Stripper: The Fringe, Book 4 (21 page)

Tilting his face with a pained, curious expression, Michael smiled for the first time. “After all I’ve done, you still want to help me?”

“Long ago, we made a deal to remain friends to the end. I’m as committed to that as I ever was. Let me live in my house with my wife and son, and I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

“Diane will betray you again. I know it as sure as I know I’m standing here right now.” The utter conviction in his voice was compelling, but Duster had already made his decision.

“It’s my choice to make, Michael, not yours.”

“But—”

“I appreciate you trying to act like my dad, but you’re not.”

A wry smile crossed Michael’s face.

“You’re ten years older than me, not twenty. And I feel kinda silly pointing this out, but I’m not a little kid. I have to take my lumps just like everybody else.”

A frown deepened the lines on either side of Michael’s mouth. “What if this time her betrayal devastates you?”

Again, Duster wanted to ask what Michael had smelled on Diane, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. It would betray Diane if he did. “If you think I’m going into this blindly, I’m not. We’ve agreed to work together to give Scott a home. Like what I never had. What you never had.”

Michael nodded. “You’d take her back into your life just for your son?”

“Yes. I don’t think she did what she did seven years ago maliciously. She did it because she felt she had no other option. If she makes a bad choice again, I’ll deal with it. You can’t do it for me.”

“I really—” Michael took a deep breath, then whispered low, barely audible, “I really need you right now.”

Respectful of what it cost Michael to admit that, Duster offered, arms open, “I’m here.” To his utter surprise, Michael whirled, embraced him in a fierce hug, then pulled sharply away, turning his back.

Michael had never hugged him before, even though Duster had offered plenty of times. He’d clasped his hand, gripped his shoulder, but not embraced him. Hugging was not a manly gesture, according to Michael. Duster was certain that idiotic belief had come from Michael’s father. Because of that asshole’s abuse, Michael hated being weak or needy, but more than anything, he hated being powerless.

“I need you too.” Softening the moment with humor, Duster popped off, “As Kraft would say, ‘Tell you what, I can’t go anywhere without your say-so.’”

“Indeed.” Michael laughed. Carefully he turned.

“See? You didn’t burst into flames for hugging another man.”

“Granted. But I feel funny.”

“You’ll get over it.”

“Want your old job back?”

The very question rendered Duster damn near dumb for a second. “Are you serious?”

“Very.”

“You drunk?” Duster gave him a sniff, and Michael stood for inspection with that quirky little half grin on his face.

“No. Don’t blame it on that prop.” Michael laughed. “It looked like whisky but was actually cold coffee.”

“You sat and casually drank while you interrogated Diane, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. Cruel, condescending and ever conceited, I played the Commander.”

“She knows you’re Overlord.”

“Then I played the overbearing, officious and offensive Overlord to a faultless tee. Just like I always do.” Michael considered. “Odd. My act never seems to work on you.”

“I know your tricks.”

“Indeed.” Michael conceded the point with a nod. “With what’s coming with Mary, I need someone I can count on to run things. You’ve proved yourself to me again. For about the millionth time.”

“And all it took was a hug.”

Michael gave him a look.

Duster offered out his arms again.

“Please don’t start.” Michael took half a step back.

“It felt really good. Especially since you’ve got your shirt off.”

“Duster.” Michael said his name in a warning tone. “Proceeding with this joke will not end well for you.”

Duster dropped his arms to his sides. “So, am I Master-of-Arms to Windmere or Prime Bastard?”

“Since I still owe you the naming of this ball of rock, I guess we’re back to Windmere.” Michael paused. “Which reminds me, maybe now you’ll tell me the meaning of that name.”

“Not today.” No, this was not the time for Michael to find out his planet was, in a roundabout way, named after Diane. “What about Diane?”

“She’s your problem.” Michael shook his head. “I’ll stay out of it, but I insist she have limited security—”

“I’m not about to give her the keys to the kingdom.” Duster felt as if he’d just been through the proverbial emotional wringer. His whole mind and body hurt in ways he’d never experienced. “Let’s go see how bad the damage to your hand is.”

“Later. There’s something we need to do first.”

Chapter Fifteen

Diane sat in a cell that was against Mary’s cell. Thick glass walls prevented them from talking, but it became increasingly obvious Mary was in a great deal of emotional pain. Desperately trying not to cry, Mary would dig her nails into her leg to try to stave off tears. When she succumbed to them anyway, she would pound her pillow, then kick it around her cell.

Embarrassed by the intensity of her display, the two guards who had been watching them respectfully retreated to a room off to the far side of the cells. They looked over a few times, then turned their attention to a card game.

Wanting to reach out and touch her and remove the pain from her, Diane sat inept, unable to offer so much as a word of comfort. Focusing on Mary’s pain made Diane forget her own.

Where could Scott be? Or Duster? Diane felt alone in a poignant way. Alone with the dark thought that Michael could ruin any chance she had to start over with Duster.

Had Michael really smelled something on her, something that indicated she would betray Duster again? Or was he just screwing with her? If anything happened, anything that Duster perceived as betrayal, she had no idea what he would do. Their relationship was tenuous at best. Working together to protect Scott had brought them closer, but how long would that last? She didn’t like the idea of living her life in fear of making an innocent mistake and being accused of deliberately hurting Duster.

Diane looked once again to Mary, who rubbed her right leg with a comforting series of strokes. Mary looked up and smiled, then shrugged, almost as if she was apologizing.

In return, Diane shook her head, shrugged, as if to say this wasn’t Mary’s fault.

Grinning impishly, Mary checked the two guards, who made a point of ignoring them, then put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

Curious, Diane watched as Mary fished a small disk from her boot. Holding it up proudly, Mary stood on her cell bed, slapped it to the wires that led out of her cell, then plopped down on the bed before the guards noticed. Not even half a second had elapsed.

“Can you hear me?” Mary asked as if she already knew the answer.

“Yes,” Diane whispered, delighted, yet she couldn’t quash a rush of guilt. This was exactly the kind of thing Michael would blame on her.

“Don’t think the two guards can.” Mary breathed on her nails, then rubbed them briskly across her chest. “Sometimes it’s just too damn easy.” Mary caught her gaze and winked. “Neat, huh?”

Diane could see why Duster called her Scary Mary and respected her ability to thwart security. Mary wore a crisp outfit that was all dark, royal purple—from her boots to her shirt. Yet her creamy coffee-brown eyes and hair and her clear, light skin brought the color to life. Purple Lady of Corona. Like Duster said, she didn’t look dangerous at all. Except for that wicked gleam in her eyes.

“Turn your back to the guards.” Mary flopped back on her bunk as if she gave up. “Got a feeling they’d get a little peeved if they found out we’re chatting.”

Diane kept her back to the guards as she reclined on her bunk. “Thank you for helping us.”

“You’re so welcome that I got your son taken away and you tossed into lockdown.” Mary glared at the ceiling as she said it.

“At least I’m still alive.” But for how long? “Do you know where Scott or Duster are?”

“I’m sure Scott’s safe. Whatever Michael said to you, he won’t hurt a little boy. As for Duster?” Mary shrugged. “He’s probably in Michael’s office. They’re probably verbally dueling it out like always. Those two got a real knack for arguing with each other. It’s really kinda funny unless you happen to be the subject of it. At the moment, I’m quite sure you’re the subject of the verbal bashing fest rather than me.”

“What’s going to happen to you?”

“My oh-so-loving husband will let me out when he’s done being mad at me.” Mary looked around her cell. “Or I’ll break out.”

Diane didn’t doubt for a moment that Mary could. “Why did you help us?”

“Because I like Duster. I got a lot of newfound respect for a man who could tolerate Michael as a boss for seven years. I’ve been doing Duster’s job about seven days, and I’ve had enough.” Mary rolled her eyes, then smiled. “But I also found out Michael and I are going to be parents soon.”

Mary touched her belly in a fond way that shot an instant pang of longing through Diane. To be pregnant again, this time with Duster around, would be incredible. But then memories of Scott’s birth spiked fear along her nerves. That night had been terrifying. She’d thought that both of them would die.

“Congratulations.” Diane smiled at Mary through the glass.

“Thanks. I think Michael’s still adjusting to the idea.” Mary bit her lip and shot Diane a worried frown. “What did you do to piss him off so bad?”

Diane found herself at her first crossroads. She wanted to tell Mary the truth, but she didn’t want to be the one to tell Mary her husband was once a slaver.

Tilting her head curiously, Mary said, “I know about Michael’s sordid past.”

Diane’s eyes went wide. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Got a knack. So, tell me.”

After a long sigh, Diane summed it up in so many words about slavery, Network Thirteen and the shuttle. When she was done, Mary frowned.

“Sounds like you didn’t have much of a choice.” Mary rubbed her leg, and Diane wondered if she’d bumped it when she’d rescued them.

“I didn’t, but Michael didn’t seem to care.”

“He’d never admit it, but he’s more mad you hurt Duster than him. Those two are like brothers. Twins, almost. If you hurt one, you hurt the other.”

“How can you love a man so—” Diane cut herself off. What a rude thing to even ask.

Mary laughed. “How can I love a man who comes across as the biggest, meanest, most massive bastard in the whole Void?”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that.”

“I’ve heard it put a lot worse.” Mary snickered. “I’ve called him a lot worse to his face.”

“And he didn’t hurt you?”

“Nope. He laughed. Let me guess—you had to face him in his office. You were bound hand and foot while he leaned against his big, important desk, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah-huh. He loves that power position. Michael’s a bit of a control freak. Sounds twisted, but it’s one of the reasons I love him.” Mary smiled up at the glass ceiling of her cell.

“Did he do that to you? I mean, bind you and make you stand for inspection like that?”

“I was bound, gagged
and
blindfolded. I, unfortunately, got caught stealing from him. Not a whole lot of stuff, nothing worth a whole lot, but enough to piss him off because I’d been getting away with it for years before he finally caught me. Or, rather, his triple-platinum Runner caught me.” Mary rolled to her side. “When my blindfold came off and I got a look at him, I thought I’d died and gone to some twisted version of heaven where the guy in charge turns out to be the sexiest devil in the universe.” Mary waggled her eyebrows. “I wanted to be all over him the second I saw him.”

Diane had to admit Michael wasn’t hard on the eyes. “But weren’t you afraid?”

“Of course, but I stood up to him anyway. He offered me a deal. To fight.”

Diane’s mouth dropped open. “You’re less than half his size!”

“Yeah. I think he thought I wouldn’t dare take him on in a fight.”

“But you did.”

“I had to. If I won, he’d let me go.”

“And if you lost?”

“I had to tell him why I was stealing from him, which I really didn’t want to tell him.”

“What happened?”

“I lost.” Mary nodded without shame. “But I still wouldn’t tell him. Not sure even now if I impressed him so much as I shocked him.” Mary laughed. “Eventually, he worked the truth out of me, but by that time, I’d already stolen his heart.”

“You really love him.” Diane couldn’t imagine anyone loving Michael.

“It’s mutual. And everything was great until Duster left. When Duster left, it’s like Michael lost his right arm.” Mary shot Diane a cool, speculative gaze. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way since we’ve been getting chummy here, but, word to the wise. If you hurt Michael or Duster or cause any problems for security, I will come after you myself.”