Quinn rushed in elbowing, punching, and kicking one of the Edull. The man spun and flung out his arms. He shoved her hard, and she flew backward. Jax lunged and caught her under her arms.
The three Edull turned and ran.
Jax and Quinn looked at each other.
“Are you all right?” He boosted her upright.
She nodded. “We have to stop them.”
Together, they broke into a run. They followed the twists and turns of the tunnels, then rushed out into a crowded area. It wasn’t the main market, but a side area, with some smaller stalls set up against the rocky walls.
“Get out of the way.” Quinn shoved forward against the wall of people.
Jax stepped up behind her, and people saw him and gasped. They all stumbled, rushing out of the way.
Quinn shot him a look over her shoulder. “Guess you’re useful for something, cyborg.”
Jax caught a glimpse of the Edull ahead. “That way!”
They sprinted forward, and saw the Edull running up one of the exit ramps. Quinn was breathing heavily.
“Damn, I can’t wait until I’m back in my usual shape.” They hit the ramp, and she kept going with grim determination.
They wound around the slope. This entrance to the market was a more out-of-the-way one, and it was lined with gambling dens and drug havens. A cloud of taint smoke—a dangerous but popular drug—wafted from one doorway.
They reached the top of the ramp and broke out into the street.
“There!” Quinn yelled.
Jax spotted the Edull ducking into a side street. He touched his ear. “Toren, we’re topside.”
“I’m on my way,” Toren replied.
Jax and Quinn burst into pursuit, their boots pounding on the pavement. They dodged and weaved through people, and Jax kept his gaze on the Edull ahead.
They turned onto another street, just in time to see the Edull duck into a three-story building.
When they reached the door, Quinn grabbed the handle and yanked.
“Dammit, it’s locked.”
“Step back.” Jax turned, and rammed his shoulder against the door. The door tore off its hinges.
Quinn glanced at the broken wood and metal. “Very useful having a cyborg around.”
He shook his head, and they walked through the dark entry. A woman spotted them and screamed, clutching her children to her skirts.
Ignoring her, Jax tilted his head. Listening. The thudding sound of running feet came from above. “Upstairs.”
He and Quinn thundered up the stairs, passing several frightened residents. Jax noted the long hallways and doors.
“Looks like lodging quarters,” he said. “People can rent temporary rooms.”
They paused on the third level. Jax couldn’t hear running steps anymore. One old man spotted them and pointed upward.
Quinn cursed and went up the last set of stairs. Jax opened the door at the top and they spilled out onto the roof of the building.
“They’re getting away!” Quinn yelled.
Jax saw one Edull take a few steps back, then run at the edge of the building. He took a running leap, his robes flapping as he jumped across to the neighboring building. The others were already across.
Jax picked up speed, Quinn sprinting beside him. This woman from Earth was both relentless and fearless.
He reached out and grabbed Quinn’s hand. She pumped her other arm, and as they reached the edge of the building, they jumped. Jax used his enhanced strength to throw them high into the air.
They landed easily on the roof of the other building, rolling, and coming back up on their feet.
“Holy shit,” Quinn said, breathless. “That was awesome.”
“They’re getting away.”
They gave chase, dodging through some washing that had been strung up on lines. The Edull kept looking back, and Jax could hear the rasp of their accelerated breathing. The exertion wasn’t agreeing with them.
Suddenly, a laser blast hit the roof near the Edull. Rock exploded into the air and the Edull all dived for cover. Jax spun Quinn away from the blast, shielding her with his body.
“Damn.” Quinn turned and they both looked down.
Toren stood in the street below. A laser weapon extended from the metal enhancement on his shoulder. As they watched, the weapon swiveled, taking aim again.
Bright laser arced through the air, hitting near the Edull again.
“I want one of those,” Quinn murmured.
“It’s Toren’s main enhancement.” Jax waved at the cyborg, whose laser weapon retracted.
The three Edull broke into a run again. At the edge of the next roof, the first two Edull jumped. The third was breathing heavily and when he jumped, Jax could see he didn’t have enough power to make the jump.
The alien’s arms and legs flailed. He let out a rasping scream, crashing to the street below. He landed hard and didn’t move.
On the roof of the other building, the other two Edull yanked open a door and disappeared inside.
“Come on!” Quinn called out.
Jax looked down to the Edull on the street. He still hadn’t moved, and had likely broken his neck in the fall. Toren was striding closer and would ensure the man was dead or contained.
The gap to the next building was wider. Jax scooped Quinn into his arms.
“Hey, what are—?”
He bent his legs and leaped across the wide street. Quinn gasped. They landed with a thud on the roof of the other building.
* * *
Ugh, she was so out of shape. As Jax set her down, Quinn sucked in a breath. She followed him to the doorway, and he tore it off its hinges with a careless display of power.
Quinn hadn’t quite realized just how much strength Jaxer Rone had in his cybernetically enhanced body.
They quickly moved down the stone steps and reached a landing.
“Where did they go?” She scanned the hall, doors lining the walls like a hotel. She assumed this building was also a boarding house of some kind.
Frustration clawed at her. These Edull must know something about Jayna and the others.
Jax’s head was cocked and she realized he was listening. Whatever he heard, it was too faint for her ears.
“That way.” Jax pointed down the hall. His eyes flickered. “I just ran a scan, and can sense two biosignatures that are likely Edull.”
Handy. “Can you detect humans?”
He shook his head. “Every biosign is unique, and we have an extensive database of the most well-known alien species. We don’t have enough human samples. Besides, my internal scanners have a tight range and resolution, so they aren’t often effective, especially in a crowded place.”
They reached the door, and Quinn tested the handle. Locked. No surprise there. She stepped back. “Do your thing.”
He shot her a look. “I am useful for more than just being a battering ram.”
She smiled. God, the male ego was alive and well, even on this side of the universe. “You can show me later.”
Jax lifted one boot and planted it in the center of the door. It flew inward.
They rushed inside together…just as a metal pole came swinging at them. Quinn ducked, while Jax jumped over her, sailing over the pole. He crashed into the Edull, slamming the man into the floor.
Quinn heard the snap of breaking bones and winced. Fists lifted, she spun, searching for the other Edull.
A door slammed somewhere in the sparse apartment and she turned. She strode toward the adjacent room, sensing Jax right behind her. She yanked open the final door.
The last Edull stood in the center of the room. Dark eyes met hers, and he yanked his mask off. Quinn’s gut curdled. The face beneath wasn’t pretty. He had a pincer mouth that was rapidly opening and closing, and his skin was a mottled red and brown.
The Edull started gasping.
“He can’t breathe!” Quinn yelled.
He was committing suicide and they needed answers.
She leaped for him. “Why did you come after me?”
Jax slammed the man against the wall, trying to pull the Edull’s mask back over his face. He kept gasping for air.
“The mask valve has been destroyed,” Jax said. He slammed his arm against the alien’s chest.
“You are the property of Sleeja,” the Edull rasped out.
“I’m owned by no one,” Quinn spat.
“Sleeja is a friend of my master.” Several harsh, rasping breaths. The Edull’s chest was rising and falling fast.
“Sleeja’s dead,” Quinn said.
“Who’s your master?” Jax demanded.
The Edull took another shaky breath. Jax shook him so hard that the man’s head flopped back and forth.
“Answer me!”
“Gaarl.”
“Does he have Jayna?” Quinn demanded. “Where is Gaarl? How do I find him?”
The Edull’s silver pupils were starting to grow larger. He made another rasping noise, then slumped. Quinn could see his chest wasn’t moving anymore.
“Fuck!” She spun away.
Jax dropped the man. “These are rented rooms. It’s likely they were staying here while they were in the city.” He methodically started searching the room.
Quinn walked over to the beds. They looked unused. She knew that the Edull required very little sleep. She stroked the soft green fabric on the closest bed, then spotted some bags on the floor.
She opened the largest one, rifling through it. Robes. Nothing useful. She kicked the bag, sending it sliding across the floor. She strode to the window, barely seeing the nice view of the Kor Magna Arena across the rooftops. She closed her eyes. She had nothing. No way to find the other captives.
Jax was tearing things out of the closet and dumping gear on the floor.
Then there was silence.
“Quinn?”
She turned and saw him, hands on his lean hips, staring into the closet. She strode over and spotted an object covered by a tattered cloth.
She looked at Jax. “What is it?”
“I’m scanning it. It’s not a weapon and I detect nothing dangerous.”
Quinn gripped the cloth and yanked it off.
Her stomach dropped, nausea welling in her throat. “No.”
It was a small, glass box.
And inside it, a small hand was suspended in clear liquid.
“Oh, God.” Her stomach churned, and Quinn raced toward the adjoining bathroom. She made it to the basin just before she was violently ill. She heaved again, and a second later, Jax pressed up behind her, holding her hair away from her face.
“Shh. Take it easy.”
“Jax.” She leaned into him. “That hand looks human.”
Chapter Twelve
Jax kept a close eye on Quinn as they walked back to the House of Rone. She was quiet and subdued, but he sensed something boiling in her, below the surface.
Toren had arrived at the rented apartment moments after they’d made their gruesome discovery. The cyborg walked behind them now, carrying the glass container.
Magnus and the healer Avarn met them in the entry of the House of Rone. Magnus glanced at the container, and a muscle in his jaw ticked.
Avarn moved closer, bending to study it. The healer lifted a small scanner. When it beeped, he studied the screen and sighed. “I can confirm that it’s human.”
“No.” Quinn’s whisper was harsh.
“I’ll take it to Medical and run some more detailed tests.”
Quinn stared at the container, then spun and strode down the corridor, her gait stiff and jerky.
Jax glanced at Magnus, then turned and followed her. He found her in her room, her hands in her hair as she paced.
“Quinn—”
She shook her head. “We both know it belongs to Jayna. This bastard Gaarl hurt her. She might not even be alive.”
Jax caught Quinn’s arms. “We’ll find her. A loss of a hand doesn’t mean death.”
“He cut off her hand!” she yelled.
“And it’s possible that she’s still out there.” Jax pulled her closer. “A loss of a limb doesn’t change who she is.”
Quinn stilled, her gaze dropping to his leg. She blew out a breath. “I know. I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m sorry. I’m just worried that she’s hurt and in pain.”
This woman felt so deeply, and cared so much. “And you’re here, whole and healthy.”
She nodded.
Jax wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t feel guilty.”
“I can’t just switch it off like you guys can. I was in charge of their security, and they got attacked and imprisoned!”
He could see the guilt was eating her alive. “I felt guilt after my escape, but in time, I realized that we all deserve to survive, to live.”
“The guilt is in me, all the time.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.
He pulled her close. “It wasn’t your fault, Quinn. There was nothing you could have done to stop the Thraxians.”
She made a choked noise, pressing her face against his chest. “My brain knows that, but my heart hurts.”
“Lean on me,” he said into her hair. “Let me help you shoulder the load.”
Her arms held him tightly. “What are you doing to me, Jaxer Rone?”
“I don’t know. I can’t seem to stay away from you, even when I know I should.” He stroked her back, and he wasn’t sure if he was comforting her or himself.
“I feel safe with you.” She looked up. “I feel like a woman when I’m with you. Not a slave or a survivor.”
Jax again reminded himself that she was still recovering. He fought for some control. He wasn’t going to touch her.
“You’ve had a bad day, Quinn. I’ll make you some ocla.”
Her hands flexed on him. “No.”
“Then I’ll let you rest.”
Her hand shifted, smoothing up his chest. “I don’t feel like resting, either.” Her fingers snagged on the metal at his shoulder. A fascinated look crossed her face as her fingers stroked where the metal met his skin.
His breath hitched. She wasn’t looking at him like he was an object to be studied, or some peculiar, edgy entertainment. Jax had learned to avoid the women that got some strange pleasure at the idea of bedding a cyborg.
No, in Quinn’s eyes, there was just curiosity. Unlike most women, she saw both the man and his enhancements.
“You fascinate me, Jax.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his chest. “You turn me on, make me feel alive.”
He locked every muscle in his body. In his head, he ran through several training routines, trying to dull the roar of desire flaring inside him.
“Quinn, I’m trying to be honorable here. To do the right thing by you.”
“I don’t want honorable.” She went up on her toes and her lips brushed his.
His hands clamped on her biceps.
“Do you want me to kiss you?”
Drak, he wasn’t strong enough. “Yes.”
Their mouths met, melded.
He heard Quinn moan, and Jax deepened the kiss. The little control he had slipped away. He backed her up against the wall, and as her back hit, she laughed against his lips. A sexy sound that shivered through him.
She reached up, stroking the strip of metal on his cheekbone. “I find this little touch of silver here very sexy. Actually, all of you is pretty darn tempting.”
He made a sound that was more growl than groan. He kissed her again, drowning in the taste of her.
“Hmm, looks like we’re interrupting.” An amused female voice broke the moment.
Jax groaned and pressed his forehead to Quinn’s.
She sighed. “We’re always getting interrupted.”
“We can come back later,” a smooth male voice drawled.
Jax wondered if the universe was trying to tell him something. He reluctantly pulled away from her and turned to face the newcomers.
A tall man with long, dark hair and a sharp face
watched them with a lazy smile. His eyes were multicolored, like a nebula in deepest space. The woman was small, her black hair straight around her pretty face. She looked like she was trying her hardest not to laugh.
“Quinn, this is Zhim and Ryan,” Jax said. “They are the premier information merchants on Carthago.”
Zhim sketched a small bow, his nebula eyes taking in Quinn. The man absorbed any scrap of information he could. “We were passing by and thought we’d introduce ourselves.”
Quinn was looking at Ryan. “You’re from Fortuna Station.”
With a nod, Ryan moved forward, holding out her hands to Quinn. “I’m so glad that you got rescued and you’re safe. I’m Ryan Nagano.” She grimaced. “I have my own unpleasant captivity-in-the-desert story, so I really am pleased yours is over.”
Zhim moved forward, pressing his hand to the small of his woman’s back. Ryan turned and sent him a happy smile.
Quinn squeezed Ryan’s hands. “Thank you, but members of my crew are still enslaved.”
Ryan straightened, determination flowing over her features. “And we’re going to help you find them.”
Zhim nodded. “This is definitely the right job for people with our skills.”
Ryan’s hand flashed out and smacked him in the chest. The information merchant got a long-suffering look on his handsome face.
“For free, of course,” Zhim added.
Jax knew that the man had made a fortune dealing in information. It’d only been since Ryan had come into his life that he’d ever started doing favors and freebies. Helping the houses find and help people.
“Jax also asked us to contact your family on Earth,” Ryan said. “They’ve been informed that you’re alive and safe.”
Emotion crossed Quinn’s face. “Thank you.”
Not knowing exactly how he knew it, Jax sensed she needed some support. He touched the small of her back, just the way Zhim had done to Ryan. For a second, Jax thought she’d pull away, but instead she leaned into him.
Ryan beamed at them. “Your family are really keen to talk with you. We’ll schedule a call as soon as we can. The wormhole tech we use can be temperamental at times, and they need to ensure your family have the gear they need on the other end.”
Sentinel: Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #1 Page 10