Page 22 of Protected By the Convicts
“You think you’re the only one without choices? What choice did Vaughn give me, Hannah? I didn’t deserve this. I never committed any crimes, never did anything. I worked hard, really hard here, too, only for fucking Dresden to keep adding time for nothing. The air vac generator failed on Mine17, Satterley. I’m adding another six months to your sentence.” Ren imitated Dresden’s voice. “It doesn’t matter that you didn’t have the parts. That’s your responsibility, not mine. Make better use of what you have, Satterley. Use your credits to buy what you need. I don’t care if it’s company equipment and not personal use, it’s still your responsibility. I don’t care that you have shit to work with, figure it out. I hear three miners got sick in Mine 29 from a breach in the company masks. You should have checked the masks before they went in. What? Five hundred plus masks are too much for you to check daily? You think I should make the mine managers responsible for that? Another year, Satterley for being a fucking incompetent asshole.”
Ren finally stopped talking. He was breathing heavily, the anger and frustration clear in the tight muscles in his neck and the hard set of his eyes. Then, with the gentlest touch, he ran over her cheek, brushing away the tear that had escaped. “Vaughn took my only chance away from me, Princess. Dresden will never let me go. I’m the only engineer here with an expertise in mines.
“I’m sorry for what Dresden’s done to you,” she said placing her palm flat against his chest. “It’s not right. And maybe you can’t see it yet, but he’s doing the same thing to Vaughn. Cornering him, using him.”
Ren released a deep breath. “He betrayed me, Hannah. Even if you don’t hate him, you should be outraged. Betrayal of one in the unit is a betrayal of the unit. . . your unit.”
“As far as I understood it, you had decided to leave this unit. You no longer considered yourself a part of us.”
“I didn’t have a choice.
“And neither did Vaughn. You heard what he said. That wasn’t Vaughn who betrayed you out there. That was a man desperate to find a solution to save everyone, including dozens of innocent miners. Vaughn cares about people more than most, certainly more than Dresden. I think he cares about others more than he cares about himself. Are you going to condemn him for a bad choice? His intent was to protect everyone, most of all you and Sersie.”
Ren sank to the bed. “Fuck.”
“Does that mean I have to kiss you again?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She didn’t want Ren slipping into a funk.
“It wouldn’t hurt.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek.
“I should have specified what type of kiss.”
“Too late,” she said as she rose and pulled out a set of fresh clothes from the dresser. “This really is a nice room you have here. I suppose I need to talk to Ky’Li about giving it back.”
“Do you think he’d go for a trade?”
“Depends. What do you have in mind?”
The corners of Ren’s mouth quirked up. “He keeps the room, and I keep you.”
It was nice knowing Ren really wanted her, hopefully for more than sex. “Do you think you can share?” she asked, trying to sound playful, except she was thinking about Ky’Li at the time, her soldier who didn’t want to share her, and her voice came out sounding too serious.
Ren held her face in his hands. She hesitated for a moment, afraid of what she’d see there when she met his eyes. The unit had been falling apart from day one, and every time she thought the men were going to figure it out, learn to get along, something destroyed what little progress they’d made. This latest fissure between Ren and Vaughn of all people, the two men who had been friends and knew each other so well, was not something she was sure she could fix.
Ren tapped a finger against the tip of her nose. It was so playful, a side of Ren she really hadn’t seen much of until today. “I love how expressive you are, Princess. I can always tell what you’re thinking.”
Finally, she met his eyes. “Doubtful.”
“You’re worried about me and Ky’Li. And Sersie.” He sighed. “And Vaughn.”
“Yes.”
“I was raised on Argus, near All Lions Run, so I’m used to being in a unit such as this,” Ren said. “I had four dads even. Four dads for a kid is great. I never considered my dads’ perspective, though, how hard that must have been for them sharing my mom. I admit I understand Ky’Li much better now. I’d like you to myself, Hannah, but I know the reality here.”
“I’ve grown to love all of you.”
“Love? That’s a strong word.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to scare you,” she said.
Ren pushed her hair back. “Maybe scary isn’t the right word. This isn’t something I was looking for. All I’ve focused on for years was escaping this hell hole. But now that I have you. . . I mean, things have changed. I’m not ready to give you up, and if the only way I can have you is to share you, even with Ky’Li, then I’ll figure it out.”
“Ky’Li won’t be a problem,” she said, as she linked her hands around his neck and began to pull him into another kiss.
“And Vaughn?” she asked.
“I can’t make any promises. . . but I’ll try.”
