Cody dragged Arrin from his seat, grandstanding for the crowd, making Arrin hit his head on the chrome of the doorframe, and breaking the skin above his scar. The pain, added to the killer of a headache he already had made his eyes water. He glared at Cody for his unnecessary roughness before lowering his head to prevent anyone from seeing his damp eyes and mistaking it for tears.

The crowd parted silently as Cody, now subdued by guilt over injuring Arrin, took a firm grip on his left arm above the elbow and led him toward the tarmac where the Barumi prison ship waited. Logan followed behind with his laser drawn. Arrin looked for Peter among the crowd, but Peter wasn’t there either, confirming their friendship had indeed been a lie. He assuaged his hurt, anger, and betrayal over this validation of...

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