Page 13 of Dark Gambit Reliance

Kian shook his head. "We don't have enough Guardians."

"We don't," Turner smirked. "But we can make them think that we do. That's where the shrouding comes in. Toven and Yamanu will project an image of our warriors in their exoskeletons multiplied tenfold. Igor and his cronies will think that they are being attacked by a large alien force."

"He won't surrender," Vrog said. "The Kra-ell fight to the death."

Turner leveled his pale blue eyes at the guy. "Igor spits in the face of Kra-ell tradition, but you are right; he won't surrender. Like any other despot, he only cares about his own skin, and he will try to escape. We need to make sure that he doesn't."

10

ERIC

"Here you go, sweetie." Darlene handed Evan a big piece of watermelon.

Eric turned to Idina. "Do you want some?"

"No." She didn't even look up at him.

"Why not? Don't you like watermelon?" He knew that she did.

"I don't want the juice to make my new dress dirty."

"I can tie a napkin around your neck and put another one over your lap. How's that?"

She eyed him with her dark gaze. "Promise that I will have no juice stains on my dress."

"I promise." He took his napkin and hers and covered her up. "All good?"

Nodding, she extended her small hand. "Watermelon, please."

"You didn't say thank you," Karen admonished.

"Thank you." Idina still held her hand out. "Watermelon, please."

"Here you go." Darlene handed her a chunk and turned to Karen. "How are you holding up without Gilbert?"

"The better question is, how am I holding up without Berta and Cheryl. Gilbert was never a big help around the house or with the little ones, but I had Berta. I feel so guilty for letting her go without even saying a proper goodbye. She's been with us for so many years."

"Berta is great." Kaia handed Ryan a juicy piece. "She'll find a new job in a heartbeat. Also, Gilbert promised to pay her six months' worth of work as severance pay. She might take a long, well-deserved vacation."

"What about Cheryl?" Darlene asked. "Is schoolwork keeping her busy?"

Karen nodded. "Between homework and waitressing for Callie, she can barely catch her breath, but I'm so happy that she no longer has her nose in that Instatock app all day long."

"Does she enjoy waitressing?" Eric asked. "It's hard work."

"She does," Kaia said. "She gets to spend time with her two new besties, and Callie pays her well. I'm so happy that Cheryl loves it in the village. I was worried that she wouldn't."

Darlene sighed. "Our reservation at Callie's is in two weeks. I can't wait for our turn in Callie's place."

"It's beautiful," Kaia said. "But right now, it is too big for what she can manage. She has about twenty, square tables sized for couples, while the dining area can easily hold ten times as many. Callie tried to fill the space up with couches and big planters, which adds to the exclusive vibe and provides the diners with a sense of privacy, but if she manages to hire more people, she can add more tables and serve more clients."

"What's the decor like?" Darlene asked.

Kaia pursed her lips. "It's modern with island vibes. I liked it a lot. In fact, I told William that I want to decorate our house in the same style."

Eric waved a dismissive hand. "I don't care about the decor. How was the food?"

"Delicious." William's eyes started glowing. "It's good that the waiting list is so long, or we'd be dining there every day."

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