Page 92 of Warrior's Captive
“What vendor?” Yolu demanded. “I want to see the tracking number.”
Vivian tensed, reacting to Yolu’s active hostility towards the female. She started to chide him but stopped. The woman’s pale eyes latched onto Vivian when she involuntarily shifted, the gaze too focused to be casual observation. The deliveries had been coming and going all week. Some people smiled and chatted, other people glanced around the shop with casual curiosity, some just shoved a signature pad at her and then took off, not even making eye contact.
But no one just stood there, staring.
Vivian moved towards the back of the shop as the female burst into action, shoving Yolu out of the way and running towards Vivian.
“Run,” he yelled, and launched towards the woman. Vivian pressed the distress signal on her comm.
She had her instructions.
* * *
“Sir, come see this,” Evvek said.
Tai’ri rose from his own console, approaching. A message lay stark on Evvek’s console. He read it once, insides icing over.
“It was business before,” Evvek said, turning to give Tai’ri a grim look. “It’s personal now. I already alerted Vykhan.”
“I am here,” theirAdekhansaid, stepping into the room. “My team received a similar threat on theBdakhun.”
Tension thrummed through Tai’ri. He used the energy, channeled it into cold resolve. No one would threaten his family and live.
“I expected something like this,” Vykhan added, expression thoughtful. “We nip at their heels, and this requires a response.”
It hit Tai’ri—this was more than Vykhan’s usual calm, this was an utter lack of surprise at the sudden escalation of threat after so many weeks of quiet.
“You expected the attack on Vivian at her studio,” Tai’ri said.
Evvek inhaled. “Oh, fuck.”
Cool eyes met his own. “Her presence out in the open is a temptation to our enemies. By appearing to relax our guard, we invite them to show their hand. So we may cut it off.”
“Using Vivian and Mayleen as bait?” Tai’ri snarled.
Vykhan did not move. Tall, cold, proud, so certain of his rightness. “I would not allow your mate or child to be placed in true danger. Even now—”
Tai’ri’s comm blared. It was Vivian’s panic tone. “It’s too late. Let me go, Evvek.”
Evvek released him and Tai’ri ran, his anger at Vykhan gone. Nothing mattered now but to get to Vivian and Mayleen.
32
“If he tells you to run,”Tai’ri said, “you go for the nearest exit. You run straight to the dojo and request sanctuary. They’ll know what to do.”
She stared at him in suspicion. How could he promise something like that? Recalling how Tai’ri had clasped the dojo owner’s arm, it clicked. “You’re friends with him, aren’t you? No—former colleagues I would bet.”
Tai’ri smiled and shrugged. “He’s retired from the Province Heir’s detail. Most of his students are prospective or family of other warriors who serve. We take care of our own, in more than one way.”
Shelves shattered behind her as the thud of a body flying crashed into them. She whirled,for a split second ignoring Tai’ri’s instructions. She couldn’t leave Yolu to fight alone. But one of the first things Banujani had taught her in their beginning sessions was that her best defense was her feat.
“Look,yadoana,I get you want to fight and defend yourself. Right now we’re going to learn about running and hiding. Then we’ll graduate to what you can do to keep from dying if someone gets their hands on you. Your job is to hold out long enough for help to arrive.”
“What about ass kicking,” Vivian insisted. “When do we get to ass kicking?”
Implacable eyes stared at her. “When you can run fast enough and hide long enough that I can’t find you.”
“But—”
