Alien Love by Lily Marie Read Free Book Online Page A

the leaders of the faction. She is Kiele’s aunt.”
     
    ***
     
    Rell turned out to be one of the six guards leading Kiele through the employee only corridors of the spa. He prodded Kiele forward, the butt of his laser rifle tapping Kiele’s scarred gills, and not gently. Kiele stopped and Rell nearly ran into him.
    “If you expect me to swim down to see your superior, you had best stop poking at my gills.”
    Rell snarled, and raised his rifle. Kiele waited for the blow, unable to stop it with his hands tied behind him.
    “Touch him again, Rell, and your punishment will be more severe than you can imagine.” The T’An who had surprised Kiele in the spa stepped into sight, wearing a lab coat and still carrying the laser pistol. “Forgive the measures taken, Commander, but your reputation precedes you, and your aunt insisted we keep you restrained in her presence.”
    “I understand. And you are?” He raised an eyebrow.
    “Dr. Gara, your aunt’s associate.” He raised the laser pistol. “Thus the reason for my being armed. I know of your prejudice against these experiments, Commander.”
    Kiele knew better than to say anything. He simply nodded, and Gara waved him and his guards forward. Sonia knew he was coming, which he expected. What he did not expect was such a well-armed and possibly hostile welcome.
    She must have heard about him keeping his brother, Lian, in a cell, after he tried to sabotage Kiele’s ship. Part of Kiele believed she was the one who had goaded his brother into the attack, with her grand lies about progress, and the T’An being a superior race to the humans.
    That was going to make her even less happy to see him than normal.
    They reached an open room, with a huge pool, and stepped access to the water. Gara turned to face Kiele, the laser pistol aimed at his chest. “I am going to have Rell free you, but if you do so much as move, Commander, I will be forced to shoot you.”
    “Understood.” He waited for Rell, not flinching as the edge of the knife that left a deep, painful cut on the side of his right hand. He let his arms fall to his sides, his gaze never leaving Gara. “I will follow your lead. I am only here to see Sonia.”
    Gara retreated, until he obviously felt safe enough to turn his back. “I will go in first. Rell, you stay with Commander Suun, and the rest of you follow behind. Once we reach the city, I will take him to Dr. Sonia myself.”
    Rell pushed past Kiele. “Dr. Gara—”
    “Alone, Rell. Dr. Sonia is still unhappy with you, for more than one reason.” His dark eyes met Kiele’s. “Once I am out of sight, follow me. If you swim too close, I will be forced to harm you.”
    Kiele nodded, and Gara looked satisfied with that. He turned to the pool, and climbed down into the water, tucking the pistol in his lab coat pocket before he made a shallow dive and disappeared.
    Rell shoved at Kiele from behind. “You next, Commander.”
    “Thank you for the reminder.” Snickering had Rell spinning toward his fellow guards, and Kiele used the distraction to step to the edge away from the steps and dive into the pool.
    He saw the glow immediately, and headed for it, careful to keep Gara in sight. The scientist was twitchy, and being armed made him a danger to more than himself. Kiele planned to survive this impulsive meeting; he had too much waiting for him above.
    By the time they reached the edge of the city, the cut on Kiele’s hand had closed. It would heal on its own now, and he could focus on what lay ahead. He followed Gara into a well-lit tunnel, and broke the surface of the water in an almost identical room. Gara was already out of the water, laser pistol in hand.
    “The drying rooms are on the far wall, Commander.” He waved his pistol, and Kiele forced himself not to duck. “You will drop to your knees, forehead to the floor, while I use the room, then it will be your turn. I would skip them, but your aunt does not approve of water dripping in her