Page 65 of Kissed By the Alien
“Shit, girlie, you think I keep that type of money around? I’m no bank.”
“That guy who gave you all those chips. Ask him for more.”
“That money was for taking you. Which I done.”
What? I’m shocked. Horrified. Who would target me?
“Nothing saying I need to keep you alive though, but Virtue’s idea will get us more credits.”
“M-Money, I can get you,” the words tumble out of my mouth, as I’m still lost in my thoughts over who hired him to kidnap me and why.
“If you had money, then you wouldn’t be down here buying a gun with no fucking bullets.”
“I didn’t say I had the money. But I know where you can get it…”
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
LUTAN
The guards at the gate to the mansion surround me. Five in all, armed with guns. I could kill them, but they are not the enemy. But if they detain me much longer, I will damage them.
Every minute they waste, holding me here while they verify my identity with my embassy leaves Lexi in danger longer than she should be.
Drekk, she shouldn’t be in danger at all. Every move I’ve made of late has been wrong, especially involving Lexi. I allowed myself to become attached to her. Worse, I didn’t walk away.Thatwould have kept her safe.
“All right, Warrior, you’ve been cleared.” The short guy in the dark blue suit with a gun holstered inside the jacket motions to his men to lower their guns and return to their posts. “I’ll escort you to the main house.”
Main house? The residence on the hill appears large enough to house twenty families. How many homes does this man have?
As we walk up the drive, I increase my stride, trying to prompt this shorter male to move faster. He’s in no hurry.
“There’s no guarantee Mr. Barrington will see you.”
“He’ll see me.”
“He’s a busy guy. An important one.”
“So am I. But this concerns his daughter.”
The guy grips my arm, shoves me against a tree lining the path and shoves the cool metal of the gun barrel against my throat. My claws descend and my horns curve forward. In one move, I could kill him. Or disarm him. Both entail great risk. His gun could fire, kill me, and then what would happen to Lexi? These males who fail to keep her from sneaking out from her family home don’t instill me with confidence they’ll find her.
“Where is Lexi?” the guard demands. “She’s been missing for days.”
“Not days. She was safe at my embassy until this morning, when she left. Then a local gang kidnapped her.” I don’t give him details about my involvement with Lexi or her safehouse. They’re irrelevant to finding her, and I will guard her privacy as much as possible.
“What do you think, Craig?” a deep voice permeates the darkness as a tall man with silver and black hair flanked by two younger, very broad males steps forward.
“The Zyanthan Embassy vouched for him. Says he’s one of their top operatives.”
“Name, son?” the older male asks.
Son? No one’s called me son since I was twelve. Before I defied my father and searched for Narzan.
“Warrior Lutan Tannis.
“Come with me.”
I shove the guard and his gun to the side and fall in step with the male I presume is Lexi’s father. We enter the house. It’s massive, with ceilings easily twenty feet high, and large paintings covering the walls. The images are odd. Several are blurred. Others depict people, with arms, legs, and facial features, but in an unnatural semblance and in colors that are not native to humans.
