“Sorry,” Zilor muttered and made a quick adjustment.
Raylon tried to pass Chandar to Kotto so he could crawl back behind the navigator’s panel, but Chandar let out a horrific screech and wound her arms even more tightly around his neck. “I get it, angel. I’m yours. You don’t have to strangle me.” He sank onto the only side-facing seat, which gave him more room to maneuver his passenger.
Kotto reluctantly took Raylon’s original seat.
“Our course is already laid in,” Zilor assured him.
“I’m a qualified pilot and certified in navigation. Thank you very much.”
Zilor and Raylon both smiled, but Raylon was obviously distracted by the woman in his arms.
“Punch it,” Kotto advised. “Akim won’t let her go without a fight.”
A harsh sob tore from Chandar and her nails scratched over Raylon’s armor.
“Hey what’s this?” Raylon tried to calm her as she wiggled and squirmed on is lap. She cried and muttered incoherently. “You’re safe, sweetheart. No one will hurt you, but you’ve got to calm down.”
She moved from position to position, each one less appropriate than the last. She ended up straddling his lap, with her nightgown bunched about her hips. She wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face against his neck. Raylon tried to pull down her nightgown and it was obvious he wasn’t sure where to put his hands. It might have been funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
All Kotto felt was rage. It wasn’t enough for Akim to die for this. He must suffer before he was finally granted the oblivion of death.
It took a moment for Kotto to realize Raylon thought he was glaring at him. He closed his eyes then consciously relaxed his expression before he looked at the other man. He found the private link they’d created for the mission then added additional shielding, not wanting Chandar to overhear the exchange. Just hold her. This isn’t sexual. She has no idea what she’s doing.
I know that, Raylon assured him. I just wanted to make sure you knew. As if to prove his point, Raylon wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked her hair with his other hand. For a long silent moment they each battled their private thoughts, then Raylon’s voice eased into Kotto’s mind. Why is her neck so torn up? Wasn’t she given medi-bots?
Kotto hesitated, unsure that he wanted to share something so personal with Raylon. When you force yourself to go numb for so long, sometimes pain is the only way to prove you’re still alive.
Raylon’s eyes narrowed then understanding unfurled within his gaze. Fort Ja Harr?
Kotto nodded.
Another tense silence followed before Raylon went on. Garin would have gotten you out of that place. Why didn’t you ask for help?
I failed my brother and I failed her. I was right where I belonged.
It was obvious Raylon wanted to argue, but he just shook his head and stared straight ahead.
By the time they reached Lunar 9, Chandar had cried herself to sleep her head pillowed on Raylon’s shoulder. A small crowd waited on the concourse, anxious to welcome her home. Kotto took one look at their exuberant faces and shook his head. “Get rid of them,” he told Zilor. “Everyone except Danvier.”
“Good plan.” Zilor went out onto the walkway and asked everyone to respect Chandar’s need for privacy.
Bandar helped hurry people on their way then motioned for Ashley and Raina to follow him. Kotto moved into the airlock and waved to Raina before she disappeared inside the larger ship. She blew him a kiss and sent tingling warmth flowing into his mind. How did people live without these little intimacies? He hadn’t realized how lonely his life was until he kidnapped his feisty scientist.
“Okay.” He returned to the compact cabin and held out his arms. “Let’s see if we can get her settled while she’s still out.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Raylon looked less than enthused. “She’ll wake up alone in a strange place and think she’s someone else’s prisoner.”
“She won’t wake up alone. Her brother will be there.”
Raylon still didn’t look convinced, but he slowly stood and tried to disentangle Chandar from around his body. She sighed then groaned, then her eyes flew open and she looked around. “Where?”
“You’re safe, angel.” Raylon spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone. “This is somewhere safe.”
To his obvious chagrin, she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him like a long-limbed primate. He raised his hands, palms out to show that he wasn’t encouraging her.
Kotto moved into the narrow aisle between the cockpit’s seats so Danvier could join them on the spaceship.
“Hey there, songbird.” He didn’t try to touch her or even move closer. He gave her all the time she needed to respond. “I’ve sure missed you.”
She stilled for a moment. Was she reacting to the sound of her brother’s voice or his childhood name for her? There was no way to be sure, but Danvier’s cautious approach was obviously working.
Slowly, she unwound her legs and slid down the length of Raylon’s body. His eyes closed and his fists clenched as he waited for her to move away. She turned in a tight half circle, then pressed back into his warmth, his strength. Raylon had promised safety, told her no one would harm her while she was with him. He’d meant the words to soothe a terrified victim, but Kotto was beginning to wonder if she’d imprinted the promise on her ravaged soul.
She looked at Danvier, turning her head this way and that. Then she reached back and found Raylon’s hands. “I don’t know him.” She turned back around, insinuating herself under his arm. “Why is this man here? I don’t know him.”
Anguish tore through Danvier’s icy composure for just an instant before he was able to control the impulse. “I’m your brother and I love you very much. I know this is confusing and I only want to help you. How can I do that, Chandar? How can I help you?”
“I need a bath and I want this collar off my neck.”
Kotto smiled at the practical requests. If her higher functions were still intact, perhaps her memory could be restored. But had her life contained anything worth remembering?
Danvier smiled and motioned toward the airlock. “That’s easily arranged. Just come this way.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She sounded more composed now and much more insistent. “I’m not stupid. I know what strangers do to…” She frantically blinked back tears and pressed even closer to Raylon. “Take me home,” she whispered into his side. “Please take me home.”
“Where’s home, Chandar.” Raylon used the same patient yet firm tone. “Where do you want me to take you?”
She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him with wide, guileless eyes. “Wherever you live. I want to be with you.”
His panicked gaze flew toward Kotto, but Kotto shook his head. Don’t refuse her. You can’t. You are the only thing that’s keeping her at all together right now. You’re her security blanket, her only defense. As she calms down and learns to trust us, she’ll be all right without it. But for now, she needs it more than anything.
I’m not a damn blanket! I’m a sex-starved man. Despite his infuriated words, his expression remained calm, almost warm. “If that’s what you want, angel. But just for a night or two. You’ll want your own room by then. I guarantee it. I snore so loud, you won’t get any sleep.”
“I don’t take up much room and I don’t mind your snoring. I won’t be any trouble. You’ll see.”
“All right then.” Raylon took a deep breath and lightly rested his arm across her shoulders. “Let’s get that collar off your neck and get you into a bath, or at least a shower.”
“I really want a bath.”
He laughed, finally letting a bit of his frustration show. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Oh gods, Kotto, what are we going to do?” Danvier had never looked less composed in his life.
“I have no idea. Let her settle in for a day or two and then we’ll figure out what that creature did t
o her. The last thing she needs right now is a doctor, even one as gentle as Irron, poking and prodding at her.”
Danvier nodded, but torment still shadowed his gaze. “She’s alive and she’s safe. We’ll deal with the rest no matter how long it takes.”
Chapter Twelve
With an animalistic roar, Akim overturned the bed Chandar had been cowering on less than an hour before. Fury blinded him, coursing through his blood until all he could think of was destruction. He kicked at the small cabinet over and over until it finally came free from the wall then tore out the drawers and smashed one against the floor.
“Are you having fun?”
He looked up about ready to rip off the head of whoever had dared to interrupt his tantrum. But his visitor was so unexpected he could barely speak. Dressed from head to toe in shiny green latex, with high-heeled boots accenting her long, toned legs, Milanni, or more like Lady M, casually stood in the open doorway, arms crossed under her swelling breasts.
“How did you get aboard my ship without setting off our intruder alert system?”
She had the audacity to laugh. “Aren’t I the third intruder today? Maybe you should upgrade the system.”
He set down the front panel of the drawer with as much dignity as he could muster. “What do you want? As you can see I’m a bit busy right now.”
“Busy destroying Quinton Keir’s property. Doesn’t the Relentless and everything on board belong to the Rodyte government?”
“Why are you here?”
“From where I stand, it looks like you have two options.” She sauntered into the room, round ass rolling beneath the slick-looking latex. Clearly he hadn’t beaten her hard enough while she was his pupil. “Nope. It wasn’t just the angle, you only have two options.”
“And they are?” She had to be a technomage, or worse, someone who could actually manipulate magic. How else could she have gotten onto his ship?
“Are you listening? This is important?”
He knew that tone. That silky-soft caress that relaxed each muscle just before the lash bit into flesh. He’d taught her how to use it. He’d taught her all of his best tricks and she’d still smiled and walked away. “Options,” he prompted himself. “Why do I need options?”
One of her sculpted brows arched, drawing his attention to her spiky black hair. She’d always been fond of wild hair styles. They were frequently asymmetrical and sometimes drooped over one eye. This was even worse. He hated short hair on females. And the touches of green only made her look trashy.
“On one side,” she held out one of her hands, fingers lightly fisted, “you have Quinton. You promised you would not fail him, yet the battle born rebellion is stronger than ever. Far stronger than that fool will ever admit, but that’s his problem. Still, he can easily strip you of all you own and have you hanged or boiled in oil.” She shivered. “Do Rodytes still do that sort of thing?”
“Does this conversation have a purpose?”
Milanni shrugged, unimpressed by his impatience. “On the other side, and this is the part that should concern you, is Pyre Sterling.” Rather than a fist, Milanni held up her hand, fingers curved outward like a claw, ready to slash anything it encountered. “There is nothing more dangerous than an irate mother.”
“Pyre sent you?” For the first time since Milanni’s appearance, fear tightened his gut.
“Actually, I’m here to offer you a deal that will protect you from Pyre and Quinton.”
He paused, trying to anticipate the possibilities. “There is only one person on Rodymia powerful enough to protect me from those two, Javin Aidentar.”
“I never said my employer was Rodyte.” She watched him squirm with a lazy smile.
“What does anyone else gain by helping me?”
“What does Javin?” She shook her head hard enough to make the spikes sway. “You’ve distracted me from my presentation. Two options. One is to run as fast as you can to some uncivilized corner of the galaxy where no one will ever find you. Of course, you’ll have to give up your ship and your identity because you might not be important enough for the Rodyte government to hunt down, but this ship sure as creation is.”
“Or I can accept your mysterious offer, which you’ve yet to explain.”
She scoffed. “I’ve told you all you need to know. Quinton will give you more time to disrupt this nasty rebellion and Pyre won’t kill you. How could you possibly hope for more?”
“And what will this benevolence cost me?”
“You will be asked to complete three tasks. You will perform each task as described, without question, and within the time allowed. If you fail to complete any of the tasks, my benefactor’s support will be lifted.”
“Meaning Pyre will kill me or worse.”
With another shrug she turned to go. “If you’re still here in the morning, we’ll presume you accepted the offer.”
“Just tell me who he is,” Akim urged.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I never said my benefactor was male. You’re so predictable.” And then she departed just as suddenly as she’d arrived.
* * * * *
“I didn’t think she was ever going to let go of me,” Raylon sounded confused not angry. “I’ve never seen a person so…shattered.”
“She’s safe now,” Danvier stressed, his face pale and tense. “We must focus on her recovery.”
“Easy for you to say,” Raylon snapped. “She’s not curled up in your bed.”
“What? Why is Chandar in your bed?” Raina asked.
They’d gathered in the conference room to debrief, as was becoming the custom after each mission. Bandar and Ashley had chosen not to attend. Raina suspected that Chandar’s condition had upset Ashley all over again.
“I said some things during the rescue that she took literally.” Raylon threw up his hands, obviously unsure how to deal with his unwanted guest. “Now she thinks I’m some sort of guardian angel. Boy did she miscast me.”
“Help us get through the next few days.” Kotto finger-combed his hair, a sure sign that he was exhausted. “I promise we’ll work toward a different situation as quickly as possible. I know she’s not a little girl, but you have to think of her that way.”
Raylon shot Kotto another scathing glower. “Easier said than done when the female in question wants you to shower with her.”
Raina covered her mouth with her hand. Had she misheard? “She asked you to shower with her?”
“Not exactly, she just made it extremely obvious that she didn’t want to be left alone.” He leaned back into his chair and shook his head. “I ended up sitting on the floor with my back to the shower. Thank the gods it steamed up fast. That entire room is one big mirror.”
“I’m sorry, Raylon.” Danvier looked defeated. “She doesn’t understand.”
Raylon pushed back from the table. “I’ll deal with this for a day or two, but you can’t trust me to be honorable indefinably. No one is that strong.” With his plea/threat hanging over them like smog, Raylon left the room.
Raina almost hated to ask the question, but someone had to. “He wouldn’t—”
“No.” Oddly enough it was Danvier who came to Raylon’s defense. “He will treat her with respect. I’ve known Raylon too long not to trust him. He might grumble and glare, but he’ll protect her with his life. He’d do the same for any of us.”
“All right, then how do we help him?” She scooted closer to the table. “In other words, how do we help her?”
“What about Indigo?” Kotto asked.
The weight of his suggestion wrapped around her chest, making it hard to breathe. Involving anyone in this would change reality forever. It would pull back the curtain and show them how vast the universe really was and force them to confront the fact that humans weren’t nearly as significant as humans liked to believe. “What about her?”
“Has she ever worked with the victim of sexual abuse?”
Danvier bristled. “We don’t know that Chanda
r’s abuse was sexual.”
“Denial isn’t going to accomplish anything,” Kotto said firmly. “If we can’t accept the nature of her injuries, that her wounds are as much emotional as physical, we will never be able to help her.”
Tears streamed down Danvier’s cheeks and Raina revised her opinion of him in an instant. He wasn’t as unfeeling as he appeared. He just buried his feelings deeper than most. “I can’t bear to think of…”
“Don’t dwell on what they did to her,” Raina advised. She had never been the victim of a sexual crime herself, but she’d known students who were living with the shame. “Focus on how much you love her and be ready to support her in any way she needs to be supported. That includes listening when she’s ready to talk.”
Kotto took it a step farther. “This was done to her. We must help her see that she did nothing wrong.”
Danvier wrestled his emotions back under control before he spoke again. “I know you’re right, but right now I’m too angry to think beyond murdering Akim.”
“Well, you’ll have to stand in line,” Kotto told him. “Akim’s day of reckoning will come, because I won’t rest until it does.”
“You know what I want even more than his pain?” Danvier pushed to his feet as he added, “I want my baby sister to feel safe.”
He rushed from the room and Raina’s heart broke all over again. She barely knew Chandar. But she knew Kotto, and this was tearing him apart.
Silence fell as they both fought for composure. She stood and moved behind her mate. Pulling his chair back from the table, she turned him around. “This will take time, but we’ll find a way to reach her.”
He spread his legs and pulled her close then wrapped his arms around her back. It was so seldom that Kotto allowed himself to appear vulnerable, Raina was touched by his trust in her. “I’ll call Indigo in the morning. I’ll tell her a friend of mine was attacked and ask if she’s had any experience dealing with that sort of thing.”
“If she hasn’t, that’s as far as it needs to go.” He paused and looked up at her. “Except for the DNA sample, of course. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that.”
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