Lindsey's Rescue: A World Beyond Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

last word out and arched a winged brow in his direction.
    Zadal bowed from the waist, eyes up as he’d taught himself to do after weeks of watching vids on the polite gesture. “Senate Leader Zadal Gatar.”
    Her eyes widened. “Are you a politician or something?”
    What game did she play? Everyone here tonight knew who he was. The women made a point to keep their distance and the men pretended he didn’t exist. For the last two hours Zadal had strolled around the ball room in search of what he wasn’t sure. Any time his eyes made contact with a lady, her gaze would dart away in a clear sign to not approach. Just as this Lindsey’s had. Frustration and annoyance wore at his nerves. This was his chance to find a bride but as he’d feared, without the power of a known spouse partner, none of them would have him.
    “Are you into politics?” She raised her voice on the question as if he’d had trouble hearing her.
    “Yes.” He studied the fine lines of her features. The short nose, glowing blue eyes and high cheekbones gave her more than pretty looks.
    All together she looked fragile and on the heels of the thought, Zadal stepped back. She was not for him. His wife would need to be made of sterner stuff and this woman had lightweight written all over her. A Senate Leader’s spouse partner and wife needed to be capable of adding value to his life in all aspects.
    She hummed under her breath and Zadal was fairly certain she mumbled, “I guess I could deal with that.”
    He wondered how he could extricate himself from her presence without being rude. Usually, he didn’t care about how others viewed him. His goal since he’d achieved his Senate seat this last year revolved around gaining power and respect. Yet this woman with her ridiculously long lashes and golden tresses trapped him with nothing more than the blue eyes staring up at him.
    “I’d like to be your Triad bride.”
    Zadal choked, then hoped he masked the horror on his face. A woman didn’t ask a man, a man did the asking. He clasped his hands behind his back and went for his most stern look. The one that sent fear quaking through the other Senate Leaders when they thought to oppose him in votes. Only the carefree Baruk Laars pushed back and publicly fought him during those times.
    “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” He searched for a viable reason and the answer blared in his brain. “I haven’t selected a spouse partner.”
    Her lower lip trembled and Zadal felt lower than a grimlet slug. Then she lit up like the sun, color giving her skin tones a pink bloom. “I might have the answer.”
    She reached for his arm and he managed not to react to her sudden move for physical contact this time. Her fingers grasped the cloth of the only suit he owned and tugged, leaving Zadal no choice but to follow unless he wanted to injure her further.
    His eyes dipped to the wrist he’d grabbed and three darkening dots marred her skin. Cold rolled through him. How many times had his mother begrudgingly fixed his meals, her body lined with bruises from the rough hands of her clients? Whenever she caught him staring, Aiella Gatar would sneer and tell him of all the ways men were evil and how he’d grow to be the same.
    Aeilla berated him constantly for the smallest slight until he learned to be on his guard around her. Sometimes her drug-filled rants ended with him curled in a ball on the floor, hands pressed to his ears to block her screaming and insults. Other times he’d wake on the floor bleeding from where she’d kicked him into unconsciousness.
    Zadal didn’t want to be the type of man who brought a woman that low. He didn’t want to hurt a woman to the point she hated any child they created together.
    When they reached the other side of the over-large ball room, he realized where Lindsey had taken him. Two of the three men standing in the group stared in disdain. Zadal straightened. This he knew well. The woman had temporarily thrown him off his