Page 7 of Soros
Star lit up in a smile, straightened her back, and sounded genuinely grateful. “You would do that?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Soros met my eyes briefly and I couldn’t hide my displeasure at the thought of him sleeping with Star.
I was just about to say that Star shouldn’t sleep with a stranger and that I would do it myself, but then Lios ended the conversation.
“Great, then that’s settled. Thank you, Soros.” Lios gave a short nod to Star before addressing Nerix and me. “Will you two join Soros and me on the bridge? We’re having a status meeting about Soros’s newest analysis and our strategy for finding Ko’roz.”
Nerix’s facial expression showed that he was swallowing his pain when he walked next to Lios.
I could tell Lios spoke to Nerix telepathically and probably asked if he needed support because Nerix made a dismissive sound and gestured that he was fine.
I, on the other hand, was far from fine. Walking behind Soros, I stared into his neck and felt more frustrated than ever. Nerix had described me as the most difficult woman in the world, and Soros didn’t even have the courtesy to ask me how I felt about him sleeping with Star.
The absurdity of my thoughts didn’t escape me since I slept in Nerix’s cabin and was well aware that Soros probably thought something romantic was going on between Nerix and me.
“Wasn’t it sweet of Soros to offer his help?” Star whispered to me as she tagged along.
My smile was stiff and unauthentic when I said, “Yes, lucky you.”
CHAPTER 4
Holding Hands
Soros
I spent most of my time onboard theGreat Defenderresearching everything I could about Ko’roz.
Chasing a murderer on the run was hard on any planet. But when dealing with resourceful individuals like Ko’roz who could afford interstellar travel, it became almost impossible to find them. In my work as a criminologist, it always gave me a deep sense of satisfaction when we succeeded in helping victims get justice. The tricky part, however, was that everyone expected me to predict where the murderer was running to. My most valuable tool was researching anything available about the murderer in order to understand the nature of their mind.
In Ko’roz’s case there was a treasure box of insights since he had been a public figure for many years. It quickly became clear to me that he had a dual personality. There was his public front as a politician who liked to stir up things and get debates going. And then he had a sinister and very dark side where he tortured others mentally and physically for his entertainment.
Working non-stop gave me a distraction from the tension between Tania and me. It hadn’t escaped me how pissed she looked when I offered to sleep in Star’s room. My analytical mind came up with two potential reasons for her reaction. Either she still had feelings for me, or she worried about me hurting Star in some way. The latter explanation was ridiculous, which made me conclude that despite her relationship with Nerix, Tania still had some feelings for me.
It didn’t take long to move my things from one cabin to the other, and I was right that Elan was happy to get his privacy back.
That night, Star sat on the side of the bed closest to the wall and watched me undress. Even though there was nothing sexual between us, it still felt a little funny to have her observe me with curiosity.
When I hesitated before taking off my top, she tilted her head and spoke to me in Malbreean. “You’re unsure how much to take off. How do you normally sleep?”
Using my access to the language archive, I responded in her native language. “I usually sleep in my underwear. I don’t like too many clothes when I sleep, but obviously, I can keep my shirt on if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
Star didn’t hesitate. “I don’t mind you taking it off.”
“Yeah?” I lifted my top over my head but kept it as a cover for my naked chest and asked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s fine. Nerix sleeps bare-chested but other than him, I haven’t had much exposure to men in real life. Forgive me for being curious.”
I dropped the soft, blue shirt on top of my pants on the table behind me and got into bed next to her wearing only my underpants.
“What did you mean when you said that the nights are the worst? Do you get scared and feel unsafe?”
Star lay down and turned to her side, arranging her head on the built-in pillow which formed itself to her.
“The loneliness is worst at night. I miss the sound of my children’s breathing and how they would snuggle up against me.”
I propped myself on my elbow and pulled the cover a little higher while she continued.
