at her sudden hopeful interest. “I got caught.”
“How?” Her obvious surprise was very flattering.
“My brother sold me out. Evan brought me into The Crew to get out of one scrape and then sacrificed me to worm his way out of another.”
Briana gaped. “How could anyone do that to a family member?”
“Not everyone has the sense of familial loyalty you do. It’s one of the many things I admire about you.”
Pushing away from the console, Bree came over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. The small gesture of comfort hit him with such force, he was glad to be seated.
He swallowed hard and looked away, staring out the bridge window at the endless space beyond. “Evan tapped into my cargo droid and downloaded all of my routes. Then he asked me to switch runs with him. He said he had a girlfriend on Rashier 6 who was getting upset that he was visiting so infrequently. His route paid more than mine so I traded without question and considered myself lucky. But he was under investigation and I was taken into custody in his place. I spent three years on Hazin Prime.”
Standing, Alex moved to the window and put distance between them. There was too much he couldn’t say and his attachment to her was strong enough that she would sense his turmoil if he stayed too close.
He couldn’t tell her how Derek Atkinson had come to the vamp penal colony and offered him a second chance to live a worthy life. He couldn’t tell her that he worked on the same side of the law as she did. He couldn’t tell her that his interest in her went far beyond money, blood or carnal pleasure. The most he could do was take a deep breath and pray that she would want him anyway.
“Why didn’t you start over when you got out?” she asked behind him and he could feel her despondency. She didn’t know that he’d begun his life anew. And he couldn’t tell her.
“It’s hard to find gainful employment when you have a record. No one trusts you.”
“By all accounts, you have enough credits to quit.”
“I couldn’t quit flying. It’s in my blood. It’s as much a part of me as my vampirism.”
“What about the tourist trade?”
“I don’t qualify for a permit.” Alex turned around and his heart clenched at the sight of her distress. It took everything he had to hold his tongue when all he wanted in the universe was to tell her that he was the type of man she wished he was. “Is it that important to you to that I fall into the status quo?”
Briana held out her hands to him. “I want you to work for me. I could use a private transport and—”
“Are you insane?” he asked with wide eyes.
“It was just a bit of smuggling, not—”
“It wasn’t ‘just a bit of smuggling’, Bree. Those blasters you mentioned? I had those on board plus half a hold full of photon torpedoes.” Of course, The Crew had led him to believe he was helping the Gorans fight ethnic cleansing, but then he hadn’t done the research to verify that. In truth, he hadn’t wanted to know. He’d just wanted to believe.
“Oh.” She sank into his captain’s chair.
Mentally kicking himself for saying the words that would push her away, Alex turned his back to her, his fists clenching with frustration.
“I don’t understand,” she said softly behind him. “I just can’t picture you doing those things without a qualm.”
“Why not?” he bit out.
“Because I just can’t.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t know me.”
“I know you had enough honor not to have sex with me last night, even though I begged you to, just because you didn’t want me to regret it.” Her voice drew closer. “I know you put yourself in harm’s way for me yesterday, for no good reason at all.”
“Don’t you think you might be rationalizing goodness in me when there isn’t any, just so you feel comfortable wanting to fuck me?”
“Hmmm…” Her fingers brushed along his wrist, instantly turning his ire into heated lust. “So
“How?” Her obvious surprise was very flattering.
“My brother sold me out. Evan brought me into The Crew to get out of one scrape and then sacrificed me to worm his way out of another.”
Briana gaped. “How could anyone do that to a family member?”
“Not everyone has the sense of familial loyalty you do. It’s one of the many things I admire about you.”
Pushing away from the console, Bree came over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. The small gesture of comfort hit him with such force, he was glad to be seated.
He swallowed hard and looked away, staring out the bridge window at the endless space beyond. “Evan tapped into my cargo droid and downloaded all of my routes. Then he asked me to switch runs with him. He said he had a girlfriend on Rashier 6 who was getting upset that he was visiting so infrequently. His route paid more than mine so I traded without question and considered myself lucky. But he was under investigation and I was taken into custody in his place. I spent three years on Hazin Prime.”
Standing, Alex moved to the window and put distance between them. There was too much he couldn’t say and his attachment to her was strong enough that she would sense his turmoil if he stayed too close.
He couldn’t tell her how Derek Atkinson had come to the vamp penal colony and offered him a second chance to live a worthy life. He couldn’t tell her that he worked on the same side of the law as she did. He couldn’t tell her that his interest in her went far beyond money, blood or carnal pleasure. The most he could do was take a deep breath and pray that she would want him anyway.
“Why didn’t you start over when you got out?” she asked behind him and he could feel her despondency. She didn’t know that he’d begun his life anew. And he couldn’t tell her.
“It’s hard to find gainful employment when you have a record. No one trusts you.”
“By all accounts, you have enough credits to quit.”
“I couldn’t quit flying. It’s in my blood. It’s as much a part of me as my vampirism.”
“What about the tourist trade?”
“I don’t qualify for a permit.” Alex turned around and his heart clenched at the sight of her distress. It took everything he had to hold his tongue when all he wanted in the universe was to tell her that he was the type of man she wished he was. “Is it that important to you to that I fall into the status quo?”
Briana held out her hands to him. “I want you to work for me. I could use a private transport and—”
“Are you insane?” he asked with wide eyes.
“It was just a bit of smuggling, not—”
“It wasn’t ‘just a bit of smuggling’, Bree. Those blasters you mentioned? I had those on board plus half a hold full of photon torpedoes.” Of course, The Crew had led him to believe he was helping the Gorans fight ethnic cleansing, but then he hadn’t done the research to verify that. In truth, he hadn’t wanted to know. He’d just wanted to believe.
“Oh.” She sank into his captain’s chair.
Mentally kicking himself for saying the words that would push her away, Alex turned his back to her, his fists clenching with frustration.
“I don’t understand,” she said softly behind him. “I just can’t picture you doing those things without a qualm.”
“Why not?” he bit out.
“Because I just can’t.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t know me.”
“I know you had enough honor not to have sex with me last night, even though I begged you to, just because you didn’t want me to regret it.” Her voice drew closer. “I know you put yourself in harm’s way for me yesterday, for no good reason at all.”
“Don’t you think you might be rationalizing goodness in me when there isn’t any, just so you feel comfortable wanting to fuck me?”
“Hmmm…” Her fingers brushed along his wrist, instantly turning his ire into heated lust. “So
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