She let out an ugly, forced laugh. “I watched the mother who raised me die from an infection OmniLab medicine could have easily treated. Pretz was murdered simply because he protected me from a low-life Omni wannabe rapist. Then, I get attacked and nearly killed because another trader decided to use me to clean up the corruption. To make matters worse, I fell in love with that same trader. Even when my world went to hell and everything I knew was ripped away, I held on to the hope that I’d managed to find the one person I could believe in and trust.”
Kayla closed her eyes at the onslaught of raw emotion coursing through her. Disappointment, hurt, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of loss filled her. They were all useless emotions. She pushed them aside and dug deep to find the last of her dwindling strength. Her eyes hardened as she raised her head to look at him once more.
“That’s what life really is, Carl. That’s the ugly, dirty, gritty truth. It hands you hard lessons and forces you to adapt. When you get complacent and start to hope, it gives you an even harder lesson by taking it all away.”
Whatever he saw in her expression made him pale. A look of panic crossed his face and he reached out, taking another step toward her. “Kayla, I never meant—”
She sidestepped him and pinned him with a glare. “No. Don’t touch me. I don’t belong with you either. One of the first things you learn as a ruin rat is to keep your distance from a trader. I broke that rule, just like I broke all the others. I’m the one who’s really the fool, I suppose.”
He froze and dropped his outstretched hand. “Don’t do this. Please, God, don’t do this, sweetheart.”
She didn’t answer. There was nothing else to say. Everything seemed to be falling apart around her, and she didn’t know how to make it stop. She blinked back the tears as she turned away from Carl. She couldn’t do this. Not now. She was destroying all of them.
Kayla fled from the room and ignored her name being called from behind her. Her heart felt as though it were breaking into a thousand pieces. She ran back down the corridor toward the priority elevator, pushing her way through the masses of people in the crowded corridor. Don’t fall apart, she told herself repeatedly. It became her mantra as her footsteps pounded on the ground in time with those words.
When she reached the elevator, Brant slipped in behind her. She hadn’t realized he’d been following her, but she should have known. Kayla turned away, not willing to let him witness her misery. She must have been unsuccessful because his voice was almost gentle as he asked, “Do you want to go to your family’s quarters?”
Not trusting herself to speak yet, she nodded and wrapped her arms around herself as though that gesture would prevent her from falling apart. Brant shot her a worried look before stepping forward and programming the control panel. Refusing to give into the tears that continued to threaten, she took several deep breaths as the elevator shot upward. When the doors finally opened, Kayla forced herself to slowly walk down the empty hallway toward her family’s quarters.
Brant hesitated at the entrance. “Do you want me to go in with you?”
She shrugged, not caring one way or the other, and walked inside. Brant frowned and followed her just inside the common room. Thankfully, Seara was nowhere to be found. Kayla’s movements felt almost robotic as she went to her bedroom, closed the door, and sat on the edge of the bed, dropping her head in her hands.
His words had hurt, but it went deeper than that. Their argument only helped to clarify her feelings for him, and the reality was terrifying. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t moved into his room at camp or not. She’d already tied herself to him in every way imaginable, and the thought of possibly losing him scared the hell out of her.
She would never have agreed to this engagement ruse if Alec weren’t in danger. If her being here was a liability, maybe it would be better if she returned to the surface. Alec could keep pretending they were engaged until things settled down, and it would prevent any repeated incidents like the one earlier. At least now she knew to avoid using her energy, and they could put the training on hold until things settled down. The hardest part was the situation with Carl.
The bond between her and Alec was just complicating the matter, and she didn’t trust herself enough to remain here until she got it under control. She needed some distance from both of them and time to think.
Kayla stood and walked over to the closet to pull out her bag. Without bothering to further analyze her actions, she quickly pulled off the dress and put on her old clothes and UV-protective gear. Grabbing her bag off the bed, she threw it over her shoulder and left the room.
Brant straightened as she entered, looking at her change of clothes and bag in surprise. “You’re leaving?”
“That’s the plan,” she replied and headed toward the door. Brant stepped in front of her, blocking her passage and held up his hand. “I won’t stop you, but you need to give me about thirty minutes to make some arrangements. Master Tal’Vayr won’t want you to leave the towers without me accompanying you. It’s not safe.”
Kayla glared at him and dropped her bag on the floor. “Okay, this has gone far enough. I’ve allowed you to follow me around because, quite frankly, I had too much other stuff going on to give a damn. But I don’t need or want a babysitter, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you follow me out of the towers. I won’t be responsible for what happens to you out there. So back off and sit your ass down.”
Brant raised an eyebrow. “My apologies, Kayla. I know you’re upset, but I swore an oath to protect you. I cannot allow you to leave without me.”
Kayla’s eyes narrowed at his choice of words. Allow? Seriously? Fuck that. She wasn’t going to allow anyone to stop her from leaving. “This is your last warning. I don’t feel like dealing with this shit right now, but I could definitely handle kicking someone’s ass. Either get out of my way or it’ll be yours.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Fine,” she snarled. The rush of adrenaline helped to clear the emotional haze from her mind. With her fist clenched, she took a step forward and swung at him. Brant caught her wrist, and there was a brief moment of surprise when she realized he might not be as fluffy as she first thought. Nice reflexes, she observed silently even though she’d telegraphed the move fairly well. Balancing on the balls of her feet, she widened her stance to take a more defensive position. Turning her body slightly, she used her elbow to jab him in the gut. He inhaled sharply at the contact and tried to make a grab for her, but she quickly moved out of the way. Kayla didn’t have much physical bulk, but she was fast and knew how to fight dirty.
Brant lunged forward to grab her again, and she hooked a foot around one of his ankles. Twisting her body, she jerked her foot forward, trying to unbalance him. The movement caught him by surprise, and she thought there was a quick flash of approval in his eyes before he took them both down to the floor.
Kayla tried to push herself off of him, but he seized one of her wrists. With her free hand, she swung her fist to the side and connected soundly with his nose. Brant swore loudly as his eyes began to water. With a grunt, he rolled over on top of her, effectively pinning her against the floor.
Considering he was twice her size, Kayla was at a disadvantage in this position. She wriggled against him to no avail. He blinked to clear his vision and stared down at her, shifting his position slightly so she could breathe. With a huff, she blew the loose hair out of her face and glared at him. There was a trickle of blood coming from his nose, but Kayla felt little sympathy. After all, she’d warned him. Brant leaned over her and a few strands of short, dark hair fell across his forehead. Not bad fighting skills for a pretty boy.
He eyed her warily. “Are you done yet?”
“Not even close.”
Kayla shifted and tried to jerk her knee up. Brant loosened his grip to stop her before she could connect. It was enough. With a twist, she escaped his grasp and scrambled to her feet. He swore again and lunged for her. She jumped out of the way an
d he bumped into one of Seara’s tables. It toppled over and fell to the floor with a crash.
Knowing he was already off balance, Kayla threw her body weight into his. He slipped backward as she fell into him, and he moved to cushion her fall as they hit the floor. She kicked out her leg, feeling it connect with some part of him. He grunted, trying to grab her leg but she rolled over. Reaching down, she snatched the weapon from his holster and hopped to her feet. Aiming the weapon at him, she warned, “Stay down, Fluffy, or I’ll zap you.”
He scowled. “Fluffy?”
“Mmhmm,” Kayla agreed, watching as the security officer propped himself up on his elbow.
Brant rubbed his ribs but didn’t move any further. “I admit you handle yourself better than I expected, but I still can’t let you leave without an escort.”
She arched an eyebrow and reached down to grab her bag from the floor. “It doesn’t look like you’re in much of a position to stop me.”
“Wait, Kayla,” Brant said quickly. “It’s the blasted Inner Circle who’s plotting to move against Master Tal’Vayr. These aren’t just threats. We’ve uncovered a definitive plot. If you walk out those doors without me, how will you defend yourself against them? Do you think it’s a secret you can’t control your energy? Master Tal’Vayr sent me to you for a reason. Your lack of training leaves you vulnerable. Any Inner Circle member could coerce you into using your energy bond against Master Tal’Vayr. Do you want to be responsible for his death?”
She paused and looked down at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. “What do you mean? Do you know who’s behind these threats?”
“No,” he admitted. “All we know is that someone wants Master Tal’Vayr and some other key individuals removed from the High Council. OmniLab’s databases were hacked to obtain information about you. They were moderately successful and managed to retrieve some of your files. We haven’t been able to trace the origin of these hacks yet. We believe their intention is to try targeting you in an effort to force Master Tal’Vayr into stepping down. I’m supposed to stay with you to prevent any other Inner Circle members from getting close enough to harm you.”
“There aren’t any Inner Circle members on the surface,” she pointed out, more convinced than ever that leaving was the right decision. “Why would Alec want you to follow me there?”
Brant started to pull himself into a sitting position, and Kayla shifted the weapon in her hand. Acknowledging her threat, he stopped moving and remained still. “There are some Inner Circle members who aren’t accounted for. It’s also not as difficult as you might imagine, bribing people on the surface for favors. We monitor everyone who comes and goes, but deliveries and messengers are sent out to the trading camps every day. All of these individuals are outside our immediate reach once they’re on the surface. We’re auditing the camp records to look for any ties to people in the towers.”
Kayla frowned and shifted the bag on her shoulder. The pieces were beginning to fall into place. The audit of Carl’s records, Seara’s fears, and Alec’s concern all made more sense.
“No. Thanks for the info, but I can’t stay here.”
Brant started to object, but she held up her hand. “You’ll be chewed up and spit out if you try following me, Fluffy. I can handle myself. But thanks for trying, and I’m sorry about this.”
Kayla glanced at the weapon to make sure it was set to stun before firing at him. A low-pitched noise sounded, and the security officer grunted before his body went lax. She knelt over him to make sure he was unconscious before leaving the weapon next to him. His other weapon was still in her bag.
With another mental apology, Kayla turned and ran from her family’s quarters. If she remembered correctly, she had only minutes before he regained consciousness.
The elevator moved quickly downward, and she took a deep breath when it arrived at the large entrance area. Melvin was sitting behind the desk and jumped up at her entrance. “Mis—Kayla, you’re leaving?”
“Yeah, it’s been fun,” she said with a wave, not halting long enough for him to object. Grabbing her helmet from the rack on the wall, she put it on and headed into the adjacent parking area. The overhead doors slid open, allowing the bright sunlight to spill inside. Being an Inner Circle member apparently had its perks, and her speeder was parked in a priority area close to the exit.
Kayla climbed on the back of her speeder and fired up the engine. As she pulled out of the garage, she gave one last glance up at the towers. This was why it was always better to travel light. It had taken less than ten minutes for her to leave the towers and escape to freedom.
As she traveled across the desolate landscape, Carl’s words came back to her. The tears she’d been suppressing began pouring down her cheeks. Leo had warned her against having a soft heart. When you let people in and allowed yourself to care about them, your emotions chained you more tightly than any possible prison.
Regardless of escaping the towers, Kayla wasn’t truly free. She wasn’t sure if it was even a possibility anymore. Her entire life was a huge mess and, for the first time, she didn’t have a clue how to go about fixing it. Feeling lost, she programmed in the last known coordinates for her former ruin rat camp with the hope they hadn’t moved on yet. Maybe going home would finally give her the answers she desperately needed.
Chapter Nine
It took Kayla only two hours to make an almost four-hour drive. When she recognized Leo’s camp, relief flooded through her. The ruin rats rarely stayed in the same location for long, and the familiar shape of the camp was a welcome sight. By the time she pulled up outside the front entrance and climbed off her bike, Kayla was emotionally exhausted and numb. To make matters worse, she wasn’t sure what sort of reception she’d receive from her former family.
Although Veridian had claimed her former camp leader didn’t harbor a grudge for leaving, Kayla had her doubts. Leo was unpredictable, and most ruin rats were derisive when it came to traders and their crews. She had been one of their strongest objectors up until a few short weeks ago.
Just take it a moment at a time. With a deep breath, she grabbed her bag off the back of her bike and squared her shoulders. Putting a confident swing into her step that she didn’t quite feel, Kayla headed inside. As expected, they’d monitored her approach and three people stood waiting for her at the entrance.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Leo chuckled and shook his head as she pulled off her helmet. “Looks like Mack won the bet after all. I thought it would take another couple of weeks before you got sick of playing with the trader. Guess you decided to come to your senses.”
Leo was a tall, thin, balding man in his early forties who’d been leading the camp for the past ten years. Mack and Tharin were two of his scavengers who usually worked as a team in the ruins. They were both in their twenties and Mack, in particular, had been something of a scavenging mentor over the years.
“Not even close,” Kayla replied with a trace of a smile. It was difficult to maintain her air of nonchalance when she felt nothing but relief at their greeting. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the camp. Even the stale aroma of the air circulating through the vents and the flickering lighting was a welcome reminder she was home. “OmniLab asked me to conduct some scientific studies of alarming personal hygiene and weapon-grade body odor. I couldn’t think of a more perfect specimen than you.”
Tharin snorted. “She’s got a point, Leo.”
Mack broke into a grin and walked over to Kayla, enveloping her in a big bear hug. He was a heavily muscled man with short, dark hair and brown eyes. The rough, unshaven stubble on his face grated against her cheek, but she’d missed it all the same. “It’s great to have you back, babe.”
Leo glanced outside at her solo bike before turning back to her. “Where’s Veridian?”
She gave a half-hearted shrug. “He’s busy getting it on with a redhead back in Carl’s camp.”
Tharin’s eyebrows rose. “Might want to tell him to be
careful. Someone’s putting something in the hydrating packs around here.”
Kayla paused, cocking her head to study him. He’d joined their camp about four years ago and had immediately fit right in with his playful banter and sharp wit. Only now, there were dark circles under his eyes and he appeared to have lost weight. “Oh? Something going on?”
Mack rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “Kristin’s implant failed.”
Kayla’s eyes widened at the news. “Shit. She’s pregnant again?”
When Tharin nodded, Kayla squeezed her eyes shut. Kristin wasn’t much older than she was and already had one child. Most ruin rats avoided serious relationships and especially pregnancy. Their lives were too dangerous and not conducive to family life. They tried to filter supplies back to the outlying family camps when they could, but it wasn’t enough. Now that Kristin was expecting a second kid, there was a good chance she might be forced to leave. Kayla swallowed, recalling the deplorable conditions she’d witnessed during her infrequent visits to drop off supplies.
Most scavenger camps had a closed-door policy when it came to children. Leo was a rare exception. He’d allowed Veridian and Kayla to grow up in the camp. Kayla wasn’t sure, but she suspected he’d been involved with Veridian’s mother. They’d been scavenging partners for years before she died.
He’d also given an exception to Kristin’s daughter because he didn’t want to lose both Tharin and Kristin. Next to her and Veridian, Mack and Tharin were the best scavenging team he had. The news about another child was a concern though. Too many mouths and not enough income would be a problem. It didn’t help that she and Veridian had left to sign up with a trading camp. Everyone in Leo’s camp had to be struggling, even with the funds she filtered back to them.
“As if we don’t have enough problems around here,” Leo announced with a scowl. Yep. The camp leader definitely wasn’t pleased with the news. He turned to regard Kayla with his sharp eyes. “Are you here for a visit or to work? I’m not running a damn halfway house.”
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