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“I would do anything for her,” Cazar said seriously.
Tristan scratched the back of his head. “You know, I was a little wary about the freaky Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation you mentioned earlier, but it sounds like you’ve got Evie well protected.”
Cazar’s jaw clenched. “Well, that was before–”
“Yes, Cazar is very protective,” she replied, sending Cazar a silent ‘shut the hell up’ with her eyes.
His mouth snapped closed, nostrils flaring in irritation. She hadn’t been expecting Cazar to tell Tristan so much about her time on Aragnok, but he’d been very forthcoming, especially with the fact that he’d been in a symbiotic relationship with Toroq.
Tristan now knew far too much about Evie’s time here, but he didn’t know they’d recently parted ways from the parasite. And if Toroq was a good mark toward Cazar, she wasn’t about to tell her brother that the parasite was long gone.
Her heart clenched at the thought, but Evie ignored it, just like she’d been doing ever since Toroq’s departure.
Sitting down next to Cazar, she snatched his corsna from him and took a small sip. She was going to need it if they planned on talking for much longer. The carbonation hit just the spot and she sighed, relaxing.
“You know, I might have initially pegged you wrong,” Tristan admitted, holding out a hand to Cazar. “Put ‘er there.”
Cazar stared at Tristan’s extended hand for a moment before awkwardly taking it. Instead of shaking, he simply held Tristan’s hand, staring into his eyes. “I appreciate your understanding of the love I feel for your sister.”
Evie’s lips twitched as Cazar held her brother’s gaze and hand while the other man visibly began to squirm.
“Alright, that’s a little too intimate for me,” Tristan said with a laugh, pulling back.
“Do you know how long you’re staying on Aragnok for?” Evie asked.
Tristan nodded. “About two months. There were a lot of people aboard the ship over here, and they wanted to give everyone a chance to do meet-and-greets with various Aragnokans and explore the planet. See what this place has to offer.”
“I didn’t think there’d be a ton of people visiting so soon,” Evie commented.
Tristan nodded. “Most people onboard were large families, but there were a few solo guys like myself that I got to know a bit. Sitting on a ship in space for weeks has a way of bringing people closer. A couple of the guys knew more about this trip than I did and gave me a bit of information. Apparently, this visit is also a chance for a bit of PR.”
“Public relations,” Evie murmured to Cazar when his brow furrowed before nodding for Tristan to continue.
“Yeah, things have been a bit strained on Earth since those soldiers went rogue on your planet. I guess a few of the other countries that were discussing whether or not to talk treaties with Aragnok have gotten cold feet. Even the U.S. is being very hush-hush with their intentions now. They’re probably expecting some type of retaliation.”
Cazar snorted. “I find it hard to believe that the soldiers that nearly killed myself and Evie were acting on their own accord. All they cared about was finding a chip containing technological advances and outlines for potential weapons.”
Tristan shrugged. “I can only tell you what I’ve heard. Publicly, the U.S. government claims that those men acted within their own interests. Privately, I’m sure those same men were merely following orders. No one would step foot on an alien planet with hostile intentions unless they had the numbers or the reassurance that they’d be protected.”
“And what better protection than their own country’s support?” Evie mused, shaking her head to clear it a moment later. “This is a depressing topic. Besides, it’s over and done with now. Maybe we should talk about something else.”
Cazar leaned over, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Whatever you wish.”
Tristan eyed them thoughtfully before nodding once in clear approval of Cazar’s actions. “Now that we’ve got the bonding portion of this visit taken care of, just what the hell were you thinking in coming here, Evie? Outer space? Really?”
Evie winced, taking another sip of Cazar’s drink for courage. She’d been hoping to avoid this conversation for a little longer, but maybe it was time to rip the bandage off.
“I’m not sure I should tell you while you’re drunk, and this isn’t exactly the conversation I was aiming for.”
“If it’s as bad as I’m thinking, now is the best time, while my reflexes are shit.”
Cazar placed his hand on Evie’s knee, squeezing in reassurance. “Tell him of the male not worthy of you. The stalker whose balls you electrocuted.”
“What?” Tristan bellowed.
Cazar nodded. “It was all very shocking for me to hear as well.” His lips twitched. “Perhaps not as shocking as electrocution to the genitals. I can only assume that was very painful.”
“Hold the damn phone.” Tristan held up a hand, sitting forward in his seat until he was leaning over the table, eyes locked on Cazar. “What do you mean, Evie had astalker?“ His head snapped in her direction. “Someone you dated?”
