Taking Command

by Jennifer Leeland

  "Then help me trust you,” she demanded.

  "I don't know what else I can do.” He spoke very quietly. “I had every opportunity to let you die in the VFR. The fantasy continued with me in it, so I couldn't have been the one controlling it. What else do you need?"

  "Maybe that was just a way to get close to me. Maybe you're working for whoever is trying to kill me, like Sam Grady was.” Daniella was angry and lashing out at Jake was probably stupid, but she wanted some kind of control and found none.

  "Do you really believe that?” His eyes were unreadable.

  She stared at him and saw the lines in his face that revealed his pain at her words. His shoulders were stiff and his fists were clenched. What she wanted to believe and what was reality seemed vastly different. Her whole life was in chaos, but she still found comfort at the sight of him. Would she be this drawn to him if he was out to kill her? Would she know the difference?

  With a frustrated sigh, she turned her back on him. “I don't know what to believe."

  "It's understandable that you wouldn't know who to trust in this."

  She whirled around and snapped at him. “Don't be patronizing. That soothing tone is irritating."

  He cocked his head and smiled faintly. “Do you want me to start ordering you around? Would you like me to spank that beautiful ass of yours? That's what I want to do, but that isn't going to help you trust me."

  She sighed. “That's true.” But a thrill of excitement burned between her legs as she pictured his large hand swinging to smack her butt.

  She needed him whether she liked it or not. With a single step, she drew close to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

  His arms wrapped around her. “Believe this. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

  Tears filled her eyes. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I want this to be your fault."

  With his lips near her ear, he whispered. “It's easier."

  It seemed that he understood. Blaming Jake meant she didn't have to think about other people, people she knew and loved, who might want her dead.

  A tear slipped out. “I can't do this.” She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

  "Yes, you can. We'll get through this.” He turned her in his arms and pressed her head into his shoulder. “I'll figure it out."

  "Okay.” Her voice was muffled, buried in his chest. Stepping back, she pulled herself together. “Where do we start?"

  With a gentle finger, Jake wiped away the stray tear on her cheek. “We go over everyone who you're close to on the ship. Someone is worming their way into your confidence and pulling the strings. We need to figure out who it is."

  Daniella nodded.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Nine

  The next two days were exhausting. She worked and then she and Jake would begin to go over her time on the Zenith. Every minute she'd spent on the ship for the last four months was scrutinized. All the contacts she had were gone over with a fine tooth comb. Jake was relentless. Finally, they narrowed it down to four people.

  Sashina Matins, a Condenser technician that befriended Daniella early on in the trip. She'd been in the military for four years and met Daniella at the vid games. One of the few female members of the contingent that also worked in a “man's” field, Sashina was both a professional colleague and a friend.

  Donny Pasquel dated Sashina for a while and frequently hung out with Daniella and her co-workers. Charming and out going, he was a military security officer with a fresh face. He seemed young and eager for his assignment on the Sky Base at Asberek.

  Donny's roommate was a Troy Lider. Daniella met Troy at the vid games when he and Donny showed up for a night of fun. Her impression of him was that he was a “bad boy” who was assigned to Asberek because of his “attitude". Sashina couldn't stand him, stating that he gave her the willies. He could be fun when he wanted, but Daniella always kept distance between them. Even so, she'd gone out with him a couple of times for fun. Troy's demeanor was always a little sardonic with her, as if he was playing with her. Daniella's personal opinion was that Troy was hung up on Sashina, but she wouldn't give him the time of day.

  The last possibility was George Finton.

  "We've been over this a million times. It could be any one of them.” Daniella shook her head.

  "There has to be something we missed. What about politics? Did anything ever come up there?"

  She sighed. “No. We didn't talk much politics. Sashina and I usually talked about men, work and vid shows. We didn't really discuss deeper issues. Donny is a die hard military boy. He loves being in the military. And Troy? Well, he was usually being clever, not political."

  "What about family? Did they talk about family?"

  Finally, Daniella lost her temper. “Have we? You've fucked me numerous times, which is more intimate than my relationship with the others and we haven't talked much about family or politics."

  His eyes narrowed. “No, but our relationship isn't a casual friendship. And I didn't “fuck” you. Were you fucking Troy or Donny?"

  Part of her wanted to lie and say “Yes” just to piss him off. Instead, she shook her head. “No. I wasn't. I'm just pointing out that you're going over this and over this and there's nothing there."

  "There's got to be.” He glanced down at the computer notes that he was compiling. “Whoever is doing this must have slipped up somewhere."

  "Whoever is doing this is ex-Tribunal,” she pointed out. “They don't slip up."

  Jake glared at her. “You're telling me you've been hanging out with these people and you don't know about their personal lives?"

  She exploded. “I've been hanging out with you and I don't know the first thing about you except some of your sexual habits. All I know is that you're great in bed and you're military."

  Shock registered on Jake's face. “What do you want to know?"

  Daniella pointed to the picture. “That's the only personal item in the room. Who is that in the picture with you? Your brother?"

  For a moment, Jake was so still that she wondered if he was going to answer her. It was clear that this was a painful subject. When he did speak, she winced at the tone.

  "He was my brother. He's dead."

  She was too angry to be sympathetic. Two days of interrogation by a man she wasn't sure she trusted was enough to put her in an aggressive mood. “How did he die?"

  A muscle moved in his cheek. “He committed suicide."

  That did stop her. Her eyes widened. “Do you know why?"

  Rage radiated from him. “The woman I was in love with was sleeping with my brother. However, she was also aiming to marry a more powerful and rich man. Bradley took it harder than I did."

  "Oh.” All the anger blew out of her. How awful. “I'm sorry, Jake. This is why I don't ask personal questions of the people in my life."

  He seemed deflated, his shoulders slumped and he stared down at the floor. “I came on this trip to get away from everything. My parents are dead and Bradley was all I had left. With him gone, I thought a Sky Station on some obscure planet across the galaxy sounded perfect."

  Her hand touched his shoulder. “I'm sorry I pushed it."

  When his hand reached up and covered hers, the warmth spread up her arm. “I see your point.” His eyes met hers. “You keep it casual with these people, Daniella. Why?"

  Struggling to explain, her gaze dropped from his. “I'm not an easy person to live with. I'm a contradiction.” There was bitterness in her tone that she recognized. “That's what I've been told. All my life, I've wanted to work in mechanics. I like the way machines work, but I'm not a tough woman. Most people find that ... confusing. And then there are the fantasies. Not too many men are thrilled with a woman who enjoys a little pain and a lot of bondage."

  Jake nodded. “So, you're afraid of rejection?"

  She snorted. “Isn't everyone?"

  "I suppose they are. We've gotten off the subject.” His smile was warm.

&n
bsp; She grinned back at him. “Yes, we have."

  The grin dropped from her face when a memory niggled in her mind. “Wait. There was something."

  "What?"

  "It was one of those times that Donny and I spent time together. It wasn't a date, but just us."

  Jake nodded. “Go on."

  She wrinkled her forehead, trying to think. “He was talking about women and said he knew what made them tick. I remember he said it was so easy to get a woman interested."

  "Really? Do tell.” Jake's tone was dry and Daniella laughed.

  "Donny told me there are three kinds of women,” She closed her eyes, trying to picture the moment. “He said that most women fit into categories. It was an odd conversation, really."

  "I'm listening."

  "He said there were women who were confident, women who were wallflowers and women who were both. The trick was to read their attitude and tailor his line accordingly.” She opened her eyes. “That's the most personal thing he said to me. Up until then, it was all small talk and work stuff. He was very bitter when he said it. It was one of the rare times I saw him being anything other than positive and enthusiastic."

  Jake's eyebrows were scrunched into a frown. “It made you cautious?"

  "I've always felt he was putting on an act. He's so fresh faced and ‘boy next door’ but I don't think that's who he is."

  "Why don't you get all these people to meet us at the Stardust Bar?” He grinned wickedly. “You can tell them that you want them to meet your new boyfriend."

  Her eyebrow shot up. “Really? And you're prepared to play the part?"

  His hand cupped the back of her head, and he brushed her lips with his. “Oh, absolutely."

  * * * *

  The Stardust was packed as they entered and ordered drinks. The music played in the background and groups sorted themselves out. Jake and Daniella snagged a table in the back and waited for her friends to arrive.

  Sashina was the first. With new eyes, Daniella studied this woman who had been the closest thing to a friend she'd ever had. Very tall, curly, brown hair and emerald green eyes, Sashina was gorgeous. One of the military contingent, Sashina's work as a Condenser technician didn't interfere with her other interests. She was an expert kick boxer and most of her off time was spent in the VFR sparring with other enthusiasts or a computer generated opponent. Athletic, she drew eyes to her wherever she went. Donny and Troy were notches on her belt. For the first time, Daniella was nervous about having Sashina meet a man with her. After all, Daniella was short, dark and worked as a mechanic. The tall Amazon would make any woman feel like a mud hen. With a quick glance, she noted her own simple outfit. Purple shirt with a scoop neck and black pants didn't compare favorably with the slim, form fitting burgundy dress that Sashina wore.

  She shot a look at Jake to see his reaction to her friend. He seemed interested, but when his eyes met hers, there was heat and desire there for her, not the woman crossing the room.

  "So, this is the man that finally captured our Dani?” Sashina's voice was husky and low. Perfect for a woman who resembled a cat.

  With a killer smile, Jake held out his hand. “You must be Sashina. Daniella has told me so much about you."

  "Daniella?” Sashina looked confused. “Oh, you mean Dani. I didn't know your name was Daniella.” She turned those green lasers on Daniella.

  "Everyone calls me Dani. Except Jake.” She smiled into his face and something there brought heat to her face and her insides liquefied.

  Sliding into a chair, Sashina studied Jake. “Well, he's a nice specimen. Where did you find him?"

  Jake answered her. “We have mutual friends on Earth. I looked her up."

  Daniella sent him a grateful look.

  "That's so sweet.” Sashina was aiming all her charm at him. Daniella wasn't even sure that she knew she was doing it. It was just natural.

  "What is?” Startled, Daniella stared up into a pair of sky blue eyes. Donny stood by the table. He seemed so young, but his file said he was thirty-one. With an open smile, he plopped into another chair.

  "Dani's new boyfriend. This is Jake.” Sashina waved a hand in Jake's direction.

  Why hadn't Daniella noticed that Donny's eyes were piercing and assessing before? As Donny studied Jake, Daniella observed the man she'd always been friends with, even though he'd asked her out a few times. Ruffled blond hair, blue eyes and a slim build, he always dressed with military precision. No collar was ever out of place nor lint to mar the creases of his black pants.

  With a winning smile, Donny shook Jake's hand. “Nice to see Dani finally found someone to appreciate her."

  "She certainly has.” Jake's tone rumbled through her body as his hand clasped hers.

  "I appreciate her.” Troy arrived and the contrast between Troy and Donny was immediate. “I brought drinks.” He laid five drinks out on the table.

  "You are a life saver, Troy.” Sashina took a sip of hers.

  Daniella did the honors. “Jake, this is Troy.” Troy was the exact opposite of Donny. He was dark, with brown eyes and a bitter twist to his mouth. His whole demeanor screamed “bad boy". He was clean cut and well dressed, but something in his face was dangerous.

  "Nice to meet you, Troy."

  "Captain,” Troy acknowledged, with a gleam in his eye.

  "Captain?” Sashina perked up.

  "This is THE Captain Tarune.” Troy folded into one of the chairs. “He doesn't usually socialize. How did you happen to meet Dani?” The tone of his question was sharp.

  "As I was telling Sashina, Daniella and I have mutual friends back on Earth. I promised to get in contact with her.” Jake's smile was full of meaning. “Needless to say, I'm glad I did."

  Troy's eye narrowed on Daniella's face so curiously that she was sure she was going to burst into flames. “I'll bet you are,” he murmured.

  Sashina broke in. “Troy, you need to talk to George."

  "Why, honey?” Troy leaned back and smiled at Sashina.

  "He's holding up one of my Condenser lines. The order for the design change came from your department and he's your commanding officer. Maybe you can put a word in for me with him. I don't want to get jerked around."

  "Maybe there's a problem with your design."

  Sashina's smile was feral. “Maybe there's a problem with military protocol. There's no design flaw."

  "Sashina's confidence is one of the things that's so attractive about her.” Donny laughed.

  "One of the things.” Troy studied Sashina.

  "Never mind, Troy. I'll talk to him. I can sweet talk if I need to.” Sashina shrugged. “Maybe the Captain can help me."

  Jake held up his hands. “Not me. I'm not in charge of Condensers.” He took a sip of his drink.

  "I'll talk to George, if you want,” Daniella put in.

  "Will you? He'll listen to you.” Sashina seemed relieved.

  The conversation turned more technical as Sashina and Troy argued the merits of her design and Jake kept his eyes on them all.

  After about an hour, Donny rose. “I need to be up early tomorrow. Thanks for the drinks.” He gave them all a winning smile and headed for the door.

  "Always the little gentleman.” Troy's eyes followed him as he left.

  Sashina got a wicked gleam in her eye, making Daniella immediately suspicious. Her friend was notorious for being slightly outrageous.

  "You two have the definite air of a couple that have slept together. Have you?” As Sashina studied her face, Daniella could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks.

  Jake's smile was easy and he touched her shoulder with a brief squeeze. “I don't know that it's any of your business."

  Troy snorted. “That won't stop Sashina.” And Daniella noted that something passed between Troy and Sashina when her friend shot him a sharp glare.

  With her eyes still on Troy, Sashina did go on. “I just want to make sure that Dani is getting her needs met.” She quirked her eyebrow as she turned her gaze to Jake.r />
  Jake's expression made Daniella shudder. “Oh, I do my best to meet each and every one of Daniella's needs."

  Sashina's green eyes shifted and bored into hers. “Do you, Jake?” Daniella wished she could control the raging heat that spread over her features and down her neck. Her friend grinned. “I have an idea.” Her long hair brushed the table as she leaned forward. “Let's all go to the VFR."

  Troy's sharp brown eyes studied Sashina. “As long as it's not kick boxing again. I haven't recovered from the last bout I had with you."

  Her smile was smug. “Oh, no. I just had an idea for a little fun."

  Oh shit.

  Daniella knew this was going to be embarrassing. She was about to open her mouth and refuse, but Jake spoke first.

  "Sounds great. Let's go.” He threw some money on the table and grasped her elbow. “I'm up for whatever you have in mind, Sashina."

  Troy's eyes rested on all three of them in turn. “I'll go. I hope you won't shock little Dani though, Sashina. She's a nice girl."

  Daniella couldn't look anyone in the eye.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Ten

  As Sashina programmed the VFR, Jake's hand rested on Daniella's back. She didn't know what he was doing, but she hoped that they'd learn more than they would reveal.

  Sure enough, the fantasy that Sashina chose was dangerous. Crops, whips, chains and several other BDSM items were in the room. It was lit by candlelight and all of them were dressed in leather. Daniella's outfit was tight and confining, and the atmosphere was both tense and exciting.

  "I know that you're a Dom, Jake. I spotted that immediately. Does Daniella know that she's a sub yet?” She crossed the room and picked a crop out of the collection on the wall.

  Jake's black gaze focused on Daniella and a faint smile curved his lips. “She knows."

  Troy grinned at her. “A fellow submissive. How nice to meet you."

  She smiled back, but worry lined her eyes. Jake leaned down to her ear. “Don't worry, honey. You're MY submissive.” His hand wandered to her butt.

  "Troy is mine.” Sashina approached Troy and faced him. “Though Troy and I play, we've negotiated our limits.” Her smile was feral and Daniella couldn't read Troy's face since he kept his head bowed. “You see, he wants to submit on his terms. He thinks he'll control me through his reluctance to receive."