by Jocelyn Han
“Can I ask you something?” Lana said, glancing nervously over her shoulder to keep an eye on Bruce as Chester handed her a mug of coffee.
The gray, tall man took a seat next to her, cradling a cup of black tea in his hands. “You can try,” he said with a smile.
“What’s the connection between my mom and the people working here?”
“I’m not supposed to talk about that,” Chester replied. “If you want to know, you’ll have to ask Bruce.”
“Oh.” Her face fell. The mere thought of asking Bruce that question scared the hell out of her. He’d probably get angry or give her the whole ‘don’t-play-innocent-with-me’ speech again. For some reason, he assumed she knew more than she actually did, and it was driving her nuts. “They weren’t lovers by any chance, were they?” she asked, rolling her eyes. Now that would be an interesting – and shocking – plot twist.
Chester chuckled. “No, don’t worry. Bruce doesn’t do the love thing.”
She frowned. “What do you mean, he doesn’t do the love thing?”
“Well, since he runs a criminal cabal all by himself, he doesn’t get involved with anyone. It’s too much risk. If the police arrest your girlfriend, you’re in trouble. If a woman’s love softens you, someone else will take your crown and take your place.” Chester shrugged. “His words, not mine.”
Lana blinked. “So, he doesn’t, uhm, hang out with girls? Ever?”
The old hacker next to her laughed out loud now. “Sure he does. A lot, in fact. He just doesn’t get involved. Why, he strikes you as a celibatarian?”
His question made her cheeks flame. “No,” she mumbled, thinking back to just an hour ago and the moment he’d stepped into the bathroom almost completely naked. Bruce knew exactly how nervous he’d made her, because he knew very well how to tempt a woman. “Not really.”
Chester shot her a warning glance. “You be careful now.”
“W-what do you mean?” Lana stared down at her hands.
“You know what I mean.”
“Okay,” she said, exhaling forcefully. “Different subject. What are you doing here?”
“Ah.” He sighed. “Bruce and I go back a long way. I knew him when he was still Mr. Randall. In fact, I used to correct his spelling and check his homework.”
“You – what?” Lana gaped at him.
“I was his private teacher. Taught his brother too, as a matter of fact.”
“So you were employed by an Elite family?”
Chester nodded. “Up until the point where Bruce turned his back on the Randalls. He asked me to come with him because he trusted me.”
Lana didn’t know what to say. “Why would you give up a well-paid teaching career in order to work for a space pirate?” she finally voiced her surprise.
Bruce’s ex-teacher stared back at her, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. “Loyalty.”
“So...” She bit her lip. “You think he’s not such a bad guy?”
“Oh, he is. Make no mistake about it – Bruce is dangerous. I don’t agree with a lot of things he does, and I always tell him. But deep down, I know what drives him. And it’s not a thirst for power or violence.”
“Chester.”
Lana gasped for breath when Bruce unexpectedly appeared behind them on the deck interrupting their conversation, his voice sounding gruff. “You tend to talk too much, old man.”
The old hacker turned around and shot his old student an amicable grin. “And you tend to keep in too much.”
“I need you to leave,” Bruce continued as if he hadn’t heard the criticism, but a small, genuine smile played around his lips when he looked at Chester.
“Okay. I’m out of here.”
Lana resisted the urge to lock her hand around Chester’s wrist and beg him to stay. She knew it wouldn’t help – if Bruce wanted her alone, he would get her alone. It was best to steel herself against his unpleasant way of conversing with her by talking to him as honestly and openly as she could.
As he lowered himself next to her, Lana involuntarily edged a little ways away from him, though. When Chester sat that close, it was fine. When Bruce sat that close, it made her much too self-conscious. “So, uhm, what can I do for you?” she blathered, cursing herself for sounding like some kind of sales assistant.
Bruce arched an eyebrow. “Wow, aren’t you being helpful this morning?” He handed her a pad that looked awfully familiar – it was her own device, the one they’d taken from her while she was unconscious. “Since you have the codes to log into the apps tracking the stock market, I’d like you to log on and check if your dear father has kept his promise.”
“Why do you need my account for that?” Lana asked.
“Because I know the info on there will be one hundred percent accurate. There’s no way Ivanov Enterprises is able to upload falsified data into the financial system you use for work.”
“You think they’d try to trick you into thinking all export to Mars and Luna has stopped?”
“Quite possibly.” Bruce tipped his head at the pad. “Go on. Switch it on. For your sake, I hope your father won’t try to lie to me about his actions.”
Her breath hitched. “And if he does?”
“I might have to rough you up just a little bit to drive my point home.” Bruce glanced aside, fixing her with his gaze. “Leave a few bruises here and there. So he can see I mean business.”
Lana gulped down the nervous lump in her throat. “You really have to?”
“Yes.”
“Well, can’t you – use facial paint or something? So it looks real on screen?”
He stared at her incredulously before letting out a snigger. “Do I look like a makeup artist to you?”
“Well, I could do it myself. I used to help out backstage during school plays. My mom taught me how to. She loved theater. We used to sing together, too. And do skits.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, keeping quiet.
“I’m babbling,” she added lamely. “I’m so sorry.”
“You know, for a trade liaison, you’re pretty bad at negotiating.” A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Now log in, please. Who knows, you might not even need your makeup box.”
Lana blinked. Did he just crack a joke? She could feel Bruce’s eyes on her as she turned on the pad, the wallpaper featuring a picture of her and her mom on vacation six years ago. What did this man really know about her death? Had they somehow been acquainted, and if so, why? Did they once move in the same circles, Bruce formerly being Elite? Her mom had had an eventful life, having lived all across the solar system before she’d met Anatoly Ivanov, Lana’s dad.
“How old are you?” she risked asking him. It was an innocent enough question.
“Thirty-five,” he replied.
“Ah.” She absently tapped through the DesEx start-up screen, scrolling down to the latest news about Desidan stock exchange involving Mars, Luna and Ganymede.
“Well, that was random,” Bruce commented, when she didn’t say anything else after that. “Why are you asking?”
Lana looked up, hesitating for a few beats. If he was thirty-five, he was too young to know her British mother from going to the same college. She could probably rule out school, too – after all, Bruce had had a private teacher. “Just – I was curious,” she mumbled bashfully.
“I see.” He stared back at her, that same look of surprised interest returning to his eyes. “So, have you ever been with an older man, Lana?”
She froze, her eyes widening in apprehension. “No. Why?” she asked, her voice shrill.
Bruce smiled lazily. “Just curious,” he mumbled, echoing her own words. “Now give me that pad. You’re logged on, right?”
Lana almost threw the device into his lap, her hands jittery with nerves. “Have a look,” she whispered.
“I sure will.” He focused on the screen, still sporting the same, amused smile as his eyes skimmed the data. It slowly disappeared from his face as he kept reading, though. Lana regarded him wit
h a sinking feeling in her stomach. This wasn’t good. He wasn’t seeing the changes he’d hoped for.
“Looks like trade to Mars hasn’t stopped yet,” he grumbled after some time. “Luna seems to be struggling a bit, though. Guess I’ll have to set up another video conference with your dad.”
“Well, he could still be working on things,” Lana proposed feebly.
“What’s there to work on?” Bruce snapped. “He practically runs the whole goddamn Promethean mining business. All he needs to do is tell his ships not to fly out.”
“It’s not that easy,” she objected stubbornly. “Surely you must know that.”
He scoffed. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. It’s complicated.” The sudden venom in his voice made her tremble. “Well, I’ll make it really easy for him. Either he does what I want or he’ll never see you again.”
His eyes flared with fury as he looked at her. Lana moved back, but she met his gaze unflinchingly. “That really bugged me,” she admitted softly. “Him saying it was complicated.”
Bruce remained silent. Gradually, the anger drained from his face. “I know,” he said at last. “I could tell.” He didn’t wait for her response. Instead, he got up, still clutching her pad as he turned on his heels and strutted back inside, probably on his way to his study.
Lana let out the breath she’d inadvertently been holding. She hated to admit it, but Bruce was definitely beginning to get under her skin. Even though he threatened her, and even though he scared the living shit out of her sometimes, he also seemed to have his weak moments with her – showing her glimpses of what he’d be like if he were not the most wanted criminal of the Russian Realm. Glimpses of a man who seemed to have a hard time truly hating her.
When she went back inside to put her breakfast plate in the kitchen, it suddenly dawned on her that the living room was empty. Bruce was setting up a secure video call, and it seemed he’d taken his entire entourage to the comm room to assist him. She could hear dim voices coming from that direction.
This was her chance to use her phone again. The force field was gone, and so were Bruce’s watchdogs. Without thinking twice, Lana shot up the stairs and disappeared into her room.
8.
The smart phone was still waiting for her where she’d left it – under her pillow. Lana bit back a tiny squeal of excitement when she saw the three reception bars on the display. Her hands shaking, she hit redial on her outgoing calls and waited for someone to answer.
“Lana?” Tori’s voice sounded so warm and so familiar that it brought tears to her eyes. “Is that you? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she confirmed firmly. “I’m all right. Still alive. Still with all my extremities intact. No broken bones or bruises.”
“Good.” Tori sounded relieved. “I was worried. We were expecting to hear back from you a bit sooner.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry. They use a force field to shield off the house at night. I couldn’t get through. Anyway, I found out the sun sets at eight. I have no idea when sunrise was, though.”
Lana could hear Alen’s voice in the background. “Ask her if the air is dry or humid,” he said.
“I can hear you, Alen,” Lana said with a smile. “And I’d say it’s dry. Not tropical, as far as I can tell. I didn’t have a chance to look at the constellations, unfortunately.”
“I’ll pass on the info,” Alen said. “I’ve contacted some of my former colleagues. Tori told you, didn’t she?”
“I’m sorry I made you do that,” Lana apologized. “It means a lot to me.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Any friend of Tori’s is a friend of mine.”
“We also talked to your dad, by the way,” Tori chimed in again. “He’s devastated, but he’s keeping it together well, considering the circumstances.”
“Please tell him I love him.”
“Will do.”
“Now tell me something about the outside world,” Lana said longingly, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. “Something that will take my mind off things.”
“Well, Alen’s coming with me to New Berlin for Christmas,” Tori replied, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. “Oh, and Anna and Shirley might come and have dinner at our place. I think my parents are finally convinced they are the right kind of friends for me, after all.”
“That’s great!” Lana enthused. “Are they bringing dates as well?”
Tori giggled briefly. “Who knows? Hey, you should visit, too. Patch things up with Sergei. We could make it a quadruple date.”
“I might not be home for Christmas.” Lana bit her lip. In fact, she might not be home ever.
“Of course you will,” Tori tried to cheer her up. “We’ll get you out. Or your dad will – I swear to you he’s not going to lose you too.”
Lana stiffened when she heard heavy footsteps quickly climbing the stairs. “Gotta go, Vitusya,” she whispered urgently before abruptly ending the call. Slipping the phone into her back pocket, she turned around to rush to the door and lock it just in case, but she was too late. The door already opened, and Bruce was standing on the threshold with a slight smile playing around his lips.
“Hi,” she said, unsettled by the apparent glee on his face.
“Hello, blossom,” Bruce replied pleasantly, his smile widening when her face filled with color.
“What, uhm, what are you doing here?” Lana wanted to know. Maybe he was here to beat her up like he’d promised. That video call with her dad might have gone all wrong. Perhaps he was looking forward to taking it all out on her.
His next words made her stomach lurch with dread. “We picked up a phone signal,” he said slowly. “Coming from this room.”
Her mouth opened and closed again. “Well, that’s impossible,” she finally said. And it was – her smart phone should be absolutely secure.
Bruce cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, I know it’s supposed to be shielded. Good thing I have an expert on my team. John may be a jackass, but he’s one hell of a hacker.”
Lana broke out in a cold sweat. Shit – she couldn’t lose the phone. It was her one and only lifeline to the outside world. The only way she could talk to her friend. She could almost feel the device burning a hole in her pocket as she took a few steps backward. Perhaps, if she kept facing him with her back against the wall, he’d search the room and unwittingly give her an opportunity to sneak the phone out of her pants and hide it somewhere else. It wasn’t that big.
“Just hand it over, Lana,” he said, his voice almost kind. “Don’t be difficult.”
“Hand what over?” she replied, trying to stall for time.
“The device. It’s in your jeans.” He observed her closely, smiling triumphantly when her hand edged almost imperceptibly toward her back pocket. “Well, look at that. I only needed one guess.”
Damn – he’d tricked her. She should have kept her cool! Lana knew she’d just lost the phone, but she couldn’t bring herself to submissively comply with his order. By now, she was sick of Bruce bossing her around and even more of herself being so fidgety and jumpy around him.
“Well, you guessed wrong,” she said snappishly, staring back as defiantly as she dared.
Bruce slowly shook his head in amused disbelief. “You want me to come and get it?” he said darkly, his eyes filling with something raw and unnamable.
All of a sudden, his words seemed to imply something else entirely. Lana’s knees trembled as he closed the distance between them, pinning her with his gaze. Her heart stuttered when he reached out and slid his hand purposely over her butt, leisurely feeling his way down to the back pocket containing her phone. His large, warm hand fit perfectly around her ass. Too perfectly. This shouldn’t affect her. His closeness should leave her cold – but God knew it didn’t.
“There,” he mumbled, his eyes unreadable as he stared down at her. “Found it.”
“Yeah,” she replied breathlessly. Slowly but surely, her cheeks turned red under his intense stare. Bruce didn’t move. Awkward
seconds seemed to stretch out for an eternity as Lana prayed for him to go ahead and pluck the phone out of her pocket, her breathing turning increasingly shallow.
And then, Bruce did move his hand, but it wasn’t to take the device he’d been looking for. Instead, he gently caressed her ass, squeezing the round curves, making her shiver involuntarily.
“Just take it,” she whispered in desperation.
He smiled lazily, a devious glint in his eyes. “Am I making you nervous?” he murmured softly from up close.
Lana closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm down her wildly-beating heart, pressing her back against the wall just to create one more inch of breathing space. “Yes,” she choked.
He waited a few beats before putting one hand against the wall next to her head, his other hand still on her ass. “That’s strange,” he breathed, leaning into her, “because by now, I’m pretty sure you want my attention.”
“I don’t,” she squeaked.
“You do,” he insisted. “Even though I scare you shitless.”
Lana shuddered under his gaze. She couldn’t look away, although she wanted to. Her stomach twisted half pleasurably, half with fear when he moved his hand from her butt to her waist, boldly slipping his fingers under her shirt to touch the soft skin of her belly. His caress was a warm, seductive taunt, his hand moving slowly and deliberately to tease out her completely inappropriate feelings for him. Lana knew she should protest, but it was too late – her body had already responded to his touch, moving under his heat, aching to give him what he wanted. More blood rushed to her cheeks as a strangled gasp escaped her throat.
“You like that, don’t you?” his rough voice rumbled above her. Bruce dipped his head down and whispered softly in her ear: “You can have more, you know. All you need to do is ask.”
Her breath hitched when his mouth slowly trailed down from her temple to her cheek, and even lower, lightly touching her lips – her disloyal lips that wouldn’t form the word ‘no’. Bruce paused for a few seconds, then exhaled raggedly and pushed her up against the wall, slipping both hands around her waist as he brushed his mouth against hers once more. When she still didn’t push him away, he stood even closer, gently parting her lips with his tongue before he swept sensuously inside her.
