by Dena Christy
“Do you know how they found us?” It didn’t really matter now that the compound had been destroyed, but if perhaps they’d known how it happened they could avoid making the same mistake.
“I have no idea. All I know is that one of my bots alerted me that the compounds address had come up in a military communication, and I didn’t want to take the chance that it was not accidental. I tripped the alert, informed Evie and the rest you know.” Rebecca looked at him steadily but something seemed off about the way she spoke. He chalked it up to the shock of losing her home.
“Do we know for sure that the military even showed up?” Had they blown up the compound, had Evie nearly lost her life for nothing? He hated the thought that the compound had been destroyed, and Evie had been devastated on supposition and not fact.
Rebecca rummaged in the bag beside her as the van continued to drive down the road. He didn’t think he would ever get used to how the modes of transportation on this planet controlled themselves. She pulled out a large tablet, and her fingers moved rapidly over the surface of it. When she seemed satisfied that what she wanted to see was on there she turned back to face the rear of the van.
“Take a look for yourself.” She handed the tablet to Synn, who was sitting closest to her. He turned to hand the tablet back, but Cynric didn’t reach for it. To do so would mean letting go of Evie and he wasn’t ready to do that yet.
“Everyone needs to see. Hold it up so we can all see it.”
Synn nodded and hit the center of the tablet screen and held it in such a way so that there was an unobstructed view of the screen.
“I recorded the video feed from the security cameras that monitor the parking lot. If there was any doubt that this was a false alarm, I think the footage puts that notion to rest.” There was a slight defensiveness in Rebecca’s voice, as if Cynric had doubted what she’d said when he asked if they’d showed up. Perhaps in a way he had. If the military hadn’t come, and it was a false alarm, then he could ignore the nagging feeling that this was his fault.
As he watched the video footage unfold, the deeper his feelings of guilt dug in. Before his eyes, he watched what happened after they’d fled from the compound and it had been destroyed behind them. The military had shown up, and when the leader of them came out of a vehicle, Cynric knew without a doubt that it was his fault that Evie had lost everything. The military commander they’d subdued in his cell, whose uniform he still possessed, and whose form he could morph into, was there looking at the devastation all around them. As a man in charge of men himself, Cynric knew that the humiliation of being found by his subordinates, nearly naked and outwitted by his enemies, would leave Commander Clancy no choice but to seek revenge.
“Shut it off. I don’t need to see anymore.” Cynric held Evie close as she continued to sleep.
How could he make this up to her? He was certain now that the destruction to her compound was directly linked to them. How could it not be? It had nothing to do with Evie's work, and everything to do with her harboring them. Why else would the man they’d humiliated by rendering unconscious, stripping him of his uniform and leaving him locked in a cell for his men to find be the one who had shown up in the parking lot? The military wanted them back in their custody, and what better way to do it than to send the man who would be the most likely to want some payback.
They’d also added another insult to the military when they’d ambushed those soldiers guarding Ryce’s pod. They’d known that it was risky to retrieve the homing device, but they’d felt the benefits outweighed the trouble that coming and going from the compound might cause. He knew now the risks, and the consequences of leaving the compound to retrieve that piece of equipment. There must have been more military personnel on that stretch of road, men they had not seen when they’d fled with the homing device and the weapons. How else could the military have tracked them down? When they’d gone to the pod, they may as well have issued the military an invitation to Evie’s compound.
“How could they have found us?” Ryce turned and looked back at him.
“Perhaps we were followed when we retrieved the homing device. I should have known that we were pushing our luck by leaving the compound one time too many.” Why had he listened to Ryce and Synn when they’d proposed it? They would not have gone if he hadn’t given the go ahead, and he’d known that they were tempting fate with all the coming and going from the compound. If he could go back, would he have done it? Would the possibility of being found by their people, of having someone come and take them off this planet been worth the devastation dealt to Evie? As he’d held her weeping against him, he’d known that nothing was worth listening to her anguish tear her apart. He would have given anything to spare her that, up to and including being taken off this planet.
“There’s no way we were followed. I watched that road like a hawk when we were getting away, no one followed us.” Ryce shook his head in denial, and Cynric recognized the guilt in his eyes and in Synn’s too. They had no way of knowing if they'd been followed, but if they had, then they all had a share in the blame for what had happened. Their women had been endangered, and they had even fewer resources now. They had four women to protect, and they had to do it as wanted men, with the military on the hunt for them.
“There is no point in worrying about what happened in the past. We were discovered, and we must be diligent from now on to make sure it doesn’t happen again. This has been a very painful lesson that we need to be careful in everything we do. Our focus now is getting off the road, getting to our destination and defending it if need be. Our best way forward is to go to Hylda’s location. She is our key to getting home.”
Cynric turned his head away and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to talk anymore. For a few minutes he didn’t want to be their leader, didn’t want the responsibility of keeping them all safe. A brief respite was all he needed. He focused on the woman he held in his arms, the weight of her body against him giving him something tangible to focus on.
Holding her, offering her comfort was something concrete he could do. As he sat there with her gathered close in his arm, with his eyes closed, he could pretend, just for a little while that the only thing that mattered in the world was holding her. If he blocked out all else, he could imagine that she was his woman. Reality would intrude soon enough, when they got where they were going, but at least for now he could pretend.
The rather crude kitchen was silent as Evie set to work tidying up. The safe place Rebecca had taken them to was on the primitive side, but at least it was warm, dry and there had been enough non perishable provisions that they’d been able to cobble together a meal. Thank God for Rebecca’s quick thinking. She said this place had been in her family for centuries but it had been abandoned when her ancestors had made the exodus to Leemore Station when the current regime had taken hold, and people had been assigned their new vocations. As far as the government was concerned, this place was no longer usable and abandoned. It made it untraceable, which was the best place for them right now.
There was an old wood burning stove, which she had a pot of water heating. She’d volunteered to clean up, since she wanted time away from everyone, and the busy work would stop her focusing on her problems, at least for now. Moving kept her from thinking and gave her a reason to put one foot in front of the other and not curl up in a ball in the corner.
The water wasn’t ready, but she pumped some cold water into the old stone sink so that she wouldn’t scald herself washing the dishes. The sleep she’d had in the van, while cradled in Cynric’s lap, had given her body time to process the shock of what had happened. When they’d arrived, she’d been startled to realize that she’d slept against him and that he’d patiently held her without protest. She couldn’t look at him since it embarrassed her to be so vulnerable with him. She prided herself on showing that she was strong and didn’t need anyone, even if deep down inside she knew it for the lie it was. But she’d pretended for so long that she could live an independe
nt life without needing anyone that the notion had taken root, and now it was difficult to let anyone in.
Steam rose above the water on the stove and a quick dip with her pinky finger confirmed that it was hot enough to clean the dishes. She reached for a towel to wrap around the handles on the side to lift it off the stove. It had been heavy when she filled it with cold water, and she’d better be careful lifting it off the stove. The last thing she needed was to burn herself.
“Let me do that.” Cynric’s voice came from the doorway, and she let out a startled gasp and spun around. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t hear you come in. I could use help with the pot since it was heavy when I put it on the stove.” She swallowed as he walked toward her and took the towel from her hands. This was the first time they’d been alone since the alarm had gone off at the compound. Seeing him now, standing so tall and broad in front of her, reminded her that she’d been very close to kissing him when the alarm had sounded. How different things would have been had the military not chosen that moment to come after them. Would things have gone further than a kiss?
“Can you step back, I don't want to take the chance of the water splashing on you.” The low rumble of his voice jolted her out of her thoughts, and the heat of a blush crept up her cheeks. She moved a few paces back to give him room. All he wanted to do was help her put water in the sink, and the only thing running through her mind was kissing him. Was this another way for her brain to avoid dealing with what had happened today or did her mind know that she would find comfort in his arms?
He easily lifted the large pot of water, and the muscles in his arms moved and bunched under the short sleeves of the cotton shirt he wore. She didn’t think she’d ever seen such a broad, muscular looking man, apart from the other two men that were here. There was no disputing his strength. He’d carried her from the compound and had sprinted up the stairs with her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all.
Steam rose from the sink as he poured the water, and she studied his face as he concentrated on pouring it all in without spilling. Once the pot was empty he turned to look at her over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. Her cheeks burned hotter as she looked away. Why couldn’t she stop staring at him? Surely she had other things she needed to think about, considering all that had happened today. At least now he was finished with the water and she could go back to being alone.
“Thanks, I can take it from here.” She stepped up to the sink and put the supper dishes in the water. He shifted over so that he stood beside her, and once she’d washed a dish and put it on the drainer by the sink, he picked it up to dry it. “You don’t have to help, I can do it myself.”
“I know, but I want to help. And I wanted to talk to you, alone.” He took a glass from her hand and his fingers brushed against hers. Butterflies pranced in her stomach, and she avoided looking up at him. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? Did it have anything to do with the kiss that had almost happened before the alarm had pushed them further away? Could he be thinking about it now that things were quiet, like she was?
“What did you want to talk to me about?” What would she say to him if he wanted to explore this attraction that was between them? She hadn’t been with anyone since Adam, and she’d thought that part of her life was over. What would it be like to be held and made love to by a man such as him? She washed another glass and handed it to him as if the thoughts churning inside her head didn’t center solely on him. What was wrong with her? Was this some delayed reaction?
“I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. For everything that happened today.” He took the glass from her, and as she looked up at him she saw the sadness in his eyes for what happened. Apparently she was the only one thinking about having sex. Feeling foolish for where her mind wanted to go, she waved her hand in dismissal.
“I don’t know what you need to be sorry about. You didn’t attack the compound, and you didn’t trigger the self-destruct.”
She didn’t want to talk about this. Talking about it brought into sharp focus that what had taken years to build had been destroyed in a matter of moments. It had always been a possibility that they would be found and raided, which was why she’d had the self-destruct protocol put in. She’d never thought she’d have to use it. The pain of losing everything was still there, but it wasn’t as raw as it had been. She supposed that the outpouring of grief in his arms had been what she needed to put things in perspective. The compound was destroyed, but it was a building, and no one had been hurt. Things could have been far worse today.
“Your compound was attacked because of us. The military would never have found you if we weren’t hiding there. They were looking for us because of my rescue and because of our ambush of the soldiers guarding Ryce’s pod. If none of those things had happened, you wouldn’t have been attacked, and wouldn’t have needed to destroy what you’d built.”
“You don’t know it’s your fault. I’ve been operating on the wrong side of the law for a long time. Maybe it was just my time to be caught.” She didn’t really believe that, but she couldn’t stand to hear the guilt and recrimination in his voice. He was talking about his rescue as if it was a bad thing. He’d needed saving, and they’d all known the risks of doing it. Saving him had outweighed the risks involved. She washed more dishes, hoping this would be the last of this discussion. She was silent as she finished washing the last dish and pulled the plug out of the sink.
“I saw him. The commander that we subdued and left half naked in my cell. It’s because of me that you’ve lost everything.”
A brief chill went through Evie. “The commander you’re talking about, was he the one whose form you wore when you came to my compound the first time?”
“Yes. I could be the only one he’s after.” He dried the last dish and put it away before turning back to face her fully as he set the towel aside.
Commander Clancy had been there this morning? A chill went through Evie and she shivered. For a moment she thought perhaps that the aliens had not been the target that Clancy had come after her. She dismissed it as foolish, as far as Clancy was concerned, she was dead. Clancy was irrelevant. The man standing in front of her needed her full attention. The guilt he was carrying over what had happened would eat at him unless she said something.
“I want you to stop feeling guilty about this. I knew the risks of taking you, Ryce and Synn in and giving you shelter. You’ve done nothing wrong. We saved you because none of us could let you endure torture in a military prison. We can’t know for sure why the military was there this morning. What we need to focus on is staying ahead of them and getting you all home.” She reached past him for the towel so she could dry her hands. Her movement brought her in contact with his hard muscular body and she looked up at him, the towel forgotten.
“Evie.” That was it, that was all he said, her name in a deep masculine rumble, and it electrified her. The attraction she felt, the near kiss this morning, and what being alone with him did to her, brought her body into closer contact with his. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to know what it would feel like to be held by him out of passion rather than comfort.
His eyes flared for a moment as he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. She put her arms around his neck, stood up on her toes as he leaned forward, and put his mouth on hers. His lips were soft as he molded them against hers, and she tightened her arms around his neck as he straightened and her feet no longer touched the ground.
His tongue eased through the seam of her lips and she parted them to allow him access to the recesses of her mouth. Kissing him was better than she’d imagined it would be. He was so hard and strong, and yet his touch was gentle, as if he was aware of just how powerful he was and held himself in check accordingly. Her tongue tentatively joined his, and it was if someone had lit a fire inside him.
He spun around, so that he faced the counter, and he lifted her up just a little more so her bottom
came to rest on the counter top. She opened her denim clad legs and wrapped them around his waist so she could be as close to him as possible. The kiss never broke, and once she settled on the counter, he deepened it. In that moment, with his hard body pressed against her, and with his lips against hers, she wanted more. She wanted to strip the clothes from her body, and demand he plunge into her.
His hand drifted down to mold her breast, a moan escaped her and it startled her. What was she doing? They were in the kitchen, anyone could walk in at any moment. She’d lost everything today and now she was throwing herself at him? She stiffened in his arms, and he drew back, as if he’d sensed the change in her.
“What is it?” He looked down at her, confusion marring the space between his eyebrows. How could she explain to him that she wanted him so badly that it frightened her more than staying in an exploding building?
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” She put her hands up to his chest, and he was stepping back before she could push against him. She eased herself off the counter. “I’m sorry.”
Her voice came out in a whisper and all she could do was look up at him and plead with her eyes for him to understand. The sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen came to her, and perhaps it was just as well. The fragile hold she had on her emotions wouldn’t last if she was alone with him for much longer.
“Evie…” She didn’t know what else he would have said because Ryce came striding into the kitchen. He drew up short as he got to the middle of the room, his eyes darting from her to his commander.
“Am I interrupting something? Do you want me to leave?”
“No. I was just going.” Evie stepped away from Cynric, and she didn’t look at him when his hand went to her arm. She moved and his hand slid away. Without glancing at either of them again, she walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the room she’d been assigned.
