Cipher’s. He looked important with all of the colorful bars and metallic adornments on his shirt. She noticed the wedding band glittering on his finger.
“My mate, Hallie, is from your planet.” He lifted his hand to show her the ring. “We married in the way of your people.” He lowered his hand. “Cipher will do the same for you if you ask him. He’s one of the best men on this ship. Loyal, honorable, respectful. He’ll be a good mate to you.”
“Yes, he will,” she agreed. She glanced back at the door to Terror’s room. “Am I in trouble, sir?”
The corner of his mouth lifted with a smile. “I think you are trouble. Cipher is going to have his hands full with you.”
Worried she had done something to put Cipher in jeopardy, she asked, “Is Cipher in trouble because of me?”
“No.” His gaze shifted to the door, and he frowned. “Terror is my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were children. He spoke more to words to you, a stranger, than he has to me since we rescued him.”
“Sometimes, it’s easier to tell things to a stranger,” she reasoned. Thinking of Terror’s haunted face, she added, “Everyone who knew him before he was taken walks in there expecting the old version of him, but that man doesn’t exist anymore. The man in there? The one I talked to? He’s a new man. Maybe he hasn’t even quite figured out how much he’s changed yet. Maybe he needs space. Away from familiar faces that are putting pressure on him to be someone he can’t be anymore.”
When he stared at her, silent and impassive, she worried she had massively overstepped. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—"
“No, you definitely should have,” he assured her. “You’ve got a big heart, Brook.” His expression turned tender and warm. “Hallie will absolutely love you.” He gestured to the hallway. “Come on. Let’s get you to back to Cipher before he wakes up and realizes you’ve escaped.”
She frowned. “I didn’t escape. I went for a walk.”
He chuckled at her response. When they turned the corner, she spotted Cipher hurrying out of the hospital room. His shirt was untucked from his pants, and he was hopping into his boots. His panicked expression changed to one of irritation as soon as he saw her being escorted back to the room.
Quickly straightening, he saluted the man now standing still next to her. “General.”
Oh, no. Oh, shit. What have I done?
“At ease, Cipher.” With amusement in his voice, the General said, “I think I found something that belongs to you.”
“Apologies, sir. It won’t happen again.” He pinned her in place with a look that made her squirm like a naughty child.
“I’m sure it will,” the General replied with a laugh. “This one has the same mischievous gleam in her eyes as Hallie. Get a collar on her, soldier.”
“Yes, sir.”
The general nodded at her before pivoting on his heel and returning to Terror’s room. She avoided Cipher’s intense stare as long as possible. When she did finally meet his gaze, she was surprised to see that he wasn’t angry with her. If anything, he looked relieved. He held out his hand, and she clasped it, letting him take her back into the hospital room.
As soon as the door was closed, he boxed her in against it, his hands on either side of her head, and leaned down to capture her mouth. She mewled as he kissed her, his tongue stabbing insistently against hers. When he broke away, he said, “I thought another man had taken you.”
Regret and guilt soured her belly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Did you go see Terror?”
She nodded.
He sighed heavily. “I warned you that he was unstable.”
“He wasn’t unstable with me. We talked, and it was nice.”
“Just talked?”
“I gave him an orange?”
“An orange?”
“They’re tasty,” she defended herself. “I thought it might give him a few moments of enjoyment.”
“Brook,” he whispered and then kissed her again. “You sweet, sweet girl.”
She bit her lower lip. “Are you mad at me?”
“No.” He dragged her lip away from her teeth with his thumb. “I was scared, not angry. I’m frustrated that you left like that, but I trust that you won’t do something like this again.”
“I won’t,” she promised. “I won’t leave without telling you first.”
“Good.” He cupped the back of her neck and drew her in for a hug. With a smile in his voice, he added, “Maybe I should have tied