The Huntress (3 page)

“I said hands off.”

Hissing, she arched her body to try to relieve the pressure and snarled at him. “Where the hell have you been? I could have killed her ten times over by now!”

“Please! Don’t hurt her! We were just talking—”

“Get inside.” His deep voice was emotionless and implacable.

Mea could see the girl shifting uncertainly from side to side. “It’s all right. He and I need to have a chat, anyway,” she said with a reassuring wink and a grim smile.

The girl stayed for another second, eyes flicking between them, before she darted away into the shadows.

“Alone at last,” Mea quipped.

His hand tightened in her hair, proving that some people had no sense of humor. “How did you find us?”

“I followed your trail.”

“I don’t leave trails. Try again.”

She had to get him off this line of thought before he realized that she knew who he was and forced her to bring him in. For some reason, she was even more reluctant to do that now. An idea occurred to her and she spoke before thinking it all the way through. “I have a proposition for you—not that kind! And could you kindly leave me some scalp?”

He relaxed his grip a bit, and she eased back toward him to relieve the pressure.

“My proposition is this: You and your—daughter—could stay on my ship until you can find transport off this rock. I assume that’s why you’re still here.”

“Why would you do that?”

“She told me your story. It seems only right for me to help.” She eased back a bit more until her shoulder blade touched his chest, and tipped her head back slowly. “She shouldn’t be out here with the masses. It’s dangerous.” He had relaxed his grip to the point where she could move her head and she rubbed her sore scalp against his knuckles with a sigh. “Besides, I find you both—” she turned her head to meet his gaze, “—intriguing.”

The last word came out a bit strangled. This was the first time she had seen him up close, face to face, and without goggles. The effect was devastating. His eyes were dark as velvet night and his face had a strength that sent chills dancing along her skin and heat uncoiling in her abdomen. It wasn’t just lust, though there was plenty of that—a deep exhilaration told her that this hunt was over. She was staring but couldn’t seem to help it, feeling as though her world had just tipped precariously on axis. If souls had twins, she felt certain hers was standing a hint away, heating the very air that she breathed.

When she realized that he was also just staring into her eyes and his warm hand now cupped the back of her head, she let a slow smile curl her lips.

That didn’t last long.

“Not interested,” he muttered and shoved her away from him, stepping back into the darkness.

Her smile turned predatory as she spun languidly and sauntered into the dark after him. Her instincts told her he was lying—and she always followed her instincts. “Now, don’t dismiss the idea out of hand. Think about it awhile,” she murmured low in her throat.

She could see his shadow, but not much else. He, on the other hand, could see her more clearly. She let her eyes travel down and then back up, taking in every muscular inch of him. “I could always sweeten the deal.”

The point of his knife at her chest stopped her forward momentum. Eyeing it for a moment and then grinning up at him, she stepped to the right and began circling. “By that I mean if you haven’t found transport by the time I’m done here, I could take you myself to a destination of your choice.” She was pleased to see that he didn’t turn with her, just watched her when she moved behind him. “Think about it. Good food, hot shower, soft bed…”

On the last two words she ran a nail across the back of his neck. He reacted instantly, knocking her arm away and grabbing her throat. Slamming her up against the wall, he pressed the cold edge of the blade to her jugular. Stifling long years of training, she relaxed in his grip.

“I said, not interested.” His deep, inscrutable voice didn’t sound the least bit unnerved, but his actions said otherwise.

She chuckled low in her throat. “All right, stubborn. If your mind is made up.” She ran the backs of her fingers along the inside of his wrist.

He immediately released her and stepped back.

She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Oh, what a tasty treat you are, tiger,
she thought with hungry humor.

Mea headed for the stairs with remarkable restraint, speaking over her shoulder as she went. “If you change your mind, my ship is the
Starfire,
berth twelve at the spaceport. If anyone asks, just tell them Mea Brin sent you.”

He didn’t answer, but she hadn’t expected him to. Bemused and unsettled by the encounter, she paced through the settlement for a while before reactivating her transceiver. “Warren, I’m in trouble.”

Despite the humor in her voice, he reacted with alarm. “Do you need an evac?”

“No, not that kind of trouble.” She told him what had happened and what offer she had made, and then laughed into the dingy sky to hear him squawk.

*******

Terrik stared into the darkness. Her scent lingered on his fingers and his hand still tingled from touching her. Absently he rubbed it on his thigh. Everything about that little episode had been wrong. He knew instinctively that she wasn’t going to hurt the kid, but he’d grabbed her anyway. Then he’d looked into those big green eyes and suffered temptation. Dark hair like silk between his fingers, face like an angel, smile like a devil, and a body that would drop men to their knees…who wouldn’t be tempted? Fifteen years of prison hadn’t killed that in him, at least.

She was a hunter, though, and he’d remembered that before he did something stupid. But he still couldn’t believe she’d stalked him in the dark, her voice and the dangerous glide of her body a ruthless invitation. Awaking every primitive instinct in him. What was wrong with her? Maybe she knew who he was. But then, why the game?

He shook his head and rubbed a hand over the stubble on his scalp. He understood her motives about as well as he did his own reactions to her—powerfully drawn to the one person on this rock he should be avoiding like a plague. And what kind of a dumb-ass move was pulling a blade on a hunter—twice?

With another shake of his head he stepped into his quarters only to run into the kid, nearly knocking her over. Steadying her, he looked into her guilty face lit by the screen on the door. “Eavesdropping?” he asked, keeping his voice mild.

She gestured in disgust at the screen. “No audio. I only saw what happened.”

He stepped past her without further comment and keyed the bed to drop out of the wall. That left about a foot of space to maneuver around the room. He jerked his thumb at it, but Regan folded her arms, eyeing him with an expression he didn’t like.

“She’s still not afraid of you.”

Scowling, he sat against the wall next to the door. “Go to sleep, kid.”

Chapter 3

About forty-eight standard hours later, Regan tried to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible while she watched Terrik talk to a spacer. She didn’t think it was going too well, since the guy kept shaking his head. They were only ten paces away from her, but she still felt uneasy. Terrik now brought her with him when he went in search of transport, after someone had tried to break into their quarters.

She felt depression slide over her again. If he didn’t have her dragging him down, he’d have been out of here by now. She wondered for the millionth time if she should just run away and let him get on with it. She was pretty sure he was only taking care of her for Katie, because she’d saved his life. Never mind that Regan followed him around like a lost puppy. But she didn’t have anywhere to go and she wanted to be with him. Was that so bad?

“At least you’re wearing my cloak this time.”

Regan jumped a foot to hear Mea behind her.

“No, no, don’t turn around. I wouldn’t want him over here brandishing his knife again.”

The dry humor in the woman’s tone surprised a laugh out of her, and she muffled it with a guilty hand.

Then Mea’s voice turned serious. “I have some bad news. The port master became suspicious over your escape pod and ran a genetic trace of the contents. He found out who you two are and has called the authorities. They are sending another hunter for Terrik.”

Regan slowly turned to look up at Mea, feeling as though she’d just been dipped in ice. The hunter was a shadow among shadows, leaning against the wall with the nonchalance of a cat on the prowl. She should have scared Regan witless, but the woman’s expression was gentle, eyes warm and concerned.

“Y-you know who we are?”

“Yes, baby, I’ve always known.” A little smile tipped her lips and she touched a quick finger to the end of Regan’s nose. “The other hunter will be here in another half a day at most. I need you to give Terrik a message. Tell him the offer is still open.”

“What offer?”

But Mea’s smile disappeared, eyes flying past her. Turning, Regan saw Terrik moving toward them, but when she looked around again, the hunter was gone.

When he reached her, he asked, “What did she want?” in a level tone but didn’t stop moving.

She scurried to keep up with him. “We’ve got trouble. She knows who we are!”

He didn’t seem the least bit surprised, not even slowing down. When he didn’t respond, she told him the rest of the bad news.

“She says there’s another hunter on the way, coming for you. She says her offer is still open.”

That stopped him. He stared down at her for a long moment, face expressionless. She couldn’t see his eyes because he was wearing his goggles, and that blank stare made her squirm.

“What offer, Terrik?”

He still said nothing, turning his head slowly to stare into the dimness. Regan felt a cold knot form in her stomach.

“What offer?” she whispered.

He took her by the back of the neck and propelled her forward without replying. They walked for a while before she realized that they weren’t going back to their quarters.

“Where are we going?”

He didn’t answer, looking more remote than she’d seen him since the ship. The cold knot grew. Something was very wrong. After a short time, they entered the spaceport and stopped close to a sleek and silvery vessel.

“That’s her ship. Your ride. Go.”

She felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. “Without you?” she whispered. He said nothing, just folded his arms. “You’re just going to throw me to the hunter?”

“She won’t hurt you.”

“I know that, but I want to be with you. I—I…”

He shoved her roughly toward the ship. The sight of him rippled as tears streamed down her face.

“Just go, kid. I’m gonna have a hunter on my ass and you’ll just slow me down.” He turned away, but she went after him.

“But I can help! I can—”

“Don’t you get it?” he snarled, turning on her so fast she almost fell. “I’m sick of draggin’ you around! I only put up with your dead weight because your sister took my hit. You’re just lucky I haven’t sold your ass for transport.”

He left and she watched him go, collapsing to the ground. Sobbing as though her heart was breaking, she curled up in a ball. First her sister and now Terrik. Her life seemed to be an ever-widening pool of misery. Clutching her knees to the pain in her chest, she closed her eyes and rocked on the cold ground, fervently wishing it would all just end.

Some time later, strong hands lifted her up. She didn’t fight as she was carried away. She didn’t even bother to see who held her. She told herself that she didn’t care anymore what they did to her. But she winced and looked around when bright lights stung her eyes, blinking like a dazed kitten. They were in a ship. Curiosity snuck past her dark misery.

The man placed her gently down on a soft bed, and then stepped back. He was tall and slim, his hair brown and his eyes kind.

“Where— Who—”

“I’m Warren. I believe you know Mea. This is her ship, the
Starfire.”

Regan sat up slowly, wiping her face. “Her…ship?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“Yes. She said if you came to make you comfortable. The sanitary is through there and the mess is just down the hall. I’ll be making lunch, so just follow your nose.” He winked at her and left.

Regan looked around in wonder. The room was pretty large for ship’s quarters, the bed huge and soft. The whole room smelled clean and wonderful. She touched the coverlet and then pulled her hand back, the contrast between the clean cloth and her dirty hand making her aware of her grunginess. She wrinkled her nose, smelling her own rank odor for the first time, then got up to head directly to the sanitary.

Getting clean was almost a religious experience, like waking up from a nightmare. The hot water shower was a welcome change from sonic and putting her clothes on again, clean and sweet smelling from the sanitizer, almost made her cry. She had forgotten what these normal, ordinary actions were like.

When Regan stepped back into the bedroom, a delicious smell filled her nostrils and made her stomach cramp, bringing her attention in sharp focus on a different need. She dove out into the corridor, nearly staggering in her eagerness to reach the mess hall.

Warren was spooning something into a bowl when she entered. “Hey, there you are. Ready to eat?”

He put the bowl down on the table and gestured for her to sit. She did, nearly quivering with hunger. It had been a long time since their last meal.

“It smells great.” Picking up a spoon, she began shoveling stew into her mouth as fast as she could.

“Slow down! You’ll choke.”

“You’re not eating?” she managed around a mouthful of food.

“I don’t need to eat. I’m an android.”

Regan did choke then. He patted her on the back until she recovered then moved to sit across from her. She studied him warily.

“You look—pretty human.”

“Thanks. I work at it.” His mouth twitched like he was trying to hide a smile.

She stared at him for a moment longer, but her appetite overcame the novelty of an android and she dug back into the meal. Finishing the stew didn’t take long and she swallowed her drink in several long gulps.