Page 23 of Zirkov

The corner of his mouth kicked up into a cocky smile. “As you wish… Magdalena.”

The male was screwing with her. No question about it. Maggie stopped in front of a thrift store and took a deep breath to calm down. She could feel him standing, waiting, behind her.

He hadn’t blackmailed, threatened, or slapped a pair of handcuffs on her. He said he wanted to help… and she’d given him a hard time.

“Why kiss me if you think I’m guilty?” she whispered.

“It’s a good question, but I cannot answer. Not now.”

“You confused me, Z. One minute I think you hate me, and the next…” She shook her head. “I can’t figure you out. Especially when you call me Magdalena, a name you know I don’t like.”

“But Magdalena’s a beautiful name. Unique, full of strength and purpose. Like you.”

“I don’t care. Stop calling me that and leave me the hell alone.” She reached for the door handle, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Zirkov’s breath warmed her already heated neck as his mouth brushed against her ear. “I want nothing from you, other than the truth and a chance to protect you. I’ve already adjusted the evidence.”

She released the door. “Please tell me you only said that to get my attention.”

“I took action to protect you.”

Maggie drew a deep breath, debating if she wanted to punch or kiss him. Whether through his scrumptious scent or the way he constantly ignored Earth protocols and took the law into his own hands, Zirkov would be the death of her. But he’d concealed evidence to save her.

“You can’t tamper with evidence like that,” she whispered as she grabbed his vest and pulled him around the corner of the building. She couldn’t chance people getting off a bus hearing them. “This could impact Earth’s security. And you’ll get in trouble.”

“Are you worried about me, Magdalena?” That adorable yet arrogant grin of his pulled at her, made her want to prove him wrong… or jump him. She wasn’t sure which, damn him.

“I worry about all the agents I work with, especially those of GI7. Even you, Z.”

He raised a brow. “I’m not a new marshal. Or new to Earth, like Stenikov.”

“Maybe you don’t need me, but the other marshals do.”

He surged forward, trapping her against the brick wall in the alley. “I never said I don’t need you.”

What was he saying? And why did she have this sudden urge to reach up and touch the hard edge of his jaw? Maggie forced her hands behind her before she could give in to her impulse to run her fingers across his lips.He wasn'tthe one in trouble here. She was.With the DAA, if this video surfaced, and with him, if he continued to talk like he wanted to be with her.

“It’s not all about you, Marshal Kesk.” She addressed him by his title and surname, hoping to achieve emotional distance. “Your other marshals are vulnerable in ways you don’t want to admit. Like Warrior Stenikov. A week after arriving on Earth, you thrust him into a situation for which he was unprepared. Guarding a witness on a world he doesn’t know—”

“Stenikov’s an experienced warrior. He knows how to adapt.”

“That doesn’t mean he knows Earth. It’s why I check up on you. All of you.”

“We do not need your oversight. My marshals go through intense training before being stationed on a new world, including Earth.” Zirkov edged closer, his body inches from her. He lowered his voice. “Unless you are offering personal training that would benefit me as their commander, do not concern yourself with my marshals.”

“And you?” she replied, her pulse racing as his enticing masculinescent enveloped her. He’d invaded her personal space, without hesitation, without consent, and from the fire in his eyes, determined to achieve his goal. But what precisely did he want from her?

“There’s only so much you can learn from books or computers,” she added, throwing as much strength into her voice as she could muster. When she lifted her chin, he backed off, but only an inch, as if to give her breathing space, nothing more. “Stenikov rushed the witness out of the safehouse and ran with her without cover. A tall blue alien with horns running through the streets catches people’s attention. The wrong people. That’s how the Brotherhood located her.”

Zirkov stared at her neck. Instinctively, she brushed her hand over the area. “Nothing’s there.”

“Did I say there was?” he asked, the hint of a smile forming on his lips.

“I understand there are times GI7 has to move a witness, but your horns and skin color stand out. Ri’Nom was a true asset here. He could easily hide his second set of arms.”

“That’s why finding og’dals on Earth is difficult. They blend in too well. But you humans…” Zirkov pushed a lock of her hair behind an ear. “…stand out on other worlds, more than my marshals. I only hire skilled and experienced warriors,and I’d trust them anywhere.”

“Meaning you’d never accept me.”

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