Page 103 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

Who the hell wore sunglasses at night apart from fugitives?

Recognition hit her; she knew his face. Officer Asswipe. His uniform was different, but it was the same cop she’d spoken to the night she left Santa Barbara, the cop at the roadblock on the California-Nevada border. Why was hehere?

He’s not really a cop. He’s one ofthem.

Ice filled Zoey’s veins, but she somehow plastered a smile back on her face. “Evening, officer.”

He nodded slightly. “Ma’am. Cold night tonight. Where are you headed?”

“Just visiting some family.” She stepped past him and placed her coffee on the counter in front of the cashier. “Twenty on pump two, please.”

She fished the money out of her coat pocket as the cashier rang it up. “Keep the change,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

The cashier smiled widely. “Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, too.”

Zoey grabbed her coffee and walked toward the door, fighting the instinct to run. No way he’d recognized her, right? There’d been hundreds of people going through the checkpoint that night. She’d been just one of many faces.

“Ma’am,” Officer Asswipe called as her fingers touched the door handle. She froze, heart leaping into her throat, and turned to face him as his boots thumped over the tile floor.

“Yes, officer?” She stared up at his sunglasses and swore she saw a tiny flash of light behind them, gone as quickly as it had come.

“We’ve had reports of strange occurrences in the area tonight. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?”

“Nope. I haven’t seen anything. But I really am in a hurry. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” She pulled on the door.

He stuck an arm out and stopped the door from opening more than a few inches. The gust of cold air that flowed in was nothing compared to the ice in her veins in that moment.

Officer Asswipe leaned down, face close to hers. “I’m going to need you to come with me, Miss Weston.”

Zoey’s eyes widened, and her heart stopped. “I-I don’t know who you’ve mistaken me for but—”

He turned his head slightly, as though looking at someone else. “We’ve got her. Gas station on State,” he said.

She pulled on the door again. “Let me go.”

The man closed his free hand around her wrist and tugged her away from the door. “This’ll be much easier if you cooperate.”

He bent her arm, causing intense pain through her elbow. She cried out and did the only thing she could think to do — she swung her coffee cup, squeezing the sides so the lid popped off, and splashed the scalding liquid in his face.

Officer Asswipe flinched back, releasing her as he shouted in pain. Zoey threw open the door and ran out.

“Ren!” she yelled.

He appeared in front of her an instant later and caught her in his arms. She started, gaze darting up at him before sweeping around the parking lot. There, on the other side of the building, was one of the black SUVs. Its driver’s door opened and a man in a black uniform climbed out.

“They’re here,” she rasped.

“I know,” Ren replied, lifting her off her feet and running to their car. From somewhere in the distance — but not nearly far enough away — came the sound of screeching tires and revving engines.

Their vehicle shook as they both jumped inside. Ren sparked the engine to life and Zoey wasted no time throwing it into drive.

“How did they find us so fast?” she asked as the car bounced hard over the curb and back onto the road.

She screamed as several popping sounds went off behind them, accompanied by an equal number of objects hitting their car with metallic thumps.

“They’reshootingat us?” she screamed.

“That way,” Ren commanded.

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