her eyes and sat up. She tugged herself into the dress
sleepily and then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean up a bit.
When she returned to the bedroom, he held out the leggings.
“Really?” she asked.
“Your legs must be covered.” His tone was harsh again.
This wasn’t the man who had worked her body so expertly a
few hours before. She snatched the leggings from him and put them on. Typical
man. They were all mercurial and bossy.
When she stood, he pulled her into his arms. She wouldn’t
admit it, but she really liked the way he smelled. Well, now that he didn’t
smell as if he’d just come from a strip club. Dancers. She stiffened and he
rubbed her back until she relaxed against him again.
“We have somewhere to be,” she reminded him.
He pulled away and she searched out her shoes. They walked
into Tor’s room. The communicator was smaller than she thought it would be,
considering all the work and parts that had gone into it.
“Are you ready, Niki?” Gunter asked.
She nodded. They turned the machine on.
“Put the private locator code in,” Tor told Olaf.
There was a pinging sound. “What is that?” she whispered.
“It is ringing,” Rhine said.
She had to admit, she’d expected the Contu guards to come
barging in and ruin all the men’s work. The screen changed from gray to full
color. A man’s face filled the space. She identified the blond man as Cam’s
husband, Lord Huntu. He was kind of scary looking up close.
“Where are you?” he said.
“We are guests in the Tuetvon fortress,” Rhine responded.
“Where are they? Do they have Niki?”
Niki’s head felt fuzzy as she heard Camryn’s voice.
Suddenly, her familiar face squeezed in next to her husband’s on the screen.
Her smile was the widest she’d ever seen.
Niki gazed at her for a moment, noticing how good she
looked. She looked happy. She finally remembered her purpose and signed, “Don’t
speak.”
Camryn blinked and signed back,” Okay.”
The men talked around Niki, but she ignored them and
concentrated on getting her message across.
Niki signed, “We are being held hostage. We are in danger.
Help.”
Camryn’s eyes rose from Niki’s hands and Niki recognized the
expression in her big, brown eyes. That was fury at its best.
Camryn signed, “Somebody’s going to die.”
Niki laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She felt tears at
the back of her eyes and breathed through the urge to cry. She was so close to
having Camryn back. Suddenly, the feed was cut. She pinched the skin between
her thumb and pointer finger to help halt the flow of her tears. She calmed
enough to focus on the group.
“Jammer’s up,” Olaf said.
“Are you okay?” Rhine asked.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” She refused to look at him.
“What did Camryn say? I saw her hands moving,” Bronwyn said.
Niki smiled. “She said, ‘Somebody’s going to die.’”
They all smiled with her.
“It’s early, but we may want to get ready now. I don’t know
how quickly Venn can get us out, but we want to be prepared. Good job,
everyone,” Rhine said.
Niki left the room without him. She took a shower, ignoring
the possible eyes on her. She dressed in her last clean dress. It was peach
with an embossed design. Just in case she needed to smack down anyone, she
plaited her hair and tied it up in a bun. She shoved her things back into
Rhine’s satchel. She was sitting on the side of the bed waiting when Rhine
exited the bathroom with a black towel wrapped around his waist.
Yeah, her pulse picked up a little. She fought down a strong
desire to lick the last bead of water coursing down the center of his chest. Or
follow it inside his towel. She had yet to get her hands on the monster he
housed under there. Taking it in her mouth would be a challenge, but she was up
for it. Or he was. She smiled at the tent he had going on.
“I’m sorry, but you will have to wait to take advantage of
my body, Niki.”
“Say what
sleepily and then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean up a bit.
When she returned to the bedroom, he held out the leggings.
“Really?” she asked.
“Your legs must be covered.” His tone was harsh again.
This wasn’t the man who had worked her body so expertly a
few hours before. She snatched the leggings from him and put them on. Typical
man. They were all mercurial and bossy.
When she stood, he pulled her into his arms. She wouldn’t
admit it, but she really liked the way he smelled. Well, now that he didn’t
smell as if he’d just come from a strip club. Dancers. She stiffened and he
rubbed her back until she relaxed against him again.
“We have somewhere to be,” she reminded him.
He pulled away and she searched out her shoes. They walked
into Tor’s room. The communicator was smaller than she thought it would be,
considering all the work and parts that had gone into it.
“Are you ready, Niki?” Gunter asked.
She nodded. They turned the machine on.
“Put the private locator code in,” Tor told Olaf.
There was a pinging sound. “What is that?” she whispered.
“It is ringing,” Rhine said.
She had to admit, she’d expected the Contu guards to come
barging in and ruin all the men’s work. The screen changed from gray to full
color. A man’s face filled the space. She identified the blond man as Cam’s
husband, Lord Huntu. He was kind of scary looking up close.
“Where are you?” he said.
“We are guests in the Tuetvon fortress,” Rhine responded.
“Where are they? Do they have Niki?”
Niki’s head felt fuzzy as she heard Camryn’s voice.
Suddenly, her familiar face squeezed in next to her husband’s on the screen.
Her smile was the widest she’d ever seen.
Niki gazed at her for a moment, noticing how good she
looked. She looked happy. She finally remembered her purpose and signed, “Don’t
speak.”
Camryn blinked and signed back,” Okay.”
The men talked around Niki, but she ignored them and
concentrated on getting her message across.
Niki signed, “We are being held hostage. We are in danger.
Help.”
Camryn’s eyes rose from Niki’s hands and Niki recognized the
expression in her big, brown eyes. That was fury at its best.
Camryn signed, “Somebody’s going to die.”
Niki laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She felt tears at
the back of her eyes and breathed through the urge to cry. She was so close to
having Camryn back. Suddenly, the feed was cut. She pinched the skin between
her thumb and pointer finger to help halt the flow of her tears. She calmed
enough to focus on the group.
“Jammer’s up,” Olaf said.
“Are you okay?” Rhine asked.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” She refused to look at him.
“What did Camryn say? I saw her hands moving,” Bronwyn said.
Niki smiled. “She said, ‘Somebody’s going to die.’”
They all smiled with her.
“It’s early, but we may want to get ready now. I don’t know
how quickly Venn can get us out, but we want to be prepared. Good job,
everyone,” Rhine said.
Niki left the room without him. She took a shower, ignoring
the possible eyes on her. She dressed in her last clean dress. It was peach
with an embossed design. Just in case she needed to smack down anyone, she
plaited her hair and tied it up in a bun. She shoved her things back into
Rhine’s satchel. She was sitting on the side of the bed waiting when Rhine
exited the bathroom with a black towel wrapped around his waist.
Yeah, her pulse picked up a little. She fought down a strong
desire to lick the last bead of water coursing down the center of his chest. Or
follow it inside his towel. She had yet to get her hands on the monster he
housed under there. Taking it in her mouth would be a challenge, but she was up
for it. Or he was. She smiled at the tent he had going on.
“I’m sorry, but you will have to wait to take advantage of
my body, Niki.”
“Say what
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