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Steel frowned, almost looking uncomfortable. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“But it was. I know I’ve been wary and suspicious of you, and that hasn’t been fair. You’ve been a huge help to us. You saved our lives, helped us kill our enemies, and kept us safe. I was wrong about you.” There was still a part of me that feared him and was hesitant around him. Even in saving my life, he had proven he was extremely deadly. My instincts picked up on it and warned me to be cautious, but I could also tell he wasn’t a bad guy. I had judged him a little too harshly. I was thinking that maybe I could trust him after all. I hesitated, but then added, “And I hope you ask Cass to marry you. You obviously love her a lot. Don’t let that kind of love go.”
Truthfully, I didn’t know Cass at all, but my intuition was telling me that any woman who knew about his past and continued in a relationship must love him deeply. If I had been in her position, in love with a man this caring and protective, I would marry him if given the opportunity.
He gave me a long, piercing look before nodding. “Thank you. And you’re welcome. Don’t expect me to come running to your rescue or anything from here on out, but I’m glad you both survived. I have a respect for people in your profession.”
I smiled. “And I have a healthy fear for people in yours.”
Steel smiled back, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “I’m retired, remember?”
“Carter!” Emerson yelled from the bridge. “We’re here.”
We had landed in Archuleta’s front yard again, which probably irked him since this was a spaceship and not a smaller vessel, but Archuleta didn’t say anything while the men unloaded his guns. He seemed more than a little surprised when Emerson, Ethan, Steel, and I came down the ramp with Rodney and his other conspirator in tow.
Emerson pushed Rodney to stand in front of Archuleta. “Here’s your thief.”
Archuleta nodded to one of his men, who pushed Rodney and the other man to their knees in front of Archuleta. He glared down at his former second-in-command. “How could you do this to me?”
Instead of answering, Rodney spat on his shoes. Archuleta struck him hard and fast in the face, knocking him to the ground. I lifted my hand to stop him but quickly dropped it. My instincts had kicked in, telling me to intervene and protect, but I ignored the urge. Criminals had their own law, and it had nothing to do with me. Right now, I wasn’t a cop; I was just a woman trying to survive an impossible situation.
Emerson spoke, drawing Archuleta’s attention. “We’ve retrieved your guns. The rest of his men are dead. I think we’ve fulfilled our contract.”
Archuleta motioned to his men, who took the two traitors and ushered them towards the house. Archuleta looked us over with inscrutable eyes. I hadn’t bothered to change out of my bloodstained clothes, and I figured that might garner a little respect from him. He met my eyes and pursed his lips before looking back at Emerson.
“I must say you have impressed me. I didn’t think you’d be able to get my merchandise back or find the ones responsible, but you’ve kept your word.” He held out his hand for Emerson to shake.
Emerson’s face didn’t relax any, but he did shake his hand. Archuleta smiled. “There may be a place for you in my business after all. If you’re still interested.”
No one moved while Emerson contemplated the offer. Then, slowly, he shrugged. “We’ll talk. I have a little bit of personal business to attend to now, but I’ll be in touch.”
Archuleta’s smile grew. “Excellent.”
“We’ll talk again soon.” Emerson nodded to Archuleta before motioning to his men to get back on the ship.
“Thank you, Captain Emerson.”
Emerson didn’t acknowledge Archuleta’s parting words. Instead, he walked back up the ramp. I spared a brief glare for Archuleta before following. I waited until the door was closed and we were lifting into the air before speaking quietly to Emerson.
“Are you going to continue working for him?”
Emerson shrugged. “We’ll see. It is a lucrative job. I haven’t decided.”
I snorted. “It’s a bad idea. You’re digging yourself into trouble.”
“Yeah, probably.”
I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Are we going to Viridis now?”
He nodded. “That’s our next stop. Reuben should be pointing us in that direction as we speak. Though we will need more exact coordinates.”
“Easily done. I need to make a quick call and let my partner know we’re coming. Then I need to take a long shower. I think we have time before we get there, right?”
Emerson nodded. I smiled. “Then we’re heading to your quarters. Do you have a tablet I can borrow?”
“You’ll find one on the stand beside my bed.”
“Thank you.”
