Adiron (Corsair Brothers 1)

I half-expect him to argue, but he only nods. "That's fair." His lips quirk as he looks over at me. "Still don't trust me yet?"

"It's not just my life I'm playing with here."

"And would you trust me with your life, then?" he presses.

"After knowing you for a day? No," I say bluntly. "I trust Helen and Ruth and Alice with mine, because we've been stuck together for the last three years. We're like family. You're…"

"If you say ‘family,’ I'm going to be very sad."

"…like a really pesky neighbor."

"I'll take that. You can get romantic with a neighbor." And he winks at me.

"Are you ever serious? Ever?" Even though he's making me crazy with his assumptions and jokes, there's also something completely charming about him. Like he's as deep as a puddle and he's aware of it, and that's part of his charm. Like despite his job, he's got a ray of sunshine in his soul, and I can appreciate that. He makes me smile, even when I want to throw my hands up in frustration at another one of his cracks.

"Very rarely serious," he reassures me, grinning widely. "But I am definitely serious about a few things."

I snort. "Name them."

Adiron's expression just becomes more and more delighted. "You. I'm very serious about you, Jade. It may not seem like it, but I take your safety—and your need for control over the situation—very seriously. That's why I'm here."

"You volunteered."

"Well, yeah. Because I know I can keep you safe." He gives me a look as if to say the answer is obvious.

"And you think your brothers can't?"

Adiron looks positively wicked in the next moment. "Oh, I imagine they can, but this way, I get to be around you all night long. There's no way I'd give up this opportunity for one of those chuckleheads."

"So this is about me?"

He blinks. "Of course it is. I thought I made that pretty clear."

I purse my lips, studying him. "Is this a trick?"

"Is what a trick?"

I gesture at him, standing in the middle of my room. "You acting like you're half in love with me after we just met."

Adiron beams at me. "Glad you noticed. And I'm not acting."

26

JADE

"I'm sad," Alice says. "We skipped out before we got cake."

"We can have cake when the world isn't burning around us," Ruth points out. "We need to figure out how to outsmart these guys and get our freedom."

Helen just watches as Ruth paces, her head resting on her arms as she leans on the table. She's been oddly quiet, and I get the weird sensation that she's not happy to be back on the Star. That Helen wanted to stay on the other ship. And why wouldn't she? It has new people to talk to, new experiences, new foods, and a guy that Helen apparently wants to try “sexing” with. I worry we're going to lose her if we decide to stay behind, just because Helen's ready to start living her life.

And I can't blame her for that.

Since Ruth is pacing, I'll let her be the source of all nervous energy in the ship and I do my best to stay calm and collected. Or I try to, anyhow. I'm chewing my lip a mile a minute and doing my best not to look over at Adiron.

After my disconcerting conversation with him in my room, I steered us back towards the others. Truth be told, I don't know what to think about what he keeps declaring. That he likes me. That he's in love with me. We just met this morning. But there's something about Adiron that makes me think that he falls in love as completely and enthusiastically as he seems to view everything…and he's sincere. And good lord, I just don't know what to think. We've been betrayed and used at every turn for the last few years, and so it's hard for me to believe in “good guys” anymore.

But if I did, I think Adiron would be one. I step closer to the table and pretend to examine one of the pieces of fruit, but I'm really watching Adiron. Adiron, who knew we needed to talk in private and set himself up in the rec room as far as possible from us. Right now he's got a wall panel disassembled, pieces of metal everywhere, as he tries to bypass the system and hardwire the vid screen so we can watch something. He's whistling, lost in his own little world, but I know, I just know, that he's doing all that deliberately so we won't feel like he's listening in.

And I know it's all for my benefit. He wants me to trust him.

I'm both grateful and confused by his actions. It's been so long since I've trusted a man. I've felt utterly responsible for everything and everyone here, because I'm the oldest and the most experienced. They look to me to solve problems. Adiron has made it clear that whatever I choose, he's going to support it and me.