Varik smiled gently and kept his voice low. “My darling boy, that’s because I didn’t want to worry you. You lost your parents to a pandemic on your home planet. I know how that word terrifies you.” Varik brushed his fingers over Jarn’s. “That’s why I didn’t want to have the conversation on deck. You can’t control your emotions around illness.”
“Do you think the captain is really sick?” Jarn glanced over his shoulder in the direction the captain had gone.
No. But it was perfect that his lover thought so. “It’s possible. But you heard him say it was just something he ate. Don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll take care of you.”
Varik made a big show of contacting the medical lab and having his guy check on the captain. That evening he made an announcement that while the captain was indisposed, he would be acting captain at Twalley’s request. No one questioned him, as expected, since the majority of the crew was loyal to Varik.
“Jarn, come to cabin after you eat.” Varik whispered seductively in his lover’s ear. Varik waited for Jarn covered by a single sheet, his hand underneath slowly stroking his cock.
Jarn smiled when he finally appeared.
“Strip, I have something for you.” Varik was actually focusing on how good it would be to command a ship again and to take backThe Treasure. TheHarlan Johnsonwas nice, but small. Even the quarters were too tight. And the shared facilities for everyone, but the captain was a bit too communal for Varik’s tastes.
Jarn shivered, the movement brining Varik back. He flipped back the sheet. “Come here, my cock misses your sweet mouth.”
Jarn folded his body over Varik’s knees on the edge of the mattress and mouth exactly where it belonged, stretched over Varik’s head. Jarn bobbed and slurped. Varik lifted one knee and Jarn dragged his nails along Varik’s balls exactly as he’d been taught. Perfect. Varik toyed with Jarn’s sweet ass, teasing the hole and making his boy groan. The vibration tremored down Varik’s cock. His balls drew up, filling with his seed. He thrust into Jarn’s mouth, grabbing his hair and holding him in place to take every hot jet of satisfaction. “Fuck. That’s my boy. That’s my sweet love. So good.”
He petted his lover and rolled him into position along his side against the wall. They kissed and Varik savored the taste of himself on his sweet lover’s lips. “Get some sleep. I’ll get you off when we wake.”
“What about the captain? I thought you didn’t want him to know about us.” Jarn blinked up at Varik with watery eyes.
“That was only until I could be sure you had the job. I couldn’t leave you behind and I didn’t want to give the captain any reason not to hire you. I don’t care who knows how special you are to me now.”
Jarn brightened and peppered kisses allover Varik’s face. Sweet little puppy. “Enough. Save that for the morning.”
But in the morning they were awaked by a pounding on the door. Varik pulled on pants not bothering to tie them closed. “What?”
His med-tech buddy was there, frantically glancing from Varik to the captain’s door. “We have a problem, sir.”
Nice touch the sir. A few crew members milled around the corridor with worried expressions. Varik projected his voice so they wouldn’t have to strain to eavesdrop. “What is it? What’s happened?”
“It’s the captain, sir.” Eyes still twitchy. Good thing his back was to the audience. “I think he’s succumbed to his illness.”
“I’ll be right there.” He slapped the door panel to close it. “Hurry, get dressed.”
Jarn jolted. Varik slipped into his crisply washed and waiting uniform. He didn’t wait for his lover.
“Show me.” He told the med-tech. After officially confirming Twalley was well and truly no longer living. Varik gave instructions for the body to be treated as hazardous material, the body jettisoned. A report was sent to Cassan with a notice of quarantine. As was protocol. They wouldn’t be stopping anywhere.
Varik stifled a laugh. He’d had no plans to stop on Galiese. He was waiting forThe Treasureto turn back to Cassan. Then he would redirect the research ship and beat them back, since they were the smaller, lighter ship and could make better time. Unless Blaize was so incompetent she let them run out of fuel. Then he’d let some of the crew take theHarlan Johnsonback to the station, while he reclaimedThe Treasure.
Of course, none of the crew succumbed to the same illness as Twalley. Varik thoughtfully declared their quarantine at an end a couple of cycles later. If the crew had questions about why they weren’t returning to Cassan, they wisely kept their curiosity to themselves.
Except Jarn. “Shouldn’t we go back? Isn’t this ship part of the research grant?”
At least his lover had waited until they were in private to question him. “I believe the ship was owned by Twalley. I have a lawyer looking into it, contacting the heirs.”
“But what are we doing?”
“The ship I have us tracking has something of mine. Something very precious. We’re just going to keep an eye on it, or possibly meet up if possible while we wait to hear from Twalley’s family.” He pulled Jarn into an embrace and kissed him until he was breathless, then rode his ass until he screamed out his pleasure, leaving no room in his pretty little head to worry about ships, and final destinations.
Varik was on a new mission to deliver—not goods. He would be delivering retribution. Cyra had stolenThe Treasure. She wasn’t qualified to be the captain. She and her ragtag crew of criminals needed to be wiped from the galaxy. Blaize and Cyra most especially.
Chapter30
Sanity rushed backto Cyra like a punch to the face. She was still the captain. Dez was still cargo.
She’d reacted on impulse to Bodi touching him. Cyra should have kept walking. She’d tried to deny her desire for him, but it kept sneaking out. And after what they’d done, their situation was completely confused. She’d claimed Dez and told him he was hers. He wasn’t going to let her take that back.
