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lined the back wall, lifting the lids with little to no noise at all.
Check that one, Zackary whispered and pointed to a single crate
on the opposite side of the room. Gigi craned his head, looking to
make sure the shopkeeper was occupied before racing in front of the
doorway and then catching his breath. His heart was beating out of
control, but he had to prove he didn t break the ceremonial crown.
Stupid crown.
With the tips of his fingers, he eased the lid open. Gigi sat the lid
on the floor next to the crates as his eyes widened. Not only did the
golden crown of feathers lie inside the crate, but so did several other
pricey items rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It was a treasure trove.
Gigi looked up to see Pax and Zackary staring down into the crate
with the same astonished look he was sure was on his face. His hand
trembled as he reached into the crate then snapped it back when Pax
swatted at him.
What? he mouthed.
Don t touch, Pax mouthed back.
Adwaka s Blade 113
Gigi rolled his eyes. How in the hell was he supposed to get the
crown out of the damn crate if he didn t touch it? Gigi looked over at
Zackary and raised an eyebrow. Maybe he had an idea.
Zackary nodded and pulled his vid-pad out of his shirt. He pushed
a button and held the pad up, starting to videotape what was inside the
crate. Gigi nodded his sudden understanding then reached back into
the crate and pulled each item out. He set them on a nearby crate one
at a time as Zackary videotaped them.
Once Zackary had taken pictures of everything in the crate, Gigi
carefully replaced them all then set the lid back on top. He could still
hear Adwaka and Imlay talking with the shopkeeper and hoped they
were keeping the man busy.
He grabbed the crate and carried it out the back door, thankful that
it was a small crate. Otherwise, it would have taken two of them to
carry it. Zackary was still videotaping and Pax was shaking his head
as he stared at the crate like he carried poisonous snakes instead of
treasure.
Gigi carried the crate into the woods then set it down under some
brush. He covered it with branches and leaves and even a bit of dirt
then turned to look at Zackary and Pax. That should about do it.
Now, we just need to let Adwaka and Imlay know that we re in the
clear.
What do you plan to do with that? Pax asked as he pointed to
the crate.
Gigi shrugged. I haven t figured that part out yet.
Don t you think you d better?
I want to wait until Adwaka and Imlay get here. If they were
going to have their asses handed to them, they were going to do it as a
group. So, Gigi said as he looked at Zackary and Pax, any idea
how we let Adwaka and Imlay know the coast is clear?
That won t be necessary, Remy growled from behind them.
* * * *
114 Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn
Adwaka walked from the shop and ran around back. That was
close. He saw when Gigi and the other mates left out of the back door.
Adwaka skidded to a halt when he saw Remy standing next to Gigi.
This wasn t good.
Explain.
Don t turn around. Don t turn around. Adwaka turned around.
Blade was standing behind him, along with Tank. They looked like
their nostrils should have smoke billowing out of them. Adwaka
gulped as he gave his mate a little wave.
Hi.
Blade crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. Try
again, babe.
Okay, his mate said babe. That was a good sign, right? No one
would believe Gigi, but we mates did. So we came up with a plan
Pax cleared his throat.
Adwaka rolled his eyes. I came up with a plan to prove he was
innocent. We borrowed the shuttle and came down here to
investigate.
And boy, we uncovered a lot more than a broken crown Gigi
started.
Wait, Remy said, holding his hand up. What do you mean by
that?
If they would let him finish talking they d know by now. Adwaka
was getting frustrated. He didn t like being in trouble and wanted his
explanation heard. He was anxious to hear what Gigi had to say, but
he wanted to finish telling Blade why they stole the shuttle and came
back.
Over there. Gigi waved his hand at the crate that was still half-
covered.
Adwaka blinked at the crate as Remy bent down and pulled it out.
Just then, two guards came walking up the dirt path heading their
Adwaka s Blade 115
way. Adwaka felt sick. He wasn t sure he was going to like living in a
prison, even if this planet was plush.
What the hell is this? Blade asked as he knelt down next to
Remy.
Take a look. Zackary shoved his vid-pad in Remy face. The
proof is in the pudding.
Adwaka held his breath, hoping they believed Zackary s video.
Hell, he d like to see what was on the video himself. He knew Gigi
had come up with some sort of plan but he didn t have a clue what it
was. And didn t that suck. If he was going to get into trouble, he at
least wanted to know all the details. That way he would have
something to think about as he rotted in jail.
Blade watched over Remy s shoulder as the men watched the
video. Adwaka started bouncing from one foot to the other as his
mate s features darkened. Remy was even worse. His claws were
breaking out of his fingers and his canines had dropped down as he
growled deeply in his chest.
Adwaka took a quick step back when Remy jumped to his feet
and turned to face the two guards that had walked up. He had never
seen Remy look so terrifying and never wanted to see it again if he
could help it.
I want to see your high council, and I want to see them now!
Remy snarled. My mate has been accused of something he didn t do,
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