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Her fury gave her the strength to square her shoulders, lift her chin, and fix them each with a fierce stare as she left the theater. Rosalie’s smirk wavered, and she glanced worriedly at Valentina, whose features turned hard and cold.
“Let’s go. It’s late, and I have to rest so my voice will be in top form for rehearsal tomorrow.” Valentina shoved past Irene, scampering to stay in front of her longer stride.
They were nearly to a bend in the corridor when a large figure rushed around it. Rosalie squealed and ducked her head…so much for playing her part as a man…while Irene and Valentina gaped at the incredible view of a red-faced Fausto in striped silk pajamas running toward them.
“Irene! What are you doing out…who are these men…Valentina! Why are you dressed in those clothes? Why haven’t you answered your com? Never mind, back to the theater. Lock yourselves in!”
Instead of obeying his frantic shouts, Valentina ran toward him. “Amado!What is happening?”
“No, you must hide! The Kalquorians, they lock our security away, take the women!Corri, amore mio!To the theater!”
He grabbed Valentina and shoved her back the way the women had come. As they rushed toward the theater, he grabbed Irene too, leaving gawping Rosalie to follow.
“Quickly, quickly! They’ll know you are missing and will search—mio Dio!”
He wrenched their arms, stopping them as dark blurs zipped around the corner mere steps from the theater door. The blurs halted and solidified, revealing themselves to be Captain Nil and Nobek Amig.
The pair stared at the quartet of humans. Amig’s expression had a definite don’t-fuck-with-me aura as he eyed Fausto. Nil’s façade was conciliatory but set.
Shockingly, they bowed as the captain spoke. “My apologies for upsetting you ladies. I’m impressed two of you disguised yourselves in hopes of eluding us, but we would have found you.” He smiled at Valentina. “I’m quite fond of you in particular, Matara. I hope in due time, we can put this unpleasantness behind us.”
“You are kidnappers!” Fausto accused.
“I’m sure you’d see it such,il Signore. According to my orders, we’re conducting a rescue of these oppressed women. Kalquor cannot stand by and watch you subjugate, torture, and kill the female half of your population any longer.”
“Rescue? What are you talking about?” In her passion, Valentina tore off her hat and wig cap. Black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and Irene noted how Nil’s features softened. Damn if the man wasn’t infatuated.
“Do you deny you were endangered when you spoke so familiarly to my clan? Wasn’t it possible those who witnessed you treating us kindly when we visited your rehearsal could have reported you to your government for scandalous behavior?”
“They would never. Fausto wouldn’t let them. They dare not oppose him.” Valentina’s eyes widened in fear as she glanced at the company’s most important personage.
“Yes, I heard him and the head of your company’s security argue over the matter. I also heard Mr. Donald tell him the Church would overlook only so much before you crossed the line.” Nil gazed at Rosalie, then Irene. “Do you ladies deny if a man were to accuse you of mere flirtation, you’d be arrested? Interrogated? Perhaps tortured to admit your so-called sins?”
Irene hardly dared to breathe. She’d done more than flirt, and she had the notion the truth of what she’d done was somehow displayed on her face.
“I protect the women of my company,” Fausto managed in a strangled voice. “They have nothing to fear under my care.”
“Are you sure? What if you were to fall from favor? What if a woman’s actions were tooimmoral—” Nil spat the word to show his disgust with it “—for you to intercede?”
“They wouldn’t. The ladies are afraid to misbehave…” Fausto’s voice died off as he realized what he’d just admitted to.
“Exactly.” Nil’s smile was bitter. “They live in fear of your government and church. This is why we’ve been ordered to remove those we can from the danger Earth poses to them, to take them to Kalquor where they’ll be safe and adored by clans eager to show them they are to be treasured, not subjugated.”
His statement ended in a snarl, aimed at Fausto. It couldn’t have been clearer Nil thought his orders to “rescue” Earther women were valid.
He muttered something to the equally wrathful Amig. They moved too fast for Irene to follow. Before she could blink, she found herself at the Nobek’s side, his hand clamped on her upper arm.
“Please don’t force me to cuff you,” Amig said to her, his savage features attempting some sense of consolation. “I will, to keep you from coming to harm if you resist.”
“Fausto!” Valentina screamed. She’d been grabbed by Nil.
Shouting curses in Italian, Fausto lunged for the captain. He stopped short when his nose bumped the muzzle of Nil’s percussion blaster, which had appeared in the Kalquorian’s hand. Rosalie, who hadn’t been accosted, screamed. Valentina moaned and wobbled, as if on the verge of fainting.
Fausto held his hands up and backed off a step. “You must not,” he pleaded.
Nil turned his attention to Rosalie, who’d dropped to her knees in terror, though his aim never wavered from Fausto’s face. “Matara, records claim you are married, which keeps me from insisting you come as well. However, if you wish to claim sanctuary from Earth by escaping to the empire on board my ship, you may do so.”
Rosalie gaped at him. Her hands had gone up in supplication, but there was only terror on her expression.
