by Wolfe, Kylie
Running a hand through his sparse hair, he craved something to take the edge off and help him think clearly. He needed a hit of twist, the newest designer drug making its way across the galaxy with the help of Lodestone Mining. In his opinion, it had been sheer genius to hide the drug with the mineral shipments. No one would ever think to look for them there. Even Sonne didn’t know. It made it easier to keep the profits from his side venture all to himself and his silent partners.
The temptation to try twist had been irresistible. The guarantee of an unlimited supply melted away any niggling doubts he might have had. The drug boosted his senses, making him feel as if he flew on the cusp of a breaking wave, alive and powerful. Invincible.
He’d started to increase his usage, ignoring the nerves jumping like live wires whenever he went too long without a dose. The craving for the drug worried him somewhat, but was a small price to pay for the euphoria he experienced.
Anto wiped his nose with the back of his fist then left his office. He announced he had business in the mines and would be gone for the remainder of the day. There was no response, but he didn’t expect one knowing he was universally disliked. His presence served to dampen the somber mood of Lodestone’s employees further. He enjoyed the effect he had on his office personnel.
Chapter 11
True picked at her food and Nick wondered what she was up to now. She kept her head bowed, but he was aware of her quick glances shot his way. It was playing merry hell with his concentration. Whatever she was thinking must have amused her because he caught the sly smile she tried to contain out the corner of his eye.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said matter-of-factly, not bothering to remove his attention from what he was doing. “It can only end badly.”
Her head snapped up. She scowled at him through narrowed eyes while he continued to pretend he was reading information on the portable tablet in front of him.
“I have no idea what you mean,” she replied stiffening.
He glanced her way and pinned her with his gaze. He raised an eyebrow, and watched her squirm in her chair.
“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what is going through your mind when you stab at your food and then glare at me.” Pushing aside his tray, he relaxed against the back of his chair. Long fingers played with the tablet, slowly spinning it on the surface of the table.
“I was not glaring!”
He gave her a hint of a smile. “If you say so.”
“Besides, how would you know what I was doing? You certainly don’t pay attention to me.” She shut her mouth with a snap as if she wished she could call back what she had just said. She sounded like a petulant child, which gave him pause. It wasn’t how he wanted to view her.
Unable to stop herself, she continued, “We’ve been on this ship for days and we’re still a long way from Kaydet. I’m bored, Nick. You have work to occupy your time. You get lost in it for ages and probably wouldn’t notice if I decided to take a spacewalk until it was too late.”
“I’d notice.”
She jumped up from her seat frustration in every line of her body and took her half-eaten meal to the disposal unit. “That’s not my point and you know it. You may find it easy to ignore me, but I find it uncomfortable to be trapped on this ship with someone who would rather I wasn’t around.”
“I want you around.” Nick rose and disposed of his tray.
“You have a strange way of showing it.”
“What do you want from me, Tru?” he shot back. “In case you have forgotten, this isn’t a pleasure trip. I have to get the sample to Dendera Labs and keep you alive and out of Geir’s hands. I’m not here to entertain you.”
Hissing in a breath, she spun on her heel and stomped to her seat at the table. “I get it. Obviously, I was mistaken in thinking something as simple as conversation would be part of your job description.”
He dropped his head and closed his eyes, praying for patience. “I will make more of an effort in future to include you, if it will make you happy.”
“Don’t do me any favors.” Crossing her arms, she spun her chair so her back was to him. “I will be sure to stay out of your way from now on.”
“Don’t be foolish. I’m doing my best here.”
He stared at the back of her head debating his next move. Part of him wanted to soothe the frustration and anger radiating from her and part of him wanted to keep a safe distance. Something much better for his peace of mind in the long run.
She was unlike anyone he’d ever met. He felt her unmistakable presence even if she didn’t say a word. Something about the way she moved across a room made the space seem smaller and sucked the air right out of his lungs. He tried to treat her with distant courtesy, to keep her at arm’s length, but the slow burn of desire he felt whenever she was near was like heat lightning, leaving him electrified and yearning. Nothing could have prepared him for his reaction to her. It kept him awake most nights.
His military training had taught him how to handle most situations in his life, something he did with ease under normal circumstances. There was nothing normal about the situation he faced now. He found himself watching her when he thought she wasn’t looking. She smiled often, delighted in small things and made it difficult to concentrate on his self-imposed tasks. He wanted her to look at him, really look, even though he did everything he could to keep her at a distance. He wanted to see her blue eyes flash and know without any doubt she was aware of him as a man and not just someone hired to keep her safe. He bit back a curse.
“You know what? Never mind, just forget I even mentioned it,” she said.
She spun around to face him and Nick let out a slow breath. “I can do that.”
“Captain, scans show a ship coming up fast in our right quadrant.” Siren’s interruption broke the tense silence.
“Can you identify it?” He sprinted to the bridge and slid into his chair.
“Negative. All identifying insignia has been masked. Four life signs onboard.”
“Hail the ship, Siren. Let’s see what we have here.”
“Affirmative. Channel open.”
“This is Captain Rayven of the starship Dominion. Identify yourself.”
“Well, well, well, Captain Rayven is it? Nice ship. I’m going to enjoy owning her.”
The man speaking over the com sounded pleased with himself and Nick’s hackles rose. “I wouldn’t be too sure of myself if I were you.”
“I’ve been searching for you. You have something onboard I want. Nice of you not to keep me waiting too long.”
“And what might that be?”
“I believe you have a mineral my client is interested in, possibly even a passenger. Hand over the mineral and the girl and I might consider letting you live...or not.” A deep chuckle came through the channel. “The girl might prove to be a little fun.”
“I have no intention of letting you take my ship or what I carry onboard. Make this easy on yourself and scuttle away. I don’t want to have to kill you.”
“You feeling lucky, Rayven?”
Nick disconnected the channel, done with small talk. Sensors confirmed the other ship had closed the distance between them and was even now maneuvering into a better position.
“Siren, full shields. Bring weapons online.” He buckled himself into his seat. “Tru, quit hovering and get your ass in your seat. I want you harnessed immediately.”
“What’s happening? Who was that?” She scrambled to her seat and fumbled with the straps.
Weapons fire rocked Dominion. Lights flickered.
“Status,” he barked.
“Shield’s holding, Captain.”
“Bring us around, Siren. I want to see that bastard.”
“Acknowledged.”
Dominion banked left, hurling Tru against her seat. Gripping the chair arms, she braced her feet against the floor.
Nick eyed the viewscreen, not in the least intimidated by the bigger, battle-scarred warcraft. Battle, he und
erstood.
The other ship came about, preparing to fire, but he was faster. Bright flashes of light hurtled through the black expanse of space, struck the other craft, exploding into a shower of sparks.
Return fire missed as Nick took evasive action and the shots streaked past. He loosed several rapid blasts to buckle the shields on the other ship. He scored a direct hit. The other craft listed to its side, maneuverability gone. He’d damaged them enough there would be no return fire.
Over almost before it began, the short battle did nothing to satisfy the violence thrumming in his veins, the brutal call of war demanding a kill. Fighting his training and every instinct he possessed, which dictated he destroy the enemy, he reached deep for control. He was no longer a soldier fighting a war where it was kill or be killed without reservation.
He sucked in a deep breath. “Status of the other ship, Siren.”
“Shields down, left weapons port destroyed and unable to fire, engines at half power.”
“Life signs?”
“I am still picking up four life signs, Captain.”
“Good. Open a channel. I want to talk to the sonofabitch again.”
“Acknowledged. Channel open.”
“What? Want to gloat before you finish us off?” The voice rasped, fury dripping off each word like acid.
“Who hired you?” It was a demand more than a question. Nick’s voice held no hesitation the other could use to his advantage.
The other man swore, promising retribution.
Unmoved, Nick waited.
“What’s in it for me if I tell you?”
Nick could tell it had cost the other man to ask. He clenched a fist, his knuckles showing white, the only indication he gave of the savagery still riding him hard. “You get to live.”
“Anto Geir.”
“Looks like he has caused us both some trouble.”
“So, what now, Rayven?” The words were bitter.
“I continue my journey.”
“Look, no hard feelings. I was just doing a job. Maybe we can work something out here. You don’t want to leave us like this. It will take months to get to the nearest planet for repairs.”
Nick spared a look at Tru. All the blood had leached from her face. She clenched the chair arms so tightly the fine bones in her hand showed as fingers left indents in the soft leather. Her breaths hitched.
“Not my problem. The next time our paths cross I will kill you.” He cut communication. It wouldn’t take much to destroy the civilized veneer he wore and leave nothing but scattered pieces of the other ship floating in space. The temptation was almost too great. “Siren, take us out of here. Now.”
“Acknowledged.”
In a flash, Siren had pushed the ship to the upper edges of its capabilities. Adrenaline and fury still coursed through his body, making his heart thud in his chest. He rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension. He fought the impulse to touch Tru, knowing it would be unwise until he was more in control of himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose and concentrated on his breathing until he was sure he had the necessary restraint to take care of her.
He stroked her hand with a light touch until he felt some of her rigidity ease. He was gratified when she released the chair arm and allowed him to enfold her cold hand in his.
“I should never have left home.” Her voice quavered like an old woman’s, and he tightened his grip. “I should have left well enough alone. I could have gotten us killed because of my pride. Why did I go to Lodestone? I–Oh God, I could have gotten us killed!”
Nick unbuckled his harness and stood. He did the same for her before lifting her easily out of her seat and into his arms. In the crew quarters, he settled her in a chair, grabbed a blanket from one of the bunks and wrapped it around her trembling shoulders. He left her long enough to fix a strong mug of tayberry, a drink he’d been introduced to when he moved to Alludra. He’d developed a taste for the somewhat bitter beverage and made sure all his ships had it onboard. Down on one knee in front of her, he helped her wrap her hands around the warm mug and raise it to her lips.
“You need to drink this. It will help.”
He kept his tone businesslike, unemotional, and was relieved to see some of the wildness leave her eyes as she focused on him and took a sip of the drink. When she looked a little steadier, he rose and took a seat opposite her.
He didn’t know what to say, or how to reassure her. He’d been a warrior too long, had been trained to ignore the horrors and move through the fear. Everyone he’d served with had the same training. They all accepted the risks, knew the score. He still took chances every day; it was as much a part of his nature as breathing. This kind of violence was new to her and it was easy to forget she’d been raised in a civilized world far removed from the violence so familiar to him. The other ship hadn’t stood a chance against Dominion and he’d known it from the beginning. His ship was faster, more maneuverable, and he understood what she was capable of doing.
“Will they come after us?” she asked in a small voice.
Her mug of tayberry wobbled and he removed it from her grasp to set it on the table beside them. He leaned forward, rested his forearms on his spread thighs and took her hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs across their backs as he searched her pale face.
“No. Their ship is too damaged to give chase.”
“They would have killed us.”
“Yes. Somehow, Anto Geir discovered we’re together and where we’re headed. I’ll do my best to keep you safe, Tru, but you have to understand, there will be other attempts.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. He released her hands and she clutched the blanket a little closer around her shoulders.
“Thank you for being honest with me. I didn’t mean to bring this kind of trouble to you. I hope you know that.”
Before he could answer, she stood and crossed to her bunk. The lost look on her face was difficult to see, and it rocked him to know he would do anything within his power to prevent it from being on her face ever again.
Chapter 12
Bleary eyed and irritable, Nick rolled out of his bunk the next morning and headed to the cleanser. Nightmares had haunted his dreams every time he’d managed to fall asleep, giving him little peace through the long night. The dream never changed and he wondered if he would ever be able to escape the memory of being trapped in his disabled war ship and watching his home world go up in flames. The helplessness he’d felt and his screams of denial still echoed in his ears as he shut the cleanser door and turned on the water.
He felt like death warmed over. There was nothing he could do about it, and he was too weary to care. He only wanted to wash the dried sweat from his body and give himself time to clear his head before he faced Tru. After yesterday, he wasn’t sure what he would have to deal with to help her.
The last thing he expected when he made an appearance was to be greeted by a hot mug of tayberry and Tru looking determined. He scanned her face to see if he’d disturbed her with his bad dreams, and noted with some guilt, dark smudges shadowing her eyes. He murmured his thanks for the drink and took a fortifying sip while he considered what he should say, if anything. To admit he suffered from nightmares was humiliating.
“I think it is time I made myself useful around here. I’m tired of having nothing to do. I want to learn more about this ship,” she announced catching him off guard.
He lowered the mug and frowned, surprised by the resolve he saw on her face. “That isn’t necessary. I don’t expect you to become part of the crew.”
“If you are worried it will affect the fee you collect from my grandfather, don’t be. He’ll honor the agreement.”
“Money is the last thing I’m worried about.” He straightened away from the table and placed his mug down with more force than necessary.
“Then what?”
“This isn’t a game, Tru. You can’t just decide between one day and the next to become part of a crew–my crew.”
“I want to do this, Nick.”
“Why? This isn’t the life for you.” He waved a hand to encompass the cramped utilitarian quarters they occupied. “Look around you. This is about as far from your normal life as it can get. There’re no luxuries here. It is uncomfortable at the best of times and dangerous all of the time. The only reason you are onboard now is because of circumstances beyond your control.”
She shrugged, her soft mouth set in mulish lines. “Believe me, I understand. I’m not a complete fool.”
“Then give me one good reason why I should waste my time training you on even a basic level.” In spite of himself, he was curious. He watched her glance around as if seeing their surroundings for the first time before squaring her shoulders and meeting his eyes.
“I always thought I could handle anything, thought I knew what was best. Going to Lodestone proved me wrong and from the very beginning, I was in over my head. I’m ashamed and embarrassed by my actions.” She clasped her hands in front of her so tight her knuckles were white. “I might have been scared then, but yesterday terrified me. I had no idea what to do. I don’t ever want to feel that way again. I need to be able to do something, no matter how small.”
He picked up his mug and took a sip of his cooling drink in order to give himself time to think. They were going to be onboard Dominion for several more weeks and giving her something to occupy her time wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“I’m not guaranteeing anything here. This isn’t something you can just decide you want to learn one day and then be able to handle a ship the next. I’ll set up some learning programs for you. They’ll take you through the basics. Siren will monitor your progress.”