Page 25 of Tempting Jupiter
The simple statement of support should have steadied him, but Jupiter felt wholly unbalanced.
Sen spoke softly. “We should tend to her other injuries while she’s unconscious.”
They’d heard no sign of anyone investigating the ship, so Jupiter went to work on the rest of her. Blood had soaked through her clothes in several places. He cut away the material to get at the tiny bits of shrapnel embedded in her flesh. Small shallow wounds on her arm were easily closed, but his hand shook as he dug into a particularly deep puncture.
“Let me take over for you,” Sen offered. “You’re still weak from your injuries.”
Jupiter growled instinctively and followed it with a sharp bark. “I can do it.” Jupiter started again, this time with steadier hands and a calmer voice. “See if you can find a warming blanket and anything else useful.”
Sen slunk away into the shadows. Jupiter regretted the sharpness of his response. Something that Sen might have interpreted as censure when he hadn’t meant it that way. The Dog was so loyal, so capable, so necessary for Jupiter’s peace of mind.
But he needed to deal with this himself. He slowly set about removing the metal shards, cleaning and spraying over each small wound.
Sen reappeared at his side with the asked-for blanket and some packaged water. He stretched the blanket out across the woman.
Jupiter laid his hand on Sen’s shoulder. “Thank you, my brother. I couldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
A thud that rattled through the small ship and the deck beneath his feet disappeared as the artificial gravity failed. Jupiter scrambled to pull the now floating Feeona tightly to his chest. Another shock wave rippled through the hull. The lights flashed then went dark. He lost all sense of direction. He was in the air, anticipating a hard landing. He curled his body around Feeona as best he could, unsure where or when the impact would come. Dim red lights appeared above him. The gravity reengaged and his body became a stone dragging him toward the deck. He slammed against it, taking the impact with his back. His head hit the decking hard enough that he expected a pounding headache. He managed to ensure Fee didn’t land beneath him, but the fall had to have jarred her. Fortunately, she’d stayed unconscious through it all.
He looked for Sen and found the Dog lying on his side a meter away, propped on an elbow and his smiling face painted red by the odd lights.
Jupiter growled his annoyance. “What are you fucking smiling at?”
Sen’s lips softened. “Sorry. This day just keeps getting stranger.” Sen looked thoughtful. “Actually, it’s turning out to be the best day I’ve had in a while.”
Speechless, Jupiter stared.
Sen shook his head, still smiling. “The woman will heal. And we’re alive.”
“So far.”
Sen’s face turned serious. “We’re free. And we’re together.”
“You and the woman will get along.” Jupiter adjusted her in his arms then got to his feet. “Damn optimists.” He shot Sen a look to see he’d also gotten to his feet. He settled Fee back on the table. “Come on,” Jupiter barked. “Let’s finish this and find out what’s happening.”
Chapter Twelve
TheRenegade
EarthAllianceBetaSector
2210.148
“You must wake.” A soft touch on Feeona’s good arm accompanied the words. Seneca crouched near the edge of her bunk. They were no longer in the med-bay and she didn’t see Jupiter. All of her pains were still with her, but they seemed to be dulling. They must have given her pain meds after all. She tried to sit and got one shoulder off the mattress before the pain knocked her back down. She couldn’t help the groan. Okay, maybe dulling wasn’t the right word to describe her level of pain.
“Easy,” Seneca urged. “You’ll re-open your wounds.” His voice was smoother than Jupiter’s, like good brandy to the punch of aged scotch.
The thin bedding beneath her was only slightly better than the bunk in Fitz’s brig. That thought brought Jupiter’s dry teasing to mind and she realized she missed him, if that was even possible. She didn’t know Seneca and his serious expression didn’t put her in the mood for small talk. She tried again to sit, focusing on using her core to compensate for the injury, but the rest of her body failed to cooperate.
“Let me help you.” He wedged a large hand under her good shoulder and eased her into a sitting position.
She tucked her left arm against her chest and bent her legs to the side, turning toward him. “Thanks.”
He dipped his head slowly in acknowledgement, big lavender eyes fixed on her face.
“How long was I out?”
“Not long,” he said. “Your injury is serious. I wish I could let you rest and heal, but I fear we need your help.”
