Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

From the corner of her eye, the alien he’d warned began moving again and in a split second, Ka’Cit raised his blaster and fired.

He didn’t take his eyes off the brute and she didn’t know how he found his target but the alien at the side howled in pain and fell to the floor.

For a moment, nobody moved and then one of the remaining three cronies let out a deafening squeal.

She didn’t know how she heard it but Ka’Cit’s voice was so measured, so sure, it cut through the noise.

“Whatever you do, ta’ii, don’t move.”

And then he was a blur.

One moment, he was standing in front of them, the next he’d let go of the brute’s wrist and he was gone.

The three remaining cronies charged forward but Ka’Cit wasn’t where they’d aimed for.

That split second was enough of a delay on their part and the first blast sounded in the room as Ka’Cit’s blaster fired.

He was above them.

Nia’s eyes widened as she watched him.

How the fuck did he get up there so fast?

His claws were dug into whatever material was in the roof and he held on with one hand, balancing with his legs on two beams.

One of the cronies went down with the first shot but it alerted them to his location.

Chaos erupted around them.

There was scrambling and noise as the other aliens in the room tried to hide and when the second shot went off, somebody let out a loud screech that bounced off the room’s walls.

Another shot went off and the third crony fell.

Nia’s heart was in her mouth. It all happened so fast she hardly had time to blink, but she remained unmoving, as he’d instructed.

As Ka’Cit fell from the ceiling to land on the counter, his gun arm extended and the muzzle was suddenly pointed in the face of the alien who was holding her.

The arm around her neck loosened immediately.

“Now,” Ka’Cit began, “let her go.”

The alien released her so quickly, she almost stumbled forward.

“Come behind me, ta’ii.”

He didn’t have to ask twice.

As he hopped down to the floor, Nia rushed over to his side.

She still had her gun gripped under her cloak with one hand but she hadn’t even had to take it out.

“I’d have broken your bones, every single one of them, for daring to touch her,” he said and the brute gaze flicked to her for only a moment. “But, I’m afraid I don’t have time for that. She’s about to have her dinner.”

At that moment, the bartender returned from wherever he’d gone with two steaming trays. He almost dropped them when he witnessed the carnage before him but he somehow managed to keep his face straight.

“Look, just in time. You almost spoiled her meal.” Ka’Cit took a step forward and the brute winced. “Are you sure you need to be here…at this station…right now?”

The brute shook his head. “N-no. I was just leaving.”