I sighed. Getting in might prove to be complicated.
I looked for the leader from the Alexander brigade and decided that the one with the black armband might be the one to start with. He could at least point me in the right direction. I tried to get to him and was stopped.
“Ma’am, we’re not letting anyone through right now. In fact, you’re going to want to go far away from here.”
I sighed. “I’m supposed to be here. My name is Paloma Sandler. My husband is who they are trying to kill, and Commander Dennis Beene is waiting for me.”
He sucked in his breath. “Well, that’s different. Yes, we were told you were coming. With me, please.”
I followed him and was taken to the man with the black armband. He was tall, younger than I’d thought he would be—not older than Tommy—with red hair and bright green eyes. A slew of freckles splayed over his nose. He was taller than any of my husbands and built like a wall. He was in charge of these hundreds of soldiers, and I could see why. I wouldn’t say no to him, ever. Except if I had to.
“Sir?” The soldier who had brought me over caught Dennis’ attention, and he looked down at me.
“Well, you look different than your picture.”
I nodded. “That was the point.”
“Pretty still, but yeah, you hid in plain sight. Good work. So, your husband is obviously an idiot.”
I stood up straighter. “Excuse me?”
“He has you out here, and he’s risking his life in there? If I had a woman, I wouldn’t be taking any risks.”
The only women wandering around on Earth were married or spoken for. People protected their daughters like the commodities they were. If Dennis were to ever have a woman, it would be because he’d worked his way up for someone like Graham Alexander.
“My husband”—I tried to keep my cool. I wasn’t sure it was working, but I tried—“has been waiting years to help a man in there who needs him. He’s in front of a judge. He’s fighting for that man’s life. What he’s saying is he doesn’t care about his own life. He didn’t ask for them to call you in. We did. Now that being said, I’m going to get him out of there if you can tell me how I can get in.”
Dennis nodded, looking away for a second. “My mother would have been ashamed of me. I know not to speak out of turn. I’m one of eight boys. She was determined we would be gentleman. Maybe someone will love me like you do him, some day.”
So many boys, no women. That was always the problem. Wherever we were in the universe, we couldn’t undo that….
“A way in?” I needed him to stay on track.
He blinked and then shook his head. I had to remember that some of these men would go their entire lives without speaking to a women briefly on the street. I was an oddity out here alone. Safe enough, considering the cameras that watched everything, but an usual occurrence, for sure.
“I was worried it wouldn’t work, but considering how you’ve changed your appearance from the one on our tablets, this might go as planned.” He pointed toward the service entrance. “There’s one guard keeping people from coming out the service entrance. They’re not stopping people from going in. More hostages. They’re insisting to our negotiators that they only want Clay. I have a small battalion in front of the door. They can’t get to him yet.
“How am I going to get through the battalion?”
“I…”
He never got to answer me. Bullets started firing. I didn’t know who was firing what. There were laser guns, but they weren’t using them. This was old-fashioned weaponry. Guns and bullets. Dennis pushed me down to the ground, covering my body with his. I was going to kill Clay.
He’d better not be getting killed inside that building. I was supposed to be sneaking in the service entrance, not dodging bullets. Alexander’s troops charged forward, and Dennis pulled me.
I grabbed my tablet and started speaking incoherently as he dragged me along. Quinn’s boots did not make anything easier as I tried to explain to all of my husbands how I was under attack.
“Is anyone hurt?”
“Not my people,” Dennis called out to me. He held up his wrist. “I get signaled in my chip if anyone is hurt or killed. Nothing. We’re highly trained. That group on the steps is a disaster. The ones inside are worse. Garrison didn’t send anyone worthwhile for this mess. They’re about to be slaughtered.”
He pulled me along until we were behind a building. “I’d love to babysit you, I don’t spend a lot of time with beautiful women. But I’ve got men to lead. Stay here. Don’t move. Consider it an order.”
I didn’t usually take orders, but I wasn’t an idiot. My tablet was going crazy. I stared down at it and was about to answer the questions of the three not with me when Clay appeared with Dennis behind him.
He grabbed my shoulders. “Paloma, are you okay?”
“Yes.” I shoved at him before I stepped back. “Why did you stay in there? Why didn’t you come out?”
“Because I had to.” I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but he whirled around to look at Dennis. “I didn’t want a whole brigade here. Were you hurt? Were your men?”
Dennis shook his head. “No. We’re all fine. They’re all dead. That’s beside the point.”
“I had no choice but to finish. The judge said if we left, it was over. I couldn’t leave till it was over. My father has systematically been illegally forcing farmers from their homes here on Earth. It’s how he’s sneakily moving his people here. Something had to be done.”
Dennis scratched his head. “My father has been suffering through that. You actually care?”
My heart swelled. Yes, I’d forgotten during the bullets, but Clay cared. He cared more than anyone I’d ever known. “He does.”
“There are lots of us who care. You just have to find the right group. I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone hurt, and I would have done what I could not to die. Still, some things, someone has to say no more to, someone has to put himself out there and make what is wrong right. That’s specifically me. I won’t stand idly by anymore.”
Dennis nodded, looking at the ground for a moment. “Look, I don’t want any of my men killed because you stay in a courtroom. But if you need anything personally, you reach out to me. I’ll be there. And I want to know more about who these lots are since I don’t know anyone who would have done what you did.”
He left us, and I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Clay. I wanted to kill you when the bullets started flying.”
“Well, I pretty much want to kill you for being here. What in the fuck were my brothers thinking?” He extended his hand, and I took it. “Why did you come?”
“I thought I could drag you out.”
He shook his head. “Foolish girl, always running into trouble.”
“Foolish guy, trying to save the world.”
He kissed me. “Reach out to my brothers. Tell them you’re okay. I’ll let them know what I think about what they did in letting you come, later. Paloma, I did it. I got him his land back.”
I hugged him as tight as I could. “Of course you did. You’re the best person I’ve ever known.”
I stood staring at the view through my window as my husbands argued. Who had let me go. Why Clay didn’t value his life over others. It was ongoing. I yawned and my tablet dinged. I looked down at it, trepidation climbing up my spine. Who had sent me the Spare rhyme, and who was reaching out now?
You owe me one. You and your four will meet me at dinner at La Crema tonight at seven. Don’t be late.
As I had before, but this time with less terror, I brought Tommy my tablet and handed it to him. The arguing stopped as soon as I entered. They were brothers. They’d been fighting with each other longer than I’d known them. Still, I thought they knew I didn’t like it and tried to stop when I was around.
Tommy read the message and then passed it to Clay who quickly gave it to Keith. Quinn read it over his twin’s shoulder. They all looked at me.
“I think we should go if fo
r no other reason than to know who sent us that note and why.”
Tommy nodded. “I agree we should go, but I know why.”
“Then do enlighten us.” Clay leaned back in his chair.
“They want something. Every meeting I’m going to take over the next few weeks is about what I can give in exchange for help. I have money, but no one here needs any. They want things from me. They want what I can give them when I’m Chancellor Sandler.”
Quinn cleared his throat. “Tommy’s going to give away half the region before we even get back.”
A muscle ticked in Tommy’s jaw. “What choice do I have?”
“None. And I know how you hate to be backed into a wall.” I climbed onto Tommy’s lap, and he sighed. “You’ve had no sleep. Two hours until we have to meet whomever this is. Take a nap.”
He nodded, and I kissed him. Wherever we went, our troubles followed us.
I was changing my clothes when my tablet pinged again. Did our rescuer change his or her mind about where he or she wanted to have dinner?
How are my nephews?
It took me a moment to realize the new message was from Fletcher Sandler. The identification said Lafayette, and so much had happened since I’d sent that note—days’ worth in hours—that I had to get my bearings.
Amazing. Thanks for responding.
This was going to be a slow-moving conversation.
I set down the tablet. I wore one of the outfits Quinn had brought me. They’d again put me in Sandler red, but this time it was a half shirt, showing some of my belly, and a pair of black pants. I donned a silver piece of jewelry that wrapped around my belly button. I had black heels on, and I’d painted my face the same way as the night before. La Crema was a casual restaurant, or so the tablet had told me when I’d investigated.
I let my hair fall in waves but straightened my bangs. When I’d cut them for effect, I hadn’t remembered how hard bangs were to take care of.
I shook my head. I hoped I was setting the right image.
Clay whistled in my doorway. “Lovely woman.”
“Crazy man.”
I took a page from his book and winked at him.
19
Family Dinner
La Crema didn’t turn out to be particularly busy on a Wednesday evening. Clay had his hand on my lower back when we walked into the restaurant. One older woman with black hair and green eyes stood at the hostess stand. Tommy approached her, but she held up her hand, signaling us to follow her through the nearly empty restaurant without actually speaking a word.
Goosebumps crept along my skin. What was going on? I turned towards Keith, and he shook his head. He didn’t know either. I loved that we were at this level, where we could understand each other without words.
Of course, we’d managed non-verbal talking with the hostess too… so maybe we were just good at it.
There were five people eating at a table in the corner. They didn’t look up when we passed. Either the food was incredibly good, or this was a place people came to when they didn’t want to be seen and no one remembered each other afterward. We were headed all the way to the back room.
Quinn leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry. Tommy sent Graham a message that we’re headed here tonight. If we’re all found dead, they’ll investigate.”
I groaned. “Thanks for making me feel so much better.”
“You’re welcome, P. Anything I can do, anytime.”
The hostess pulled back a curtain, and we stepped inside. I came up short, abruptly stopping. Seated at the table was my entire family: My father, my mother, my sister, and her three husbands.
“I’ve had bad dreams that started like this.” It took me a moment to realize that I’d actually spoken that aloud.
“Now, now.” My father stood. “I know you were raised with better manners than that.”
Amber’s gaze met mine before she quickly looked away. Her husbands rose to shake my husbands’ hands. My mother was pale and silent.
Tommy turned to me. “Want to leave?”
“I saved all your lives. I think a few thanks are in order. Don’t you?”
I nodded at Tommy, and he pulled out a chair for me, placing me in between himself and Quinn. Keith sat next to Tommy and Clay next to Quinn. I tried to swallow, and when I couldn’t, I picked up a glass of water to do so.
Quinn spoke first, which surprised me. I would have assumed Tommy would have taken the lead. Quinn was usually so quiet in these moments. “I’m very grateful to you that you saved my brother’s life.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, which wasn’t a good sign. “I can’t help but notice, however, that you knew the exact phraseology our father’s people use to describe us and that you were in possession of intel that only my father’s people would have. We know you wanted Paloma to marry Tommy. Funny it worked out that way. I digress. Were you always in his pocket or did you officially get there recently?”
My father held up his hand. “I am not in his pocket. I wish I was; I hear he pays well.” He grinned like he’d made a very funny joke, but nobody laughed.
Amari, my sister’s oldest husband, spoke. “We need to back up a second. What is going on here?”
Keith pointed at them. “You brought them and didn’t tell them why?”
“I thought it best we all hear about it at the same time.” My father sat forward. “We’re all family now.”
Amari shook his head. “As my distinguished father-in-law knows, our family is only interested in politics in as far as it pertains to our water rights. We were happy to set you up here when we married Amber, as was your wish.” He cleared his throat. “But this goes beyond how far we are willing to play this game.”
My father shook his head. “This will concern you. Tommy is going to give me things for information. One of those things I’ve decided on is that I want you to have all rights to water on Sandler’s home planet.”
In his seat, I felt Tommy tense. I knew they were giving away a lot of things to get the fleet they needed, but I didn’t know if any of it went so far as to sign off on water rights.
“We’re not interested.” This time it was Hunter who spoke. “We control eighty-five percent of rights in the Earth zones. Stretching ourselves all the way out to Sandler space would tax our supplies and our capabilities. It is why we have never pursued that avenue.”
My father was clearly exasperated. His face did the odd thing that happened whenever he was angry, where his eyebrows went up and down with no seeming connection to the rest of the movement of his face. “There is so much credit to be made there.”
Shane smirked before he covered the action. “There is credit to be made lots of places. So much as we thank you for thinking of us, we politely decline.” He turned his attention to Tommy. “You might want, some day, when you’ve taken control back from your father, to look at the two moons of Asperon on the edge of your system.”
Keith interrupted Tommy. “Those moons are dead nothingness.”
Amari nodded. “That is what has been believed. But Shane can smell profit. Trust him. If he says there is something there, there is something there.”
My sister hadn’t eaten anything and hadn’t looked up from the table. She’d always been quieter than me, but this was ridiculous.
I couldn’t dwell on it long. My father started speaking again. “I have friends in all the darkest parts of society. I’ve always found I can connect well enough with that element that I can get information. That was how I heard about the group gathering to attack you. My understanding, from one of my friends, was that your father didn’t care if they killed Clay or not. He wanted everyone to know that his people were here. Now they’ll understand his power. They weren’t quite trained yet. Or you’d be dead.”
Tommy shook his head. “I remember that tactic. Send them in Tommy; I don’t care if they die or not. It’ll make a statement. What do you want for more intel from your so-called friends? What can I do for you?”
I touched his ha
nd. “Nothing. You can’t do anything for him. This stops.” I looked at my father as the waiters served bread. I didn’t even know what the food was going to be like, and I wasn’t going to find out.
“Dad.” I tried to be nice. Father was what I called him more often, but this was me being calm. “Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never, ever be able to express to you how much it means to me that you saved my husband. But then, I suppose, I shouldn’t be surprised. Because you’re such a good daddy.” I didn’t even choke on the words. “And despite the fact that you shipped me off to a planet on the other side of the galaxy and left me there to be abused, I know that somewhere, deep inside of you, both you and Mommy must love me. You would never want something to happen to those I love. So thank you.” I raised my water. “To you, Daddy, and all that you do for us.”
If he heard my sarcasm, he didn’t comment. His eyes were huge, and my mother darted to her feet. She stared at me, opened-mouthed. “I’m sorry, Paloma.”
I hadn’t expected that. “Thanks, Mommy. I hope that life goes smashingly for you and you get whatever it is that you want.” Since all eyes were on me, I looked at Amber. “I love you, Amber. Thank you, everyone, for such a lovely night.”
I turned and left the room, relieved when my husbands followed me. I made it to the street before I exhaled. Clay pulled me into a hug. “That was amazing. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. You thanked him and then insulted him with compliments. Paloma. That was…”
Tommy came up next to us. “Come on. Not on the street where they might come out. Let’s go home.”
In the dark, with each of my husbands sleeping around me in the room, my body pressed between Quinn and Tommy, the truth of things settled on me. Tommy was going to have to make broad concessions for things. Not water rights, it seemed, and nothing for my parents. Graham hadn’t asked him for anything. He wanted better allies than Sandler, and Melissa trusted us, which meant that he did, too. He didn’t like my father. That helped as well.
Loving Them (Wings of Artemis Book 5) Page 22