“No,” Nadine said softly, quietly. With a reflective look, she turned her gaze back to the window.
“It’s only natural that after five years that you’d become accustomed to the crew and to Kylie. The humanity of that, I can understand. However, Petra—and certainly not Director Tomlinson—will not.”
“Sera Tomlinson?” Nadine asked. “She’s checking in on this op?”
Jason nodded. “That’s what Petra tells me.”
Nadine’s brow furrowed. “And if I can’t suppress my feelings? If I can’t…turn on them?”
“Then you really will be my prisoner. Our organization doesn’t brook disobedience. You know that.”
Nadine sighed and Jason thought she might’ve finally understood what he was saying and where he was coming from. “Kylie was just supposed to lead us to her parents, eventually. This, I never imagined. How she, or I, ended up in the middle of all this mess….”
“None of us expected this. We’ll do our job. We’ll get the tech, just like we’re supposed to.”
“And then?” Nadine asked. “Then what do we do?”
“What we do best.” Jason slid over closer to her and pressed his mouth hard against hers.
Nadine pulled herself away from him. “Perhaps, but my body isn’t for sale.”
“C’mon, Nadine, we’ve got some time to kill. You sell your body for the job already, what’s a bit of fun on the side?”
Nadine stood from the sofa and walked over to the window, her arms wrapped tight around her torso as if she felt the chill of space. Jason watched the way her shoulders hunched.
Her behavior surprised him. “Once you were the best of the best. If you can’t go through with what needs to be done…”
She turned her head so he had a view of her profile and her quivering chin. “What’s necessary will be done, but for now, leave me. I wish to be alone.”
“Whatever her royal highness wants,” Jason sketched a mocking a bow, picked his drink off the table and downed it in single gulp. He grimaced as the liquid burned its way down his throat.
Then, he left without so much as a word.
He turned back to cast an appraising eye at her. Nadine might’ve gone soft, but beneath, she was the same woman, and that meant she couldn’t really be trusted. Out here, in the Inner Stars, no one really could.
* * * * *
Continue the story of Kylie, Grayson, and the crew of the Dauntless in book 2 of the
Perilous Alliance Series: Strike Vector
Buy on Amazon
THANK YOU
If you’ve enjoyed reading Close Proximity, a review on amazon.com and/or goodreads.com is greatly appreciated.
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Sincerely, Chris J. Pike & M. D. Cooper
Books by M. D. Cooper
Aeon 14
The Intrepid Saga
Book 1: Outsystem
Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
Book 3: Building Victoria
The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
Book 1: Destiny Lost
Tales of the Orion War: Set the Galaxy on Fire
Book 2: New Canaan
Book 3: Orion Rising
Visit www.aeon14.com/orionwar to learn what’s next in the Orion War.
Perilous Alliance (with Chris J. Pike)
Book 1: Close Proximity
Book 2: Strike Vector (coming August 2017)
Rika’s Marauders
Book 1: Rika Outcast (coming August 2017)
The Sol Dissolution
The 242 - Venusian Uprising (In The Expanding Universe 2 anthology - coming June 15th 2017)
The Delta Team Chronicles
A "Simple" Kidnapping (In the Pew! Pew! anthology)
Touching the Stars
Book 1: The Girl Who Touched the Stars
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack of all trades (and hopes to become master of a few). When not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at www.aeon14.com
* * * * *
Starship captains. Space battles. Dramatic Relationships with big payoffs.
Chris J Pike is an up and coming SF author, focusing on writing in the Aeon14 universe. When not writing Science Fiction, he's watching the Expanse, the Killjoys, Firefly and anything else that might go boom.
Follow along by liking his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisJPikeAuthor
Close Proximity - An Aeon14 Space Opera Adventure (Perilous Alliance) Page 31
