Retribution (7 page)

Without a word to
Kain
, he exited the pod as soon as it landed.

“Mel, I’m heading for the bridge. Do you remember where your room is from last time?”

“Yes, but—”

He didn’t listen for the rest. Rave couldn’t be around
Kain
right now. He had to figure out how to get off the planet. Hopefully, Se had a plan ready to go. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d devised an exit strategy in a tight situation.

When he walked onto the deck, Se was already pushing buttons.

“You’d better strap in, Rave. It’s about to get bumpy.”

He barely had time to sit down before the ship jerked.

“Try not to do any damage, will
ya
?”

“You want a go at this?”

“You’re doing great. Just be gentle.” His try at humour fell flat, his thoughts still on the betrayal. Why? That question repeated in his mind. What was
Kain’s
ulterior motive? Could he really gain anything from fucking Rave over? Shit, why did it have to be so hard?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Se said, without looking up from the computer.

“Stay out of my head, Se.” He followed her movements, helping with some adjustments. He worked on keeping the
coms
silent.

“Don’t shut him out. Not yet.”

“I said to stay out.” He paused and changed the subject. “Are we clear?” He hoped he sounded calmer. It wasn’t
Se’s
fault he had doubts about
Kain
.

“Crystal.” She continued working the control panel.

The ship jolted. Se shook her head and her fingers glided over the buttons. Rave made a few adjustments to trajectory.

“I didn’t mean that Se.” He sighed.
 
“I was talking about the planet.”

“I’m clear about that, too.
Just cleared the patrol.
So far, no one has given chase.”

Just as the words left her mouth, the ship jerked again and the alarm bells sounded.

Chapter Seven

“What the hell was that?” Mel questioned from the floor.

Kain
turned to where Mel had fallen. He put out a hand to help her up. “My guess is we’ve been hit. Go to your room. You should be safe there.”

“What if someone is hurt? I am a doctor. Who all is on board?” She sounded worried.

“Just the four of us—you, me, Rave and Se.”

“Why such a small group?”

“It’s too complicated to get into right now. Let’s just get you safe,” his said, distracted. He wanted to make sure Rave wasn’t hurt.

They started walking away from the pod bay towards the living quarters.

“Don’t hurt him again.”

It was said so softly that he almost missed it.

“Mel, I don’t know if this matters, but I didn’t mean to hurt him the first time. I followed orders when I shouldn’t have.”

“I saw his face when the call came through about the ship being captured. I heard him too, although he doesn’t think I did. He said you lied. Don’t hurt him,
Kain
. That’s all I ask.”

Kain
looked down at the floor. When things got screwed up, why was it his fault? His heart sank at the thought of hurting Rave again. Why couldn’t the man trust him? He ran a hand over his face. Would it always be this way? A small set back and
Kain
was back on the outside. Fuck!

“I want to love him, if he’ll let me, but we have a lot of past to clear up first. After New Moon is safe, I’ll make him believe me.”

She nodded and stopped at a door he assumed belonged to her room.

“Don’t make me come after you,
Kain
Adam Sims.”

He grinned. “I don’t want that.” His smiled disappeared. “I love him, Mel, more than anything. That’s why we’re in this mess. I listened to the wrong people.”

“Don’t do it again.” She squeezed his arm and entered the room.

Now he had to face the firing squad. If he was lucky, Rave would hit him and get it over with.
Kain
could deal with the violent explosion. Silence would be worse.

The ship shook again.

What is the Alliance playing at now?

He couldn’t understand why they would jump the gun on the warrant. Either someone was out of the loop, or he and Rave were being double-crossed. If that was the case, the faster they figured out what was going on, the better. He’d have to contact General Fritz.
Kain
didn’t want to do that, but the options were slim to none.

He entered the bridge to Se and Rave having words.

“Can you lose them?” Rave asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing here, Rave? Baking cookies? We’ll be off their radar in five…four…three…two…one.”

The
Retribution
shook, flattening
Kain
to the corridor wall. There was nothing like a good space jump to keep the heart pumping. His stomach churned, and he forced himself not to throw up. The ship quickly stabilised, and he could breathe again.

Rave must have heard him because he turned and started towards the door where
Kain
stood.
Kain
braced himself for what would come, but Rave didn’t punch him. He got into
Kain’s
face, so close
Kain
didn’t have to strain to hear the whisper.

“You’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you before this is over. Fuck you,
Kain
.”

Kain
would not take the blame for something the Alliance had set up. Not this time. He would fight for his man.
Kain
grabbed Rave’s shirt to turn the tables on him. Rave didn’t struggle as he looked at
Kain
with hatred in his eyes.

“Not this time,”
Kain
repeated aloud. “I’m not taking the blame. It wasn’t supposed to go down this way. Someone is setting us up, and I’m going to find out
who
. I wouldn’t screw this up. Not now, when I’m so close to getting you back. I love you, Rave. That’s never changed. You may not believe it, but I’ve been trying to protect you for two years. Yes, I did a piss-poor job and you ended up on DI. If I could change that hell for you, I would. But it’s in the past. Give me a chance. I’ll figure this out.”

The fight drained out of Rave, and he slumped against the doorway.
Kain
held him up.

“I can’t take much more of this,
Kain
. I’ve been through too much. Your word might not be enough for me. My heart wants me to jump in with both feet, but my head says to kill you now and get it over with.”

“Let’s listen to your heart.”
Kain
tried to grin, but failed. He took Rave’s lips instead, a gentle brush of mouth against mouth.

“Okay, guys.
Enough kissy,
huggy
stuff.
Let’s get this figured out before someone dies.”

Kain
stepped away from Rave. “I have to get in touch with General Fritz to find out why the plan changed and on whose orders. This whole mission is his baby.”

“Why would I want to contact the man responsible for my trip to DI?”

“Because, if we are getting set up, Fritz can lead us to the person trying to fuck us over.”

He could tell Rave didn’t want to agree, but he did.

“Computer, authorise
Kain
Sims for
coms
and ship security.”

“Voice print activated.”

Rave waved for him to answer the ship’s computer.

“
Kain
Sims,”
Kain
said.

“Voice print accepted. Please confirm.”

“
Kain
Sims,” he repeated.

“Eye scan initiated.”

Kain
leaned over the monitor and placed his eye on the scanner.

“Scan complete and entered into the system. Welcome,
Kain
Sims.”

“You’re cleared into the ship’s systems. Now make the damn call, and let’s finish this. Se, how close are we to
Seid
II?”

“We should be there in
under
five hours,” she answered.

Kain
went to the
coms
and got to work. He wanted this over just as badly as Rave.
Maybe even more.

Rave focused on Se, trying to block out
Kain’s
movements. “What planets are close by and safe enough to drop off Mel?”

Rave hoped his renewed faith in
Kain
would hold. If they stood a chance, he would have to forgive some of the past. He was beginning to see that
Kain
was just as much of a victim in this whole mess as he was. Se interrupted his inner musings.

“We have some friends on Cooper Prime. Rock might take her in.”

“He owes us a favour. See if he’ll meet us in orbit. I’ll go talk to Mel.”

Rock was a good man. Rave had met him shortly after his stay on DI. With Rock’s help, he’d purchased
Retribution
. Along the way, they’d become friends. Rock wanted more, but Rave hadn’t had anything to give, and by the time he had, Rock had meant too much to him to become a causal fuck.

Rave looked back at
Kain
. The man spoke quietly into the
coms
. Rave couldn’t make out what
Kain
said, but it didn’t matter. He had to trust the man.

He left the bridge and headed to his sister’s room.

“Mel, can I come in?”

“Sure thing.”
Rave heard through the door as it slid open.

Mel looked comfortable sitting on the couch. The room looked the same as his only smaller. He really did love this ship.

“Sorry about the bumpy ride.”

“Tell me what this is about, and I’ll forgive you.”

He sat beside Mel on the couch. “I told you a little.”

“We have a time, I’m sure. Now, tell me the rest.”

“Okay, here goes. This whole thing is because of the Alliance. They faked my crime and sent me to that damn prison planet as a cover for a mission I knew nothing about. Jump to now and
Kain
is back as part of the ‘cover’. For some unknown reason, they thought it would be a bright idea for me to ‘kidnap’
Kain
before picking up a weapon that can kill planets. It has something to do with the Royalists,
And
I really don’t care anymore. I want this over.”

She hugged him, and he let her. Her comfort wrapped around him.

“Do you still love him?”

Rave knew who she meant, but he didn’t know if he really wanted to answer. If he kept it to himself, it couldn’t hurt him, right? Still, he gave in.

“God, yes, Mel.
I shouldn’t. Not after what happened, but I do. I’m so angry with him. Logically, I know he isn’t to blame. That the Alliance is behind it all.”

“He looks like shit. Maybe you should give him a break.”

Her spot-on observation caused him to laugh, an honest to goodness laugh. It felt good. His sister had a way of cutting to the chase, and she was right, he needed to give
Kain
a break. He broke the hug and stood up.

“Thanks for that, it felt nice to laugh.
Now, on to serious business.
Someone issued a warrant for the kidnapping. It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.
Kain
is trying to figure out what’s going on, and I need to get you off the ship. I want you safe.”

“Rave—”

 
“No, sis.
You have to do this for me. I won’t be able to focus if I think you’re in danger. I have a friend, Rock, on Cooper Prime. He’ll protect you, and my mind will be at ease. I’ll handle this then have you back home in no time.
Deal?”

He stuck out his hand, relief setting in when she took it.

“I’ll do this for you because I love you, but I expect you to visit more. No more showing up only when things are bad.”

“After this is settled, we’ll have a date. We should be there in about an hour. Rest for a bit, okay?”

He turned to leave, but she stopped him.

“Oh, and make sure
Kain
is with you,” she said.

He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Would they even still be together by then or would he push
Kain
away for more imagined betrayals. He wanted nothing more than to have things back to they way they used to be, but that couldn’t happen. Things were too different now. He nodded once before leaving. Loving someone shouldn’t be this hard.

Rave knew he should go back to
Kain
and Se, but his body told him it was time to take a break. The emotional strain of being around
Kain
drained him.
Being at war with himself sucked.
He took the coward’s way out and paged Se from his room.

A couple of seconds later, Se came over the com.

“What’s up?”

“Did Rock agree to pick up Mel?”

“Yes, he’ll dock on our ship in one hour. Where are you?”

“My quarters.
I’ll be back in time to see Mel off.
Computer, end communications.”

Rave lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, but he couldn’t get the image of
Kain
to go away. Not the present day
Kain
, but the one he’d first met. God, they’d been young and so naïve, believing everything the Alliance fed them. He snorted at himself.

His eyes opened when a knock sounded at his door. He should have expected it.

“Enter.”

And there he was. Neither of them spoke as
Kain
stepped inside and the door closed behind him. Rave let his heart win this round. He stood and slipped off his boots while
Kain
watched. His shirt came off next, followed closely by his pants then he stood before
Kain
, naked and fully erect.

Kain’s
gaze travelled up and down his body, and he licked his lips. He followed Rave’s lead and slowly undressed. His clothes drop behind him as came forward. He stopped in front of Rave, and Rave opened his arms.

“Are you sure?”
Kain
sounded hesitant.

“I can’t forget it all, but right now, I need you. Make me forget. Love me like you used to.”