Page 81 of Rescued By the Convicts
She ran to him and thrust her arms around him so tight she heard him gasp in pain. That was stupid of her; he was still healing. When she tried to let go, though, he held her tighter.
“You think a little pain will keep me from holding you?” he said before he smothered her in a kiss. Warm and sensual, those lips captured her in a way no one else could. She felt so alive as Jayce’s kiss made every part of her body sing.
“I was so afraid you’d been shot,” he whispered in her ear. “I can’t lose you.”
Melina swatted his arm. “And yet you thought it was okay to dive in front of a gun like that? You nearly died, Jayce.”
“He’d do it again in a heartbeat to save you,” Ivan said from behind.
Melina spun and jumped up. Ivan caught her, his hands under her ass as she wrapped her legs around him, and he spun her around. “Hello, little bird. I hear you’ve been vacationing on Narkos without us.”
She rolled her eyes.
“See,” Ivan said to Reece while nodding his chin toward her. “It’s cute whenshedoes it.”
Reece smiled at her and whatever Ivan was talking about. Melina wiggled out of Ivan’s embrace and buried her head in Reece’s chest.
“I missed you so much,” she whispered as he held her close. She threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head. “Are you okay? I mean really okay?”
He kissed her lips in a kiss that lasted a long time, not like his usual quick kiss in front of others. Her guy seemed settled, confident, sure of himself. “You are okay,” she said, relaxing as he tucked her in against his side.
“Don’t keep Manager Foley waiting,” Sersie advised as Ren pulled Hannah in front of him and curved his hand over her baby bump.
“Good luck,” Hannah said.
Holding Reece’s hand, Melina entered the office with Ivan in front and Jayce right behind him. They moved as a unit now, no longer needing words as they once did. So much had changed since leaving Veenith.
Manager Foley, a man in his fifties with silver-streaked hair and dark eyes, sat back in a plush chair at his desk watching their every move as they entered. He didn’t tell them to sit in the chairs there, so they stood.
“I’ve read your files,” Foley began without any pleasantries. “And I even have a recommendation from The Company saying the four of you should remain on Narkos. I’m not sure who initiated the recommendation, but it has the signatures of three executives on it. You know someone high up, that much is clear.”
“Zev,” Melina whispered, feeling thankful for him at the same time she missed him. Ivan stroked her back, even as Reece squeezed her hand. They understood.
“But I make the final decision on who stays or doesn’t stay on my planet.”
“Mr. Perilov, your record is clean, with no reason for being lowered to a Level 5. I hear you’re a hard worker and not a troublemaker. Your record in the military makes you out to be an exemplary soldier. You’re approved to stay on Narkos.”
“We’re a unit,” Ivan said. “I go where they go.”
“Don’t be so quick to make that statement, Perilov. Let’s see now. . . Melina Archer, doctor with a second degree in pharmaceutical research and development. You too don’t have anything on your record until you protested the use of a drug you developed.”
“I tried to stop the med-center from using a drug that I was sure would be deadly. No one would listen to me.”
“There’s no mention of that in your file. There’s actually nothing in your file. From what I’ve been able to piece together, you had the unfortunate circumstance of being mated to Chief of Exports on Baccula. Namir Qaetar.” Foley’s face twisted. “I know the man. I guess you displeased him in some way and that’s why you were sent to Veenith. By the way, you have my congratulations.”
“For what?” Melina asked.
“I hear Namir died an untimely and excruciatingly painful death on Little Horse.”
Melina was shocked to hear a manager talk so unfavorably and blatantly about another manager, especially one as high up as Namir had been. Hannah was right, Foley didn’t seem afraid of speaking out against those who were corrupt. Melina’s unit had a shot with him.
“I hear that as well,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Reece Callahan,” Foley held up a datapad and whistled low. “Your bio is more problematic. You killed Manager Crimshaw of Kordon, the Chief of Territorial Expansion.”
“He severed the man’s vocal cords,” Jayce spoke up. “All to keep Reece from divulging secrets about his crimes. Reece was his bodyguard and witnessed crimes Crimshaw committed. Crimshaw knew Reece couldn’t read or write. Crimshaw ensured the man would never be able to go anywhere, tell anyone how fucking corrupt he was.”
Melina slid her arm around Jayce to calm him, though she felt a warmth spread through her as Jayce fought for Reece with a passion mere words on a page would not imbue. Not that Reece was writing on the datapad that Sersie had given him.
