13. Calder

Shit, shit, shit. This is very, very bad. This is a fucking nightmare. What is Deandra doing here? This could ruin everything. Jarel Onel thinks I’m a bodyguard. If he finds out I fought at Cage, he’s going to get suspicious.

And if he gets spooked enough to call off tomorrow’s sale. . .

We’re fucked. We might not get another chance to take this weapon off the market.

Murmuring an apology to Elodie, I pull Deandra away to a corner. “What are you doing here?” I demand through clenched teeth.

“I could ask you the same question.” She draws herself up to her full height. “What the fuck, Blaze? You took down a Crill Centurion. Do you know those odds? You nearly bankrupted Choke, and then you disappeared. Darius is furious.” She glares at me. “And then you quit? After what you did, do you really think we’d let you go?”

Choke is the gang that runs Cage, and Darius is its leader. And yes, I do know the odds of me winning. Five hundred to one.

Should have thrown that stupid fight.

Deandra is going to be hard to get rid of. If it came down to it, I could kill her, but I don’t want to. Deandra isn’t a Crill soldier; she’s not waging war against my people. She’s just a person who’s doing what she can to survive.

“He threaten you?”

She gives me a surprised look. I guess I wasn’t supposed to realize that. “What do you think?” she asks sourly, a flash of fear showing through the bitterness. “We lost ten million credits on your fight. Luckily, there’s a way you can make it up to me.”

“I’m listening,” I say warily.

“Another fight. You versus another Crill Centurion, here on Luxaria.”

“No. Absolutely not.” I want to help Deandra out, but it’s too risky. “Find another way.”

She continues as if I haven’t spoken. “We’ll even pay you. A hundred thousand credits, Blaze. Just for the one fight. It’ll change your life. All you have to do is win.”

“No,” I say again.

Deandra’s eyes narrow. “I don’t think you understand. Darius is very, very angry with you, and he’s not a good enemy to have.”

Meh, I’ve had worse. Or is it better?

“Who’s the woman you were dancing with? Your girlfriend?”

I come alert. “Elodie is not a part of this conversation.” If Deandra knows what’s good for her, she’ll hear the danger in my voice and back the fuck away.

She ignores my frigid tone. “What would she think of you turning down a hundred thousand credits? Don’t you think she should be part of that decision? Let’s go ask her what you should do.”

I’m seconds away from snapping her neck. I’ve been pretending to get my ass handed to me on courier runs. If Elodie learns I’m a fighter at Cage? My cover story will be blown wide open, and she’ll find out I’ve been lying since I moved in.

It shouldn’t matter. Elodie’s feeling of betrayal doesn’t make any difference to the success or the failure of my mission. Not any longer.

But it matters to me.I need to tell her the truth, all of it, but not yet. Not until we have the weapon in our possession.

Something in my expression gives me away. Deandra examines my face carefully and starts to laugh. “I don’t believe this. She doesn’t know anything, and you want to keep it that way.”

“Like I said,” I growl, clenching my hands into fists. “Elodie’s not a part of this.”

“She doesn’t have to be.” Desperation coats Deandra’s every word. “It’s an unimportant fight in the middle of the day in an unremarkable arena. The oddsmaker doesn’t know what you’re capable of, and I want to keep it that way. Cooperate with me, Calder, and your girlfriend will never find out.”

I cave. I cave because I have no other choice. “When’s the fight?”

“Tomorrow afternoon at two. I’ll transmit you the location.”

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

Jarel is meeting the Crill generals at one. If everything goes my way, I could stop the sale, secure the weapon, fight the Centurion, and then tell Elodie the truth.

But I have a dreadful suspicion things won’t go my way at all.