by E. R. Paskey
Lobai inclined his head in a gracious nod.
“The real question,” Jokal continued, “is what assurance do I have that you won’t release that list of names to the wrong people as soon as you’re off this space station?”
Lobai matched his thin smile. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
For a few charged seconds, the two men locked eyes in a staring contest. Finally, Jokal snorted softly. “If those names do get out, old man, I will find you.”
Naoko tightened her arm around her husband, but Lobai only laughed. “Keep your end of the bargain, Major, and you need never give it a moment’s thought.”
Jokal flicked his fingers toward the door. “Get out of here, all of you. I don’t want to see any of you ever again.”
Colin gave him a long, level look. “It’s mutual, I assure you.”
“Oh, and Captain?”
Both Colin and Viktor turned back to Jokal, but the Federation officer’s gaze was locked on Viktor. “I’d advise steering clear of Federation derelicts in the future. No matter how tempting they might look.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” Viktor said coolly.
Jokal commed his men in the outer office. “Escort this group back to their ship and see to it that they depart immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anna filtered out of the office with the others, scarcely daring to breathe. Is that all? Are we really free? The edges of the holocube bit into her flesh-and-blood palm; its facets had slowly warmed against her skin. After everything they’d lived through to get to this point, it almost felt too easy.
Colin fell into step beside her, his blue eyes alert and scanning for any sign of yet another double-cross as they traversed the corridors back to the docking tubes.
No one spoke. Anna had the distinct feeling they were all collectively holding their breath—even Lobai. She could see it in the iron grip he had around his wife’s waist, as though he half-expected her to vanish right in front of him.
Her unease did not abate when they finally crossed the docking tube to board the Hand of Fate and the hatch sealed shut behind them. Words formed in her mind, rose to the tip of her tongue before Anna could censor them. “Should we really have just handed the device over to him like that?”
She glanced around the corridor, but for a second no one would meet her eye. Finally, Lobai looked at her. “Remember what I said, dearie. The Federation’s hardly the worst candidate to hold it.”
Anna started to reply, but the old man was already limping toward the living compartment with his wife. Naoko gave Anna a small, kindly smile over her shoulder before they disappeared inside.
Anna restrained a scowl. What does she know about it?
“It’s done,” Viktor said abruptly. “Can’t say I like it any better than you, Anna, but at least we’ve got our names and our ship cleared now.” A dazed look came over him. “I don’t even know what we’ll tell the crew. Half of them are fugitives anyway.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Anna said absently, her mind still back on the space station with Jokal and the device. She came back to herself with a start and looked at Colin, who was standing motionless to one side, staring down at the holocube in his hand. “You have to go back to the Raveena Space Station.”
“Aye.” Colin’s expression could have been carved from granite. “If the Major is to be believed, it won’t be an issue, but … ” He trailed off, shaking his head, and stuffed the holocube into a pocket.
Peripherally, Anna was aware of the sharp look Viktor shot them before he followed Lobai and Naoko into the living compartment to report their success to the others and prepare for takeoff, but the bulk of her attention was fixed on Colin.
His expression relaxed as he forcibly chased away whatever thoughts he had been considering, a tinge of pride filling his eyes. “So, lass, you’re once again a Federation citizen, free and clear. How does it feel?”
Anna shook her head, and then lifted one shoulder in a tiny shrug. “Don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet. I don’t feel any different.” She tucked the holocube into the breast pocket of her jacket and then shoved her hands into her pants’ pockets, feeling suddenly rather awkward.
She’d kissed him, not an hour before, and told him she loved him. A faint blush threatened to burn her cheeks. Now what?
“Did you mean it?” Colin asked suddenly, shifting to face her. “Truly?”
She knew exactly what he was referencing. Her heart started to pound; she nodded before wetting her lips and forcing out words. “Yes. I did.”
Colin closed the distance between them, his hands coming up to splay around her waist. Anna yanked her hands out of her pockets and rested them on his shoulders instead. His thumb brushed her ribcage, and butterflies exploded into tumbling flights inside her stomach. He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes searching her face for…something…what, exactly, Anna wasn’t entirely sure, but she held his gaze.
Her breath caught in her throat; she really, really wanted him to kiss her again.
“Everybody, hold on.” Indinara’s voice broke over the ship’s comm. “We’re disengaging in three, two, one … ”
The freighter shuddered as the magnetic clamps disengaged and they broke free of the space station. Anna and Colin both rocked on their feet, but Colin steadied them with a hand braced against the nearest bulkhead.
“You’ll have to come with me to the space station, I think,” he said. “If Jokal can be trusted, my name will be cleared, but you and Deek were both with me.”
Anna nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her thoughts were suddenly jumbled inside her mind; she didn’t know what to think. The only thing she was absolutely sure of was that she did not want to part ways and never see him again.
The Hand of Fate leveled out and Colin straightened, tucking a stray brown curl behind Anna’s ear with a tenderness that melted her heart. “After that … ” he swallowed. “After that, we’ll head to Plimus and get everything sorted out.”
Disappointment threatened to bloom heavy in Anna’s chest, but she held it at bay. He loves me. He said so. This can’t be the end. Not with the way he was looking at her right now.
“How much of a mess do you think that’ll be?” She was proud of herself for managing to keep her voice steady.
“No idea.” Colin shrugged, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a wry smile. “It could be as easy as swearing we never consummated anything on a stack of Bibles, or it could require some testing.” His smile turned more genuine. “Depends on how badly they wanted those marriages to stick.”
Anna dropped her eyes to the hollow of his throat, her fingers absently smoothing across his jacketed shoulders. Her heart thudded in her ears as she asked very quietly, “What would happen if we didn’t file for an annulment?”
She could have sworn Colin stopped breathing, but then he cleared his throat and said lightly, “Well, I expect we’d still have to go to Plimus and file paperwork.” His thumbs brushed her ribcage on either side. “I doubt we’ll escape paperwork unscathed, lass.”
Anna finally dared to raise her eyes to his, and what she saw there left her breathless. Colin’s blue eyes shone with a wealth of emotion—hope, cautious joy, admiration, and love.
“You’d marry me, would you? On purpose?”
As he had no doubt intended, this brought a smile to Anna’s face. She took a deep breath before answering. “I didn’t intend to fall in love with you, Colin Dupree, but somewhere along the way, I did.” She shook her head. “I can’t say the prospect of sailing off to opposite ends of the galaxy holds much appeal for me.”
His fingers tightened around her waist. “I’d say not.” It was his turn to swallow. “You deserve to be courted properly.” He frowned. “Not to mention married properly.”
Feeling suddenly very bold, Anna shifted closer to him and looped her arms around his neck. She reveled in the way he automatically adjusted his grip to hold her clos
er. “Well, remember, up until today, I was a pirate.”
“And a lady.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose, as though he couldn’t quite help himself.
“I’m glad you think so.” Anna smiled up at him, that bold feeling still coursing through her. “Given our rather…unorthodox circumstances, Captain Dupree, I think you’d better court me.”
Colin’s face lit with joy, and then he dipped his head and kissed her. Anna’s eyes slid shut and her stomach fluttered, even as something inside her gave a happy sigh. Finally. She kissed him back with enthusiasm, relishing the way his mouth moved over hers. His hands came up to frame her face, his fingers sliding into her hair, and she answered by pressing against him and sliding her flesh-and-blood hand into the hair at the nape of his neck.
It was glorious…and over far, far too quickly.
Colin pulled back—but not before stealing several small kisses in succession—and smiled down at her. “That was amazing.”
Anna nodded, still leaning into him. Her knees were wobbly. “Yes. Yes, it was.”
The look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t mind trying it again, but Colin instead drew in a deep breath. One thumb skimmed her cheekbone. “What about your brother?”
“What about him?” When Colin only gave her a Look, Anna sighed. “He’ll be all right. Not saying it won’t be a bit of a shock, but Vik will be all right.” She quirked a half-smile. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll never see him again, right?”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, lass.”
“Good.” She grinned impishly at him. “I wouldn’t let you. I’m pretty sure Mondego and Tatiana would be on my side.”
This prompted a chuckle. Colin dropped his hands to her waist, tugging her impossibly closer. “But not Deek?”
Anna fluttered a hand. “Long shot.”
With another chuckle, Colin bent to kiss her again. After a moment, he said between kisses, “I could get used to this.”
“So could I.” Anna’s tone was shaky. His touch sent flickers of electricity shooting up and down her nerves; she didn’t want to stop kissing him.
“I love you,” he murmured against her lips.
Her heart swelled in her chest. “I love you too.”
Colin pulled back long enough to brush kisses across her cheek and up to her temple before kissing her forehead and simply hugging her.
It felt wonderful to just be held. Closing her eyes, Anna rested her head on his chest and hugged him back. His heartbeat was fast and strong beneath her ear.
The ship’s comm crackled. “Might want to hang onto something,” Indinara advised. “We’re getting ready to jump into hyperspace.”
Reluctantly, Colin let Anna go. “After everything, I’d rather not be thrown into a bulkhead.”
Anna laughed, tucking a curl behind her ear. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be very much fun.”
They hurried toward the living compartment—but not before Colin snagged Anna’s hand in his own.
She smiled up at him, hope for the future flooding her soul. I think everything’s going to be okay.
They had some work to do, things to set right, and she had to convince Viktor she hadn’t totally lost her mind, but she suspected he already knew that. Her brother might not want to admit she was grown up some days, but he wasn’t blind.
The two of them made it into the living compartment and dropped into seats just as the ship lurched violently into hyperspace. Anna clung to the armrests with both hands; she hadn’t had time to strap herself in. When the ship finally stopped shaking, she glanced sideways at Colin. “What will I do?”
“What?” He glanced at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“As part of your crew,” she prompted. “What will I do?”
A slow grin curled the edges of his mouth; his blue eyes danced. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
Heat flared in Anna’s cheeks; she whacked his arm before she thought the better of it. “I mean besides that.”
Colin just shook his head, his eyes still sparkling. “Trust me, lass, there’ll be plenty for you to do. You should know that better than anybody, what with your ship and crew.”
She should, but for a horrible moment her mind had gone blank.
Colin reached over for her hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her exposed fingers beyond the edge of her fingerless gloves. His beard tickled her skin. “I’m sure you have all kinds of interesting information tucked away in that brain of yours.”
Oh, Anna knew she did, but it wasn’t like she could recall any of it with him looking at her like that. Her pulse thudded in her ears again; she wanted to kiss him again.
It must have showed on her face, because he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
“Oh, no. I do not want to see that.”
Viktor’s voice washed over them; Anna briefly shut her eyes before taking a bracing breath. She opened her eyes to find her brother staring at them from across the living compartment, his face scrunched into a pained grimace.
Annoyance flickered through Anna, but it quickly faded into amusement. This was a side of Viktor she wasn’t accustomed to seeing. “I hate to break it to you, Vik,” she drawled, “but I think you’re going to have to get used to it.”
Chapter 42
AT THIS, COLIN’S FINGERS TIGHTENED their grip on Anna’s.
“Is that a fact?” Viktor still looked pained.
“Aye,” Colin answered. “When we have the opportunity, I’d like to sit down and talk with you.”
Viktor folded his arms over his chest, planting his feet on the deck and doing his best protective older brother impersonation. “Before or after you’re officially cleared of the murder charges?”
Anna rolled her eyes. “Viktor — ”
“Nope. Valid question.”
Colin glanced sideways at Anna before angling to face her brother. “I suspect we’d best have this conversation before then.” He half-smiled. “We can have another conversation after if you wish.”
Instead of placating him, as Anna expected, this only deepened the furrows in Viktor’s brow. His dark eyes traveled back and forth between Colin and Anna, as though they had suddenly morphed into unrecognizable beings. His gaze stopped on his sister. “You’re serious.”
Anna gave him a tiny nod, drawing a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Huh.” Viktor shook his head. “We’ll talk later.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Indinara’s heading us back to the Polygon now.”
“Oh, good.” Colin finally let go of her hand. “I need to send a message to my crew, if at all possible.” He cast a quick grin at Anna. “Deek’s probably beside himself.”
“Probably.” Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her brother study them. “Although I suspect Tatiana’s giving him a run for his money in the worry department.”
Colin snorted at that. “Aye, and the ship’s food stores are most likely empty because Mondego has cooked everything. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we get back and find out he’s set up shop in a corner somewhere.”
“Or joined forces with Ollie.”
“That’s mildly terrifying,” Viktor said. “Don’t ever suggest it.”
Anna grinned at her brother. “It is a scary thought.”
~oOo~
The remainder of the flight back to the Polygon passed uneventfully. They arrived and disembarked from the Hand of Fate only to find themselves being greeted by practically the entire population of the space station. The whoops, cheers, and hollers were deafening—if Anna hadn’t been smiling wildly out of sheer exhilaration, she’d have been wincing at the noise levels assaulting her ears.
“Why are they cheering?” she shouted in Viktor’s ear.
He gave her a flatly disbelieving look. “Because you’re not dead! And we made it back!”
She let the crowd pull her in along with the rest of them, and in the process she found herself separated fr
om Colin. It took her a moment to realize this; it was only when she turned to grin up at him that she realized he wasn’t beside her anymore. Her eyes widened and she started looking around, but she was hemmed in on all sides by far too many people.
Panic welled up in her chest, but she choked it back. He’s here, she assured herself. And he can’t have gone far. You’ll find him again in a minute.
She wanted to see his crew anyway, to make sure Tatiana, Mondego, and even Deek were all right.
When the crowd began herding them toward the cantina, however, she resisted. Planting her feet, she stood like a rock in a river bed and let the stream of people split around her, adroitly ducking the occasional good-natured attempt to pull her along with them. Colin had to be here somewhere.
Waving at Viktor for him to go ahead without her, Anna searched the crowd. She spotted Colin a second before he spotted her and their eyes locked; he’d been looking for her too. Face brightening, he beckoned for her to join him.
She grinned at him, more than a little relieved, and worked her way upstream toward him.
Colin kept his eyes on her the entire time, as though to make sure she didn’t disappear into the milling crowd again. When she finally reached him, he slung an arm around her waist to keep them from being separated again. It was only then that Anna realized he wasn’t alone.
“Tatiana! Mondego!” She broke away from Colin long enough to give the couple a hug, and then looked around. “Where’s Deek?”
Mondego jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Refused to leave the ship.” His mouth quirked in a smile. “Didn’t trust this lot not to make off with her while we’re celebrating.”
“Smart man,” Colin agreed. “That would be one of the many reasons why he’s my first mate.” He cupped Anna’s elbow with his palm to get her attention. “Where do you need to be?”
Anna bit her lip, hesitating, and then raised her eyes to his. She needed to talk to Viktor and their crew…but she also wanted to be part of Colin telling his crew their exploits. “Are you going back to the Galaxy’s Way?”
He gave her a short nod.