Page 108 of Taken By the Convicts
Melina leaned over Jayce from behind and kissed his cheek. “You’re not a weak link, but you did get caught.”
“Did you miss the part where he said I was targeted?”
“Why didn’t you tell one of us?” Ivan asked.
“It would have jeopardized what I was working on.”
“Which is what, exactly?” Ivan asked.
“I can’t say.”
“Who do you work for?”
“I can’t say.”
“Would I approve of whatever you’re doing here?” Ivan again.
“I can’t say.”
Melina slid into the chair beside Zev. “You’re not a prisoner, are you?”
Zev placed his arm on the table, his prison tatt glowing for all to see. “There’s no way to remove these. Do you know of anyone who’d willingly get a prison ID tatt infused with serilium if he wasn’t a prisoner?”
“That doesn’t answer her question,” Ivan added.
It didn’t, but she wasn’t going to press Zev. She was too happy to have him back. To have all her men here and safe.
All her men. She had never thought of them in those terms before. They’d always been just a unit with her on the outside. Then they’d started to accept her as an equal. Even when she’d slept with them, alone or together, it had never felt as if they were hers, except for Reece. He’d committed to her according to tradition. And the others had watched over and protected her, maybe even loved her in their own way, but she loved them. There was no denying that now. She’d grown to love each and every one of them.
“You!” Jayce said, his face lighting up as he pointed an angry finger at Zev. “You’re the one who cut my access to the med-center.”
Zev’s eyes locked on Melina. He wanted to touch her, hold her, she was sure of it, but he resisted. “I didn’t want Hawke using you to get to Melina.”
“I didn’t know you had access like mine.”
“I acquired it shortly after arriving.”
“You followed Jayce, didn’t you?” Ivan said, putting the pieces together. “Got on Thorne’s computer while Jayce wasn’t paying attention.”
“I always pay attention. Fuck. When I go in to clean the bathroom, I sometimes leave the computer on with programs running.”
Zev smiled. “Didn’t Melina tell you I’m in Information Mining?”
“That doesn’t explain your connection to Glasner and Kimber. Those were my men. How did you gain their loyalty?”
“I didn’t.”
Melina raised her hand. “That was me.”
Ivan’s brow lifted, and then he smiled. “You said to trust you. You planned on Hawke taking you.”
“I didn’t plan on it, but I figured he would find a way. I was hoping having Glasner and Kimber helping would make the difference.”
“Still a gamble. Hawke had you, Melina,” Ivan said, his arms crossed over his chest.
She moved away from Jayce, stood on her toes, and kissed Ivan’s cheek. Her soldier was so damn protective. It was one of the many reasons she loved him.
“Yes, a gamble. But I’ve heard you talk about men from your squad, the other two on Veenith. I knew their names from the project. As soon as you left with Reece to look for Jayce, I talked with a few of the men in the med-center.”
