just accept any girl who walks in off the street, you know.”

“Of course,” Sofia replied, her voice smooth even through the crackle of the speakers. “But how many Earthling girls do you have working here?”

There was silence for a moment, and all Zaraq could hear was the pounding of his own heart. He had to admit, it was a good ploy. Slikrim, for all his terrible traits, was a savvy businessman, and Zaraq knew he’d struggle to resist an exotic creature like Sofia to bring in customers.

“Can you dance?” Slik asked, and again, the question burned in Zaraq’s ears.

“Sure can,” Sofia replied confidently.

Behind him, Carmen scoffed. “Sure, the chicken dance maybe.”

Zaraq didn’t even ask what the chicken dance was, or even what a chicken was, for that matter. His attention was focused entirely on the conversation playing out before him.

“We’ll see about that,” Slik replied, and Zaraq could hear a cruel smile in his voice. “Go to this address tomorrow at noon. My second-in-command, Vexis, will give you a trial.”

Zaraq heard the rustle of paper, Sofia’s thanks, and then her footsteps echoing through the corridor. It wasn’t until ten minutes later when she walked back into the hotel room that Zaraq finally allowed himself to breathe.

Chapter 9

Sofia

“It’ll be fine,” Sofia insisted the next day as she got ready to leave the hotel.

She reached for her purse, but Zaraq’s hand closed around hers, stopping her.

“I need you to promise to be careful.”

Sofia looked up, locking eyes with him. The deep purple of his irises was as arresting as ever, and for a moment, she considered just pulling him onto the bed, tangling herself up in his arms, and forgetting this whole plot.

But that part of her had to be pushed aside for now. Feeling his warm hand on hers, she knew none of that would be possible if they didn’t clear his name. At least, not in the long run.

The thought took her off guard. In the long run? Was she really that committed already? It made her cough a little, as if she could hardly swallow the fact that she’d found someone she was having those thoughts about.

Straightening up, Sofia took Zaraq’s hand in both of hers. “I’m doing this because it’s the only way. Look, I’m not stupid. I know it’s dangerous. I know it’s probably even a little bit reckless, but what else have we got? I don’t want you to run forever. I’m not interested in sharing my life with a fugitive.”

At this, Zaraq smiled and stepped a little closer. He’d caught her speaking that thought out loud this time—forever, sharing their lives—and if the look in his eyes was anything to go by, he felt the same way.

That wasn’t a conversation Sofia could have right then, though. Not when their future—whatever it was and however long it lasted—depended on her putting their plan into action.

“I’ll be on the speaker the whole time,” she told him.

She touched the receiver in her ear, the one Elena had cobbled together from the helmet, and an assortment of parts she’d pulled out of her comm. The act of touching it helped Sofia to stay focused on the plan when all she wanted to do was kiss Zaraq.

“The second anything sketchy happens, get out of there,” Zaraq insisted, bringing her other hand up to his mouth and planting a kiss there instead.

“Zaraq, I’m going to some gangster’s house to do a trial as a dancer. It’s gonna be sketchy from the outset.”

Before Zaraq could protest again, she pulled her hand from his grasp, grabbed her purse, and strode toward the door. Just as she went to twist the handle, she turned back.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be okay,” she repeated. She stepped out before the look of concern in Zaraq’s eyes really did have her running into his arms.

The streets of Rikuus were seedy, and she felt a dozen pairs of eyes on her as she waited to hail a transport pod.

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