“Alred, don’t you dare look in here, but close the audio channel!”
“You two know I’mawarethat you’re fucking, right?”
“Alred,” Tanin growled.
“Yes, yes. I’m not looking. Audio channel is shut. Vytln is finishing cleaning up now. You can go back to whatever fun you were having that I definitely don’t know about.”
He went silent again, leaving them alone in the silence of the upper bridge.
Garnet smacked him gently on the chest. He looked at her hand, then back up at her face. It was bright red.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she murmured, unable to look him in the eyes. Embarrassed, he realized with a smirk.
“You let me do that.”
She let out a cry, hiding her face in her hands.
He chuckled, pulling at the ends of his ribbon. Easily untying the knots and taking hold of her wrists. They were red, marks left indented into the soft skin from where she tugged against the silk. He kissed them gently. Reverently.
Because as surprised as she was that she let him do that, he was equally stunned. If she had told him no, if she tried to stop him, he would have closed the channel. He still would have fucked her, because he needed the release after that fight, but if he had pushed her too far with letting their enemies hear her ecstasy, he wouldn’t have done it.
But she went along with him. With his bloodlust, his unapologetic cruelty.
Tanin could almost picture the two of them on that evil station he came from. If she ever fell far enough to join him there. She would have stood by him, just as strong and powerful. And maybe he wouldn’t have been able to keep her hands soft and clean, but he would have been proud to have her at his side. She would have been his one bright joy.
But that wasn’t the life he carved out for them. And hecouldkeep her hands clean.
“I love you,” he breathed against her skin, raising his eyes to meet hers.
She smiled, face still burning red, but eyes sparkling with joy. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 42
Garnet
They disconnected from Tin-Fallow that same day. They still had time before they needed to start the swing to reach Hir-Fallow station to start the ship upgrade, but they wanted to get away from that place. Almost definitely because of the dead body that was nothing but ash now – which she had been dully informed about by Alred when he reported that Vytln had completed his job.
Honestly, Garnet slept like a baby that night. Knowing that Gissrn, the one after them, who paid to have them taken and had been hunting them this entire time, was dead, was a relief. Knowing how slowly and painfully he died seemed like justice.
Goldie was of a mind to agree with her. She could be just as ruthless as Garnet and knew even better than her that a mad dog needed to be put down.
“Serves him right,” she said primly, frowning as she focused on the mediring console. “Alred? Can you bring up the tutorial again? I think I’m missing a step.”
“On your left,” Alred said, another holodisplay popping up.
Garnet drummed her hands flat on her belly, toes bouncing in time to music that Goldie was playing on low in the medbay.
Goldie had really claimed this space as her own. She might still be learning things, but the title of official medical officer looked good on her. She had her hair up in her thinking bun and everything. It was good to see her so focused.
“I have to admit, I’ve been feeling guilty,” Garnet said softly.
“Huh?” Goldie frowned, looking up at her. “About what?”
“Asking you to stay.”
“Ugh, this again,” Goldie rolled her eyes. She popped a hip, resting her hand on it. “I told you, everyone in my class would have given their left ovary to be where I am. If anyone found out I had a chance to study alien medicine and passed it up, they would have beaten me with socks full of coins. And that includes my professors! I’m sure the student loan people are pissed, but I’m also sure the interest rates everyone else is still stuck with will comfort them at night. Now, hush. I’m trying to focus, and your foolishness is distracting me.”
Garnet smiled as she quieted down, letting Goldie go back to her mumbling as she tried to figure out the next step in this scan.