Page 19 of Heart of the Deep

“Thank you…Dracchus.” Without looking back, she exited the room, closed the door, and gently lowered the bar into place.

At the top of the ramp, she offered Lance a smile. He hadn’t questioned her when she’d come to the brig this time; he’d greeted her, flashed a smile, and told her to stay safe. If Nicholas knew about any of this, Lance would be reprimanded — not only for allowing Larkin to see the kraken, but for flirting with her.

As the commander’s daughter, Larkin was off limits. That hadn’t stopped men from displaying interest — the knowledge that they could enjoy a woman’s body without risking anycomplicationswas tempting for some, even when the potentialconsequencesinvolved dealing with her father afterward.

After bidding Lance a good night, Larkin crossed the deck, boots thumping hollowly on the planks. She stopped at the door to her father’s quarters and lifted her hand to knock when she heard voices inside. Lowering her hand, she leaned closer to the door.

“…heal too quickly. We need to take this to the next level,” Brock said from inside.

“It’s good they heal quickly,” replied Nicholas. “Doesn’t do us any good if they die before they break.”

“My hands are fucking killing me, sir,” Sanson grumbled. “We don’t heal like they do. We got to shift our tactics.”

“At least let us use some blades, or clubs, orsomething,” Brock urged. “They know they’ll just heal from a few cuts and bruises. Maybe if we threaten them with something more, they’ll talk.”

“We don’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing us too banged up to beat on them, do we?” Altez asked.

Nicholas grunted thoughtfully.

Larkin could picture him standing at the window, focused on a point of nothingness near the watery horizon, hands clasped behind his back. That he was considering any of those suggestions made her stomach twist into knots.

“No,” he finally replied, and his pause after that word was long enough to instill Larkin with false hope, “we don’t want that. Not even the smallest victory for them to latch onto. We’ll explore new options tomorrow. See what kind of damage they can take.”

Larkin lifted the latch and shoved the door open. It banged against the wall.

“How could you do this?” she demanded, stalking into the room. The men inside swung their eyes toward her; Brock, Sanson, Altez, and her father. Nicholas Laster indeed stood at the window, hands clasped at the small of his back, gazing at her over his shoulder.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Altez asked, scowling.

“You three are dismissed,” Larkin said, not looking away from her father. They didn’t move, but the commander didn’t object. Fury filled her. “I said you are dismissed!”

Averting their gazes, Brock, Sanson, and Altez shuffled out. Larkin slammed the door behind them and dropped the latch into place.

Nicholas turned to face her. “I’ll give you thirty seconds to explain just what the hell you think you’re doing, ranger.”

“What areyoudoing?” Larkin advanced until only the desk separated them. “Blades? Clubs?See what kind of damage they can take? You’re torturing them!”

“I’m doing whatever is necessary to find your brother!” He slammed his fists on the desk.

Larkin didn’t flinch; she held his gaze. “This isn’t the way!”

“And who are you to tell me that? To judge me? My son, yourbrother, and you’re going to tell me not to look for him?”

“I’m not telling you not to look for him, but torture isn’t the way. They arepeople! How can you not see that?”

He jabbed his finger toward the door, the cords of his neck standing out. “They aremonsters! How canyounot see that? They’ll tell me where Randall is before I’m done, and when we get him back, we’ll hunt down every last one of those abominations.”

Larkin stared at the man, thisstranger, before her. “The only monster I see is you.”

His jaw muscles bulged. “What did you just say to me, girl?”

“My father would never hurt another human being. Would never inflict such needless suffering. Whether you believe it or not, they are people. You’re just too blinded by anger and desperation to admit it.”

“You are speaking to your commanding officer,” he said through gritted teeth, “and you don’t know anything about necessity. You don’t know anything about this world! I gave you a good life, you and your brother both. And this is my payment for it? I did everything I could to make you strong, to make you a survivor, and what is there to show?

“You’re going to shed tears for those monsters, for our enemies? You’re going to turn against me and abandon your brother?”

Larkin slapped her hand on the desk. “I want him found just as much as you, damnit! But this is not how we’re going to accomplish that!”

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