The Tracker's Dilemma: (A Mandrake Company Science Fiction Romance) (30 page)

“It was my backup plan all along.” Hailey tucked the vial away, careful to keep her purse away from Lauren, as if she might lunge for it to steal back the sample. The notion
did
cross Lauren’s mind. “I’d hoped you would share your work with me, and we could be research partners, but...” Hailey shrugged.

“Did you actually ever care about that?” Lauren asked, surprised. “Us doing research together?”

“Of course, Lo. I know you’ve never valued my work, but I thought that might change when you saw that it’s not all fluff, that humans
do
have this potential locked away within their brains.”

“I hadn’t realized that what I said or thought mattered to you.”

“Of course it matters. I respect you. I always have.”

“But not so much that you won’t steal my work.” Lauren flicked her hand toward the purse.

“How can it be stealing when anyone with access to the sewer system can grab a sample?” Hailey smiled. “I’ll post my findings on my private account on the network. You’ll have access. If you bother to look.”

Lauren hesitated, not wanting to condone any of this, and yet… if it truly mattered to Hailey…

“I’ll look.”

“Good.”

“Be careful out there,” Lauren said, eyeing the dubious station. She hoped her sister had learned something from her escapades with Mandrake Company, that a little prudence was wise when pursuing one’s passions. She worried she would eventually hear of Hailey’s
real
death, rather than her faked one.

“I always am.”

Hailey smiled at one of the sleazy men in trench coats, one eyeing her up and down as he leaned against the back wall of the transportation station. His trench coat might have been a touch less dirty and made from slightly nicer fabric than the others. It was hard to say. Hailey clearly found the man promising for some reason. She unfastened the top buttons of her shirt, letting her cleavage show, then wiggled her fingers toward Lauren in a parting wave. She walked toward the man, sashaying her hips. He smiled in approval, letting his gaze roam even more boldly.

Lauren shook her head, wondering what the man her sister intended to use for the night would think if he knew she had a vial of poop in her purse.

“You lost, pretty thing?” someone asked from behind Lauren.

Frowning, she turned around to look at two of the station dwellers, big men with greasy beards and hair and the ubiquitous trench coats that one out of three people here wore. She realized she was a good hundred meters from the airlock the
Albatross
was using and that the guards stationed at it wouldn’t be able to see her through the intervening kiosks. Since she and Hailey had still been talking when they had reached the end of the airlock tube, Lauren had walked a ways with her. She hadn’t thought to keep one of the hulking mercenaries nearby until she finished. She glanced back, but Hailey had already disappeared into the crowd with her chosen patsy.

“Not lost, no,” Lauren said, tempted to call for Heath over her comm-patch. He had mentioned taking a walk out here later to stretch his legs. Would these thugs try to impede her if she reached for the patch? “Thanks for asking after my safety, though.” Maybe being polite would convince them to leave her alone. She tried to veer around them, to head back to the ship, but one reached for her arm. Damn it. Why hadn’t she thought to bring her tranquilizer gun out here? She was just as likely to need it against creeps as she was against raptors.

A hand clamped down on the grabby man’s wrist before his fingers could lock onto Lauren.

“She’s not lost,” Heath said, stepping in from the side and giving both men hard looks. “She’s with me.”

A warm, pleased feeling came over Lauren, replacing her fear. Yes, she
was
with Heath, and she trusted these brutes wouldn’t be a problem now.

Their eyes narrowed, and one stroked his beard thoughtfully as he considered Heath. He was just as tall as they were with more muscle and less fat, and he wore laser pistols and his knife openly on his belt. He also wore that fur cap, which one of the men twitched his eyebrows at, but neither of them commented on the out-of-place fashion choice. They must have decided their odds against him would not be good, because they backed away.

“Better keep her close then,” one said. “Women around here that get lost don’t stay lost for long, if you take my meaning.”

“Yes, it’s very clever.” Heath flicked his fingers to shoo them away, then offered his arm to Lauren. “May I walk you back to the ship, my lady? Or perhaps you would like an escort to do a little shopping?”

Lauren linked her arm with his, giving him a smile for his timely appearance. “I don’t think you can buy anything here except alcohol, adrenocharge, and fenwad.”

“So that’s a no?”

“That’s a no.” Lauren pointed toward the airlock.

“That’s too bad. I wouldn’t mind standing redoubtably and fearsomely at your shoulder while you peruse the kiosks. I wouldn’t wish you to be in any danger, of course, but I do like being able to protect you.” He looked down at her with a slit-eyed gaze, his eyelashes nearly dusting his cheeks.

They had engaged in intercourse several times now, using her cabin rather than her lab, thankfully, and she had come to recognize that expression and knew he was contemplating sex. He seemed to contemplate it oddly often—multiple times a day. She couldn’t say that the activity came to her mind that frequently, but when he combined his sultry look with a massage, she often found herself amenable to it.

“I’m fortunate to have such a strong protector,” she said, knowing the comment would please him. And she meant it. Back on the core worlds, she had never needed a man to look out for her, but the rim was dangerous, and she lacked Ankari’s martial arts and firearms prowess. Having protection, especially protection that she enjoyed walking beside, was nice.

“And for such a reasonable price,” he said. “Some people pay hundreds of aurums for bodyguards.”

“Whereas all I have to do is allow you access to my orifice?” she asked.

He grinned. “I was going to say you could have me for free, but if you’re offering orifice access, I would be foolish to refuse.”

“Ah. I do feel that you’re worth that.” She leaned closer to him as they walked, sliding her arm around his waist, then, with a shy smile, slipping her hand down to cup his butt. It was silly, but for some reason, she continued to like that particular hand rest.

His slit-eyed gaze changed from amused to smoldering. “On second thought,” he murmured, “I believe I’ve had enough of shopping. Perhaps we could enjoy my shore leave in my quarters.”

“There are still cookies in my lab.”

“I do have a newfound fondness for your lab.” He lowered his hand to
her
butt, and she bit down on a goofy grin as they walked back to the ship, arms wrapped around each other. “Though you seemed distraught by the amount of defiling that went on in it last time.”

“Yes, a great deal of cleaning was required. Perhaps we can move the cookies to your cabin.”

“So long as my collection of fur caps doesn’t alarm you.”

“Of course not.” She crinkled her nose at him. “What do you mean
collection
? There’s more than one?”

“Maybe we should go to your cabin.”

“Hm.”

THE END

Afterword

Thank you for following along with the Mandrake Company series. At this time, I don’t have plans to write more, but good sales and lots of reviews could always change my mind! (This is how an author bribes her readers.) But seriously, if you’ve enjoyed the book and have time to leave a review, I would appreciate it. Either way, thank you for choosing to spend time with my quirky characters!