told the
driver.
She used that moment of distraction
to try to slip out the opposite side. He snatched her back, catching a
well-aimed elbow to the face. He found his seat and clasped her tightly to him,
making sure she had no room to maneuver no matter how she fought. Escape was
impossible.
He waited as she wore herself out.
She gave a last kick to the door before settling against him. He let her sit up
keeping one hand on her arm just in case.
“What are you doing here, Tate?”
She shrugged not bothering to
answer. It didn’t matter now. She was caught.
“You’re supposed to be on the
Marauder,” he said tightly.
“Well obviously I’m not,” she
snapped.
“I can see that,” he said dryly.
“What I want to know is why?”
“What does it matter?”
He frowned darkly at her. She
tightened her lips and met his gaze with her own. His head tilted slightly, and
he gave her a considering look.
He rubbed his thumb along his jaw.
“I suppose I could always send you to the Marauder so you can explain your
reasons to Jost personally.”
Tate sucked in a breath. He
couldn’t be serious. “I doubt you even know where they’ve gone.”
His face was impassive as he stared
her down. Tate shifted in her seat. Jost hadn’t told any of the crew their next
destination. He never did when they got a job. The first they’d learn about it
was when they were out at sea. Sometimes he waited until the very last minute
before telling the crew what was going on.
Ryu’s eyes hadn’t moved from her as
he waited for her answer. He seemed utterly convinced that he could do what he
threatened. Perhaps it was possible that he knew. Ryu had never been treated
like the rest of the crew.
Tate pressed herself against the
other side of the carriage, feeling a little sick to her stomach. “You know
what Jost would do to a deserter.”
He nodded.
Tate folded her arms across her
stomach and hunched her back. Did she really want to test him over this?
“It wasn’t the first time I’d been
attacked,” Tate said looking away from him.
Ryu stiffened beside her until he
resembled a very large statue. His face drained of expression, and his eyes
became very cold. The rest of the short trip passed in silence.
The carriage stopped. It rocked
gently as the horses pranced in place. Ryu swung out and held his hand out to
Tate. There was no choice but to let him help her out.
Tate’s fear had subsided. There was
no way he knew where the Marauder was headed. Even if he did it would take time
to meet up with Jost. She had no doubt she’d have devised some way to escape
before it was too late. Her palm itched to slap that mocking look off Ryu’s
face, but she couldn’t. Civilized people did not go around hitting others just
because they were irritating. Unless of course they were stronger than that
person and could get away with it. Then the rules changed.
A two story plain brown building
awaited them, simple letters spelling out its name, “Colton’s Place,” just over
the door.
Ryu placed his hand on the small of
Tate’s back ushering her inside and into a small apartment that fit a bed, desk
and small latrine. Weapons and neatly folded clothes were laid out on the desk.
Tate knew without being told they were Ryu’s.
He pushed her at the bed. “Sit.”
Left with no choice, she obeyed,
glaring at him the entire time.
There was a lazy grace to Ryu’s
movements as his feet whispered across the floor as silent as one of the
northern snowcats, not a rustle of cloth betraying him. She’d only seen him in
action once, when rival pirates attacked the Marauder. It had left a lasting
impression. He’d lashed out at his attackers with a fierce ruthlessness and
speed that had left Tate breathless. She had never seen anyone move like he
had. A whirlwind of movement, he’d left his enemy dead on the deck. He hadn’t
even been winded.
A small part of her had always
wanted to see how she’d fare against him. She’d cheat of
driver.
She used that moment of distraction
to try to slip out the opposite side. He snatched her back, catching a
well-aimed elbow to the face. He found his seat and clasped her tightly to him,
making sure she had no room to maneuver no matter how she fought. Escape was
impossible.
He waited as she wore herself out.
She gave a last kick to the door before settling against him. He let her sit up
keeping one hand on her arm just in case.
“What are you doing here, Tate?”
She shrugged not bothering to
answer. It didn’t matter now. She was caught.
“You’re supposed to be on the
Marauder,” he said tightly.
“Well obviously I’m not,” she
snapped.
“I can see that,” he said dryly.
“What I want to know is why?”
“What does it matter?”
He frowned darkly at her. She
tightened her lips and met his gaze with her own. His head tilted slightly, and
he gave her a considering look.
He rubbed his thumb along his jaw.
“I suppose I could always send you to the Marauder so you can explain your
reasons to Jost personally.”
Tate sucked in a breath. He
couldn’t be serious. “I doubt you even know where they’ve gone.”
His face was impassive as he stared
her down. Tate shifted in her seat. Jost hadn’t told any of the crew their next
destination. He never did when they got a job. The first they’d learn about it
was when they were out at sea. Sometimes he waited until the very last minute
before telling the crew what was going on.
Ryu’s eyes hadn’t moved from her as
he waited for her answer. He seemed utterly convinced that he could do what he
threatened. Perhaps it was possible that he knew. Ryu had never been treated
like the rest of the crew.
Tate pressed herself against the
other side of the carriage, feeling a little sick to her stomach. “You know
what Jost would do to a deserter.”
He nodded.
Tate folded her arms across her
stomach and hunched her back. Did she really want to test him over this?
“It wasn’t the first time I’d been
attacked,” Tate said looking away from him.
Ryu stiffened beside her until he
resembled a very large statue. His face drained of expression, and his eyes
became very cold. The rest of the short trip passed in silence.
The carriage stopped. It rocked
gently as the horses pranced in place. Ryu swung out and held his hand out to
Tate. There was no choice but to let him help her out.
Tate’s fear had subsided. There was
no way he knew where the Marauder was headed. Even if he did it would take time
to meet up with Jost. She had no doubt she’d have devised some way to escape
before it was too late. Her palm itched to slap that mocking look off Ryu’s
face, but she couldn’t. Civilized people did not go around hitting others just
because they were irritating. Unless of course they were stronger than that
person and could get away with it. Then the rules changed.
A two story plain brown building
awaited them, simple letters spelling out its name, “Colton’s Place,” just over
the door.
Ryu placed his hand on the small of
Tate’s back ushering her inside and into a small apartment that fit a bed, desk
and small latrine. Weapons and neatly folded clothes were laid out on the desk.
Tate knew without being told they were Ryu’s.
He pushed her at the bed. “Sit.”
Left with no choice, she obeyed,
glaring at him the entire time.
There was a lazy grace to Ryu’s
movements as his feet whispered across the floor as silent as one of the
northern snowcats, not a rustle of cloth betraying him. She’d only seen him in
action once, when rival pirates attacked the Marauder. It had left a lasting
impression. He’d lashed out at his attackers with a fierce ruthlessness and
speed that had left Tate breathless. She had never seen anyone move like he
had. A whirlwind of movement, he’d left his enemy dead on the deck. He hadn’t
even been winded.
A small part of her had always
wanted to see how she’d fare against him. She’d cheat of
Similar Books
