Break Out

chapter Five

“You might want to change your mind about that reward,” Tannis murmured from beside him. “This one looks like she might fight back.”

“I don’t mind a good fight,” Rico drawled. “As long as I win.”

He swung his chair around and followed the line of her sight, his gaze settling on the tall figure in the doorway. He wouldn’t have recognized her if he hadn’t known what to look for.

The silver dress was gone and a black jumpsuit now hugged her tall, toned body. She walked with the lithe grace of a predator, one hand resting on the pistol at her thigh. The long, blond hair, which had done a lot to soften her features, was also gone. In its place was a severely short, almost military cut that emphasized the sharp cheekbones, and the large, almost beaky nose. Her dark blue eyes were the same though, as was the wide, red mouth. He dropped his gaze. There was no disguising the lush curve of those breasts either, and his body tightened at the sight.

She’d come to a halt in front of them, and he raised his eyes from her breasts to her face to find her frowning at him.

“Skylar,” he said, kicking out a chair and patting the seat. “Take a seat.”

She regarded him suspiciously for a moment and then sat.

“Quite a disguise you had there.”

“Part of my training,” she replied.

“Your rebel training?”

She nodded.

“Tell me. Why were you with the rebels? You seem a little too…”He studied her, trying to think of the correct word. Normal maybe, but he had an idea that Skylar was far from normal.

“Human?” She supplied for him. “I am. But my parents worked for one of the genetic engineering companies. They really believed humans could be improved by gene modification. They were killed in an attack on the facility. My brother and I escaped and were picked up by a rebel patrol—we’ve been with them ever since.”

“Hmm. So what else did they train you to do? What were you exactly?”

“Does it matter?”

“Humor us.”

He watched her closely. She appeared relaxed now, no hint of tension in her body or face. Either she was a very good actress, or she was telling the truth. After the failed bimbo disguise, he was pretty certain she must be telling the truth.

“I was a fighter pilot first, then a division leader.”

“Impressive.”

And it was. Those rebels were a tough lot; they had to be to survive with both the Collective and the Church after them. To get to division leader she had to be very tough herself. He liked that. It made the idea of her squirming beneath him, begging him to take her, all the more enticing. Maybe she’d try to shoot him. He’d have to restrain her—

“Rico!”

He came out of his daydream to find Tannis staring at him in exasperation.

“Get your mind out of your pants.”

“My mind wasn’t in my pants.”

She rolled her eyes. “Concentrate for just a few minutes.” She turned to Skylar. “Okay, what do you know?”

Skylar took a deep breath. “Jonny was taken just over a week ago. He was on Trakis Five. He did the job, but something went wrong. I don’t know what, but they caught him. He was classified as high priority—because of the Collective death—and they shipped him straight to Trakis One. I tried to see him before they took him, but—” She broke off and bit her lip. For the first time, Rico saw a hint of the vulnerability she had shown earlier. Maybe it hadn’t all been an act. “They must have rushed him through the system—he didn’t even get a proper hearing.”

“They never do with Collective cases,” Tannis said. “Do you know anything about where he’s being held?”

She nodded. “The rebels researched any possibility of getting him out. But when they learned he was in the high-security section, they said no way.”

“Great,” Tannis muttered. “The high-security section of a maximum-security prison. Maybe it is impossible.”

“Just think of the money,” Rico murmured.

“Oh, I am.” She turned back to Skylar. “That reminds me. I need you to set up the payments—I want half the fee now and the other half set up on a timed transfer for ten days’ time. We’ll be done by then, either that or locked up with little Jonny on Trakis One—headed for the Meridian mines.”

“Or dead,” Rico added cheerfully.

“Wow,” Tannis said. “I really hadn’t thought of that option.” She rose to her feet. “I’m going to talk to Janey. Get her working on the systems, see if we can’t find some intel on Trakis One. There has to be a weak link somewhere. We’ve got ten days to find it.” She glanced from him to Skylar. “You’ll look after our guest, Rico?”

“I’ll see to her every desire,” he replied.

“Yeah, I bet you will.” Tannis cast one last look at Skylar, shook her head, and headed for the door, muttering something not particularly complimentary about men as she stalked away.

. . .

Skylar waited until the captain left the bridge before turning to Rico. He settled back in his chair, watching her from hooded eyes. He appeared relaxed, but the air throbbed with tension, and a little trickle of apprehension washed through her.

She’d been so sure he’d lose interest once she was out of that stupid dress. But the expression on his face wasn’t intimidated or disinterested—it was hungry.

Nervous energy thrummed along her skin, and she jumped to her feet. “I’m going back to my shuttle to make that transfer.”

His lips curled into a lazy smile. “No need. We have guest quarters on board—you can do it from there.”

“But I—”

“I insist,” he said smoothly. “You’ll be much more comfortable than in your cramped little shuttle.”

She gritted her teeth and nodded.

“Just give me a minute.” Rico pressed the comm unit at his side. “Daisy,” he said. “Get up here. You’re driving.”

Skylar waited. She didn’t know whether to sit down again or remain standing. She wasn’t used to indecision; it wasn’t part of her nature. Rico appeared totally relaxed, if a little amused, and she shifted restlessly under his intense gaze. She admired the up-to-date equipment on the bridge and the gleaming black and silver décor, then she peeked sideways at Rico with his black clothes and silver weapons.

“Tell me,” she couldn’t resist asking, “do you dress to match the ship, or did you decorate the ship to match your wardrobe?”

He gave her another lazy smile and opened his mouth to answer when a woman appeared in the doorway. Skylar stared. The woman was green.

She hurried across to them as Rico rose to his feet. Skylar hadn’t realized earlier, but without her high heels, he loomed a good six inches over her.

“This is Daisy,” he said by way of introduction. “And this is Skylar. Skylar is our new client.”

Daisy appeared young, barely out of her teens, and she was dressed in all black, a sort of mini version of Rico, down to the knee-length boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She nodded at Skylar then turned to Rico. “You want me to drive?” Skylar could hear the suppressed excitement in her voice.

“I want you to sit in my chair and stare at that screen. Comm me if anything changes.”

Daisy grinned. “Sure, boss.”

Skylar peeked back over her shoulder as they left the bridge. She hadn’t wanted to stare, but she’d never seen anyone quite that green before. Skin like new leaves, hair of jade, and eyes the color of emeralds.

“She’s a plant hybrid,” Rico said as the door shut behind them.

“I’ve never seen one before.”

“There aren’t many left. The Church destroyed most of them in the Purge. Daisy escaped from a GM station just before it was attacked by religious fanatics. The rest, including her family, were murdered. By the time we picked up her pod in deep space, she’d been in cryo for years.”

“And you took her in?”

“Tannis took her in.” He shrugged. “Tannis is captain—the crew is her responsibility.”

Skylar raised an eyebrow. “So how come, if this is your ship, you’re not the captain?”

“I don’t want to be captain. I like living on the ship. It provides me with a safe haven and a quick escape if I need to get out of somewhere fast—”

“I bet that happens quite a lot,” she interrupted.

He smiled. “Occasionally, but I don’t want the responsibility. This works well for both of us. I like to keep my distance from the crew.”

“Why?”

“In case I ever have to…” he paused as he came to a halt outside a door and pressed his palm to the panel.

“Eat them?” she finished for him.

He flashed her a grin. “I don’t eat everyone I come into contact with—I’m very selective. But humans are fragile, and I’ve learned not to become too attached.”

The door slid open. Skylar hesitated, and Rico put his hand to the small of her back.

She jumped and forced a smile. “Thank you.”

His lips twitched. “I’ll come in for a minute and show you where everything is.” He applied a gentle pressure.

Skylar stood firm. “I’m sure I can find everything I need.”

He ignored her. “And make sure you have no problems with the transfer.”

“There won’t be any problems.”

The pressure increased. For a moment, Skylar resisted then gave a mental shrug and stepped inside.

Rico followed, and the door shut behind them. When she stepped away from him, his hand dropped to his side.

The cabin was big, luxurious even, with a large bed dominating the center of the quarters, a chair, and a desk. This was the first place on the ship she had seen any color—the room was decorated in shades of blue. Her favorite.

“Nice,” she said.

“It matches your eyes.”

Her gaze flew to his face. “How original,” she muttered.

“But true.”

For a minute, their eyes locked. His were dark, still amused, but with more than a hint of heat in their depths. A small fire blazed into life in her belly, and she started with uncomfortable shock. What was it with this guy? She’d never had problems like this before. She tore her gaze from his, took a deep breath. “Right then, I’ll do the transfer.”

He lounged, one shoulder against the wall, arms crossed, and watched while she took a seat at the desk and switched on the external comm unit.

It took only a few moments for the transfer to be completed, and she sat staring at the holographic screen. “There,” she said. “Done. You want to check?”

“I trust you.”

She glanced up in surprise. “You do?”

“Sure. We’re a team now.” Rico pushed himself from the wall. “Which calls for some sort of celebration.”

“The time for celebrating is when the job is done.”

“Aw, come on. Have a little drink with me.”

“A drink of what?”

. . .

Rico bit back a laugh. She clearly expected him to jump on her at any moment and latch onto that pretty neck. Not that the idea hadn’t occurred to him. With that thought, he had to push down the hunger. He didn’t want to scare her.

Well not just yet. He always found a little fear spiced up the blood.

It had been a long time since he’d wanted something this much. Maybe it was because she was an interesting combination of toughness and vulnerability. Earlier, he’d sensed her attraction and her confusion. She obviously wasn’t used to either feeling, and that intrigued him.

An impossible job and an intriguing woman—what more could a man ask for?

He unbuckled the strap that held his back scabbard and pulled it off, placing the sword on the floor.

Skylar stared at him suspiciously.

“Just getting comfortable,” he said.

He reached into his pocket and drew out a silver flask, held it up to her, and shook it so the liquid inside sloshed from side to side.

“Oh,” she muttered.

“You sound almost disappointed.”

She frowned. “Of course not.”

He pulled two glasses from the cabinet above the desk and poured them both a shot. Picking up his, he gestured to Skylar to do the same. She inspected the amber liquid as though she suspected it might be poison but lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip. She blinked and put the glass down, her eyes watering.

“What is that stuff?” There was a slight squeak to her voice.

“Whiskey,” he said. “An old Earth drink. I get it made specially.”

He drained his glass and poured himself a second. Sinking onto the sofa opposite her, he watched as she took another tentative sip and licked a bead of whiskey from her lips. His gaze fixed on her mouth as the hunger stirred inside him. Leaning closer, he breathed in the scent of warm woman. “Tell me all about yourself, Skylar Rossaria.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

She was such a mass of contradictions, obviously trying hard to seem nonchalant and cool-headed—the hardened soldier, but Rico could hear the blood pounding in her veins. He leaned forward, and her rapid heartbeat rocketed.

“There’s always something to tell.”

She shrugged. “I told you everything you need to know.”

He angled his head to one side and studied her face. Dios, she was pretty, but her expression was blank, and he wondered what she was hiding and how hard he would have to press her to get the truth. He realized he didn’t want to force her. “Well, tell me something I’d like to know.”

Her arched brows drew together, and Rico got the distinct impression that social conversation was not something she indulged in often. Curious.

“Like what?” she asked.

“Hmm. How about, what did you like best about being in the rebel army?”

She thought for a moment. “The planning. I liked planning the operations.”

“Not shooting people? My guess is you’ve done quite a bit of shooting.”

“Why do you say that?”

He nodded at her hands clasped on her lap. “You have calluses on your palm and fingers.”

She squeezed her hands tighter. “How do you know?”

“I felt them straight away when we shook hands.”

“That’s what you were doing. I thought you were—”She trailed off, sounding almost disappointed.

Rico grinned. “Holding your hand? I was doing that as well, querida.”

She ignored the endearment and shrugged again. “I’ve been well-trained. I’m good.”

“I bet you are.” He tapped the seat beside him. “Why don’t you come and sit next to me and tell me what else you’re good at?”

Her gaze shot from the seat, to him, and back again. “I’m quite comfortable here, thank you.” Reaching out, she picked up her glass, swallowed the liquid in one gulp, and coughed. “Wow.” She picked up the silver flask, poured herself another measure. “Whiskey? From Earth? Another hobby of yours—the study of ancient human beverages?”

“Something like that,” he murmured, watching in amusement as she swallowed the second glassful. To someone not used to alcohol it could be potent stuff. He sat back and sipped his own drink, anticipating the exact moment the alcohol hit her bloodstream. She rose unsteadily to her feet, her gaze narrowing on the flask as if it were a gas grenade, primed and ready to explode. “Have you drugged me?”

“Not exactly.”

Her brow furrowed. “What does not exactly mean?” She reached out a hand and rested it on the desk, swaying a tad leeward. “I feel a little odd.”

Very few people had encountered alcohol—it had been banned in the early twenty-first century as detrimental to human life. Still, he’d never seen quite such a dramatic effect before. But then, he normally drank with Tannis, who could drink even him under the table. He got up and strode to where Skylar stood. She didn’t protest as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He sat down, settling her in his lap. The curve of her bottom pressed against his groin, and he rested his back against the wall, savoring the feel of her, hard yet soft in all the interesting places.

“Lie still,” he murmured. “You’ll feel better in a minute.”

She opened her eyes and blinked up at him. “What have you done to me?”

“Nothing on purpose. Don’t worry, the effect will pass.”

“It’s quite nice. I close my eyes and the world spins.”

“Haven’t you ever taken recreational drugs?”

She shook her head. “Never. My family would not have approved, and once I was in the army, they were banned. ”

“Well your family isn’t here now.”

“No, they’re not.” She sighed and wriggled against him. He was sure it was unintentional, but his body responded, his hips lifting.

She was drunk.

A better man wouldn’t take advantage of that fact. Sometimes he was inordinately pleased he was not a better man. He ran a finger under her chin, raised her head, and kissed her. Skylar didn’t move as he slipped his tongue between her lips. She tasted of whiskey and something else, something unique, but as divine as he’d expected, and he leisurely stroked his tongue along the length of hers, feeling her shiver in his arms.

She wriggled again, and this time he suspected it was intentional. Shifting in his arms, she straddled him, a knee on either side of his hips, pressing herself down, rubbing against him until his cock ached with need.

He instinctively pushed up against her, and she moaned low in her throat.

At the throaty purr, desire burned in his belly, his gums ached. He wanted nothing more than to toss her on her back and take her in every way possible, but something held him back. Some crazy need to know this wasn’t entirely because of the alcohol she had consumed. He went still as shock hit him in the gut.

What a goddamn stupid time to develop a conscience.

She scattered small kisses across his face and throat, her fingers biting into his shoulders. It took her a minute to realize he wasn’t responding, and then she drew back from him. “You’ve stopped.”

Rico studied her. Her cheeks were flushed and a small pulse throbbed in her throat, but her eyes were clear. “How do you feel?”

She sat back on her heels, a confused frown furrowing her brow as she considered her answer. Her gaze wandered over him, and a slow smile spread across her face. “I feel wonderful.”