Page 47 of Whispers and Warriors
Pieces fell into place—her authoritative bearing, the glint of command in her eyes. He’d had his suspicions from the moment she’d commanded attention as if she feared nothing when she approached them. Why would she fear anything if she had an entire crew and a mission protecting her?
Chris inclined his head, unsurprised. Some part of him had expected this, had sensed they were dealing with no ordinary sailor before, but a female captain in a world where women were reduced to sex and breeding was remarkable. “Captain.”
Bash shifted beside him, a coiled spring ready to snap. Liam remained still, watchful, allowing Chris to take the lead. William kept his gaze straight ahead, clearly not willing to repeat the mistake from when they met Marcus.
Chris met the captain’s assessing gaze, refusing to blink first. Everything hinged on this moment, on the understanding they could forge between them. The weight of responsibility settled heavy on his shoulders. He led by intention on everything they did, but nothing had prepared him to tangle with a female who held implied ex-military ties. She likely hated his group just looking at them.
Lives depended on him—Emma’s most of all. Failure was unthinkable.
But as he stood there, facing this woman who held their fates in her hands, Chris couldn’t ignore the flicker of something unexpected kindle in his chest. A spark of connection, of kinship. She held onto a life she must have had before the bombs and did it without apology.
They were two leaders, after all. Two survivors. Bound by the sacrifices they had made, the burdens they carried. Burdens that no one else in their respective groups could completely grasp.
The moment stretched, taut with unspoken currents. Then Chris stepped forward, ready to navigate the treacherous waters ahead.
“Captain Novak,” he began, voice steady despite the hammering of his heart, “I think it’s time we talked.” Chris held the captain’s gaze, his voice low and resolute. “We’re taking a risk here, coming to you. But we don’t have a choice. The stakes are too high for us to stick around.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. There was nothing he could hide if he wanted her to believe they weren’t the bad guys. “I’m Chris. The big wall of muscle over there is Bash. In the glasses is Liam, my second, and William was our secret weapon before we found ourselves on the run. We’ve got people counting on us, people we need to protect at all costs.”
Ranger barked as if annoyed, his tail thumping against Chris’s leg. “Fair,” he said with a chuckle. “This is Ranger, the woman we are with is his owner.”
Her voice was crisp, no-nonsense. “I gathered as much. Men don’t usually seek passage on my ship without good reason.” The captain studied him, her eyes sharp and assessing. “And the woman’s name? There’s another man, too, where is he?”
This is where he hesitated. Could he tell her Emma’s name? She wasn’t his team, she was his life.
And Emma seemed perfectly at ease before.
“Alex. Pre-hell medic, post-hell medic and wiz with machines. It’s how we escaped to follow the transmission that led us to your ship. The woman is Emma. She’s off limits to everyone and everything unless she requests otherwise.”
“So, she’s not free to do as she wishes?”
“What he’s trying to say is touch her and die because she’s our entire world.” William chimed in, surprising Chris. “But her choices are her own as long as she won’t put herself in danger.”
“She’s free to do anything she wants, but the same doesn’t hold true for people who go near her,” Bash added, taking two steps back from the peace William started.
“Look, it’s not what it sounds like. Emma came into our lives by accident. While we took her to the safe haven, we will in love with her. She’s ours by her choice, and she’s ours to protect.” Liam smoothed things over, squatting down to pet Ranger.
“I see what you’re saying.” Amelia gave a small, almost delighted, smirk. “As long as Emma feels safe. Women come first on my ship.”
Chris nodded, appreciating her directness. In this broken world, there was no time for games or pretense. “We’ve faced dangers out there that would make most people crumble. But we’re still standing. Because we have to be.”
Bash stepped forward, his presence a solid wall at Chris’s side. “What he’s trying to say is, we’re putting a hell of a lot of trust in you. In this ship. We need to know it’s not misplaced.”
His words were blunt, a challenge and a plea wrapped in one. Chris could feel the tension radiating off him, the barely leashed power. Bash had always been the one to cut through the bullshit, to demand answers where others might tread lightly.
But this was no ordinary conversation, not that any really were anymore. The lives of their loved ones hung in the balance. The wrong move, the wrong alliance, could spell disaster.
Captain Novak leaned back against her desk, arms crossed. “Trust is earned, not given. You’ll have to prove yourselves, same as anyone else on this ship.”
Chris read the unspoken message in her eyes because it was one he’d placed on his men when they first joined when the world went to hell.
We’ve all got secrets. We’ve all got scars. What matters is how we move forward.
He inclined his head, accepting the challenge. “Understood. We’ll pull our weight. Contribute however we can.”
Liam shifted, drawing the captain’s attention. “We’ve got skills. Medical training. Security experience. We’re not just looking for a free ride.”
Captain Novak’s lips quirked, a hint of approval in her expression. “Good. Because we’re in for a long haul. And I don’t tolerate deadweight on my ship.”
