Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Mace didn’t want trouble. What he wanted was a half-dozen slices of Flek’s premium double cheese pizza.
He’d been about to leave the ship when he heard the confrontation happening on the other side of the door.
Faced with a choice between waiting for the situation to end before leaving the ship or getting involved, he’d gone with his gut—and his hunger—and stepped into the fray.
He’d made it out in time to watch as the blue-haired human female lashed out with an impressive strike that pulped the human male’s nose.
To her credit, the female hadn’t stuck around to see what happened.
The second she struck her target, she turned and bolted for safety.
That plan had failed because he was blocking her escape path.
He’d been so invested in the drama he hadn’t moved out of her way.
He should probably feel badly about that.
He didn’t.
It had been a long time since he’d held a female in his arms and longer still since one had looked at him without revulsion or fear. When he winked at her to try and calm her nerves, she’d actually smiled at him.
“I thought we were going for pizza?” Xaber sent the comment via their internal link. His batch-brother sounded more amused than annoyed.
“There’s been a slight change in plan,” Mace sent back.
“I can see that. Did you also change our vow about not fighting other beings’ battles anymore?”
“I did not.”
“Uh-huh. Later, you can explain to me why our rule doesn’t apply to this situation.” Xaber’s tone was drier than moondust as he appeared at Mace’s side.
Mace didn’t reply. They had other matters to deal with right now.
The first issue was the waste of oxygen still standing in the middle of the corridor, wailing about his broken nose as he bled all over his shirt.
Despite the distracting presence of the female, Mace tracked everything going on around him—from the hum of the overhead lights to subtle body language that told him none of the idiot’s friends were interested in getting involved.
His enhanced senses gave him a clear picture of what was happening and what would likely happen next.
Satisfied that this would end without more violence, Mace leaned forward and snarled at the male. “Get gone. Now.”
“C’mon, Karta. She’s not worth it,” one of his crewmates called. They were clustered near the door to their ship now.
Karta ignored Mace and glared at the female. “You’re gonna regret this, bitch. You should have been nice to me.”
She hissed like an angry peskin. “Come near me again and I’ll break something else.”
“Your damsel in distress has a temper,” Xaber sent.
“She’s not my anything.” Mace paused a heartbeat before adding. “And you know damn well why I got involved.”
He did it because of all the times he hadn’t been able to protect his batch-sisters.
At first, it had been because his programming demanded obedience.
Later, it was because they couldn’t risk anyone learning that they were all self-aware.
The price was high, but they’d all agreed to guard that secret, no matter the cost. His choice today couldn’t erase the past, but maybe it would help him sleep a little better in the future.
Mace stayed silent and glowered until the idiot finally walked away, still muttering under his breath.
None of them relaxed until the entire group was inside their ship and the door had slid closed behind them.
The female blew out a long breath and looked up at him with an uncertain smile. “Thank you.”
Then she shoved a hand against his chest and made a show of pushing him away from her. “Though I wouldn’t have needed your help if you hadn’t been in my way. Where the fraxx did you come from, anyway?”
This time, he didn’t fight her. He let her go.
She almost stumbled as she moved away, as if she’d expected him to try and control her. That explained the wary smile. She was worried her troubles weren’t over.
That pissed him off. Not because he wasn’t that kind of male. Because it meant she’d met someone who was. It also stung that what little trust she’d had in him before was gone now, but he wasn’t going to dwell on that issue. They were strangers, and she didn’t owe him anything.
“Stop with the resting murder face and say something nice,” Xaber chided him over their link.
“Back off, pretty boy. I’ll deal with this my own way.”
Despite what he said, he attempted to soften his expression the way Xaber had taught him.
Then he pointed to the docking port of their ship a few meters away.
“We came from our ship over there. And you’re welcome.
Happy to help. I’m, uh, sorry I ruined your escape plan.
I wasn’t expecting you to turn and run. The way you hit him, I thought you’d stay and give him a few more lessons in manners. ”
He took a moment to get a proper look at the female in front of him.
She was taller than average with a slender frame hidden beneath the bulk of her coveralls.
Her hair was dyed cobalt blue and cut military short at the sides.
The top was a profusion of tight curls that fell over her forehead and distracted from her delicate features.
He watched her react to what he’d said about manners.
Her warm brown eyes glinted with mischief, and she seemed to relax slightly.
“I thought about it, but I don’t need that kind of trouble.
In fact, I should go before Corp-Sec shows up.
” She gestured toward the ceiling. “This whole corridor is under surveillance. There could already be someone on the way here.”
Xaber shook his head. “Those cameras are monitored by AIs, not living beings. The system will only flag something as a problem if it continues for more than a few moments or if someone commits a serious crime.”
“And assault isn’t serious?” the female asked with a hint of incredulity.
Xaber snorted. “You must be new around here. By local standards, that was a simple misunderstanding.”
Her dark skin went a little ashen, and her shoulders tensed again. When she glanced past them, Mace knew she was planning a hasty exit.
“Nicely done. You just told her she’s not safe out here,” Mace sent to Xaber. It wasn’t often his smooth-talking batch-brother miscalculated.
“Fraxx.”
Xaber raised his hands in what Mace assumed was supposed to be a calming gesture. “I should have worded that better.”
“You think so?” Her voice was sharp, and her body language was still screaming that she planned to bolt at any second.
To his surprise, Mace realized he didn’t want her to go. Before he could overthink things, he spoke up. “Leaving is a good idea. Will you agree to let us walk with you? It would be safer.”
She gave an almost imperceptible nod. “That works.”
“Holy fraxx, when did you learn how to be nice?” Xaber asked via their link.
“Shut up or I’ll toss you out an airlock and go have dinner with her instead.”
“Dinner? Is that your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan.”
“Huh. First time for everything, I guess. Let me handle this next bit.”
Xaber gave the female his most charming smile and gestured for her to take the lead. “My name is Xaber, and this is Mace. We’d be happy to escort you back to the main section of the station.”
“I’m Tix, and I appreciate the offer.” She glanced over her shoulder, as if confirming that Karta and his crew were gone. Then she set off, walking past them with a casual saunter that belied everything he knew she must be feeling right now.
He’d learned more than her name in the last few minutes. He’d also discovered that she knew how to hide weakness and get on with what needed doing.
She wasn’t a damsel in distress. She was a survivor.
They followed a few steps behind her. Mace scanned the physical area while Xaber monitored the digital landscape.
“Are you going to scrub the recording of the fight?” he asked his batch-brother.
“Already done. Tix isn’t the only one who wants to stay off Corp-Sec’s radar.”
That was true. They were properly licensed and registered bounty hunters, but that didn’t mean security forces were thrilled to have them around. They’d heard a variation of the “keep your nose clean, and don’t try to do our jobs for us” lecture almost everywhere they went.
When they’d filed to make Defiance Station their base of operations, they had been called in to a meeting with the head of the security team.
It turned out that the rumors were true.
Former IAF Colonel Scott Archer had indeed had his sense of humor surgically removed and replaced with a very large stick.
He replayed the man’s words in his head—not a memory but a segment of a saved file he’d kept of that encounter.
“I have no issues with who you are or what you do. But if you so much as scratch a deck plate on this shiny, incredibly expensive new station, I will revoke your license and kick you off Defiance so fast you won’t notice until you’re half a light-year away.”
It didn’t take them long to reach the main station. While the docking rings were several kilometers across, there were plenty of connection points so that neither crews nor cargo had to travel far.
The second they passed through the heavily reinforced doorway, Tix turned to face them. “And this is where we part ways. Have a good night and thanks.”
She didn’t want them to know where she lived. The suspicious part of his nature approved of her caution, even though he wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. Too bad he had no idea what he could say to change her mind.
“Hold that thought,” Xaber said. “We’ve grown a tail.”
Mace resisted the urge to look back the way they’d come. That would give away the game to whoever was following them.
Tix’s brow creased, and she tilted her head slightly in confusion. It only took her a second to understand Xaber’s meaning, though. Then her expression turned stony.
“Who did they send? And how do you know?”
Xaber pointed in a random direction and smiled cheerfully, his actions at odds with his next words.
“I’m tapped into the station’s security network.
Not a full breach, but it’s enough for me to view the area we left.
It’s not Karta but another member of that ship’s crew.
I watched him leave that vessel, but I wasn’t sure he was following us until we paused just now.
The moment we stopped, he ducked out of sight. ”
“Fraxx.” Tix glanced to her right and then sighed. “If I go home, they’ll know where to find me. I need to find somewhere else to be until they give up.”
Xaber nodded. “Their ship is scheduled to depart in four hours. Do you have somewhere else to go until then?”
Her lips thinned and her eyes darkened with worry. By the time she shook her head, Mace already knew she was out of options.
“You’re sure they sent someone to follow me?” she asked Xaber.
“I’m sure. He’s in a brown and yellow jumpsuit and is pretending to browse through a display of gadgets about thirty meters back.”
“You’re good at this,” Tix observed.
“It’s what I was designed to do. I’m built for infiltration and espionage.” Xaber lowered his voice to a theatrical whisper. “Which means I can say with absolute certainty that the weasel following us is terrible at this.”
Tix relaxed and smiled a little at the joke.
Mace felt a brief pang of envy. He lacked his batch-brother’s gift to put other beings at ease. Then he remembered Xaber’s recent mistake and smiled to himself. He’d been the one to soothe Tix that time.
“We should go…somewhere. If we keep standing here, our tail might get suspicious,” Tix said.
He agreed with her assessment. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
She raised one brow and fixed him with a questioning look before schooling her face back to something more neutral. “I’m not sure what that has to do with my current problem.”
Xaber answered before Mace could, “We were headed to a place we like to grab dinner. You’re welcome to join us.”
Tix’s gaze moved from Xaber to Mace and back again, assessing them. Mace waited while she considered the offer. He hoped she accepted it. If nothing else came of their meeting, at least he’d have someone else to talk to while he ate his pizza.
“Thank you. Hopefully our tail gives up and goes back to his ship once he realizes I’m not going to be an easy target.” As she spoke, she managed a bright, cheerful smile that was clearly intended for their unexpected audience.
Xaber continued the performance, offering her his arm in an old-fashioned gesture. “Then we shall escort you to our preferred dining establishment.”
She actually laughed as she took Xaber’s arm. “Lead on, good sirs.”
Mace waited a beat before following. He needed to cover their rear and ensure that the fool tailing them never came close to Tix. Whatever they were planning, it wouldn’t happen. He’d make sure of that.