“I refuse to have them under my command anymore. Not only is the entire Team One confined to their cabins, but I’m transferring their asses ASAP. I just wish they were going to a detention center instead of to another assignment.”
“I know you did what you could,” she told him, frustrating gnawing at her. “At least they won’t be able to mess with the Veslors anymore. I’m depressed that my fears on that score were definitely founded.”
“Roth has requested to lead his own team without assistance from ours. I’ve agreed. It wouldn’t be fair to end our association with the Veslors just because of what Rogers did to them. They’re a solid ally, and they detect Cadia far better than our own people. I also replaced Rogers with Clark Yenna. He’s going to lead all the tactical teams for now.”
“Is he trustworthy?”
“Yes. That brings me to the real reason I came to talk to you.” Howard leaned closer. “You should go home, Abby.”
“No.”
Howard held up his hands. “Hear me out. Please? Just listen to what I have to say before you argue.”
Abby sealed her lips and nodded. She owed him that much.
He rested his hands on the table. “You worried there would be a problem for the Veslors, and you were correct. My eyes have been opened. I chose Clark Yenna because he’s been assigned under me for twelve years. He’s closer to retirement age and has chosen to pilot rather than lead a team of his own. I trust him. He’s fair, has worked in the past with alien races, and he’s a good guy. When I sat down with him last night to get his opinion when you were missing, and shared what Rogers had done so far to the Veslors, he blew his fuse.”
She liked hearing that. “Good.”
“Us older generations take pride in our fleet members and their conduct. It’s personal when they fuck up, and we aren’t tolerant of that shit. Clark will be assigning the Veslors their duties, and he offered to personally pilot them on every shift. I trust him. Roth and I also spoke in-depth. Veslors don’t complain. I learned that pretty quickly. But I explained that by not speaking up, it was allowing fleet members to break laws. He promised to be more forthcoming from now on. I gave him a direct line to contact me, and we’re going to share a couple meals each week from now on, to help ease relations between our people. I’ll keep on top of how they’re treated.”
She stared at him as silent seconds ticked by.
“Your mission has been a success. You thought the Veslors might be mistreated, they were, but now it’s being fixed.” He cleared his throat. “There’s no longer a reason for you to stay here.”
“I’m grateful for that, but I’m not going home yet.”
“You almost died!”
She jolted at his emotional outburst and studied him closer.
“You’re tired, Howard.” She reached out and touched his hand. “I’m really okay.”
He turned his hand and grasped hers. “Of course I’m tired! Do you think I slept knowing you were on that planet in some fucking hole with alien creatures that could have eaten you? I didn’t even know if you were alive!”
“I am.”
“That’s not the point,” he ground out. “I would have had to tell my two dearest friends that I fucked up and didn’t watch out for you as well as I should have. My career has been my life. The one time I married, she didn’t last two years, and she sure as hell didn’t want to have a baby with me. I watched you grow up like a proud father, Abby. You’re the closest thing I have to a daughter.” Tears filled his eyes. “I was certain you were safe here, that I was humoring you by allowing you to take this job, and that I’d just get to spend some precious time with you. Last night blew that to hell. How was I going to live with it if you had died? My own fucking men pushed you into that hole! And I can’t arrest them for it because there’s no proof.”
Tears filled her eyes, too, and she squeezed his hand tighter. “I’m sorry you went through all that, Howard. And I’m so grateful that you care. You know you’re family to me, too.”
“You are going back to Earth, Abby. You made enemies with Rogers and his team. I’m reassigning them to another ship but it won’t be for a few weeks. No other fleet vessels are coming this way until then to switch out an entire team. I can’t keep them confined to their cabins for that length of time without filing charges. That means they might attempt to get even with you—and I won’t allow it.”
“They wouldn’t be that stupid to try again.”
“I disagree. I sent a message to your assistant a few hours ago. Mel is sending a private transport to pick you up. I haven’t told your parents what happened yet, that’s information they should hear only when they can see that you’re fine with their own eyes. Otherwise, they’ll just worry until you reach Earth.”
“I’m staying, Howard.”
“No, you’re not.”
She leaned across the table. “I am.”
“You’re resigning.”
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Damn it, Abby!” He yanked his hand free of hers. “You’re fired then.”
She frowned. “You don’t mean that. You haven’t slept. Probably haven’t eaten, either. You’re stressed and in need of rest. You’ll feel better afterward.”
“You’re going home, Abby.”
“I, um…made a promise to Drak.”
He narrowed his eyes. “One of the Veslors?”
She nodded. “I’m going to let him comfort me after my ordeal later this evening, after he gets some sleep.” A grin curved her lips. “Maybe more. I need to be here to see what that comfort leads to. You don’t want to be a possible romance cock-blocker, do you?”
He gaped at her, eyes wide.
“He jumped into a hole to come after me, and talked another Veslor into helping him. Then he let me sleep while they both stayed awake all night, guarding me from the dirt beasts. Drak deserves a shot. And hey, my parents are always telling me I should give them some grandkids.”
He blinked a few times. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“A Veslor?” He continue to stare in disbelief.
“Vivian’s extremely happy with Brassi. She swears he treats her better than any human guy ever could. Drak doesn’t understand Earth money, and their technology is already better than even what D Corp makes. So I know he’s not interested in me for any of the reasons other men have been. I think he just likes me. He even knows I’m mouthy as hell. Do you want to know what he called me, even after I verbally handed Rogers his own ass?”
Howard’s eyebrows raised.
“Sweet.” At his doubtful expression, she nodded. “Yeah. Drak thinks I’m a sweet female. Have you ever heard anyone use that word in the same sentence with my name unless it was, like, ‘it would be sweet if that bitch Abby tripped and broke her jaw so she would shut the hell up’?”
Howard shook his head but humor sparked in his gaze.
“Drak risked his life for mine. I’d written off men, Howard, but he’s changed my mind. I want to see what happens between us, and that means I need to stay. Fire me if you must, but please, don’t kick me off Defcon Red. Give me a couple weeks at least to see if this can go anywhere. Also…hang on. Don’t move.” She got up and rushed into her bedroom, grabbed her tablet and turned it on.
Abby sat down and pulled up a few pictures of Klad. “Look. This is Vivian and Brassi’s son. Tell me he’s not the most adorable baby you’ve ever seen.”
Howard looked at the images. “Your parents are going to disown me.”
She laughed. “Okay, so the whole cub thing is different, but as grandkids go, isn’t Klad cute? He’ll learn to shift into the more human form soon. This is their other half. You know Veslors are shifters.”
Howard flipped though the images. “He is cute.”
“I gave up on even thinking about having kids. Now I’m actually considering cubs.”
Howard jerked his head up and their gazes locked.
“Love, Uncle Howard. I might
find love with Drak. My parents will adjust if that happens. At this point, I don’t think they’ll be picky about who I marry and what kind of kids I have. They’ll just be happy it’s not the vid actor or some idiot like him who only wants me for my money.”
He snorted a disbelieving laugh. “You are trouble, Abby.”
“Can I stay?”
He put down the tablet and straightened in his chair. “You can stay—but no more surface missions. And you have to promise me that you won’t get pregnant before you’re certain about this…Drak.”
“No problem.” She relaxed. “Thank you. Now we need to fix the Veslor living arrangements.”
Howard’s eyebrows shot up again. “What’s wrong with them?”
“Rogers gave them a single cabin and shoved in two bunkbed units. Can you imagine them sharing a space this size?” She waved her hand around her cabin. It wasn’t a roomy place.
Howard began to curse.
Abby stood. “I’m going to dress and get on rectifying that while you and the Veslors sleep. I got plenty of rest with them guarding me all night. I’ll meet with the person who assigns cabins to the civilians to see what’s available. I’ll find them a family cabin with three bedrooms and an office, if they want to remain in one space together, or four cabins next to each other.”
“I can have Clark do that. It’s his job now to look after them.”
“You could, but I’d like to do it myself. That way I know for certain that it’s taken care of.”
Howard rolled his eyes but he stood. “Fine. I’m too tired to argue with you.”
“Thank you!”
He walked to the door, but then turned. “Shit. Mel is still sending that shuttle to pick you up.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
He sighed, opened the door, and walked away. The doors sealed behind him.
Abby opened a link to communications and logged on. It took almost an hour to secure a strong signal to Earth by allowing all the satellites to align to Defcon Red’s current position. There were advantages to being on one of the fleet’s largest military vessels, even if those advantages took a bit of time.
The D Corp logo appeared on the screen, but it wasn’t Mel’s face that materialized.
“Ms. Thomas!”
“Hi, Nellie. Grab Mel. I need to talk to her fast before we lose the link.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and leaned forward, lowing her voice. “Um, she’s not here.”
That surprised Abby. “Mel actually took a day off? Shocking.”
Nellie craned her neck, peering around as if to make sure no one was close to her desk, and then met her gaze. “She’s headed your way.”
“What? Already? It would take a full day to prepare a trip like that.” Abby almost dropped the tablet.
“When she got the call a few hours ago demanding she send a shuttle to retrieve you…” Nellie glanced around again, leaned closer, and whispered, “She figured you were being booted and time was of the essence. You know how determined Mel can be. She made a few calls and was out of here within an hour.”
Abby’s mouth hung open. She closed it, swallowed, and then nodded. “Who’s in charge of my department?”
Nellie flinched. “I am. I mean, off the record. Your parents don’t really come into this part of the building. I’m supposed to pretend Mel is still here.”
“What shuttle did she take?”
“Arrow. I’m sure she’s probably lifted off already.”
“Shit!” Abby was stunned again. “Mel stole my parents’ space yacht?” Abby almost laughed. “Okay. I’ll contact her. Do what you were told and, um, cover for her.”
Nellie looked relieved. “I won’t let you down, Ms. Thomas.”
Abby gave her a thumbs-up and disconnected. She took some deep breaths and then tried to signal Arrow. It took another good ten minutes before a familiar face came on the screen.
“Miss Thomas.” Captain Perth was someone she knew well. He’d worked for her parents since she was just a kid.
“Hi, James. I hear you’re on your way to Defcon Red.”
“We’re preparing to take flight now, Miss Thomas.” His expression showed his anxiety. “Miss Mallow said it was under your orders.”
“It was,” she lied. “Transfer me to her.”
“Right away.” A few seconds passed, and then Mel’s face appeared.
“Abby! Oh, thank goodness.” Mel threw herself into a chair at the desk in one of the sleeping suites. “I’m on my way to you. I had Jeffrey quickly load tons of supplies. He got it done in record time, and they just finished. He’s an amazing steward. We have enough supplies to follow Defcon Red for about a month, if that’s what you need to do to finish your secret mission.”
Abby fought a laugh. “You planned all this out?”
Mel nodded. “I knew you wouldn’t want to leave until you were sure the Veslors were being treated fairly. You said you were going to become their guardian angel. I know you’re set on doing that. I’ve taken care of everything. The office is being handled.”
“I heard. What were you thinking?”
Mel paled.
“I’m not mad,” Abby quickly assured her. “I’m just surprised. You stole my parents’ space yacht? I’m kind of impressed.”
“I didn’t steal it,” Mel gasped, appearing horrified. “Your parents bought a new one, and they gave you Arrow. I was supposed to send it to you when you wanted to come home. After what happened on the Gorison Traveler, well…they didn’t want you taking transportation on fleet vessels again to reach job sites. You have your own vessel now.”
“They didn’t tell me.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise. They just got their new ship a few days ago and transferred Arrow and the crew to you.” Mel shrugged. “I also had all the items you asked me to order for your friend Vivian and the Brar crew loaded from the warehouse. It’s in the cargo bay. I thought, worst case, if we can’t stick close to Defcon Red, we could drop off your gifts. That might cheer you up to see Vivian and Klad.”
Abby was deeply touched. “That’s so sweet, but I talked Howard into allowing me to stay. Thank you so much for putting a flight together that fast. And you were willing to leave Earth for me! I’m shocked. You hate to travel.”
“I’d do anything for you.” Mel’s tense body relaxed. “I’ll tell Captain Perth to abort our trip. I’m glad we’re not needed after all. That’s great news.”
“Why don’t you take a trip anyway? I mean, you’re all prepared to leave.”
Mel paled. “What? No!”
“You’ve already admitted to having my gifts loaded on Arrow. Not to mention, you never take vacation time.” Abby ignored how Mel’s mouth opened and closed, words not coming out of her mouth. “Take the gifts to Vivian and my godson. I think you’ll enjoy meeting the Veslors.”
Mel shook her head. “No. The crew will wait until you’re ready to come home, and then you can go yourself. I know you’re dying to hold that adorable godson of yours.”
Abby couldn’t deny that. “You’re right. But I want you to be onboard when I do need a ride home on Arrow. We’ll go visit the Brar together. I really do want you to meet the Veslors.”
“You’re not playing matchmaker with me.”
“I couldn’t do any worse than you do on your own. One word for you: Nathan.”
Her friend blushed. “Thank you again for running that background check before I got too serious with him.”
“That’s what friends are for. Saving you from fortune-hunting trolls. I’ve had a lot of experience with them myself. You know that.”
“I’m not rich like you.”
“No, but you aren’t poor, either. I know damn well you haven’t spent a single credit from the trust fund your mother left you, and you save the majority of what you make. Your last name might not be Thomas, but you’re family. It makes you a target, too, Mel. I’ve always got your back, just like you have mine.” Abby lifted her fist and expende
d her pinky finger. It was a silent promise they’d made since diapers to be there for each other. “Always and forever.”
Mel gave her a genuine smile and lifted her fist, extending her pinky, too. “Always and forever.”
“I think a Veslor would be perfect for you.”
Mel shook her head, blushing again. “You couldn’t be doing what you are right now if I wasn’t here to cover for you for long stretches. Someone has to stay on Earth. That means no alien mates for me unless they want to move here full time.”
Abby silently agreed. Mel was the only one she trusted to fill her shoes at D Corp. “Thank you for doing this. How are you holding up?”
“I’m channeling you.”
Abby laughed. “If anyone can, it’s you, since you know me best. Are you cussing out idiots, too? I’d pay to see that.”
“That’s not my style, but I’ve been firm.”
“I always knew you had it in you. My mission here isn’t over yet, but I know D Corp is in your very capable hands. Thank you, Mel. I can’t say it enough.”
“Just let me know when you want to be picked up and I’ll send Arrow your way.”
“You better be on it when I do.”
Mel held her gaze.
“That’s an order.”
Her friend rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
Abby gave her a wave and disconnected the call.
Chapter Nine
Roth caught up Drak and Gnaw once they woke hours later on what had taken place while they’d spent the night on the planet. Commander Bills had discussed many things with their grouping leader. Their situation was supposed to get better, and they’d have a new human male to assign them duties. By the time they left their cabin to eat dinner, Drak was starving.
They had filled their trays with food and taken a seat at a table when a white-haired male in a gray pilot jumpsuit approached them. He appeared to be an older human with a few thin wrinkles near his eyes and mouth.
He grinned, visually studying each one of them. “Hello. I’m Clark Yenna. Just call me Clark. My friends do, and I was told you’re more comfortable with being informal. I’m taking over for Bradley Rogers. I wanted to introduce myself and let you know your safety is my number one priority. I’m giving assignments from now on to all the teams. No one is permitted to give you orders unless they come directly from myself or Commander Bills. If someone tries, tell them to go to hell—that’s Earth speak for fuck off—and ignore them.”
Mission: Guardian Angel (Veslor Mates Book 2) Page 10
