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We don t have much of a choice. You re in as deep as she is. It s your career and your damn lives on
the line as well. He took a breath, forcing himself to slowly start picking up the scatter of charcoal sticks
and methodically drop them in the case. Obviously we re not going to see eye to eye on this, Van. Let it
go.
Right. This time the link did go dead, and he couldn t stop the pang of regret at the loss of their
teasing banter, and for all the exceedingly obvious attraction between the three of them that would never be
acted on now.
It was force of habit, or rather force of Nana s upbringing, that made him neatly pack up what few
belongings he had. It was probably wasted effort, as doubtless Vanya would enjoy gathering them up and
lighting a bonfire afterwards. Shoving the bag under his bunk, he dropped down with a solid thump,
leaning his head against the wall for a second before reaching for the safety restraints.
The entry was unexpectedly rough, tossing him against the straps crisscrossing his chest hard enough
to bruise, and he threw out a hand to catch himself before he rebounded back against the wall.
Kellen smiled grimly. This was something that could definitely work to his advantage with just a
minor adjustment in plans. He waited until he heard the engines power down before standing up, legs
surprisingly shaky. He reached the door of the cell and hit the comm button. Something s wrong, he said,
his voice rough. Letting his hand fall off the comm, he slid towards the floor, his legs in the hallway outside
the cell. He was facing into it, one arm thrown under his head and the other stretched over it, fingertips
barely touching the wall.
Their footsteps echoed sharply as they came running, Tal hopping over him and falling into a crouch
while Vanya stood behind him. He shivered, and Tal leaned in to put a hand on his face, eyes speculative.
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S. Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
You feel okay, he said, but he didn t resist much when Kellen grabbed his hand, holding it loosely
in a sweaty grip.
I m freezing, he said, teeth chattering. Tal made a move to get up, and he tightened his hold, eyes
squeezing shut for a second. Don t let go, he pleaded, and Vanya stepped around them, heading for the
bunk at the back of the cell, presumably to pull the blanket from it.
Kellen had already primed the lock, and he set it off now, letting go of Tal s arm and rolling out of the
way as the glass door slid quickly shut. There was no way they d be getting out any time soon, and he met
their betrayed looks head on. None of them said anything for a moment, and Kellen set his hand against the
door, his attention divided between Vanya and Tal.
I m sorry. He meant it like he rarely meant anything. I m going to fix this. Staring at them both
for too long to pretend he wasn t, he memorized their features and wished for just a second that he could
see a way to win with the hand he d been dealt. It was no good though, and there was no point in bluffing
anymore, no point in pretending that he was anything more than a liar with a pretty face and a bad habit of
falling for people who couldn t love him.
The charcoal left on his hand from the drawing had smudged the glass, and he left it there with them,
a reminder that they really were on different sides.
The air outside the ship tasted like the ocean, and every step felt like freedom hovering just outside his
grasp. He hailed a flyer as soon as he could find one, and as they neared the city center and the crowds
grew thicker, he jumped out, running as fast as he could from the outraged cry of the driver.
He d never been to Lassiter before, but he found a tourist-information console quickly enough, and he
barely touched it as he searched out the address he needed, only a few blocks away. Paranoia made him
cross back and circle around, finally arriving at the apartment he was looking for. A sharp knock echoed
beyond the door, and he stepped back, waiting.
The heavy wooden door cracked open, warm light spilling onto the landing where he stood, and then
it was flung wide and Cassie was in his arms, his face buried in her soft hair. They parted and he smiled at
her, pushing her gently back into the apartment so he could follow her in.
Let s get to work, he said, kicking the door shut behind them.
No matter how long he stared at it, the door remained stubbornly closed and locked, and he definitely
wasn t enjoying the view from this side of it. Vanya paced the small confines of the cell behind him, and
Tal turned to face her as her anger boiled over into words.
I cannot believe we fell for that. Gods above and below, and we told him we weren t going to fall for
it when he actually was sick. She paused to slap her hand against the glass. I knew, I knew he was going
to pull something. I ve felt on edge since he talked to that vapid blonde bitch.
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It was hardly appropriate given the circumstances, but Tal had to force down a chuckle at Vanya s
outrage. He knew his wife, and she was taking this as a personal affront. This didn t bode well for Frey
when they caught him. Vanya had a rabid dislike of being slighted, and she d have no problem taking it out
on him. He coughed. I ll give you the blonde and even the bitch, but I think she s anything but vapid.
Unfortunately.
Vanya spun around. The only thing she s good at is manipulating Kellen through his dick, and that
doesn t take brains. Visibly forcing herself to calm down, her hands uncurling from the tight fists she d
clenched them into, she took a deep breath. I d rather imagine that it s not his heart. That s harder to
fight.
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