Crossbred Son by Brenna Lyons Page B

enough to have a son.”
    His stomach clenched at that pronouncement. “I don’t think I understand.” He hoped he didn’t.
    “Rhaazhaa and his partner—”
    “Greete,” Gabe recalled.
    “Yes. Rhaazhaa and Greete stopped for breakfast after their shift.”
    As Thomas and I have lunch together halfway through ours. He nodded dumbly, sure he knew what was coming next.
    “When the anti-Xxan guerillas opened fire, Greete tried to protect his partner with his personal weapon.”
    “They killed him as well,” Gabe guessed. He glanced at the steady-stream of work going on outside the bullet-proof glass. “No one knows yet.” News like this traveled fast. How could no one know?
    “It happened in grid six-beta.”
    Across town.
    “I just got the call half an hour ago. Within an hour, it will be all over the station.”
    “And you want me gone by then.”
    “Thomas is young, Zhaahvan. He won’t let you go to a more experienced partner. He won’t back down if... when you’re attacked.”
    Gabe considered that. “I think you’re right.”
    DeMarco seemed relieved. “You won’t fight me then?”
    “No. I’ll change out and—”
    “Wear the armor home,” he ordered.
    Gabe hesitated, then nodded. “Will do.”
    “Good. Let’s sign the paperwork.”
    By the time Gabe returned to the locker room, Thomas was nowhere in sight. He’s probably in the briefing room.
    Gabe reasoned it was better this way. If his partner didn’t see Gabe leaving, he wouldn’t ask questions. Gabe wouldn’t be forced to explain that he was leaving to save Thomas’s life.
    Thomas would hear about it in the briefing. By then, it would all be over, a ‘done deal.’
    Dispirited by the turn of events, Gabe opened his locker and started packing everything into his duffel.
    He paused with his hand hovering over the photos of his family, torn. He didn’t want to have to have the pictures on him if he was ambushed, but destroying them wasn’t an option. At a loss for a better idea, Gabe folded them in half, slid his hand inside his body armor, and deposited them in his shirt pocket.
    The empty locker room was a depressing sight. Without question, he knew his life as a police officer in this city had ended.
    Maybe I can get a job in security at a Xxanian company. He didn’t doubt Spice Industries would consider him an asset. As long as Gabe was working and providing for his family, he could live with not being on the force, he was sure.
    One last glance around convinced Gabe it was time to go. He settled his helmet on his head, positioned the mic, locked the face plate, then headed for his car. For the first time in his life, he was glad his gran-seir had insisted on the military-grade safety systems in his vehicle...and at the nest.
     
    ****
     
    “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Abby felt her face pale. He’d only been on leave from the police for a day, and Gabe was already giving orders to keep her in the nest full time.
    Gabe winced. “There are three dead already, Abby. I do not intend to add you or Michael to that number.”
    “I’ve already agreed to leave Michael here at the nest when I go out. I’ve already agreed that we’ll move here permanently.”
    He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “If they see you leave the nest, they’ll assume you are a mate or prospective mate. They will do their best to kill you, Abby, to keep the population of crossbred Xxan down. They’ve killed two Dominants and a human officer who got in their way. Please...understand.”
    She nodded. “But we have to collect our belongings. At least some things from the apartment. How will we—?”
    Gabe waved her off. “I’ll arrange a detail of Xxanian warriors to do it. We’ll get everything we can. We may only be able to get in once, so we’ll have to take the most important things first.”
    Abby considered that. “I’ll make a list.”
    “Include where to find everything. We won’t be searching, so if you say something is