Dangerously Hers (4 page)

“Do you see Eva anywhere?” she asked.

JB gazed around the room. “Nuh uh.”

While she and JB weren’t the only humans in the communal area, everything about them screamed “new humans”. Even though they wore the insignia of the largest transport company in the charted galaxy, Mercanis Shipping and Hauling, Jess still thought they looked out of place. JB was the only human male in the room and she was the only female not wearing a long, flowing gown.

“Excuse me.” They both moved out the way as a human woman walked past them.

“Pardon us, ma’am,” JB replied, nodding.

With JB’s grin larger than normal, Jess had the urge to punch him in his chest.
Hard.

The redheaded woman licked her lips seductively, slowing her steps. When JB gave her a playful wink, she giggled.

Jess punched him in the arm. “Snap out of it, playboy. I didn’t follow you to watch you flirt.”

Finally peeling his gaze away, JB rocked back on his heels. “I think I might stay here awhile.” He whistled low. “Yep, just might stay here.” He locked on to another woman gathering two small boxes of supplies.

Jess released her bag, letting it hit the ground in a heavy thump. “I can’t believe this shit. I knew I should’ve asked Ryan to bring me here instead of you.”

“Ryan’s got six more hauls before he makes his way back to this sector,” JB said as a matter of fact.

The thought of staying any longer than necessary under Sa’Mya’s roof made Jess growl. “Fuck that.”

“
And
that’s exactly why I’m escorting you,” JB reminded her.

It wasn’t news to anyone that Jess didn’t get along with the bitch queen also known as Sa’Mya. They tolerated one another at best.

Jess only tolerated Sa’Mya because Kane loved her. As space pirates, Kane, JB, Jess and the rest of the crew had not only liberated the unsuspecting of their goods, but had taken hostages as well.

Their last group of hostages had been Sa’Mya and her small crew. Kane had intended to ransom them back to Laconia, their home planet. But somewhere along the way, Kane and Sa’Mya fell in love. Also somewhere along the way, Jess voted to kill Sa’Mya and her crew and had tried to complete the task herself. Their relationship had never recovered from that.

But the same way Jess felt about Sa’Mya, she was sure Sa’Mya felt tenfold about her. Sa’Mya had tolerated her because whether he was admitting it today or not, Kane considered Jess a part of his crew and therefore a part of his family. He’d even forgiven her for being insubordinate and contacting Sa’Mya’s uncle to ransom her home. Since he’d forgiven her for that, Jess was sure he was a friend for life. She still didn’t want to test their bond and especially not with anything that had to do with Sa’Mya.

“You know you didn’t have to leave Laconia, don’t you?” JB asked, interrupting her thoughts.

True. When Sa’Mya invited the crew to settle on Laconia, Jess had been surprised to find the invitation also extended to her.

Jess shrugged. “I know. I just wanted to try something new and Eva’s offer seemed like a good idea.”

Jess hadn’t taken much convincing. Eva had promised her a new home where she could feel safe and protected. Jess didn’t know why she had taken Eva up on her offer. Truth be told, she had been safe and protected on Laconia.

It might have been the out-of-place feeling she had on Laconia. Even though Sa’Mya and Kane had given her a home, she feared her presence put a strain on their relationship. She had chosen to spend as much time as she could off-world and on board
The Vengeance II
with Ryan and the rest of the crew. But lately even that was wearing thin on her nerves.

“Kane didn’t want you to leave. He thought you needed more time with the healers.”

“They’ve cured me!” she said jokingly. “Look at me now, surrounded by aliens and I’m not flipping out. It’s a miracle, Pa!”

Although she joked, she had made progress with the healers, hence the only reason she was able to stand in a roomful of aliens without having a full-on panic attack. Especially since a group of Sonis Royal Guards entered the room, seeming to search for something…or someone.

The guards turned their way and pointed. There was no mistaking it this time. The guards were coming for them and didn’t appear too happy about it either.

Jess tensed, locked her jaw and balled her fists. JB moved to her side, partially blocking her view.

The group of three overly large males stopped in front of them. “JB and Jess?” The bass tones of the speaker’s voice resonated in her chest.

JB hooked his thumbs in his pants. “Depends on who’s asking.”

The guards exchanged surprised glances and the speaker widened his stance. “Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guard.” He folded his thick arms across his chest and stared down at JB.

The way he stood, his movements, his speech, all spoke of leadership. He was big, bigger than the others. His muscles bulged and glistened. All the hours he must have spent perfecting that body…

A moan escaped her lips.

Shit. Did I just moan out loud?
Her heart skipped a beat as eyes of pure amber locked on hers.

“It is you.”

A nerve ticked in her jaw. She squinted.
I don’t remember him from the brothel.
“Asshole,” she said under her breath. He was probably one of
them
just the same.

“Do you have something to say?” the giant asked.

Of course she had something to say. She cocked her head to the side. “Lay off the free weights, Gigantor.” JB nudged her but she couldn’t stop there. “Or stop the prison-themed workouts.”

Why couldn’t she stop? Insults spilled from her mouth at will, especially when she felt threatened, which was now.

Before the giant could respond, JB interjected. “Please excuse my ward. What can we do for you?”

Jess snorted at JB’s use of the word “ward”. As if he actually had some control over her actions. Hell, she couldn’t even control them.

The giant continued to watch her as he said, “I was sent to retrieve you both from the transport bay.”

“Oh.” JB ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry about that. Eva didn’t meet us there so we tried to make our own way.”

The giant broke eye contact with her and studied JB. “I am sure Eva gave you clear instructions to wait.”

As if we’re in the habit of following directions.

Jess rolled her eyes. “
Pft.
”

The giant glared at her again. “Female, if I want to hear you talk I will ask you a question.”

She straightened her back.
Well now, this might get interesting.

JB grabbed her arm, tightening his grip. “Jess, cool it before you get us jumped,” he warned.

Yeah, she would cool it all right. It wasn’t her fault Gigantor hadn’t met them sooner.

The giant nodded in her direction. “I advise you to keep your female in her place,” he said, addressing JB.

Really.
“Keep me in place?” Jess sidestepped around JB. “What makes you think he can?” She thumbed toward JB. “Or that I’m even
his
to keep in place?”

“I swear your mouth is going to get us killed one day.” JB moved in front of her and pressed his back against her chest. “Jess, I can maybe survive a fight with one, but not three,” he whispered over his shoulder.

She should have been afraid. If she were a rational woman she would have cowered behind JB.

But she wasn’t.

Instead, a raging river of blood rushed through her ears. She’d dealt with many alien males before. But she’d never had to go up against the famous Sonis Royal Guards.

Until now.

All reason aside, she stretched her neck from left to right, cracking the bones. “I’m sure they bleed just the same,” she assured JB.

As Gigantor chuckled, she snapped to glare at him. She and JB would have to work together to take that one down. Pretty eyes and all.

She shook head.
What the hell?

He appeared older than the other males flanking him. His black hair was pulled off his face, revealing a tribal tattoo that showed the tip of a light-blue-and-indigo wing covering his cheek and extending down his neck and chest, where, displayed proudly, was a vivid bird of prey in flight with outstretched talons.

“God, please let us survive this,” JB prayed.

One of the guards stepped forward. Gigantor put out a hand, stopping him from advancing any farther. “The female is mine.”

So he likes to beat up on women?
She reached for her blaster. Her hand circled around the hilt, ready to use it in the blink of an eye.

“It seems Gigantor wants to wrestle,” she said loud enough for the guards to hear.

Gigantor raised a lazy brow. “Wrestle? Is that what you call it?”

“Cool it. Stop provoking them,” JB said.

Jess clenched her jaw. “I’m not provoking them.”

No. Provoking him would be telling him he reminded her of a living and breathing Jolly Green Giant. The same one that used to be pictured on canned vegetables back on Earth. Except he was golden instead of green and a lot less jolly.

“Ho, ho, ho, green giant,” she mumbled.

JB elbowed her in her side.

“How curious,” Gigantor said. “You are in no position to win a fight yet you will not stand down.”

“Hey, look.” JB put up his hands. “We didn’t come here for a fight. I think we might have jumped the gun.”

“Eva invited you to Sonis as guests. No matter how curious I find you, if you pose a threat it is I who will make you leave.”

“We understand. You won’t have any trouble out of us,” JB said.

“Any
more
trouble,” Gigantor added.

JB nodded. “Sorry for any inconvenience we might have caused. We wanted to explore a bit.” JB advanced forward and offered his hand. “Please accept our apology.”

The giant briefly looked at JB’s hand and gave him what appeared to be an awkward handshake.

JB released his hand and motioned in her direction. “This lovely lady is Jessica. She came here to work.”

“JB, you motherfucker.” She quickly, stepped around JB. “Call me Jess.”

She didn’t offer Gigantor her hand, nor did he request it. Instead he stared at her intently and nodded.

“If either of you are to remain, you will never provoke a guard again. Is that understood?”

JB nodded while she remained still. When Rasha locked eyes with her and JB elbowed her again, she finally relented and nodded.

Rasha turned on his heels. “You are to follow me,” he said over his shoulder.

“Sure,” JB said.

“Call me Jessica again and I’ll break your arms,” she said to JB.

He snorted as they followed the retreating pack. She didn’t find anything funny. Jessica Moore was somebody who had died a long time ago. Jess was just a shell of the woman she had once been.

They followed in silence. It wasn’t long before she spotted Eva rushing toward them. Eva stood just above five feet tall and probably didn’t weigh much more than a hundred pounds, which made her and Taio an odd-looking pair. Taio was about the same size as the giant escorting them.

Eva’s long jet-black hair was in a braid down her back. She was the first female they’d encountered wearing pants but Jess hadn’t expected anything else on Eva.

Josanis, her chunky son, dangled on her hip. He had his parents’ black hair but had one blue eye, inherited from Eva, and the other was lavender, which he had inherited from his father.

“Thank you, Rasha, I’ll take it from here,” Eva said after reaching them.

Rasha glanced from Eva to Jess. “I think I’ll claim my—”

“Rasha…” Eva said through clenched teeth.

Chapter Four

Rasha stood his ground. “I want to stay.”

Eva shook her head and repositioned Josanis on her hip. “Um…no, we already talked about this, remember?”

Rasha glanced from Eva to Jess. “But…”

Eva waited for Rasha to continue. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Eva said, “Thank you but I’ve got this.”

“They were posturing to fight us,” Rasha blurted. “It might not be safe for you and Josanis to stay with them alone.”

And he had to bring that up.

Jess pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Rasha saying it out loud and in front of Eva seemed so…so bad.

Eva cocked her head at Jess and JB. Both she and JB cowered slightly. “Really? Trying to go up against royal guards? Neither of you has any sense of self-preservation, do you?”

“I assure you it was a small misunderstanding,” JB said. “We did apologize.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “
Jesus.
Not even a full day,” she said to herself.

“I want—” Rasha said.

Eva put up a hand. “Rasha, I’ve told you I’ve got it from here. If they get testy again I’ll fuck them up myself.”

Jess shrank under Eva’s piercing stare. How could Eva assume she was the culprit? After all, JB did start it. Plus, didn’t Rasha know the cardinal rule of snitching?

Snitches get stitches.

She narrowed her gaze on Rasha. She’d have to teach him that saying. Maybe while they were alone. She could catch him in a darkened corridor…from behind…with a rock.

“Then when?” Rasha asked.

Then when what? Punish them? Throw them in the dungeon?

Jess watched the exchange warily. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

That motherfucker.

Jess moved to JB’s side and grabbed the back of his shirt, holding on to it with a firm grip.

“It’s all good,” he said, trying to put her at ease.

Eva stepped between Jess and Rasha. Her short stature did nothing to block Jess’ view of him. “Leave, Rasha. After I show them to their apartments, I’ll take them to the security center for registration.”

“For registration?” Rasha asked, confused.

“Yes,” Eva said, stretching her lips into what looked like a painful smile.

“If that is a command then it will have to suffice.”

“It’s a command,” Eva said through clenched teeth.

Rasha hesitated before he nodded and turned on his heels. It seemed Jess was the only one to notice that he glanced back twice before finally rounding a corner.