say anything; let her draw her own
conclusions.
His rejection stung, but it wasn’t the end of
her world. She was leaving. She could afford to take a risk.
She nodded at the waitress who passed her,
then to him. “I’m sorry for that, then. You were. Interesting, I
mean. Why ever you called in the first place, I thank you. I think
you’re a man who will do something with his life, Azure. I wish you
well.” She couldn’t smile, but she let her face show her honesty.
Even as she turned to go, she told herself he had done her good.
He’d pulled her out of herself, and that had helped more than he
knew. He’d been catalyst for change, though he wouldn’t be the
opportunity she’d hoped for. It was sad, but she’d live.
She didn’t get three steps before she was
spun around and pushed up against the wall. Azure was there, his
heat the only stimulus in the dim, plain hall.
He didn’t ask to kiss her, just took her
mouth in a searing, gentle kiss. It shook her bones, stopped her
heart. M’acht had not kissed like this.
Thunder rumbled in her ears, made her heart
knock like an engine gone bad. He was burning her from the outside
in, and she curled into his heat, determined to warm her bones. She
burned. Any moment she’d go up in flames.
His hand settled on her waist, dipped down to
squeeze the leg she’d raised to curl around his thigh. He gently
lowered it, breaking the kiss. He stared into her glazed eyes, his
breathing ragged, too. “I hear something.”
At first all she heard was blood thrumming in
her ears. Then there were screams, shouts.
His mouth tightened. “Police raid.” He looked
at her wide eyes and glanced around, pulled her to a door. He
opened it, revealing a utility closet. “There’s only room for one
of us,” he said as he stuck her inside. “Good luck.”
Good luck? She thought as she stared at the
door. The absurdity of the situation struck her. She couldn’t stay
in a closet. It was the first place they would look. She had to get
out.
She opened the door, glanced left, then
right…directly into the frowning gaze of Officer Azor Bn’Ji.
When she tried to recall the events later
that night, she found she was a little shaky on what happened next.
Shock, probably, though she didn’t realize it at the time.
Azor stopped and just stared for a moment,
then slowly shook his head. He walked to her with an air of
resignation. “There’s only one redhead I know who’d go to a strip
club wearing a racing jacket and practical brown shoes.”
She drew a breath. She knew she’d looked out
of place among women dressed to dazzle, but she hadn’t come here to
party. She’d come as herself, and it hadn’t been enough.
“Follow me.” He touched her arm lightly and
gestured for her to precede him down the hall.
The crowd was almost contained when he
escorted her out into the main room. He silently walked her out
past the swarming police, nodding to an officer once or twice.
Before she knew it she was on the street, surrounded by police
transports with flashing lights. She cringed as they walked toward
the large vehicle they had ready for prisoners, then looked at him
in surprise when he walked behind it, past it, then took her up to
a transport waiting in an ally. He opened the door.
Blue leaned over and glowered at her. “Get
in.”
Surprised, she glanced between the two of
them, but obeyed. It seemed they had planned to fetch her all
along.
Azor didn’t wave as they pulled away from the
curb, leaving him behind. He headed back toward the chaos. Oddly,
she noticed then that he was out of uniform. Had Blue not given him
enough time to suit up before sending him in after her?
The silence on Blue’s side of the transport
was thick. He held his peace for about two blocks before saying
grimly, “Gem will never know about this.”
She drew a deep breath. There wasn’t an easy
way to placate him, so she asked, “How did you know where to find
me?”
He waited for a traffic
conclusions.
His rejection stung, but it wasn’t the end of
her world. She was leaving. She could afford to take a risk.
She nodded at the waitress who passed her,
then to him. “I’m sorry for that, then. You were. Interesting, I
mean. Why ever you called in the first place, I thank you. I think
you’re a man who will do something with his life, Azure. I wish you
well.” She couldn’t smile, but she let her face show her honesty.
Even as she turned to go, she told herself he had done her good.
He’d pulled her out of herself, and that had helped more than he
knew. He’d been catalyst for change, though he wouldn’t be the
opportunity she’d hoped for. It was sad, but she’d live.
She didn’t get three steps before she was
spun around and pushed up against the wall. Azure was there, his
heat the only stimulus in the dim, plain hall.
He didn’t ask to kiss her, just took her
mouth in a searing, gentle kiss. It shook her bones, stopped her
heart. M’acht had not kissed like this.
Thunder rumbled in her ears, made her heart
knock like an engine gone bad. He was burning her from the outside
in, and she curled into his heat, determined to warm her bones. She
burned. Any moment she’d go up in flames.
His hand settled on her waist, dipped down to
squeeze the leg she’d raised to curl around his thigh. He gently
lowered it, breaking the kiss. He stared into her glazed eyes, his
breathing ragged, too. “I hear something.”
At first all she heard was blood thrumming in
her ears. Then there were screams, shouts.
His mouth tightened. “Police raid.” He looked
at her wide eyes and glanced around, pulled her to a door. He
opened it, revealing a utility closet. “There’s only room for one
of us,” he said as he stuck her inside. “Good luck.”
Good luck? She thought as she stared at the
door. The absurdity of the situation struck her. She couldn’t stay
in a closet. It was the first place they would look. She had to get
out.
She opened the door, glanced left, then
right…directly into the frowning gaze of Officer Azor Bn’Ji.
When she tried to recall the events later
that night, she found she was a little shaky on what happened next.
Shock, probably, though she didn’t realize it at the time.
Azor stopped and just stared for a moment,
then slowly shook his head. He walked to her with an air of
resignation. “There’s only one redhead I know who’d go to a strip
club wearing a racing jacket and practical brown shoes.”
She drew a breath. She knew she’d looked out
of place among women dressed to dazzle, but she hadn’t come here to
party. She’d come as herself, and it hadn’t been enough.
“Follow me.” He touched her arm lightly and
gestured for her to precede him down the hall.
The crowd was almost contained when he
escorted her out into the main room. He silently walked her out
past the swarming police, nodding to an officer once or twice.
Before she knew it she was on the street, surrounded by police
transports with flashing lights. She cringed as they walked toward
the large vehicle they had ready for prisoners, then looked at him
in surprise when he walked behind it, past it, then took her up to
a transport waiting in an ally. He opened the door.
Blue leaned over and glowered at her. “Get
in.”
Surprised, she glanced between the two of
them, but obeyed. It seemed they had planned to fetch her all
along.
Azor didn’t wave as they pulled away from the
curb, leaving him behind. He headed back toward the chaos. Oddly,
she noticed then that he was out of uniform. Had Blue not given him
enough time to suit up before sending him in after her?
The silence on Blue’s side of the transport
was thick. He held his peace for about two blocks before saying
grimly, “Gem will never know about this.”
She drew a deep breath. There wasn’t an easy
way to placate him, so she asked, “How did you know where to find
me?”
He waited for a traffic
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