“Verified: organic female human,” JR14’s voice broke through his thoughts, his words a distant whir. “Vital signs stable.”
Azazel didn’t waste any time racing toward her.
Her eyes widened, and a faint moan escaped her lips. And in that brief moment, their gazes met. Those eyes, a deep and startling shade of cornflower blue, locked onto his.
The world paused.
Inexplicable warmth flooded his chest, a sensation he’d never experienced before.
“Who…” She stared at him, her voice trembling but steady. “Who are you?”
“Trust me,” Azazel said, his voice gentler than he expected. “I’m your way out.”
The sound of distant footsteps shattered the moment.
Vaeloryx’s voice echoed through the Sub-Node dangling from the sash wrapped around his waist. “Azazel, the enforcers are closing in. You must leave now.”
Azazel didn’t hesitate. He scooped Toni into his arms, making her squeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her close, her slight weight easy to handle as he headed toward the open door. “JR14, prepare for extraction.”
“Affirmative,” the bot replied, and his wings buzzed in a steady rhythm.
Azazel sprinted through an open doorway and headed left. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was where Kyrix had told him to go. At least he hoped so. He struggled to pay attention to where he was going. It was hard to shake the image of Toni’s mesmerizing eyes—the way they pierced through him—that ignited something deep and primal inside him. So much so that his inner beast twitched with interest.
Son-of-a-lilit! Last thing he needed was this added distraction. He didn’t have time to moon over a woman he hadn’t even introduced himself to yet. Ignoring his instinctual reaction to her, he redoubled his efforts and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
The ship trembled around them, the room’s defenses faltering under the strain of the destabilized core.
Azazel tightened his grip on Toni and raced down the chamber. The sound of chaos and conflict grew louder around them with each step.
When Lord Ronald-McDictator vanished, the only thing for Toni to do was finish the liquid stuff he had given her. After she swallowed the last sip, her heavy eyes demanded some downtime. And before she knew it, she was out like a light.
She jolted awake as the platform beneath her shuddered. Her head pounded, and she touched the side of her face and tried to wade through the thick fog churning inside her brain. Glancing around through blurry eyes, she noticed the light had changed to a violet color that bathed the crystalline room. It pulsed erratically, throwing distorted shadows across the walls.Son of a bitch!The damn place better stop wavering around or she’d spew.
With a moan, she covered her stomach with her palm and sat up, leaning against the mirrored wall. Something caught her attention, making her look around. What was that? Her pulse quickened.
A loud crack split the air, and the heavy chamber doors slid open.
Toni froze. Her breath hitched as a figure rushed through the threshold, his silhouette sharp against the flickering light.
Holy God!No way was that Baelon.
With an unbelieving stare, she took in the man standing a few feet away. He was all hard lines and silent intensity. A man who didn’t need to speak to make the room bend around his will. She watched him the way prey watches a predator—fascinated and wary, but unable to look away. His long dark hair, pulled back in a thick braid, leaving a strong scruffy jawline clear, high cheekbones, and mahogany-brown eyes that stared at her with timeless purpose. His face could have been chiseled by a master sculptor—sharp angles, powerful lines, and a quiet intensity that dared her to look away. The slight edges of a scar above his left brow only enhanced the rugged potency of his features.
She sucked in a breath and scanned what he wore. A loose, tunic-style shirt in a neutral color covered flowing trousers held together by a wide, black sash wrapped around his trim waist. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, snuggled in that sash was an honest-to-god katana.
For a split second, Toni’s breath caught. She couldn’t have envisioned a more-compelling heroic figure in one of her movies if she tried. This man was impossibly striking, a vision of something fierce and noble that didn’t belong in the nightmarish reality she found herself stuck in.
Suspicion reared its ugly head. Toni’s heart thrummed harder. Baelon was a master manipulator. This man—this apparition of a “rescuer”—could be another one of his cruel games. How else could she explain it? As if her idea of a perfect man just happened to stride through the door to rescue her. The guy radiated undeniable confidence. A living embodiment of every fantasy her personal leading man would be. Her throat tightened as she sat ramrod straight, fighting to stay calm.
“Who…” She swallowed to keep the trembling out of her tone. “Who are you?”
“Trust me.” He said in a gentle tone. “I’m your way out.”
Yeah, right. Like she was stupid enough to buy that shit show.
Clattering footsteps from outside the room echoed.
“Azazel, the enforcers are closing in. You must leave now.”
