3013: SALVATION (3013: The Series Book 5) Read Online Free Page B

thinking than you. It’s so like a man to belittle the
freedom of having independence in that fucking condescending tone.”
    Tavius’ lips quirked up in a
slight smile. “But they are such nice tits.”
    She growled at him, temper
flaring. “Damn it—”
    “Settle down, Sky. It is an
unfortunate reality of our world that females and males are not the same.” He
paused for a moment, then asked, “Is it so bad that people want to care for
you?”
    It was when the caring could
smother her to the point she was no longer herself anymore.
    His dark eyes searched hers and
she swallowed down the bitter reply that wanted to spew out. Over the last few
days, she had recognized that getting people to talk—even if they didn’t want
to—was a specialty of his.
    But she knew that game well.
    As an interrogator, she was just
as adept as he was. Hell, it was one of the reasons they got along so well.
Still, there was something about him that made her think that giving him any
more information about herself was a really bad idea. He wasn’t the type of
male she wanted poking around in her head. Actually, she didn’t want anyone
poking into her psyche.
    It just ended up pissing her off.
    No matter what he thought of her,
it seemed that all men—regardless of their race—didn’t understand how it felt
to be viewed as a potential possession to own.
    “There is a difference between
caring and trying to lock someone in a box, Tavius. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.
I’m not planning on getting claimed any time soon, so this conversation is
irrelevant.”
    “Keep telling yourself that, Sky.”
He took her arm again and continued to walk. “Come now. I will escort you to
your commander’s suite. Oh, and Director Stryker and Ambassador V’Dir are now
on their way to X7 to relieve the current commander of his post. You wouldn’t happen
to know anything about that, would you?”
    “No.”
    He shot her a look that told her
he didn’t believe her. “You will have to face them sooner or later, my friend.”
    Later...much later would be her
choice.
    If she had one.
     
    ****
     
    Skylar felt like she was walking
to her own execution.
    Her stomach was in knots by the
time she reached High Commander Spartan’s suite. Once she was at the elevators
she had parted ways with Tavius, not allowing him to escort her all the way as
if she were some kind of criminal or something.
    No, she’d go to her doom all on
her own.
    Although Skylar had no clue why
High Commander Jax Spartan wanted to see her, she knew it couldn’t be good. It
never was when she was called into his office for a private meeting. She
knocked on the door and waited until the doors opened to allow her entrance to
the suite.
    “Skylar. Come on in.” Sullivan
Archer said, smiling in greeting. He was a handsome man, with light-brown eyes
and dark-blond hair that was longer than regulation allowed, but Archer had
always been a little rebellious.
    Before Skylar could say anything,
Serra Spartan-Archer pushed Archer out of the way and took Skylar by the hand,
pulling her into the suite that was almost twice the size of her own quarters. Serra
and her two bonded had been given a new suite after they had been kidnapped
from their room a week ago, and from a quick glance around, had obviously been
given a pretty sweet upgrade.
    “Hi, Sky! I didn’t know you were
coming by.”
    “How are you, Serra?” Skylar
studied her friend’s face that showed no signs of stress from what they had
endured.
    “I’m recovering from our ordeal
quite nicely,” Serra said with an impish grin. “Jax and Sully have been taking
good care of me.”
    “I’m sure they are,” Skylar said
with a laugh. Serra was a beautiful woman with rich, brown hair and pretty
light-green eyes that warmed with greeting. She was one of the most intelligent
people in the world, and her genius status had kept her isolated for most of
her life, but since she had been claimed by Jax and Archer she exuded an air