Rayven's Keep. Kylie Wolft
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Название: Rayven's Keep
Автор: Kylie Wolft
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
isbn: 9781616504632
isbn:
His pleasant lethargy vanished, replaced by the all too familiar rigidity of muscles holding emotions at bay. Teeth gritted so hard his jaw ached was just punishment, in his mind, for allowing himself to think about Tonlith and the horrors of war. Nick didn’t often let thoughts of his past intrude, preferring to keep that part of his life where it belonged. Shut away. His memories of the war buried deep. It was the only way he continued to move forward.
The crackle of the ship’s communication frequency snapped his attention back to the present. Scooting upright, he hit the console to open the secured channel.
“Rayven here.” His voice a rough growl, the gravel undertones pushed through his tight throat like granite cracking under brutal pressure.
“Whoa, what flew up your ass?” Seth Mandekor responded. “Is there a problem, boss?”
“Yeah, there’s a slight change of plans. I’m headed back to base.”
“The cargo?”
“On board, along with an unexpected guest. I’ll explain when I get back.” Nick rubbed the back of his neck, kneading knotted muscles.
“Do you want special accommodations for our guest?” Seth asked.
Nick frowned. Seth alluded to the secured rooms located below ground. “No. I don’t think she’s dangerous.”
“She?”
The one word held plenty of interest and speculation, which Nick chose to ignore. “For now I need you to keep a tight rein on my recent whereabouts. If anyone gets curious make sure they hear I was somewhere other than Lodestone.”
“Sure, no problem. Now what about your passenger?”
Nick severed the link.
In a black mood, he wandered to the crew quarters to check on his sleeping “guest”. She hadn’t moved, her slight form barely visible under the covering. He studied her for a moment. What had she gotten him into?
He crossed to the food unit, snagged a hot drink, and stood sipping it in brooding silence. Amazing, how his day had turned to shit when he landed on Lodestone. He would have some answers before he returned to base.
After draining his cup, Nick placed it in the scrubber and then headed to the tiny shower cleanser. He wanted to remove as much of Lodestone’s pervasive dust as possible. The cleanser would do an adequate job, but he really wanted to spend time under the water spray at home, letting the bad memories and grime wash away in the warm slide of the water on his skin. He’d have to make do with the ship’s accommodations for now.
Feeling better, he dressed in loose drawstring pants and considered putting on a loose shirt for the sake of modesty. “Screw it,” he muttered under his breath, tossed the shirt aside and headed to his bunk. He stretched out, folded his arms behind his head and stared at the metal grillwork of the ceiling while he listened to the thrum of the ship’s engines. He’d pushed hard to get to Lodestone to secure the job. This should have been an easy run with a healthy influx of credits to show for his time. Instead he was stuck with unwanted company and unanswered questions.
Grunting, disgusted with the events of the day and his black temper, he rolled onto his side, his back to Tru, and willed himself to sleep.
Chapter 3
A hand on his arm jerked Nick awake, heart pounding in his throat as screams echoed from the nightmare. Instinctively, he exploded off the bed, and shoved the figure bending over him against the bulkhead with enough force to expel a whoosh of air against his face. Adrenaline thundered through his veins, tightening muscles to steel. He rammed a forearm against a soft throat and leaned his full weight against the smaller body trying to buck him off. It took a moment for him to shake off the effects of his dream and recognize Tru making gurgling noises as she struggled to move his arm off her neck. Huge blue eyes, darkened almost to black, stared back at him.
Lightning fast, he released her, stepped back and ran a shaking hand through his short hair.
“What kind of fucking idiot sneaks up on a sleeping man?” he roared, more shaken than he cared to admit. He hadn’t been in control of his actions. “I could have killed you. Sonofabitch!”
Needing physical release, he punched the steel locker compartment nearest him. He didn’t feel the pain as his knuckles split.
It gave him little satisfaction when Tru jumped. He kept his distance as she rubbed her neck and slid as far away from him as possible in the confined space. Nick hadn’t been gentle and she’d be sporting a new set of bruises by morning.
“I’m s-sorry,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she turned her head away, making him all too aware of the fury pouring off him in waves.
He fought for calm.
“You were moaning in your sleep. I thought only to wake you to see if you were ill.”
He dropped his head, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths to gain control of himself. Opening his eyes, he took a good look at Tru, huddled on the bunk, her back to the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t meet his gaze, but her mouth was set in mutinous lines. He was surprised she wasn’t crying. Obviously, she was made of sterner stuff.
He made an effort to gentle his voice. “I’m rarely ill.”
No doubt about it, she was a mess. Not only did the right side of her face sport a nasty bruise, complete with a black eye, but now her throat showed marks of their most recent clash. He wasn’t the kind of man who enjoyed hurting women. For the most part, he respected and liked them. He enjoyed intimacy with them. So, hurting her, even though it hadn’t been deliberate, embarrassed and disturbed him. Dishonorable in his mind.
Crouching in front of the bunk brought them eye level, and he sought her gaze, holding it with the sheer power of his will. The skin around his eyes felt tight and he clenched his teeth until they hurt. A headache pounded behind his eyes.
“Don’t...don’t ever do that again. You’re just lucky to escape with only a few bruises to add to your collection. You could be dead. Do I make myself clear?”
She might not like it, but she was smart enough to nod. Frustration, anger with himself and the residual echo of helplessness from his nightmare made him wonder what possessed her to believe she would be safer with him than taking her chances on Lodestone. At the moment, he felt like a very poor bargain.
Too many sickening memories crowded his mind, echoes from a past he tried to forget. He’d seen too much death and devastation during the war on Tonlith and the old, helpless rage burned like vitriol through his bloodstream, putting him on edge. It had been a mistake to think about the past earlier, and he had paid the expected price for his foolishness. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been the only victim. He hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in a long time.
Nick rose from his crouch and went to a cabinet to remove a compress. Twisting it released the gas inside and instantly cooled the slick material. He handed it to Tru and she pressed it against the tender skin on her СКАЧАТЬ