by Zara Zenia
I jumped in. “It’s a small-scale project and it’s extremely time sensitive. Besides, I don’t have to run everything by you.” I gave Albert a stern look. “When I need you to know something, you will.”
A smarmy smile touched his lips. “Well, if LCC is footing the bill, I need to be included in this. You will recall that I am still in charge of approving your spending and validating that to the board.”
Challenging me behind closed doors was one thing, but, in public, it was unacceptable. Not to mention, the board he referred to was populated mostly by close family friends and relatives who knew well how circumspect I was about finances.
My voice measured and low, I responded, “Albert, if you value that position, you will take your threats and your advances and let us continue our tour. Are we clear?”
The tension thickened and I could see that little blue vein above his eye throbbing through his pale skin.
Tadisha jumped in. “Ms. Lord-Case, I’d be happy to assist you if there is something you need to help expedite things for your new project.” I’m sure she was just dying to get away from Albert, but I was getting fed up with the intrusions.
“As it happens, I have my own assistant, thanks,” I said curtly.
“Yes, Li has been a bit overwhelmed with the workflow from the hydro-harvesting program. I’m sure Mr. Archer wouldn’t mind if I assisted on this,” she persisted.
“I’m sure you have plenty of your own work and I don’t have the time to bring you up to speed. I can handle things just fine, thank you.” I tried to turn to leave.
Albert said, “Tasha, I must insist that you involve Tadisha and me. You have only been with the company for a year. Considering the debacle you’ve created for us with this water program, I don’t think you should be going off on some new venture that is sure to cost us even more.”
“Albert,” I said coldly as I turned away from him, “please contact Li about scheduling any further discussions on this or any other matters.”
I sensed his anger rising, but as I led the group away, I heard Tadisha murmuring to him. Glancing back, I saw her rubbing his shoulders to calm him down. He was becoming a problem I couldn’t avoid addressing for much longer.
Chapter 7
Ragal
As we followed Tasha out of the building, my senses were alert. The feeling of danger clung like an aura. I could tell the confrontation with Albert had disturbed Tasha; she had been rattled throughout the rest of the tour. She was clearly a leader, capable of handling herself and in no need of my intervention, but, still, the desire to bash in his head had been strong.
We reached the entrance of the Scandium and said our goodbyes as we headed to our own separate quarters. I took a breath of relief, as the night had passed without incident. At least for now, no one had let anything slip that would destroy the fake identity I had given Tasha.
She hopped onto the bike behind me and we took off, no need to discuss where we were heading. From the first moment, there had been an easiness to our interactions. They felt natural and uncontrived.
As we flew, my mind kept going back to the way Archer had interacted with her; there was clearly a history there. It seemed, at least for Tasha, that it was just that—history.
We arrived back at my quarters, and when the door slid closed, I pulled her to me, taking her mouth in a passionate kiss, feeling some primal need to make her mine.
She responded in kind and the tension between us burst into full flame. I picked her up, wrapping her legs around me. Her sexy blue dress gathered at her waist. I walked forward and her back made contact with the cold, mirrored glass.
“I need you,” I whispered to her, giving her a chance to withdraw.
In response, a sultry smile crossed her lips as she unlatched my pants, freeing and stroking me.
Through the mirrored glass, we were invisible to the external world, but from within, it was completely transparent. Floating above the lights of the city, I drove into her with all the passion that had simmered for the last several hours and begun boiling when Archer attempted to place his hands on her, to act as if she was somehow his.
I slid home, her soft heat tightening around me as her chest bounced in front of me with the movements of our bodies. It felt primal and urgent and we both came quickly, our breaths fogging the glass.
When the pleasure subsided, I carried her to the bedroom and we lounged against the plump cushions.
She turned on me playfully, swatting me. “Why didn’t you tell me that your team was also your family? I would have liked that information beforehand so I could have prepared.”
“You were perfect. You don’t need to impress them. I’m sorry, though. I should have mentioned it,” I conceded.
“Well, I think it went well, anyway.”
“It did. They all loved you,” I said as I kissed her neck. “Speaking of useful information, there is clearly a backstory between you and your CFO.”
She sighed and flopped back onto the pillows. “Yes, there is. Albert Archer has worked for LCC for the last ten years. He’s from a highly regarded, well-known family and he had high ambitions with the company. At one point, I’m sure there was the expectation that we would make a good match.
“My father became drastically ill about a year and a half ago. He lost much of his energy and vigor, as well as a good deal of his weight and hair. Albert positioned himself to take over, and, to anyone outside the company, he seemed like the perfect choice.
“My father always wanted a son, but all he got was me and my younger sister, Vanessa. I think, for a time, Albert filled that void, which made it all the more surprising to everyone when he announced me as his successor.”
I empathized with her. I knew what it was like to feel unwanted by your own family.
She continued, “What Albert chooses to ignore, and what most never saw, was that I worked extremely hard behind the scenes at LCC, too. I think what ultimately swayed my father, more than our biological bond, was that I understood his vision for the company more than Albert ever could.
“My father didn’t just set out to make a profit and a name for himself. He is a businessman, but he also came here as a refugee and cares deeply about making Vaxivia a vibrant, self-sustaining community. Albert only sees profit margins and losses. He has little regard for the large-scale implications of our business.”
“It seems he agrees you would be a good match,” I said lightly, though the thought brought a cold feeling.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. It’s so aggravating. He must think I’m incredibly daft if he believes I don’t see right through him. He has been trying to manipulate me into marrying him for some time now. He seems to believe that once we are married, he can essentially rule the company through me.”
The cold feeling crystallized into icy rage, but I said nothing. The idea that the lackwit would seek to take advantage of this brilliant, beautiful woman, to try to control her for his own egotistical, power-hungry needs was infuriating.
“Anyway, I’ve tried to be gentle about it, but clearly I need to be firmer. His behavior was beyond embarrassing tonight, and it’s not just my own comfort I am concerned with. His petulance undermines the professionalism of our company.”
“What about the woman with him tonight?” I asked, referring to the petite redhead. She was objectively beautiful, but something about her, about the deadness in her eyes, alerted my senses. Maybe it was just her association with Albert, but it put me on edge.
“Oh, that’s poor Tadisha. She’s not so bad, just pushy. I don’t know how, but she has lasted longer than any of his previous assistants—nearly two years now. She’s quite pretty and he likes to bring her around needlessly, in the hopes of inspiring my jealousy, I think.”
She rolled onto her side toward me, pulling the thick waves of her hair over one shoulder. “Anyway, enough about that. You said you had something in mind for later, I do recall, or did we already cover that?” she said, impishly walking her
fingers down my arm, over my thigh, and then lower.
I grabbed her hand and raised it to my mouth, sucking on it before responding, “We haven’t even started…”
I spent a while exploring her body with rapt attention. Learning from her reactions and cues, experimenting and discerning what she liked, memorizing the lines and soft curves of her figure. Every time she came for me with her husky soft moans, it felt like my appetite for her only grew. Eventually she fell asleep, supple in my arms. I held her, aroused still, but cherishing the trust, the intimacy of the moment.
When her breathing had slowed and I could tell she was fully asleep, I slipped away and out of the bed. Throwing on clothes, I sent a message through the service panel to my brothers’ rooms to meet in Pavar’s chamber to discuss our plans.
I made my way up a level and entered the room. Pavar and Karun were in conversation already when Pavar acknowledged me.
“Well, well, it would appear you’ve had a good night,” he teased.
Karun interrupted, “Let’s not get sidetracked here. We need to work quickly. You heard what Tasha said. Our ship is getting eaten away as we speak.”
Zaruv entered, his dark red hair mussed and a lazy smile on his face. “Batri, let’s make this quick.”
Pavar grumbled, “Apparently I’m the only one not in a hurry to get back to their room.”
Zaruv smiled. “Yes, it was hard to miss what was going on between you two tonight at dinner,” he said to me.
A private person by nature, I did not want to mention the depth of what was happening between Tasha and me, especially not when I felt so guilty for misleading her.
“Well, we need her help, do we not?” I said, avoiding eye contact.
“Right…” said Zaruv, giving me a knowing wink.
Karun cut in, “Back to the issue at hand. I don’t know about the rest of you, but our interactions with her CFO left me unsettled.”
I replied, “I asked Tasha about him. He was in line to take over for her father, but was passed over in favor of Tasha. She was absolutely more deserving of the position, but he doesn’t seem to see it that way, and, since he can’t take it from her, he has been attempting to woo her in hopes of gaining control of the company through marriage. He is petulant, pathetic, and spineless, but I worry he could cause problems, particularly if he discovers that Tasha and I…” My voice trailed off as I sought the right words.
“Oh, don’t worry, we know what you and Tasha are up to,” Pavar said, winking suggestively.
Karun said to me, “I share your concern. Did you notice the woman with him?”
I nodded. “Tadisha. Something struck me as off about her, but I couldn’t pinpoint it.”
“I noticed it, too,” Pavar said. “I, for one, don’t want to stick around to find out what was so unsettling about her. I move we leave immediately, before Tasha’s stalker and his creepy friend find any way to interfere.”
Zaruv nodded in agreement. “I second that. We can’t afford to lose any more time.”
“I will talk to Tasha, but I think she would be agreeable to leaving in the morning. She is as eager as we are to find the wreckage.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to put her in an agreeable mindset,” joked Pavar.
“Ah, batr, what would you know about that?” Karun taunted.
Such moments of brotherly squabbling reminded me what was on the line and, even though I didn’t like lying to her, I knew I couldn’t yet risk driving Tasha away by telling her the truth.
We made quick plans to depart the next morning. Tasha had been efficient with her time at the office and had already lined up equipment and staff on her end. Between that and the vehicles and supplies we had gotten from Charles Janeway, as well as the militia, there was nothing to stop us from leaving immediately.
The sooner the better. Not only for the sake of recovering our ship, but because I had an unsettling feeling about Archer and Tadisha and I wanted Tasha as far from them as possible.
Chapter 8
Tasha
I worked quickly at the office after Ragal brought me in. After a lusty sunrise, we had discussed the urgency we both felt about the recovery mission. After Albert’s little display the night before and the waves he was trying to make on the hydro-harvesting project, I was apprehensive about his further ministrations.
Maybe it was because I had not immediately fallen into his arms, maybe it was because he felt I had stolen his job, maybe it was simply that he was a misogynist who couldn’t handle working for a woman, but he seemed to be driven by a need to undermine me.
I lined up some traveling supplies and readied myself to meet Ragal, but then Li knocked at my office and came in quickly, followed by my ailing father.
“Father! What are you doing here?” I asked, startled and concerned.
He huffed over to a comfortable chair and plopped down. His broad but rail-thin frame heaved from the effort, but his eyes were as sharp as ever.
“Albert came to me this morning in a fit. He says you are being manipulated into engaging in some kind of smuggling business. I don’t believe him, of course. You’re far too intelligent to do something illegal, but I wanted to talk to you.”
I ground my teeth. “Well, I’m glad for the opportunity to chat, though you really shouldn’t have risked your health. I could have come to you.”
“It’s good for me to see how things are looking here. It revives my confidence in my choice.” My father was not the warmest of men, so the compliment was significant.
“Thank you, Father. Either way, please rest assured that Albert has no idea what he is talking about. I am engaged in a new project, but it’s one I think you’d approve of.”
I explained to him the situation, omitting a few of the more romantic details.
“Bully for us!” he exclaimed before a coughing fit set in.
“Father, you really should be at home with your nurses,” I said, worried.
“Ha! They don’t know what’s wrong with me. I might as well live what I have left!” He said it flippantly, but the thought was sobering.
“Oh, quit your worrying,” he said, taking in my concern. “I’ll go, I’ll go, but I want to know all about this as it unfolds! I knew you wouldn’t be daft enough to not find a legal way of doing what you want.”
My father was a brilliant man. At times during his tenure, he had made some deals that, morally, I questioned, but he was always very careful to follow the law. Hopefully, we were entering an era where both morals and laws on Vaxivia could align for the common good.
“So, is Albert still chasing after you, then?” he asked, catching me off guard.
I answered honestly, “Yes, unfortunately. He seems to be blind to my attempts to politely refuse him. It’s getting to be a problem and affecting our work.”
“Well, can’t blame the poor chap for his good taste, but you’ll need to put your foot down and either gain his full allegiance or find someone to replace him.”
“You won’t be upset if he goes? You two were so close…” I trailed off, the unspoken history hanging in the silence.
He sighed, either out of tiredness or reflection. “Yes, we were. Fact is, I made my choice and he needs to be a man about it. If he can’t, well, I don’t want to see him damaging the company I worked so hard to build. You use your judgment about how to handle him. I trust you.”
With that, he started another coughing fit, and I called Li to help him back home. His illness terrified me. We had tried every known treatment, seen every medical professional we could find. No one knew what was wrong.
It was why I had established Gindaxian business contacts. They were rumored to have a cure for every known ailment. Unfortunately, my father’s health issues could not be diagnosed from such a distance, and he was too weak for teleportation. Another reason I was anxious to learn what we could of this alien transport—it might hold the key to allowing my father to travel to Gindax, where he could hopefully receive treatment.
I followed him out, giving him a quick kiss as he was loaded into a sleek hovercraft with his waiting nurse.
By mid-morning, I had reconnected with Ragal and I was filled with excitement. We had agreed to meet at city center. We needed to act quickly. If the militia got involved, the project would be wrapped in red tape and we could lose what little time we had to salvage the tech.
He came up to me as I got out of the unassuming, self-driving commuter vehicle I had taken. I wanted to kiss him, wanted to explore this newfound intimacy and attraction, but I also knew I was, for better or worse, a public figure in Steel City and my reputation affected LCC.
Instead, I touched his arm and forced myself to be patient and wait for privacy.
“Everyone is ready to go. Are you sure you want to come out with us?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
I considered telling him about my father and my hope that the stasis pods we were seeking could potentially help him, but I hesitated. I didn’t want to place that kind of burden on him, and I didn’t want him thinking my business decisions were compromised because of my family situation.
We met his family at a warehouse on the westernmost stretch of town, a largely underdeveloped area that felt a bit like it had survived some kind of nuclear fallout.
Andie came out, dressed in worn fatigues and a black top. “Everybody saddled up?” she asked, winking at Ragal. I wasn’t quite sure, but I had the feeling what had happened between us was no news to his family.
Ragal turned to me, ignoring the suggestion in Andie’s comment. “We have two mecha-rovers for the trip. I’ve spiced them up a bit, deregulated their internal governors so we can make better time.”
Andie and Karun loaded gear boxes into one rover, and Pavar and Zaruv loaded the other. Jennifer came up and greeted me with a warm and unexpected hug.