Black Star Run (The Lou Ella Chronicles Book 1)

by Brooke Hodge

  As quickly as he’d moved in, he was standing up again. “That’s what I thought.”

  I didn’t even try to argue. He threw his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. I groaned and slowly poured my lust-steeped body out of the bunk after him.

  The pano was fully functional when we got back on the bridge. I hadn’t realized how much time we’d spent in Jason’s quarters. The thing was, I’d completely misjudged Lou Ella’s tech. Along with a real time projection of the space around the ship, there were schematics of the entire Hana Rae station complete with rotation rate and tilt, as well as the audio/visual security feeds. If anything went down on Hana Rae, Lou Ella would probably know it before their own strike and breech teams. I was thoroughly impressed.

  “We have a certain specialty level that comes from knowing what kinds of shit we’re getting ourselves into at all times.” Taesoo said, noticing my awestruck look.

  “I wish we’d had this kind of tech back home. Would’ve made my job a lot easier.” I spoke without thinking.

  “And where is home, again,” Jason asked.

  I gave a mock salute for his effort. “Good try.”

  He stepped up and whispered low in my ear, “honey, if I was trying you wouldn’t have time to think up a lie” then kept right on walking to his chair at the front of the bridge. I shivered and rubbed my ear on my shoulder.

  “Ready thrusters.” Jason called out.

  “Thrusters ready.” Taesoo called back. He glanced back over at me and shook his hair out of his eyes. “You might want to sit down. We’ve done this several times, but the rotation can knock you off balance.”

  I nodded and took my seat beside him. I’d heard of Hana Rae several times. Who hadn’t? The damn place had a hell of a reputation. I’d never set foot on her, though.

  Docking was the first tricky part. She had two enormous rotating gravity rings to create an internal atmosphere with tram units connecting between them and the main body of the station that made it look like a giant vase trapped in the center of two spoked wheels. The docking bays were on the gravity rings, though, which meant your pilots had to time their entry with the speed of rotation. Apparently, someone hadn’t been so good at that because there were several repair drones working on a sizeable hole at the edge of a docking bay below where we hovered as we waited for docking assignments.

  “Tower is calling out 6-4-9, Captain.” Xanda called from her spot. I hadn’t even noticed her enter the room. Her silky fur was covered by a thick leather jumpsuit. It wasn’t quite armor, but it would probably handle pretty well against all but the worst attacks. I had no idea what species she was, but she looked pretty light on her feet. Light armor was likely all she’d need, especially considering that most non-human species developed tougher bone structures given their different evolutionary processes and generally inhospitable planets.

  “Good. Proceed to dock 6-4-9.”

  “Yes, Captain. Initiating docking thrusters.” She called back. The ship dipped a little and rolled slightly. I was glad I was sitting.

  I hadn’t heard them speaking so formally before. It was weird. I leaned over to Taesoo. “Is everything okay?”

  He wrinkled his eyebrows at me, then apparently realized what I was talking about. He pointed to his ear and then did a small circle toward the ceiling. Someone was listening in. I nodded and leaned back over. For an old station, she had some tricks I wasn’t aware of. My lack of information was becoming an alarming trend.

  Xanda slid the ship into the bay with grace and ease. The bay wasn’t particularly big, but Lou Ella wasn’t a huge vessel, either. There was a slight shudder from the docking clamps. Taesoo put up the rear view so we could watch as the bay door closed. Jason stood and walked back to where I sat. He jerked his head to the side. I stood and followed where he led. He motioned for me to enter a small storage room and shut the door behind us.

  “Have you ever been on Hana Rae,” he whispered.

  “No,” I whispered back. “I rarely had reason to leave our planet.”

  “But you’ve heard about it?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay. My crew is taking leave while I meet with the buyers. I want you to stay with me until that time and then you’re free to go. I don’t want to run the risk of you making trouble for us until the transaction is complete.”

  “I would never – “ he cut me off with a raised finger. I bit my lip and my rising anger. I didn’t like being shushed or treated like a child.

  “I can’t run that risk. We’ll be staying on the station while some repairs are made to the ship. You will stay with me.” My heart jumped, but I didn’t make a move. “I can’t give you any weapons or armor, but I will protect you as long as you stick close to me.”

  “I don’t need protection from you,” I whispered through gritted teeth.

  “Whether you need it or not isn’t the question. I’m not about to send a person through that mine field without a weapon and without protection.” He could tell why I was mad. “This isn’t about you being a woman. It’s about you going in without a means to protect yourself. You can’t take down a ship full of criminals with just your hands and I can’t pay attention to what’s going on around me if I’m worried about a knife in my back from you. I don’t know who you are. Surely you understand my situation.”

  I gnawed on my lip. “Yeah, I understand.”

  “Good.” He reached around behind me to grab something. I couldn’t really move in the tight space, so I just stood still. His chest was pressed against my arm and his neck was so close I could smell his aftershave. I wondered what his skin tasted like and it was all I could do not to lick the exposed area just below his ear. He stood straight and looked down at me. I lifted my eyes through my eyelashes. He licked his lips. We were still touching. I shifted just slightly, pressing my breasts against his chest. He reflexively reached around the small of my back as I pushed him slightly off balance, which brought our hips together. I leaned into it, reveling in the hot, mint-scented breath he let out. He wanted me as much as I wanted him.

  Without warning, he let go of me and cleared his throat. He held something cold up against me. It was a leather jumpsuit like Xanda’s.

  “This should fit you. It might be too small, though. I had it made for a teenager.”

  I lifted an eyebrow, but he didn’t elaborate.

  “You can change in here. It was designed to block all surveillance technology.” Then he was gone the way we’d came, leaving me dizzy and confused. I hated mixed signals worse than anything, aside from straight up violence. I got that I was a huge unknown and he had a ship to run, but damn, he could’ve snuck a kiss or a grope in or something.

  I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall for a few seconds while I tried to compose myself, then slipped the jumpsuit on over my clothes. It was very tight, but I could still move well in it. Whoever had made it was quite skilled.

  When I left the closet, Taesoo was walking by. “Come on, we’re going to the trams now. Took you long enough.”

  “Tight suit.”

  He looked me over quickly. “I see that.”

  “You got something to say about it?”

  He grinned. “Not a damn thing. You won’t hear any complaints from me.”

  He was wearing his own suit. His wasn’t as tight as mine, but it didn’t hide much, either. I was suddenly very appreciative for the lack of armor. I watched the lines of Taesoo’s back muscles move as he lead me down the stairs and out the cargo bay to the tram lobby. By the time I met my contact, I was just going to be a bundle of raw nerves. One touch and I might lose it completely.

  Four

  The iridescent black tile walls and multicolored neon advertisements reflected in the smoke-colored glass doors of the hotel Jason had reserved for us. I had expected some tiny, cramped, spunk bunk sort of place considering the seediness of the station in general, but that’s not what greeted us as Jason opened the doors and ushered me inside in front of hi
m.

  The ceiling was about thirty floors above us with giant white wood columns reaching all the way to the top, each spaced about six meters apart. Chairs and couches made of real leather were interspersed in small, cozy seating groups around dark metal and glass tables. Cashmere pillows and blankets were tossed around in a deliberately casual manner. Gold framed star charts and antique mirrors with the black splotches that came with age lined the paneled walls. I did a slow circle so I could see that the light filling the space came from floor-to-ceiling panos made to look like real windows. The scene outside was of an ancient city in midafternoon, complete with skyscrapers, pedestrians on sidewalks, and vehicles that rolled over the roads. The projected sun was setting, casting a warm pinkish-orange glow on the windows of the buildings which was beautiful in a way projected advertisements could never be. Plants in copper pots placed around the columns gave the whole space a genuine feeling I had never experienced.

  “Well, hello again Dr. Williston. What a pleasure!” The young, pretty girl behind the counter spoke in a voice that was welcoming in all kinds of ways. I cut my eyes over to Jason. There was a story here. He looked down at his hands on the wooden counter, trying not to smile and failing miserably. He actually looked shy. The creases beside his lips deepened along with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. I could have swore he even blushed. Oh yeah, there was a story between these two and I wanted to know it. But not before the doctor part.

  “Doctor?”

  He ignored my question. “Hey there, yourself, Penelope. Looking as beautiful as ever.”

  She didn’t even try to hide her blush. She positively glowed. And giggled. Ugh. Of course she was the type he went for. No wonder he didn’t make a move before. Penelope flipped her pretty blonde hair over her pretty shoulder and started typing away on the small pano screen in front of her.

  “Would you like the usual?”

  Jason looked at me then. I was surprised he remembered I was there. “I don’t know. What kind of view would you like?”

  I pointed at my chest. “Me? You’re asking me?”

  “Of course. Do you want a city view or something else?”

  Penelope’s shoulders slumped. She must have thought we were getting separate rooms. I know I did. “Um…I don’t know. I’ve never stayed at a place like this.”

  “Hmm. Surprising.”

  I raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? I was about to ask, but he turned back to Penelope. She melted again when he turned on that smile. I actually felt a little sorry for her. She had it bad for him.

  “I think we’ll try a mountain view this time, sweetheart.”

  She nodded and hit a few options on the transparent TechGlass screen, her smile not quite as big as before. Poor thing. After a minute, she took a deep breath and squared off her shoulders. I wanted to tell her that we weren’t together, but it wouldn’t help.

  “Lovely. Your room is 2486 and here’s the code for the door.” She touched an icon and his handheld vibrated in his pocket. “Your scan is on record, so the touchpad will recognize you. Should I give her access as well?”

  “No. Just me is fine.” Just so I didn’t get any ideas of being able to run in the middle of the night.

  “Very well. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” There was innuendo in her voice, along with the tiniest bit of hope. It radiated off her in currents. I fought back the sensation, not wanting to get wrapped up in that whole mess right then. I couldn’t handle feeling her hurt when it inevitably hit and if I let her in, I wouldn’t be able to get far enough away to ignore it. Our brain waves had apparently synched while my guard was down. I cursed myself mentally for not paying closer attention.

  He winked at her and motioned me ahead. Try as I might, I couldn’t block out her hope as it grew. When safely inside the elevator, I punched Jason hard in the shoulder.

  “Ow! What the hell, Fuyumi?”

  “How dare you give that girl false hope like that?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “She’s crazy about you!”

  “Who, Penelope? No she’s not. We flirt like that all the time, it’s just part of the business.” He rubbed his arm. I’d hit him harder than I’d intended. Her emotions really got to me. I wasn’t sorry, though.

  “You idiot. She flirts like that because she wants you. Bad.”

  “How do you know that?”

  I rubbed my eyes. My brain was hurting from the effort it took to shut Penelope out. “It’s just something women can recognize.”

  Jason was silent as we climbed the rest of the way to our floor, most likely trying to figure out a way to get her in bed with him with me in the room. Maybe even how to get us both in bed. I could have found out, but I didn’t want to know.

  The elevator doors opened up not in a hallway like I expected, but in our room. The penthouse. Rooms like this were expensive in a normal hotel, but it had to be exorbitant on Hana Rae. The markup here was supposedly astronomical.

  “Who are you,” I asked as I surveyed the sitting area. It was appointed much like the lobby. Opulent and comfortable.

  “I live on that ship the majority of the year. So when I have the chance, I like to stay in style.”

  “Well, I guess on a doctor’s salary you can afford it.” My look was questioning. I wanted answers and wondered if he’d give them to me.

  “I have a PhD in Psychology. It has come in handy in more ways than one in my line of work.”

  I nodded, surprised. It was actually kind of brilliant. It would make it hard for him to be fooled if he knew how to spot tells and lies. Shit. I wondered how much he’d figured out about me already. How good was he? I tried to hide my fear. If he caught on to who I was and who I was running from, he could send me back and collect on the enormous bounty tied to me. He could wipe out all his debts in one blow. Jason didn’t seem like that kind of person, but you could never trust a spacer. Especially one who knew how to lie as well as a psychologist.

  “You okay?” Jason was right behind me. I jumped.

  “Huh? Yeah. Why?” Smooth, Fuyumi. Fucking smooth.

  “You’re hyperventilating.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. “I don’t like psychologists.” It wasn’t really a lie. I’d spent way too much time around people trying to get into my head. Or force me into theirs.

  He nodded. “Not many people do. But I only use my powers for business. Never pleasure.” He winked.

  I laughed nervously. “I don’t know if that’s any better.” Of course, if that was the truth, he should’ve known how Penelope really felt. So either he was completely clueless with women, or he was purposely playing her. Either way, it didn’t make him sound good.

  Jason held up his hands. “Okay, so maybe I knew about Penelope. She’s a nice girl but she never gets out of here. This place is terrible in so many ways. You have no idea what all her job involves. I can’t be just another patron and I can’t take her away from here, so I give her the only thing I can.”

  “Hope.”

  “Yes.”

  That? That was the sound of my heart breaking. There was so much more to Jason than I had expected. And so much more than I needed to know, because too much knowing was bad for me. Knowing was what messed my life up to begin with.

  “Well, now that the mood has officially bottomed out, would you like to get something to eat?” I let myself smile. He was trying to turn things around, and that was sweet, but I couldn’t go out in that crowd and risk someone recognizing me.

  “Um…could we just order in?”

  “Obviously. What do you feel like?”

  I frowned. “Just no remeat.”

  Jason chuckled. “Deal. How about I order and you go take a shower?”

  “Do you trust me to leave your sight?”

  “What kind of trouble could you get into in a hotel bathroom?”

  You’d be surprised. I didn’t say that, of course. Instead I shrugged and nearly ran out of the
room before he could change his mind. The shower was glorious and full of every option I’d missed since leaving Marimon, but I realized halfway through that I didn’t have any other clothes. I stood in the shower until the water usage meter shut the supply off, trying to figure out what to do. I didn’t want to put my underwear back on, but I didn’t much feel like going without, either. Finally, I wrapped a towel around myself and decided to let Jason figure it out. I can’t say there weren’t subconscious motives behind that thought, but I didn’t realize it at the time.

  Stepping out onto the plush carpet in the living area, I was first assaulted by the smell of warm rice, dried seaweed sheets, and sashimi. How in the worlds had he been able to afford rice? We were nowhere near a terraformed planet that could support rice cultivation. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised considering how much he’d spent for me and on that hotel room, but it was completely unexpected.

  Of course, that thought was quickly replaced by my desire that was now mirrored in Jason’s sea-green eyes. He sat on the couch, staring at me, his mouth slightly open. When he licked his lips and bit like he had before in his room, my mind shut off and my body reacted.

  I walked to where he sat, towel still wrapped around me, and just stood in front of him. He didn’t take his eyes off mine and made no move to get up. Slowly, as if I was trying not to scare off a skittish cat, I slipped my knees onto the couch on either side of his hips. First one, then the other. Keeping my body above his so that my chest was in his face, I carefully unwrapped the towel and let it fall to the floor at his feet.

  Jason’s hands found my legs and roamed upward over my ass, then my hips, and continued to my sides just under my arms. His thumbs teased at the edge of my breasts. I lightly laid my hands at his shoulders. The warm afternoon light was quickly fading into darkness and lights were coming on in the artificial buildings on each side of the panoramic false windows. A huge, green mountain was in front of me, to Jason’s back. The deepening colors reflected off his face and cast shadows in the scars he had there.