“My ship. That’s what I called it.”
“Sure. We’ll fetch them. However, before that, I want to make this clear—you’ll obey me and if I tell you to go to this room, you’ll do so immediately. I have fugitives to catch and I don’t want you to encounter them. You’re a liability if they take you hostage.”
“A liability?” She raised her eyebrow.
A poor choice of word, perhaps. “You’re not my guest, but they’ll see you as a means to barter or worse.”
“I see. So I’ll hang out here when things get tough. Don’t you want an extra pair of hands to help you?”
Damn, she was a feisty creature and nothing he’d done had changed that about her. “Trained in unarmed combat, are you?”
“No, but I can man the control center for you, make sure things don’t break down at a critical moment.” There was almost a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
“They won’t, because you’re going to keep them well maintained.”
She appeared to mulling something; her lower jaw rocked from side to side.
“What?” he asked. “Is there a problem with any of this?”
“I’m a fugitive, on my way to be tried, and probably sentenced, and it’s not easy for me to just accept that I’m helping you deliver me to the authorit
ies.”
“I’m giving you an alternative to stasis, being locked in this cell and treated like a prisoner. For the duration, you’re part of my crew—the engineer. However, technically you’re still a fugitive in transit.” He’d not given much thought up to now about how to explain his actions toward Jade. What would his superiors say when they found out he’d let a fugitive work alongside him, free to move about the ship and given access to the systems? It was a problem he would address later, once he seen her in action. “Be good, and I’ll put in a good word for you.” It was a lame response to her concerns.
She nodded, seemingly happy with his comment. “I’d rather be useful than stuck in here.”
He smiled, a genuine display of pleasure. “I’ll enjoy the company.” Did she feel the same way about him?
“Your next prey, where is he?” she asked as he led her out of the cell.
“Nyle Curtis—big-time criminal, into anything bad, especially narcotics. He’s holed up on a space station on the edge of the sector. According to my sources, he’s likely to be partying following his latest successful trade. It’s a good time to get him as his guard is down. He’s paid his men, they don’t need him until the next deal comes up and they’ve frittered away their earnings.” Curtis was a monster of a man and would be tough to catch.
“How long will it take to get us there?” They’d arrived at the engineering control center.
“Fifty days.”
Jade halted suddenly and he almost collided with her. “Fifty days!” Her eyes had widened in disbelief.
Her reactions surprised him—the more time it took to capture his two remaining fugitives, the longer it would be to her trial and sentence. “You don’t want to enjoy this freedom while it lasts?”
She pressed her hand around her narrow throat, as if to stem a wave of nausea. He took her arm and steadied her. “I… I… hadn’t imagined being out here for so long.”
“This is space, sweetheart. Everything takes longer. Did you think you could just dash out, hand out a few supplies, and dash back home again? If you want to be out here, it’s dedication that brings its rewards.” He wondered if she regretted her decision to help her compatriots out with their illicit mission. Perhaps she wished she’d gone into hibernation for the duration of the flight. He dismissed the latter thought: stasis scared her for some reason. Would working alongside him scare her, too? He didn’t like that, not when he’d grown to like the idea of having her company every day.
“I’m here,” he said softly, squeezing her arm gently. “You’re with me. I’m going to keep you safe. That’s my job as your marshal. I’m not the bad guy here, Jade. I’m the good one.”
She stared right into his eyes, searching for something. He held her gaze, unblinking and with as much reserve as he could muster. For a few seconds, all he could think of doing was kissing her sweet lips and holding her in his arms.
He released her and stepped back, shaking off the ludicrous need to touch her. She wasn’t his type. Everyone back at home would tell him only a woman whose submission was complete to the point of unquestioning devotion could match his dominance or satisfy his urges.
“I’ll let you fix the security controls. The console is over there. Probably another dodgy set of circuits. Make a list of other faults or issues; the computer will obey your inquiries, then a list of supplies needed. I expect everything to be done by eight. That’s when we will eat.” He rattled off his commands and she finally blinked, as if waking from a dream.
She offered him a half-baked salute and a smirk. “Sure thing, Marshal. Eight, not a minute before, or after.”
It was unexpected—the relief at hearing her cocksure response; he actually wanted her to resist a little, because then he might have some excuse to tame her. Perhaps, there was something more to do in the coming days than chase across the galaxy—teaching her obedience.
* * *