Laughter bubbles out of me. “The great soldier, Tai fucking pt’Alquon, got captured by a couple of harmless religious aliens?”
His face turns deadly serious. “They aren’t as harmless as you think. They got kicked off their planet for trying to eradicate all the females.”
“There is no way that’s true. You can’t believe everything you see on the newsfeed.” They wouldn’t do something so awful. They’re horny, not homicidal.
“Believe me or don’t—it doesn’t matter. Because we are leavingnow.”
“Where’s your ship?” I ask.
“About that.”
“You crashed here too? What’s the play? You think we can sneak out and what? Wander around in the desert? No thank you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He seethes and it feeds my inner rebel. I’ve already set my sights on Boss, and I’m not leaving until the brethren are free from him. The sudden appearance of this grumpy Tilak changes nothing.
“I’d rather not be cooked alive on the surface of this awful planet. I’m good right here, for now. I’m not leaving until I know I’ll survive up there.” I don’t want to tell him my plan to lead an uprising against Boss. It’s none of his business what I do with my free time.
“We are leaving.”
I clear the laughter from my throat.
“I don’t think it’s up to you. In fact, I think you should sneak back to where it is you came from, and I’ll come up with a plan to get us out of here.” I wave my hand at the door, a dismissal I know will piss him off.
Tai’s nostrils flair. His ear twitches, and a thrill shoots through my veins. I’ll admit, sometimes I mess with people, but there is something especially delicious about pushing Tai’s buttons.
“I am not spending another second in that dungeon?—”
“We have a dungeon?” I interrupt. “Just when I think this placecan’t get any more awesome.” A villainous cackle erupts out of me, but Tai isn’t amused.
“Bri—” His voice drops an octave, and his rebuke is meant to scold, but it has a different effect on my body. His growly deep voice stokes something reckless in me. It’s totally normal to have moments of weakness around handsome assholes, right?
“What’s the plan for those?” I point to his cuffed hands, trying to get back on topic instead of letting my traitorous, sex-deprived body distract me.
“I don’t know. I’ll figure out how to break them.” He shifts his arms and a wince of pain crosses his face.
“What if we could get the brethren to take the cuffs off willingly?” I ask, a devious plan forming in my mind. Tai would never agree to it, which makes me love it even more.
“You’re scaring me. I don’t like that look in your eye,” he says, scrutinizing me.
“Don’t underestimate my powers of persuasion. But for my plan to work…you’re going to have to go back to the dungeon.” I bite my lips to stifle my laughter.
“No.”
“Okay, I can always call the brethren in here and see what happens after that.” I glare at him in a silent challenge.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
“If you leave me down there."
“I’ll get you out of the dungeon. Go back down, and I'll get you out—withoutthe cuffs.”
“You better do it quickly. If I have to wait down there while you are doing, whatever it is you’re doing up here, so help me. I broke out once, I’ll break out again, but next time I’m leaving your ass here.” His ear twitches again. Aro told me it’s the Tilak equivalent of the middle finger.
“You can twitch that ear all you like, but if you want out of the dungeon, you’d better be nice.”
“Quickly.” With the last word, Tai cracks open the door and peers out. He’s about to slip out when I remember something.
