by Debra Jess
Few pirates ever retired. They either enjoyed the life enough to keep going, or they died in battle. Still, he could understand Johza's desire to not remain on the Queen of Hearts while his fellow crew watched him slowly succumb to death.
"I cannot see any instance where Kelra Shade would accept second-in-command of any ship, never mind a pirate ship." Pesky imaginary image aside, he knew this to be true.
"Not even if she were sleeping with the captain?"
Naz was on a roll today. "Don't get ahead of yourself. She still in decon, for Stars' sake, and she's hardly healthy enough to have sex with anyone."
Naz shrugged and returned to polishing his instruments. "Whatever you say, Captain."
"I do say."
"Of course, she could always become captain and you would be her second…"
Too far, Naz had taken the discussion too far. "Don't go there. Just because you're my friend doesn't mean you won't do brig time for mentioning it."
"Consider it buried."
Hart waited, knowing his warning wouldn't put Naz off the subject.
"On the other hand," Naz continued just as Hart knew he would, "you both could captain the Queen of Hearts."
"No." The word exploded before Hart even had to think about it. "You cannot have two captains on one ship. It's impossible."
"Agreed. Just like kidnapping Shade off the Silt was impossible."
"We didn't kidnap her." Hart could see where this was leading.
Naz didn't look at him. "You planned for it though. Every detail was outlined, every member of the crew knew their role. We ran endless drills, practicing for the worst-case scenario. Some of the crew grumbled how the great Captain Hart couldn’t guarantee success.”
"An actionable event is different. I can define the action. I can't delegate my authority to someone else. The crew needs a strong figurehead, and that means one captain."
"I guess you have a problem, then, because Kelra Shade won't settle for less, and if you want to keep her on this ship as something other than a prisoner, you're going to have to create a non-captain role for her that's the equivalent of a captain. Wife won't cut it."
Stars exploded, and the entire galaxy collapsed. "Wife? She's not even my lover."
"Yet. You liked her body well enough, and her witty repartee."
"Are you saying the women I meet in port aren’t pretty or witty?" He was losing this argument, and Naz knew it.
"Sure, they’re pretty and witty, but do they know the difference between a crankshaft and a camshaft? Could they fire a cannon with pinpoint accuracy and run circles around the captain of the Queen of Hearts while they’re at it?"
"Enough." He stopped pacing because he was making himself dizzy. "I get your point, but you assume that she's going to feel the same way. There's no guarantee with her. She has her own agenda, and we don't know what it is. Until we know what she really wants from the Majesty of the Stars, we have to consider her a threat. She betrayed Manitac, and there's nothing to stop her from betraying us. For all we know, this is a Manitac setup."
"It's not." Naz sighed, his exasperation showing. "You know it's not. There are faster, easier ways to slip a spy into our midst. We've already dealt with two of them. Manitac knows not to send a third."
The only two deaths Naz hadn't balked at. The price of a captured spy was always death—after they were interrogated.
"Time's almost up, by the way." With a flip of a switch, Naz activated one of the bio-beds. "Her decon tube will open in two minutes. You should be there when it does."
Naz didn't have to remind him. Without another word, Hart activated his ear jack and punched the controls for the compressor window before stepping through to the landing bay.
Still, his doubts lingered. If Manitac were desperate enough, Shade would be the perfect spy. Only she would volunteer to survive on a planet like Ruintalos just to gain entry to the Queen of Hearts.
Trusting her could very well destroy everything he'd built on board this ship. Not trusting her could do the same if his crew didn't get the booty they were expecting.
Never before had he'd ever had to tread so lightly with a woman. If he made the wrong move with her, he could lose everything.
Chapter Three
The next time Kelra opened her eyes, Hart stood there, watching her shake off the deep sleep. Acting as if he were a gentleman pirate, he held out one of those strong, warm hands to help her step out of the tube. A more muted shock startled both of them this time, but still, the look in Hart's eyes when it happened made her snicker.
"I'll have to see about adding more humidity to the launch bay atmosphere," he grumbled.
To spare him more embarrassment, she pressed her free hand against the wall to steady herself enough to walk toward the set of lockers lining the interior bulkhead leading amidship.
One of the lockers opened under his touch. "Two sets of clothes. If you want more, you'll have to pay for them when we get to port."
"How very pirate of you." She tugged a shirt out of a sack to examine. "Are you so sure these will fit?"
"I'm quite sure I calculated your exact size."
Oh, really? Calculated or investigated? She looked at the clothes again, not sure if he expected her to strip off the orange jumpsuit in front of him. "I'll wait until we get to sick bay to get changed."
His gaze roamed down her body and back up again. "Too bad."
Ha!
The compressor window dumped them off in the sick bay. What she really needed was the wardroom where she could get real food, but Hart controlled her movements, so she didn't complain. They both knew seeing the ship's doctor was the better idea.
Another man, not quite as dark as Hart but with an easy smile and downturned eyes, stood next to a bio-bed, as if waiting for them.
"Shade, this is Nazaniel Cuff. He'll take care of you from here."
Without further introductions, Hart retreated through the compressor. She could already tell that working with pirates wouldn't involve a lot of conversation.
"Let's get started." When Cuff offered his hand to assist her onto the bio-bed, no spark passed between them like it had with Hart.
Forty-five minutes later, he turned off the scanner.
"How bad is it?" She might as well get a full assessment. The next few months weren't going to get any easier, and she would need to be at the top of her game to stay one step ahead of Hart.
"Not as bad as I would have expected. According to the decon report, you had no infections, diseases, or parasites, which is surprising since that kills more prisoners than anything else. You had a few minor fractures, which I've already fixed, and you will absolutely need to ingest a nutri-pack twice a day for the next two weeks."
Nothing she hadn't expected, but still… "Two weeks?"
"Yeah, I know." Cuff handed her a small box filled with the digestible packets. "No one likes them, but it's better than having to visit me twice a day for injections. The alternative is not taking anything, which is even worse."
Grumbling, Kelra took the box and stuffed it into one of her jumpsuit pockets. Though she knew the packs wouldn't make her too nauseous as long as she was eating decent food with them, she remembered the taste that made her retch. Before she could embarrass herself, Cuff also handed her another circular-shaped device.
"A follicle stimulator? Do I really look that bad?" Judging by Hart's reaction, she knew she didn't, but she took the device anyway.
Manitac shaved the heads of all their prisoners. Granted, it was part of the dehumanization process, but it had the secondary effect of delaying lice from taking up residence. Once she'd acquired a razor from the first prisoner she had to kill, she'd shaved her own head as often as needed.
"I've seen worse—every time Hart walks in here." Cuff wiggled his eyebrows. "Don't tell him I said that."
Whatever made such a nice guy join Hart's crew? He must have a dark side hidden somewhere, but for the life of her, she couldn't see it.
Spe
aking of Hart, he stepped through the compressor again, the Manitac uniform replaced by a long-sleeved husky shirt, black trousers, and military-grade boots.
"Follicle stimulator? That's your priority?"
Considering he was balder than she was, he had no business complaining. At least he made up for his lack of hair with a goatee. All he was missing was the eyepatch and a green-and-red ave on his shoulder to give him that classic pirate look.
"No, nutri-packs are my priority. I thought maybe you'd join me for an evening of cheesy holo-vids and…stimulation." She waved the device in his face for good effect.
He grunted, which was more than she expected because it was just a joke, right?
"If you're done, I'll escort you to your quarters."
How she wanted to jump off the bio-bed at that moment, but she glanced at Cuff first. Only an inept captain would make the stupid mistake of ignoring the advice of experts. She hadn't become the youngest captain in the Manitac fleet by making poor decisions.
"You're fine." Cuff stepped back, his job done, but there was something in his self-satisfied smirk that made her believe he was up to something that had nothing to do with her health. "No exercise tonight. Nutri-packs, extra meals-in-a-mug, and lots of sleep are mandatory. Remember, two weeks, not a day less. And return the stimulator when you're done."
Oooph. The jarring of the hard metal floor after sinking into deep snow for months woke up an ache in both of her knees. Both Cuff and Hart lunged for her, but Hart got to her first. In an instant, he hoisted her back to standing. This time, her embarrassment warmed her from her toes to her nose.
Her vision blurred as her breathing turned harsh. "Guess I'm not as healthy as I thought."
Hart slipped his hand from her arm to around her waist. Too bad her stomach swam faster than a walhoon on the hunt for prey to enjoy the closeness.
"Get her to her quarters." Cuff handed Hart an injector. "Give her this before she takes one of the nutri-packs. Then leave her alone for at least eight hours."
"A sleep aid?" she guessed.
"Mixed with an anti-nausea formula. Guaranteed to keep you unconscious until your body can adjust to the new environment."
"I cut my teeth on board ships bigger than this." By the Stars, was she whining? "I've been in space since before you took your first breath."
"You're not that old." Cuff pushed both her and Hart toward the compressor. The fact that Hart let him said more about his relationship with Cuff than anything else.
"I'm not that young." To prove it, she pulled away from Hart's grip so she could stand upright on her own.
Both men let her try, saying nothing until she could gain her balance.
"Better?" Cuff asked.
"Yes, much."
From the edges of the compressor, plasma gurgled. She forced a steady enough walk to make it through with Hart right behind her. They exited outside a nondescript door along a bland hallway.
"Crew quarters?"
"You were expecting the captain's quarters? Manitac trained or not, you're going to have to earn your place here."
Maybe she projected too much during their past encounters if he honestly thought she expected special treatment. She might as well test the waters and see if her emotional responses to Hart were real. "And how do I work my way into the captain's quarters?"
"You're assuming I don't already have someone in my bed waiting for me."
Oh, so that's how he wanted to play this game. "If you do, I'll just have to kick them out, won't I?"
He snorted. "In your condition, you couldn't kick a feather pillow off my bed." He leaned in close, the wisps of sharp whiskers lightly dragging across her cheek so he could whisper in her ear. "You know what I want, and it's not you. You will give me the information I need, and maybe, if you don't betray me, I'll share the treasure with you."
Didn't want her, huh? That sounded more like a challenge than a promise. "What makes you think I have any information?"
Slight miscalculation because she'd clearly hit a nerve. All humor disappeared, replaced by an ice-cold glare. Now she knew how he got his fierce reputation. "If you don't, then you don't get to complain about the consequences. You'll get exactly what you deserve."
Hart had no idea of what she really wanted, but that's why she started this mission. If he even had an inkling of her motivation, he'd drop-kick her out of the nearest airlock.
Behind her back, the doors to her new quarters dissolved.
This was her new reality, so when she entered, she stopped short. The room was larger than even a chief master sergeant had a right to expect. Not only did it have a separate bedroom, there was a private wet room with its own shower. Traditional quarters had bunks just big enough for a roommate and a locker, with all other amenities located in a common room. Was Hart favoring her with larger quarters meant for guests? Why would a pirate have such a room in the first place?
Hart watched her as she inspected her new space. Colorful abstract art broke up the bland metal walls, followed by an entertainment holo-viewer surrounded by a bar and a sofa. Everything was bolted down in case of turbulence. The second room contained a bed large enough for two covered in a plump mauve blanket, with a two-drawer nightstand, a matching dresser, a small closet, and a workstation nearby. Was the bed a sign of things to come, or was it just wishful thinking after sleeping on cold rocks for so long?
Hart stayed on her heels, not letting her out of her sight.
"If I didn't know better, I would say you furnished this room with me in mind." She looked over her shoulder so she could see Hart's reaction. "They're not the quarters you give a raw recruit. But you couldn't know I would let you go after the disaster at Cardoso Station. You had no way of knowing I would turn traitor until after I did. Were you trying to manipulate me too?"
"No, I was planning to kidnap you."
Somewhere deep down, the idea of this hunky pirate kidnapping her plucked a romantic chord leftover from some old fairy tales.
"Looks like we both worked too hard at cross purposes. I suppose it doesn't matter now. I'm on board. Even better, I've cut my ties with Manitac and Unity. I'm forever a radical free agent." She paused, not sure if telling Hart something he should already know would insult him. Still, she had to be sure he knew. "They'll hunt for me once they figure out I've escaped Ruintalos."
Folding his arms showcased the muscles bulging from under the husky shirt. "You didn't escape. I rescued you. And I'll just have to make sure they don't find you."
Since he didn't sound insulted, she fluttered her eyes dramatically as she sank onto the bed with a sigh, letting the follicle stimulator fall beside her. "You mean you'll have to keep me prisoner on board your big, bad pirate ship forever? Whatever will I do with myself?"
Hart tried scowling, but failed, a small smile breaking through his rough exterior. "I guess I'll just have to find some use for you after we're done with you."
Giving the pillows a coy glance while licking her lips, she let him know what she thought of his threat. "How will your crew feel about me sleeping in nonstandard quarters?"
"This isn't nonstandard. Not for the Queen of Hearts."
"That must have been an expensive upgrade. No destroyer comes designed with luxury in mind."
At that moment, her left leg twinged, reminding her that she needed rest, so she reached down to massage the sore muscle. Trying to prove she was as strong as she was before Ruintalos wouldn't gain her any respect from Hart or anyone else, and she needed their respect to complete her mission.
Never forget that. These are not your friends or your allies. They're pirates to the core.
Still, for Hart to have gone to this length to accommodate her, it was a kind and thoughtful gesture, one that she wouldn't have expected from any other pirate. But from Hart? Well, he did have an agenda, just like herself.
"I keep my crew comfortable." Without an invitation, he sat next to her, close enough so that he could reach out to her if he wanted to, but he d
idn't. Did he want to? His face gave nothing away. "It's not luxurious, but they all have enough space to call their own. There's no point in doing what we do if we can't enjoy a little opulence. My crew voted to use some of their own booty to give themselves more privacy. If superficial changes to the ship keep them happy, then I'm more than willing to grant their wish."
The bed adjusted to their weight, maybe preprogrammed to accommodate both of them? Whoever Hart had bribed for information knew her intimately. Ignoring that fact would get her killed.
"You're a generous employer, Hart."
Intimacy was a luxury in which she indulged only on rare occasions. The fastest way to find out who she had to execute would be for Hart to tell her.
"I'm practical. I'll do what is necessary to keep them focused on the treasure over the horizon. We work together. We depend on one another, and we rely on each other. There's no room for traitors. You betrayed Manitac and Unity for your own reasons. You're a loner who masqueraded as a leader. You do not belong on this ship. Do not mistake my generosity for kindness. I'd lock you up, except then I'd have to waste resources keeping you guarded, and I do not have the patience for prisoners."
No, he obviously didn't want to reach out to her. She'd pushed her flirtations about as far as they would go. It was time to get serious. "You could torture the information out of me."
He offered no contradiction to her words. "We don't know how much you know. Torturing you for information you don't have is a bigger waste of our time. You'll work with us until we find the Majesty of the Stars. Then I'll decide if you get to stay."
That was a decision she cared little about. Not that she wouldn't fight like a wild felion to stop Hart's crew from murdering her if she couldn't prove herself useful, but dying after she killed the alien didn't bother her so much either. "And what if it's not enough? What if we can't find the ship even with the information I have? What if the riches you're expecting aren't on board?"
Hart stood, towering over her, all the lightness of his countenance gone with a single breath. "You better hope the riches we're expecting are there. If not…if this entire operation results in nothing for us, then we'll just have to find a way for you to recoup our losses. You won't enjoy what I have planned if you're wrong."
