Page 76 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

“Eros?” She’s walking down the hallway. “Where did you go?”

“I’m in here.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I was thinking what a great lab this would make.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“I wasn’t?”

“It wouldn’t make a great lab space. I don’t want to have a lab near where we might put a podlet.” She holds up her hand. The ring has changed. It’s not closed, but it’s deeper, stronger. Damn, if they know about this, they will have me even more tightly by the balls.

“You got me. I was wondering which room we could use if we had a podlet.” And honestly, I did have the thought a few nights ago.

“Oh, this one is so far away from us.”

“When it’s old enough.”

“Oh, I think the other one.” Her hand trails over the doorframe as she moves out into the hall to the room next door.

“I think you’re right.”

“Are you ready to go?” Sunshine asks.

“Go? Oh. Right.”

Her shoulders go up. “You don’t want to go anymore?”

“No, I do. But I have to make a stop first. I’ll come right back.”

“Oh, I could come with you?” We’ve left her alone in the apartment twice. No, maybe once. Really, it would be safer if she was with me.

“You could.” I’m sure I could get the message without her seeing it. I’ve taken others right under the noses of people walking by. “Okay. Let’s go.” I take her by her gloved hand, letting our arms swing as we make our way to our newomada. Of course Nico wouldn’t have taken it, leaving an inferior model with Annabelle. “You want to pilot?”

“Yes, but no.” She shakes her head.

I close the passenger door for her. In the pilot seat, I move through the airlocks. I have another hour before I have to get my orders. When we get out into the city, I find out it’s a good thing I didn’t let her try piloting. There’s a silt cloud hanging outside of the airlock. I have to maneuver using only my instruments. It’s dark as a chasm, only I know it’s not. A chasm is a hell of a lot darker.

“You pilot like Holter.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s always looking around too.”

That’s because we both assume we’re being tailed. And most times we’re not wrong. I’m sure Nico is looking for tails, but he doesn’t care. He’d claim his right he defeated the chasm.

His position as commander officially comes to an end tomorrow. That’s where he and Holter are today—finishing up the last-minute contracts and reports. Tomorrow is the formal ceremony. They’ve kept theCentaurihere as long as they can. I’ve got a brother on it. They are supposed to be ready to leave any day now.

Annabelle leans forward in her seat, staring at the passing buildings. “It really is beautiful here.”

“It is.” On a day like today, with only a fewomadasandsoloson the road, it’s easy to see the buildings. The water is clear, and there’s some actual sunlight poking about the bubbles in the water. I reach over and touch her hand. I can’t stop touching her.

I take the long way around the community building, used mostly for balls, bypassing the first green dome full of agriculture, grains, and veg. It’s boring, if I remember my school trip, mostly grains and massive crops. I let theomadahover in an area that has a new building pad on the ocean floor, but nothing has been built yet. I wiggle my eyebrows and unclick the seat harness. I slide into the middle leaving the pilot seat empty.

“Eros! What are you doing?” She turns to look at me.

“I’m giving you your first piloting lesson. Keep your eyes on the dashboard, Sunshine.”

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