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16
Dumfounded, Onnika watched Aidan tear out of the pub.
She thought they’d been getting along well. He was enjoying her banter, though he would never have admitted it, and she was enjoying teasing him. The more she did, the closer she got to pulling a grin from him, and he had a wicked sexy grin.
Didn’t compare to his kiss, though.
Thwarted desire still rippled through her body. She had wanted more. She’d been about to take it, too, but then she had offered a bit of unguarded truth, and he’d only seen a lie. She’d all but forgotten about the disguise provided by her holo-cuffs until the moment he’d reached out to finger her ear. His fingers would have felt only air. How could she have been so careless?
Didn’t matter now. He’d revealed what he really thought of her—she was still floored by how deeply the knowledge hurt. He was determined to hate her, and that bothered her more than it should. For the first time, she had no course of action. She wanted to run after him, but she loathed seeing that betrayed look in his eyes. Why should she care?
“You want something, miss?” the bartender asked. He was a handsome fellow with a decent build, long brownish hair, and a fine layer of stubble around his chin.
She shook her head, still out of credits. Normally she would flirt to see if she could get a free drink out of him, but she just wasn’t in the mood.
Then a vaguely familiar voice called out to her. “If I’d just kissed a pretty young lady like yourself, I wouldn’t be so mad about it. Hell, I’d be jumpin’ for joy.”
It was the gray-haired man with the dusty cap she and Caryn had helped back on Armina. He sat at a nearby booth.
He smiled at her in recognition. “Hey, itisyou. I saw the white hair, but I wasn’t sure at first.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, walking to his table.
“I’m a hopper,” he said proudly.
“A what?”
“A race hopper. I’m following along with the race. You really helped me out at Armina, by the way. I had put my last credit into my ship to get the bugger working before the event. I was so zealous, I didn’t put enough thought into all the supplies I’d be needing.”
“Oh. Well, you’re welcome. I wish I could help again, but I’m out of credits myself.”
“That’s all right. I can pay you back now. With interest.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved some chips, sliding them over to her. “I’m doing odd jobs at every stop to get by.”
Every now and then, someone truly shocked her. Not bothering to hide her surprise, she accepted his offering. “Wow. Thanks. I never expected to be repaid.”
“It ain’t nothin’. I don’t much like owin’ people.” He took a generous sip of his ale before continuing. “Even though I’m not running the actual race like you, my goal is to make it to the end all the same. I was surprised to see you and your little friend’s faces show up on the roster. Had I known you were contestants, I might have stayed for a chat before the race started.”
“Our…faces?”
“Mm, every few hours the stats of each contestant get displayed for fans all across the universe. Not a lot of information on you two, though. Just names and faces. I’ve been checking in on your progress periodically because, well, I’m sort of a fan now. I see you won a voucher so far. Congratulations.”
A heavy ball of dread dropped into her stomach. If this stranger had seen that she’d entered the race, Tag and his minions most definitely would have, too. And since she thought she’d glimpsed him twice already, she had to assume they were all here, searching the crowd for her and Caryn. And Caryn didn’t know…
Slipping her hand into the hidden pocket of her dress, she checked that the knife she’d swiped from Zeek earlier, when he’d leaned too close, was still there. When she’d taken it, she’d experienced a twinge of guilt, but now she was glad to have it. She and Caryn were on their own again and in just as much danger.
Suddenly, alarms blasted.
The two viewscreens behind the bar went black. Then a message popped up: WARNING. LEVEL TEN SANDSTORM APPROACHING. FIND COVER OR RETURN TO YOUR SHIPS AT ONCE.
Not even thinking, Aidan raced for the pub where he’d left Onnika. The brief he’d received about Nazzu had mentioned the possibility of deadly sandstorms that seemingly cropped up from nowhere. A level ten was so fierce, apparently it could drive a blade of grass into steel. If caught in one, it could choke the air from a person in minutes and bury them in sand just as fast.
This tent city was about to be leveled.
The sound of wind whipping the thin canvas walls shot panic through the crowd. Everyone rushed in all directions, some aiming for the exits, others seeking their loved ones. Aidan had to shove his way past bodies to get to the pub’s entrance.
The relief at seeing her stagger out was immeasurable. Someone brushed past her and called back a warning. “Get to safety, miss.”
Stark-eyed, Onnika searched the crowd. Her gaze locked with Aidan’s. He couldn’t read all the emotions that swept her features. She appeared almost in shock.
