“I don’t normally believe in this sort of thing, but Lila is something special,” Chip added his endorsement, knowing a lot of the men might not be as accepting of her gift as he’d become. But they surprised him. When he examined their faces, the men all seemed to be willing to listen. Some of them even looked downright eager to hear what she had to say.
“First, I have to tell you that I haven’t had a vision in a long time. Several weeks.” She finished her coffee and held it out to Roscoe for a refill. The man ran back behind the bar and got more for her. “That’s not normal for me. Generally, I see things all the time. Little things. Like a call from my daughter is coming so I’d better stay home to get it. Or where I should be to prevent something or help somebody. It’s not usually anything huge, but every once in a while… I get strong ones, like the vision where I foresaw that I had to be on this station at this time to meet Chip and do something that’s going to be important to a lot of people. That’s what sent me here. And then nothing. For weeks. Not a glimmer. Then this.” Her eyes widened as she quieted, probably thinking about what she’d seen. Roscoe showed up with the new cup of coffee, drawing her attention. She took the mug out of his hands with a grateful smile.
“You haven’t had a vision of the future in a while,” Chip prompted. “Is that why this was so strong?”
“Probably. But I also think we’re at a crossroads. A nexus. A point where things will be decided on a system-wide basis. I’ve been involved in a few of those in the past and they’re never easy. Which is why I’m seeing possible futures, not one single path to take. Air support will be key,” Lila turned to look at Julian. “The pirates have an armada of about a dozen ships evenly spilt between cruisers and light cargo ships that have been armed to the teeth. You’ll need to take command of our ships when the pirates engage, Julian. I see you leading the charge in a similar light cargo ship with heavy armament. Whether you steal it from the pirates or you find it docked here or nearby, I have no idea, but grab that ship when you see it. It’s the key. And if we live through this, it’s going to take you places you never dreamed.”
Julian looked doubtful but when the other vets frowned at his reaction and Chip gave him the evil eye, he seemed to backpedal. “Uh, thanks. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Lila laughed. “I know you don’t believe me now, and that’s okay, but just remember what I said and go with it when the opportunity comes to you.”
Julian looked more comfortable with that approach and nodded his agreement. “I will. Thanks again.”
Lila’s color was returning, though her pupils were still dilated and she seemed a bit dazed. But she had more energy, Chip was glad to see.
“What else did you see, sweetheart?” He was there to support her if she needed him.
“Hang on a second.” She reached for the small, embroidered pouch at her waist. He’d seen her play with those special cards of hers over the past days, but she’d only shown them to him that once, at their first meeting. “Could you slide the table back over here?” she asked the guys, who were only too happy to comply. They eased the table back in front of her sideways, leaving the booth side open.
She started to shuffle and then deal the cards.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! My gran had cards like those.” Smiley’s pale face went even paler against his auburn hair and blue eyes. “The tarot, she called them. Fortune telling cards.”
Chip did a quick recheck of Smiley’s personnel file. The colony he came from was called New Dublin and most everyone was of Old Earth Irish descent. It was one of the ethnic colonies that sought to preserve a particular way of life. In this case—Old Irish culture from Earth. Smiley’s real name was Seamus O’Keefe and there was even a small note about his grandmother’s predictive abilities in his file, Chip was surprised to note.
The men seemed impressed anew. Some were looking at Lila with outright awe. Some were skeptical, like Julian.
“There you are. Julius Caesar. King of Stars.” Lila pointed to a card, then looked up at Julian. “That’s you. And a woman…” Lila pointed to a few more cards, one of which was a card called simply The Star.
“And this…” She pointed to a few more numbered cards. “This is what I wanted to clarify. Timing. Looks like this is all going down in five days, five weeks or five months.” She frowned, turning over more cards. “Hmm. Could even be five hours. Damn.” She flipped a few more cards. “Someone very capable is leading the pirate ships. A former prisoner. Someone of rank.”
Chip cursed under his breath. “Captain Morgan just got out of prison,” he reminded the group.
“There seems little doubt then,” Hank intoned grimly. “They want this station as a pirate base. Morgan’s starting up where he left off.”
Chip had heard enough. He zipped through the personnel files using his internal computing capacity to its fullest extent while he observed the gathered men. He could tell who were friends by where they had stood or sat throughout the meeting and he could tell more about their personalities and willingness to lead or follow based on their body language.
“Freight Train, would you be willing to organize our ground troops, such as they are?” Chip asked the big man who stood off to the side with some of the older guys.
“Happy to, boss.” Freight Train tipped Chip a casual salute, but his gaze hardened with purpose.
“And Hank,” Chip addressed the older man standing next to Freight Train. “I’d like you to be the liaison for us with station police.” Chip knew Hank had been a top notch NCO before retiring about a decade ago. “I’ve heard you have some contacts inside station security. If you agree, you will be our interface with them. I think you’ll understand that I need to preserve the anonymity of the bar for as long as possible. Who I am and what really goes on here is Need To Know.”
“Understood, sir. They won’t hear about it from me. As far as the station’s concerned, we’re just a group of vets who got together all on our own,” Hank replied easily.
Chip was glad of their support. With those two running the ground operation, Chip could concentrate on the big picture.
The men continued to make plans while Lila quietly sorted out what she’d seen in her vision. She told them what she could, but there was one piece of information she was holding back. She knew Chip wasn’t going to like it but in order to make this work, she had to do something he would never agree to. When the time came, she would be ready.
By the time the meeting adjourned an hour later, it was deep into the station night. Chip had given each of them an earpiece that would allow private communications among their group. He showed them how to tune in to the station police frequency as well, but cautioned them not to interact openly with the police unless absolutely necessary. The police frequency was somewhat well known and would no doubt be monitored by the pirates.
It was the off-shift, when the bar was closed. Lila sat quietly as the men left. Chip saw them off at the door, looking to those who might be watching the bar, like the gracious, tipsy, host saying goodnight to his friends. He locked up and returned to her, meeting her gaze with a grave expression.
“Five days?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
She knew what he meant. The cards had told her the timeframe. Five… something. Days, weeks, hours? She couldn’t be absolutely sure.
“Seems likely, but it could also be five hours.” She didn’t like the idea that danger was so close at hand.
“I know one way to get that frown off your face.” Chip held out his hand to her. She took it and stood, allowing him to sweep her into his arms. His lips covered hers in a kiss that started out hot and spiked up to inferno in twenty seconds flat.
It had been too long since their interlude together. She’d had a taste of her Charlemagne and now she was powerless to resist the ecstasy she knew he could deliver. She wanted to feel that amazing feeling again and again. If all hell was going to break loose on the station in the next few hours, she wanted to spend as much time as they
could steal together, in his arms. Preferably while he was fucking her senseless.
She didn’t want to waste any time. Lila pushed at his shoulders, making enough room between them that she could reach for his shirt. When he realized what she was doing, he helped, ripping the fabric open and away from his hot skin. Lila loved the feel of him, his hard muscles under smooth skin, his warmth and even the faint, clean scent of his skin. Everything about this man appealed to her.
When his shirt was gone, he went to work on hers. She let him do as he liked while she concentrated on the closure of his pants. She wanted them gone. She wanted to touch him and let him know how desperate she was to feel him again. And she wanted him inside her. Fast.
Things were going from urgent to desperate when she felt the last of her clothing slide away. His big hands cupped her breasts for a moment, squeezing and stroking. But it wasn’t enough. A yearning sound came from deep in her chest, even as he seemed to be slowing down, taking a moment to savor.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Lila.”
She stilled, meeting his gaze and seeing the truth behind his words in his expression as his hands roamed gently over her body. They were standing very close to one of the tables and she leaned back against it, feeling the soft cloth of their discarded clothing under her. A quick look over her shoulder told her he’d spread the fabric over the table. It looked deliberate. She wondered what he had in mind. Whatever it was, she was up for it. She knew Chip would take good care of her.
He pushed gently on her shoulder, encouraging her without words to sit back. The clothing under her allowed her to slide easily. Chip parted her knees with a gentle, but commanding nudge of his thigh and stepped between them. Oh, yeah. That’s where she wanted him. But he was still wearing his pants. The worn fabric rubbed enticingly against the insides of her thighs.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” Chip whispered as he drew closer, rubbing his fly against her core as his lips hovered millimeters above hers. “Ever since I first saw you behind the bar, I’ve thought about stripping all your clothes off and having my wicked way with you in here.”
She sucked in a breath. “You have?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He hummed his agreement against her lips as he finally took them in a warm, slow, deep kiss.
She forgot what she was going to say as he eased her back on the sturdy table, bringing his weight down over her while he devoured her, body and soul. He broke the kiss and his lips moved downward, nipping an erotic line down her neck and over her chest, pausing for long moments at her nipples, sucking first one and then the other into the wet cavern of his mouth.
She moaned at the rough slide of his tongue against her sensitive flesh and squirmed under him, wanting more. Oh, so much more.
He continued to move downward until his mouth hovered between her widely spread legs. His warm breath fanned over her most sensitive flesh and prickles of sensation swept over her skin, raising goosebumps. It felt so good. But she knew what would feel even better.
Apparently, so did he. A moment later, he gave her what she wanted, lowering his mouth, licking his tongue out and around the little nub of flesh that made her groan in enjoyment as it was teased. Oh, yeah. Chip knew how to make her squirm in delight and he used his skill to tantalize and tame, teaching her body who its master was.
Chip owned her in that moment, solidifying his ownership when he dipped his tongue inside her moist heat, striking with a surety that made her shoulders come off the table as her back arched in uncontrollable response. His big hands held her hips in place, her willing slavery to his touch kept her exactly where he seemed to want her as she waited for what he would do next.
As she shivered in a small completion, he stood. She was bereft for a short moment until she heard the slide of his clothing. She looked at him and realized he was pushing his pants downward. His hard cock sprang free as he stepped closer, right into the juncture of her thighs. She was at just the right height for entry and he didn’t waste time.
He took her in one swift move that made her cry out at the abrupt pleasure of being filled. She loved the way he handled her body. So sure. So strong. She loved feeling so feminine around him. He made her feel delicate in a way no man in her life ever had. Of course, she’d never been with a soldier.
With Chip, everything was new. Shiny and crystalline. Perfect.
He began to move as she slid as close as she could to him, wanting to be joined as fully as possible. His hands went to her hips, guiding her, holding her in place for his initial thrusts. He went easy at first, holding her gaze while he allowed her to acclimate to his sudden possession.
“Okay, sweetheart?” Chip asked, watching her every reaction. The care she saw in his gaze made her want to weep with joy. Her heart burst open and she knew she loved him beyond a shadow of a doubt. Would he… could he love her back? It was a question for another time. The more urgent question now was when he would speed up and fuck her like he meant it?
“I’m good. Faster, Chip,” she encouraged breathlessly. “Harder. I need it.” Her muscles strained as her eyes closed. He felt so damn good inside her.
“What do you need, Lila?” His voice dipped low, caressing her with sound.
He held back, keeping his thrusts shallow and moderate. She wanted more. Needed more. She needed all of it. All of him. Why was he teasing her?
“What do you need?” he repeated in an urgent whisper, demanding a response.
“You!” She gasped as he suddenly rammed home, just as she wanted. “I need you, Chip,” she panted as he began thrusting in earnest, giving her all that she wanted and more. He was a force of nature, a tide that could not be stopped. But she didn’t want to stop it. She wanted it to wash over her and sweep her away in its amazing embrace.
“That’s good, baby, ‘cause you’re gonna get me. Right now.” His words came out almost in time with his powerful thrusts.
The pace quickly escalated to something that might have hurt if she hadn’t been so damn turned on already. She was with him, reveling in his strength, his power, his ability to excite her in so many subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Her passion rose and kept on rising. The tsunami was coming and she had no fear. It would take her and make her whole, make her one with the wave, one with the man. She wanted it. She wanted it all.
“Come for me now, Lila!” Chip nearly shouted as his breathing hitched and his strokes turned into frantic digs that made her want to howl in enjoyment.
She liked seeing him lose control. She loved seeing him take his pleasure in her willing body. When he convulsed, she was split seconds behind him, coming as he came, coming because he came, taking her with him. In that moment, they were one.
Chapter Nine
When Lila went in search of Chip later, after a quick run through the cleansing chamber, she found him checking over a veritable arsenal of weaponry he’d laid out in front of him on a table near the bar. She checked her chronometer and realized time had flown from the timeless moment of her vision. Counting from that moment to now…
“We’ve got about twenty minutes to spare,” she whispered, joining him at the table. “If it was going to happen in five hours,” she clarified. He only nodded.
“I’m hoping for five days, personally. That would give us more time to get better backup in position.”
“You contacted Winters?” She was pretty sure he’d done that first thing, but events had sort of overtaken her since the vision, which had left her shaken badly.
“I sent out the SOS right away. Heard back from his staff almost immediately in response to my priority code. They’re scrambling to find ships in the vicinity. No news on that yet, but they’re going to get anyone they can to help save our butts.”
“Thank the goddess.” She breathed a small sigh of relief. If the shit was going to hit the fan in less than a half hour—and she still wasn’t sure if they had more time than that—then they needed all the help they could get. The quicker it showed up, the bett
er.
“Do you know how to shoot?” Chip continued to examine the functionality of each weapon laid before him in detail. She was glad to see he was making preparations. For all they knew, the pirates would launch their plan at any moment.
“I’m reasonably proficient with hand weaponry. Long guns are a bit out of my comfort zone.” She sat opposite him at the table.
He looked up and grinned. “With your size, I’m not surprised. It takes more muscle strength to handle one of these.” He placed the pulse rifle he had just finished cleaning on the table to his side. “The kickback would put you on your ass. Aiming would be the next thing to impossible.” He chuckled, probably picturing it.
“Don’t you laugh at me. I can’t help my size,” she teased.
He picked up a small handgun and held it up. “Dangerous things come in small packages, sweetheart. Don’t worry. I won’t underestimate you again, if I can help it.” He offered her the cleaned and fully charged handgun. “This more your style?”
“For me?” She pretended coyness. It was good to joke around with him before the potential battle. If it happened now, they’d be as ready as they could be. Worrying about it wouldn’t help the situation.
“All for you, milady,” he answered gallantly, giving her a little bow of his head as he offered up the handgun on the platter of his open palm.
“I’m flattered.” She took it, checked it expertly and threw the safety on before tucking it into her pocket. “I thank you for your gift, kind sir.”
“Use it well, if the time comes.”
All humor ended as their eyes met and held.
“Chip…” she began. “My husband didn’t speak often of his work.”
Chip’s eyes darkened at the abrupt change in subject. She wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what she had to say, but she needed to say it nonetheless. She’d been trying to tell him something since he’d first told her about his cybernetics. Something her husband had shared with her about his work. Something theoretical that had made him hope those he worked on could evolve to be one with their implants instead of merely using them as tools. If anyone could do it, she thought Chip could.
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