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“I already told you. I don’t know my way around.” She would get lost if she took off without him. What was there for her to try?
And after what she’d watched him do to the human ships, there was no way in hell she would go provoking him into doing the same to her.
His eyes flickered, studying her, and slipped down her body in a quick pass.
“Come here,” he said.
It took hard willpower to push herself to her feet and walk to the angry lion who watched her as if he might strike. Her steps wobbled. She stood before his knees, uncertainty pouring through her. His eyes beheld her face, his slight disdain evident. That frown made him feel a million miles away.
“Turn around,” he said.
Fuck. Big breath in. The hairs on her body brushed against her suit as she faced away from him.
His hand circled her wrist. She felt him touching the cuffs, stroking a thumb over them and letting them bite into her skin. She held very, very, very still, anticipating all the awful things he might do to her.
“Did you call those ships here?” he asked.
Ah. Here was the interrogation. He had the tiny, breakable bones of her wrist between his fingers. He could hurt her. If her wrists were broken, she’d lose her ability to type, to work. She’d lose everything.
She shook her head, her voice thick and dry. “No. I… didn’t know they would do that.” The slow drag of his fingers over her wrists coursed through her.
Around the windows, Ternetzi people repaired the destruction, hoisting in sections of buildings that had been blown off.
“But you contacted the human ships,” he said.
She took a deep breath.
“Yes.”
His fingers tightened absently. “I don’t recommend trying that again. They won’t get you home.”
“Because you’ll blow them up?”
“Yes.”
Why hadn’t he blownhership up, then? Why was she still alive? His touch remained on her, so physical, promising all sorts of violence—and some misled, romantic flame in her heart screamed that it was because he still wanted her.
Tears hung on her eyelashes.
“What are you doing here, Lucca? Did you come to spy? Is that what the maps were for?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know… it’s possible. I wasn’t given a reason. Just orders to leave the fleet and maintain this ship.”
“They could be looking to recover you.”
“My crewmates are dead,” she said.
Commander Collins wouldn’t be happy to see her again. Lucca might face murder charges, or worse.
“You truly won’t try anything?” he asked once more. “Not a little mutiny? Nothing?”
She shook her head.
“Hm.”
She didn’t know what that sound meant. Was it good? Was it bad? His touch lingered.
Static electricity tickled her wrists and the handcuffs released. He tugged her around to face him.
