by Daya Daniels
“She is on the cusp of respiratory and kidney failure, Luke,” Seren hissed. “I told you, Luke, you shouldn’t have fucking brought her here. I’m doing what I can but there’s only so much I can do. She doesn’t belong here.”
“I am still your commander, Seren,” Luke said firmly, not appreciating the edge to her voice.
“I’m okay, Luke,” I whispered forcing a smile and bringing the pair’s attention to me.
He inched closer, running his fingers over my cheek. “You’re not okay, Evie.”
“I am.” I giggled softly. “I’m fine.”
He came closer allowing me to see how tight his jaw was and the permanent dent that seemed to be etched between his brows. He was more worried than I’ve ever seen him.
“Please promise me that you won’t send me back, Luke.”
He kissed my hand, without responding.
“Luke,” I pleaded looking up into his frantic eyes.
“I can’t promise you that.” He looked away from me.
Tears soaked my cheeks, while I gripped his hand tighter. Seren approached, letting out a long breath, holding a syringe in her hand.
“What is that?”
“It’s just something to help you,” she told me. “This should enable you to function for a little while longer but it’s no cure. I’m sorry, Evie.”
I winced from the injection, feeling the liquid of whatever she’d put inside of me, moving around, making me feel lighter.
“I can’t fucking work miracles, Luke,” she hissed slamming the syringe down, leaving the room.
He ran his fingers through my hair, looking down at me but he didn’t say a word. His silence only confirmed my worse fear. Somewhere, deep down, I knew he’d already made his decision.
Luke
I observed the familiar images of a bunker that appeared in front of Archer. Commander Drago and I sat, watching the action in night vision right as it was occurring, in front of him.
“There is no security here,” Archer said in a low voice, moving stealthily ahead.
“It’s the best place to leave it—no one would think it’s in the mountains,” I said.
“This place is freezing, sir.”
“You’re in Siberia,” I said without emotion.
Commander Drago leaned forward looking at the holographic image in the center of us.
“That’s it,” I whispered.
Archer signaled a few more commands with his hands and men moved ahead of him.
“This is it, sir. The nuke is here,” Archer told us.
“Disable it, Archer, and then get out of there,” I directed.
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
We didn’t know what the plan was for this nuke but it didn’t matter anymore. It would be a dummy when Archer and his team were finished with it. We also didn’t have to worry about the burden of having to move the large weapon.
“Get back here, Archer, fast,” I told him. “We have a storm coming in. The SS Everest needs to move.”
“Yes, sir,” he said sharply before the image disappeared.
Commander Drago banged a fist on the table. “Good work.”
“Sir, you really should be saying that to Archer.”
Commander Drago stood. “I will when he returns, but, Luke, it was all of your intel that led us to this point.”
“What will we do about Krushkev?” I asked.
“He will disappear. Let’s leave that to the Russian government, once they discover who Krushkev was trying to sell the nuke to,” he said.
“I agree, sir.”
“We can leave the humans to squabble over whatever this conspiracy is. It seemed like the Americans were trying to steal this nuclear weapon from the Russians but then blame them for having it in the first place, then losing it,” Commander Drago said. “It doesn’t matter. We’ve done our job. They can deal with the rest.
“I will inform the Intergalactic Alliance of our success, so that no other ship can claim it,” Commander Drago said with a smirk.
“Yes, sir.” I stood at ease.
“You’re dismissed.”
When I neared the door, he spoke again. “When will you be returning her, Luke?”
I stalled my gait and spun around to face him, feeling my chest constrict.
Commander Drago tipped his head forward. “You do know that you have to return her, Luke?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he said giving me a hard stare.
I only nodded and exited the room.
Evie
I awoke to the feel of Luke’s warm hands on my body.
After spending most of the day with Cahner, I returned to Luke’s deck and fell off to sleep. When I reached the door of the suite, Eden stopped me giving me a strange look. Then she shoved a tiny piece of paper in my pocket and pulled me into a fierce hug before she scurried off.
He rolled me over on to my side, palming my face to place a kiss to my lips. “You’re sick, Evie.”
I gave him a nod, accepting how bad I felt. Instantly the tears fell when I looked into his beautiful green eyes. “Please, Luke.”
He kissed me again, pulling me close to him. His fingers brushed over the skin at my hips when he pushed the T-shirt I was wearing up to my stomach, exposing my ass.
“I love you, Luke,” I said while Luke placed kisses to the skin on my neck and my shoulder.
He ran his hands over my skin, then intertwined his fingers in mine, pushing deep inside of me. He moved slow and soft, breathing hard as he fucked me.
“I love you,” I whispered, feeling my chest shudder.
Still, he didn’t respond. He just kept fucking me.
“Shhh, Evie.” He kissed me again, moving a little harder.
I moaned into the skin on his hand, feeling myself coming. Luke stilled completely and groaned into my neck, when his cock jerked deep inside of me, leaving my pussy overflowing with his cum. Pressing my nose into Luke’s skin, I inhaled him, hoping to burn the smell of him into my memory.
I struggled for breaths, feeling myself crying hard. Luke palmed my face with his hand, kissing me, pressing his nose in mine.
“Please don’t leave me, Luke,” I begged as my chest shuddered.
Luke took a deep breath, kissing me over and over, muffling my desperate pleas with his soft lips.
“Please,” I said in a hoarse voice, accepting that I was a hiccupping mess.
I met Luke’s green eyes again, terrified this was it for us. I would never see him again. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay here with him!
“Luke, please,” I begged, feeling the hysterics coming on. “I will never see you again.”
“Evie,” he breathed out, burying his face into my cheek.
Luke’s non-responses weren’t helping. If he sent me back, I would never see him again.
“Luke, please,” I cried.
I attempted to sit up and groaned, when an incredible pain shot through me. Luke eased me back down on the bed, burying his face in my neck.
“Please,” I rasped out. “Let me stay,” I cried.
Luke peered into my face, brushing his fingers over my lips. He swiped my tears away with the pads of his fingertips. His lips quivered before he pressed them to mine again, mumbling something.
“Luke.”
“Sleep, Evie. I’m sorry,” he whispered against my ear, kissing me again right when I registered a sharp prick against my skin.
“Please.”
Then everything went black.
Luke
I knew it would be the last time I would touch her.
Evie’s skin was pale and she was weak. She was also having major difficulty breathing. It broke something inside of me to see her like this. I knew Evie would rather die than to leave me.
“Please don’t leave me,” Evie begged. I felt my insides twist at her words, right before I put her out with a strong sedative for the ride home.
I’d made enough selfish decisions since meetin
g Evie. I needed to do something that was just for her. I pressed a kiss to her lips and ran my fingers through her hair, looking her over. I brushed over the keyter in her ears with my fingertips and ran my hands down the length of her, taking in her warmth.
Standing, I hit the intercom and Phoenix answered. He had a team ready to return Evie to Earth.
“Sir,” he said.
“Ready?”
“Yes, sir. We’ve dispatched pod six, sir, for Evie’s return. It is fully med equipped. We are scheduled to depart immediately to the coordinates of 37.6447° N, 115.7428° W.
“There are further instructions to transport Evie from the landing location to another location a few minutes away. She will arrive in Rachel, Nevada at approximately two thirteen a.m. Earth time, sir,” Phoenix barked out.
“Understood,” I said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Evie’s sleeping form.
I zipped Evie up in a jumpsuit and pulled her long hair back in an elastic, after pressing my nose into the soft strands. I took a deep breath, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep, realizing this was for the best.
I wouldn’t allow Evie to die for me.
Touching my cheeks, I pulled my hands away quickly when I realized they were covered in wetness. I steadied my breaths, blinking my burning eyes, trying to figure out what the fuck was happening to me.
CHAPTER FIVE
Evie
“Evie Diaz,” a soft voice whispered, causing my eyelids to flutter open.
“I’m Dr. Schultz,” the woman said checking my vital signs, while my vision cleared. “How do you feel?”
“I’m fine,” I croaked out, looking her over.
The woman chuckled. “You most certainly are not fine. You were very close to both respiratory and kidney failure. We will need to keep you here for a few days.”
“Where am I?” I asked groggily, attempting to look around.
Dr. Schultz narrowed her eyes at me. “Summerlin Hospital Medical Center.”
“What?” I felt my rage building. I attempted to sit up, only to grimace in pain.
The woman eyed me with confusion. “You’re in Las Vegas, Nevada, Evie...in the hospital.”
That motherfucker.
I closed my eyes, allowing the thick tears to spill down my cheeks.
“Are you okay?” Dr. Schultz asked, stepping closer. “You’ve been asleep for two days. Your parents have been here and a friend of yours just to check on you.
“Do you know who brought you here, Evie…to the hospital? We found you in an encapsulated pod, complete with oxygen and a heart monitor and there were intravenous fluids running through you already?” Dr. Schultz asked with a twisted face.
“No, I don’t, sorry.”
“I can call them again for you, to let them know to come back,” Dr. Schultz offered, continuing with her examination.
She handed me a tissue right when a nurse stepped into the room behind her. The nurse moved around the room quickly. She ripped the curtains open, shutting off the light.
“The sunlight should help, Evie,” she said, looking at me as though we’d already been acquainted.
Shifting to stare out the window, I took in the spectacular view of the parking lot, which only caused me to cry more.
Evie
“Honey!” my mother, Valentina, cried out, throwing her arms out in front of her.
As she got closer, I was amazed at how young and fresh she looked. My mother had always been a hot tamale. She had dark curly hair and always wore bright red lipstick. Valentina stood next to the hospital bed, giving me a curious look.
“There’s a little color in your face today, Evie,” she complimented in her thick Colombian accent, touching my cheeks.
My mother was always so cheerful. I think she thought that maybe it would rub off on me. It never did. Valentina placed a kiss on my cheek. I missed her so much.
“What’s the matter, honey?” she asked. “I mean aside from the fact that you’re in the hospital.”
My heart was broken…again.
“Nothing,” I said feeling the tears threatening to fall again.
“Your dad is on his way, sweetheart. Tell me what’s wrong.”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing, Mom. I’m just tired. I want to go home.”
“You’ve been here for two weeks, honey. Dr. Schultz said you may be able to go home next week.”
I sighed. I hated hospital food but I guessed I would have to endure it for another week.
“Kitten is with Ariana.”
“Thanks,” I said softly.
“I have a lot of questions, Evie. I mean you go on this long vacation and then we get a call that you’re back but you’re in the hospital. I was frightened to death. We took the first flight here.”
I fiddled with the intravenous tube in my arm, listening to my mother speak.
“Where have you been exactly?”
I took a deep breath. “I wasn’t harmed, Mom.”
“Que?”
“I wasn’t kidnapped or anything crazy like that. I don’t have a crime to report.”
Valentina’s brown eyes bulged out of her head, giving me a look of disbelief.
“I met this guy.”
She only squinted and then her lips quirked almost into a smile.
“This great guy, Mom.”
“Oh.” She covered her mouth.
“But it’s over.”
“Lo siento. I’m sorry, Evie,” Valentina said, holding a lock of my hair in her hands.
“Yeah, I’m sorry too, Mom.”
“Have you heard from Steven?”
“Nooo, Mom. Steven broke up with me remember?”
I grabbed the remote control, turning on the small television that was suspended in the air by an electrical arm just in front of me.
“Evie,” my dad said softly walking in, while worry colored his chubby face. “Evie, baby. I’ve missed you.” His eyes misted over when he said the last words.
“Dad, please,” I pleaded with him. “Please don’t cry.”
My dad was a short man with a slight pot belly, who was never without his pinched front cowboy hat. He wore glasses and had a thick black head of hair and a closely cut beard.
“What’s bothering you, Evie? I can always tell when something is bothering you.”
I flicked through the television channels, pretending to be watching it.
“It’s nothing, Dad.”
I stopped on CNN. They were running a segment on the effects of nuclear power and the environment. The news ticker at the bottom of the screen read Renowned Russian scientist Viktor Krushkev missing, feared dead. I scoffed at the reality of it all.
My dad patted my hand and stepped away to sit on a chair at the opposite end of the room. I could feel his burning gaze on me although he didn’t speak. Dr. Schultz returned to the room to check on me, thankfully breaking everyone’s focus on me.
“Evie, all of your vitals are stable. You’ve healed at a remarkable rate. It’s been almost scientifically impossible for you to have recovered so quickly.” She huffed in amazement. “Some of your organs were shutting down.”
I looked away from Dr. Schultz, while she explained.
“I can consider releasing you in the next day or so.”
I peered at the papers she held in front of her on a clipboard. It amused me that I understood all the complex medical terms that Dr. Schultz had scribbled on the front page. I was back in Nevada but I had no clue what I would do now for work—certain that Martin had fired me.
“Ariana will come and see you tomorrow. She had to work today,” Valentina said.
I nodded, pressing my face against the pillow, letting my tears soak the soft cushion. “Okay, Mom.”
Luke
I knew she would never forgive me. Hopefully, Evie would realize that returning her to Earth was for her own good. I kept making decisions that were selfish. This was something selfless I had to do...for her.
I shut my eyes
taking a deep breath, knowing that it was likely Evie would never understand. Tonight, I tossed and turned, missing the warmth of her body against me in bed and the sound of her hypnotizing voice. The silence was driving me to the verge of insanity. I didn’t know how long it would be before I could see her again, if ever.
I stared at the ceiling, accepting that I missed Evie already. She told me she loved me. How was I supposed to respond? Maybe it was better if she didn’t. I wasn’t capable of love. Emotion, yes, maybe, but love. It was an entirely different animal that I didn’t quite understand yet.
Evie should move on.
I rolled over looking at the mirror on the wall across from the bed. I had no reflection, only confirming that I really didn’t exist. Without Evie here, that’s how it felt, like I didn’t exist at all.
I pressed my face into the pillow where Evie normally rested her head. I inhaled the scent of her skin that dusted the fibers of it, squeezing my eyes shut, imagining her face. It. Wasn’t. Fucking. Working. I only felt worse. I had an ache in my chest that almost felt like physical pain, when the thought of never seeing her again crept into my clouded mind.
“I love you, Luke,” Evie had said.
I heard the four words loud and clear—they were etched into my brain.
Members of the Intergalactic Alliance would assemble tomorrow and there were new recruits to train. I had a meeting with Commander Drago in the morning about the expansion of the SS Everest. I would keep myself occupied, until all thoughts of Evie were gone for good.
Evie
“Hey,” Ariana said touching my shoulder.
“Hey.” I smiled, rolling over.
It was good to see Ariana’s face. Her brown eyes were as warm as I remembered them. Karl stood in the corner of the room, giving me a sheepish smile.
“You look better, Evie.” Her hand brushed mine.
“I feel fine.”
Karl slipped out of the room somewhere.
“Sooo where have you been and please don’t say Cancun, Mexico, because you know it’s horseshit.”
