Break Out - By Nina Croft Page 0,48
don’t know. I was told it was a training exercise.”
For the first time she saw a real reaction. “A what?” His tone was outraged.
She didn’t blame him; she was outraged herself, but she kept her tone bland. “You said it yourself. They were getting sloppy. The Collective houses a lot of political prisoners on Trakis One. We needed to be sure it was secure. Plus my boss hates the guy in charge of security.”
“And just who exactly is “we”?”
“The Corps.”
“Jesus,” Tannis muttered.
“So why don’t you introduce yourself,” Rico said.
“Lieutenant Skylar Ross.”
Rico studied her for a moment, and she wondered if he would make the connection. She saw the moment enlightenment struck. “Would that make you related to Aiden Ross?”
She nodded. “He was my uncle.”
“So Jonny assassinated your uncle.”
“It’s not personal.” She shrugged. “I never liked Uncle Aiden anyway. He was a pompous ass.”
“So what was the plan now? Call in your space cruiser, arrest us all, and ship us off to the Meridian mines with Jonny?”
“Something like that.”
Tannis took a step toward her. “I’m letting you go because, as Rico said, you saved our asses back there. But if I ever see you again—I’ll kill you.”
Skylar narrowed her eyes. “You might try. I doubt you’d succeed.”
She whirled around, strode off the bridge, and headed for the docking bay, aware of Rico keeping step behind her. She slammed her palm onto the lock and the door to her shuttle slid open. She stepped inside and turned to face him.
He grinned. “Thanks for the sex, and the blood. That Meridian sure tastes good.”
“I enjoyed it.”
“I noticed.”
She reached up to shut the door, and he leaned forward, kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Remember, querida,” he murmured against her ear, “there’s always a choice.”
Her gaze flashed to his face. “Really? You heard what Tannis said. Somehow, I don’t think staying is an option now you all know what I am.”
He ran a finger down her cheek. “I’ve always known what you are, querida. The question is, does it matter?” He gave her one last, fleeting kiss, and then he was gone.
Skylar moved automatically, strapping herself in, setting the engines. She expected any moment for them to change their minds and come after her. And all the while, in the back of her mind, something niggled.
She’d been flying for ten minutes when she crashed her hand on the emergency stop button. The shuttle spun to an immediate halt. She sat for a moment, staring out into the vastness of space.
Rico had always known what she was.
He already knew she was Collective when he’d asked her to stay. Her pulse roared in ears with the realization.
There’s always a choice.
But what were her choices?
No one had ever parted company with the Collective before. That didn’t mean it couldn’t be done. Skylar thought of going back, of taking the fallout from her impetuous decision, and of the tedious years that stretched ahead. Did boredom have to be the price of immortality?
She thought of Rico and had an instant flashback to the feel of him on her, in her, filling her completely. That low, husky voice whispering querida in her ear. A wave of heat rolled through her body. She didn’t understand her feelings for the vampire fully, but she did know that things would never be boring on his ship.
And there was another thing to consider. Her husband, Daniel, had died. Despite being offered the Meridian treatment, he had chosen a normal life and a normal death. But unlike Daniel, Rico would never grow old, and he would never die. Well, not of natural causes.
Skylar wasn’t sure what they had, or what they could have together, but whatever it was, she knew they’d have plenty of time to explore it.
All the time in the universe.
She leaned forward to switch on the engines and something glittered in the corner of her eye. For a moment, she was sure her heart stopped beating. A ring lay on the console; a purple jewel on a slender band of white metal. She picked it up and held it to the light, turning it so fires danced in the heart of the stone.
For a brief moment, she thought the ring might be a farewell gift, but the idea didn’t linger. This was an offer of a new life. A symbol of eternal love, Rico had said.
Skylar wasn’t sure anything could last forever.
But did that really matter?
The important thing was, right now, she wanted it to. For the first time in years, the