Page 13 of Anna's Bounty
His lips move soundlessly again. I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, but it’s a losing battle.
“Rovos,” I whisper before I blink once. Twice. My eyelids don’t open for a third.
7
Rovos
Ilook down at the female in the med-bot. She looks so serene now that she’s no longer hysterical. My eyes roam over her through the view screen. Her hair is the color of spun gold and frames her delicate face, where dark lashes brush against her milky skin. Even her nose is small, with a slight upturn at the end.
Her most enchanting feature, though, is her eyes. They are a clear, deep blue that sparkles like gemstones. She’s beautiful.
“Female patient’s heart rate has returned to normal rhythm,” the automated voice announces. “Beginning scan.”
The light inside the med-bot turns from blue/white to red, throwing shadows across her face that turn her full pink lips a deep crimson.
Maybe it’s the shadows the red light throws, but I notice a crease between her eyes that wasn’t there before. I know she is unconscious, but the thought that she might be uncomfortable makes my gut clench. Turning my attention to the control panel, I search for something that might be out of the ordinary, but everything looks normal.
Why am I hovering over her?
Forcing myself away from the med-bot, I start toward the doorway. There is plenty to do before we can detach from the Xar’ad’s ship, and I should help Igid. The scan will take at least an hour, likely longer since the med-bot will need to learn her physiology. So, why do I fall into a chair instead?
Leaning forward, with elbows braced on my knees, I stab my fingers into my hair and squeeze my eyes shut. The image of her tear-streaked face floats behind my lids. I can still hear her panicked voice begging me to let her out of the tube. Even though I knew she couldn’t hear me, I tried to tell her that she would be alright. She was safe, and I wouldn’t let any harm come to her.
With a growl, I sit back in the chair, letting my head thump against the wall behind me. An ache has settled inside my chest, and I rub my hand across my sternum to ease it.
I have no business making her promises, no matter if she could hear them or not. The last thing I need right now are more complications, especially the female kind. No matter how beautiful she might be. Or how she stirs me.
Vittu!When was the last time I had a woman? Three? No, it’s been at least four cycles ago. Still, I’ve gone much longer between partners and never had a female affect me the way this little human does. Is it her race? Do humans have a special power that turns males to mush? Or is it her, specifically?
I decide that the sooner I get her off my ship, the better things will be. Reaching for my comm, I swipe my thumb across the screen and hail Igid.
The seconds stretch before her distorted image appears in the air above my comm. She is holding a tool between her teeth, and she gives me an irritated look through the connection.
“I was just sealing up the hull,” she says around the tool. “What do you want?”
“Did you go through the Xar’ads’ database yet?”
“No.” Her eyes narrow, and she gives me a withering look as she spits the tool out of her mouth. “I haven’t had time.”
“I need to know if there are records of where they got the human.” She opens her mouth to tell me no, but I keep talking. “When you find it, send it to me right away. Then wipe the whole thing.”
“And if I don’t find it?”
“If you don’t find it, wipe it anyway.” I don’t want anyone else finding the information that might be on that drive.
“That could take hours!” she whines. “Why aren’t you asking Treto to do this? He is already on that ship. ”
It’s a valid question. Treto is good with computers. Maybe even better with them than Igid. But I haven’t known him as long, and I can’t trust this information to just anyone.
“I don’t trust him like I trust you.” Which is why I trust her, over all others, with my female—withthefemale.
Where did that thought come from? The human can never be mine. Not even if I wanted her to be. I would never subject her to a bounty hunter’s life.
Treto and Sone are as close as brothers to me. As a crew, we’ve seen each other at our very best and very worst. So it’s not that I don’t trust Treto, it’s only that I trust Igidmore.
“Fine,” Igid huffs. “But you owe me.”
“You need only name your price.” As soon as the words are past my lips, the way Igid’s face lights up, I regret them.
