Page 49 of Grumpy Alien Billionaire

I squeeze the trigger, and the plasma bolt hits the Grolgath square in the chest. Its body convulses mid-air, scales sizzling as the energy rips through it. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air as it crumples to the floor, twitching once before going still.

Tyler doesn’t hesitate. She bolts toward me, her eyes wide but her steps steady. I catch her as she throws herself into myarms, her small frame trembling against mine. Her hands clutch at my armor, and I can feel her heart racing through the thin fabric of her shirt.

“You’re okay,” I mutter, more to myself than to her. My claws brush against her back, careful not to scratch her. “You’re okay.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her blue eyes searching mine. “I knew you’d come,” she says, her voice shaky but firm.

Before I can respond, the crackle of gunfire echoes through the cannery, followed by a panicked voice over my comms. “Lanz! We’re pinned down on the factory floor! They’ve got us surrounded!”

I curse under my breath, my grip tightening on Tyler. “Stay behind me,” I order, pulling her close as I turn toward the sound of the battle. “And don’t let go.”

She nods, her fingers gripping the edge of my armor as we move. The factory floor is chaos—plasma bolts lighting up the darkness, the sharp tang of ozone mixing with the metallic scent of blood. My team is huddled behind a stack of crates, their weapons trained on the shadows where the Grolgath are hiding.

“Lanz!” Krel shouts, ducking as a bolt whizzes past his head. “They’ve got us cornered!”

I step forward, my plasma rifle raised. “Hold your fire!” I bark, my voice cutting through the din. The weapons fall silent, the sudden quiet almost deafening.

“Bob!” I shout, my golden eyes scanning the darkness. “I know you’re here. Let’s talk.”

For a moment, there’s nothing. Then, a figure steps into the light. Bob, his green scales glinting faintly. He’s calm, almost casual, as if this is just another day at the office.

“There you are, Lanz,” he says, his voice smooth and unhurried. “I was wondering when you’d show up.” He tilts his head, his frills twitching slightly. “Now, I’m not going tonegotiate with a Vakutan, but if you wish to surrender, I might be persuaded to let you and some of your men live.”

I feel Tyler’s grip tighten on my armor, her breath hitching. I don’t take my eyes off Bob. “Funny,” I say. “I was about to make you the same offer.”

Bob smirks, that infuriating, smug twist of his lips that makes my scales itch. I don’t hesitate. I squeeze the trigger, and the plasma bolt blasts through his chest, leaving a smoking hole where his heart should be. He crumples to the floor, his milky white eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

“One down,” I mutter.

But then another Grolgath steps into the light, and my stomach drops. It’s Bob. Again. Same green scales, same smug smirk, same milky eyes.

“What the—” I growl, my grip tightening on my weapon. “More shapeshifting tricks? I’ll kill Grolgath no matter what they look like.”

I fire again. The second Bob drops, his body twitching as it hits the floor. But before I can even take a breath, a third Bob walks into the light. I shoot him too. And then another. And another.

The dead Bobs start piling up, their bodies creating a grotesque mound in the center of the room. The new ones have to climb over their fallen brethren, their movements eerily calm, like this is just another day at the office. My plasma rifle grows hot in my hands, the power cell draining with every shot.

“Lanz,” Tyler whispers behind me, her voice trembling. “What’s happening?”

“Stay behind me,” I snap, my eyes never leaving the next Bob as he steps into view. I fire again. He falls. Another takes his place.

My weapon beeps—a warning. Low power. I curse under my breath, my claws digging into the grip. One more shot. I take it.The Bob in front of me collapses, but another is already climbing over the pile of bodies.

My rifle dies with a soft click. I toss it aside, my golden eyes narrowing as the latest Bob steps onto the mound of his own corpses. He adjusts his tie, his smirk widening.

“Not shapeshifting,” he says, his voice smooth and unhurried. “Cloning technology. I’m not sure you have enough shots to take all of me down.”

"So that's why Gordo saw so many Grolgath here," I say. My golden eyes scan the pile of Bob clones, their green scales glinting faintly in the dim light. "They were all your clones. Where is Gordo, anyway?"

Bob laughs, a sound that grates against my scales like nails on glass. He steps forward, his smirk widening. "Oh, he’s down in the bowels of the cannery," he says, his tone casual, like we’re discussing the weather. "With the other test subjects. It takes a lot of raw material to make clones this quickly."

My stomach churns, bile rising in my throat. I look at the mound of dead Bobs, their lifeless bodies sprawled across the floor. Each one came at the expense of a human life. My claws flex, the sharp tips digging into my palms. "You’re a monster," I growl, my voice trembling with rage.

Bob shrugs, adjusting his tie like he’s just finished a business meeting. "Necessary sacrifices," he says, his tone dismissive. "You of all people should understand that, Lanz. Or do you think your hands are clean?"

I throw my laser pistol down, the clatter of metal against concrete echoing through the room. My claws extend, the sharp tips glinting in the dim light. "You shouldn’t watch this, Tyler," I growl. "It’s not a side of me I like people to see."

"Lanz—" she starts, her voice trembling, but I give a sharp shake of my head.

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