Page 10 of Protected By the Convicts
Sersie took a deep breath and cupped her cheeks in his hand, ensuring she was paying attention to his every word. “You were,are, a godsend, Hannah. Staying clean has been easier now that you’re in my life, not hard. That night, yes, the idea of becoming part of a unit was terrifying, but that’s not what caused me to fall. I had been heading down that path for weeks, and not even Vaughn noticed. After all, at the time, we rarely crossed paths or acknowledged one another when we did.
“There was a lot of stress at work, over NK171. This whole business about forming a unit was unexpected. Terrifying in many ways. But it was never because of you. I wanted you, Hannah, from the moment I saw you.”
“I. . . I don’t know what to say to that,” she said as she placed her hand on his forearm. Dark green eyes shone with clarity, vulnerability, and love as she looked at Sersie.
Ky’Li sank back against a tree. He was losing this battle, and yet he couldn’t hate her for loving another. He couldn’t even fault her.
“Say you don’t hate me for developing this drug,” Sersie begged.
Hannah shook her head at Sersie’s words, wiping a few tears away. “I could never hate you, even if I blamed you, which I don’t.”
Ky’Li found himself exhaling a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
“You’re not showing any signs of addiction. I think you’ll be fine, Hannah, so don’t worry, okay?”
She nodded.
“I’ll go over some basic precautions you can take for the next time there’s a loading accident. Not just for NK171, but any other unknown substances. They’re supposed to have a hazard protocol in place, with proper gear.”
“We didn’t receive any hazardous material training.”
“Not even for the zurlite?”
Ky’Li didn’t like the worry he heard in Sersie’s voice. The gems they mined was highly dangerous when it came into contact with podite and a few other substances Ky’Li had never even heard of. But Sersie would know, and the man looked concerned.
“The zurlite containers are loaded in the back section of the loading bay, closer to the rail line. All other supplies, incoming and outgoing, go through my area.
Sersie relaxed somewhat. “Still, I’ll see if Ren can find out more to make sure they’re not putting the zurlite near anything that could trigger an explosion.”
Hannah waved her hand. “I’m sure it’s fine. This operation has been here decades already and never had an issue at the port, right?”
“I never really paid attention. I didn’t really care what happened at the port before. Now I do.”
Hannah’s smile was weak. Ky’s sweet sha-vi was struggling.
“For all those unknowns going through your area, I’ll teach you what to look for, how to minimize exposure for any future incidents. It won’t be as good as full-blown hazard gear, but there are things you can do.”
Hannah wiped her tears away. “I hate being like this. You know, weak.”
“Hell, Hannah, you’re stronger than anyone I know. You know how to rely on others. That’s not something I’ve ever been good at. The one time I did. . . I totally fucked up my life.”
When Hannah leaned in to kiss Sersie. Ky’Li pulled away. If there was one thing Ky’Li could do in life, it was determining who was a predator and who wasn’t. He could trust Sersie not to harm Hannah. The man cared about her, and he’d protect her in ways Ky’Li could not.
Ky’Li continued on to the mine. He’d have the rock to pound and maybe that asshole Griggs if he continued his taunts about Hannah. At the end of another grueling shift, Ky’Li would return to his unit, and maybe be able to accept seeing his sha’vi in another man’s arms.
* * *
HANNAH
Hannah felt better, stronger after speaking with Sersie. He knew the drug, and what it meant to be addicted, better than anyone. She trusted him enough that her anxiety melted away, and she felt as if she could breathe, finally.
In fact, the entire next week sailed by smoothly, with no issues. She returned to work. No one mentioned the spill or her absence. Vaughn had sent a note to Conway saying she was sick for a few days. No one questioned a doctor, and quite frankly outside of her unit, no one really cared as long as she maintained her quota.
She was really sick of hearing about the damn quota, though. As soon as Vaughn escorted her to the gate of their home after first shift, he turned to leave, to disappear as he did most nights only to return after everyone had gone to bed. She caught him by his arm.
“I have work to catch up on,” Vaughn said as she placed her palm to the sensor and waited for the green light to blink.
“You barely said two words the entire way home, and now you’re trying to get away from me. You’ve been closed off to me for days, Vaughn. What’s wrong?”
