Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

Shit.

It dawned on her then.

The ship was on fire.

And she was still stuck on it.

10

Her steps were light and cautious as she advanced down the corridor.

She’d covered her nose with one thick sleeve of her cloak and was feeling her way forward by hand.

The smoke was so thick, it was unnatural, and it wasn’t burning her eyes, only making it nearly impossible to see ahead.

Shit. If there was a fire, why was it so quiet?

The alarm that had blared when she’d locked down the sector had stopped a few seconds ago, and apart from distant clanks and muffled sounds, she couldn’t hear anything else.

Damn it.

But maybe she could use this to her advantage.

With the chaos of the fire, she would have a better chance of escaping undetected. She just had to hope the two henchmen who’d been guarding her didn’t get out and raise an alarm before she managed to get off the ship.

With that thought in mind, she glanced behind her as she hastened her steps—not as if that helped because the smoke was like a thick grey wall.

She couldn’t see if she was being followed.

She was just turning back around when she collided with a wall.

Her hand shot out and hit something firm.

No, not a wall.

Cold, hard, muscle.

Her insides withered.

She’d been found.

Oh fuck.

She hadn’t even heard the henchman approach. He’d been so silent and with the smoke she hadn’t seen him either.

A whimper escaped her as she spun to run in the other direction, knowing there was nowhere to go. Her only thought was to run. To get away.

She’d figure it out after she put distance between herself and the enemy.

But she was too late, or he was too fast.

A hand closed around her arm, the effect of which caused her to be yanked backward, and she fell back against the henchman.

Fuuuuuuck!

Nia kicked out as she tried to claw forward, causing herself to stumble, and she lost her shoes in the process. But instead of releasing her, the henchman gripped her tighter and went down with her. He landed on his side with her gripped against him.

He was frickin’ strong. She could feel it in his hands.