again.
Haunted eyes locked onto her—seeking her out, wanting to know she was telling the truth.
“You sure?”
“Yes. He’s going to be fine.”
Everything about the man had changed in the blink of an eye when they’d run into the engine room and found Devlynn lying unconscious on the floor. Rachel shivered. Arek wasn’t the only one haunted by that memory. Now, instead of the cool, self-confident, supremely capable man she’d come to know, she caught glimpses of an unsteady, fragile one in need of reassurance just below the surface. Arek quickly hid it, but it was a shock every time she encountered it.
“Never trusted these things,” Arek grumbled, pulling his hand away from her to fuss with one of the wrist cuffs monitoring Devlynn’s condition.
After a few moments, Rachel reached across and stilled his movements—trapping his hand as it passed over Devlynn’s. With the three of them finally connected—Devlynn’s hand under Arek’s, Arek’s held by Rachel’s—something intangible settled inside her. She looked up and thought she caught the same sense of calm in Arek’s eyes.
“It’s going to be all right.”
And for an instant, everything was. It all just fell into place—tranquil and perfect while the chaotic universe was left to go on around them. Then Rachel saw the doubt and worry slowly cloud Arek’s piercing blue eyes.
“Once this is over I’m taking you back.”
“What?” Rachel couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.
“As soon as we’ve unloaded at Nareen, I’m taking you back to Thebia .”
Rachel pulled her hand away. She tensed every muscle in her body to stop from lashing out at Arek. Looking down, she focused on Devlynn’s face—peaceful and relaxed, and not due for another treatment for nearly an hour.
Very carefully she got off the bed and faced Arek.
“We need to step out of the room for this conversation.” Rachel’s voice was completely devoid of any emotion or feeling, but Arek would be a fool not to hear the deadly warning in every syllable.
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes, jaw muscles so tight it was hard to force the words out. “Indulge me.”
Not waiting to hear his answer, Rachel stalked out of the room.
She turned on Arek as soon as she heard him behind her in the corridor—rage burning away her restraint. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare treat me like some…some—”
“Before you get all pissy, my decision has nothing to do with you being a woman, or a Thebian, or whatever else you’re thinking. I’m setting Devlynn off the ship as well.”
“What?” For the second time in as many minutes, Rachel was rendered completely speechless.
Arek had tilted the universe on its head. How could he—
“The situation with Fennrus…I need to sort it out. Once and for all.”
“Then we’ll sort it out together.”
“No! It’s too dangerous. You could get hurt or…worse. Both of you.”
“So could you.”
“That’s—”
“If you say that’s different, so help me, Arek, I’ll tie your dick so tight you’ll be pissing knots for the rest of your life!”
Arek blinked at her. Apparently growing up rough and tumble style with her brothers was good for something. Rachel took the moment to collect her composure.
She breathed in. She breathed out. Then she softened her voice. “I can’t let you do this, Arek. It’s wrong. It’ll kill Devlynn an—”
“Don’t—”
“And it’ll kill you too.”
Arek just stared at her—not denying or confirming anything. As if she needed him to.
“What are you so afraid of?” Rachel asked.
For a long time she didn’t think he was going to reply. She was just about to try prodding him along, when Arek hesitantly cleared his throat.
“When I saw Devlynn—” Arek abruptly cut off the words with a suspicious hitch to his voice. “I can’t fucking lose you!” he finally screamed—fierce, angry and
Haunted eyes locked onto her—seeking her out, wanting to know she was telling the truth.
“You sure?”
“Yes. He’s going to be fine.”
Everything about the man had changed in the blink of an eye when they’d run into the engine room and found Devlynn lying unconscious on the floor. Rachel shivered. Arek wasn’t the only one haunted by that memory. Now, instead of the cool, self-confident, supremely capable man she’d come to know, she caught glimpses of an unsteady, fragile one in need of reassurance just below the surface. Arek quickly hid it, but it was a shock every time she encountered it.
“Never trusted these things,” Arek grumbled, pulling his hand away from her to fuss with one of the wrist cuffs monitoring Devlynn’s condition.
After a few moments, Rachel reached across and stilled his movements—trapping his hand as it passed over Devlynn’s. With the three of them finally connected—Devlynn’s hand under Arek’s, Arek’s held by Rachel’s—something intangible settled inside her. She looked up and thought she caught the same sense of calm in Arek’s eyes.
“It’s going to be all right.”
And for an instant, everything was. It all just fell into place—tranquil and perfect while the chaotic universe was left to go on around them. Then Rachel saw the doubt and worry slowly cloud Arek’s piercing blue eyes.
“Once this is over I’m taking you back.”
“What?” Rachel couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.
“As soon as we’ve unloaded at Nareen, I’m taking you back to Thebia .”
Rachel pulled her hand away. She tensed every muscle in her body to stop from lashing out at Arek. Looking down, she focused on Devlynn’s face—peaceful and relaxed, and not due for another treatment for nearly an hour.
Very carefully she got off the bed and faced Arek.
“We need to step out of the room for this conversation.” Rachel’s voice was completely devoid of any emotion or feeling, but Arek would be a fool not to hear the deadly warning in every syllable.
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes, jaw muscles so tight it was hard to force the words out. “Indulge me.”
Not waiting to hear his answer, Rachel stalked out of the room.
She turned on Arek as soon as she heard him behind her in the corridor—rage burning away her restraint. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare treat me like some…some—”
“Before you get all pissy, my decision has nothing to do with you being a woman, or a Thebian, or whatever else you’re thinking. I’m setting Devlynn off the ship as well.”
“What?” For the second time in as many minutes, Rachel was rendered completely speechless.
Arek had tilted the universe on its head. How could he—
“The situation with Fennrus…I need to sort it out. Once and for all.”
“Then we’ll sort it out together.”
“No! It’s too dangerous. You could get hurt or…worse. Both of you.”
“So could you.”
“That’s—”
“If you say that’s different, so help me, Arek, I’ll tie your dick so tight you’ll be pissing knots for the rest of your life!”
Arek blinked at her. Apparently growing up rough and tumble style with her brothers was good for something. Rachel took the moment to collect her composure.
She breathed in. She breathed out. Then she softened her voice. “I can’t let you do this, Arek. It’s wrong. It’ll kill Devlynn an—”
“Don’t—”
“And it’ll kill you too.”
Arek just stared at her—not denying or confirming anything. As if she needed him to.
“What are you so afraid of?” Rachel asked.
For a long time she didn’t think he was going to reply. She was just about to try prodding him along, when Arek hesitantly cleared his throat.
“When I saw Devlynn—” Arek abruptly cut off the words with a suspicious hitch to his voice. “I can’t fucking lose you!” he finally screamed—fierce, angry and
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