Space Invaders (35 page)

“Fuck, Rave. Why didn’t you ever tell me how good that could be?”

“You never asked, and I was more than happy to live in the bliss of you taking me.”

Kain’s gaze turned serious. “What changed?”

Rave hesitated before speaking. He didn’t want Kain to know what had happened to him. He wondered if he could put his feelings out there without giving too much away.

“I needed to have you that way.” He shrugged. “Things are different. Hell, I’m different.” Rave turned on his side, pulling Kain towards him. With one hand, he stroked his lover’s face, relearning by touch and stroking new lines. His thumb traced Kain’s lips, and he closed his eyes when the man’s tongue slipped out to take a taste. It was all so familiar, yet different. His heart ached at all they’d lost.

“We’ve both changed, but I think we’re stronger because of it. I’m here for you. I know the trust isn’t there, but I’ll prove myself to you. The Alliance won’t keep us apart again. We’ll find a way out of this mess.”

“Let’s take it a day at a time. First, we have to get out of this clusterfuck then we can look at the future. I’m not whole anymore, Kain. I have things I should tell you, but I’m not ready. Not yet.”

“When you’re ready, I’ll help to make you whole again…if you’ll let me.”

Rave whispered a kiss against Kain’s lips.

“Thank you. Now, we have a couple hours until we dock. What do you think we should do?” he said as he let his hand wander down his lover’s body.

Kain grinned, and Rave let him roll over on top of him.

“I can think of a few things.” Kain said. His cock nudged his ass and Rave panicked. He
had
to protect himself. He pushed the man off him and leapt from the bed, lunging for a wall and crouching down. His heart raced in his chest. His mind flashed back to that night so many years ago. Frantically, his hands swept the floor, trying to find a weapon.

“Rave.” A gentle voice surrounded him. “Babe? It’s Kain. I’m here.”

Kain? How did he get here?

Rave looked around, confused for a moment. Things looked different. The view wasn’t barren with sand whipping around and getting caught in his throat. No men looked down on him, ready to beat him then fuck him. He was in his room. On his ship.

My room. I’m safe.

Rave sat down, his knees pulled to his chest. His head hung forward, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. Finally, his breathing evened out.

“I’m sorry, Kain,” he mumbled.

“Don’t apologise to me.
Never
say you’re sorry. Not for this. Can I touch you?”

He looked up to see Kain kneeling beside him with his hand hovering close by. Rave didn’t respond. He threw himself at the man, knocking him back. He managed to wrap his body so tight around Kain’s he couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

“Fuck, man—”

“Don’t talk,” Kain interrupted. “Just let me hold you.”

They sat that way for so long, Rave almost fell asleep. He wanted to stay right there forever, but there were too many things he needed to get done. Could he open himself for the man who’d betrayed him?

That isn’t fair. It wasn’t his fault.

His heart knew it. Getting his head to catch up was the problem. Rave sighed and untangled himself, taking Kain to his bed. For a few more minutes, he could pretend things would be all right.

Chapter Eleven

Kain swivelled in the captain’s chair on the bridge. The quiet of his surroundings lulled him into thoughts he didn’t want to have. He’d left Rave alone, sleeping in his quarters. The man had finally settled down a few minutes ago. It was hard to watch him in such a vulnerable state. Kain’s eyes welled with tears as he thought of all the Alliance had put his lover through. He didn’t think Se knew just how badly Rave had been affected. He wished he could go back and trade places with him. To take the pain away and make it his. He closed his eyes and held his head in his hands.

Lost in his misery, he didn’t hear Se enter the room.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Startled from his gloom, he turned towards her. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“World exploding, people dying kind of thoughts? I gotta tell you, you look stressed.”

“Imprisonment and attack kind of thoughts, I’m afraid.” He sighed.

“Did he tell you?”

He turned around. He couldn’t look at her. “He didn’t have to. He had some kind of flashback when—um, never mind when. It was bad. I wish—”

“Don’t wish. Be there.” She squeezed his shoulder and let go.

Kain cleared his throat and gave her a slight nod. “We’re ten minutes from Seid II.”

“I know. That’s why I came up here. Autopilot might do a lot of things, but docking isn’t one of them.”

He laughed. “Need me to help with anything?”

“No, I’ve got it.” She went to the computer and contacted the border patrol.

He settled back in the chair, her voice giving him comfort. An odd noise echoed in his ears, distracting him from Se.

“What’s that sound?” He looked around to see if he could find it, but he came up with nothing.

“Holy shit!” Her worried tone put him on edge.

“Why are you panicking? Fuck! Is that what I think it is?”

He leapt out of the chair, heading for the control panel.

“It’s exactly what you think it is. Why are you even asking? I know you’ve heard weapons fire before. Computer, evasive manoeuvres.”

“Stop giving me grief. It sounds different. We’re supposed to be here. Who the fuck is firing?”

She looked over the equipment. “It looks like an Alliance vessel.”

“I-I don’t understand. Can we get a patch through to Alliance headquarters? I need to contact the General. Something is wrong.”

She waved a hand his way. “You’re by the coms panel.”

He started pushing buttons. Nothing happened. He tried again. “Shit, coms are down. How did they do that so quickly?”

“Their ship is better equipped than ours. Damn it, hold on tight we’re about to take a direct hit.”

He braced himself and jerked as the hull shuddered, knocking him against the console. The second hit rocked him backward, and he hit his head against the metal edge of the captain’s chair. He tried to get up, but something held him down. The last thing he saw was someone leaning over him, but his vision was blurred and he couldn’t tell who it was.

“Rave…” he slurred, saying the only name that mattered and hoping the man was okay. Then he blacked out.

* * * *

Rave stepped out of the shower, drying his hair as he walked towards his room. He’d laid out his clothes earlier. He wanted to get to the bridge before they docked. The ship shuddered around him, and he fell against the bed.

“What the fuck?”

He threw on his clothes in a rush and ran to the bridge. The bad feeling in his gut intensified. Maybe this was the thing he’d feared. Things had been going too well. It was time for something horrible to happen.

The sight that greeted him at the front of the ship shocked him into immobility. Both Se and Kain were on the floor. There was so much blood. He didn’t know who to go to first. Kain moved, making Rave’s choice for him. Rave surged to his lover in time to hear his name whispered from the man’s lips.

“Shit,” Rave said as Kain passed out.

“Rave?”

Rave turned at the sound of Se’s voice. “Thank God, Se. You okay?”

“A little dizzy but I’ll live.”

“We have to abandon ship. Can you walk?”

“If I have to.”

“You have to. Kain is out. There’s no way he’s walking out of here under his own steam.”

“I don’t know how far I can make it.”

Rave picked up Kain and threw him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.

“Lean on me,” he told Se.

The trio struggled to the pod bay. The ship took another hit, and they almost fell, but somehow, they managed to keep moving.

Finally, they made it. Rave put Kain on the only bed in the pod. The transport was meant for two people, but they had to make it work. There were no other options.

“Se, you good to go? Can you fly this thing?”

“I got it. You take care of Kain.”

“Okay. Get us to Rock, and we’ll regroup.” He searched under the bed and found a towel and the first aid kit. “What went wrong?” he asked her.

“I don’t know. We were getting ready to dock when an Alliance warship fired on us. Kain was confused and wanted to contact the General, but coms went down first. I think they had some sort of jammer, but I can’t be sure.”

He ran his hand over Kain’s face, not wanting to disturb the man’s wound, but he had to bandage him up. There was so much blood, and Kain didn’t stir when Rave started cleansing the area.

“How soon until we get to Rock’s?”

“We can travel a little faster in this pod, but it will still take a couple hours.”

“Did you lose the Alliance ship?”

“I don’t think they even saw us slip out. They were too focused on destroying the
Retribution.
”

He finished with Kain and went to Se. His doubts about Kain’s involvement slipped away. The Alliance wouldn’t have fired on the
Retribtuion
while their inside guy was aboard. Someone had it in for the both of them, and he didn’t want to dwell on the fact that Kain could have died before he’d told Kain he still loved him.

“I’m going to miss that damn ship. She was my salvation two years ago.”

“I know, but you have us, your family.” She smiled at him.

Rave took her from the chair and hugged her to him. He hated to put his sister in the line of fire again, but the Alliance had given him no choice. Rock would have the equipment Rave needed to end this once and for all.

“Let me patch you up then you can go rest with Kain. I’ll get us to our destination.”

She nodded and let him take care of her. She had some minor abrasions and a lump on the back of her head, maybe a concussion, but she seemed to be okay. Rave finished, kissed her forehead and moved her out of the way.

Se waved her hand in Kain’s direction. “Did he wake up when you cleaned the wound on his head?”

“No and that can’t be good. Let me know if he wakes up, okay.”

Se kissed his cheek and patted his chest before crawling into bed with Kain.

A week ago, if someone had told him Kain would be back in his life, Rave would have laughed at them. If they had told him he’d be worrying about Kain’s safety, he would have choked on that laughter.

I can’t lose him again. My heart can’t take it. Not this time.

Chapter Twelve

“Cease fire!” Seth yelled.

Silence enveloped the ship as the missiles stopped. He didn’t want Rave and Kain dead, at least, not yet. He had to confront them first. He’d jumped the gun, but excitement had rushed through him when the
Retribution
had come into port.

“I want a boarding party on that ship ASAP. Bring those men over here, alive.”

Seth paced until the team returned. When the sound of men’s boots drew closer, he stopped and faced the entrance. He’d waited a long time for this.

“Sir?”

“What is it, Ensign?” Seth glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment to look at the coms officer.

“We’re getting an incoming transmission from General Fritz.”

“Hold him off. I want to take care of the prisoners first.”

“Sir?”

“What!” Seth fully turned towards the Ensign and forced himself to calm down. It wouldn’t look good if he annihilated his crew.

“Sorry, sir, but General Fritz is asking to board.”

There was no way he could be here. What the fuck was going on? Seth was supposed to handle the capture of Kain and Rave. It was what they’d agreed upon the day they’d set up the couple. Kain’s father, Borden, had been sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Fritz figured having Kain under their control would be his ace in the hole if Borden turned up anything substantial in his investigation. Kain didn’t even know he was only supposed to be a pawn. Stupid man, but Seth knew the best way to get to Kain was through Rave. The plan was perfect—or it had been until Kain had jumped the gun. Now, things were unravelling too quickly.

“Let him board, put him in a stateroom and I’ll met him there in a moment.” He dismissed the man.

When he turned, the boarding crew stood in the doorway, but something was off.

“Why don’t I see the crew of the
Retribution
standing in front of me?”

“Sir, the ship was empty. One of the pods, missing.”

Seth didn’t speak. He left the bridge and headed to the stateroom. On the way, he took a couple of minutes to calm down and figure out what he would tell Fritz.

Seth placed his palm on the door’s recognition plate and waited. He was granted entrance.

“Well, Davidson, you’ve fucked up this time.”

He stopped moving and waited for the General to continue. It didn’t take long.

“First you let Kain slip out of your grasp then you jumped the gun on the warrant. What’s next? I saw the
Retribution
listing out there. Are they onboard?”

Seth had to be diplomatic. He ignored all but the last statement.

“They are not onboard. They had access to an escape pod. Once, I get back to the main deck, I’ll start the trace. We haven’t lost them. They’ll be back because they still have to get the laser.”

“This isn’t what I expected. It should have been an easy in and out operation. Do I have to replace you? Is the laser even ready for pick up or did you screw that up as well?”

He wasn’t about to tell the General that he’d placed it on Earth. His mission had been to put it on Seid II for the pickup. Seth kept that one close to his vest. He didn’t know how he would spin it yet. He would decide who to blame when the planet exploded, depending how things turned out.

“It should be in storage on Seid II. That’s where we agreed it should go. There’s no need for threats. Why don’t you go back to Earth and let me handle things.”

“You don’t call the shots and the sooner you realise that the better. I’ll be staying here until Sims and Anders are in custody. Go put out the tracers and haul the
Retribution
on board.”