wife. She left you, remember?”
Kelwin lifted one shoulder. “Maybe. But I didn’t file for annulment.”
The walkway yawed beneath her feet. Grabbing at the rail, she looked at her father. His shocked expression mirrored the confusion swirling through her. Why hadn’t he filed for annulment? They hadn’t…she’d left. Why would he leave himself open legally like that?
Cordon cleared his throat, visibly shaken. “Yeah, but the marriage wasn’t consummated. My dau—”
Kelwin started down the ramp, each movement measured as he approached her father and the clerk. With every step he took, Cordon stiffened, his body language screaming that the tall, dangerous former soldier was way too close for comfort.
Kelwin didn’t look at him. Instead he reserved his attention for the clerk, who merely looked interested rather than scared out of his wits. “Wasn’t consummated then. The marriage is, however, now fully consummated.”
The clerk nodded and made a notation on his pad. He looked at Nerys as she made her shaky way down the ramp to her husband’s side. Husband . Warmth filled her as she reached him and slid her hand onto his arm.
“Is this true?” Gethan asked, his expression serious.
Managing a smile, she nodded. “It is. We’ve spent the last week together.”
“Wait, no! She filed for annulment,” Cordon screamed, face now purple with fury. “This marria—”
She ignored him and looked directly at the clerk. “I didn’t file for annulment. Ever.”
In truth, she hadn’t even thought of it—she’d been too busy surviving. And any attempt to initiate legal action would have clued her father in to where she was.
The clerk nodded and made another notation. “Then it’s settled. The courts acknowledge the marriage of Kelwin Sayeed and Nerys McQuaid. Mr. McQuaid, your application for guardianship is denied.”
Kelwin cleared his throat. “I would like to make a further application. I want an injunction to prevent Cordon McQuaid coming within ten light years of my wife.”
Gethan raised an eyebrow as both Nerys and Cordon gasped. “Your evidence?”
“No evidence. Code Julia-three-seven-nine-Lima.”
Surprise filtered across the clerk’s features—the first real emotion Nerys had seen on his face—as he punched in the code. The light on the top of the pad blinked green.
“Oh my. Granted without the need for evidence. Commander Sayeed, you have your injunction.” The clerk turned to the guards and motioned toward Cordon. “He’s in violation of an active injunction. Slap a restraint cuff on him and take him away.”
Nerys stood gaping as the guards strong-armed her protesting father across the dock.
“Wait! You can’t do this. Don’t you know who I am?” Cordon demanded, trying to free himself from their clutches. It didn’t work; the guard on the left twisted Cordon’s arms behind his back and slapped a pair of cuffs on him.
“You fucking bastard, Sayeed… I’ll get even for this!” he screamed as they bundled him through the door. ”You’d better not sleep. I’ll make sure you’re ruined…fucking ruined , do you hear me?”
The clerk watched as the door slid closed and then turned back to them. “Forgive me for saying, but what a totally unpleasant man.”
She snorted. “Why do you think I hightailed it out of the family home?”
The ghost of a smile crossed the man’s lip. He pulled a thin strip of plastic from the back of the pad. “Hold out your wrist, please.”
When she did, he snapped the clear plastic over it. The strip curled around her wrist like a bracelet. As soon as the two ends met, the plastic dissolved and she felt a light mist descend onto her skin.
“Okay, once his cuff is in place, he will not be able to access any transport or order a ship piloted within the injunction distance. If he does, he will be picked up and charged with violation of the order.”
Relief rolled through her. She didn’t need to hide
Kelwin lifted one shoulder. “Maybe. But I didn’t file for annulment.”
The walkway yawed beneath her feet. Grabbing at the rail, she looked at her father. His shocked expression mirrored the confusion swirling through her. Why hadn’t he filed for annulment? They hadn’t…she’d left. Why would he leave himself open legally like that?
Cordon cleared his throat, visibly shaken. “Yeah, but the marriage wasn’t consummated. My dau—”
Kelwin started down the ramp, each movement measured as he approached her father and the clerk. With every step he took, Cordon stiffened, his body language screaming that the tall, dangerous former soldier was way too close for comfort.
Kelwin didn’t look at him. Instead he reserved his attention for the clerk, who merely looked interested rather than scared out of his wits. “Wasn’t consummated then. The marriage is, however, now fully consummated.”
The clerk nodded and made a notation on his pad. He looked at Nerys as she made her shaky way down the ramp to her husband’s side. Husband . Warmth filled her as she reached him and slid her hand onto his arm.
“Is this true?” Gethan asked, his expression serious.
Managing a smile, she nodded. “It is. We’ve spent the last week together.”
“Wait, no! She filed for annulment,” Cordon screamed, face now purple with fury. “This marria—”
She ignored him and looked directly at the clerk. “I didn’t file for annulment. Ever.”
In truth, she hadn’t even thought of it—she’d been too busy surviving. And any attempt to initiate legal action would have clued her father in to where she was.
The clerk nodded and made another notation. “Then it’s settled. The courts acknowledge the marriage of Kelwin Sayeed and Nerys McQuaid. Mr. McQuaid, your application for guardianship is denied.”
Kelwin cleared his throat. “I would like to make a further application. I want an injunction to prevent Cordon McQuaid coming within ten light years of my wife.”
Gethan raised an eyebrow as both Nerys and Cordon gasped. “Your evidence?”
“No evidence. Code Julia-three-seven-nine-Lima.”
Surprise filtered across the clerk’s features—the first real emotion Nerys had seen on his face—as he punched in the code. The light on the top of the pad blinked green.
“Oh my. Granted without the need for evidence. Commander Sayeed, you have your injunction.” The clerk turned to the guards and motioned toward Cordon. “He’s in violation of an active injunction. Slap a restraint cuff on him and take him away.”
Nerys stood gaping as the guards strong-armed her protesting father across the dock.
“Wait! You can’t do this. Don’t you know who I am?” Cordon demanded, trying to free himself from their clutches. It didn’t work; the guard on the left twisted Cordon’s arms behind his back and slapped a pair of cuffs on him.
“You fucking bastard, Sayeed… I’ll get even for this!” he screamed as they bundled him through the door. ”You’d better not sleep. I’ll make sure you’re ruined…fucking ruined , do you hear me?”
The clerk watched as the door slid closed and then turned back to them. “Forgive me for saying, but what a totally unpleasant man.”
She snorted. “Why do you think I hightailed it out of the family home?”
The ghost of a smile crossed the man’s lip. He pulled a thin strip of plastic from the back of the pad. “Hold out your wrist, please.”
When she did, he snapped the clear plastic over it. The strip curled around her wrist like a bracelet. As soon as the two ends met, the plastic dissolved and she felt a light mist descend onto her skin.
“Okay, once his cuff is in place, he will not be able to access any transport or order a ship piloted within the injunction distance. If he does, he will be picked up and charged with violation of the order.”
Relief rolled through her. She didn’t need to hide
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