“I’m sure they’re going to fill us in on what happened after we left the Krystalii ship.” Azazel lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, keeping her hand over his firm chest. “But what I’m hoping is they’ll provide us with something to eat.” At that announcement, his stomach growled. “I’m starving.” He put his hand over his flat stomach and gave her a sheepish grin.
When her stomach echoed his rumble, they both laughed.
“Yeah, I’m with you there.” Toni grinned and skipped backward, facing him, holding his hand with both of hers. “Come on, let’s hurry before it’s all gone.”
“As my lady commands.” Azazel bowed before he swooped her into his arms.
She squealed with delight, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hurried them down the corridor.
They were still laughing when he skidded to a halt at an open doorway.
“Finally,”Elemi’stesty tone announced. “They’re here.”
Toni’s mouth fell open as conversations stopped. Filling the space was a group of people she’d had no idea were on the ship with them.
“Oh, look.” Azazel set her down on her feet and nodded at the opposite wall in the large room. “There’s food.” He grabbed her hand and headed to the buffet line against the wall with single-minded intent. “Let’s eat.”
Toni leaned in and whispered as she trotted next to him. “Who are all these people?”
Azazel glanced over his shoulder, then shrugged. “Right now, I don’t care. I have something more important on my mind. Like eating.”
“Toni?” A woman rushed to her and engulfed her in a hard hug. “Oh my God!” She pulled away and studied her. “Are you okay?”
Toni stepped back and kept her hold on the woman’s upper arms. It took a moment, but she quickly realized who it was. “Lisa? Is that you?” The blond woman matched her in height but moved with a quiet, deliberate grace that hinted at a sharp intellect beneath the surface. As a film producer, Toni loved working with talented writers like the best-selling author in front of her.
“Yeah.” Lisa laughed. “We’re all here!” She turned to the people at the octagon table that took up most of the room. “Hey, guys. It’s Toni!”
“What?” Another squeal. This from Latina Izzy, who didn’t waste time rushing over and joining in the hug fest.
“Glad you made it in one piece.” This came from Morgan, her golden corkscrew curls brushed her shoulders as she came to the group. Her diverse heritage was clear in her striking caramel complexion and golden green eyes. She patted Toni on her shoulder.
Tears filled Toni’s eyes. Her cellmates from the gangster planet of FiPan were here. Except… “Where’s Althea?” Dread filled her. She stood on her toes to look over her friends, but didn’t see the dark-haired woman.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about her.” Morgan slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “She’s doing just fine with the man of her dreams and living on an out-of-the-way planetoid called Hiigar.”
Toni let out a huge breath with a grin. “Well, that’s good to hear.” She looked at each one of her friends in the eyes. “How ’bout you guys?” She chuckled. “Anyone else find the man of your dreams?”
Izzy’s blush traveled from her neck to her cheeks. Lisa’s grin was as wide as a river. And Morgan… well, Morgan was her normal cool self. But the slight grin on her full lips said it all.
“Really? All of us?” Toni laughed. “Look at us! Finding love in space after all.” She nodded to Azazel and his more-than-handsome brothers.
It was then she noticed a couple of other folks in the room. Some were humans… some not so much. “I think I’d better sit down,” she mumbled.
Spying Azazel sitting at the table and tackling the mountain of food on his plate, Toni nodded to her friends and left them to join him. She grinned when she saw he’d brought her a plate of something to eat as well. A strange combination of foods that could be called breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not that she cared. Spearing a roll that looked like sushi, she plopped the treat into her mouth and moaned. Tuna, her favorite.
“Thank you,” she mumbled through the side of her mouth to Azazel as she stabbed a broccoli stalk.
“You are more than welcome,hebat.” Azazel’s dark eyes twinkled as he looked at her before taking a bite out of the slice of T-bone he’d cut. “I will always take care of you.”
“Now that we’re all here, let’s begin.” This announcement came from a man who looked transparent.
“That’s my eldest brother, Adapa.” Azazel leaned toward her. “And next to him is his wife, Queen Inanna, from the planet Akurn. Right now, they’re talking to us in holographic form from there. That’s why they’re translucent.”
Adapa was as handsome as all of Azazel’s brothers. His features were more Middle Eastern than the others, with clear dark eyes of stern intelligence. Next to him was one of the most beautiful women Toni had ever seen. Her glorious red-blond hair, styled in sophisticated curls around her head, held a small golden tiara. A face as white as porcelain featured unusual turquoise eyes.
“Azazel, since you are the last to arrive, please introduce us to your companion.” Adapa tilted his head with a wave of his hands.
If Toni hadn’t known he was a hologram, she’d swear he and the queen were sitting in the room with them. Transparency notwithstanding.
