Survivor: Survivor’s Heart book 3: Planet Athion

by Cassidy, Debbie

  “Fuck this.” Vex’s voice cut through the roar of blood rushing in my ears.

  Xavier pulled out of me. “Too much for you?”

  Vex growled from above us.

  Xavier rolled off me but didn’t leave.

  I lay naked and flushed while Vex trailed his gaze over my body, and then I held my arms open to him.

  Vex stripped, and Xavier sucked in a breath.

  Then the Trad was falling to his knees and reaching for me. He flipped me onto my front, angled my hips up, and buried his cock inside me. I cried out at the invasion, still throbbing from my orgasm, still sensitized.

  I bit back a cry. “Vex, fuck.”

  He pressed his chest to my back, his lips brushing the delicate shell of my ear. “That’s the plan.”

  Xavier sucked in a breath, and I saw him grasp his cock in the periphery of my vision. My body heated.

  “Vex, fuck me.”

  Vex gripped my hips and rolled against me, deep and satisfying, and then he began to move.

  * * *

  The ship was silent as I dressed in baggy cargo pants, a loose tunic, and boots. I tucked my hair into a cap and smeared my skin with grease from the engine room. The loose clothing disguised my feminine frame, and the cap and grease disguised my female facial features. All the guys were gone. I was alone, truly alone, for the first time in weeks.

  I adored the guys, but there was no denying the thrill of some actual me time.

  I had three hours to explore.

  My stomach fluttered as I reached for the exit release. It had been so long since I’d been outside.

  The sun cut across my face, momentarily blinding me, and then heat caressed my skin and sweet air filled my lungs, making me light-headed. The combination of elements was designed to suit several species, all of which relied on oxygen to survive. But it wasn’t the same atmosphere as Earth, and it took a moment for my body to adjust. It didn’t help that Xavier had hooked up the inside of the ship to suit me perfectly.

  Several seconds passed, and my head cleared. A metal walkway led to the dusty ground, and the rusting husks of old ships rose up around me.

  I’d come this way once when we’d arrived in the dark. But my sense of direction was pretty good. I closed the door and headed down the walkway. The hub was twenty minutes on foot, but it wasn’t my destination. It was the Cogs I needed. Because if I’d learned anything from my time on Vesper, it was that dirty deals paid the most, and the best place to find those would be in the Cogs.

  3

  The hubbub of the spaceport closed in around me as I wove my way through the throngs of travelers eager to get to and from their destinations. My disguise made it hard to distinguish me as female, and no one looked my way with more than a passing glance.

  Corona Nexus was a large port that catered to a variety of customers. It was home to many alternate species. The hub reminded me of a mall, with all its stalls and eateries and its fancy accommodations for those with credits. The docking bay was above us, and the bottom of large ships could be seen with elevators that defied gravity taking visitors up and down. But then there was another side to Corona. The working side, the metal and grind, and the cogs of it.

  That’s where I was headed.

  The Cogs.

  It was only a matter of time before Marick or the Athion government came looking. There had to be something we’d missed. A way out the guys hadn’t seen because they’d been so focused on doing things the right way. I had no such qualms.

  The walkway was bordered with signs and promotional billboards that flashed and twirled. I scanned it for a sign that pointed to the Cogs.

  My time was ticking by. The trip here had eaten half an hour, and I’d already spent fifteen minutes searching for a route to the dark side.

  I wanted to get back half an hour before the guys returned. I needed to change and fake having not been out. Lying sucked, but right now it was the only way to gather intel. Once I had something, I’d pull them in. But until then …

  A shadow passed overhead, and I glanced up to see a huge silver ship docking. It was sleek like a bullet, all clean lines and glistening planes. Neat black symbols were inked onto its side, but not anything I could understand. I wasn’t the only one stopping to stare. The buzz and hustle slowed to watch the magnificent ship pull in and engage with the docking station.

  Something knocked my knees, and I jolted as a small figure dashed across my path. A small figure on a hoverboard. He swerved between the creatures populating the hub and paused briefly to slap something onto the wall of a blue and yellow stall before whizzing off.

  It was a poster, gray and black with red lettering. The words 50,000 credits glared at me. More than enough to buy a ship. I cut through the throng and plucked the poster off the wall to study it closely.

  There was a large symbol, a trident in a circle, and one sentence written in a language I didn’t understand. But the figure was everything.

  I needed to find the creature who’d posted it. I pushed through the crowd, following the line of posters. There, up ahead. His blue coat flapped behind him as he swerved and vanished between two stores.

  I broke into a jog, dodging the tourists until I was at the mouth of the alley.

  He was parked up, slicking a poster to the wall.

  “Hey!” I ran toward him.

  He looked up, slanted black eyes round in shock, flat, wide mouth parted. He said something in an unknown tongue, kicked off, and shot off on his board.

  Like hell was he getting away. I needed info. I broke into a sprint down the alley, leaping the chain link fence into the network of streets beyond. Buildings rose up on either side, colorful structures with too many levels linked by metal stairways and walkways. Where was he?

  A flash of blue to my left. Yes, I had him. I ducked between two buildings and clambered up a flight of stairs before barreling down a walkway to intercept him. He was below me now, and I was ahead of him. I grabbed the railing on the walkway and vaulted it. The world rushed by as I fell. I landed neatly, ignoring the jarring sensation that swept up my legs and settled in my teeth, and stood in time to grab the back of his jacket as he flew past. He snagged in the air, pin-wheeling for a moment, and then slammed back into me, taking me down with him. We lay in a heap on the ground, both stunned for a moment, and then he began to fight me.

  Guttural sounds fell from his lips. The angry tone and panic told me all I needed to know. He was pissed. He was scared.

  “Hey. It’s okay.” I kept my tone soothing while holding on to him. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just need your help. Please.” Shit, he was strong. I gripped him tighter. “Calm down.”

  He stilled his thrashing and looked up at me. “Help? You need help.”

  Shit, he spoke English. “You can speak my language?”

  He tapped his throat, and I noticed the small flat silver disc stuck to it. “Translator chip,” he said. “Hear it once and can convert.”

  I stood slowly, bringing him with me.

  “Aw shit.” He picked up his board. “You break my board.” His shoulders slumped. “Take longer to finish job now. No pay for Vartin.”

  “Vartin? Is that your name?”

  He nodded, his expression sullen. In that moment, he looked like a sulky teen. Hell, maybe he was one.

  I indicated his board. “Look, maybe I can get that fixed for you. But you need to help me out first.” I pulled the crumpled poster from my pocket. “What’s this?” I tapped the 50,000 credits bit. “Is this a prize?”

  He grinned, showcasing pink gums with tiny piano key teeth sticking out of them. “The only prize. The big one. Braker Rock run the gauntlet once every year. Winner gets 50,000 and a brand-new ship.”

  Wait. Credits and a fucking ship. “What is it? What’s the gauntlet?”

  He looked me up and down, assessing. “Not for you, tiny specimen. You need power. Big guys win. Big guys fight hard. You small.”

  My smile was a razor edge. “Oh,
I can fight, little guy. Just tell me how I register.”

  He licked his thin lips. “You don’t. Gauntlet is accessed through pit fight winners. Braker Rock picks winners. Braker Rock in charge.”

  Who was this Braker Rock? “Is he a mobster? A thug?”

  Vartin made a weird sound, a cross between a cough and a wheeze. It took a moment to realize he was laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He reined in his mirth and peered up at me. “You not from around here.”

  “No.”

  “Braker’s one of the Crimson Hand. Was one of them. A pirate. He now manage the pirate corp. The man untouchable. Not even enforcers touch warrant on him. He own half the port.”

  A powerful man then. “And he does this gauntlet, why?”

  Vartin shrugged. “Fun, I guess. Man is sadist. Like to see creatures bleed. Who knows?”

  “And you? How did you get mixed up in this?”

  He ducked his head, looking uncomfortable. “Running is easy money. Posters, messages, information. Easy money for Vartin.” He stood tall and glared at me. “Rest is none of your business.”

  Fine, I’d give him that. I didn’t need his history, just his help. “Look, I need to get into the pit. I need to get onto this gauntlet.”

  He studied me with narrow eyes. “Why you want this?”

  “You don’t need to know that.”

  His mouth turned down, and then his head bobbed from side to side. “Deal.” He shoved the board at me. “You fix and bring back tomorrow. Bring here, and I take you to pit in the Cogs. Only one more pit day left. One more picking day for Braker.”

  I took the board, my pulse racing. “I’ll be here. Three hours after dawn.”

  He ran a finger under his nose, sniffed, and backed up. “Deal.”

  And then he was gone, melting into the crowd like he’d never been there.

  This was it. This was our chance.

  It was time to speak to the guys.

  4

  By the time I got back to the ship, I’d had the opportunity to think things through. If I told the guys about this gauntlet thing, they might roadblock the idea. But if I was already picked as a contestant, then they’d have no choice but to go ahead with it.

  Like Vartin had said, tomorrow was the last pit day. The last chance for this Braker Rock guy to pick a contestant.

  I needed to be the one he picked.

  I’d do the pit fight. If I failed, then no harm. If I won, then I’d come clean. I could do this. Just one more day of hiding shit from the others.

  They’d done so much for me, working their fingers to the bone the last couple of weeks while I hid out like a coward. It was time to take the reins and do my part.

  Plus, kicking ass was something I’d been trained to do. It was what the Trads had molded me into, and it was what I’d use to get away from them.

  Again.

  Back in my regular ship clothes, face washed, I made a pot of coffee and sat at the table to wait for my guys.

  * * *

  Lore had a fever. Not a run-of-the-mill fever but a delirium fever. Tide had hauled him in a half-hour early. The Athion was in a bad way.

  Tide went to lay him down on the shitty metal bed frame, but I diverted him to my nook with the comfortable mattress.

  Lore moaned softly, his eyes closed, his brow beaded in perspiration.

  “The cut is infected,” Tide said. “We need medication.” He grit his teeth. “It’s expensive.”

  “It doesn’t matter how expensive. Just get something.” I gently took Lore’s hand and turned it over to examine the cut. The edges were puss-filled and swollen, and his skin was hot to the touch. “Do you know where you can get meds?”

  Tide nodded. “Yes. I spoke to one of the other workers. There’s a stall in the hub that sells antibiotic creams and pills. I won’t be long.”

  He left quickly, and I turned my attention to Lore. He was burning up. His clothes had to come off. It took a good ten minutes to undress him in his semi-conscious state. Leaving him in only his briefs, I headed to the bathroom to grab a bowl of water and washcloths.

  I needed to cool him down.

  He sighed as the washcloth skated over his chest and down his arms. I wiped down his face, focusing on his forehead and then turning him on his side to get the back of his neck.

  His moans calmed as I pressed the cool water to the insides of his elbows and his wrists and finished off with the backs of his knees and the soles of his feet. I topped up on water and started again.

  The door opened, and voices filled the room beyond.

  “Rogue?” There was a hint of panic in Vex’s tone.

  “In the nook,” Xavier said.

  Two heads peered in to see me leaning over an almost-naked Lore while wielding a washcloth.

  “Shit.” Xavier pulled back the screen to let in more air.

  I pointed to Lore’s hand. “It’s infected.”

  “Where’s Tide?” Vex asked.

  “He went to get meds.”

  Xavier stood up straight. “I have a little herbal tea left. It’ll help with the fever.” He headed off to the tiny kitchen area.

  Vex joined me by Lore, concern etched across his handsome face. “I’m going to wash my hands, and then I’ll take over from you.”

  I nodded. My arms ached from swiping the cloth over Lore, but if I stopped, he overheated.

  Vex pressed a kiss to my temple and then ducked out of the nook.

  I was no stranger to how a simple infection could claim a life out here in space. I’d seen it happen twice on the asteroid. How the lack of attention from the guards had resulted in avoidable deaths. Tide would bring the meds, but we had no idea if they’d work. We had no idea what bacteria was causing this infection. It was pot luck.

  Lore groaned softly and rolled onto his back. I ran my fingers lightly down his beautiful face. “Please, be okay. Please.”

  * * *

  The herbal tea was working, and Tide had returned with antibiotic cream and clean bandages.

  Lore was finally sleeping, a restful, deep, healing sleep. But there was no way I’d be leaving his side.

  “Get some sleep,” Tide said. “I’ll watch over him.”

  I shook my head. “I’m okay.”

  My chest felt too tight, and my eyes burned. Lore hadn’t opened his eyes yet. He hadn’t looked at me. I needed him to wake up, even for a minute to know he was going to be okay.

  Vex and Xavier were asleep; they had another shift in a few hours, and so did Tide.

  “You need to go sleep, Tide. You have work.”

  His jaw flexed, and a dark look crossed his features.

  Oh, shit. “You lost the job, didn’t you?”

  He sighed. “The boss made it clear that if I left early with Lore, we needn’t bother coming back.” He rubbed his forehead. “We needed that money, but Lore needed to be out of there.” He exhaled through his nose. “Plenty of bodies waiting to take our spot.”

  Their being home put paid to my plans of sneaking out to see Vartin, but now, more than ever, we needed that money. Maybe Tide would listen now that we’d lost the chop shop income.

  He was looking at me, his silvery-gray eyes glinting in the gloom. “I’m sorry we let you down.”

  Wait, what? Is that what they thought? I reached for his hand and tugged him onto my side of the bed. I cupped his lean face and stared up into his unfathomable eyes.

  “You saved my life. You guys freed me. You have nothing to be sorry for. Ever.”

  His mouth softened, and his gaze dropped to my mouth.

  I lifted my chin and brushed my lips against his, softly, tentatively, holding my breath, afraid he would pull away. Instead, his grip on me tightened, and his mouth parted, tongue flicking out to taste me.

  I stifled a moan and opened with him, sucking on his full bottom lip and licking inside his mouth. His hand threaded through my hair, and I threw my leg over him, straddling him to allow myself to d
eepen the kiss. He tasted minty, fresh, alive, and zesty, and I wanted to taste him all over.

  But now wasn’t the time for anything more. I pulled back, breaking the kiss into smaller, softer ones, and then pressed my forehead to his.

  “I can’t wait to get off this fucking rock.”

  “Me either,” Tide said, his voice gruff. “I want you, Rogue. I fucking want you so bad.”

  My stomach flipped hard, and it took everything I had not to claim his mouth again, but if I did, then I might not be able to stop, and with Lore being sick and lying right beside us … Yeah, it would be messed up.

  I climbed off him and lay down between him and Lore. “Will you stay with me?”

  Tide slung an arm over my waist and settled behind me. “Always.”

  This was the guy who’d wanted to give me up, who’d fought the hardest not to want me. He was holding me now as if he’d never let me go, and damn, did it feel good.

  It was only as sleep deadened my body that the thought hit me. I hadn’t told Tide about Vartin.

  5

  The sun was up, and I needed to meet Vartin in two hours. Lore was still asleep, but Tide was pottering around the ship doing odd jobs to keep his mind off the fact that we’d lost an income stream. I pulled the hoverboard from its hiding place between two heating units in the entranceway to the ship. Xavier was the uber techy one, but Tide and Lore knew their stuff too. It was time to come clean.

  I took a deep breath and joined Tide in the engine room.

  He slid out from under one of the units he’d been fiddling with and looked up at me with concern. “Rogue, is Lore all right?”

  “Yeah, he’s fine. Fever’s gone. I need to tell you something.”

  He stood and wiped his hands on his pants. His gaze fell to the hoverboard in my hand, and he canted his head slightly. “Okay?”

  “I went out yesterday.”

  His body tensed. “You went out?” His gaze flicked to the board once more. “Is that where you got the board?”