by test
“You’re all heart, Samantha,” Devlin said, glaring at her.
“Yep, that’s me. I’ve got the biggest heart in the universe. But I don’t understand it. We were just talking to the Red Falcon, and yet now he’s up and taken off!” Samantha grumbled.
Six ships closed in on them. Samantha’s eyes widened. Oh, dear. This really wasn’t how she imagined her last stand.
“I don’t understand why you don’t just call him, Jordan. I mean he’s already getting the milk for free, and yet you still refer to him by his alias,” Devlin remarked, grinning wickedly at her.
Samantha wanted to wipe that silly grin off of his face and then shove the cloth down his throat. She had to remain calm though. They were in the midst of a crisis and dancing all over Lord Devlin’s revolting face wasn’t going to change their situation. They were this close to becoming non-existent, and though Devlin was a great big pain in her ass, she at least still had her butt attached to her body, and she really wanted to keep it that way.
“Why’d he have to bail on us?” Samantha demanded through her gritted teeth.
Her head was whirled and her hands shook as she reached for the communication button to open the channel. Eleanor was more than a little busy and Samantha wanted to see if they could reach The Emerald Star yet.
At the exact moment that Samantha was just about to press down on the button, Eleanor RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 153
tinted her windows black as blinding rays of laser shots emitted out of the blackness of space.
When it was all over, Samantha opened her eyes, and discovered crap loads of debris floating around them.
“Now that could really turn a gal on!” Samantha murmured. Her eyes focused, searched for The Emerald Star.
It
had to be the Red Falcon that had assisted them. Samantha didn’t know anyone else with that kind of firepower at their disposal that would be willing to help them.
“I never doubted my Danny,” Devlin bragged confidently, causing Samantha to spew out a gust of hot air.
“Ah, why don’t you just shove a cork in it. You big know it all!” The Emerald Star shimmered into existence, and Samantha had never been so happy to see a spaceship in her whole life.
“Look who’s calling the kettle black!” Lord Devlin cracked off.
The Red Falcon’s deep rich voice crackled out over the com link. “Thank you for telling me you brought company, Samantha. How would you all rate my welcome?” he asked as the hangar bay doors opened for them.
“On a scale of one to ten, pirate boy, I’d give it a twelve,” Samantha remarked, her voice brimming with approval.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” The Red Falcon said dramatically. Samantha smirked, imagining him taking a theatrical bow.
“Don’t let all of the gratitude go to your head,” Samantha muttered. Eleanor shuddered to a landing.
“I shall need some minor repairs done, at the earliest opportunity. I have several scratches, and a few minor bruises,” Eleanor proclaimed. She sounded like the worst snob ever.
Samantha expelled a large gust of air, as Eleanor opened all of her doors. “Eleanor, you are a freaking piece of metal, you can’t be bruised. Only dented or damaged,” Samantha corrected, climbing out of the Faerie Cruiser and wincing as her back cracked. She really needed to do some stretching.
“I tend to disagree. I was built to be as real as possible,” Eleanor huffed, slamming her doors after everyone vacated her.
“Fine have it your way, Eleanor. I’m sure that in a little while Ross, or one of the other engineers aboard The Emerald Star will be more than willing to take a gander at your booboos and bandage them up,” Samantha said, walking toward the doors.
She wanted to eat, shower and go to bed. Because tomorrow she was going to be confronting Rodgers and she needed all of the energy that she could get for that taxing job.
As she emerged out into the main part of The Emerald Star, she let out a cry of alarm when Jordan drew her into his arms and kissed her so deeply that her head began racing. She tried to push him away, groaning when she heard Devlin’s chuckle of amusement.
“Maybe the two of you should get a room,” Veronica suggested, as Samantha glowered at her.
She had been able to tolerate Veronica for the last little while but now she wanted to plant her foot right up between her skinny butt cheeks.
“Veronica has a point,” Devlin said thoughtfully, winking conspiratorially at his son.
Jordan had by now released Samantha, and she stood stiffly at his side, as he wound his arm around her and rested his hand on her butt.
“Remove your hand from the merchandise, or I swear you’ll be walking funny RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 154
tomorrow!” she whispered, still smiling sweetly over at Devlin, even though she wanted to make his head one with the bulkhead.
She knew she couldn’t chance revealing the fact that she was still in love with Tyler, until she had his name cleared. Devlin could still hang Tyler, and if she didn’t go along with the Red Falcon to a certain extent, he might decide to betray her trust. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place and she didn’t like it in the least bit.
“Where is Johanna?” Samantha asked, as Jordan turned, slipped his hand in hers and began walking at a leisurely pace.
“She and Dylan are down in The Excalibur. She’s fine as is Dylan, but I don’t think that you should be spending all that much time with them. I’ve missed you. We have much more pressing matters to attend to, if you get my drift, ” he insinuated.
Devlin stared over at them completely amused.
“I get your drift, even if Samantha hasn’t. Honestly, woman, you’re about as daft as a....”
“Say it Lord Dumbo, and you’ll wake up tomorrow a lesser man,” Samantha threatened.
Jordan reached his arms out to restrain her, and she fell back against him.
“Yes, Danny, I think it would be best for you to take Samantha back to your quarters, and try to tame some of that wildness out of her,” Lord Devlin suggested, flashing his pearly whites at her.
“I’ll tame you, you ungrateful bugger. I’ve gone through hell protecting your revolting ass, and this is how I’m repaid. Let me go Red, or I’m going to do something that we’ll both later regret,” Samantha promised. At that moment, Johanna rounded a corner and came into view.
“Samantha,” Johanna called out urgently.
Samantha stopped struggling. If her heart had really been in it, she would have dropped Jordan like a bad habit, and then she would’ve messed Devlin up a bit. But seeing Johanna again after she had thought she wasn’t ever going to lay eyes upon her sister again, froze her to her spot.
“Johanna am I ever glad to see you! I have so much to tell you,” Samantha said, rushing to embrace her.
“Samantha, you’ve got to make a quick getaway from Devlin. Tyler has remembered something that he thinks might help you out in finding the murderer.”
“Oh,
that. I already know who the murderer is. I’ve just got to prove it, track the bastard down and bring him in,” Samantha said dismissively.
“No, Samantha. You have to listen to me!” Johanna urged, pulling her further away from the group, dropping her voice to the faintest whisper.
“You don’t understand, Johanna. I was down there and I put all of the pieces together.”
“Yes, and while you were down on New Monaco gallivanting around trying to get the real murderer, Jordan, Dylan, Tyler and I were reviewing the video footage that was taken the night of Lady Devlin’s murder. And we’ve proven that it isn’t a fake.”
Samantha’s face lost all of its color, as she gripped onto her sister.
“Don’t say it, Johanna!” she warned, suddenly feeling ill.
“Tyler’s even admitted he can’t see any way around it.”
“No, the footage was digitally spliced in, or it was an Android. I just met an Android made to look just like Tyler.”
>
“It wasn’t an android, dear. The person in the footage is giving off a biological heat signature. Androids don’t do that.”
RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 155
“You’re wrong!” Samantha contradicted, shaking her head adamantly, as the Red Falcon and Devlin began walking toward them.
Veronica and Ross were walking the other way, obviously deciding that they needed some personal time together. What Johanna was implying was unthinkable.
Tyler wasn’t capable of murder. No matter what sort of a person the target was. He couldn’t do that! He didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Samantha might be able to if push came to shove, but she knew, knew that Tyler didn’t have it in him. He was her better half. She would never consider it. Rodgers was the guilty one. He was the one that had somehow made it look like Tyler was responsible. That was her verdict and she was sticking to it!
“I’m sorry, Samantha.” Johanna looked sick. Samantha’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Hush now, here comes Devlin.”
Samantha’s world was breaking down. She had fought her ass off, and she wouldn’t give up, no matter what anyone said. She was going to follow her gut feeling and get to the bottom of the whole mystery, no matter how many times someone wanted to tell her otherwise. She would not let Tyler hang!
She hadn’t listened to anyone in the past, and she wasn’t about to break that winning streak. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, that she didn’t even think to shrug off Jordan’s arm, as it wrapped around her waist and she was pulled against him.
“Johanna and I will leave the two of you lovebirds together. Just don’t break anything,”
Devlin remarked, laughing as he turned a worried Johanna away from her sister, and led her down the hall toward The Excalibur.
“Just take me to Tyler,” Samantha said, her voice flat and emotionless.
“I thought that you’d never ask,” Jordan said, smiling warmly down at her. Samantha knew she was being an ungrateful wretch, but she didn’t have the heart to do anything, except to keep her rage and heartache in check. How dare Tyler do this to her? What was he thinking?
He had to have gone off of his rocker.
All she had to do was get him treatment, prove his innocence and allow him to whisk her away on a much-needed holiday. She bit her lip, as the door opened, and her eyes met Tyler’s.
She stood there for what seemed to be a heartbeat, as Jordan patted her on the shoulder, and then quietly retreated from the room.
“Well? Tell me that what Johanna just hinted at is a load of crap!” Samantha urged, stepping hesitantly toward him.
He stared at her sadly, and she found herself nearly gasping for air, when she was met with the confirmation in his gaze.
“I did it, Samantha. I murdered Lady Devlin,” Tyler whispered.
Samantha let out an animalistic howl, and reached for the nearest breakable object and pitched it at the wall.
This couldn’t be happening. Her worst nightmare couldn’t be coming true. How the hell much more was she expected to take?
* * * *
After she broke the vase of Earth roses against the wall, she sat down in the nearest chair, and hung her head in her hands. She felt Tyler move to stand beside her, but she ignored him.
Fury welled within her, and she wanted to lash out. But not at him! Not in this way.
They were supposed to have their happily ever after ending. It was supposed to end like a fairy tale, except for the fact that she was supposed to be the one that would slay the dragon, and win the prince’s heart.
RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 156
Hot tears streamed down her face and she grudgingly took the white tissue Tyler handed her.
He sat down beside her and gathered her hands within his. Peeling her leather gloves off, he tenderly kissed each hand. Under normal circumstances she would have had a harsh barb for his overt display of affection but for now she wanted to lap it all up, in case she did lose him someday.
“I can’t believe Dylan would let you admit to something that you didn’t do!”
“Even Dylan could not dispute scientific conclusions. It’s all there on the footage,” he explained patiently, as she twined her fingers around his long lanky ones. She hated not being able to pass this belief off. Damn it! How the hell did they fake the footage? She was going to try to figure that one out.
“I won’t believe it! I want to see this footage. I’ll find something to prove that you’re wrong. I always do. You know as well as I do that a good hacker could replace the real footage with fabricated stuff.” She locked gazes with him. Certainty shone in his eyes. Why did he believe that he had murdered Lady Devlin? It went against who and what he was. A pain began building up behind her eyes. Where were the blessed pain pills when she needed them?
He released her hand and looked away from her. He reached for a remote control, pressed a button and called up the vintage plasma television set.
“Prepare yourself, Samantha. I really don’t want you to break anything else. This T.V. is worth a small fortune, so for heaven’s sake, please don’t do anything to it!” he stressed, pressing the play button.
“I won’t do anything to it. I’ll just go and break the Red Falcon’s skull for giving you the footage in the first place. I just don’t understand why you don’t remember doing the actual act of killing Lady Devlin. I mean I know that you are absent minded at times, but this is freaking ridiculous.” He pressed the pause button, and stared at her with his lips drawn in a thin and unreadable line.
“I didn’t want to tell you I had a good chunk of time that I couldn’t remember. It’s a great big black blank to me. No matter how hard I try, it won’t come back. I don’t remember killing her, so therefore I believed that I was innocent. I do remember leaving the house, but Samantha; I must’ve gone back. Lady Devlin was found dead in her bedroom. I had to have done it! ” Tyler’s eyes filled with pain, and he raked his left hand through his hair. She sighed.
Gritting her teeth, she searched her brain for anything that might support Tyler’s innocence. So he was missing a chunk of time. Big deal. Maybe they drugged him, or he had gotten drunk or...she stopped in mid-thought.
“Maybe someone altered your memory for you,” she suggested. He snorted.
“That kind of thing is outlawed, you know.”
“Hello? We’re on New Monaco, Tyler. Think about it, almost anything goes here.” She tapped her finger against her chin, and then stood up. Placing her hands behind her back, she did the only thing that came to mind. She paced.
“I won’t believe it!!! I’ll believe that Devlin is a harmless sweetheart, before I’ll believe you are a cruel and vindictive killer. It isn’t going to cut it with me! Tyler, I’ll do anything, and everything to prove your innocence.”
“You already have. You and Johanna have nearly been killed several times. Dylan almost lost his life, and I’m endangering Ross and Veronica. It all stops now! I’ll take responsibility. Samantha, I’ve never asked you for anything before.”
“Yes, you have! You asked me to leave bounty hunting, and you asked me to marry you.
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So you’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah, and you didn’t leave bounty hunting for me, and I have to say that I’m relieved.
Because if you weren’t a bounty hunter, and you didn’t have nerves of steel, we would’ve never been able to get as far as we have. But you need to do this for me! You have to let me answer for my crimes. You have to let me face the punishment. Alone,” he stressed.
She stopped pacing and stared at him as if someone had switched places with him.
“No! ” Samantha said, planting her hands on her hips and staring at him challengingly. “I won’t hear any more of the shit that comes out of your mouth. You did not kill Lady Devlin!”
“How do you know?” Tyler asked, closing the space between them.
“Because I do. And it’s tru
e because I say so.”
“Yes, and your word is law!” he said, laughing half-heartedly.
“It
is law. I’d know if you were capable of murder. I can pick out a bad seed as soon as I see them. I’ve never been wrong before, and I’m not about to start now, thank you very much!”
“You can’t fight it, Samantha. This is one battle that you won’t win. You can’t win it, sweetheart.”
“Yep. Maybe you’re right,” she agreed. “I might not win this battle, but just because you lose a battle doesn’t mean you can’t win the war.”
“Ah, how the mighty fall.”
“Hey, listen up, I haven’t fallen until I can’t get up anymore, and as it is, I keep picking myself up, and brushing myself off for another day. Just because you say I should stop isn’t going to make me!”
