Page 74 of Star-Crossed Captive
“I don’t know. We’ve been to a ton of places.”
“Tell me all of them.” Why would her bonds stop sending him a signal?
“The arboretum, the museum, the aquarium, Tchocho’s Place for drinks a couple of times. She really loves the arboretum, though.” He moved toward the lift, intent on checking the arboretum first, when she added, “I took her to the engine core once, then we went—”
“That’s it.” There would be enough interference from the energy output to mess with her signal. He slapped the control panel on the lift. “Thanks, Dee.”
“I’ll help you look.”
“No, I’ve got it.” He didn’t want her to feel like they were teaming against her.
The lift descended, too slowly for his taste, and opened at the central deck of the engine core.
The hum of the engine core pulsed toward him, almost like a living thing. He sometimes thought of it that way, the heart ofOrion. Or, four hearts, each section independently powered by its own core.Orionwouldn’t exist without them, only a hunk of metal floating in space. The engine cores gave it life.
Mace strode through the corridor, his unease at being separated from Nia’s tracker increasing with each step. The overhead disappeared as he stepped into the reactor chamber. He quickly scanned the deck, but it was deserted. His eyes moved upward, and his heart lurched in his chest. She stood too close to the railing, and she wasn’t alone. Foley stood in front of her, head bent like he told her secrets.
Heart threatening to burst out of his chest, he raced back the way he’d come, found the service ladder, and climbed it as fast as he could. The thin metal bars bit into his palms. His boots slapped against the deck as he jogged the narrow corridor and it once again opened into the voluminous space of the reactor chamber. When he stepped into Nia’s line of sight, he didn’t imagine the relief in her eyes.
“Foley.” The word came out a harsh bark, and the other commander tensed and straightened. The bastard had his hand on her shoulder, thumb pressing into the delicate center of her throat.
Mace’s vision blurred, his hand went to his gun on his thigh, but Foley let go of her and she skirted him to rush toward Mace.
“Are you okay?” he asked when she stood in front of him.
She gave him a quick nod, but her face remained wan. He brushed his hand against her shoulder, attempting to erase Foley’s touch. A small, pink oval stood out against Nia’s pale skin where he’d pressed her throat. Fury raced through Mace.
Tucking Nia behind him, he stared at Foley who leaned against the railing overlooking the engine core shaft like he hadn’t a care in the world.
“What are you doing here?” Mace asked, calculating all the ways he could kill the bastard right now.
Foley smirked. “Shouldn’t you ask your ward that question? Unlike her, I have reason to be here.” He smiled, and it wasn’t nice. “I was making sure she wasn’t contemplating suicide. She seemed distraught. Whatishappening behind closed doors, Commander? I’ve received some reports about screaming from your section of the quad.”
Mace wouldn’t take the bait or the deflection, not when Nia tightly gripped the hem of his shirt. Was it to hold him close, or because she didn’t want him to beat the shit out of his colleague?
Foley pushed away from the railing and sauntered past them. “Take care of your ward, Commander. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.” He left the reactor chamber whistling.
The need to go after him and beat him into a pulp almost overwhelmed every other thought.
“What did he say to you?” Mace asked her when Foley’s whistling had faded.
Eyes aimed at his chest, she shook her head. “Not a lot. Tried to scare me or something.” She lifted her eyes to meet his. “I think he might know my identity.”
Impossible.If Foley knew, Nia would already be in the brig because he’d want a cut of her ransom. But realizing she’d caught his personal notice…Mace ran a hand over his face. Could he even send her to common holding now? If he’d been worried about her safety before, now he was doubly so.
“Come,” he said, hand skimming her spine to rest on the small of her back.
She stepped closer until her shoulder pressed against his ribs. His chest squeezed at the accepting action.
Gently, he guided her to the corridor leading to the lift. She kept quiet during the ride to his quarters, but her body stayed close to his.
He shouldn’t have left her earlier. He should have let her dress in privacy, then returned to make sure she was okay.
He kept making mistakes when it came to her.
The door to his quarters slid shut behind them, enclosing them in silence.
Nia lifted her eyes to look at Mace. She hadn’t felt warm since the other commander had found her in the engine core, Mace’s body heat the only thing keeping the cold at bay. She stepped closer and grabbed his forearm, fearing he would once again leave her.
