Page 59 of Rescued By the Convicts
“Try, but I won’t force my way into his unit if he doesn’t want me. You need to accept that.”
“You’re already a part of this unit.”
He had been. That was before he’d turned her over to Namir.
Chapter Fourteen
MELINA
She didn’t know when exactly, but she and Zev ended up in bed and slept for several hours. The dark blue strip above the window slowly transitioned to orange, the station’s way of indicating sunrise, to help regulate people’s sleep patterns on a station.
With a kiss to the back of her neck, Zev slipped out of bed. She sat up instantly, realizing they were alone. None of the others had returned during the night.
“Reece should have been back by now. Even without the others,” she said as she watched Zev shower. She appreciated the flex of his muscles and the way his body stirred her, but her anxiety over the others increased rapidly.
“If they’re not here, it means they had to lie low somewhere to avoid security. Patience, Mel,” he said, stepping out of the shower. He captured her lips in a deep kiss. Electricity shot straight to her core.
As hard as it was, she broke the kiss. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m too worried.”
“I know.” Another kiss, this time to her forehead. “They’ll be fine. They’re good fighters. All of them.”
“Jayce wasn’t exactly himself yesterday.”
“He has Ivan.”
She shook her head. “He escaped before Ivan.”
Zev rubbed her arms. “I promise you, they’ll all be fine. I won’t let anything happen to them.” He wrapped the towel around his waist. “Shower, eat, and get ready to leave. Once they reach us, we may have to move fast.”
She jumped into the shower, swearing after she soaped up. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours yet, and she had washed the evidence of his claim off her! Melina cursed, glad Zev couldn’t hear her from the bedroom. Tradition only went so far. There was no way she would accept that she’d just doomed her relationship with Zev.
Melina tilted her head against the shower wall, took a few breaths, and started focusing on what she could do to get her unit off the station. At the very least, she could go out there and help search for her men. She couldn’t take another day sitting in this safe house. She’d already begun to feel claustrophobic.
As the warm water loosened sore muscles, a plan formed in her head. Melina quickly dried off and burrowed through the vanity. After she combed out the knots in her hair, she took a long look in the mirror. The bruises from the dog collar loomed dark purple around her neck, almost camouflaging the leather cord of the essence stone. But that stone shone bright red, a reminder of promise and sacrifice. Her hair fell forward, covering the stone like it covered the tattoo on the back of her neck and the scars on her back. It was time to leave behind the woman she’d been and fight for who she wanted to be.
Melina pulled out scissors and started cutting. Thick tresses of dark hair fell to the floor. She no longer belonged to Namir or even the men she loved. Melina would decide her own future, but she’d do so with her unit. Together, someplace where Namir couldn’t touch them.
The woman with the shoulder-length hair and necklace staring back at her in the mirror already looked more confident. . . freer even. There was more to her than the bruises and she didn’t need to hide behind her hair. She’d left the shame behind with Namir.
Melina slipped into the bedroom, glad Zev wasn’t there. She didn’t want him to see her hair yet. Of all the men, he would likely be disappointed because he tended to wrap his hands in her hair when making love.
She rooted through the dresser drawers and the closet. Zev hadn’t been joking. Someone had stocked the apartment with a wide assortment of clothing for women and men of all sizes and styles.
A pair of tailored black pants caught her eye. She slipped it on and found a silky white top with long sleeves that covered her prison tattoo nicely. The blouse dipped low in front, allowing her to show off the red essence stone that hung from the leather cord. Black leather boots reached her knees, completing the modern look. The finished outfit looked expensive, like she was a woman who worked high up in The Company. No one would expect a fugitive to be wearing expensive clothing. Admittedly, she liked the idea of her men finally seeing her in something refined and sexy.
She stepped into the common area of the apartment, expecting to greet Zev, but the apartment was empty. Zev was gone, and Reece hadn’t returned. She found a note tacked to the door.
I’ve gone to find the others. Stay here, where you’ll be safe. All will be well, Mel. Please stay here. I don’t want to come back and find you missing. - Zev
These men had a bad habit of excluding her, thinking she needed to be protected. Ivan and Zev liked to control those around them, but she’d had enough of that from Namir. She was as much a part of this unit as any of them, and she could search areas they couldn’t get into, like the station’s med-center. Even if The Company had pulled her universal access, as a doctor she could talk her way in.
Melina took a deep breath, calming her nerves, then stood tall and proud as she left the safe house. Like all apartment and hotel doors on the station, this one had a retina scan and emergency keypad. The door clicked shut, sending her mind back to the day she’d chased after Reece. She’d been locked out then too. Zev hadn’t left her the access code to the safe house. He probably thought giving it to her would encourage her to leave. Well, she was done being told where and what to do.
As soon as she entered the hallway, Melina felt free. She could stand and walk at a casual pace, confident that no one would recognize her. She’d changed her hair, her clothing, and felt more like herself, the woman who had existed before Namir had broken her down into a shadow of her former self. She’d get her life back. The only thing missing was her men, and she intended to find them.
When she reached the med-center, shock rippled through her. Anyone could enter since there were no guards. Noneguardingthe center, at least. There were plenty of guards with broken bones, blaster concussions, and knife wounds sprawled in the halls and on beds. Melina hid her smile. It appeared her men had caused quite a lot of trouble in the station.
“Can I help you?” the triage nurse asked.
