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“Not even slightly.” His eyes flashed with frustration. He glanced at her untouched rum glass briefly, working his clean-shaven jaw. His voice slipped back into that deceptively calming mode he was known for. “Bringing aliens home was always one of our objectives, to see if we might benefit from cross-breeding. Itcanbe done.”
He jut his chin in contemplation. “Of course, we had to take extra precautions with this one due to his explosive nature. He isextremelydangerous. Frankly, I’m surprised you survived him. But…”
Again, his eyes dipped to the rum.
Did he want it? He seemed almost offended that she wouldn’t take it.
Lucca stared at Caligher, questioning how she was supposed to get both of them out in one piece. The thing Collins was offering would be Caligher’s waking nightmare. There was no way she could agree to that.
But she wasn’t strong. And she had no weapons.
Her hands were empty, and she didn’t know what the fuck to do.
Please, open your eyes and be okay,she thought, staring longingly at Caligher’s image.
Her head began shaking, numbly at first, but meaningfully. “I can’t do that,” she said. “You can’t take him. I’m not taking part in whatever sick weirdness you have in store for us.”
“Youarewith him, correct?” queried the commander.
Lucca fell quiet, that sick feeling in her chest churning and intensifying. The commander turned to his other monitor and brought a new video feed up.
She watched in surreal outrage as the Selkie’s airlock glowed from the screen. A strange scene played without sound—Lucca floating into the airlock and reaching into a corner with her tools. Turning and freezing as Caligher pursued her into the room.
Everyone in that little office watched Caligher corner her, wrestle her to the door, disrobe her, and force himself on her. Lucca risked a glance for the commander, noting the strain in his posture, and the way he held his breath—all the visual signs of arousal. One of the men standing behind him sported a boner which he shifted and crossed his hands to hide. The penetrating sense of violation set her on edge.
“This is private,” Lucca said, rough-voiced and flaming hot with shame.
The commander cleared his throat. “Then you would probably hate to see this footage released.”
Lucca rubbed at her eyelids, finally reaching for that rum and downing it in one go. The burn set her on fire, infusing her with temporary boldness.
The commander was staring at her as the video continued. “Can you appreciate the position this puts me in? If I show this to the people back home, our enlistment numbers will explode. This will give young recruits everywhere the motivation they need.”
“This isprivate,” she hissed through her teeth. “It’s not right to…”
“To what?”
“To make it look like what it isn’t,” she said.
Collins spared the screen a lingering glance. “You mean this was consensual?” he asked, clearing his throat again, seemingly adjusting himself below the table. Disgust boiled through her. She held her empty glass, suddenly wanting more rum. On the screen, she was plastered to the wall, crying out in pleasure, while on the opposite screen, Caligher lay nearly lifeless on a table.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, of course,” the commander said. “We all do it. But—”
“But you’re blackmailing me with this? Then fuck it. Show it to everyone,” she said, holding his stare. “I don’t care if the whole goddamn world sees it.”
The Lucca on-screen was currently sliding down the wall, coming her brains out.
She tipped back the empty glass, momentarily forgetting it was empty, only to stop and glare at it. “Can I get a top off?” she bit out.
They ignored her. “Get the bridge on the line.” The commander had someone bring him a phone. Lucca twiddled the glass in her hand and considered throwing it at something.
“Is this the point where you torture me into compliance?” Lucca asked in the momentary pause.
“Torture you?” he replied, startling. Then he let out a low chuckle. “We don’t torture women, here. What sort of barbarians do you think we are?”
Lucca’s brows lifted.
The video playback stopped and the commander held the phone to his ear. Lucca heard a low, feminine, “Sir?” out of the receiver before the commander spoke.
