Clash

by Sfetsos, Yolanda

  Brynn rolled her head to look at Walsh and smiled.

  “How the hell do you always wind up being rescued by one of those junk heaps, anyway? Don’t tell me you want to bring him along? You know I won’t share you.”

  “No, he belongs to me,” Mike said with a shake of his head. “You can’t take him anywhere. Walsh belongs wherever I go.”

  The AI nodded as he met Mike’s gaze.

  Ely should’ve been surprised, but at least this explained why Mike seemed to have eyes everywhere. He always seemed to know what was going on inside the arena. Now it all made sense. An AI this advanced could relay any sort of message to Mike and keep it concealed from both the control room and Jenks.

  It gave her an odd satisfaction to realize Mike had always been a step ahead of the bastard, Jenks Maine.

  “I also heard what each of you was doing inside the arena.” Mike pulled out a small round device from his right ear and held it up to the light.

  “Is that a transmitter?” Ely whispered.

  “It sure is,” he replied with a sheepish grin.

  “They were going to take you too,” Ace whispered.

  Ely’s heart beat faster as she looked down at the man still lying in her arms. Ace was bleeding from just about everywhere but if he could talk, it had to count for something.

  “Son of a bitch,” Colt said under his breath. “We thought we’d surprised everyone. Why didn’t you interfere?”

  Mike shrugged and pocketed the transmitter. “There was no need to. Y’all seemed to have everything under control. I just wanted to make sure it stayed that way.”

  Ace licked his lips. “I guess that’s why the stall guy was lying. He gave me four and said it was the set. He programmed more, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, he did, but I had to make sure everything you planned to do was done to a T. Now that the good-for-nothin’ Maine is dead, his operation had to go down with him.” Mike was looking at Ely as he spoke.

  She couldn’t believe it, and didn’t know whether to address Ace waking up—which meant he was okay—or that Mike had known about everything, and kept tabs on these outsiders. Or on Ace’s claim about these body traffickers intending to take her with them too. Unbelievable.

  She sucked in a shaky breath. “Did you say Jenks is dead?” Her entire body shook. Ace wrapped an arm around her waist to raise himself a little higher.

  “He’s been dead for a while,” Mike said.

  “Why did you leave me out of this?”

  “Ely, you already know the answer. With that thing inside your head it would’ve worked against all of us. Now the connection’s gone, so we can help rebuild Clash. The people here deserve so much better than Maine.”

  “But I—”

  “You know it’s true,” Mike interrupted. “Besides, Dakota did well helping me out after I contacted her during all the chaos. You should be proud of her. She reacted to my psychic message instantly.”

  Ely sighed and Ace touched her cheek.

  “I was trying to tell you he was dead,” Ace said with a gentle, lopsided smile. The right side of his mouth was swollen. He caught one of her tears with his fingertips. “And we didn’t go in there with the intention of killing people. It’s the…arena we wanted to take down.”

  Ely looked at him and tears welled up in her eyes. The bruises she’d given him seemed to glow more than his other, more dire injuries. She’d helped batter him by giving in to her own rage and refusing to listen when he’d been trying to tell her about Jenks. Why had she lost it so badly?

  After so many years with Jenks, she’d hardened up, afraid to show any real feelings to anyone who wasn’t Mike. With Mike, it was so easy to relax and confide in him because he was safe and there’d never been any romantic complications. Yet, when this mysterious stranger came along and struck in the one place she felt almost like herself again, she’d been thrown for a loop. If Jenks was truly dead and the inhibitor no longer controlled her, she was free to feel and accept whatever her heart desired.

  Right now, that’s Ace.

  No amount of excuses would justify her violent reaction in the arena tunnels, but she’d make up for it.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

  “When I went inside before to grab Brynn, I noticed another woman already inside the ship,” Walsh called, out of nowhere. “I’ll go and—” The AI was interrupted when someone bolted out of the stationary ship behind him, almost knocking him over as she raced past him. Nothing more than a blonde blur taking off into the desert. “I’ll go after her.”

  “No, Walsh, wait.” Mike took a step but Walsh had already disappeared into the darkness.

  “I’ll find her.” His voice echoed back to them.

  Mike shook his head. “The last thing I need now is for my precious AI to be gallivanting around the desert chasing a girl.”

  “He’ll be back.” Ely looked down at Ace and was about to kiss him when he tore out of her arms.

  He growled, shifted into a shaggy beast and crashed into the only trafficker still alive. The woman was pointing a gun at Ely, but by the time she pulled the trigger, Ace had knocked her on her tail.

  He mauled the woman, tearing into her with wide jaws before collapsing on top of her.

  Colt and Mike ran to his side and turned him over onto his back.

  He was no longer in Recast form, had already changed back into the man Ely wanted to be with. The disgust she thought would swamp her after the vicious display wasn’t there. He’d saved her with the last of his strength. She hoped it hadn’t been with his last breath.

  Ely stood up and dropped to her knees when she reached him, pulling him into her lap once again while Colt, Mike and Brynn stood around them.

  Ace’s head fell back against her arm.

  She touched his chest and spread her palm over his heart so she could listen to every beat. She had no idea how long she sat like that and lost sight of what the others were doing, but she stayed long enough to watch the two lead bullets fall out of his body. Each bullet wound healed on its own.

  All that matters is Ace. She listened to every one of his heartbeats until they matched hers. Her mantra had worked, so she added another note: Please be okay, so we can be together. There’ll never be anyone as perfect for me as you are.

  This was the best tune she’d composed in a while.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Well, it looks like you’ve got everything under control. Just call if you need me for anything, okay?” Ely squeezed Dakota’s shoulder in a show of appreciation. Even if a little voice inside her head kept saying It should’ve been you leading and keeping these people alive and in the loop.

  Instead, she’d gotten overwhelmed by her own personal problems.

  She was now determined to start a new chapter in her life, and knowing Jenks wouldn’t return to reel her back into his web of deceit and forced allegiance made everything so much easier.

  Dakota smiled and lifted one of the tiny plastic communication devices between her pale fingers. “Now that we’ve all got these things, we should have no trouble keeping in touch.”

  She nodded. Mike had done a good job at unconsciously filling the place of leader without anyone actually labeling him that—including himself. The last thing these people needed right now was another man to step up and take control of their lives. They were finally free to lead their own lives, the way it should’ve been from the start. Mike had provided everyone in Clash and Grit with a way to communicate with whoever happened to be plugged in at the time by giving them transmitters. Since they were all tuned to the same frequency, all it took to hear others was to slip the device into their ears.

  Ely had been carrying hers in her pocket since she’d gotten it. She just hadn’t been ready to join in yet.

  Actually, this was the first time she’d left Ace’s bedside inside her dressing room at Mike’s to visit the rendezvous point. A lot of people had already moved
out of this temporary accommodation, but some were waiting for personal reasons. Most of the one hundred personnel who’d happened to be inside the arena at the time of the attack had made it out alive.

  Those still out in the field would be another story. She’d have to deal with each one personally as they returned to Fray. When they made their way to the Clash Arena and found it derelict, they’d look for her anyway. That’s when she’d be able to make things right.

  Brynn and Colt had told her that with Jenks’s computer systems all shut down, no one would dump Recast in Harrow. The town of Wither would get their nights back and could start rebuilding. Two different planets would regain independence from this one very harsh plan.

  Ely flashed a smile at Dakota and made a move to turn away but paused when the redhead said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Mike explained everything.” Well, as much as mentioning Dakota had somehow become his inside woman explained things. There was one thing she wondered about though. “How did you override the inhibitor to help Mike?”

  Dakota shrugged. “I didn’t. I had no idea it wasn’t working, but after I left the control room when you told me to, I got this crazy idea inside my head. I swear, it was almost like Mike was whispering in my ear and I didn’t even have one of these yet.” She laughed, squeezing her transmitter as if it were a piece of gum. “Isn’t that the strangest thing you’ve ever heard?”

  “Oh right, yeah.” Well, she had her answer now. It might sound strange to Dakota, getting an idea that sounded a lot like Mike’s voice, but Ely knew differently. The old man might’ve had a way to see and hear things via the Y-123 AI, but Dakota had been an instrument of his psychic gift, which suddenly sounded a lot stronger than he made out. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Sure.” Dakota headed back into the group of people huddled together, laughing.

  Ely strolled out of the huge barn-like structure just outside of the market, located on the northern side of Clash, trying to remember the last time she’d heard real laughter from any of Jenks’s employees. It seemed strange, but she’d never bothered to notice how much this huge monstrosity of a market stuck out like a sore thumb.

  Taking her time across the sand, she strolled back toward Mike’s with a lot on her mind. Her ankle was completely healed, so walking wasn’t an issue. Mike had just sent word via someone plugged into the communication device about Ace. He was finally awake and asking for her. She tried to tell herself she wasn’t really rushing to his side, but she was. She couldn’t wait to see him.

  She’d sat beside Ace for days, waiting for him to open his eyes, continually checking his breathing. He held steady and the wounds were slowly healing. Every other bruise had faded. The cuts and two bullet holes scarred. Even the nasty thigh and shoulder wounds seemed to be responding well to Mike’s magic salve, although they refused to seal. She chose not to dwell on the poison she suspected the Thropod’s pincer had leaked into his body.

  The next time she looked up, she’d already entered the back door to Mike’s and was standing just outside her dressing room door. It was mostly open and she could hear voices inside.

  “So now that you’re awake, I guess we can start planning our departure, huh?” Colt said with enthusiasm.

  Ace didn’t answer but Brynn filled the silence. “Don’t you think it’s a bit early to start bugging him? He just opened his eyes an hour ago.”

  “It’s never too early to get off this stinking planet.”

  “Do I need to remind you that my planet’s pretty much the same as this one?” Brynn snapped.

  He snorted. “No, you do not. I know exactly what it’s like—too hot, too much sand, too many people…”

  “Besides, we can’t leave yet, either,” Brynn added. “I need to speak to Mike and Dakota about a few things. I’ve noticed they’re not so well-off in the vegetation department and I believe Wither can trade with them. They’ve got some very handy and advanced communication devices here. Our communications are antique at best. This is where my campaigning to get Wither back on the galaxy map begins. With Jenks and his operations gone, I don’t care who finds our little planet. Maybe some of the population of Fray would even be interested in migrating. I’d like to start by establishing some sort of trade agreement.”

  “Okay, calm down, you’re going to hyperventilate if you get any more excited.” Colt’s voice again.

  Ace laughed and Ely’s heart sped up.

  She took a deep breath, released it, and made her entrance.

  The first thing she noticed was Ace sprawled out on her couch. He was actually sitting up. His unruly dark hair framed his face, a few curls fell over his eyes but like always, even beneath the tangle she could see them. They seemed to widen when he saw her.

  “Hi,” she whispered. Although she’d been anticipating this moment for days, she’d also been dreading it. The last time they’d both been coherent, she’d beat the crap out of him and accused him of being as bad as Jenks. She’d been so angry and only focused on the betrayal and lies. Now, knowing the truth, she couldn’t be angry.

  Ace had saved her life and freed her from the prison she despised so much. She didn’t care how or who had killed Jenks, as long as he was gone forever.

  “Hey,” Ace said with a smile.

  Ely looked at Colt and Brynn and dipped her chin in greeting.

  “I think we’re going to leave you guys alone now,” Brynn said with a soft smile. She took Colt’s hand and dragged him with her as she headed for the door. “If you need anything, Ace, just let us know, okay? We couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you two either.”

  “Damn right you couldn’t.” Colt’s voice was teasing, and a smile stretched across his rugged face. “Later.”

  As soon as the two disappeared into the corridor, Ely could hear Colt whispering. “I’m gonna take you back to our room and I’m going to ravage you.”

  “Don’t we need to get Stallion II on-planet first, you insatiable beast?”

  “We can do that anytime, but taking you…is gonna happen right now.”

  Brynn’s giggle echoed into the room as their voices became nothing more than muffled sounds.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Ace said with a smile. “Those two are always going at it. It doesn’t matter where they are.”

  Ely laughed and glanced at his leg. The bulky bandage around his thigh was stained red and yellow. He was still losing a lot of blood from the Thropod-inflicted wounds.

  “How’re you feeling?” she asked after clearing her throat. “Do you want me to get you something to eat or drink?”

  “Much better than the other night, that’s for sure.” He coughed and turned so his back was pressed against the backrest, not the armrest. “I’m hungry, but first I want to speak to you.”

  Her nerves tightened inside her stomach as she tried to avoid his eyes. What was going on with her? Why was she acting like some shy idiot all of a sudden? She’d seduced powerful men twice the size of Ace for a living, yet now she felt like a wilting flower. She sighed. Of course, she knew why. None of those men had mattered. They’d all been a means to an end. Things she was forced to do under the command of a selfish bastard who liked others to do his dirty work for him.

  Ace was different. He affected her deeply. She cared about what he thought of her and was ashamed of what had happened between them inside the tunnels.

  “I’m sorry for adding to your injuries—”

  “No, Ely, don’t. You don’t have to apologize to me.” He looked away, winced. “I don’t blame you for how you reacted.”

  “Yes, actually, I do have to apologize.” She took a step forward, finally meeting his dark eyes and holding his gaze. “I should’ve listened before reacting.”

  “How were you to know the truth?”

  “It’s as much my fault as yours.” Ely burst out laughing and although it sounded a littl
e strange to her own ears, it relaxed her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Look at us,” she said, taking a seat beside him on the couch. “The other night we were trying to prove our point to each other, and today neither wants the other to feel responsible. We sure make a strange couple, don’t we?”

  His gaze intensified. “And is that what we are now?”

  “What?”

  “Are we a couple?” He took one of her hands in both of his. “I would like us to be a couple.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat, almost struggling to breathe. What’s wrong with you?

  “I don’t mean to be pushy.”

  “No, no, it’s not that at all.”

  “What is it then?” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.

  “You—I was worried sick about you and although it might seem like it was because I somehow felt responsible for your condition, it was more than that. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I suffered every moment you were unconscious because it tore my heart in two to think you’d never wake up long enough to be with me again.” There, it’s all out. She’d gotten everything her very soul was whispering inside her ear out in one breath. “You and I aren’t so different. I just thought I’d realized a little too late.”

  “I know you were here. I could feel you, hear you and even smell you. It helped ease and aid my recovery.” He rubbed her hand between his. “You also soothed my animal.”

  The mention of his animal didn’t spike the fear she thought it would. “So, you’re not angry with me?”

  “No.”

  “You don’t hate me?”

  He shook his head and squeezed her fingers. “I could never hate you. We’re kindred spirits. Two messed-up individuals who found each other in the nick of time.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Hadn’t she thought of him in the same way? Yet he was the one who’d said it out loud. “That’s a relief.”

  “Come here.” He yanked on her hand, encouraging her to climb onto his lap.

  “No, Ace, I’ll hurt your thigh. It hasn’t healed completely.”