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Garret fixed them with a warning glance. “What do you think?”

“She ever get back to you?”

“No,” Garret said.

“Sorry, man. Not a bad woman to go after but maybe she’s all messed up after the mission.”

“Heard about her encounter with some monster down on X110,” said the furry one. “Heard she got caught with it before they shot it and grabbed her. Had to keep her on the ship because she went all ballistic on Saul, yelling that she wanted to go looking for it again.”

“Who told you that?” Garret asked.

“Simon.”

“That was supposed to be kept between the team,” Garret snapped.

“Yeah, you know they can’t keep their mouths shut. Especially not after something like that.”

Garret pulled off a shoulder pad and let it drop. “She just felt sorry for it. But the thing was causing problems for everyone. She just couldn’t see it was a threat.”

“She sounds a little crazy,” said the burly one. “I’d be careful dating that one.”

“At least your competition is gone, eh? Blown back to hell,” said another. They all laughed.

“It was for the best,” Garret muttered.

They continued talking but Kryxis stopped listening. Silently, he moved away to the next set of tunnels, trying very hard not to make a sound. A low growl rose in his chest, making him move faster. He understood enough of what they spoke of, and he remembered how protective that male had been to Dani. His scent had been near Dani’s unit, lingering.

The urge to turn back and kick the grate open and rip Garret’s throat out was strong. But that would expose him. He couldn’t be caught, no, he couldn’t. Yet, he couldn’t stop the instinctual need to protect what was his. It was a fire that seared through him, that drove him. He bared his teeth as the growl slipped out of his mouth. No one would touch Dani. He would make sure of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Dani

Unbelievable.

She stepped out of the meeting room and into the passage, jaw clenched tight to keep herself from shouting every curse she knew. Her crew followed her out, letting the door slide shut behind them.

“Well, that was...a meeting” Myrell said.

“More like an interrogation,” said Lex.

Dani glanced back at the door. “Let’s not talk about this here.”

“I know one place we can,” said Myrell. “My place.”

Silently, they made their way down to deck five and into Myrell’s unit, a slightly larger space than Dani’s. Pictures were taped on the walls and little lights hung from the ceiling. It was less well kept but it was welcoming. They huddled in her kitchen while she made them drinks, handing small cups of a light blue liquid to each of them. Dani took a sip and winced from the burning of the alcohol. The others followed suit, flinching or hissing in pain before setting their cups down.

“First thing,” Dani said. “Thank you for not saying anything about Kryxis. He’s doing fine. He’s safe.”

“Is he?” Lex said. “I’ve been hearing some rumors, Dani. Two engineers said they saw something, and security has been looking around the lower decks.”

“I…wasn’t honest with you and I’m sorry. Kryxis did get out.”

A few groaned in disbelief, cursing under their breath.

“It was him messing with the lights, wasn’t it?” Lex asked.

Dani pursed her lips. “Yes.”