Chapter 20 - Wretched #3
We go straight there. Standing in the cargo bay, Maximus looks regal and Julian severe—so, the same as when we last saw them.
Except now they both have an air of apprehension around them.
This worries me more on Julian, who has bulging muscles and a quiet competence about him that’s usually comforting.
They’ve had a chance to change and now wear expensive, tailored outfits.
Maximus is wrapped in a satiny, gleaming bronze, thigh-length jacket that hugs the shape of his lithe body like a second skin.
A high collar extends around the back of his neck just enough to form a horseshoe, exposing the elegant stretch of his neck and Adam’s apple.
It sits asymmetrically over a pair of dark, slinky trousers. He looks like a prince.
Julian, in comparison, looks like a security detail. His thick leather jacket is no frills, flush against his waist and zipped up over lightweight pants. Despite its simplicity, it looks well-made and of high quality. I suspect there are several weapons hidden within it.
“Captain.” Maximus nods at us. “Marlowe.”
“Hey guys.” I smile tentatively. It’s been a shit day, and the tension is dense, but it’s nice to see them anyway—even if Julian just scowls at the ground.
Tanisira crosses her arms, having shrugged on her defences like a coat. “What’s the urgency?”
“We will pay you to take us to Red Horizon with you,” Julian says bluntly, surprising us both.
Maximus turns to his brother with exasperation.
They’re such opposites of each other, it’s almost funny.
Julian was adopted—he’d told us—but it’s never made a difference to them.
It certainly doesn’t stop them from getting frustrated with each other.
“We need your help, please. We’re happy to pay for the inconvenience of it,” Maximus reiterates diplomatically.
Julian swings that big head of his and narrows blue eyes at Maximus. “We don’t have time for niceties. For once, skip the courteous act.”
He speaks in Surya-Vaani; his articulate, surprisingly upper-class voice tense with strain. The brothers share a heavy silence. Beside me, Tanisira practically steams with irritation. When she makes that face, she is genuinely terrifying.
“Tell me what you want or get off my ship.”
They both snap to attention. Maximus hesitates, and Julian grunts, a warning sound if I ever heard one.
“Our client wasn’t happy about the theft, and is now accusing us, though he has no evidence. He’s attached a price to our heads. Once they realise we’re on Novus, half the bounty hunters in the system will be on us like carrion. We need a ride home, and this is the only ship we can trust.”
“Absolutely not,” Tanisira says.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but my jaw sags at how passionately she answered. She sees my reaction and shrugs.
“There’s a price on their heads. Maybe I could justify the danger if I didn’t have you and Vee on the ship.”
She’s right, and I appreciate that she immediately thought about us, but I grew to like the brothers during their short stay.
I can’t bear the thought of harm coming to them.
Plus, Devyaan would never forgive Tanisira if she let Julian fall into the hands of a bounty hunter.
Rarely do bounties stipulate that the runners be caught alive.
Sighing, I lay a hand on her arm and ignore the tension beneath my fingertips. This may just be another stupid decision of mine today, but I already feel so flayed open, I can’t stand the idea of leaving the brothers behind.
“Did anyone see you come here?” I ask them.
“We used evasive techniques.” Julian scowls as if I just asked him for what price he’d sell his mother.
“He’s not exactly inconspicuous,” I reply evenly, nodding to Maximus: a handsome Suryavan dressed like he’s been swathed in the sun.
I wonder if he picks vibrancy on purpose, or if he doesn’t bother to check the colour of his purchases.
To his credit, Maximus looks chagrined. He holds up the item in his hand that I’d taken no notice of. It unfolds to form a dark, hooded coat.
“I wore this.”
I glance at Tanisira. It’s not my decision, of course, but I’m giving her my opinion on the matter. If they weren’t seen arriving at the ship’s docking arm, then I think Vee and I will be safe enough. She’s not happy, but she inclines her head.
“Fine. We’ll take you to Red Horizon, but at the first sign of trouble, you’re gone. We haven’t had a chance to offload your escape pod yet—you’ll be off the ship in that thing before you can even blink.”
She sounds stern, but she wouldn’t do that. I think. With some discomfort, I remember that things aren’t so clear-cut anymore. I do know she liked the trio by the time it came to say goodbye, though I have a feeling Liz was her favourite.
Maximus flashes a thousand-watt smile. Julian’s sneer drops a shade in intensity.
“Where’s Liz?” Tanisira asks, confirming my suspicion.
“She’s safe. Filed her insurance claim and caught a ride home with a friend. She was off the station within three hours. Our client doesn’t know we were on Liz’s ship; she’ll be fine.”
Tanisira nods. It looks perfunctory, but I can tell she’s pleased. Stepping aside, she gestures for the brothers to carry on through the cargo bay.