Page 74 of His to Take

The absolute joy on her face when she first walked into one of our collection rooms was a treat that I would savor for the rest of my life.

She excelled at her new job, as I’d known she would. I was so proud of her, and I made sure to tell her that every morning when I woke her up with a mug of freshly brewed coffee and a kiss.

A few weeks later, I was called away on another expedition. There was circumstantial evidence that hinted that another fusion reactor might still be intact somewhere in the southeast of the former USA and I had the knowledge and expertise to find it.

I was supposed to be gone for about two weeks, but when my comm rang and Naomi’s name flashed across the screen, my trip was cut a little short.

CHAPTER 17

Naomi

When Corinne knocked on my office door, I was more than a little startled. I hadn’t expected to see a familiar face from my old life ever again, yet here she was, as real as the vase of brilliant blooming red roses sitting on my desk. I opened and closed my mouth in surprise, finally remembering myself.

“Dr. Moore, what a surprise it is to see you,” I greeted her as warmly as I could manage through the sudden grip of fear in my belly.

Her gaze dropped to the book in my hands. It was another wedding album. Panic jolted me for the briefest moment, but then I reminded myself that I wasn’t in New Englandia and that studying weddings and all other remains of the old-world was a normal thing here. It was safe to do so in Pacifica.

“Dr. Vaughn,” she replied politely, but I could see that she was made slightly uncomfortable by what she saw. I closed it to put my former colleague at ease, pushing it aside for now. Sheglanced down at my hand, seeing my wedding ring. I wasn’t going to take that off, though, not for anything.

“What brings you all the way here?” I asked. It was very unusual for any of us to travel outside of our home city state, so this probably wasn’t just a visit because she’d missed me at work.

“May I take a seat?” she asked. Her voice trembled just slightly, revealing that she was nervous about something.

I gestured to the armchair in front of my desk.

“Certainly,” I smiled. She sat down and settled her hands in her lap, looking at the floor for a long moment before finally finding the courage to lift her gaze to me. I could tell that she was uneasy by the jiggling of her foot against the floor.

“There was talk after you left, about the security team the council sent with you. About what they were really sent to do,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were wide, like a deer frozen in headlights.

“They tried to kill me,” I said simply. Her face fell and her expression flinched. After a moment, it smoothed over.

“There was an investigation into your disappearance. The council values you very much and was quite upset at your loss. They learned that you survived your expedition and had decided to relocate here to Pacifica instead of coming back home.”

I didn’t say anything in response, but this new knowledge gave me a sincere sense of pride as well as a niggling feeling of trepidation. I’d always worked hard for New Englandia, and it was nice to know that it was recognized, but I also felt there was more to this story than Corinne was currently sharing.

“The investigation uncovered information that Councilman Ericson had met with the guards in secret. He’d given your security team his own set of orders along with a sizeable payment to secure your demise. Sending me here was Councilwoman Davis’s idea.”

“Why have they sent you?” I asked.

“The council wants you to come home.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea.” I stared back at her, aghast at the suggestion.

“You can step right back into your life,” she rushed to say. “The council has relocated your things to a more luxurious penthouse in the center of the city, close to your work, if you want to continue at the museum that is. Your job is ready and waiting for you with a sizeable increase in salary. If you don’t want to continue working there, they are prepared to offer you a position working with the council without any constraints. They’re offering you high-level clearance, which is very rare for them. They are ready to give you whatever you want, if you only just return to New Englandia.”

I licked my lips. A couple of months ago, I would have jumped at the offer. Since then, however, everything had changed, and my expanded understanding of the world beyond New Englandia, and how different- how much better- things could be, meant I could never go back to my old life. I would not.

“Corinne, I’m happy here. This is my new home. I’m happily married now and I can’t just walk away from that. I am not willing to walk away.”

“Listen. All I want to ask you to do is meet with an emissary from New Englandia. He’s going to issue a formal apology and makean official offer on the council’s behalf. That’s all. You don’t have to give an answer yet. Just listen to what he has to say,” she countered.

“All I have to do is listen? If I refuse, he’ll leave?”

“Yes,” she answered. This time her gaze was steady. I couldn’t detect any of the uneasiness I’d sensed before. Maybe she’d just been anxious about being in a new place with an entirely different culture, manners, and environment than she was used to. I could understand that; I’d been there before myself only a few short weeks ago.

“I’m really happy to see that you’re okay. I was so worried when they told me that… that you had a husband now.”

She didn’t say anything more about it, but I knew she was thinking about the rumors of Pacifica men, how they were cruel brutes that controlled their women’s every move. Those rumors had been so very wrong. Ryker wasn’t like that at all, except, of course, in bed.

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