Scent of Treachery by Smith, T.L. (free books to read txt) 📕

food, reaching for the drink pack. It wasn’t what she’d told Denny to prepare for her, but a nutrient enhanced juice, Taylor’s demand after a lecture that she had to eat better for the transition. “I’m not leaving.”

Nick shook his head at her proclamation. “The Alliance has orders to remove us, all of us.”

“This is private property, not an Alliance station.” Jayda was ready to practice her argument with Nick. “We only agreed to be an emergency depot since we’re inside this route’s boundary.” She downed the juice.

“Imminent danger.”

“Is over. They blew it, literally and figuratively.”

“There’s that sense of humor I’ve been missing.” Nick grinned his crooked smirk. “You might have blown them up, but the people behind it are still out there. It wouldn’t be the first time criminals came after the victim out of spite. Whether you like it or not, I’m not leaving you out here by yourself.”

“I’m not leaving, even if I have to lock myself in the core.”

She expected Nick to argue with her. She wanted him to, but he simply sat there staring at her. Finally he reached out and pushed her food closer. “Eat.” He stood up, slowly walking towards the door. “You have a few days to change your mind.”

“I won’t!” Jayda shouted as he disappeared.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY

 

 

She wanted him to go. She wanted them all to go, even Denny, who begged to stay. She bit down on the urge to allow it. He had to go too. He needed to find his real family.

At fifteen he needed to find out who he was supposed to be, before he’d been stolen away. The Alliance would compare his DNA to missing person reports. In the meantime they could recondition him back into normal life. Something he wouldn’t get staying with her.

Either Breeze or Dolan took her refusal to leave seriously, ordering the engineers to repair the airlock and move radar equipment from their wrecked ship to the Sienna, incorporating it into the EWS. The rest of the crew worked to make what other repairs they could, if only to clean up the station from all the shrapnel.

All of this was reported to her through Denny as she kept track of the approaching Alliance ship. Well before they entered the perimeter, and before Nick could stop her, she slipped into her lab, locking herself down.

The Alliance captain tried to bully her into coming out, reiterating Foster’s orders, but she refused to budge. Eventually he gave up on his orders and continued evacuating the station.

Jayda waited until the computer confirmed the ship’s departure, remotely resealing her airlock before venturing out of her lab. Though she kept telling herself this was what she wanted, feeling the sudden emptiness was painful.

They were all gone. She went to the galley and watched the large ship slip further and further from the station. The Dolan 4 and the shell of the GR ship securely in tow.

Jayda watched the ships pass the perimeter. No arguing, no good-byes, exactly what she’d demanded. She got what she wanted, so why did it feel like someone had cut out her heart a second time. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she saw the flash of them going to FTL.

“I thought you’d be happy to see everyone gone?”

Hearing a voice behind her made her fall out of the portal, she stumbled to gain her balance, backing away from where Nick had snuck up on her. “Why are you still here?” She looked over her shoulder, out into empty space.

“I told you I wasn’t going to let you stay out here alone.” Nick stalked after her. “If you refuse to go back in-system, then so do I.”

“No…” Jayda’s vision blurred. “Your family… the business...”

“It’s a big family.” He caught her arms, preventing her from slipping away. “And the business has been running just fine without me. Besides, I don’t exactly fit in, which seems to be a theme for the three of us. We’re a misfit family of our own.”

“The three of us?” Jayda looked at Nick, then around the room. “Who else is here?”

“The kid. Leaving terrified him so bad he started having full-on panic attacks. Seems the pirates did a good job teaching the Vanished that we won’t care he was kidnapped and he’d be punished.”

“We wouldn’t.” Jayda felt the counter at her back. She had no escape. “You told him that, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but he only trusts you, and me, a little.” Nick brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “Then there’s you, so wrapped up in guilt you’re terrified to leave, and hating how you feel. You hate being alone. It’s time to stop punishing yourself. I know you’re scared…”

“Am not!”

“Yeah, then why were you sitting here watching everyone leave and crying?”

“I wasn’t crying!” She said it, wiping tears off her cheeks, looking anywhere but up into Nick’s eyes.

“You couldn’t force yourself to leave this place, but you don’t want to be alone anymore. I don’t want you to be alone anymore.”

“So, you’re going to give up everything until you convince me to leave. Why? Then what? You take off back to your real life?”

“Only if you come with me!” He pulled her to him. “Somehow I’m going to convince you I’m not going to take off, or die. No matter how long we have to stay out here.” His lip curled up on one side. “Crazy as it sounds, I got a thing for that smart-assed chick who answered our first hail. The wounded creature beneath confused me a bit, but when push came to shove, you found your strength again.”

Nick pulled her even closer, forcing her to look up at him. “I’m staying because I want to stay with you. What do you want?”

The knife in her chest slid free. The beating of her heart returned as a thousand words warred in her chest to break free, to deny, to argue. Instinct told her to push him away, but her arms refused to obey. The