Page 74 of Decadence

If the woman noticed her stupor, she didn’t show it. “Sienna Adamo,” she said warmly, stepping around the preparation bench. She held out her hand. “I’m Arin.” Sienna took Arin’s long, callused fingers into hers. Whereas Sienna was pale from months of winter and weeks spent in captivity, Arin sported a golden tan. Tall and athletic, she wore a long-sleeved grey top and a pair of khaki utility pants over rugged hiking boots. She glanced at her companions. “This is Rykal, and this is Kai.” She nodded in the direction of the third newcomer, who hung back a little, taking in the scene with calculating dark eyes that seemed to miss nothing. His suit and crisp white shirt were impeccably tailored but not flashy.

This guy reeked of serious cash.

Sienna had worked in fine restaurants. She knew how to tell the difference between those who went to great effort to look rich, and those who were seriously wealthy.

This guy was one of the latter, and somehow, he also managed to look dangerous.

Her instincts tingled.

Who the fuck were these people, and what the hell were they doing on an alien space station in the middle of lord knows where?

She pulled her hand away and folded her arms, frowning at the trio. “Are you the PR team or something?”

Arin laughed. Rykal shrugged and stole a piece of fish, his fangs flashing as he popped the morsel into his mouth. Jaxis looked annoyed. Kai cracked a hint of a smile.

“Sorry, I should have explained. I’m here to give you the introduction. We would have sent someone way earlier, but they didn’t tell us you were back here until Riana pressed Kail about it. Sometimes they just don’t think. Abbey—that’s Tarak’s mate—was livid. She’s a little tied up with a couple of things right now, but knowing her, she’ll be over to say hi as soon as she can.” Arin made a placating gesture with one hand and nudged Rykal good-naturedly with her other elbow as he took another piece of salmon.

Well, at least someone was enjoying her cooking.

From the way that they looked at each other, Arin and Rykal had to be lovers. As Sienna observed the look of satisfaction that flickered across Rykal’s face, she couldn’t help but wonder if her food had reached Ikriss yet.

You guys only eat for sustenance, my ass.

Suddenly, she was nervous, because she, who was usually so confident in her abilities, didn’t know how he would receive her efforts.

Secretly, she desperately wanted him to like it. The thought of learning the intricacies of his palate and at the same time showing him how to enjoy food…

Amongst other things.

Stars, how she craved his closeness… his touch.

The thought of being in his embrace made her giddy.

But as with all good things, she would just have to wait.

She gave Arin a quizzical look. “So… what is it exactly that you’re supposed to be giving me an introduction to?” she asked, switching to English, because the effort of speaking her best Universal while dealing with all these strangers was starting to melt her brain. “No offense, but the whole we’re just simple mercenaries story doesn’t really wash.”

“Oh, they’re anything but simple,” Arin said lightly. “Don’t worry. There are no secrets here. I’ll explain it all. The Evil Empire, the rebellion, the experiments, the dark past, the reproduction problem, the cultural stuff, the sex… Even if I didn’t already have official permission, I’d tell you anyway.” Arin glanced slyly at Rykal, and even though she spoke English, he seemed to understand, because he sidled over and put a possessive arm around her waist.

“Sex?” Sienna hissed, her legs turning to jelly.

In the background, Kai let out a soft snort.

“There’s a lot of that.”

“Good lord.” Sienna mock-fanned her face. Rykal smirked. Jaxis just looked confused.

“Let’s stay on topic, Arin,” Kai said coolly, and Sienna thought she detected a hint of a Darkside accent in his English.

Darkside? The notorious unregulated district at the edge of Teluria was the unofficial capital of the Syndicate. An uneasy feeling crept up on her. “And you? What are you supposed to be here for?”

The human offered a slight bow. “Well, Sienna, once you have had your introduction, I need to talk with you about more serious matters.”

“Serious…?”

“The Syndicate,” Kai said calmly, switching to perfect Universal.

Sienna bristled as she was reminded of the clusterfuck she’d left back on Earth. “And what would you know about that?” Who the hell are you, anyway?

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