Stop (Cold Mark Book 3) (5 page)

I peered around for Jax, but I didn’t see him anywhere. Stiller was talking to Rule by the alcho-brew bar, so I grabbed a cupcake from the table before heading in their direction. “Time to go.” I glanced left and then right. “Where’s Jax?”

“He stepped outside for some air,” Stiller explained, downing a shot of a foul smelling liquid. “He may have gotten lost though.” He chuckled quietly and shook his head. “I can feel him wandering farther away.”

My lips thinned, but I eventually shrugged. “He has the guards with him, right?”

“Jax can take care of himself.”

“Stiller…”

He sighed heavily. “Yes, there are two guards with him.” He pointed a finger at my nose, and it was then I noticed he wavered a little on his feet. Too much alcho-brew for him. “Don’t forget, there are no weapons in Center.” He tapped his head. “He’s fine. I can tell.”

“Thank you,” I stated with honesty. Though I glanced at Rule and whispered, “You may want to help him back to the hotel.”

Rule laughed in honest mirth, his stoic expression cracking, a little of his natural light showing through. “I was planning to do just that, Ms. Valorn.”

Down to the five of us, plus guards, all the Plumas and I walked as unobtrusively as we could down the wide streets of Center. I ogled the wares through the windows, pointing at small music boxes or men’s dress slacks I would love to have for my own—all the women’s clothing were dresses or skirts.

Bless Mother Joyal! I skipped inside a store where I noticed what was damn near a myth to Humans. I pointed. “I want that.”

Malik stared. “No.”

“Come on. They are literally near extinction on Joyal. Humans only brought a few from Earth during The Travel.”

“No,” Leo reiterated his other half’s dictate. “Hell, no.”

Malik grunted, nodding. He actually started to turn away.

I grabbed ahold of his hand and jerked him back around. With much patience, I ignored Killeg snickering a foot away. I pointed again. “I want that.”

Malik sighed heavily, running his fingers through his long black hair. “Why?”

“Because it’s cute.” I shrugged, bending to stare into the cage. I stuck my fingers through the holes, waggling it at the bundle of energy inside. “I’ve always wanted one, but only the politicians were allowed to have them on Joyal.”

Leo bent at the waist, staring inside the cage. His nose crinkled. “It stinks.”

“This whole shop stinks,” I argued. “It’s not just this one.”

Malik joined Leo and me as we stared inside the cage. “We already have a pet.”

I blinked. “An animal that eats severed arms is not a pet.” I paused, curious. “What kind of animal is Blaze, anyway?”

Together, they stated easily, “A Lavano.”

I almost lost it right there. My jaw dropped open, and I shot a hurried glare where Phila had abruptly joined Killeg in laughing quietly. They had better not say a damn word, my experience with ‘Charlie’ not one I wanted to explain right now. Recovering swiftly, I turned back to what an actual pet was. I wiggled my finger inside the cage and soft fur brushed up against it. A tentative lick had ensued before it rubbed its head against my skin. “Aww! How adorable. Oh, I have to have it!”

Malik and Leo both groaned as they stood to their full heights.

Leo crooked a finger at an attendant, stating loudly, “We’ll take this dog, ma’am.”

“What are you going to name him?” Phila asked over my shoulder as we continued down a bustling street of Center. He reached around me, sticking his arm between Leo and me to pet the top of my new puppy’s head. “It has to be a masculine name. This scamp is going to be big.”

Leo, non-too-chalantly, shoved Phila’s arm back. “My Soul will name him whatever she wants.”

I stared down at my lovely pet, his eyes full of wonder as he took in the sites we passed by. My grin couldn’t be erased, his scrunched up face so loveable. I kissed the top of his head, the red fur tickling my lips. With a spring in my step, I stated, “I’m going to name him Sweet Pea.”

As one, all of the men surrounding me stopped in their tracks. Including the guards.

I stumbled to a stop a few feet in front of the group, turning back to see why they had stopped.

They were all staring at me. These tough Mian, the leaders of this planet…had been thwarted by the cute name of my puppy. “What? He is a sweet pea.” I lifted him higher in my arms, bouncing him a bit, watching his large ears flop. “Look at him! He’s in love with the world! It’s adorable.”

Leo cleared his throat, turning a wide gaze to the pup in my grasp. “Braita…when I meant you could choose any—”

“And I did,” I stated stubbornly. “This is the end of this discussion. His name is Sweet Pea.”

Phila started choking deep in his throat until he couldn’t contain it any longer. He threw his head of glistening, long white hair back and roared with laughter. Not even the glares Malik and Leo shot him stopped his hilarity. He just shook his head and stepped forward between Malik and Leo and then advanced toward me. Bending low, he placed his face right in front of Sweet Pea’s face. Lifting a hand to scratch behind Sweet Pea’s left ear, he purred. “A unique name…” his dark gaze lifted to mine, softening, as his voice did, “for a unique owner.”

I gazed down at the Mian bending before me, my eyes gentle on his. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Braita.”

A sound akin to a growl sounded. And not from Sweet Pea, either.

It was coming from Malik’s direction.

“Okay, that’s enough petting,” I whispered, stepping back.

Phila’s voice was so quiet, I barely heard him—I was sure no one else did since there was no bloodshed being had. “
That is not the petting I wish to do with you, Sweetness.”

I swiftly turned my heating face away when I heard Jax shout, “Braita! Over here!”

Jax stood in the doorway of the…Well, the sign said
Lick Me Up Tavern
.

Now that Jax had accustomed himself to the Mian lifestyle, it sounded just like his sort of bar.

Especially since you only had to be sixteen-years-old to drink on Triaz.

“Come on!” Jax held up a glass, silver alcho-brew sloshing over the side. “Live a little!”

My brows furrowed as I glanced down at Sweet Pea, then back up. I hollered, “I can’t. I have a pet now!” I shrugged. “And, besides, I don’t drink.”

Jax narrowed his gray eyes in a special look he only gave me when I was being a prudish bore.

“Fine!” I stomped in his direction, the Plumas following behind with a much livelier step toward the bar. “But they better let Sweet Pea in.”

Malik slammed down his sixth cup, just as empty as his others. He grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You sure you don’t want a drink?”

I lifted my water. “I have a drink, as I’ve said before.” I waved to all of the guards and the other Plumas sitting at our table, everyone joining in to have at least one alcho-brew. “Besides, you have enough drinking partners.”

He pointed his empty at the bartender. “Another round, please.”

Leo sipped on his second cup, his lips curving at his partner. “You are such a damn lush.”

Malik pointed a finger at him, leaning a bit on the table with an elbow. “
You
just can’t hold your liquor as well as I can.” His black brows lifted as he leaned toward Leo on the other side of me, invading Sweet Pea’s and my space. “Just admit it.”

Leo chuckled. “Never.”

I rolled my eyes, staring across the table where Jax sat. The more Malik drank, the more flirtatious he became. And not only with me. If I had just seen him drink before, then he and Leo’s love for each other would have been obvious. My lips thinned as Leo reached up, right in front of my face, and pressed on Malik’s forehead, pushing him back into his seat. I glanced at Malik, agreeing with Leo. “You are a bit of a lush.”

Malik politely took the cup the bartender handed him before peering back into my eyes. His grin was lopsided, making my heart pound harder. “I’m merely celebrating.” He bent his head and pressed his lips to my ear, kissing softly. “Our Soul has returned to us.”

My eyes drifted to Killeg and Phila at the other end of the table, smartly sitting far away so everyone could drink and be merry. I cleared my throat and tilted my head back to stare into a silver glowing gaze only inches away from mine. “Yes, I am back.”

Jax choked on his drink and began pounding on his chest.

My regard snapped to him. “Are you okay?” It was still only his first drink.

“Yes.” He thumped his chest once more, coughing more gently now. “I’m fine.”

I patted the top of Sweet Pea’s head, bending down to retrieve a dog treat out of the store bag for him. He nibbled at it with vigor until my hand jerked away. There was no stopping it as I tried to grab Malik’s shoulder right before he face planted onto the wooden tabletop. “What the hell?” I patted his cheek repeatedly, but he wouldn’t wake up. I turned my attention to Leo.

I froze.

His eyes were shut, and his head was back on his chair. Completely out cold.

That wasn’t right.

My attention swung around the bar in a flurry as I hurried to stand from my chair.

All
of the patrons were passing out, one after another.

Their faces hit the tables. Their bodies hit the ground.

Some were even falling body first onto other sleeping patrons.

My gaze snapped to Killeg and Phila, down the long line of guards passing out.

Both had leaned toward each other, their sides of their heads resting against the other.

Hell, they were even snoring quietly.

The only individuals wide awake were the bartender and Jax.

That didn’t last long though.

My jaw dropped as Jax flew from his chair and over the long counter of the bar. He whacked the stunned bartender in the left temple with his glass, his ‘weapon’ breaking and flying in a glory of shining shards across the bar. The place was now silent.

Sweet Pea wiggled in my arms, and I held him closer to my chest. “Jax…what’s going on?”

“Fuck. That took longer than I thought it would.” Jax raced across the room, jumping over sleeping Mian. He slammed the front door shut to the tavern, locking it. He hit a button next to the door and the windows automatically shaded to deep black, eliminating anyone’s view from the street.

“Jax?”

He snapped his fingers at me. “Let’s go.”

My brows rose. “Go where?”

“Home.” His stare was pointed. “Escape. To Joyal.”

I didn’t speak for a full minute, and then I shouted, “
What? Have you lost your damned mind?
”

Pure exasperation. “I’ll explain on the way.” He glanced at his halo-watch. “We’ve only got a few hours before they wake up. Even less than that if someone finds them.”

I blinked. “How did you do this?”

“I stole a few vials from Pluma Creo’s room before we left for our outing.”

My words were slow, my mind trying to catch up to this madness. “You stole from Killeg?”

“I’m about to steal more if you would get your ass moving.”

My brows furrowed. “What about Stiller? He’s the other half of your Vaq. He’ll know something is—” I stopped, realizing the truth. “You drugged him before you left the fair.”