Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(19)

“What happened at Hunter’s place?” Destin asked.

“Several men entered the compound. Ajaska and Father were still awake, talking,” Razor explained. “Father received a minor wound when the men opened fire on them. The battle was short lived. I do not have any additional information at this time.”

“Chancellor Razor,” one of the warriors murmured, stepping into the room. “Two transports were discovered on the beach. One is a long range vessel.”

“One of the vessels belongs to me,” Sula quickly interjected.

“The moment the intruder that escaped is located, notify me. Also, make sure the main control panel is repaired on the transport and all information, including transportation logs, are sent to me,” Razor ordered.

“Yes, sir,” the warrior replied, turning on his heel.

“I need to meet with the Alliance council,” Razor said. “This attack is unprecedented. They attacked the leading heads of the Trivator military and it was clearly a direct threat to the Alliance.”

“What will you do?” Destin asked uneasily, noting Razor’s cold expression.

“Eliminate them,” Razor replied.





6





It was well into the early hours of the morning before Destin and Sula slipped out of the house. Search teams and guards still patrolled the area. They nodded to two guards near the back gate and passed at least another six before they made it to the stairs carved into the cliff.

Destin paused at the top of the steps when he felt more than saw the shiver that escaped Sula. He quickly removed his jacket and held it out for her to slip on. His fingers were slow to release the edges of the brown leather. It was only Sula’s glance over his shoulder, reminding him that they weren’t alone that made him let go.

“Thank you,” she murmured with an amused glance and stepped around him to continue down the steps.

“What’s so funny?” Destin asked, turning and falling into step with her on the staircase.

Sula shook her head. They descended the staircase in silence. He paused when Sula stopped at the bottom and looked up. Overhead, they had a clear view of the stars and the colorful river of the galaxy weaving drunkenly above them. The soothing sound of the waves lapping at the shore, the muted voices of the warriors working on the intruders’ transport, and the soft caress of the wind filled the night, making the earlier events seem surreal.

“So much has happened since just yesterday morning. When I first came to the beach yesterday, I was angry,” she admitted, enjoying the feel of the sand beneath her feet.

“I could tell,” Destin chuckled. “You looked far different than I remembered.”

Sula glanced at him and scowled before she laughed and shook her head. Destin swore the air warmed around them. He nodded to the warrior standing guard at the narrow cut to the cove containing Sula’s transport. The guard looked at both of them before he stepped to the side.

“I wasn’t sure that you would remember me. You hardly spoke to me when I was on your planet. You and the Trivator warrior made my position very difficult,” she replied with an indignant sniff.

“Yeah, well, it was a case of bad timing,” Destin replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “There was a lot of shit going on.”

He vividly remembered his mental state back then. He had just killed Colbert, and Kali had almost died. He had sacrificed so much, and with Kali gone, he had felt horribly alone. All of those emotions had erupted and left him in a deep, dark place inside his own head. Sula’s sudden appearance had been too much, especially when he was just discovering the true depth of Colbert’s and Badrick’s atrocities.

On top of everything else, he had been reeling from the monumental task ahead of him to rebuild a city with nearly a hundred thousand refugees, dealing with the overwhelming feeling of relief that the battle he had been fighting for so long was finally over, and trying to recover from the pain of saying goodbye to Kali. The feelings Sula had awoken in him had confused him, and if he were brutally honest, scared the shit out of him.

He shook off the memories and pulled a hand from his pocket to touch Sula’s arm. Murmuring for her to wait, he walked ahead through the narrow passage. Even with the beach being patrolled, he didn’t want to take any chances. As long as there was one intruder still alive and free, there was always a chance of danger. He scanned the area carefully before he turned and motioned that it was safe.

“You are very cautious,” she observed, stepping out of the opening in the rock.

“I’ve had to be,” Destin replied with a slight shrug, wincing when he forgot the wound to his shoulder. “It keeps you alive.”

“You are in pain,” Sula murmured in concern, stepping closer to him. Her right hand rose to touch his arm. “Your shoulder….”

“I’m fine. It’s just a twinge,” he assured her, pulling his other hand out of his pocket, and sliding it along her waist. “Sula, I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want that, you’d better tell me now.”

“I was hoping you would,” she admitted, stepping closer and sliding her hands up his chest. “You are different, Destin Parks. I have never met a male like you before.”

Surprise and pleasure hit Destin before he mentally shook his head at his reaction. This woman had continued to knock him off balance since the first time he had met her. Maybe it was time he got used to it.