Kayla was sitting on the floor an hour later modifying the settings on one of the new terminals they’d received from Lars and Sergei. Her arm was aching more than she cared to admit, and she put down the tool in frustration.
Sergei tapped on the wall before strolling into the workroom. His hair was pulled back like it had been the day before. He was wearing his UV-protective gear, but his jacket was open, revealing a dark shirt. Some sort of strange device that looked like a weapon was holstered at his side, and he carried a bottle in his hand. Kayla eyed the weapon with distaste. The one she’d borrowed from Brant was still in her bag. Ruin rats didn’t carry such high-tech weapons because of their extravagant cost and upkeep, but maybe it was time to reconsider.
He gave her an appraising look. “I heard you were injured. How do you feel?”
Like hell warmed over. “Just a bump and a couple of bruises. I’ll be fine.”
Sergei extended his hand to help her off the floor and gestured to the sling once she was standing. “That looks to be a bit more than a bruise. Is it broken?”
“Dislocated,” she replied and peeked behind him toward the hall. “Is your friend here too?”
“Yes. Lars is with Leo. They are reviewing images you and your friends gathered today. You accomplished much, even hurt.” He took a step closer to her and examined the brace. “May I inspect your arm? I have some experience with injuries.”
“Not much to look at, but go ahead. Mack already reset it.” Sergei put down the bottle before removing her arm from the brace. He ran his hand up her arm toward her shoulder and felt the joint. She winced in pain, and he raised an eyebrow at her.
“You have not taken anything for pain?”
“No, I can handle it,” she replied stubbornly.
Sergei chuckled and put the brace back on her. “I am surprised you remained conscious when the arm was reset.”
She frowned. So was she. “It hurt like a bitch, but I’ve been through worse.”
He laughed outright. “You have spirit. I am impressed.” There was a hint of admiration in his voice. He picked up the bottle from the floor. “I promised we would share a bottle of vodka. It may help dull your pain. Or I could show you my camp. We could correct your shoulder immediately.”
Kayla was curious about his camp, but she wouldn’t risk going anywhere with these guys until she learned more about them. There were limits, even for her. She shook her head. “I’ll give the vodka a try.”
Sergei nodded. She grabbed two glasses from the dining area before leading him to the common room. Sergei took the seat next to her on the couch and removed the protective barrier around the bottle. As he poured the clear liquid into the glasses, he explained that the sheath was designed to keep the liquid ice-cold. He handed one of the glasses to her.
“Tvoye zdorov’ye!”
He tapped his glass against hers before downing his drink. Kayla cocked her head at the unusual words but followed his lead. The cold liquid felt somewhat harsh against her throat, followed by a slight warming sensation as she swallowed—an interesting contrast. The taste was quite a bit different from the scotch Carl had given her, but it wasn’t bad.
“What does that mean?”
“A toast to your health,” he explained and leaned back, draping his arm across the back of the couch. “It seemed fitting, considering your shoulder. How did you manage to injure yourself?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I zigged when I should have zagged.”
The corner of his lips twitched as though suppressing a smile, but he didn’t question her further. Taking another drink, she took the opportunity to study him. Sergei was attractive, but with an unnerving intensity. He exuded confidence and even seemed to border on cocky. Kayla normally liked that in a man, but she had the impression every action and movement on his part was planned and deliberate, which made her somewhat guarded. Her only other option for information was Lars, however, and there was something about the other man that bothered her.
Sergei refilled his drink and considered her in return. “Leo said you worked another camp. Will you remain here now?”
“For a little while,” she said noncommittally. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing yet. I just wanted to take a few days to figure things out. What about you? What are your plans when you finish mapping the current district?”
His eyes twinkled as he reached over to refill her glass. “We have several plans in motion. We wait for now to see results.”
Kayla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She’d played these word games with traders more times than she could count. Unfortunately, her shoulder was aching and she wasn’t in the mood to draw this out. It was time to step things up a notch.
She leaned against the back of the couch and gave him a playful smile. “If you’re trying to go for the whole mysterious and sexy thing, I’d say you’ve got it nailed.”
Sergei raised an eyebrow. Interest flickered in his gray eyes, and he gave her a slow smile. He reached over, lifted a tendril of her hair, and rubbed it between his fingers, watching her reaction. “I could say same about you, Milaya.”
Kayla held herself still. It was all part of the game. She took another sip of her drink and peered up at him over the rim of her glass. “I’ve never been outside OmniLab territory. What’s it like where you’re from?”
“Ahh. You have interest in my home?”
When she nodded, Sergei smiled and lowered his hand to the back of the couch. His fingers brushed against her uninjured shoulder. She had the impression he was testing her and trying to gauge her reaction to his touch. What was it with people putting their hands on her? Kayla didn’t like it, but she’d play along for now.
When she didn’t pull away, he lightly ran his thumb along the line of her shoulder. “I have been absent from my home for some time. For much of the year, it is cold with biting winds. There are large mountains, but our home is also near the ocean. When you look out, there is nothing but water as far as you see.”
Kayla got caught up in his description. She’d never seen anything like what he described, except in pre-war images. “It sounds beautiful. I’d love to see that.”
“Hmm,” he murmured and continued to trail the back of his fingers along her shoulder. “A woman like you would be well-received in our Coalition.”
His words caught her by surprise. She attempted to cover by taking another sip of her drink. “The Coalition?”
He chuckled and leaned back. “I have been interrogating people for many years, Milaya. Your words say you are not familiar with us, but your eyes and body language deceive you. You have heard of us, yes?”
“Interrogating? What do you mean?” she asked hesitantly, lowering her glass.
“I… apologize for any confusion,” he said, brushing off her concerns. “Many words are difficult to translate. I am considered quite skilled at reading people. You obviously do not want me to know you have heard of us. Why?”
Kayla frowned, trying to decide how much to reveal. There was something strange about this conversation. It was almost as if he were engaging her in some sort of dance, but she didn’t know the steps. Until she knew Sergei’s motivation, he had the advantage. She didn’t like that. At all.
“I’ve heard a little bit about the Coalition,” she admitted. “But I don’t know much.”
He rested his elbow on the back of the couch. “What have you heard?”
She finished off her drink. “Just that your facility was formed by several pre-war governments. You guys have some pretty advanced technology, which I’ve seen for myself. You’ve absorbed some other smaller facilities, but no one has heard much about you for several years now.”
“Interesting. You are better informed than most. Your information is fairly accurate.” Sergei refilled her glass and tapped his against hers before taking another drink. “It was created around same time as your towers. Several governments worked together to build our facility. Only our best and brightest were accepted. We do not tolerate failure or weakness in any form.”
“Survival of the fittest?” That was definitely a concept she understood. It was the basic premise of life as a ruin rat.
He nodded in approval. “Yes. Intelligence, strength, and perseverance are critical to survival. To accept anything less is foolish.”
She might agree to some extent, but it still didn’t explain their presence. “Are you here to try to absorb OmniLab?”
“Hmm,” he murmured and ran his thumb against her arm again. “Not exactly. Our Coalition is dedicated to unifying various facilities around world. Only way to rebuild our world to its former glory is to work under single banner.”
Kayla leaned back, sipped her drink, and considered his words. While it might be an interesting theory, it wasn’t practical. Alec had made it clear that OmniLab would remain independent.
Based on what she’d seen, the Inner Circle and High Council seemed to have a sense of entitlement regarding their position within the towers. Unless the Coalition intended to work under OmniLab’s banner, she didn’t see it happening.
It was more than that though. The energy manipulation utilized by the Inner Circle set them apart from other facilities. Even though the residents of OmniLab were aware there were some differences between them and the Inner Circle, it wasn’t openly discussed and their abilities were cloaked in mystery. Kayla had grown up without realizing energy manipulation was even a possibility. She wondered if Sergei or the Coalition were aware of OmniLab’s hidden talents. If so, that added a whole other layer of concerns.
Kayla bit her lip at the thought. There were too many factors at play, and she didn’t have enough information. Although she was confident Alec and OmniLab would never bow to anyone, they might be open to a possible alliance between the facilities.
He searched her gaze. “Where are your thoughts, Milaya?”
“What about an alliance with OmniLab?”
Sergei chuckled. “Do you think they would consider such a thing? From what we have seen, they do not even trade directly with your friends.”
Kayla frowned and put her glass on the table. She was starting to feel the effects from the alcohol, and while it helped numb the pain in her shoulder, she needed to keep a clear head. She looked up at Sergei again. It was time for some straight answers. “So you map their districts in secret. Why not try talking to OmniLab directly?”
He studied her and asked casually, “What makes you think we have not?”
Her eyes narrowed. Was he serious? “We’re just ruins rats as far as they’re concerned. They would respond to another facility, unless you’re avoiding them for some reason.”
“I would like to propose another toast in your language this time,” Sergei said and refilled her glass before handing it back to her. He gently tapped it with his. “To beautiful woman who knows far more than she pretends.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “Oh, fucking hell. Are you just toying with me here?”
He simply smiled and finished off his glass. She scowled at him before tossing back her drink. The empty glass hit the table with a clank.
Sergei shrugged. “Perhaps somewhat, Milaya. We have both been trying to get information out of one another since we met. We have both been mildly successful. I am curious whether you will admit why you are interested in our motivations.”
She frowned at him. “Because I think you guys are up to no good. Why are you hiring ruin rats to map the districts when you’ve been running aircraft surveillance through the districts for the past several days?”
He looked surprised by her admission. Good. It’s about time.
“I see. How did you come by this information?”
“It was a little hard to miss. You flew over my damn head the other day.”
He leaned forward. “Yet you believe it was us and not OmniLab. Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, your little circle symbol was a pretty good indicator. I pieced together a couple of images.”
Kayla stood to pull out her commlink and show him, but a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. Sergei shot up from the couch and caught her before she could fall. He wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. She blinked and looked up at him. The man had fast reflexes.
“You do not need to show me, Milaya. Perhaps you should sit back down. I suspect you are not able to handle your liquor as well as others.”
Crap. She didn’t think she’d had that much to drink. It had a bite, but the smoothness of the liquor had made it seem less potent. “I’m fine. At least, I think I’m fine. That stuff kinda sneaks up on you.”
“Yes, it can,” he agreed and shifted her slightly. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metallic object. She recognized the strange emblem from the aircraft.
His fingers hooked under the strap of her tank top and he affixed the small pin to the material. “This is symbol you saw, correct?”
Kayla looked down at the circular design and nodded. Sergei gave her a knowing smile and ran his thumb over the design. “Consider this gift. Circle symbolizes unity. Line marks our path. By wearing this, you will be viewed as friend to our people.”
Her brow furrowed. Did she want to be viewed as a friend? She didn’t trust him or their little group. Still, it couldn’t hurt. It was better than being their enemy. Kayla looked up at him and paused at the intensity in his gray eyes. He slowly ran his fingers along her shoulder and traced her collarbone to the hollow of her throat. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and he murmured, “Ty takaya krasivaya.”
She swallowed. She just wanted information, not to be his next meal, and he looked like he wanted to devour her. “What does that mean?”
Kayla thought she saw a look of regret in his eyes, but it was gone quickly. He nodded toward her injured arm. “An observation. How is your arm feeling?”
“My arm?” She rubbed her shoulder in surprise. It still hurt, but it wasn’t nearly as noticeable. “Oh, wow. A lot better. That vodka works pretty well.”
“Would you like more?”
Before she could reply, Mack and Marshall entered the room. Mack’s eyes narrowed on Sergei’s arm around her, and then he scowled. “What’s going on in here?”
“Hello, Mack,” Sergei said in his accented voice. He lowered his hand but didn’t move away. “Kayla and I are getting to know each other. I do not believe I have met your friend.”
Mack’s gaze shot to Kayla. She shook her head, letting him know everything was fine. He frowned but introduced his companion. Marshall was a thin, wiry individual who frequently paired up with Johnny. He’d come from another scavenging camp less than a year ago, and his eagerness to fit in had a tendency to annoy Kayla. Obviously pleased to be included in the conversation, Marshall rushed to sit down on the couch. “Nice to meet you, Sergei. It’s good to see you back, Kayla. It’s been a lot quieter around here since you took off.”
She snorted and swayed slightly. Without Sergei’s arm around her, the floor wasn’t quite as steady. “Yeah, I think Leo’s blood pressure shot up the minute I walked back in the door.”
Mack’s eyes narrowed on her. “You okay, babe?”
Kayla nodded and sat back down on the couch. “My arm doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He shot a suspicious glance at Sergei. “You get into the pain meds or something?”
She shook her head and pointed to the half-empty bottle on the table. Mack glanced at it and then asked Sergei, “What is that?”
“I brought vodka with me,” he explained and waved his hand toward the bottle. “Please, help yourself. It helped with her pain.”
Mack picked up Kayla’s empty glass and poured a small amount of vodka into it. He sniffed it and then took a drink. “How much of this did she have?”
“Maybe three glasses,” Sergei answered for her with a shrug.
Kayla leaned back and curled her feet up underneath her. She was feeling pretty warm and comfortable now. “It’s good stuff. It might even be better than the pain meds.”
“Uh huh,” Mack replied and put the glass on the table. “Glad to hear it. We’ve got some bad news though.”
“Oh?” Kayla reached for the glass Mack abandoned. Sergei sat back down next to her and topped it off.
Mack sighed. “Your bike is missing.”
Kayla blinked at him in confusion. “Huh? What are you talking about? We left it by that building.”
“We drove out there and it was gone. I don’t know who picked it up. I suspect it was probably Carl. There were some tracks that led back in the direction of his camp.”
“That dirty, rotten, thieving bastard!” She sat up straight. “I bet he had a secondary tracking device on my bike. Crap. I got rid of one before I left, but he must have had a backup on there. He’s too damn sneaky.”
Sergei glanced back and forth between them. “You speak of OmniLab trader?”
Mack nodded. “Yeah. If Carl’s got her bike, we can get it back. It’s just going to be a pain in the ass.”
“I can’t believe he jacked my bike,” Kayla muttered.
“I can,” Mack said and ran his hand through his short hair. He leaned back on the couch. “We’ll figure it out. You’re not going to be driving anywhere for a few days anyway with that arm.”
Sergei turned to look at her. “You know this trader well?”
“She worked in his camp for the past month,” Marshall volunteered. “Before that, he was chasing her ass like you wouldn’t believe. He tracked her for months.”
“Shut up, Marshall,” Kayla said in irritation.
Mack shot Marshall a warning look. The newer scavenger shrugged. “What’s the big deal? Everyone knows Carl’s been after her since we moved here.”
“I see,” Sergei said thoughtfully. “Is it common to work in trader camps?”
“Hell no,” Marshall replied. “Kayla pissed off another trader named Ramiro. She stole this crazy-rare artifact from him, and he put a price on her head. Carl let her hide out in his camp since it was his fault Ramiro found her again. But she killed the bastard Ramiro sent after her. I heard she cut his throat—”
“Marshall!” Mack growled angrily.
Kayla slammed her glass down and shot to her feet. The room swayed, but she ignored it. “That’s it, Marshall. If you were any brighter, you’d be in the damned visible spectrum. I warned you last time that if you started talking about my personal life again, I was going to kick your ass. Get your ass up out of that chair so I can knock it back down.”
Marshall realized he had gone too far and swallowed nervously. Mack stood and held up his hands. “Whoa there, kitten. Calm down. He won’t say another word or he’ll have to deal with me too. Isn’t that right, Marshall?”
“S-sorry, Kayla,” Marshall stammered.
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down,” she shouted and clenched her fist. She gestured to Sergei. “We hardly know anything about this guy and Marshall’s telling him shit left and right. No one in this camp will breathe a word around a trader, but if a foreigner or anyone else walks into the room, he doesn’t know how to shut the fuck up. If Marshall wants to say something, he can talk about his own damn life. Leave mine out of it.”
“He’s done, darlin’,” Mack said gently. “As warranted as it may be, you’re not in any condition to kick his ass right now.” He turned to look at Marshall and jerked his head. “Marshall, go take a walk. Now.”
Marshall nodded and quickly left the room. Mack turned back at Kayla. “He was out of line. I’ll lay it out for him later. We good now?”
“I can take care of him myself,” she muttered and sat back down with a huff.
Sergei watched the exchange with interest. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “You handle yourself well.”
“You have no idea,” Mack agreed without taking his eyes off Kayla. “Sorry about that, Sergei. That boy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut though. We don’t take too kindly to people talking when they shouldn’t.”
He nodded. “I understand. Our culture is similar.”
Kayla picked up her glass and took a sip. “No kidding. I’ve been trying to get you to talk since we sat down.”
Sergei chuckled. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It has been most enlightening.”
Mack leaned against the wall. “Sergei, if you’re going to be here for a while, Tharin and Johnny are going to have most of the district map finished today. Thanks to Kayla’s modifications on your equipment, it’s going much faster than we expected.”
“Excellent,” Sergei said and pulled out his commlink. He studied it for a moment and then stood. “Something has come up. We will return later. Contact me when information is complete and I will have equipment delivered, as agreed.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “You’re leaving?”
“Yes,” he said abruptly. “I enjoyed speaking with you, Kayla. I look forward to seeing you again very soon.”
He bent down and kissed her cheek before quickly walking out of the room. Mack watched him go with a frown. “Surprised he ran out of here like that. You were working the guy pretty hard, huh?”
“I tried,” she said with a sigh and refilled her glass.
He raised an eyebrow. “Babe, I think you might have reached your limit with that stuff.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Uh huh,” he replied and walked over to her. Mack plucked the drink out of her hand and her eyes widened as he finished it off. He picked up the bottle off the table and carried it, along with the empty glass, to the other side of the room.
“If you can manage to pick up the glass without falling on your ass, you can have it. Otherwise, you’re switching to hydrating packs.”
Viewing it as a challenge, Kayla carefully stood and started walking toward him. She only managed a few feet before she bumped into the table and stumbled. Mack grabbed her before she could fall. With a laugh, she teased, “You saved me again, Mack.”
“You’re pretty blitzed, babe,” Mack said with a chuckle. He scooped her up and planted her back on the couch. “I’ll grab you a hydrating pack.”
She grinned at him. “I guess that works.”
Mack headed out into the hallway, and she took the opportunity to stretch out on the couch. She enjoyed the warm, fuzzy feeling from the liquor. Her coordination might be a little faulty, but the liquor had definitely smoothed away the rough edges of pain. It was just too bad Sergei hadn’t stuck around a bit longer. Closing her eyes, Kayla relaxed and let her thoughts drift until she heard shouting and a crash a few minutes later.
Alarmed, her eyes flew open, and she pushed herself off the couch, half-walking and half-stumbling toward the front of the camp where the noises came from.
Her eyes widened in surprise once she got to the entrance and saw Carl and Mack fighting one another in the front hall while Veridian and Brant were trying to separate them. Fluffy managed to break free of the towers. Go figure.
Mack grabbed Carl and shoved him into the wall. Carl hit the wall with a thud and pushed Mack back away from him. Carl took a swing at him, and Kayla winced as she heard his fist connect with Mack’s jaw.
She stared at them for a minute, her earlier euphoria fading away. As the intensity of their fight focused her thoughts, Kayla tried to figure out how to stop them before they killed each other.
“Leo!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. A few moments later, Leo came running down the hall followed by Marshall. The camp leader quickly assessed the situation and let out an ear-piercing whistle.
The men paused briefly. “Enough! Knock it off!”
Carl’s jacket was ripped, and he was bleeding from the side of his mouth. Marshall and Veridian each grabbed one of Mack’s arms and held him back from attacking Carl again. Mack’s shirt was torn, and it appeared as though Carl had done an equal amount of damage.
Mack glared at Carl. “You fucking trader bastard! Where the hell do you get off screwing with her?”
Veridian shook his head and continued to wrench his arm back, holding him in place. “Mack, you don’t know the whole story. Carl came here to talk to her.”
“He’ll have to go through me if he wants to get anywhere near her,” Mack threatened and finally managed to jerk away from Marshall and Veridian. “And what the hell are you doing bringing a fucking trader into our camp anyway?”
Veridian flinched at the accusation but didn’t reply. Carl was about to answer until he spotted Kayla standing behind Leo. She bit her lip as he took a step toward her.
“Kayla, you can’t run away like this. Give me a chance to explain.”
She took a shaky step backward and stumbled. Forgetting her injury, she tried to use her arms to brace herself. She landed on her backside and cried out as pain shot through her arm and shoulder again.
Mack swore and leapt to her side. Carl started to move toward her, but Mack snapped, “Back off, Trader. You’re not getting near her.” When Carl froze, Mack turned back to Kayla and softened his gaze. “I told you to stay on the couch. What the hell were you doing?”
“Sorry,” she managed, blinking back tears and clutching her arm. The numbing effects of the vodka had disappeared, and the throbbing pain was back with a vengeance.
“Shit,” he muttered and scooped her into his arms. “Don’t apologize. It freaks me out. Marshall, go grab the pain meds.”
“No!” Kayla shook her head. “No meds, Mack. I can handle it.”
“You’re hurting pretty badly again. If you won’t take the meds, you can have more to drink. Let’s go check that arm and see if you pulled it back out,” Mack said as he carried her back into the common room. Carl ignored Mack’s threat and followed them into the room with everyone else trailing behind him.
Mack put her on the couch and grabbed the bottle of vodka from the other side of the room. He poured another glass and sat beside her.
“Drink it,” he ordered.
She lifted the glass and swallowed it down quickly. The warmth filled her, and Kayla handed him the empty glass. Mack put it down and carefully removed the splint from her arm. His hands were gentle as he ran his hands up her arm toward her shoulder, feeling and prodding along the way. Kayla winced and bit her lip while he checked to make sure her shoulder hadn’t popped back out.
Carl’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell happened to her?”
“She dislocated her shoulder,” Leo said in irritation and turned to Kayla. “Dammit, girl, you told me being here wouldn’t interfere with our trading relationships.”
Without taking his eyes off Kayla, Carl said, “Your trading relationships aren’t an issue, Leo, but I’m not leaving without her. When I go, she’s coming with me. That arm needs to be properly treated.”
“You already had your chance.” Mack snarled and stood, taking a protective stance in front of her. “You’re going to stay the hell away from her. You traders are all the same. You think you can just jerk her around because she’s a ruin rat?”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Carl snapped.
“I know you screwed with her head pretty damn good.”
“Stop it!” Kayla tried to push Mack out of the way. He took a small step to the side but didn’t budge. The pain in her arm was excruciating, and she didn’t want to have to deal this on top of her shoulder. Her brain was fuzzy enough as it was. “Carl, I don’t want to talk to you right now. Just go away and leave me alone.”
Carl shook his head. “I’m not leaving until we work this out. If you want to take a swing at me, too, you’re welcome to it, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you disappear again.”
Veridian frowned. “Kayla, give him five minutes. You owe him that much.”
Kayla glared at Veridian. His betrayal at bringing Carl here cut deep. “Like hell I do. I don’t owe him a damn thing. Whose side are you on anyway?”
“Yours, Kayla,” Veridian answered, an apology in his eyes. “Always yours.”
She looked away, still unhappy by Carl’s presence, but she couldn’t bring herself to be angry with Veridian. He didn’t know everything that had happened, and that was her fault. She hadn’t told him.
Mack crossed the room and got right up into Carl’s face. In a low, rumbling voice, he said, “You heard her, Trader. Get lost.”
Carl’s fists clenched, but he stood his ground and warned, “I suggest you back off. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Mack,” Leo said sharply and pointed to the door. “Get out of here. I don’t need you making this any worse.”
“Fuck that, Leo,” Mack said, crossing his arms. “I’m not going anywhere until this asshole is gone.”
Leo stepped forward. “You really want to go up against me, boy?”
Mack scowled and moved away from Carl but didn’t leave the room. Leo’s eyes narrowed on Carl. “Trader, you have no business being in my camp and interrupting my operation. I think it’s time you left.”
“As long as Kayla’s here, it’s my business. Even though Mack took a swing at me, I don’t have any issues with you and your camp right now. I’d like to keep it that way.”
Carl turned to Kayla, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “I never meant to hurt you or push you away. If you really want me to leave, I will, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to fix this.”
Kayla opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t find words. The love that shone in his eyes enveloped her in its warmth, weakening her resolve. None of this was Carl’s fault. She wasn’t being fair to him. The whole thing with Alec, the engagement, the energy… it was all just too much. She’d hurt him too. Taking a deep breath, Kayla nodded in agreement.
Leo sighed and shook his head. “Damn women and their fickle minds. Go ahead and talk. We’ll be in the other room.”
“I’m not leaving her alone with him.”
“It’s okay, Mack. I’ll be fine,” Kayla assured him, although she had her doubts. Carl had a way of turning her to mush when she was clearheaded. She wasn’t sure she stood a chance against him now. She didn’t know if she wanted to.
Mack apparently still had his doubts too. He frowned and hesitated. “You sure, darlin’? I’ll stay if you want.”
Kayla nodded. Mack gave Carl a hard look and then followed Leo, Veridian, and Marshall out of the room. Brant remained behind and leaned against the wall on the far side of the room. Carl jerked his head toward the door, but Brant stood his ground.
“I have my orders, Trader. I’m not leaving.”
“Hiya, Fluffy,” Kayla said with a small smile. She still felt a smidgen of guilt about fighting dirty and smacking him down with his own weapon, but he shouldn’t have gotten in her way. Brant didn’t reply, but his mouth folded into a hard, firm line. It was obvious he wasn’t happy with her either.
A puzzled expression crossed Carl’s face. “Fluffy?”
“Yeah. I shot him with his own weapon. Sorry about that. I tried not to hurt you too bad.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” Brant replied. He hesitated for a moment and then added, “It’s a little difficult to adequately defend yourself against someone you’ve been ordered to protect. It was an interesting lesson to learn.” A small smile traced his lips. “You fight like a crazed tigress.”
Kayla grinned and slumped against the back of the couch. Carl sat next to her, his eyes roaming over her and lingering on the bruises and abrasions before stopping at her shoulder. The concern in his eyes touched her, and she drank in the sight of him. It had only been a day, but she’d missed him. A small cut at the edge of his mouth where Mack had hit him caught her attention. She lifted her uninjured hand and touched it gently.
“Does it hurt?”
At her words, Carl reached up to touch his lip. “Your friend obviously doesn’t think much of me. He’s got an impressive right hook. Let’s leave it at that.”
“He doesn’t like traders,” Kayla said with a soft smile. “No one here does. You guys are baaaad news.”
Carl studied her with a frown and glanced at her empty glass. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Mmm, a bit.” She stretched out her legs, trying to remember how much she drank. Maybe three? Four? They were small glasses. She could probably use another. “My arm hurt so Sergei gave me some vodka. Can you hand me another glass? It still hurts.”
Carl hesitated a moment but poured a small amount of the clear liquid into her glass. She drank it quickly. It didn’t burn as much anymore. Strange how that happened.
“What happened to your arm?”
“I crashed my bike so I wouldn’t hit a ghost,” she said matter-of-factly. The thought of trying to avoid the ghostly figure struck her as funny and she laughed.
“A ghost?” Carl frowned, clearly confused. “Maybe you’ve had too much to drink, sweetheart.”
Kayla shook her head. “Yep. Alec said it was an echo of the past. I don’t think I like ghosts much though. They run into the road and almost get you killed. Or they jump out at you in the mirror.”
Brant’s sharp intake of breath caught her attention. She turned to find him staring at her in disbelief.
Carl flicked his gaze toward Brant. “What? What does that mean?”
“She’s an untrained spirit energy channeler,” Brant said in a near whisper. There was no mistaking the awe in his voice.
Carl’s expression was bewildered. “I know she’s untrained, but what’s a spirit energy channeler? Is what she’s saying accurate? She actually saw a ghost?”
“Yes,” Brant said without taking his eyes off of her. The security officer was studying her as though she were some sort of exotic creature capable of disappearing at any moment.
Even intoxicated, she didn’t like the scrutiny. Kayla waved her empty glass in the air. “I could use another.”
Carl took the glass and put it on the table. “Maybe you should wait a bit. We found your bike. It’s back at my camp.”
“That’s nice,” she mused and then frowned. “Hey, wait, you stole my bike!”
“No, it’s safe,” he corrected. “We found it for you and traced your coordinate history back to Leo’s camp. Do you want to come back with me and get it? We can fix your arm too.”
Kayla bit her lip, trying to think. There was a reason she came here, but her thoughts were fuzzy and it was hard to concentrate. She was supposed to be figuring something out, wasn’t she? “I don’t think so. I think I want to be a ruin rat again.” She lowered her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to hurt either.”
Carl closed his eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. “I know, sweetheart. I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I was out of line with what I said to you back at the towers. I had no right to put you in that position and ask you to make that kind of choice. I know you probably wanted more time before seeing me again, but I couldn’t stay away.”
Carl’s closeness and words captivated her. She inhaled deeply, trying to memorize his scent. There were a thousand times today that she’d thought about him, wishing he were there. Kayla needed this man like she needed her next breath. He was her biggest strength and greatest weakness all in one. The thought terrified and exhilarated her at the same time. She ran her fingers lightly along the contours of his face. “I didn’t think you wanted me anymore.”
“Not want you?” Carl gaped at her and wrapped his hand around her wrist, holding her to him. “Kayla, I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you. Why do you think the situation with Alec frustrates me? Every time he puts his hands on you, I want to drag him out of the Inner Sanctum and show him exactly what I think of him.”
Brant cleared his throat, and Carl glared at him. “If you’re going to sit here and listen, at least pretend you’re invisible.”
“Your treasonous comments aside, I’m not sure how well you can reason with her if she’s intoxicated,” Brant pointed out.
“What do you suggest?” Carl asked in a dry tone. “I think we’re a little too far down the evolutionary track for me to club her over the head and drag her back to my cave.”
“Pick her up and take her out of here,” Brant replied casually. “Or I’ll do it myself. She’s not safe here, especially if she’s what I suspect. She needs to be returned to the tower immediately. She’s in no condition to argue the point. This location is not secure.”
“No,” Kayla sat up in a panic as his words registered. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she put her hand on Carl’s arm to steady herself. She couldn’t handle the energy right now. Not like this. She had to keep her distance from Alec before she made things with Carl even worse. “I don’t want to go back to the towers yet. I can’t.”
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” Carl said in a soothing voice and put his arm around her. “You don’t have to go back there. No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
Kayla relaxed at his words, confident he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Brant scowled. “It’s not your place to make such promises, Trader. You have no idea what you’re dealing with here. She needs to be in the towers.”
“You’re not touching her,” Carl snapped. “She’ll either come with us willingly or she’ll remain here. I won’t force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do, sober or not. Frankly, she’s probably safer here than just about anywhere. There’s no way in hell these guys would let anything happen to her, and they have no love for the towers. You saw what happened when I walked in the camp. The only reason we’re even talking to her right now is because she agreed to it.”
“You underestimate the Inner Circle’s reach,” Brant warned. “You don’t think these people can be bought for a handful of credits?”
Carl ignored him and turned back to Kayla. She was having a difficult time following the conversation, but she got the impression she was going to have to kick Brant’s ass again. It would have to be later though. It seemed like too much trouble right now.
Kayla laid her head against Carl’s chest and closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. “You really do smell good,” she murmured and snuggled against him.
Carl brushed his lips against her hair and tightened his arms around her. “Why don’t we get your things and I can take you back to my camp? Would you like to go back there instead?”
She snuggled deeper into his arms and tilted her head up to kiss him. He returned her kiss gently, careful not to jostle her.
“Sweetheart, let’s go get your arm fixed,” he urged. “It looks like it hurts. Where’s your bag?”
“Mmm… crew’s quarters.”
“Can you tell me where that is?”
“I can show you,” a voice came from the hallway. Kristin walked into the room and eyed the two men. She offered Carl a warm smile. “I’m Kristin, and you must be Carl.”
“Yes, I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“No, we haven’t. I’ve heard quite a bit about you though. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m guessing you’re here to convince Kayla to go back with you?”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” he admitted.
Kayla traced her fingers along his jaw. “He’s too pretty to be a trader. Don’t you think so, Kris?”
Carl sighed and shook his head in exasperation. Kristin laughed at his reaction. “Sergei mentioned he brought over a bottle of vodka. Looks like she got into it.”
The room was starting to spin, and Kayla closed her eyes. The spinning feeling continued even with her eyes shut. It was beginning to look like she needed to avoid men bearing gifts of alcohol.
“I don’t think any of us thought she’d be staying here long,” Kristin said to Carl quietly. “I can take you to the crew’s quarters to collect her things. I figured she’d be going back with you when I heard you were here. She cares about you a great deal.”
“I’m going to grab your bag and then take you back to my camp, sweetheart. Is that okay?” Carl’s voice was a warm breath in Kayla’s ear.
She nodded and put her uninjured arm around his neck, too tired to argue anymore. She’d go anywhere as long as Carl was with her. When he lifted her, she snuggled against him and blissfully slipped into unconsciousness.