Del was in a hot cloud of lust, feeling a kind of animal hunger he couldn't remember ever experiencing before at the soft press of her breasts against his chest and her hips brushing his arousal. The hand on his ribcage slid down as she whispered until her fingers slipped into his waistband, making his breath catch and his head swim. He didn't actually register what she was saying until she called him by his real name.
"It won't be enough. It won't ever be enough, Adelmo Givliani. They'll take the credit, but they won't let you go. If you want to be free, come see me."
Then she pulled out of his grasp and spun on her heel, walking away from him without a backward glance. His heart was thundering louder than the crowd in his ears and his head was spinning, so it took him a moment to realize that he could feel something sharp and hard biting into the skin at his waistband.
She'd tucked a data crystal there.
Chapter 2
Her brother matched her stride as they moved towards the Shadow slicers, but Sin refused to look up at him. She knew he'd be wearing his most mocking smile right about then.
"Was that fun?” he asked with laughter running through his words in a bright stream.
He knew the truth anyway, so she didn't bother to lie. “Damned near forgot to give him the crystal,” she mumbled and then gave him a smoldering glare when he began to chuckle. “Shut up, Kai!"
That only made him laugh harder. “Could've just shaken his hand, Sinsi...” He dodged easily when she took a half-hearted swipe at him and held up his hands as if to ward her off. “Now, now, Sissa, let's not get violent. Wasn't me who stuck my tongue down his—"
This time she took a real swipe at him, but he still managed to dodge, his deep laughter scraping across her nerves. “You go on ahead,” she told him as they reached the slicers. “I'll take care of the rest of this."
"Oh, yeah?” he asked with a suggestive lift of one eyebrow. “Just how were you planning on ‘taking care’ of him?"
He ducked into his slicer when she lunged, shutting himself in before she could reach him and snickering the whole while. With an aggravated snarl, she slid into her own slicer, trying to remember that she loved her brother and couldn't maim him.
About an hour later, she reached the rendezvous point that she'd given to Del, a little cafe in a small way station that marked the edge between Fringe space and civilization. The cafe was called Sun's Way, and its one claim to fame was that it had a holographic image on the walls that mimicked a strand of beach surrounded by ocean. The customers that sat at the scattered tables could look upon the course of a yellow star as it rose on one side of the cafe, progressed through a standard day, and set on the other side. They even had ocean sounds to go with it, the rhythmic susurration of waves on sand and wind through palm trees.
Sin had always found it soothing, and today she needed it. After she'd told the proprietor what she wanted, she settled herself at one of the tables, taking off her jacket and undoing the tight braid in her hair. Propping her feet on a chair next to her, she leaned back and finger-brushed the black, silky strands, closing her eyes against the bright sun.
The hologram was good—she could almost feel the warmth of that sun on her skin, and she briefly wished for a pair of shorts, bare feet, and a sun top. Next vacation, she promised herself, and then laughed silently with a tinge of bitterness. She didn't take vacations.
The owner interrupted her thoughts by bringing a tall bottle of ice-cold water and a chilling tray with six old-fashioned bottleneck beers. “There ya go, love."
"Thanks, Jake,” she said with a smile for the burly man. He couldn't have more than ten years on her, but he'd always treated her like a daughter, fussing over her every time she came in. She didn't think all of it was because she kept him in business.
He let her take the water bottle and set the tray of beer down in the middle of the table with raised eyebrows. “Expectin’ company?"
"Yup, but he might take a while."
"He?” he asked with a gleam of interest in his eye.
The eternal matchmaker, Sin thought with some amusement. “Yes."
He waited a second, but when it was clear that she wasn't going to add anything else, he made a face at her. “Not talkin', huh?"
She shook her head, but smiled for him.
He sighed heavily with exaggerated disappointment and turned away, saying over his shoulder, “Don't matter how long you stay. You know that. Yell if you need anythin’ else."
She nodded in answer and settled further down in her seat, taking a long drink from the water bottle before resting her head on the back of the chair. She watched the sunlight dance across the endlessly moving water through half-closed eyes and thought about a kiss she should never have initiated.
She'd known Del was attracted to her from the first moment she'd met his gaze, but that was nothing new. She was used to men looking at her with that gleam in their eyes. Besides, he'd been attracted to her Shadow persona and not her real self.
What had surprised her was the strength of her own attraction to him. Some of that was the obvious stuff—he had a muscular build with not a single flaw that she'd been able to see and a face that some would call strong and others handsome. She decided it was a little of both. His thick, dark hair was cut severely short, but looked soft enough to make her fingers itch to test it, and his skin was a deep, delicious caramel color that spoke of genetics and not time in any sun.
But the less obvious things were what had motivated the kiss, she decided. The steady directness in his dark eyes when he looked at her, that air of calm confidence, and the way he flew ... She took a breath and let it out on a sigh. She'd never seen anyone slice with such delicate control. If he'd been flying a Shadow slicer instead of his less powerful ship, it was very possible that he would have beaten her fair and square. She knew why he wasn't on the legitimate circuit and for a moment felt a keen sorrow for what wasn't to be. He would have risen like a god and made history.
Brooding on the fickle twists of fate and watching the sun move slowly across a nonexistent sky, she waited for him to show. The cafe was empty and the sun was setting by the time he finally appeared. She saw him out of the corner of her eye, but didn't take her gaze off of the spectacular flare of colors. He entered the cafe and stopped several tables away from her.
When he didn't look like he was going to come any closer, she waved her bottle lazily at the seat across the table from her. “Pull up a chair. Grab a beer.” When he still didn't move, she rolled her head towards him and raised her eyebrows. “Shy?"
"Who are you?” he asked, his deep voice rougher than normal.
He was watching her with an intensity that made her mouth go dry, and she rolled her head back to the sunset to cover her reaction. “Somebody who wants to help you."
"Why?"
She chuckled and slanted him a quick look. “Don't worry—I'm not doing it solely out of the goodness of my heart. I need a pilot with your level of skill."
When he still didn't move, she sighed heavily and straightened, turning towards him. Setting her water bottle on the table with an impatient little thump, she met his gaze steadily. “Please, sit. Drink. We'll talk."
She hadn't thought negotiations with him were going to be easy, but damn, if he wasn't even willing to sit at the same table, they were in trouble. He hesitated a moment longer before coming forward and easing into the chair opposite her, his eyes never leaving hers. The strength of his gaze was almost physical, and she felt her skin warm under it. She flicked a finger at the beer and was gratified to see him do a double take. Bottled beer was a rarity these days.
He took one and popped the top, taking a long drink. She tried not to watch the muscles in his throat move as he swallowed. When he lowered the bottle, he focused that intense look on her again and said, “I sat. I drank. Let's talk. Who are you?"
"My name is Sinsudee Shay. You can call me Sin. Nice to meet you, Del. Did they take the credit?"
His dark eyes shutt
ered, but she was pretty sure it wasn't because he recognized her name. She was well known in certain circles, but not to the general public, and Del hadn't been high up enough in the Core to hear of her.
"Did who take the credit?” he asked in a careful voice, and she chuckled.
"I like to dance as much as the next woman, but I don't think we need to. You've been indebted to Quasicore for approximately ten years. They've kept you on a mighty tight leash, but you've slipped it, haven't you? Problem is, you're still wearing their collar. So when you offered to pay off the debt, what did they say?"
He hadn't moved, but his gaze was hard and his knuckles white where he gripped the beer. “Are you my leash?” he asked bitterly, and she shook her head.
"I'm not Core. What I am is your only recourse at this point."
"If you're not Core, how did you know about me? How did you know they'd take the credit, but not let me quit?"
She now saw that the intensity of his gaze was fury barely held in check. He didn't come here expecting rescue; he came looking for answers and maybe a way to lash out. From his point of view, she'd dangled a treat in front of his face, and then snatched it away.
Careful, she thought to herself. “I knew what they would do when you made your offer because that's just how the Core operates. I knew about you because I make it my business to know as much about Quasicore as possible. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as they say."
"Which are they to you?” he growled, eyes narrowing.
She smiled and was unable to help the sad curve to it. “Enemies. My brother and I own Shay Enterprises, one of the Core's competitors.” She saw by the flicker of surprise in his eyes that he recognized the company name. She also saw that it didn't seem to comfort him at all. “Right now you're probably weighing the evil you know against the evil you don't. But Del, I'm not evil and neither is my company. I wish we had the time to let you find that out on your own, but if you've contacted the Core, they'll be after you by now."
He grimaced in the light from the setting sun and looked away from her for the first time. “I know.” There was a short pause, before he continued, “You made sure that the ante would be enough to clear my debt, and then lost to me on purpose. I know you're probably stinkin’ rich, but a hundred thou can't mean that little to you."
"I don't think I stink,” she said in a light tone, but his dark eyes weren't amused. She pursed her lips and turned her head to watch the last sliver of sun disappear under the horizon. “I'm gambling. I'm gambling that you'll take this chance to free yourself instead of allowing the Core to eat you alive like they do everything else. The slice was the fastest way to get you to take the money that would start you down that road. If I'd just approached you and offered it, would you have taken it?"
He didn't reply, but it had been a rhetorical question anyway. The answer was obvious.
"In any case, I barely had to lose on purpose. You almost had me. You slice like a dream, and that's why I want you to pilot for me."
"For what?"
"Glad you asked,” she murmured with a small smile, and saw his expression relax just a little. “Part of Shay Enterprises is a courier service called Last Chance. While most of what we carry is done on the regular star-ways, sometimes things need to get to their destination by a faster route and sometimes the destination is not on the normal routes. I'm sure you're aware that traveling off the regular lanes can be hazardous. Hijacking occurs more frequently than they publicize, and a large percentage of the hijackers have the Core's heavy hand on their necks. I'm offering you a job as a slicer pilot to make off-lane runs."
He stared at her for a long moment. In the increasing gloom she couldn't read his expression, but if she had to guess, he was probably looking at her like she was nuts.
"You gave away a hundred thou and are offering to go up against the Core just to get a courier pilot?"
She chuckled at the incredulous tone in his voice. “It's not as crazy as it sounds. The Core and Shay Enterprises are competitors, but in the business world we still play civil with each other. I will make it known that the hundred thou you gave them came from me and that I want you.” The last words were out of her mouth before she realized how they would sound. Hoping that the dim lighting hid the sudden flush on her cheekbones, she finished quickly, “And they'll give you up."
He snorted in disbelief. “Just like that? No questions asked?"
"With the Core it's never no questions asked or just like that.” She hardened her tone and sat back in her chair. “But it will be done."
"How am I supposed to accept that?” he asked in a low tone with an edge of desperation.
When she heard the tension in his voice, she relaxed. He wanted to accept her help, and that was all she needed.
"Think of our two companies as chess players, Del. There will always be concessions between us, sacrifices if you will. To be perfectly honest, you aren't that major a piece on the chessboard, at least to them. They have a million more just like you in their grasp. They can give you up easily rather than risk coming up against my brother and me. I may have to give something in turn as compensation, but it won't be much."
"What kind of compensation?” he muttered, rolling the bottle between his hands. The flex of his strong fingers was distracting.
"Like I said, it won't be much. They may not even ask for anything, since they already have my hundred thou. They may call that good enough. If I had simply approached them about acquiring you, that's what they would have asked for.” She winced inwardly at how that had come out, too, as if she was buying him.
He didn't seem to notice, staring down at the bottle between his hands intently. She gave him all the time he needed, watching the shadows deepen along his jaw and temple.
"What are your terms?” he finally asked in an abrupt, harsh tone. He still thought there was a catch.
For men like Del, life always holds a catch, she thought sadly.
"A place to stay. All the food you can stuff down your gullet. And a paycheck on the order of...” she mentioned a number and his head shot up. His eyes were just a darker shadow under his brow, but she could still read the shock in them.
"Bullshit!” he spat, and she couldn't help it—she tipped her head back and laughed at the stars.
"If it's not enough, I'm willing to negotiate,” she teased. “Plus you'll get a raise once a year and hazard pay for hard runs. Vacations are negotiable depending on how the orders are doing, but you'll get at least three weeks off a standard year—"
"Stop,” he ordered. He sounded pissed, his voice rough. “What kind of game are you playing? My life's not a joke."
She sobered and leaned forward on her elbows. “No, it's not, and I don't play games. The job is not without danger, and I take care of my people. It's also an offer I don't make often."
He was silent and still for so long that she started to get restless. Flicking a finger at the bottle he still held, she murmured gently, “You haven't finished that."
"It's warm,” he muttered in a distracted tone.
"It has friends.” She hid a smile to see him set the warm one aside and open a cold, only to hold it as he'd held the last, without drinking it. “I'm not asking for your firstborn child, Del. What's the matter?"
"I'm thinking about hidden agendas and compensations. And consequences."
She studied the shadowy planes of his face with a vague sense of unease. She hadn't underestimated him exactly; she'd known he was an intelligent man. But she hadn't expected to admire him as much as she did. “In other words, you're thinking about the catch."
"Exactly."
"I won't say there isn't one. The job I'm asking you to do is dangerous, no doubt about it. Also, there's something else that I hesitated to mention before, but you'll hear of it soon enough from the others.” She paused and saw him tense in expectation. He wouldn't like to hear this, but better from her than one of the others. “You aren't the only pilot I have in my service. And you ar
en't the only person with a dark past, though the illegal things that you did, you were forced to do by the Core. But I will tell you what I've told the others. This is your last chance. You screw up with me and you get shipped up river. I don't offer second chances—I offer last chances."
Nope, he didn't like it. She saw the hand not holding the bottle of beer curl into a fist.
She softened her tone and said, “You did steal. You did cheat, extort, and hurt people or let them be hurt. I don't believe you ever murdered, but—"
"I never—” he started furiously, but then cut himself off with a snarl of frustration.
"But you were forced,” she continued in a firm tone. “The Core gave you no recourse, and if they get you back, you'll be forced again. And probably to do things much worse than you have already. At least with me and my company, you can have a normal life. Or what passes for normal for a slicer pilot,” she risked the small joke and saw his fist relax, though he shook his head at the same time. She tried another one, just to see how he'd take it. “You know, there are people out there that can go whole weeks without breaking the law. Can you imagine?"
He gave a small snort that she was pretty sure was amusement. “Amazing,” he responded dryly, and she chuckled.
"So? You ready to let me save your life?"
"Do I have a choice?” he answered in bitter tones that made her wince inwardly in sympathy, but she didn't let it weaken her tone.
"There are always choices, you know that. But in my opinion, this is your best choice."
"That's how it looks from where I'm sitting, too,” he sighed in resignation, and she grinned into the growing darkness, triumphant. He still didn't entirely believe in his own rescue, but he would with time.
"I know you don't trust me, but you will,” she said with perfect confidence.
He didn't get a chance to answer, because a light suddenly burst over them. The light wasn't bright compared to normal lighting, but they'd been sitting in starlight. Del got the brunt of it and held up a hand before his eyes with a grimace.
Sunscapes Trilogy Book 1: Last Chance Page 3