It sounded like she was opening something up on her end. “You know we’re always here for you.”
“Same.” It was so wonderful to know that even though she was on the other side of the universe, she would fight to the bitter death for him. He could see a perfect image of what she must look like in his mind. Her long red hair and gold eyes that were always filled with motherly love whenever she looked at him. She most likely would have one side of her hair pulled back from her ear while she talked to him and she’d keep one hand up near her link. No reason for it, just a strange quirk she had. And she was probably wearing a flowing floral dress that would make her appear soft and gentle. A total contradiction for a woman who could take down the nastiest scum the universe had ever spat out of hell.
“Are you going to talk to me or just keep breathing in my ear?” she asked.
“I like breathing in your ear.”
“You’re a sick man, Cai. I thought I raised you better.”
Normally he’d find that humorous, but not at this moment. Right now, those words cut him. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Fault find with me. I know you’re joking. I just don’t want to hear you bitching at me, okay?”
“That’s it. I’m officially worried. Do I need to come get you?”
Would he ever grow up in her eyes? “I’m not a kid, Shay.”
“I know you’re not. You’re the only human being in my life, other than my husband I’ve ever been able to rely on. And I can’t stand to hear you upset. It makes me want to hurt someone for you. I love you, Caillen. I want you to know that.”
He held those words like a lifeline. “I love you, too.”
Then he heard Syn in the background. “I have his coordinates. I could get us there within two hours. You want me to fuel my ship?”
That succeeded in making him laugh. “Tell your crazy-ass husband that I definitely don’t need his help. If I so much as see his shadow, I’ll shoot him myself.” It was so nice to have a conversation without pretense or worrying about vocabulary, syntax or enunciation. “Here, I won’t keep you guys. I only wanted to check in.
“All right.” Her tone was reserved and by that he knew she was still concerned about him. “Stay safe and remember I’m only a call away when you need me. And if you change your mind, my crazy-ass husband can get me to you in two hours.”
He shook his head as he reached for the shut off button on the link. “Thanks.” He hung up and sighed even while a smile continued to tease the edges of his lips over her last words.
How had his life become so complicated? He’d had many times in the past when he’d wanted to lie down in the gutter and let the universe take his soul back. Times when the crap he had to deal with had rained down on him with a fury so foul it’d left him temporarily bitter.
This was nothing like those times and yet he felt so defeated. Lost.
Hurt.
He couldn’t explain the emotions that shredded him. They were there, tearing at his confidence. Making him wish his father had never found him.
Enough whining. Damn, Cai, you are turning into an aristos. Gah. What is wrong with me?
This was absolutely not him. He had money and power. There was nothing wrong with him other than stupidity.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, he closed his backpack, then lay down on the couch so that he could stare out the portal window at the stars that had guided, protected and soothed him every day of his adulthood. What he wouldn’t give to be back on his ship, making a deadly run through a hostile sector…
But as he stared at them, his thoughts turning blank, an image jumped into his mind from some place he couldn’t even begin to fathom.
It was the sight of a dark-haired Qill with a sassy walk that said she’d rather kick his ass than kiss his lips. Actually he wouldn’t mind the former if he could get the latter.
Yeah.
I am a seriously sick bastard. He had no idea why she appealed to him, but in the end, he knew one thing.
He was going to be stupid for her and she was definitely going to get him into a world of hurt.
Some temptations were just more than a mere mortal could deny and she was one of the biggest ones he’d ever come across. Yeah, next time they met, he was definitely going to allow her to lead him astray.
Desideria entered the large suite of rooms to find her mother’s migraine meds. A migraine her mother swore was brought on by being surrounded by men who possessed what she called manginas.
She reached the nightstand and searched through several bottles until she found the right one. As she closed the drawer, the small bottle slipped from her hand.
“Great,” she breathed. She’d had a bad case of dropsies since she’d awakened. No doubt it was from her nerves and the fac>