by Talia Jager
“I certainly don’t, Siarl. This is just business. I need twice what you offered.” I shook the container to refocus his attention. “There’s plenty here. It’ll last a long time.”
His lips flattened into a thin line, but then he nodded and took a step backward. “You’re playing with fire, Everleigh. You better keep an eye on what you value most.” His gaze shifted to Kaci again.
Rigby held out a box and I held out the container. Slowly, we made the trade. Without another word, I led Kaci out of the room. Back in the corridor, I let out a deep breath. With the box tucked under my arm, I took Kaci’s hand and led her to a storage company. I went straight to my locker, placed my finger on the pad, and stuck the moneybox inside.
After closing it, I stole a glance at Kaci. She was chewing on her lip and tracing the tattoo on her arm. It was what she did when she was thinking. I wasn’t sure whether or not to say something or just pretend she didn’t see any of that.
I decided to go with, “Are you okay?”
“What?” She looked up and caught my gaze. “Yeah. I’m fine. No…that’s not really truthful. Did you really just sell a toxin that’ll kill people?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re okay with that? Knowing that someone will die because you gave it to that monster?”
“I don’t think about it. I can’t. I just do it for the money.” It wasn’t the first time I had felt guilty selling stuff like that, but it was the first time I hadn’t wanted to ever do it again. “I’m sorry. I’m a criminal, Kaci. You do know what that means? I do bad, illegal things. It’s my way of life.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“But it is.” Guilt brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away angrily. “It’s who I am.”
“No. I do not accept that. You are kind, loving, caring, and wonderful. You’re smart and tough. You’re sensitive and vulnerable. You’re so much more than a criminal. I wish you could see yourself the way I do.” She cupped my face and held my gaze.
A tear rolled down my cheek. “So you don’t hate me?”
“Of course not.” She wiped my tears with her thumbs.
“We can go back to the ship now. Or do something here?”
“What are my choices?”
“Eat, shop, get pampered. What I’d really like to do…”
“Yeah?”
“Take you on a real date, but…”
“We have to keep a low profile.”
Looking at the floor, I mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She pulled me to her and pressed her lips to mine for a short, chaste kiss.
“How is this keeping a low profile?” I teased.
“Fine.” She huffed. “Let’s shop.”
We strolled around a clothing shop, looking through the racks. Kaci held up a blue, cold shoulder, flutter top. “Try this on.”
Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “Why?”
“Because I asked. Because it’s blue and not black.”
I took the shirt and her hand and dragged her to the back of the store. The saleslady gave us the evil eye as I pushed her into the dressing room before me. I’m sure she thought we were going to steal something. Kaci leaned against the wall while I changed into the shirt. I could see her in the mirror biting her lip. The shirt was nice, different than anything I’ve ever worn, but I did feel sexy in it and the blue reminded me of her eyes.
“I like being able to see more of your skin.” She took a step forward and ran her hands up my arms all the way to my shoulders. She pressed her lips to the purple mark she had left behind. “I especially like seeing my mark on your skin.”
“Wow! I never knew you were so territorial.”
A smile spread across her face. “You have lots to learn about me.”
I started pulling the shirt off so she couldn’t see the expression on my face. The one of pain, of guilt. I needed to get her home where she belonged. I needed to get her safe. She couldn’t stay with me, but I couldn’t tell her that. Not yet. I blinked to keep the tears away.
“Do you like the shirt?”
“Yeah.” I put my own shirt back on.
“I’ll buy it for you.” At the register, Kaci’s face dropped. “I just remembered I don’t have any money on me.”
The saleslady pursed her lips when I laughed. “Of course not. Don’t worry. I’ll pay.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Akacia
Everleigh was holding something back. I just didn’t know what it was and I didn’t want to pester her. She’d tell me when she was ready.
As we walked down the corridor, I noticed Ever stiffen. Following her gaze, I saw a couple uniforms walked toward us. They didn’t look to be after us, so I took her hand and squeezed it as we kept walking. She let out a sigh of relief when they passed.
At the hostess desk, Ever asked, “Can we sit at the bar?”
The lady nodded and pointed to the back of the room.
We sat on stools and the bartender asked what we wanted. Our drinks arrived quickly along with a bowl of pretzels. We talked while munching and sipping our drinks.
A calm, relaxed feeling came over me. My body felt warm and tingly. I put my hand on Ever’s arm and traced her tattoo.
“My crew really likes you,” she said.
“I like them, too. They feel like family. Besides Bristow, there’s nobody back on Valinor that I really hang out with. It’s always learning and leading. There’s nobody who wants to be my friend or likes me for me. It’s nice to have that. Is it hot in here?”
She grinned. “It’s the alcohol.”
“Right.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Glancing at her neck, I could barely make out the hickey in the dim room. I thought about how I’d like to make more marks on her body.
“I have feelings for you,” she muttered.
“I gathered from all the kissing.”
She shot me a look that told me this was not the time for sarcasm.
“I have feelings for you and I know I can’t be with you. It’s too dangerous. Between being a criminal and being on the run from the Authority, it’s not a life I want you to have.”
“Shouldn’t I have a say in this?”
“There’s no way out. Not one I can think of and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I just wanted you to know.”
We sat there in silence for a while. I blinked to keep the tears away. I understood what she was saying, though I didn’t agree.
“We have today. That’s what matters. Tomorrow’s not promised for anyone. So live for today, without hesitation.” And with that, I leaned over and kissed her.
“We should go.”
Picking up my glass, I swallowed the last bit of my drink. “I’m going to go to the bathroom. Meet you up front?”
She held up her glass, which was still a third of the way full. “Be there in a few minutes.”
I was waiting for Ever at the front of the restaurant when I heard, “The crew of the Nirvana.” My ears perked up and I took a step closer. “A male in the casino, female here.”
“Is she still here?”
“Yes.”
I slipped away and back to the bar where Ever was finishing her drink. I leaned down. “You need to come with me now.”
She met my eyes and then stood. I led her to the bar until the Authority passed by. Then I hurried to the side door and pushed her out in front of me. “Is the ship docked under a fake name?”
“Always.”
“Good. Go. Get back to the ship. Get ready to go.”
“What is going on?”
“They know we’re here. I’ll get the others.”
“Kaci, no. I’m not putting you in danger.”
“I’m the only one they’re not looking for.”
She knew I was right, but
I could see the war raging inside her head.
“You have an earpiece, right?”
“Yeah, but they probably have them off.” She tapped her ear as we kept walking. “Hux? Zabe? Bri?” She shook her head. “Nothing.”
I knew where Huxley and Briar were so I asked, “Where’s Zabe?”
“I’ll get him,” she said. I opened my mouth to argue, but she kept talking, “I know where he is and I know who he’s with. It’s too dangerous for you to go. You get the others.”
I didn’t want to let her go. I was scared she’d get caught. “Ever…”
“I’ll be okay, Kace.” She turned and rushed off. My heart lurched and I chastised myself for not opening up more to her about how I felt. What if I never got another chance?
Looking at a map, I made my way to the casino. I was about to do things I never imagined myself doing. First, I stopped at a wig shop. When the salesperson wasn’t looking, I put one on and walked out. I could return the wig when I was done, but right now, I needed a disguise. Not that anyone was looking for me, but so I wouldn’t be identified when they went back and looked at the recordings.
Two guards stood at the entrance of the casino. Holding my head high, I walked right past them. I scanned the room as I weaved in and around people and the betting machines. Finally my eyes landed Huxley. I didn’t go to him right away. I had to assess the situation first. There were four uniforms watching. I wasn’t sure what they were waiting for, but I devised a plan in my head and hoped it would work.
Grabbing a drink off a waiter’s tray and downing it—because let’s face it, for what I was about to do, I needed the liquid courage—I walked straight to Huxley with a smile on my face. He looked up, surprise written all over his face. I ran my hand through his hair and sat on his lap.
“Are you almost done? I’m getting very impatient.” I planted a kiss on his lips and his mouth dropped open. I kissed his neck and then whispered, “The Authority knows you’re here. We need to get you out of here and back to the ship. Cash out.”
“Oh darlin’, I’m ready.” He pushed over his chips and the dealer gave him a card, which he handed to me. Standing, he put his arm around me, and I led him toward the biggest group of people I could find. A quick sideways glance and, I saw the guards moving in.
“There’s a side exit. Go.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve got this.” I almost scared myself on how well my plan was working. He split and I took off the wig and tucked it in my shirt. I walked right up to a booth and handed over the card. They gave me money. More money than I had ever seen.
“Do you have a bag?”
“A bag?”
“Shopping bag?”
“Um…” He looked around and picked something up from the floor. “Here.”
It was small, but it would do. “Thanks.” I took the bag, shoved the money in and walked out. Nobody was looking my way. I slipped back in the wig shop and replaced it perfectly.
“Do you wish to try on a wig?” a voice surprised me from behind.
“No, thank you.” I smiled and hurried out of the store to the hypnotist’s office. I stepped up to the counter.
“May I help you?” the lady behind the desk said.
“I’m looking for my…sister. She has pink hair. She said she’d be here.”
“I can’t give out any information.”
I thought for a moment. “Well, can you give her a message from me. Can you tell Bri that her sister needs to speak with her immediately?”
“But then you’d know if she was here.”
“I already know she’s here. I’ll turn around, so I don’t technically see you leave. Go out the door. You can tell her. She won’t mind.” I placed a coin on her desk.
The lady mashed her lips together and tapped her fingers on the desk. Finally, she reached out and grabbed the coin. “Fine.”
I paced the room as I waited wondering if Ever and Huxley made it back okay. After a few long moments, Briar came out with an amused look on her face. “Hey, sorry I was late.”
“No problem. Did you get what you needed?”
“Maybe. What’s up?”
“Mom needs us.”
“Okay, let’s go.” She turned to the lady behind the desk. “Thank you.”
We walked calmly down the corridor. Briar hit her earpiece. “Ever? Yeah. We’re on our way. Everyone else? Good.” She glanced over at me and said, “Everyone else made it back.”
“Hey! You there!” a voice behind us yelled. “Stop!”
“Don’t turn around,” Briar said. “Keep your head down.”
“Authority!” they yelled. “Stop or we’ll shoot!”
“There’s a store coming up. We can go through it, try to lose them, and get to the ship,” Briar said.
We took off running and a tranquilizer dart whizzed past me. Ducking into the store, we weaved through aisles and came out the other side. Briar led me down a dark, back corridor. I could hear shouting, but no more shots were fired. We got to the bay and boarded the spacecraft.
“We’re here, Ever. Go,” Briar said. Turning to me, she said, “Hang on.”
I grabbed ahold of a nearby railing as the ship shot into space and left the station far behind. Briar and I made our way to the bridge. Ever’s face relaxed when our eyes met. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“This girl,” Huxley said. “She’s incredible.”
Heat rushed to my face.
“I’m serious.” He grinned.
“I agree,” Briar said.
Before they said anything else, I asked, “Zabe, did you get what you needed?”
“Yes. I’m going to go work on it right now.”
“Zabe?”
“Shouldn’t take long, Ever.” He strode out of the room.
She nodded. “We stocked up on supplies—”
“Oh, and I got the money.” I tossed the bag on the table. Noticing Briar spreading out her maps, I asked, “Briar, did you learn anything?”
“I think…they may be on one of these planets.” Her hand hovered over an area and then another. “Or these.”
Huxley and Ever joined her and examined the area she was pointing at.
“What did you remember?”
“You could see two other planets from ours. The sunstar was a blue giant. I don’t remember seeing much else, but I did remember some things I overheard. The adults were talking about the harsh winters. Someone said the reason Caspar had left them on such a desolate planet was so they had to depend on him.”
“Where is Caspar’s ship now?”
“Here.” Briar pulled something up on the screen. “Once someone came to them to fix their engine, they went to the station for more repairs. They just left that station. He’s heading this way.” She pointed. “We can intercept around the time we’d be waking up.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Also, I picked out an AI. She was delivered onto the ship. I’ll get her ready when I have a minute,” Briar said like setting up an AI was the easiest task in the universe.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Everleigh
The door closed behind us and Kaci immediately took my hands. “What’s wrong?”
“What happened today…”
“Everyone is okay.”
“You were in danger, Kaci.”
“All of us were.”
“But you don’t deserve it.”
“That’s over. We got away. Let’s focus on what we have to do now.”
I didn’t know if I liked that she brushed it off so easily or if it infuriated me. “It should be a simple in and out.”
“You’ll come back?” she said.
“I will.” I really wasn’t the least bit scared. She seemed more than just worried about me
. “Is there something else on your mind?”
“I kissed Huxley.” Guilt flashed in her eyes.
I held back a chuckle. “You did?”
“To get him out of there. It was just a cover though, I—”
I cut her off mid-sentence with a kiss. She instantly kissed me back. Hungry and deep kisses. My hands found the small of her back and pulled our bodies flush against each other.
“Anything else you want to get off your chest?”
“Just this.” She pulled her shirt over her head.
My eyes mapped over her exposed flesh and rested on her beautiful breasts. “Damn.” I bit my lip. Unable to control myself, I lunged forward and seized her lips in a heated, feverish rush.
My hands roamed the vast expanse of her back and traced her curves. Her skin was smooth and warm. Pulling away, my eyes locked with her bright blues. I ran my thumb over her swollen, moist lips.
I kissed along the side of her neck, memorizing the smell of her hair and taste of her skin. Pressing her up against the wall, I moved my thigh in between her legs. She gave a low hum of approval and grinded her body against me, which set my body on fire. Her hands went under my arms and her fingernails dug into my back before she pulled me closer. Trailing kisses along her jaw, under her ear, and across her chest, I led her to my bed where I lowered her down.
After a while, we stopped kissing and she curled up in my arms and fell asleep. I held her all night, hardly sleeping. My mind was in overdrive thinking about how we barely escaped the Authority. They weren’t someone we could kill to keep them from coming after us. We couldn’t pay them off either. To them, we were criminals. It was either stay on the run or be locked up. I knew I should keep my distance, but I couldn’t. She smelled like the most perfect day, a dream come true. Happiness. I knew I was being selfish. I just didn’t know how to stop.
Morning came too fast. We dressed in silence while Nero chased around this stupid toy Briar had bought him at the space station. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of my way. “Food?”
“Too nervous,” Kaci answered.
“You should have something.”
