“Because we are?” He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck where Tannis could see the faint fang marks. As a member of the Collective, Skylar was tough, almost impossible to kill, but still it might be best to get the ship stocked with iron supplement if she planned to play around with Rico for any length of time.
And amazingly, it looked like that was the case. Tannis couldn’t get her head around it—Rico in love. It was as though she’d slipped into some weird alternate dimension where nothing made sense.
But even Tannis had to admit that however much Skylar irritated her, she was perfect for Rico. Skylar stood her ground, didn’t take any shit, and they looked good together. Rico’s long, lean figure was dressed all in black with black knee-high boots, his shoulder-length hair pulled into a ponytail that showed off his perfect bone structure. Skylar matched him in a black jumpsuit, a laser pistol holstered at her waist, her blond hair cut military short, her violet eyes glowing. They sat close together, almost touching. It wasn’t only a physical closeness, but a mental bond as well, and a small prick of some unrecognizable emotion stabbed Tannis in the middle.
She didn’t want that sort of intimacy with anyone—it was the last thing she wanted—she hated to be touched. Many nights, she still woke up in a cold sweat as her subconscious relived those years in the research station. All the same, something ached inside her chest when she saw them together. She’d never imagined Rico would fall in love.
He was her friend, and she was glad for him, really, she was. That didn’t mean she had to put up with watching them over the supper table.
“Yuk.” The bloody ship was turning into some sort of love nest, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Actually, she knew she didn’t like it. Everywhere she went, she tripped over some canoodling couple. Though at least Jon and Alex—the newlyweds—were out of the way. They’d been dropped off on Trakis Two to ensure the place was safe for The Blood Hunter’s arrival.
Tannis pushed her plate away, reclined in her chair, and studied the pair opposite, allowing her upper lip to curl up in disdain.
Rico grinned at her expression. “I reckon the captain has a crush on our new client, and it’s making her snarky.”
“More snarky than usual you mean?” Skylar asked.
Tannis gritted her teeth. “Ha-ha.”
“Why shouldn’t she have a crush?” Daisy glanced up from her food. “After all, Callum Meridian is the most powerful man in the universe. And he has wings. How cool is that?”
Across the table, Skylar twitched as if she could feel the appendages sprouting from her own shoulders.
“I’d love wings,” Daisy said dreamily, tucking a strand of dark green hair behind her ear.
Tannis picked up her spoon and played with her food. Of course, she didn’t have a freaking crush on Callum Meridian. She might be a little intrigued, but that was only because she’d always had a fascination for the Collective, and he was the oldest and most powerful of their kind.
A shiver ran through her as an image of those glowing violet eyes flashed in her mind. They’d had a brief meeting just over a month ago where she’d acted like a tongue-tied moron and hardly said a word. Though there hadn’t been much to say. He’d been in the process of attempting to kill them all, and she’d gazed at him like a starstruck teenager. But he’d been beautiful, so beautiful he’d made her ache.
But she didn’t have a crush.
She was just restless, unable to shake the feeling that everything was changing. For fifteen years, she’d worked side by side with Rico. They’d watched each other’s backs, even saved each other’s lives on occasion. Other crew had come and gone, but they’d stayed together. He was her best friend, and now he had someone more important in his life.
She took a mouthful of food, but tasted nothing.
In her time as captain of El Cazador, she’d amassed a small fortune. This last job would give her enough to apply for the Meridian treatment and finally become one of the exalted Collective, immortal, never having to fear death.
And that would change things again. Her dream was finally within her grasp, and she couldn’t understand why she felt so unsettled.