Free Alien Savior (Zerconian Warriors Book 5) by Sadie Carter Page B

past the Coizils was a foolish risk. You could all be killed.”
    Deacon snorted. “We’ve been in plenty of risky situations before. You do know what we are, don’t you?”
    What they were?
    “Willa said you are from Joyadan.”
    “Not where we are from, what we are. We’re mercenaries. We take jobs for whoever pays us the highest price.”
    Mercenaries? It was a dangerous career. High money but high risk as well. He had met only a few and none of them older than forty. There was a reason for that. Most mercenaries ended up dead.
    “The Lilans paid us to deliver weapons to them. So we did.”
    Darac concentrated on his breathing. Calm. He clung to his control. He had promised not to harm anyone as long as Willa was not at risk. He always kept his word. Although if he looked at it from another angle then she had been at risk this whole time.
    A strange buzzing noise filled the air and he turned. “What is that? I heard it earlier.”
    If Darac hadn’t been watching the other man so closely, he wouldn’t have seen the tension fill his shoulders.
    The spaceship continued to move, gathering up speed. The buzzing started to quiet. There, that was better.
    “Shit, what’s going on?” Deacon stood, looking worried. His communicator buzzed and he switched it on.
    “Cap?”
    “Everyone to the bridge. Now.” Rye’s tense voice filled the room. Deacon looked from him to the door.
    “Fuck it,” he muttered.
    “What is happening?” Darac asked as Deacon paced.
    “I don’t know, but that buzzing is our ticket out of here safely. If it fades, we’re dead. I need to get to the bridge.”
    “I am coming with you,” Darac stated.
    Deacon opened his mouth. Darac stepped forward. “If we are all going to die, then what does it matter what I do?”
    “Fine. Whatever. Come on.” Deacon raced out of the room. He followed on his footsteps.
    “What is the buzzing?” he asked again.
    “Our cloaking device. That buzz indicates that it’s working. Without it we’re screwed.”
     
    ***
     
    Willa raced towards the bridge, heart pounding. Oh shit. Oh shit.
    She entered, pausing in surprise as she spotted Darac standing off to one side. He turned then ran his gaze over her, studying her. That much intensity aimed at her was enough to steal her breath. Mesmerised, she simply stood there for a long moment.
    “Willa,” Rye spoke sharply, jarring her out of her stupor.
    “Yes?” She started then turned to her oldest brother. He gave her a quelling look and shame filled her. She’d just promised to put her crew first. Then her first test and she stood there, staring at Darac like a love struck idiot.
    “The cloaking device is failing,” Zuma spoke up. “We’re totally fucking screwed.”
    She raced over to a station and signed in. “Oh hell.” Not good. Really, not good. “Are we past the shield?”
    “Yes,” Rye answered grimly.
    There was no returning then.
    “Can you fix it?” Steele asked.
    “Do I look like Kyle? Of course I can’t fix it. I fix engines not stupid cloaking devices. This is Mitch’s area.”
    Mitch. Who was still unconscious in Medical. She purposely didn’t look over at Darac.
    “So it’s the Zerconian’s fault that we’re all going to die,” Steele said in a low, cool voice.
    The urge to defend Darac was strong. Instead she hunched her shoulders and kept typing. “As far as I can tell, we have four minutes before the cloaking device completely fails.” She turned in her seat, spotting Steele facing off with Darac.
    Steele stood about a foot away, glaring up into the taller man’s face. Darac gave nothing away, his face stoic.
    “I should have killed you when I had the chance,” Steele’s voice was icy cold.
    “You never had a chance.”
    “I had a head shot. I just didn’t take it. More fool me.”
    Darac smiled. It wasn’t pleasant. His eyes flashed from brown to red. Crap.
    “Yes, you are more of a fool.”
    Steele let out a low rumble, tensing. Oh God, he was going