Page 5 of Lured By the Alien Rogue

Too bad they didn’t have a vitamin for one long-haired, smart-ass Ventivore sucking all the air out of a room.

"I think I hear you breathing."

I promptly held my breath as Klinn’s voice sounded closer.

"You must have run pretty hard back there."

No shit, Sherlock.I strained my ears, listening for a sign of his approach. Every creak and rustle sent me on high alert. I rubbed the nape of my neck where it got increasingly warm and prickly. Maybe the building materials in here were giving my skin a reaction at the worst time.

I lifted the hem of my tunic dress. My hand tightened around the stunner holstered at my thigh. If I got him, the effects would only last a few minutes, but it was my last line of defense.

In the tense stillness of the warehouse, my eyes darted towards the entrance. I weighed whether to stay here and hide until backup arrived or make a break for it while I still had the chance.

The nape of my neck maintained the prickly sensation. Survival now. Hydrocortisone later.

"That dress does look better on you when you hike it up."

I whipped around and aimed the stunner at Klinn. No wonder I had the sensation. It wasn’t sensitive skin. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end because he stood less than two feet away. From my crouched position, he was a giant looming over me.

"Stay back." I warned, raising the stunner to his chest. "I don’t want to use this."

"Me neither. That thing is a pain." He flashed me a white smile. The brightness of his smile seemed to be enhanced by his skin as it took on a glow within the dim warehouse. Before I could try to make a break for it, he dashed to my left. His agile fingers came down on mine and wrested the stunner from my hand. "I’ll take it, thanks."

Without my stunner, I didn’t have the physical strength or the extraterrestrial speed to get him in handcuffs. I attempted to elbow him so I could get away instead. He dashed his way to my right side, holding onto my hand. He pulled me to my feet.

"I can’t believe you were actually about to use this on me." He gave me what I was sure was a fake hurt look. Then he released the cartridge and flung the weapon into a corner of the building, all with one hand.

I hoped he could see the livid frown I gave him in the dim space. "You put a city block in danger, chased me through a warehouse, and have the nerve to be surprised I feel the need to defend myself?"

His skin lost some of its bioluminescent glow. "Well, yes, I’m surprised. It’s been a while since I saw you, and I meant no harm."

"Lies. You’re playing in my face, Klinn." I made a thumbs up gesture and turned it down sharply so I could wrench my hand from his grip. I backed up at a diagonal, so I wouldn’t trap myself between him and the wall. "How’d you break out of jail?"

Sirens wailed outside. Klinn’s gaze broke from me for a split second to glance at the warehouse entrance. It was all the time I needed to make another attempt at escape.

"No, ma’am." He grabbed me around the waist. "I’m going to need to borrow your time for a bit."

"Did you just call me ‘ma’am’?" I kicked and flailed in his tight grip.

"Just trying to be polite. Do you prefer Miss instead of ma’am?"

Trying to get away from him was like trying to disentangle myself from a steel Rotogate turnstile at Quincy Station. "I prefer you let me go and turn yourself in."

"Sorry. Can’t do it. Maybe I’ll honor another request of yours in the future."

The sirens grew closer. Since Klinn liked to talk, I could keep him gabbing until the reinforcements reached the warehouse. "How’d you know I was here on Xaxos?"

"While I was decorating a jail cell, I overheard your old buddies on the force talking about your nice new job with the Wanderstar Fleet." He whispered conspiratorially. "If you ask me, they sounded jealous."

"What makes you think I don’t want to send you back to decorate the cell?"

"I’ll explain it all later. Right now, we gotta go."

"You think that I’ll go with you because you tried to take my breath away? Get out of here."

"Fine. I’ll go, but I’m taking you with me." He carted me across the warehouse floor as though I were a toddler having a public meltdown.

He sped up his pace to get to the back exit. My head was hanging down. I had to shut my eyes as I could see the floor behind us in a blur as he rushed past with me. I felt fresh air on my skin for a moment before he set me on a vehicle seat. The door closed. The vehicle lurched forward with a screech as I tried to sit up and reorient myself.

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