Arak's Love: A World Beyond Book 2 Read Online Free PDF

smile slow in coming nearly blinded. “Have I mentioned how much you rock, Sylvie?”
    Sylvie placed a hand on her hip and pretended to admire her ragged nails. “Not in the last five minutes.”
    Joni snickered then giggled. The giggles turned into all out laughter. “Shit, if we don’t die, promise me that when we’re settled we go to the first bar these aliens have and get drunk.”
    “Done,” Sylvie agreed. “Now let’s go. That Jutak guy said he had friends around. We just need to get out of here.”
    Joni nodded and came over to her side. A large cloud of smoke billowed around the ceiling. Sylvie coughed and edged away from the flames eating up one half of the building.
    “Up?” Joni asked, red streaks marring the whites of her eyes.
    They studied the stairs they’d used to come down. Half of the railing had been torn from the wall. Several treads were missing or had holes in them. None of that was as bad as the fire snapping down the middle and hissing every few seconds.
    “Ideas?” Joni held her stolen knives waist high.
    “All or nothing,” Sylvie muttered. “There’s another staircase on the other side.”
    They changed direction and headed toward the back of the building. Coming upon the destroyed bodies caught both of them off guard.
    “Holy!” Sylvie froze and her stomach heaved at what was left of the two Marenians lying in the center of the floor.
    Joni whistled low. “Your man is wicked hot if he did this.”
    Sylvie glanced over her shoulder and gaped. “What?”
    Joni smirked. “I saw you looking at him and I definitely caught him checking out your ass.”
    Sylvie flushed, not knowing what to say to that but managed to grumble, “He’s not my man. Come on, we need to get out of here before the rest of this place falls on our heads.”
    Another boom interrupted as if to add emphasis to her statement. The stairs on this side weren’t much better. Broken slats from the railing hung over the sides. Lack of flames made it their best option. Sylvie gripped the laser with both hands and aimed it straight ahead. This was their only way out. She turned to Joni. “Hurry.”
    They raced up the stairs together.
    “Where to?” Joni asked, huffing and panting.
    “Back to the room where they held us. We can climb out the window and try to make our way down from there.”
    Joni rolled her eyes. “I hate that room. I hated it before and I didn’t think it possible but I hate it more now.”
    Blood rushing, Sylvie pumped her knees harder only to come to an abrupt halt when they reached the top. One entire section of the wall had collapsed. The boots caught her eyes first. Fallen debris covered the prone figure. Sylvie edged closer.
    “Get away from him,” Joni whispered harshly but Sylvie had already dropped to her knees.
    She placed the laser at her side and pushed at white chunks of plaster, wood bits and a steel plank of some sort. “It’s him, Joni. The Jutak guy.”
    Heart pounding, Sylvie desperately shoveled her hands until she had him clear of the mess. She couldn’t explain the panic at seeing him felled. His groan had her exhaling in relief. Joni came closer but far enough away he couldn’t reach out and grab her feet.
    “We have to help him.” Compelled to touch, Sylvie brushed at the dark hair on his forehead. His warm skin left her fingers tingling. Blue stains speckled his face as if he’d been in a paint fight with someone. Her gaze drifted over him, noting the same blue on his leg beneath torn pants. A large gash leaked more blue fluid. Blood? “He’s injured. We have to help him.”
    “Shit, Sylvie. Okay. Okay.” Joni chucked the knives to the floor and knelt beside her. “On three.”
    Sylvie nodded and slid her arms under his broad shoulders. Joni grasped his other side.
    “One, two, three!”
    The both pulled at the same time until they had him in a sitting position. His weight slumped against Sylvie, bringing her breasts into full contact with his chest. Her