by E. R. Paskey
A slow nod was his only response.
“My brother, Viktor, and I have been on our own for a long time. We got a freighter—that story isn’t important — ” she waved her left hand, “ — and we’ve gathered a crew over the years. One day, we were delivering a cargo full of hovercar parts to this backwater little world and managed to arrive right in the middle of a warzone. The Federation was having a shootout with some dissidents.”
“It happens.”
“Yeah, well, they hit us.” Anna’s eyes narrowed at the memory, a flicker of old anger sparking to life. “Took out a big chunk of three decks on the port side and caused a structural collapse.” Holding out her right arm, she indicated a spot just below her elbow. “Beam fell on me; lost my arm from here down.”
Colin’s eyes studied her arm before flicking back up to her face. “That’s terrible.”
She tried to shrug like it didn’t bother her. “I was the lucky one—we lost two of our crew and several others were wounded. After it was all over, Viktor tried to get the Federation to help us with our wounded, but they didn’t care. Said it wasn’t their fault we got between them and their target.”
The memory left a bitter taste in her mouth; she could still see a young, panicked Viktor arguing with a blank-faced Federation officer while she sat on the deck beside him clutching the bandaged stump of her arm.
“How old were you?”
“Sixteen.” Anna rubbed the invisible seam line where her prosthetic arm had been grafted to her truncated bone. It was barely distinguishable from a real arm. “We couldn’t afford that kind of medical care, even on that little planet, so we dropped our cargo, fixed the ship up as best we could, and left. About six months later, we stumbled across a Federation derelict floating in deep space.”
As long as she lived, Anna did not think she would ever forget those six months of living with only one arm. She shook her head; she had to finish the story before she passed out from exhaustion. “It was a pretty new ship, but they’d had a run-in with something bigger than them. Don’t know what happened to the crew; we only found a few bodies.”
“Let me guess. They had a decent Medical bay.”
“They sure did. We raided that first and found all kinds of supplies. Viktor figured the Federation owed it to us, after they shot us up.” She shrugged. “We were halfway through gutting the ship when they came looking for it.”
“And henceforth branded you pirates.”
“And branded us pirates,” Anna agreed. “We had to light out of there in a hurry.” She snorted at the memory. “Took us three weeks to find a place quiet enough to start looking for a doctor capable of attaching a prosthetic arm and keeping his mouth shut about it.”
Colin shook his head. “How do the police here know — ”
“Bear,” Anna said simply, cutting him off. “He had to have told them.” She scowled fiercely. “Same time he told them Vik was sitting outside of town with our ship. Ratted us out.”
“Was he there when it happened?” Colin nodded to her arm.
“No. He’s only been flying with us for the past four years.” The ache in Anna’s chest intensified again; four years of flying, fighting, and living together was a heck of a lot to throw away in one fell swoop. It took her a second to register the odd look on Colin’s face. “What?”
He cleared his throat, looking slightly sheepish. “Pardon me for asking such a personal question, darling, but just how old are you? You don’t look old enough to buy a drink in a bar.”
Anna gave him a long, hard look, but then shrugged. What’s one more answer? You’ve known him less than a day and he’s heard more about you than Vik’s newest addition to the crew. “I’m twenty-six.”
His eyes widened. “I’d never have guessed.”
“Yeah?” Even in her current half-bedraggled state, the honesty in his voice sent pleasant little tendrils curling through her. Feeling bold, she leaned back on her hands and arched an eyebrow at him. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-one.”
That puts him at a year younger than Vik.
Anna nodded in response and conversation temporarily petered out after that. Another awkward silence descended on the crummy little room. It hit her, all of a sudden, that she was alone in a room with a man who—for all the harrowing adventure of the last few hours—was a complete stranger. Nervous and a little panicked, she rocked forward and shot to her feet.
Said appendages protested mightily at being put to use again, but she ignored the pain and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”
Colin just nodded and let his eyes slide shut.
Anna escaped into the tiny hygiene unit and locked the door before bracing herself against the dingy counter and commanding herself to stay calm and breathe. She glanced at her reflection and immediately wished she hadn’t; she looked disheveled and half-wild. Her clothes had dried, thankfully, but they were all crumpled and practically plastered to her body.
The once-over the woman at the desk in the lobby had given her came to mind and she cringed. God only knows what she thinks we’re doing up here.
You did sign the register as husband and wife, a dry voice in the back of her head reminded her.
Yeah, she shot back, and she didn’t exactly look like she bought it.
Still, it was unlikely that the woman would connect her with the one-handed pirate on the loose.
Sighing, Anna shed her gloves and her clothes, raked her fingers through the remnants of her braid, and stepped into the shower. It felt good to wash the cave water and accumulated grime from their trek on foot off of her body—and it felt good to be able to spend more than five minutes under the water. Being on-world had its definite advantages to shipboard life. The only bad thing, she thought with a grimace as she toweled off and reached for her clothes, is that I don’t have anything clean to change into.
She did not try to put her boots back on—they definitely needed time to dry, as did her socks, which she had washed out in the shower and draped next to her gloves on the counter. Nor did she put on her jacket. Their room was too warm to attempt to sleep in it.
Relatively clean and dressed, Anna took a moment to braid her damp hair before unlocking the door and stepping out to address her companion. “Hygiene unit’s clear, if you want it.”
For a moment, she thought Colin was asleep. But then he shifted and cracked an eye open. “Thank you, lass.”
It’s Anna, she wanted to remind him, but she was too tired at this point to really care. She draped her jacket over the back of the rickety little chair by the table while Colin unfolded himself from the armchair and made his way into the hygiene unit. When the door closed behind him, she propped her hands on her hips and wearily surveyed the room.
Bed’s barely big enough for two—and while I’m tired enough to not mind sharing, it’s probably not a good idea. They didn’t know each other, after all. She glanced in the direction of the hygiene unit and the corners of her eyes crinkled with just a hint of a smile. He might be a gentleman and insist on taking the chair, but he’ll probably suggest we share.
That leaves me with the chair. Anna studied the armchair. It didn’t look particularly inviting, but she’d take it over the floor any day of the week. Her frame wracked with a tiny shudder. I don’t want to think about what’s on it.
Grabbing a pillow off of the bed and snagging her jacket off the table as an afterthought, Anna curled up in the chair. She tucked the pillow under her head and draped the jacket over her front. Not an ideal resting place, by any stretch of the imagination, but it would do for now. Her eyes drifted shut of their own accord.
A little while later, she thought she heard the hygiene unit door open, but she was too far gone to care.
Chapter 6
THE SOUND OF SOMEONE’S STOMACH making terrible, growling noises woke Anna the next morning. The realization that the noise emanated from her stomach occurred
soon after, followed almost immediately by confusion as to why she was sleeping in an armchair. She blinked blearily down at the blanket covering her, and then the events of the last twenty-four hours caught up with her.
Lobai’s double-cross. Bear’s betrayal. The cave. Colin.
Anna’s eyes widened; she swung her gaze to the bed—and the lump stretched out across it, sound asleep. All she could see were tufts of dark hair and an arm sticking out from under the coverlet. He’s still here.
That surprised her. If she was honest with herself, she knew a small part of her had been convinced Colin would give her the slip as soon as she was asleep. Who wants a stranded pirate around, anyway?
Her mouth curved in a wry smile. Getting double-crossed really takes it out of you.
Anna shifted in the chair to stretch her cramped legs and tucked the blanket around herself again. Wait a minute. She frowned down at the pale gold material. I went to sleep with my jacket, didn’t I? She didn’t remember taking a blanket off the bed.
A peek under said blanket and she had her answer. Her jacket was still there, which meant … She looked back at the snoring figure on the bed, her expression pensive. He probably didn’t want to risk moving me, so he did the next best thing.
She had to duck her head and press her lips together tightly to stave off the sudden tears that prickled at the backs of her eyes. Of all the men Lobai could have double-crossed and thrown into a lake, he could have done worse. Much, much worse.
Her stomach gave another ferocious growl and Anna winced. I can’t remember the last time I ate something. Was it before I left the Iliana with Bear?
“What was that?” came a groggy voice from the direction of the bed. “Sounds like a wild animal.”
“It’s my stomach,” Anna replied ruefully. “It thinks my throat’s been slit.”
At the sound of her voice, Colin went very still. Then, slowly, he sat up and looked at her. His dark hair was sticking up wildly and the look in his blue eyes was confused. “You’re…still here.”
Anna arched an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that my line? You’re the one with the ship.”
“Thought you might leave early.”
“And wander through this town in the wee hours of the morning?” She snorted rudely. “I don’t care to be poked and prodded by strangers afraid I’m a one-handed pirate, thank you very much.”
He was still looking at her oddly, but said, “If it’s any consolation, lass, I think they’re actually looking for somebody with only one hand.”
Anna shrugged. “Wasn’t about to take that chance.”
Another terrible growl broke the stillness.
“ … that wasn’t me.” Anna had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from guffawing. Through her fingers, she said, “That was you.”
“Aye.” Irritably, Colin scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Been too long since either of us had a meal.”
Later, Anna would blame her next words on low blood sugar. “You thought I was somebody else. When you woke up, I mean,” she added, when he turned startled blue eyes on her.
For a long moment, she was afraid she had pushed too far. But then Colin nodded and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed.
“My wife.”
He’s married? The bottom fell out of Anna’s stomach; she felt equally parts scandalized and disappointed. She refused to examine the disappointment too closely; it only stood to reason that someone as charming as this guy would already be taken. “You’re married?”
She thought she had kept her voice within reasonable sound limits, but Colin still winced. “Was.” His jaw tensed, but he didn’t look away. “She died, a few years ago.”
Anna blinked at him, taken aback. “I’m—I’m so sorry.”
“It is what it is,” he said curtly, throwing the coverlet back and climbing out of bed. Like her, he was fully dressed, minus boots and socks.
Anna bit down on the inside of her cheek, wondering if there was anything else she should say. Her stomach growled again and she dismissed her thoughts as ridiculous. You apologized already, and, anyway, it’s not like you could have guessed that.
It had grown colder overnight than she had expected—or else the heating in this place was less than desirable. Frankly, it was a tossup as to which one was more likely. Anna reluctantly tossed the blanket onto the bed and went over to investigate her socks, gloves, and boots. Her socks and gloves were dry; the boots less so. “It’ll have to do,” she muttered to herself as she shoved her feet into them.
Colin emerged from the hygiene unit a moment later and she slipped wordlessly past him. One look at herself in the mirror, however, had Anna cringing all over again. Oh, for a hairbrush, she thought, finger-combing her hair as best she could. Her shower the night before had helped straighten out the worst of the tangles, but she still looked like she’d had several wild romps in bed and then forgot to brush her hair.
Morning ablutions over with, Anna extracted a few credits from the small roll she’d hidden in her bra and stuck her head out of the door to address her erstwhile roommate. “You wouldn’t happen to have a comb on you, would you?”
In the middle of checking the bed to make sure nothing had fallen out of his pockets, Colin paused long enough to raise dark eyebrows in her direction. “Do I look like I carry a comb around?”
Her gaze unintentionally swept over him, taking in his still-messy black hair and rumpled clothing, and she ducked back into the hygiene unit before he could see the heat rising in her cheeks. “Guess not,” she called out, holding onto the countertop for dear life.
Get a grip on yourself, woman! she scolded herself. You don’t know this guy! She pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks and willed herself to stop blushing. Think of Bear. Think of what he did to you. Think of the situation you’re in now, for crying out loud!
That did the trick. The color fled from her cheeks, to be replaced with pallor. What am I going to do? she asked herself bleakly.
Her reflection did not answer.
Movement from beyond the hygiene unit door jarred her back to the present. Anna exited the hygiene unit and strode over to the chair to grab her jacket. She slipped it on and turned to find Colin leaning up against the wall watching her. “What?”
“Have any money left, lass?”
Anna brandished her credits. “Breakfast’s on me, so long as we get to it ASAP.”
This prompted a lopsided smile from Colin, but she could not help but notice it failed to reach his eyes. “Come along then.” He swept an arm toward the door. “Can’t have you passing out from hunger.”
They stepped out into the hall and he shut the door behind them before slipping an arm around her waist and tugging her into his side. “Happily married, lass, remember?” he breathed into her ear.
Anna plastered a smile on her face. “Right.”
It was early enough in the morning that the night clerk was still on duty. The woman glanced up as their footsteps sounded in the lobby and smirked. Clearly, this woman thought sleep was the last thing they’d been doing. “Sleep well, Captain and Mrs. Dupree?”
“Oh, yes.” Colin gifted her with another grin as he returned the room key. “Could you perhaps direct us to the best place to get a hearty breakfast? We’ve…worked up an appetite.”
Oh, galaxies. It was all Anna could do not to roll her eyes in sheer disbelief.
The woman rattled off a name and directions.
“Thank you,” Anna said. This, at least, was good news.
They left the motel arm-in-arm. Anna held her head high; no need to act like a fugitive and draw unwanted attention. Colin steered them in the direction of the aforementioned diner and they gratefully took seats in a corner.
“So, you’re buying, eh, lass?” Colin looked at her over the top of his menu, his blue eyes amused.
“Yep.” Anna dropped her own gaze down to her menu, perusing her choices. In cold daylight, after they’d both had a
chance to rest from the cave and getting back to the City, their camaraderie was shakier and more tenuous. It’s understandable. We’re two strangers who got thrown together by a series of unfortunate circumstances.
She only hoped he’d at least help her.
They both ordered, and then silence fell over their little table.
“You’ve gone and forgotten, haven’t you?”
“What?” Anna’s eyes snapped back to Colin, to find him regarding her with half-resignation, half-exasperation.
“You’ve forgotten what I said last night.”
She blinked, her mind racing to piece together what he was talking about.
“About working together?” he prompted.
“Oh. That.”
His mouth took on an unhappy slant. “You’re looking at me like you expect me to abandon you here.”
Anna shrugged uncomfortably. “Sorry. I woke up this morning and just sort of…panicked…when I remembered what happened.” Plus there’s the whole ‘pirate’ thing, she thought, even if you didn’t say anything about it last night.
“I meant what I said, lass. We’ll do better if it’s a joint effort.” Colin paused to give a blinding smile to the waitress bringing loaded plates to their table. When she had gone, his gaze snapped back to Anna. “Your brother will be in, won’t he?”
Oh, won’t he? Snorting, Anna picked up her fork. “I think the biggest trouble will be catching up with him in time to keep him from tearing Lobai’s head off.” Her expression faltered. “I don’t know what Bear told him, though, so I don’t even know if he knows I’m missing yet.”
Colin gave her a long, level look before directing his attention to his plate. “He’ll know, lass. Trust me.”
Anna wanted to believe him. She stabbed at the food on her plate, her stomach rumbling hungrily, and then there was no more conversation until the food was gone.
When he had finally cleaned his plate and downed two cups of what passed as coffee here, Colin leaned back in his seat. “That’ll keep body and soul together for a while longer.”