by Kelly Goode
‘Where am I driving to?’
‘The safest place would be my Docklands apartment, but I don’t know if Hetti will last that long. Can you think of anywhere closer? I need you to look at her injuries.’
Helen revved the engine and pulled away from the gravelled driveway with a screech of tyres. She drove erratically out of the large gates, expecting a horde of jaktten to surround the car at any moment.
‘I don’t know anything about your species,’ Helen said shakily. ‘Hetti could have internal injuries that I’m not qualified to treat. Don’t you have your own medical people we can go to?’
‘We have healers, but as I am no longer part of the colony, they won’t help us.’
Helen considered her options, which were limited by who she trusted and who already knew about the aliens.
‘There’s only one place left for us to go,’ she said.
‘Where.’
‘The Invasive Species Control Unit.’
55
Blake found Carson sitting at her desk, nursing a cup of coffee. She seemed lost in her thoughts and didn’t acknowledge his approach.
‘I’ve been looking for you,’ he said. ‘Sorry the errand took longer than I planned. Did everything go ok with the chief?’
Carson put down the cup and looked up at him. He could see her eyes were bloodshot from crying and his gut twisted at the anguish on her face.
‘What happened?’ he asked, as he sat on the chair beside her and took her hand in his.
Carson shook her head, as if unable to speak, and Blake felt his unease increase.
‘Come on, Carson. You’re scaring me. What happened? Did Melman give you a hard time over Helen and the microchip?’
She flung herself into his arms and buried her head in the gap between his neck and his shoulder. He winced as pain exploded across his chest. It felt as if someone had shot him again and he inhaled sharply against the discomfort.
‘Another little girl was taken,’ she said, her voice vibrating against his skin. ‘And Sheridan accused me of being a slut that slept my way into the team. I brushed his comments off earlier, but now the aliens have stolen another little girl and I wonder whether he’s partly right.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Blake replied, as he rubbed her back. ‘Sheridan is going through some shit at the moment. I’m sure he didn’t mean it or else I’d be inclined to beat the crap out of him.’
Carson allowed him to comfort her for a few more seconds, before he felt her stiffen and pull away.
‘I’m sorry too,’ she said, her blue eyes hardening as she stared at him. ‘Sorry I let you talk me into allowing Doctor Peters to keep the microchip. We should have taken it from her. We should’ve brought her back to HQ.’
‘It wouldn’t have helped that little girl.’
Carson leapt to her feet and the chair toppled over behind her. ‘You don’t know that. There could be data on that microchip about the children they’re targeting.’
Blake bit back his response, which was going to be that he’d checked the data that Doctor Malone had uploaded and the victim’s files were encrypted.
‘You can’t save everyone,’ he said instead.
Carson pushed her hands through her short hair with frustration. ‘People keep telling me that, but it doesn’t make it any easier. We should be able to save them all.’
Blake stood up and tried to embrace her again, but she pushed him away, once again making contact with the wound on his chest. He couldn’t hold back the groan this time and she stilled.
‘What’s wrong? Are you hurt?’
‘No.’
‘Liar.’
‘I’m just a little sore.’
‘How come?’
‘I was overambitious with the weights at the gym.’
Carson shook her head and made a grab for his shirt.
‘Bullshit,’ she said, tugging the hem from the waistband of his trousers in order to expose his abdomen. ‘Show me.’
‘No.’
Blake tried to stop her, but she kept tugging at the material until he feared the buttons would pop.
‘Knock it off, Carson,’ he growled.
‘Not until you show me your stomach.’
Blake sighed and allowed her to lift his shirt up.
‘Happy now?’ he snapped.
‘No. Higher.’
She lifted it until she revealed the circular bruise and puckered skin between his nipples.
‘What the hell is that?’
‘It’s nothing to worry about.’
‘It’s a fucking gunshot wound, Blake. It’s plenty to worry about.’
‘Its old,’ he lied.
‘It wasn’t there before.’
‘Sure it was.’
Carson shook her head. ‘I saw you naked in the shower a few days ago. Who shot you?’
Blake’s jaw clenched as he searched for a plausible explanation.
‘Tell me what is going on,’ she said. ‘Please.’
He stared into her eyes, as resignation settled inside him. This was it. The moment to confess, but even though he wanted to tell her the truth, the words wouldn’t come.
‘Please, Blake. Talk to me. I don’t understand all these secrets you’re keeping. Don’t you trust me?’
‘Of course I trust you. You’re my partner.’
‘I thought I was more than that.’
His heart thumped rapidly inside his chest.
‘I love you,’ he said, feeling the need for her in every fibre of his body. ‘Don’t ever doubt that.’
‘I love you too,’ she replied. ‘But you have to stop shutting me out.’
Carson released her hold on his shirt and Blake put his hands on top of his head.
‘I don’t mean to shut you out. I’m just not used to having someone care about me. I usually deal with things on my own.’
Carson reached up and touched him lightly on the cheek.
‘I think we’re both used to fighting our own battles, but you don’t have to deal with this one alone. I’m here, and you can tell me anything. If you’re in trouble, I promise I won’t judge you.’
A scathing laugh slipped from Blake’s mouth before he could stop it.
‘I think you’ll change your mind once you hear what I have to say.’
‘Never,’ she said vehemently. ‘I love you. I’ll always love you. Tell me who shot you.’
Blake stared into her eyes and hoped she’d make good on her promise.
‘Chief Melman shot me.’
Carson’s eyes opened wide like a child who’d just been told Santa didn’t exist. Her nostrils flared and she opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again as an alarm screeched above their heads.
56
The alarm screeched a warning cry the second that Helen’s foot crossed the threshold to ISCU, but she didn’t slow down. She couldn’t slow down. Not when Viktor and Hetti needed help.
‘Did you intend to make such an elaborate entrance?’ Viktor asked, as he grimaced against the noise.
‘Yes. Chief Melman needs the data and we need access to their medical facilities. Sneaking in though the back door would more than likely get us shot, which wouldn’t help Hetti.’
The sound of boots hitting the floor, matched the thump of Helen’s heart and she raised her hands as Carson and Blake entered the foyer with their guns pointed in her direction.
‘You’re late, doc,’ Carson said, her chin jutted forward. ‘You were supposed to surrender the microchip this morning.’
Her eyes were puffy, as if she’d been crying, but they narrowed when she saw Viktor.
‘What’s he doing here?’
‘I don’t have time to explain,’ Helen said. ‘Tell the chief I’m here to trade the data for asylum.’
‘You can bloody well tell me yourself.’
Chief Melman’s booming voice caused Helen to jump, as he appeared behind Carson and Blake. He was dressed, as always, in a shirt and tie, and although he didn’t hold
a weapon, he carried enough authority for the air to crackle with tension.
‘I need your help,’ Helen said. ‘I’ll trade the microchip for access to your medical facilities.’
‘And what’s stopping me from just taking the chip from you?’
Viktor growled, but that only made the chief laugh.
‘I admire your courage, son. Bringing an alien to the very place that’s been tasked with eliminating them, takes guts. Is this the jaktten I shot a few nights ago?’
Carson shook her head. ‘No, it’s the wrong colour. The wrong size.’
‘This jaktten was injured tonight,’ Viktor replied. ‘Maybe fatally. Is there anyone in your unit that can treat her wounds?’
‘I can help.’
The strident voice didn’t match the willowy figure that joined the group. The woman’s thin face was framed with lank, dark hair. Her complexion was pale, like a vampire’s, but her eyes were focused and showed an intelligence that Helen trusted.
‘Who are you?’ Helen asked.
‘My name is Lydia Waters. I’ve been running the ISCU laboratories in Doctor Malone’s absence.’
Helen raised her eyebrows. The woman clearly didn’t know the doctor was dead, which gave her another source of leverage over Chief Melman should she need it.
‘Have you studied jaktten anatomy? Do know how to treat their injuries?’
Lydia shook her head. ‘Not exactly, but I am the number one consultant in the UK on alien anthropology.’
‘That’s because you’re the only consultant on alien anthropology,’ Carson said, as she holstered her gun and Lydia shot her a look that would’ve withered a meeker woman.
‘I’m keen to study all alien behaviour and societies,’ Lydia replied evenly. ‘I promise to help the jaktten while you help your friend. He looks as if he is going to collapse at any moment.’
Helen glanced over at Viktor. His face was slick with sweat. His body covered in blood, and yet he held onto Hetti with renewed determination against any perceived threats.
‘Give me the microchip,’ Chief Melman said, holding out his hand and Helen reluctantly placed the golden chip into his palm. ‘You have twenty-four hours to do whatever needs to be done in the medical bay while Lydia examines the alien as best she can.’
Melman nodded at Blake who holstered his gun and moved towards Viktor.
‘Let me carry her down to the lab, while you get cleaned up,’ he said.
Viktor nodded and relinquished control to Blake, who slipped his arms under Hetti’s still form and carried her towards the lift.
‘Carson, I’ll probably need your help too,’ Lydia said. ‘Adam went home for the night.’
The trio descended to the basement, leaving Helen behind with Viktor and the chief.
‘I want you to know that I made a copy of the data,’ Helen said. ‘As an insurance policy should anything happen to me.’
Chief Melman surprised her by laughing again.
‘You are a resourceful woman, Doctor Peters. I expected nothing less,’ he said. ‘But know this, if I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already. Twenty-four hours and then I want you out of my unit.’
57
Helen dipped a cloth into a bowl of warm water and then wiped it across Viktor’s shoulders and then down his back. She’d added antiseptic, but to his credit, he didn’t flinch as she methodically cleaned his wounds. There were so many of them. She’d wanted to cry when he’d removed his tattered shirt and she’d seen the numerous thin lacerations made by claws belonging to his own people. She rinsed the cloth under the water, which turned pink from his blood and then wiped his chest. There were less claw marks there, as he’d used his body to protect Hetti from the attack by keeping her safely cocooned against him.
Her alien was noble.
Her warrior was fearless.
Helen pressed her lips against a deeper cut below his collarbone and he flinched.
‘Sorry,’ she said against his skin, as she kissed another wound more gently this time.
‘No, it’s ok. It didn’t hurt. Just surprised me.’
Helen kissed her way across his chest and then up the sensitive underside of his throat, until his hands fisted in her hair and he tugged gently on the strands to get her attention. She lifted her head and met his mouth, which was hard and demanding. She didn’t realise she was crying until he stopped kissing her to wipe away her tears.
‘Shhh,’ Viktor said. ‘It’s going to be ok. Everything is going to be ok.’
‘You lost your colony because of me.’
‘No. I lost the colony because of Erik. He tried to steal my crown long before you came along and stole my heart.’
Viktor kissed her gently on the nose and she smiled.
‘Not all of the jaktten took the opportunity to mark me,’ he said, pointing to the claw marks on his arms. ‘That means Erik hasn’t got the full support of the colony. There’s a chance of retaliation.’
‘Your customs are so brutal,’ she said. ‘I really thought Hetti was going to die.’
‘I’m sure humans have many brutal rituals that you disagree with. There are good and bad in all species. I was born a prince and that made me the automatic ruler once my father dies. The accords stated I was entitled to rule, but I didn’t earn the colony. I inherited it. Giving it all up to save Hetti was an easy decision.’
Helen wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. ‘You’re one of the good guys, Viktor. Don’t ever forget that.’
‘I’m not sure that’s entirely true, but I’m going to earn the right to rule again,’ he said, ‘and I want you by my side. I’m not giving up on my people. And I’m never giving up on you.’
Thank you for reading Fearless
I hope you enjoyed it and will leave a review on Amazon
The next book in the series will be available at the end of the year, but you
can always try one of my urban fantasy series for more mystery & romance.
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Kari Stillwell Series
#1 – Wild Side
#2 – The Kindler
#3 - Water Hazard
#4 – Come Undone
#5 – Play Dead
Ember Lane Series
# 1 – First and Only
# 2 – Second Alliance
# 3 – Third Promise (coming soon)
The Invasive Species Series
# 1 – Merciless
# 2 – Fearless
#3 – Coming Soon
