Free The Princess and her Bounty Hunter: Alien Romance (Fated to the Alien: The Psychic Matchmaker Book 2) by Harmony Raines Page A

woman?” Tiana asked, her temper rising. She was every bit as capable as Mak at handling herself.
    “Because he put me on lockdown.”
    “Lockdown?” Tiana repeated.
    “He said it was to keep you safe. I have orders to return you to your home planet if anything happens to Mak.”
    “What!” Tiana couldn’t believe she was going to be shipped off home when she was so close to rescuing Larka. And then there was Mak. She couldn’t just leave him to his fate, not when it was her fault he had been captured.
    “Mak gave me specific orders.”
    “I’m willing to ignore those orders if you are,” Tiana said, heading out of the control room and along the corridor to where she had seen Mak take weapons from a store. “Let me have some weapons and I’ll go in there and save him.”
    “I cannot.” Stellia’s voice sounded shocked.
    “You’ve never broken the rules before?” Tiana asked, looking up, although there was nothing to see. She always half expected there to be some shadowy figure looking over her; it was hard not to think of Stellia as being an actual person.
    “No. Never. It is not in my programming.”
    “And you can’t override your programming?” Tiana asked.
    “No. I have been given orders by my commander.”
    “OK. So what happens if Mak doesn’t come back?”
    “I take you home.”
    “And then?” Tiana asked.
    Stellia was silent. “He did not say.”
    “OK. So you would have no commander.”
    “No. I suppose I could go back to Virdia.”
    “On Kalisov, if something happens to a commander, then the next person of authority would take charge.”
    “That sounds sensible.” Stellia had a hint of hope in her voice.
    “That would be me. Agreed?”
    “I don’t know that you have any authority over a Virdian ship.”
    “Let’s say I do. And I use that authority to order you to open the weapons locker and then let me leave the ship to rescue Mak.”
    “That would be a sensible outcome.”
    The locker in front of Tiana opened and she reached inside, taking out two side arms and a bigger gun that she was sure must fire photons. The bounty hunter liked his weapons.
    “I have a better plan. Than you leaving the ship and taking the same route as Mak,” Stellia said, as Tiana entered the cargo bay. She had planned to take the rover.
    “I’m listening.”
    “I can fly to the docking area and land. It is within the permitted landing zone, as set down by Article 257. Although that article is no longer in use, it can still be applied.”
    “That sounds much better than traipsing through the streets. We still may have some element of surprise if we act quickly.” She shut the door to the locker. “Shall we go into battle, Stellia?”
    “Yes. First you need to put one of Mak’s communications bracelets on.”
    “Where do I find one of those?”
    “Come to the control deck.”
    “Sure, why don’t you launch and I’ll come straight there.”
    “Agreed, Tiana.” The ship shuddered and then took off, the ride smooth, but Tiana was left in no doubt that Stellia meant business. “We are approaching the warehouse complex. I have Mak’s readings; his transmitter is still working. I have located the warehouse. Moving to intercept.”
    “To intercept what?” Tiana asked, blind to what Stellia had in mind. “Please, remember Larka is in there.”
    “I am aware.” Stellia didn’t exactly sound as if she cared, though. Tiana was certain that Stellia would sacrifice anyone just to get her precious Mak back. Part of Tiana couldn’t blame the ship, although she was sure the computer didn’t see him in quite the same way as flesh and blood women did. Or maybe she did. Tiana didn’t want to dwell on that. What if she became romantically linked with Mak, and Stellia decided to bump off the competition because of her own electronic infatuation?
    “Intercept in three, two, one.”
    “Wait!” Tiana yelled, still not aware of what exactly they were intercepting.
    A blast, followed by a sound