by Lauren Dane
What a man he was.
“Is she still ill? You said she owns a bakery.”
“She got very bad, so bad I thought she would die. My father, he didn’t really care. He’d stopped coming home, and when he did, he often brought his little protégés with him. She’d cry and cry. When I was small, they were so close, always laughing together, kissing and touching. He barely looked at her, didn’t care that she was fading. So I confronted him and demanded we go. I’d have gone anyway; she needed to be away. He gave in, and we moved to the capital. The neighborhood was not a dream come true. We were freezing cold for part of the year, sweltering for another part. But she got better. She got better and put her life together.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It sounds a lot like my mother’s situation. Except my father has a second wife. My mother probably wouldn’t leave him, even knowing what he is. My gods, my little brother. I’d forgotten until this moment.”
Not that he’d died; she never forgot that. But how. Her father was a monster. A murderous bastard who would be the end of everything if left unchecked. Simply because he could.
“He has to be stopped,” she murmured against his chest.
“I know.” He didn’t apologize, didn’t say more, and that’s what she needed.
“Tell me about your sisters.”
“You should sleep.”
“I will.”
“I’m the oldest of the four as I’ve said. One of my sisters runs a café, she’s in business with my mother. The other is a pain in the ass.” He grinned, and she laughed.
“Do tell.”
“She’s a barrister and a rabble rouser. Has to know everything. My gods, the questions she asks. She’s also strong, intelligent, funny.” He angled his head to look at her. “A lot like you that way.”
She sighed happily. “Is she married? Does she have children? Do you live near each other? Your family, that is?”
“Speaking of endless questions. She is married, yes, and she’s pregnant with her first child. She lives in the city, we all do. I see them all, including my youngest brother, who is also a professional rabble rouser, regularly when I’m home. You’ll like my brother. At first glance he seems shallow and pretty, but after you know him, you realize he’s got immense talent with people because he’s insightful and brilliant. He’s been told he’s stupid for so long by our father that it’s only recently that he’s accepting just how amazing he is.”
It warmed her to hear so much love in his voice. “I’m very excited to meet them. Not your father so much, but the rest.” She paused. “I will, won’t I?”
“What are you asking exactly?”
She leaned closer, pressing her lips to his ear. “When we arrive, will you be with me? I mean, not just physically, but romantically, relationship-wise?”
“I’m so wrong for you,” he whispered. They’d been keeping their voices low; even with the jammer, she knew he didn’t want to risk anything.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she said vehemently. Men were so dumb sometimes.
He snorted. “Indeed you will. I have no doubt you’ll do what you want. It’s part of your charm.”
“Don’t think I don’t understand sarcasm, Neil.”
“Good night, sweet.”
She leaned up and kissed him, meaning to be quick, but he caught her, holding her in place while he kissed her, took over, devoured and devastated. She surrendered to it, giving herself to him until he was satisfied, pulling back with a feral sound, holding her close. Now that could put a girl into happy dreams all dark long.
Daniel lay there in the dark as the fabric of space-time hugged the transport, creaking and humming, creating a sort of lullaby he’d heard more than once in his life. These private transports weren’t as luxurious and silent as the ones that carried passengers from ’Verse to ’Verse via the official portals, but he always felt that estranged people from the wonder of just how the portals worked.
He couldn’t quite believe he’d told her all that about his family. But she’d asked, and he’d liked sharing it with her. Maybe it was the fact that he’d lived in a state of anonymity as a member of Phantom Corps, but being known by someone other than family or coworkers meant something to him. It meant something to him that she pursued him, that she wanted him as more than just a man to keep her safe and teach her a few things about sex. She understood him in a way most people never did.
It was that, he thought, that touched him the most. She was interested in all parts of him. There was no subterfuge with her, which was funny, given the state of their situation, but she wanted the real Daniel. He was not just the sexy special ops solider, though she did seem to enjoy that, too. She looked at him and saw more. Very few people did, which he hadn’t really known bothered him until he’d met her.
The rest, what he’d do when they got back and the reality of their different social status made itself clear, he didn’t know, nor did he plan to waste any time worrying about it. It would be whatever it would be, and there was no use working himself into upset over it. Until then, she was his, and he’d keep her safe, teach her about sex and enjoy her for the wonderful woman she was. If he’d been a better man, he’d have stayed away from her, would have created a gulf of anger between them so she’d keep those sweet, soft thighs closed. But he wasn’t a good man; he was a man who did what it took to get the job done.
Enough of that. He needed to keep his focus on the mission. He didn’t like the looks on some of the faces of those mercenaries back in the glade. He didn’t like it that a few times, he’d seen speculation in the eyes of people he’d seen on the transport either.
He knew cowards pretty well. Anyone who’d turn someone in for credits was a coward. But cowards did desperate things, and that made them dangerous. No one would make a move while they were traveling; it was too dangerous to the transport and to the others on board. He and Andrei would need to be sure their departure was done right.
It was at times like this one that he wished they’d opted for the implants some of the other special forces operatives had. Mental communication between team members would be really helpful right about then, but his people already had enough distrust of the system, and so many of them had refused or voiced fear, that he’d put it off.
Now, when he got back, he’d have Ash Walker or Sera Pela come to speak to them about it. They used the implants on their three-person team with a lot of success. He figured his people would better understand what it did and didn’t do from people like them, people they felt closer to rather than the scientist who’d created the implant.
“You’re thinking about work,” she murmured against his back. Sleep lay heavy in her voice, and he smiled in the dark.
“How’d you know that?”
“You were relaxed, and then you began to tense up more and more. I’ve noticed you must run through a mental list of things you have to do at night. It’s part of your routine.”
She knew him better than she could understand. “It helps me to start each day when I’m prepared. I work through the things I need to do.”
The arms she wrapped around him brought him back to her, back to her body against his in the quiet of night, the scent of sex on the air. In a short span of time, he’d gotten very used to her body against his each night. It felt good to be with her. It eased him.
“All right.” She kissed him between the shoulder blades. “I trust you’ll share if you need help.”
Chapter 13
Carina awoke to an empty bed, but not an empty room. Daniel was already up and getting dressed. She watched, content to simply soak in how handsome he was, even as she wondered about each and every scar he bore.
“What’s your favorite memory?” he asked, turning around.
She smiled at the sight of his face. “You’re good. How did you know I was awake?
“Your breathing changed. You make a lovely—very feminine, of course—snuffle when you’re sleeping.”
“Are you saying
I snore?”
“Of course not.” He grinned and strode to her, dropping a kiss on her mouth. “I said you snuffled.”
Hmpf. She sat, drawing the blankets about herself as he went back to grooming his beard. The one she’d asked him to grow.
“My favorite memory is the first time you, we, well you know.”
He laughed. “That’s one of my favorites, too. How about one that doesn’t involve me?”
He had no idea how deeply she felt for him, silly man. All her favorite memories were of him.
“Let’s see. My grandmother used to sneak me into the kitchen and let me roll dough with her. It was far more that she let me into her world than the treat part, though, of course, who doesn’t like treats? She was a good person, a lot of fun. She and my brother, my older brother, were very close. I don’t think she trusted my father, but she adored us and always took up for us, even when she couldn’t win.”
Even when it got her disappeared.
“Another time, one warm season, we left home and went to Duim. There’s a great sea there, have you visited?”
He shook his head. “I haven’t. But I’ve heard that it’s beautiful.”
“It is. Overfished, sadly, so now there are bans against any netting at all. The economy has been destroyed by itself. They do expect it to rebound. Anyway, the beaches are beautiful. We played and played, swam, had picnics each day. It was the last time we were all together as a family before my older brother . . . died. I can still smell the air, so crisp and clean.”
“It sounds like a good memory. I’m glad for that. And you don’t know that he’s dead, he’s just gone. He could have survived if people helped him. Don’t lose hope.”
She sat up, well aware of the constraints of just how much she could say. “I suppose you’re right. I always felt like if he was truly dead, I’d know it. But then I told myself that was silly.”
“Sometimes, you need to listen to that inner voice.”
He’d just told her Vincenz was alive, hadn’t he? The excitement of it built. She hadn’t really accepted that he’d died, but believing him alive was one thing, truly believing it, bringing it from a silly hope she harbored deep inside to reality was something totally different.
It meant she had family on the other side; she belonged to something larger than herself, and that made a difference to her.
He dried his face and turned to her. “Are you hungry? Would you like to get dressed and get something to eat? I have plans for you later today.” She smiled, getting to her knees, and he laughed. “Not those kind of plans, though I’m certainly always open to those kind of activities with you.”
“Oh. Well, all right then.” She got out of bed and cleaned up quickly with barely tepid water.
“Wakes you up, doesn’t it?” He winked, and she snorted. He was very cheerful just then, and she wasn’t sure why.
Andrei knocked on the door just moments later, and they walked to get a meal. The cantina was crowded, so they managed to find a place to sit and eat just outside where a small common area existed.
Her attention immediately snagged on a group of children. Children who should have been in school or at the very least supervised by an adult or two.
Carina held out a piece of fruit to a little girl nearby. “Are you hungry? I have an extra purri, fruit, and I’m stuffed.”
Her eyes widened and she grabbed it. “Thank you, miss.”
“Of course. Thank you for helping me not waste food. I’m Carrie.” She nodded at the little girl, who neatly halved the fruit with a foldaway knife and gave the other part to another child nearby.
“I’m Kell. This is my sister Darla.”
Daniel shifted but said nothing to interrupt the scene. She knew he kept watch for her safety and trusted he wouldn’t interfere with her unless it was necessary. Since he was a control freak and a bossy one at that, she wasn’t entirely certain what he would classify as necessary though.
She sat on the ground where the girls had a pick-up game with metal spirals and a bouncy ball. “Oh! I think I know this game!”
Kell grinned at her, and the other two children who had been a few feet away, came over to watch. At her back, Daniel pressed a small loaf of sweet bread and another piece of fruit into her hand.
She distributed them carefully and casually as her insides melted at his sweetness.
“It’s called springs, and it goes like this.” Kell bounced the ball and grabbed the little metal springs. “First one, then two, and so on. You have to grab the springs when the ball is in the air or you lose.”
“I’ll watch you play until I understand it better,” she said, watching and smiling. There were few people he knew who seemed to be as sweet and giving as she was. Probably no one else more so than her.
Now that they’d made it through that trip and were waiting for the next, he watched her as she sat on a bench in the sunlight. On the last transport, he made a mental note to see if Abbie could help Carina find a way to work with children when they got her settled in Ravena. She had a way about her, a gift, and he wanted her to be able to use it. Gods knew she could make a difference in the lives of many children if given the chance. And it would give her a purpose, roots in her new life.
They were one slip away from getting the fuck out of the Imperium, and he couldn’t wait. It still wasn’t totally safe, he’d have to watch closely until they got at least to Nondal, but it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as it was just then. He jammed the rest of the sandwich he’d been snacking on into his mouth and crumpled up the wrapping.
“We’ve got friends,” Andrei murmured.
“I noticed.” Two men had followed them from the transport to the main portal. They’d been watching Daniel, Andrei and Carina for some time, and he didn’t like it. At the same time, they were already dodgy people, so it was possible they were just looking to rob them instead of sic the Skorpios on them. Robbery would get one type of response, betrayal and attempted murder would be a whole different reaction.
“Still hungry?” she asked, looking to him with a smile. She held out another sandwich.
“You got an extra?” He warmed as he took it and made quick work out of unwrapping and eating it.
“I got two extras. I gave you three to start with.” Her smile was mischievous. “Knowing your gargantuan appetite, a girl has to keep on her toes.”
Andrei snorted but said nothing. Daniel poked his ribs with his elbow.
“I like to stock up when I can. As long as my pants button, I can’t see why anyone should be so fascinated with my eating habits.”
She put her head on his shoulder. “Don’t pout. I’m fascinated by most things you do.”
Without thinking, he put her knuckles to his lips and realized it was okay. She’d won through his defenses in such a short time, but he enjoyed that she teased him the way she did. It meant she wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t sure what it would do to him if he ever saw fear of him in her eyes.
“We’ll need to board soon,” he murmured after finishing his food.
“Why don’t you go ahead and take the bags. We’ll be here when you get back.” Andrei knew Daniel would want to handle the recon himself, knew he’d want someone with Carina at all times.
Daniel stood, grabbing everyone’s bag, knowing, of course, that Andrei had everything important on his person. They could walk away and be fine, if necessary.
Carina’s eyes widened for a brief moment, but she didn’t argue. If they were going to make something of whatever they had, she’d have to accept the inherent dangers of his job, even if she was unhappy about it.
“I’ll be back shortly, sweet.” He didn’t bother to resist bending down to kiss her. Her happiness rushed through him when she threw her arms around his neck. “Stick with him, all right?” He indicated Andrei, and she nodded solemnly.
He deliberately took his time, ambling along toward the line of transports in docking bays, readying to leave. The security presence was high outside the inner rin
g of the departure decks. Mobile lockups had been installed at every portal city across the Imperium, their sources had said.
Their papers had held up at each stop so far, and Daniel thanked the gods for such good connections. But their luck may not hold for much longer; he knew that. He’d already had to take out several people, had nearly been arrested twice and Carina had been knifed. Just because they were nearly out of the Imperium didn’t mean it was time to let up on vigilance.
The populace was more resentful than he could remember in the other times he’d been there. Broken, too. Polis and private contract security had been arrested themselves after terrorizing the locals in some ’Verses. There was a feeling of lawlessness in the air, even as the streets were filled with troops.
Instability was wearing on the Imperium, and he wanted out before it all crashed down around them.
He’d paid bribes, and they’d been able to get through the checkpoint without a hitch, but just outside those high walls, Daniel could hear the loudspeakers and the shouts of the soldiers. There had been rumors of more explosions and scores of stories about relatives who’d been hauled off by the authorities, never to be heard from again.
Focus. That’s what he needed just then. So he pushed all the other stuff out of his head as he approached the decks for their transport. Theirs was a decent-sized cruiser. Not a crate with eight people to every cabin, or worse, warehoused in giant rooms with bunks to the ceilings. Not luxurious either. Either extreme would be out of character for their cover. But they fit right in the middle.
He showed his ticket to the woman at the ropes, and she passed him through, giving him the room assignments and sending him a smile that said she’d be happy to show him other things, too.
Instead, he smiled back, but kept going, taking in the area, where things were, who was supposed to be where and what, if any, weaponry the ship’s crew had. His and Carina’s cabin was small, but not as bad as it had been on the private transport. A bed, a chair, a table secured to the wall.