B Clones (Clones #1) - Laurann Dohner Page 0,37
going to Riddle Station. It was an out-of-the-way place that didn’t see much traffic anymore. Security shouldn’t be too tight. Unless things had changed because of heightened pirate activity.
He got another data burst and opened it. It was a shorter message. Fig had gotten and decoded Gemma’s information, would research her sons, and wouldn’t confuse her with a famous singer when he hunted for any Earth records of her past.
Big sighed, deleted the messages, and stood from his seat. He had a lot of worries on his mind. None of his friends should have left and gone out on their own. They hadn’t worked so hard to escape Clone World only to be killed and captured once they were free.
He left the shuttle and quickly returned to Gemma. He stripped and climbed into bed, holding her close, once again feeling extremely grateful that she’d come into his life. She meant too much to him already for his heart to survive if anything ever happened to her.
Big was falling in love.
She woke, turning her head to peer at him with sleepy eyes. “You’re cold.”
“Sorry. I used the shuttle to reach out to Fig. I never transmit directly from the operations room on the station. He’s going to do something dangerous.”
She turned in his arms, snuggling into his chest. “You’re upset.”
“Yes. I just want all of them to come home. We’re safer here.”
“I’m sorry that they left you alone.”
“I always thought they’d grow as lonely as I have and return. They live on ships in space. I’d have gone crazy confined like that. Now…Blade might be dead. It hurts.”
“Oh, baby.” She stroked his cheek. “You don’t know for sure what happened to him, right? Maybe he moved somewhere and can’t communicate with you. I mean, I got the impression we’re in very deep space. Maybe his ship broke and he had to land on some planet.”
Big wasn’t about to go into how unlikely that was. Gemma had a lot to learn about space travel. Blade would have sent a distress signal if his shuttle had experienced problems. All of them had backup systems for transmissions. Big or one of the other clones would have gone to assist him immediately. Whatever had happened to his friend, it must have caught Blade completely unaware, since no message had been sent.
“Fig is going to try to find out what happened to him. I’m just worried. It’s always extremely dangerous when we go anywhere that humans live.”
“He’s going to Earth? I thought you said that was impossible.”
“It is, and he isn’t. There are some space stations that are lax with security, where they don’t scan palms when you dock or run the registration of your ship. That’s where Fig is heading. He’s hoping he can find out what happened to Blade.”
“Would Blade have moved into one of those space stations?”
“No. It’s dangerous enough to visit one for a few hours. To stay longer than that would increase the chances of someone realizing he’s a clone.”
“Well, that just proves people haven’t gotten any smarter over time. I mean, you’re really nice. Are other clones mean or violent in general?” She paused, her hand stilling. “Would you have been hostile toward me if I hadn’t been a clone?”
Big shook his head. “Of course not. It’s just that…I think birthed beings do understand it isn’t right, how clones are treated. It seems to be a huge worry of theirs that we’ll rebel if ever given the chance. It’s why clones are always shipped far from the manufacturing plant before we’re woken. JDJ Corp only sells our kind to places like Clone World or other companies that aren’t based too close to Earth. It’s also why they’re so strict about making sure no clones are able to return to Earth.”
“It kind of sounds paranoid.”
“They have a real reason to worry. We aren’t treated well, Gemma. I would never kill someone unless they tried to hurt me first. But I can’t speak for all clones.”
“What about the other clones who escaped with you?”
“They’re good men. We’re a lot alike. They wouldn’t hurt someone just because they’re birthed.”
Gemma started stroking his cheek again and yawned.
“Let’s get some more sleep.”
“I like that you cuddle.”
“Holding you is a privilege.”
She suddenly wiggled against his body, and her hand slid down his chest toward his groin. “Maybe we shouldn’t sleep. It’s not like we need to get up at a certain time, right? We’re all alone on this station. You need a distraction.”
“I do.”
She gently pushed