Page 112 of Shellshock

“Wait… you want that?”

“You know nothing about what I want.”

She’d thought he merely wished to terrorize people. The thought of him finding a human ‘to keep’ was concerning.

Containing him was going to be a full-time job. Would Caligher even have time to spend with her? Would they be able to sleep together anymore? She didn’t see how that would fit in with this.

Irritation consumed her. She wished she hadn’t spotted the ship in the first place. Better to let the pirate reach Earth and plague someone else.

“You should have flown faster, pirate.”

“Oh? I see. You want your lover to yourself and I’m a complication. Well… maybe I can figure something out for you. But it will cost you upfront.”

“Not interested in your deals,” she said.

Caligher’s headset connected again, adding interference to the channel. “Been fun catching up. Gotta go, pirate.” She flipped the channel. “What’s the situation, Cal?”

“The doors are sound, but he gutted the electronics. This could take all day to fix. I need to completely redo it.” He huffed in annoyance.

“Well that gives us a chance to redesign it,” she pointed out. “You can make it as breakout-proof as possible. I have some ideas.”

“Nice, Lucca. I like how you think.”

“Send me some pictures of it as is?”

“Actually…”—the note in Caligher’s voice changed to playful—“I was hoping you would come over.”

She blinked. “On your—on yourship?”

“Yes, on my ship.”

“But it’s a death trap.”

The hull didn’t even look sound from the outside. One side of it was blown open but the sensors told her that Caligher had already quarantined that segment, but still… how many holes and blips were there?

“Wear your suit,” he said. “I’ll help you come over. The air is stable in the dungeon.”

She opened her mouth to sayno, but then stopped. How many times had she said it? How many times would she continue to say it while everything she wanted in life came and went before her eyes?

How many more chances would she have to say yes?

Overtaking Caligher’s ship had thrown her plans off course. She’d thought she still had months alone with him—months of the same routine that brought her so much comfort. But suddenly, just like that, those months came to an end.

What else was about to be disrupted?

“I can’t jump over myself, so you can’t let go of me, whatever you do,” she said.

“I can—wait, what?” Surprise filled his voice. “You’re saying yes?”

She paused. “I… think?”

As he stomped around his hall loudly, she stood from her console, wondering what the fuck she’d just agreed to.

She’d said yes.

She was going to see Caligher’s ship.

But she was tired of saying no for no good reason, and she was dying to know what the rusted monstrosity looked like from the inside.

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