Page 13 of Loved By the Alien King
“I want my communicator back. Where is it?”
The Killian pulled out a small, square device I’d never seen before, with a rectangular screen that looked like green radar pulses. “It’s two rooms away, but there are still people inside.”
“Have you been tracking my communicator, and me, all this time?”
Without looking up from the device, he patted my back. “You’re welcome.”
“We just happened to look over while standing outside of that room and saw you through the window,” Pete added, pointing to the door.
“If there are people in there with my communicator, I’m sure they’ll mind if we traipse on in and grab it.”
The Killian shrugged and put the strange device back into his pants pocket. “Well, next time, don’t let them take your communicator.”
“There won’t be a next time.” Even as I said it though, I knew that wasn’t the truth.
Now that they knew what I was, there was nothing keeping Space Fleet from trying to capture me again if I escaped. But I sure as fuxx wasn’t staying here either. I’d take that chance…and hide in plain sight on a reality dating show.
While my thoughts roiled, I was keenly aware of the Killian’s gaze on me, dissecting my every blink.
I ignored him. “This place is quiet. It’s late. Those people on your radar didn’t appear to be moving. Maybe they’re asleep.”
“There is no window on the door your communicator is behind,” the Killian said, “so we can’t be sure.”
“Picking locks isn’t always quiet either,” Pete added.
Sighing, I looked around at our other options until my gaze landed on the old-fashioned cooling unit in the ceiling that sounded like crashing waves. “The air vents?”
Pete and the Killian nodded. “The air vents,” they agreed in unison and then shared an annoyed look at their synchronicity.
“I’ll get that ladder.” The Killian started toward one leaning against the far wall.
“I got the tools, which I guess means I’m the one climbing the ladder.” Pete gazed with wide eyes up at the cooling unit, only about four feet above his head. “Not it for exploring the vents though. Nope.”
“You’re the smallest out of the three of us. Besides, I’ve already been nearly squished today.” I shoved him toward the Killian and the ladder he was propping up against the glass cage. “Your turn.”
Groaning, his shoulders slouching, he pouted for a second like a child. A grown man. Pouting.
I often felt sorry for human women everywhere.
But then he snapped himself out of it and straightened, fishing his phone out from his back pocket. “I’ll film myself. Make it look like I’m in a spy movie on a top-secret mission. I’ll work it into the next episode of the show.”
I threw up my fists, trying my best not to fling them both at his face. “Whatever gets us out of here alive, Pete.”
Whatever got me back to Nera too, to hold her and find out what had shaken her so badly.
While the Killian held the ladder steady for him, Pete began to climb, all the while talking animatedly to his reflection on his phone. “…five minutes to defuse the bomb, get the communicator, and rescue the girl…”
“This is nothing compared to how he tested my patience on the way here. He was practically skipping.” The Killian shot me an irritated look, like just thinking about it angered him all over again. “I don’tdoskipping.”
“Same. Next time, maybe accidentally trip him,” I suggested.
“Yeah, I can still hear you, you know,” Pete called from the top of the ladder.
The Killian nodded and murmured, “Accidentally. I like it.”
While Pete began unscrewing the cooling unit from the ceiling, the Killian and I went silent, the awkward stretch of it pulling tightly at my nerves. The thick tension of the quiet corkscrewed at each of my scales and twisted them uncomfortably until finally I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Why did you come?” I blurted.
