by Dena Christy
“What’s going on? We should get out of here.” Although he doubted that Dr. Avery had told anyone else what he was planning to do, the women were vulnerable as long as they stood out here in the open.
“What are you doing?” Synn looked at where Collette sat in the car and then back at him.
“I’m taking her home.” His friend wasn’t usually that dense, and Ryce narrowed his eyes when a strange look came over Synn’s face.
“I hope this isn’t you trying to get her on her back.” Synn gave him a hard look. “She’s been through enough.”
Heat speared through Ryce and his body stiffened. What exactly was his friend suggesting? That he was going to jump on her as soon as he got her back to her place? His hands curled into a fist where they hung at his sides.
“I swear if we weren’t standing here in front of three women who’ve been exposed to more than enough violence, I’d knock your teeth in.” Ryce clenched his teeth as he spoke the last few words, and a flush came over Synn’s face. There was a brief flash of regret there too.
“I’m sorry I got the wrong impression.”
Ryce’s shoulders sagged. His friend wasn’t entirely to blame for what he thought. Normally, Ryce would plan on getting into her good graces, hoping there might be a little something available to him. But his was different, she was different.
“I’m as surprised as you are. I don’t even know her but I want to… no, I need to protect her.” That was the truth of it. He needed to get her somewhere safe.
He turned on his heel and walked over to the car. He did his best to keep his face neutral as he climbed into the car. Collette looked over at him, and he stared into her eyes. She shifted in her seat and cleared her throat, and the silence stretched out in the car.
He ripped his eyes away and stabbed his finger on the ignition beside the steering column. Collette provided her address to the car when it asked, and it pulled out of the parking lot away from the building they’d just walked out of.
“What’s your name?” She stared straight ahead out the window, and wouldn’t look at him when he glanced at her.
“Ryce.”
She didn’t speak again, and the car ride to her apartment building passed in silence. When the car arrived at their destination, Ryce stared again. Not at her this time, but at the tall, mirrored building she apparently called home. Even with his limited exposure to things on this planet, her building screamed expensive.
She reached for the door handle, and he dove out of his side of the car and raced around to open the door for her. She smiled up at him as he reached in to help her out. His hand settled on the small of her back as they walked toward the entrance of the building.
“I don’t have my purse.” She tapped on the glass that separated the lobby from the security area, and relief was evident on the face of the security guard when he looked over at them. The door in front of them buzzed, and Ryce dropped his hand from her back as he followed her through it.
“Miss Collette, thank God you’re back. I’m so sorry for letting that man fool me.” The security guard’s words came out in a rush when Collette came to stop at the desk and Ryce stood behind her.
“It’s all right, Donaldson.” Her voice was soft, and Ryce stood up taller behind her.
She may forgive the man for his lapse, but he wouldn't. It would be a long time before the memory of seeing her tied to a chair in that filthy warehouse was erased from his mind. Donaldson had one job, to protect the residents of this building, and he’d failed.
“It’s not all right.” Ryce stepped forward to stand beside Collette. He ignored the cautionary hand she put on his arm. He was wearing a soldier’s uniform, and he would use it to make his point. “Do you realize she could have been killed by your incompetence?”
The guard swallowed hard and a flush of shame plead across his face. Ryce opened his mouth to say more when Collette’s squeezed his forearm, stopping the words from coming out.
“I’m tired and I want to go home. I’m sure Donaldson has seen the error he made and it won’t happen again.” She looked up at Ryce with a face drawn in tired lines.
“I’m sorry that you went through that.” Donaldson appeared eager to grovel in front of her. “When I realized that something didn’t seem right, I called Citizen Carstairs. He’s waiting for you in your apartment.”
Ryce didn’t know who Citizen Carstairs was, but he had done nothing to help her since there was no one at the warehouse saving her before he got there.
Collette turned away from the desk and walked down the corridor toward the elevators. Ryce gave the guard one last hard look, and the guard seemed to shrink within himself. Satisfied that Donaldson would be more diligent, Ryce turned on his heel and joined Collette.
“You don’t have to come with me.” She reached out and pressed the button with the up arrow on it. There was no way he was leaving her until she was tucked up safe in her home.
“I’m seeing you home.” There was no room for argument, and thankfully she didn’t make any. It looked like will power was the only thing keeping her on her feet. He would stick with her until he knew she was safely inside her apartment.
The elevator wicked them up to the seventh floor, and Collette led the way to her apartment. When she got to her door, she pressed her hand on the security panel and a blue light came on and the lock disengaged.
Ryce followed her inside as she walked through the door. There was a short foyer that opened into the living room, and an older, grey haired man waited for them beside the sofa.
Collette rushed toward him, but he made no move to touch her, embrace her or otherwise offer her any of the comfort she needed. The man needed his head read. If Collette was his woman, he would hold on to her and never let her go.
The man came forward, with his hand held out in front of him, and reflex made Ryce take it. Reggie’s thoughts came to him with crystal clarity. Here was a man where money, power and appearances were every thing, and he was willing to crush anyone who got in the way of what he wanted. A lack of respect for Collette lurked in there too. Ryce dropped his hand after a brief shake and moved them around to clasp them behind his back.
“Reginald Carstairs the Third.” He said it like it was supposed to mean something. Ryce didn’t give a shit who he was. He clenched his hands together to stop himself from reaching out and pulling Collette to his side. She didn’t deserve this asshole at all.
Ryce remained silent, and Reginald shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The silence stretched out, thick and uncomfortable. Apparently he wasn’t doing his part by being awed by the old man standing in front of him.
“I see Clancy was quick to send you to rescue Collette. I would like to reward you.”
“No reward is necessary, sir. I was happy to ensure Citizen Beauleau's safety.” Ryce looked directly at her and a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She inclined her head toward him in acknowledgment of what he’d said.
“If you’re sure. I’m willing to reward good work.” Reginald cleared his throat. “Would you be willing to act as a bodyguard for Collette? If she is going to associate with people who bring trouble, she may have need of saving again.”
Acting as her bodyguard would give him an excuse to spend time with her, but it wasn’t what he needed to do. He had other things to focus on, like saving Cynric.
“I already have a job, but thank you, sir.” Ryce forced himself to nod respectfully, playing the role of grateful soldier that Reginald wanted.
“That’s unfortunate. I would have paid you more handsomely than the government does, but as you said, you already have a job.” Once it became clear that Ryce was not owing to fawn over him, Reginald dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
Ryce looked at Collette. He would go when she wanted him to go, and not a second before.
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. I won’t keep you any longer.”
Ryce stared at her for a fraction of a sec
ond longer. Leaving here felt wrong, but there was no reason for him to stay. She was safe now, and he needed to get back to finding Cynric. He forced himself to turn away from her and walk out the door.
Chapter Two
Silence, thick and heavy, hung in the apartment after Ryce’s departure. Collette stood there staring at Reggie. Surely now that Ryce was gone he would move toward her and offer the comfort she longed for. Needy or clingy were not words she’d use to describe herself, but being kidnapped at gunpoint wasn’t a normal part of her life. She needed more from him right now than he usually gave her. But he didn’t move, didn’t put his arms around her. He looked at her and down at his watch.
“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” She crossed her arms around her middle. It appeared she would have to hug herself since Reggie wasn’t interested.
To him, their relationship was a business transaction, nothing more. Even when she was intimate with him, it was all about him and what he wanted. He hardly kissed her in those moments, so she shouldn’t be shocked that it hadn’t occurred to him that she might need more.
“I don’t have a lot of time to linger, since this little episode has interrupted an important meeting I was scheduled to attend.” He looked at his watch again.
Did he even care at all about what she’d been through? Perhaps he thought he was doing her a favor by showing up here at all.
“I’m sorry my little crisis has interrupted your day.” She couldn’t hold back the bitterness that flooded out of her mouth, and his eye widened a fraction. She’d never spoken to him like that before, but today wasn’t a normal day and she couldn't pretend that it was. Dr. Avery’s words came back to her. If Dawson hadn’t called him, if she hadn’t come back, would he have missed her? Would he have thought of her at all?
“I have made it clear to you that I’m a busy man.” His lips compressed into a tight line, and his tone implied that she was a five year old having a tantrum. “What have you gotten yourself into that would cause the security guard to call me during a work day to tell me you’d been taken into military custody?”
“I haven’t gotten mixed up in anything. Dr. Avery was an obsessed nut who was out to hurt a friend of mine. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen and I didn’t do it to inconvenience you.” She swallowed hard, past the tears that wanted to clog her throat. There was a hard edge of anger in there too, but she wouldn't cry in front of him.
“What friend might that be?” His comm tablet beeped and he pulled it out. What he saw there was more important that what was happening in front of him. Or at least it seemed like it, since his fingers scrolled across the screen and read his message. Collette tapped her foot silently on the carpet and stared at him. He didn’t even bother to look up at her. “Continue. I’m listening.”
“You know who it is, it’s not like I have a lot of friends. It was Miranda.” Her mouth tightened when he made a non committal noise and typed a message on his tablet. He finally looked up at her when he slipped it back into his pocket.
“Perhaps this incident is a sign that you need to pick better quality friends. I’m sure you don’t want to spend your life dodging kidnapping attempts. And I don’t have time for this kind of nonsense to keep occurring. Obviously Miranda brings trouble with her.”
Collette’s mouth dropped open for a fraction of a second. He was blaming Miranda? He didn’t even know what happened, and couldn’t tear his attention away from his watch and his tablet long enough to discuss it with her, and now he thought he knew what the source of the problem was?
“You’ve always encouraged my friendship with Miranda, considering she's from an old, influential family. I don’t understand why you would discourage my friendship with her now. The actions of an obsessed man is not her fault.”
“It’s obvious that Miranda is too far removed from her breeding to be a good influence. I’m sure her working for a living has not been to her benefit. If she hadn’t exposed herself to the kind of people who would perpetrate a kidnapping, then it wouldn’t have happened. You may no longer associate with her.”
No longer allowed to see Miranda? Collette’s heart pounded, and there was a roaring in her ears. Now he was dictating who she could and couldn’t see? A hot ball of anger settled in the pit of her stomach.
“I will be friends with whoever I please, and you will not dictate otherwise.”
For the first time since Ryce had brought her back, Reggie focused his complete attention on her. He looked her up and down, and there was a small curl to his upper lip. There was an ugliness there, one that she rarely glimpsed since he was usually careful about hiding it.
“As long as I am keeping you, you will do as I instruct. I will not be made a laughingstock. If word got out that someone stole my property, no one would trust me in business.”
Property? Wasn’t that what Dr. Avery had said she was, property? For the first time since she’d become Reggie’s chippy she took a good look at him and didn’t like what she saw.
He was a small man in both stature and mind set. While she’d always known that appearance meant everything to him, she’d foolishly thought it didn’t apply to her. What a fool she’d been. She made him look good when she was on his arm, and that was all that mattered to him. A day or two ago, it wouldn’t have mattered to her. She wasn’t in this relationship for love. But her kidnapping had opened her eyes. If she’d died today, she would have left nothing behind, except one friend who would morn her.
Her shoulders sagged. She was going to have to look for something else since she was done wasting any more of her life on him.
“I’m sorry that I have to be so hard on you my dear. No one will know what happened. Donaldson won’t tell anyone if he values his job, and Commander Clancy will make sure this is never spoken of. He knows I would ruin him if this ever got out.”
He thought she was worried about how her kidnapping affected him? Was he really that self-centered? She didn’t even know what to say to that. What did he want her to say? Sorry for inconveniencing you Reggie, it won't happen again?
He looked at his watch again, and she blew out a sigh.
“If you need to go, perhaps you should.”
“If I go now, I may be able to make part of the meeting. Do you need anything before I go?”
Not from you. She may have needed comfort earlier, but she would not be getting it from him. All she wanted to do now was sleep and make plans. Plans that would no longer involve him.
“I won’t keep you. I will make arrangements to move out of the apartment. I think it is apparent that our arrangement has run its course.”
His lips tightened, and he rolled his eyes. “There is no need to be hasty. You’ll get over this soon enough.”
Collette gritted her teeth. Could he be more patronizing? How often did he speak to her like that, and why had she never realized how irritating it was?
She knew why. Being his chippy was easy, and she ignored a lot because of it. He paid well and didn’t make many demands on her time. It was a double edge sword since he didn’t have time when she needed him either. And she wanted more than he could give her. Perhaps it was time to wipe the slate clean.
“I’m not being hasty. I will be out of here as soon as I find somewhere else to live.” As soon as the words were out, a weight came off her shoulders. Moving on would be scary, but if she stayed in this apartment, with him controlling her life, eventually it would devour her soul.
“I don’t think you will. You’ll miss my money too much. I’m sure after a good night’s sleep you’ll come to your senses.” He turned away from her and walked out of the apartment.
She stared at the door. There was no way she was going to change her mind, no matter how much sleep she got. Especially not now. She may not have had a choice about being a chippy, but she had a choice over how she wanted to be treated. She would start the ball rolling tomorrow, and would be out of this apartment, and he would be out of her life.
Colonel Jace Da
wson sat back in his chair, a satisfied smile edging at the corners of his mouth. His current position was a stepping stone to bigger and better things. He’d kissed some ass to get here and kicked a lot more. The upper echelon of society remained elusive, but he would conquer that obstacle too. He tapped the edge of the exclusive invitation to the Founder’s Ball on the top of his desk. Years of work had gone into getting it, and he would not squander the opportunity. He would finally get to network with the people who mattered most on this planet, and he had to strike the right balance between aloofness and boot licking. If there was one thing that people found unattractive it was desperation.
He tucked the invitation away in his middle desk drawer and turned his mind to other matters. There was still the work week to get through, and he didn’t want any of the men to see a chink in his armor. He did not tolerate incompetence and ran a tight ship. The men may resent his iron hand, but at least they had the sense to respect it.
A smart knock sounded on the open door jamb and Jace looked up to see Lieutenant Sinclair standing at attention in the open doorway. Talk about desperate sycophants. He suppressed his sigh. Sinclair was an ass kisser from a long line, and the only reason he was his second in command was because his positive qualities far outweighed the bad. He had an extensive network of contacts that exceeded Jace’s, and he was happy to provide his commander with all information he came upon. Jace beckoned him forward.
“Do you have anything to report?” Jace shoved aside the paperwork in front of him to give the lieutenant his full attention.
Sinclair came in and sat down with the eagerness of a puppy on the receiving end of his master’s attention. Jace squeezed his lips together for a moment to keep them from curling in distance. Sinclair’s information was like gold, but did he have to be so goddamn needy?
“I think you’ll be pleased to hear what I’ve just learned, sir.” There was a gleam of excitement in Sinclair's eyes. Jace waited to hear what was so important, but no information was forthcoming.
