Page 50 of Rescued By the Convicts
As the lead guard spoke into his comm, the most unexpected thing happened. Zev’s thumb discreetly traced over the side of her arm.
“You can return to your patrol,” he said. Slowly, softly, that thumb glided back and forth, out of the guards’ view.
The guards waited as Zev led her back down the corridor, toward Namir’s private rooms. The only sound she heard was her own breathing. Zev said nothing for several long strides. Then two doors before the final bend that led to Namir’s room, he placed his hand against an ID plate to a room that had been locked for her.
The second they slipped inside, he held his finger to his mouth. He cupped her cheek, his dark eyes filled with regret. Soft lips pressed against her forehead, lingering there as she tried to calm her heart and make sense of what was happening. She wanted to believe Zev hadn’t betrayed her. That he was truly helping her escape, and this wasn’t another one of Namir’s twisted games. But she knew Namir. There was no questioning that Zev worked for him and he’d been sent to Veenith to retrieve her.
Zev climbed on a chair to remove a panel in the ceiling above. Then he lifted her, helping her into the maintenance tube. She pulled her legs under her, yet again wishing she had clothing. A thin, rough layer of plastic insulation coated the tube to keep the wires and pipes from freezing. The tubes were freezing. As if her situation wasn’t awkward enough, her nipples stiffened. When Zev pulled himself halfway into the tube, he paused, his eyes level with her breasts. That grin of his emerged, but he pulled himself up the rest of the way and replaced the panel.
“I’m sorry, Mel. For everything you’ve had to endure.” He caressed her cheek and her lips, sending warmth through her.
He seemed so sincere. “Is this the real you?” she asked, too afraid to trust him again.
“Yes, and no.”
“You work for Namir. You used me.”
“Yes, partly.” He sighed. “It’s complicated, Mel. I’ll tell you everything, but not here. Can you trust me long enough to reach a safe place?”
She nodded, whether out of reflex or because she had no choice, she didn’t know. Did she trust Zev? Her instincts told her to, but her mind fought with those instincts, unable to forget the last twenty-four hours.
Despite the cramped space of the tube, Zev maneuvered out of his shirt and handed it to her. She slipped her arms in and pulled the shirt over her head. The hem reached her thighs and Zev’s familiar scent filled her lungs. She wanted to reach out to him, to sink into his arms, but not here and not until she knew for sure where Zev’s loyalties lied.
They moved slowly, stopping every time they heard footsteps running below. She guessed the tube ran directly over the main corridor. At each junction, they reached in the maintenance tubes, Zev knew exactly which path to follow. It was as if he’d memorized the blueprints ahead of time. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had. The man liked to be prepared for any scenario.
Had he set her up for Namir, or had Zev used her as part of some plan against Namir? She no longer knew. At the next junction, Zev stopped, hesitating. Melina didn’t need to ask him any longer. The strain on his face, the sense of urgency to get her away from the guards and Namir told her what she needed to know. He had never meant to endanger her.
She caressed his lower back, to let him know she forgave him, that she believed in him.
His hand gripped the back of her neck and pulled her to him. His tongue sank into her with a desperation. She swore she could feel him shaking, even as his lips left hers. “Forgive me, Mel. I never meant—”
She placed two fingers against his lips. “Later. Let’s get out of here, okay?”
With a renewed determination, he pointed to the right-most branch, and they continued moving on hands and knees.
By the time Zev opened another hatch and lowered himself into the room below, her knees and hands were raw from the rough insulation lining the tube. He caught her as she dropped down from the tube and held her longer than necessary, his hands moving up and down her arms, stopping at her shoulders. A thumb glided along her collarbone.
“I thought I’d lost you.”
“We shouldn’t talk about this here.”
He nodded, though the look on his face said he needed to talk. This was not the stoic, emotionless man who’d reported and laughed with Namir. This was her Zev, the man who loved deeply, though he worked so hard to hide himself from her.
Melina glanced at the small room. Cleaning supplies lined shelves on the wall behind her, while cleaning-bots took up most of the floor space.
He smoothed her hair out of her face. “There are no words that can change what you went through because of me. My plans went sideways. I never wanted you anywhere near him. Please believe me.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
“I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe from Namir.”
“I can’t talk right now, Zev. I’m. . . confused.”
He swallowed hard and tucked her wayward hair behind her ear. “I deserve to lose you, don’t I?” Another caress, down her neck this time. “If we get separated, go to C412. I’ll meet you there.”
They left the storage room and walked into the main populace of Little Horse Station. Zev’s stoic expression returned, hiding his emotions.
She understood him a little better now. Zev viewed his emotions as a weakness, and he had a job to do. He’d always put that job first. The question was, what exactly was his mission at this point? Saving her or something else?
