Captivated (The Verge Book 2)

by A. C. Thomas

  Rough, tattooed fingers grazed his cheek in the barest caress, and then they dropped away to disappear into the folds of Jun’s coat. “Good.”

  It would have been remiss of Theo not to notice the bunch and strain of Jun’s muscle as he hauled open the riveted steel door manually, then slid it halfway across the opening with a grunt.

  Theo prided himself on his observational skills.

  So, he definitely noticed.

  The interior revealed some sort of warehouse, full of crates piled twice as high and in much worse shape than the ones crowding Jun’s ship.

  Nobody was inside, but a single, dim light switched on in the center of the space.

  “Close the door.”

  Theo jumped at the sound of a soft feminine voice, his face scrunching as he realized she had spoken in a language he’d never heard beyond his own voice, reading aloud.

  Damn, he had botched his pronunciation of some of the vowels.

  Jun stepped in front of Theo, peering into the darkness with one hand inside his coat. “What did she say?”

  Theo grabbed onto Jun’s coat and pressed up close to translate quietly. “She asked us to close the door.”

  “That’s enough Standard. You speak as I do, or not at all.”

  Scanning their abandoned surroundings critically, Jun edged a boot in front of Theo’s. “Translate.”

  Theo released his coat to examine the space himself and discovered nothing to be seen. “She demands that we cease using Standard.”

  “No more.”

  Jun opened his mouth, and Theo rushed in to cut him off with Korean: “Don’t speak another word. Allow me to take over from here, please. You’re going to have to trust me.”

  “Cease now, or I leave.”

  Theo spun around to hold a placating hand out toward the empty space the voice had originated from. “Apologies, friend. We have your package. You have credits for us?”

  He winced at the awkward, rusty pronunciation and mixed-up articles. But for all that he was making a mess of it, there was a tiny thrill in practicing a language he had never used in conversation.

  The contact stepped out of the shadows. A delicate filigree mask covered the top half of her face, leaving her unadorned mouth exposed. Her outfit left much of her body on display, bare skin peeking out between strips of black fabric.

  It was disconcerting to realize that she was unmarked. No tattoos, no augments. Theo had grown so used to seeing Outliers with decorated skin that it was something of a shock to come across someone as plain as himself.

  Theo took in the details of her appearance with avid curiosity, but she only had eyes for Jun. She never glanced away from him even as she addressed Theo.

  “He doesn’t remember me, but I remember him.”

  Twisting his head from one to the other, Theo could read no signs of recognition on Jun’s stony face. “You know each other?”

  She slowly lifted a hand in the air between them, as if to reach out, but held it back. “Older now. Softer. Is that for you?”

  Theo shook his head in complete bafflement. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Her hand dropped to her side. Jun’s hand hovered within inches of his hidden weapon as he remained vigilant and cold. She finally turned to Theo, her brown eyes wet behind her mask. “He released me, along with many others. Nearly died for his efforts.”

  Theo couldn’t resist a tiny smile at that, pride blossoming. “That does sound like him.”

  She didn’t smile back. Her lips were full but chapped, and she pointed at Jun with bitten nails. “He has our support.”

  Jun edged closer, examining her finger as though it might suddenly develop the capability to slice through Theo’s chest. Theo rushed to move the conversation along.

  “It’s always nice to have friends, I suppose.”

  She wasn’t large, but with a slight shift in posture, her petite frame hardened into something immovable. “Not friends. Backup. Tell him I am ready to make the exchange.”

  Theo translated, and Jun retrieved a small, cylindrical package from an inner pocket of his coat. Wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string, it was completely unimpressive and incongruent with their surroundings.

  She held out her hand, cupping in it a simple black bag clinking with credits. The thick leather bracelet around her wrist shifted enough to reveal the raised edge of burned, curdled flesh, long since healed. The resulting scars had formed a pattern. The letter B.

  A brand.

  Theo opened his mouth to ask about it, but Jun’s fingers dug into his arm as he gave a minute shake to his head. Theo flushed at the belated realization that it might be insensitive to inquire after a stranger’s scars.

  The lone light cut out just as Jun made the exchange, and then a bright, blinding spotlight switched on with the ominous, building buzz of a charger sounding off to the side.

  With a curse, Jun shoved Theo between some nearby crates and hastily stuffed the packet in Theo’s pocket. “Stay down!”

  The stranger had fled, her frantic, slapping footsteps echoing off the maze of crates.

  Jun withdrew his ancient phaser with one hand, and one of Boom’s glinting, iridescent blades with the other.

  Peering around the corner of a crate, Theo watched Jun drop low and roll out of the spotlight just as a beam scorched the concrete where he had stood.

  Theo covered his mouth against a gasp, shrinking back at the sound of the door screeching open and boots hitting the ground without a care to stealth. Four men strode into the warehouse with phasers in hands, examining the area closely.

  The tallest one sucked his teeth and barked out a command without pausing his perusal of the space Jun had rolled away from. “Park’s in here somewhere. Scan for signatures and shoot anything that breathes. We’re not taking any chances of going back to Barnes empty-handed.”

  Theo fumbled for his detonator, trying to remember Boom’s instructions, just as the shortest of the group lifted his wrist to tap on the view screen embedded in his flesh. His circuitry tattoos flickered and glowed. He held the screen up as he turned in a circle, projecting the readings out in front of him in glitching red numbers.

  Theo’s heart stopped when he paused and scanned the crate in front of Theo again. “There. Picked up a signature. Definitely breathing.”

  The man with a shaved head chuckled softly as he took a step closer to Theo, phaser aimed just to the side of his chest. “For now.”

  Theo unlocked the detonator, thumb poised over the button as the man charged up his phaser. He started to press down, the plastic giving slightly before engaging, and—

  Jun dropped down on top of the bald man, boots mashing his face into the ground. He kicked his phaser away, turned, and flicked his blade at the tallest man, embedding it in his wrist. The man shouted and dropped his weapon. Theo was so busy gaping at the running kick Jun aimed at the chest of the shortest man that he jumped in surprise when Jun slid over the crate, landed beside him, and snatched the detonator. “On the count of three, run for the door. Take this.”

  Jun shoved his charged phaser in Theo’s hands and lifted him by the collar. “One—” He threw Theo over the crate in the direction of the door. “Two—” He let loose a hidden blade to pin the third man to a dilapidated crate by his loose jacket. “Three!”

  Jun hit the button and dropped the detonator, swiftly gaining on Theo as they ran for the door. He hooked his arm around Theo’s waist, turning them around the corner into the alley. Jun pressed Theo back against the cold metal wall of the building, damp seeping through his clothes as Jun covered his body, Theo’s face tucked into his neck. The stun pulse gave a muted thud against the walls of the warehouse behind them.

  Theo started to move, but Jun shushed him softly and took his phaser back with one finger held to Theo’s lips.

  Theo pressed a kiss against it, adrenaline coursing through him in hot, jittery waves. “Jun, who were they? What—”

  Jun’s quiet “hus
h” rustled the hairs on Theo’s neck, and, oh stars, he was suddenly rock-hard in his trousers.

  Achingly so.

  He carefully, silently shuffled his legs until he straddled Jun’s tense thigh, then let his hips slide, just once, against him.

  Jun didn’t make a sound, but his breath hitched, and his finger moved to trace over Theo’s lower lip, then pressed just inside.

  Theo swirled his tongue around the tip, and Jun pushed away from the wall and took Theo by the hand once more.

  “They’re down,” Jun panted. “We’ve got to get out of here and off planet before they can trace us.”

  Theo gave a breathless agreement and stumbled after Jun as he set a punishing pace out of the alley.

  They took a shorter, more circuitous route back to the ship, with Jun hissing at Axel over the coms to get everyone on board and prepare for launch.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Theo staggered to the side as Boom pushed past him, barreling onto the bridge with a snarl. “Security status report, Captain!”

  Continuing to tap at the screens in her station, Jun stepped aside to make room as she seamlessly slid into place beside him and took up his work. “It’s Barnes. The contact was one of his Dolls I set free after the firefight on Crovia Nine. He sent a team after me. Not Raiders, professional cutthroats. I took out four of them, but they’ll be back.”

  Boom faltered, and then started tapping even faster, fingers moving more quickly than humanly possible with the help of her glowing augments. “Barnes. Shit.”

  Wiping sweat from his brow onto his shoulder while one hand and an attachment with ten additional fingers all tapped at his screens, Axel squawked from his station. “Shit is an understatement. There isn’t a planet big enough to contain the pile of excrement you’ve landed us in, Captain. Congratulations, you’ve sealed our proverbial doom.”

  The ship lifted off the ground, and Jun careened into his console, then regained his footing quickly to pull up his own screens. “Anyone who wishes to leave my Crew can do so at any time without repercussions.”

  Axel blew a raspberry without taking his focus off his work. “Who said anything about leaving? Facing certain doom is like, an easy Tuesday for us here on Park’s Crew, right, gang?”

  A cheer came over the coms from Marco.

  Theo strapped into his flight harness, struggling with the fastenings. “Quite right. It has been nothing but adventure and suspense from the moment we met. I’ve had a whale of a time, to be honest. Can’t wait for more.”

  Axel sent him a fleeting grin and then turned back to curse at whatever was on his screen. “That’s right, Doc. Life after abduction really suits you, I can tell. Plus, having your pretty face around makes the captain practically giddy.”

  The tips of Jun’s ears flushed a slow, sure red that sent something joyful streaming through Theo like jets of bubbles.

  “You mean he’s usually even grumpier than this?” Some of the bubbles fizzled out in his voice, sending it floating up and away on a gust of levity.

  The rest of the Crew’s resounding agreement overwhelmed Jun’s answering growl, interrupted only by Axel’s sudden gasp.

  “The station has a lock on us. I have to switch to manual to break it. Hold on to your butts, guys. This is gonna get a little bumpy.”

  Jun locked his feet into the metal braces beneath his console, holding on to the battered handholds at either side, as Boom rushed to strap in at her station. Jun swiveled to Theo, relief flitting across his expression when he saw his harness in place. “Marco, lock in and give us full thrusters on my mark.”

  Axel started to take slow, measured breaths, hands steady on his controls.

  “One.”

  Boom cursed as her station lit up, fingers flying across her screens.

  “Two.”

  Theo gripped the base of his chair, offering a small nod to Jun when he sent him one last glance.

  “Three. Hit it!”

  Nothing happened.

  Theo released his held breath and was about to ask what was happening when the entire ship tilted onto its side. He ducked to avoid a flying cupful of Axel’s snacks while Jun grunted and held on, muscles straining. Theo desperately wished he had taken a seat.

  “Nothing to be alarmed by, folks. Just a little—” Axel hauled back and punched his attachment into a lever that had gotten stuck halfway. “—technical difficulty!”

  Perhaps there was a solid foundation to Jun’s method of percussive maintenance after all. Theo would have to apologize for his skepticism, assuming they survived this.

  The ship righted itself with a jolt, shuddered, and then the buzz of maximum speed hit Theo’s bones. It made his hair stand on end and his eyes water.

  Jun checked on his Crew. “Everyone alright? Marco?”

  Boom’s rapid tapping paused for a fraction of a second when there was no answer, her gaze flickering to Jun and back.

  Jun leaned over his station, his teeth bared. “Marco, report!”

  “—ine, I’m fine! Just a bit—” He grunted as something crashed in the background with the telltale tinkle of broken glass. “—busy, Captain!”

  The tense line of Jun’s shoulders relaxed incrementally.

  Boom let out a whoop that brought all their attention to her. “We’re free! No readings indicate a lock or even a trace. We should be okay, for now.”

  Jun released his locked boots and went to her station. He gave her a curt nod. “Good. Axel, stand by for orders. Dr. Campbell, you’re coming with me.” He was across the bridge in a few strides to remove Theo’s harness quickly and efficiently.

  Theo’s jaw dropped when Jun took his hand and led him out into the lift. “What’s happening; where are we going?”

  Though Jun’s palms were sweaty, his grip was sure and strong. “You can’t be here any longer. It’s gotten too dangerous.”

  Theo decided to focus on one issue at a time. “Is this because of that man who doesn’t like you? Barnes?”

  Jun huffed out a humorless laugh and speared Theo with his gaze as the lift door opened. “Do you remember when I told you I had bad news?”

  Theo usually tried to forget bad news, actually. It was Ari’s job to remember that sort of thing. Life was much better that way. He trailed along behind Jun as he led them down the hallway. “Vaguely.”

  They came to a stop outside of the docking bay. Jun opened a wall panel and retrieved a small armory of defensive weapons, stashing them about his person as he spoke. “Well, it just got worse. Barnes’s compound holds the main stockpile of holozite. The stockpile that we need, according to your translations.”

  Theo accepted a new detonator and tucked it into his empty pocket with a puzzled twist of his brow. “Okay, but— You haven’t even gone after it yet. Why would he send men after you?”

  Jun closed the panel and reached for Theo’s hand. He faltered with surprise when Theo shrank back with a stubborn chin to await his answer. “He hates me. I used to work for him. Just a faceless grunt. Mindless muscle until he pulled me up to learn the business at his side. I was young and stupid and on the wrong path. And when I saw the error of my ways and finally left, I took some people with me. He didn’t like that.”

  That didn’t seem reasonable to Theo. “He lost a bunch of employees and holds it against you?”

  The pain in Jun’s expression squeezed Theo’s heart like a fist. “No, Theo. Not employees. Dolls. He lost people he considered his property. He thinks I stole from him. I didn’t. He was stealing from them. Stole their freedom. I merely restored to them that which was rightfully theirs.”

  It should have been obvious, from the occasional formality of Jun’s speech patterns, that he had been Core-born. Theo had been so dazzled by his stunning appearance and mysterious persona he hadn’t read the signs. Too fascinated by and focused on their differences, he hadn’t realized how much they had in common.

  He beamed up at Jun with every ounce of the love that had been building inside
of him for weeks now, finally letting it shine through. “You’re a hero, Jun.”

  The pain on Jun’s face darkened into something more akin to anger. “No, I’m not. I’m nothing like a hero, just an ex-grunt trying to set things straight in a tilted universe.”

  Theo inched closer and smoothed the scowl line between his brows away with his thumb. He cupped the side of Jun’s face and let his voice drop low between them. “Don’t you see? That is precisely what a hero would say.”

  Jun’s lashes fluttered shut for a brief, sweet moment as he leaned into Theo’s hand. And then he pulled away with a sharp inhale. “Come on. I’m getting you out of here.”

  Theo dug in his heels when Jun attempted to tug him by the hand. “What? Where am I going? Why?”

  The force of Jun’s sigh lifted his broad shoulders in a way that might have been distracting if Theo did not possess laser focus and an iron will.

  Alright, so it was slightly distracting.

  “As charming as your endless inquisitiveness usually is, I don’t have time for it right now.”

  All traces of anger fled beneath the sheer driving force of his joy at the praise. Theo bounced on his toes and shoved his hair out of his face to better look up into Jun’s. “You find me to be charming? Really? Tell me more.”

  The shadow of a smile passed over Jun’s face before he reverted to his scowl. He slammed his hand on the door panel that opened into the docking bay. “Get in the dinghy. I’m sending Axel to take you home. I should never have brought you out here, into danger.”

  Theo peered in the doorway and then took a step back to lean against the bulkhead and cross his arms. “Hmm, no.”

  The sharp, precise way in which Jun turned to him sent a frisson of electricity up Theo’s spine that he wanted to chase to the source. “What do you mean, no?”

  Flicking an imaginary speck of dust from the wrist of his jacket, Theo affected a bored tone that had never failed to set his brother’s teeth on edge. “Allow me to translate in plain Standard. No. I will not be going. I refuse.”

  Jun loomed over him, fists clenched, a muscle ticking in his jaw. It should not have been as alluring as it was. “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”