Strange Skies by Kristi Helvig Read Free Book Online Page A

James swiveled around, and the red-haired girl’s eyes widened. It seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as his eyes met mine, my stomach dropped and I almost lost my nerve. Don’t let him fool you again . I reached the table and threw the contents of the drink in his face.
    “That’s for trying to kill me. I’d do worse if I had a weapon.” I turned to the girl. “Good luck, he’s all yours. Oh, and be careful … he likes to shoot girls.”
    Alec stared at me slack-jawed as I stormed back over to him. “Now I’m ready to go,” I said.
    “Tora!”
    Several people yelled my name at once. One of them was James. I’d know that gravelly voice anywhere. I turned toward the second person as I stomped out the door. It was Markus. Apparently the ruckus had been loud enough to pry him away from his make-out session.
    Markus stumbled out the door after us with James close behind.
    “Sweetcakes, it’s so good to see you,” Markus said loudly. “Come here and give me a hug.” He bent over me and I almost retched from the fumes on his breath.
    “You’re drunk off your ass, Markus,” I said, pushing his arms away. “It’s good to see you, but not like this.”
    Markus swayed a bit on his feet and Alec helped tosteady him. “Easy there, amigo .”
    James stepped in front of me. “Tora, I thought we’ve been through this already. What’s wrong?”
    What the hell was he talking about? We hadn’t been through anything. I glared into those hazel eyes of his and refused to let them affect me. “What’s wrong is that while I’ve been rotting away in a Consulate prison—after you tried to kill me, I might add—you’ve been making moves on the next girl. I don’t know why I’m surprised.”
    He gave me a pleading look “You know that’s not how it is. Just hear me out.”
    I put up my hand. “How would I know that? I’m done listening to lies. Just tell me where I can find Kale and the guns, and I’ll be on my way.”
    Alec coughed. “And I’d like to know where my dog is.”
    Markus waved his arm in the air as his words slurred together. “That mangy mutt is jus’ fine. She’s tied to a tree behind the bar with a bowl of water. James takes her everywhere with him.” He pointed a finger in my face. “In fact, that’s the only bitch you need to be jealous of, heh heh.” With that, he turned and vomited onto the nearest bush.
    I couldn’t believe this was the same Markus that had swaggered his way across the planet as a gunrunner. Now he could barely even walk. After he finished gagging, he stumbled over to a tree and passed out within seconds.
    “He needs help before he drinks himself to death.” I stared at his snoring form.
    “I’ve tried,” said James. “He won’t let me.”
    Alec shifted back and forth. “Now that you’re here, maybe you can talk some sense into him, Tora. I’m going to run and and get Lucy. Be right back.”
    “Fine, go.” I waved him away. All I needed was information about the guns and I was out of here. I’d get Max to take me and the guns somewhere, and then figure out how to destroy them once and for all. The sky had turned a dusky shade of orange. The light break was ending quickly and I needed answers before it got dark again.
    I crossed my arms and stared at James. “You were saying? Kale? Guns?”
    He ran his fingers through his hair. “Kale knows you’re alive. He’d have found out anyway, so I figured it was better if he heard it from me. That doesn’t mean you’ll be safe when he gets back.”
    “Not with you around, that’s for sure,” I said. “So if I’m in such danger, why was Alec supposed to bring me here—to a settlement that you renamed after my sister. What the hell is that about?”
    James frowned. “Remember? The plan was for you to lay low until we got more intel. I didn’t know you were going to show up yelling and causing a scene,” James said. He looked around like he half-expected Kale to show up at any minute. I