Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (14 page)
Read Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) Online
Authors: Nina Croft
Tags: #blood hunter, #nina croft, #break out, #deadly pursuit, #space opera, #sci-fi romance, #science fiction romance, #vampires, #werewolves, #aliens, #space
“Sure,”
Rico
replied.
El
Cazador
inched
forward
until
the
screen
showed
them
snug
up
against
a
huge
projection.
“Hey,
clever.
You’re
going
to
create
some
rubbish.
Why
didn’t
I
think
of
that?”
Skylar
slanted
him
a
quick
grin.
“Just
be
ready
to
go.”
She
fiddled
with
the
console
settings,
then
punched
on
the
blasters.
This
close
they
couldn’t
miss,
striking
where
the
hull
joined
the
shield.
Alex
tightened
her
fingers
on
the
seat
as
a
shudder
ran
through
the
ship.
“Hopefully,
they’ll
think
it’s
damage
from
the
earlier
shooting.
One
more
should
do
it.”
Skylar
hit
the
guns
a
second
time,
and
the
great
sheet
of
metal
broke
free.
“Go!”
she
shouted
to
Rico.
He
punched
the
controls,
and
El
Cazador
peeled
away.
They
drifted
slowly,
keeping
pace
with
the
debris.
Alex
clenched
her
teeth,
waiting
for
some
reaction
to
the
blast,
for
the
space
cruiser
to
come
after
them,
but
gradually
it
grew
smaller
and
smaller
in
the
monitors.
When
the
vessel
was
no
more
than
a
speck
on
the
screen,
Skylar
moved
to
stand
behind
Rico.
“Are
they
following?”
“No,
I
think
we’re
clear.”
He
gripped
her
around
the
waist
and
pulled
her
onto
his
lap.
“You’re
a
genius.”
“So
are
you.”
“Jesus,
this
is
gross.”
Jon’s
disgusted
tones
sounded
from
nearby,
and
she
turned
toward
him.
He
was
staring
at
Skylar
and
the
vampire,
his
lip
curled
in
an
expression
of
revulsion.
“Too
freaking
right
it’s
gross,”
Tannis
snapped.
“Skip
it,
you
two.
We
have
work
to
do.”
Tannis
ran
her
gaze
over
Jon.
“And
can
someone
find
him
some
clothes
that
fit—he’s
a
little
distracting
like
that.”
Alex
leaped
up.
The
thought
of
Jon
distracting
Tannis
made
her
feel
distinctly
edgy.
“I’ll
go.”
“No.
You
stay,”
Skylar
said.
She
scrambled
to
her
feet
and
brushed
herself
off.
“You’ve
got
something
to
tell
everyone,
remember?
Janey
can
go.”
Alex
scowled.
“I
was
going
to
come
back.”
“Yes,
but
when?
Just
get
it
over
with,
kid.”
“I’m
not
a
kid.”
“No?
Then
act
like
a
grownup.”
Alex
squeezed
her
lips
together,
bit
back
a
surly
response,
and
then
forced
herself
to
relax.
Skylar
was
right,
she
was
acting
like
a
child—the
problem
was
she’d
spent
too
much
time
immersed
in
Al’s
character—it
had
become
second
nature.
She
drew
herself
up
to
her
inconsiderable
height.
She
could
do
this.
“So
what
is
it?”
Tannis
asked.
Alex
shuffled
from
foot
to
foot.
Why
was
this
so
hard?
Maybe
because
she
admired
Tannis
so
much.
Tannis
had
taken
her
in
when
she
was
alone
and
hungry,
and
on
the
verge
of
running
back
to
the
Church.
Except,
at
the
time,
she
hadn’t
known
which
way
to
run.
In
the
three
weeks
she’d
been
alone,
it
had
rapidly
dawned
on
her
how
ignorant
she
was
of
the
world.
Always
before,
everything
had
been
done
for
her,
and
left
on
her
own
she’d
had
no
clue
how
to
look
after
herself.
Would
Tannis
be
angry
she’d
lied?
Even
though
she
hadn’t
done
it
deliberately.
Alex
hadn’t
even
realized
Tannis
thought
her
a
boy
until
they’d
boarded
El
Cazador,
and
she
had
introduced
Al
to
the
rest
of
the
crew.
After
taking
a
deep
gulp
of
air,
she
looked
up,
straight
into
Tannis’s
eyes.
“I’m
not
a
boy.”
Tannis
frowned.
“You’re
not?”
Her
gaze
ran
over
Alex,
took
in
the
baggy
pants
and
shirt
hanging
off
her
skinny
frame.
“Are
you
sure?”
Rico
lounged
in
his
chair,
an
amused
expression
on
his
lean,
handsome
features.
“I
believe
you,
but
I’ve
got
to
say”—his
gaze
roamed
her
slim
figure,
lingering
on
the
flatness
of
her
chest—“you
sure
look
like
a
boy.
How
about
you
show
us
some
evidence?”
Alex
ignored
him
and
glanced
across
to
where
Jon
still
sat
in
his
seat,
his
legs
stretched
in
front
of
him,
his
expression
bored.
Skylar
leaned
across
and
switched
on
the
main
monitor
so
a
floor-to-ceiling
screen
lit
up
in
front
of
her.
She
tapped
a
few
keys
and
sat
back
as
an
instantly
recognizable
image
appeared.
Recognizable
to
Alex
at
least,
but
a
quick
glance
around
the
room
revealed
no
noticeable
reactions.
