Space Wrangler by Kate Donovan Page B

But Alexia and TJ weren’t providing that sort of information. Rather, they were talking in code, so that “Remember the time Trent broke his arm?” produced a gale of laughter, and “Dad and his alarm system, right?” made the duo roll their eyes in tribute to some anecdote that resonated with them as much as it frustrated Rick.
    So what was he doing here instead of at the brothel? If only Sensie were able to hear this conversation, she’d be savvy enough to send a fake distress message so he could leave. But the range of her audio sensors, while broad, couldn’t penetrate walls. Had they been dining on the balcony, things would be different. But as it stood, he was on his own.
    Just when he was ready to invent an excuse to bolt, Alexia stood up and asked, “Is it just me? Or is it roasting in here?” Then she stripped off her jacket and sat back down, her golden-brown shoulders completely exposed.
    No way was he leaving now. Sure, it was torture, but too good to pass up.
    Then she turned to him, her eyes dancing with mischief. “TJ says you prefer sex with bio-girls instead of real dates. Is that true?”
    He cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t say I prefer it. It’s just less complicated.”
    TJ grinned. “You sound like Trent. He used to say sex was like food and shelter. It could be great, but as long as it was good enough, he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it.”
    Alexia’s eyes narrowed. “You guys are so unromantic.”
    â€œNot me,” TJ protested. “I’m a born lover. It’s Rick and Trent who think quickies are better.”
    â€œNot better,” Rick said, his tone unintentionally harsh. “Just simpler.”
    Alexia gave TJ a teasing glare. “Don’t make him mad. He’s armed, remember? Or at least—” her gaze shifted toward the far side of the room, “—the coat rack is armed.”
    Rick relaxed a bit, amused that she had noticed his jacket and gun belt. If anything, she seemed to blame TJ for the fact he wasn’t actually wearing them, which was fine with him.
    Alexia turned her attention back to Rick. “Tell me why you call yourself a wrangler. I like it—don’t get me wrong—but you’re really more of a salvager, right? Finding old space debris that contains bio-metal, and then selling it so it can be recycled?”
    â€œA salvager?” he asked, still distracted by the sizzling heat of her golden-brown skin. “That’s—well, that’s wrong.” Squaring his shoulders, he added more forcefully, “I’m a wrangler because I go after space metal that fights back. Not lifeless pieces of junk.”
    â€œI thought the Destroyers got rid of everything that moved. Except the Titans, of course.”
    Before he could respond, she continued. “Do you have a theory why they left the Titans intact? Trent thought maybe they actually couldn’t turn them off or destroy them. Not completely, at least. So they disconnected the brains, but preserved minimum functioning. That’s why they trudge in circles.”
    Rick shrugged. “Either they couldn’t destroy them, or they couldn’t bring themselves to do it. It’s a funny thing, right? Half machine, half living creature. So destroying them would be equivalent to taking a life.”
    TJ exhaled in disgust. “Most of the Destry buildings and machines contained bio-metal, but that didn’t stop the Destroyers from demolishing them . I think it was more—much more—than that. There was something unique about the Titans beyond the fact that they were animate.”
    â€œHave you seen them up close?” Alexia asked Rick.
    â€œYeah, they’re amazing. I saw pictures and videos before I came through the sinkhole, but man—they didn’t do them justice. And not just their size either, although they’re effing huge. And lifelike even