Outlaw

by Angela Verdenius

  The sadness melted his heart. “Ah, lass.” Cupping her cheek in his large hand, he bent down and kissed her cheek in consolation.

  Or, at least, it started that way. But her cheek was close to her lips, and her breath was warm against his skin when she turned her head. Heartbeat kicking up several notches, he raised his head to find their faces just inches apart.

  Tenia’s expression was uncertain, confused, her lips parted slightly as they stared at each other.

  Darvk’s eyes dropped to her lips, so soft and full and slightly parted, and there was no way he could stop his mouth from descending to taste her sweetness.

  Gently, he pressed his lips to hers, tested the softness as his hand on her waist trailed lightly up her side, his kiss deepening, becoming more insistent as she leaned into him, those delicious lips so giving beneath his. Desire pooled low as his tongue slid along the seam of her lips, coaxing them open. When her lips obeyed with a little sigh, he swept in, tasting the honeyed depths while his hand slid up to cup one breast, filling his palm with firm warmth.

  Heat coiled in the pit of his stomach, escalating when her hand slid down his chest to press against one brown male nipple, her palm lingering before moving outward slowly, tracing his hard muscles.

  When his thumb gently rubbed over one nipple she moaned, the heat of it sinking into his mouth.

  She was so sweet, so innocent. So trusting- Damn it!

  He broke the contact of their mouths to stare down into her dazed, passion filled eyes.

  Passion he’d awoken.

  Hell, first he told her she was safe with him, and next thing he was making love to her, taking advantage of her vulnerability. What kind of a bastard was he? If he continued - and God knew he wanted to - what kind of a bastard was she going to believe him to be after? And there would be an after, there was always an after. A reckoning.

  Pushing her away, he stood hurriedly. “Go back to sleep, lass.”

  “What?” She blinked, confused. “Sleep?”

  “Aye, ‘tis still early.” He strode to the door. “You need your rest.”

  Darvk was more than aware of her staring after him, could swear he felt her gaze boring a hole right in the middle of his back, but he kept on moving, shutting the door behind him and striding down the corridor into the dining cabin without pause.

  Pouring a glass of iced water, he swallowed the contents in several gulps before rolling the icy glass across his forehead.

  Stars, he was hot, and in more ways than one. His skin felt like it was burning and his blood was surging with fiery intent in his shaft.

  Aye, he’d admit it. He wanted her. But the perplexing question was - when had the tart-tongued wench crept into his heart? This outlaw, condemned to life on the run, had a firm hold on it and he didn’t even know when it had happened.

  Several minutes later his thoughts were still whirling, and knowing sleep was far away after some disturbing revelations, he made his way to the control cabin.

  Maverk glanced up when he entered. “How is she?”

  Sweet and smooth like honey. “I calmed her down, she’s resting.”

  “Good.” Leaning back in the chair, Maverk scratched his chin thoughtfully. “She protests the Reekas’ innocence well.”

  It was a relief to push troublesome thoughts aside. “Bring up the history, I want to read it again.”

  Within minutes it was on the screen and they both read through it.

  “Something’s not right.” Darvk frowned. “Damn it, what is wrong with this?”

  “You’re right, there’s something wrong. But what? Maverk re-read the historical account then straightened abruptly. “That’s it!”

  “What?”

  “The Reekas were suspected of murdering their men, but no evidence was found.”

  “Yet ‘tis taken as truth that they did.”

  “Damning on its own.”

  “Now this is odd.” Leaning forward, Darvk pointed to the screen. “It states that survivors named the Reekas.”

  “What’s odd about that?”

  “Who were they if no one was spared?”

  The traders looked at each other.

  “A mistake, mayhap?” Maverk finally ventured.

  “Nay, this is documented fact. But there are other contradictions that make this questionable.”

  “Oh?”

  “Tenia’s not a killer. She even patched up our wounds.”

  “Except for the time you bought her. Remember that sword?”

  “That’s what I mean. She is far superior in sword skills, but she has never attacked us outright unless we threatened her freedom, which we did.” Darvk folded his arms. “What if she speaks the truth? What if ‘tis all a lie? What if the Reekas are innocent?”

  “You think they are?”

  “I don’t know. Some things certainly don’t add up.”

  “So what are we going to do about it?”

  “When Tenia awakens, we’re going to hear her version of the Reeka history.”

  ~*~

  Summoned to the dining cabin, Tenia wondered how she was going to face the man who’d kissed her so passionately the night before and then sent her to bed as though it had meant nothing. Had she read more into it that it meant? Was he just comforting her? He hadn’t seemed as affected. Stars knew she’d been affected, her dreams had bordered on erotic.

  Entering the cabin, she found Darvk sitting at the big table waiting for her, his eyes sharp but not with passion. So, it had been comfort only on his part. It was relief, she assured herself, not disappointment that swept through her. They were back to the way they were before their little...encounter.

  “Tenia, I need to ask you some questions.”

  “So ask. Whether I’ll answer them is another matter.”

  Sprawled in one of the armchairs, Maverk grinned.

  “I want to ask you what happened to the males that everyone presumes the Reekas murdered,” Darvk said.

  It was the last thing she’d expected. “Why do you ask me? What game do you play?”

  “No game. You keep saying ‘tis all lies, so I want to hear your version.”

  “The version of a murdering outlaw?” Her lips twisted scornfully.

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “I killed my first man at the age of thirteen.”

  Silence filled the cabin as the two men stared at her.

  “Makes a difference, doesn’t it, hearing me admit to it?”

  “You did it in self-defence.” Darvk found his voice.

  “Why are you so sure all of a sudden? One wasn’t my limit, you know.”

  “You fought for freedom, not cold-blooded murder. ‘Tisn’t in you.”

  “How can you possibly know that? With everything documented as it is, with our reputation and being outlawed, how can you possibly say it isn’t in me to kill in cold blood?”

  “I trust my gut instincts.”

  He might trust his instincts, but she wasn’t so sure she was ready to fully trust him or his friend. “Maybe you’re a fool then.”

  Darvk shrugged seemingly unconcerned.

  Her gaze flicked from him to Maverk, then back again. They both watched her with open curiosity, both waited quietly. It struck her that they really wanted to know, were prepared to listen, but still she wondered if she was being set-up for a fool.

  But even as she wondered that, the knowledge that these men had never hurt her, had saved her from a beating and rape, that they’d been kind to her regardless of happenings and were the first to ask for her side of the story, had her slowly sitting down at the head of the table. Her position enabled her to see both traders. If she was telling them this story, she wanted to read their expressions.

  The men waited patiently.

  “Very well,” Tenia said. “I was very young when my father died. He sickened and couldn’t eat. His mouth became full of ulcers. We sent for help, but by the time a healer arrived he’d died and all traces of the ulcers had vanished.
The healer couldn’t understand why he’d died because my father was strong and healthy. He left and within a week, more men started to sicken. The healer couldn’t be found. Apparently he’d left. We couldn’t get anyone to come and treat our men, and by the time the healer finally returned, we’d buried our dead. Then the male children started to die. Again it was quick, again there were no sign of ulcers when the healer arrived. This time, however, he was accompanied by a squad of soldiers sent to investigate.”

  “Who were the soldiers?” Maverk sat forward interestedly.

  “I don’t remember. I was too young. When they came they questioned my mother. They were suspicious because whatever killed the males didn’t harm the females.”

  “That was mentioned in the history,” Darvk agreed. “But not the sickness. What happened then? Why did you leave the farms?”

  “Our stock was poisoned and crops burned. The final straw came when my aunt was found stoned to death; her infant daughter with her throat slit. It was decided to move on, forsaking the land we’d lived on for generations to find a new life elsewhere.”

  “That must have been hard,” he said quietly.

  “The local peacekeeper, ironically, found no one guilty of crimes against us, so what choice did we have? Everywhere we went we were shunned and forced to move on by peacekeepers and soldiers when we argued our right to settle. Finally we camped in a valley many miles from the settlement of Oslow, but the land wasn’t good enough to farm and we were hungry. No one would give us food or work.” Her eyes darkened with unpleasant memories.

  “Go on, lass.” Darvk rested his chin on his hand. “I know ‘tis unpleasant but ‘tis important that we know.”

  Idly rubbing her palms together, Tenia continued. “My mother and some of the warriors were out hunting, and when they returned a meeting was called. They’d been approached by some men from a far off place who’d heard of our fighting skills and plight. They offered food and payment in exchange for two of our warriors to go and work for them.”

  “Mercenary work,” Maverk stated.

  “Yes. It was put to the vote and two warriors left the next morning. When they returned they had food. For the first time in a year and a half we had full stomachs. It wasn’t long before we were being hired to work regularly. Hunger became a thing of the past; girls grew strong and we thrived.” Her smile was bitter. “I guess the correct term is killers for hire, we became what people accused us. But we survived. We built our homes in the valley, and we became mercenaries to anyone who would pay us.”

  “What happened that finally got you outlawed?” Darvk probed. “Were the warriors hired to attack the settlement?”

  “No.” Her jaw tightened, but she resisted the impulse to snap back. In all fairness, that portion was what everyone believed. This was her opportunity to set the record straight, whether these two men believed her or not. “We didn’t know anything about it. One minute we were going about our nightly chores in our valley; the next thing soldiers came pouring in with laser guns firing and swords swinging. They didn’t care if it was child, teenager or adult in front of them. We fought but there were too many, and we had to retreat and hide. We lost fifteen women and five children that night. The soldiers took their dead and left ours to rot in the sun.” Taking a deep breath, she looked at Darvk. Sympathy filled his eyes but he remained silent. “Heard enough?”

  “Who killed the men at the settlement?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. During the night, Connie stole into Oslow and found a poster on a tree proclaiming that we had been outlawed. Needless to say, we left that night. For the next seven years we moved continuously, being tracked by bounty hunters and soldiers. Continued attacks gradually separated us and scattered us across the land and even the universe. Some of us may still be in the Lawful Sector, some of us may be in the Outlaw Sector. I managed to stay with Mother and Reya until….”

  “What happened?” Darvk’s gaze was intent.

  Staring down at her hands in her lap, she replied quietly, “Our hidden camp was attacked by a squad of forty soldiers. There were twenty-five of us cornered, but we held our own, until they sent in reinforcements on travel discs. They were much faster than horses, and they were able to go above and behind us without us knowing until too late. My mother went down with a soldier’s sword in her gut. Blood was everywhere and she kept screaming at us all to run, to get away. Reya and I were trying to get to her.” Placing her palms on the table, Tenia pressed down firmly in a bid to bring her emotions under control. “There were too many fighting men and warriors between her and us. We saw her die within minutes.” Her voice shook a little, a fact she hated. “Out of twenty-five warriors only eight survived by hiding in the caves. Afterwards, we buried our dead and moved on.”

  “I’m so sorry, lass.” Darvk’s expression was regretful. Reaching out, he laid one big hand atop hers, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “No one could guess the horrors you went through. How did you manage to stay sane?”

  His hand was warm, comforting, and strangely steadying. She studied the long fingers, the short, clean nails, and the big, capable hand that lifted heavy loads, fisted for fights, and yet could be so surprisingly gentle.

  The big trader was surprising on so many levels.

  It didn’t mean, though, that she trusted him completely, nor Maverk who watched silently from the armchair in which he was now sitting upright.

  No, she didn’t trust Darvk completely, but nor did she move her hand from beneath his. If nothing else, it helped steady her as she continued the story. “After a time I recovered, but my sister changed. She lived by the sword. A born leader, Reya led our small number for another year. She had the cunning and efficiency equal to that of any of our mercenaries. She never looked for trouble, but if it found us, there was no mercy shown to the enemy. Then we were separated in a night attack. Two soldiers on travel discs caught her in a net and took her away into the night. Four others and I escaped. I never saw her again.”

  Tears stung her eyes at the memory, the ache still in her heart and the fear of what had happened to her sister as fresh as though it had happened yesterday.

  Conscious of the traders watching her, the sympathetic rub of Darvk’s fingers against the back of her hand, she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “We managed to survive the last two years. Such a small group is hard to find. A few months ago seven bounty hunters found us. Sharrie and I got away, and the rest you know.”

  “‘Tis no wonder you have such hate and fear of men,” Darvk said softly.

  “It’s not just men. We were hated by women, too.” Suddenly ill-at-ease under their sympathetic gazes, Tenia pulled her hand from beneath his and lifted her chin. “Did you hear what you wanted?”

  “Aye.” Darvk glanced at Maverk then back at her. “Tenia, something’s not right.”

  “The whole thing isn’t right.”

  “Exactly.”

  That surprised her. “You believe me?”

  “I believe there are huge issues with the whole story. We’ve already found inconsistencies.”

  “You have?” Tenia glanced at Maverk, who nodded.

  Folding his arms to rest his forearms on the tabletop, muscles bulging with the movement, Dark frowned. “Who would gain by having the Reekas killed? And what would they gain?”

  Still unsure of their reaction, she replied slowly, “I don’t know.”

  “Maverk, I think we’ll start at the beginning, the original Reeka settlement.”

  “Agreed.”

  “What are you saying?” She scrutinized their faces. “You believe me?”

  “Aye,” Darvk answered without hesitation.

  “Really?” She didn’t know what to think, what to feel.

  Maverk smiled at her. “Now the search starts to uncover what really happened.”

  “You’re going to help me?” She asked in disbelief.

  “Lass, we’re Daamen traders,” Darvk replied, as though that explained everything.
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  She frowned. What exactly did that mean?

  “That means we travel all over the Lawful Sector and parts of the Outlaw Sector as well. ‘Tis perfect for searching for the truth of what really happened to your people.”

  “Trading and investigating.” Maverk grinned lazily. “And I thought this trip was going to be just the usual.”

  Though hope gripped Tenia again, it also came with a healthy dose of scepticism. She looked up at Darvk as he got to his feet. “Why?”

  “Because, lass,” he replied, “you belong to me, you deserve freedom, I believe what you say, and Daamens believe in justice.”

  Could it really be that simple? She didn’t know. She wanted to believe him, but…

  Maverk got out of the armchair, giving her head a fond pat as passed behind her towards the door.

  Before she could think how to react to that brotherly gesture, Darvk moved to stand by her side.

  Gazing up searchingly at his features, she wondered if she was making a huge mistake in even thinking of trusting him.

  His smile was slow, the vivid blue eyes creasing engagingly at the corners. “Aye, lass, you can trust us. I know it won’t come easy, but it will come.” Then he totally shocked her by bending down to press a kiss to her forehead.

  It happened quickly, and he was out the door leaving her gaping after him. What was that? A brotherly kiss? An affectionate gesture?

  Turning back to the table, she stared at the wood grain. The big, dark-haired giant trader had a knack for keeping her slightly off-tilt, doing things she didn’t expect. Though somehow, she was coming to expect the kindness he showed. His willingness to search for the truth on her behalf, even though it did grate that she belonged to him - it was undeniable by law - had a small blossom of hope slowly unfurl.

  Experience however, still had caution temper the little kernel of trust.

  Time would tell if Darvk spoke the truth.

  ~ * ~

  A week later Darvk questioned his wisdom in bringing Tenia on the trip. Oh, she was fitting in very well with his crew. She’d even surprised him by teaching some of the crew some sword skills. When Cam had first asked her, she’d stared at the young trader in surprise and Darvk had thought she’d rebuff his friend’s friendly request, but when she’d realised Cam was serious and genuinely interested, she’d actually agreed. Darvk couldn’t have been more astonished when he’d come across Tenia and several of the crew in the cargo hold practising, the men following her directions. But Darvk knew she didn’t teach them everything. She was still wary