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“Information is a two-way street, Warrior. Prove I can trust you first.”
He let a growl slip. He’d done everything he could, including keeping away from her, to remove the temptation of touching her, and he’d still failed. “I told you I removed the damning portion of the footage.”
“That’s no guarantee you won’t show it to Earth Intelligence in time.”
“You either trust me or you don’t. I’m not here to judge or prosecute you.”
“No need to. The DAA will do that.”
He ignored her comment. “We still don’t know the og’dal’s name, but we found footage from a year before the Coalition left Earth. The same male worked on one of the mail-order bride ships.”
“I think it’s fair to call them slave ships at this point. The og’dals matched very few women to alien husbands. Just enough to make videos of the women meeting their husbands and living a good life. Footage of happily mated couples became one of their best marketing tools. The women they lured ended up as sex slaves, not married to decent aliens.”
“The og’dals here may have returned to kill the witnesses scheduled to testify against them, but my instincts tell me there’s more going on than we realize. I want to work together to solve the murders and ensure there are no more… leaks.”
“Does that mean you’re no longer angry with me?”
He reached out and caressed her jaw with one finger. Soft skin and sparkling eyes called to him. How was he going to work so closely with her, convince her that he was on her side, without giving in to this attraction?
Her mouth opened, round and lush, unintentionally teasing him as his finger trailed down the side of her neck. If he didn’t pull away from her now, he might never be able to separate from her completely when this investigation ended.
Zirkov dropped his hand to his side, breaking the contact. “I’m frustrated with this investigation, but I’m not angry with you.”
Her brow creased as her eyes pinched together. “You… touched me. Why?”
It was an excellent question. One he could not answer, not without telling her everything.
“To convince you I’m not your enemy.”
“What happened to you, Z? With Konnitch, you laugh and talk freely. You’re relaxed. But when you’re with me, you’re reserved. It’s as if you’re afraid to be near me.”
“Working with you has been an adjustment. Nothing more. I trust you and your skills, Magdalena. I wish you could say the same of me.”
“Answering my questions would help, Warrior.”
His spine straightened at hearing the title.
Her face softened, almost revealing a smile. “This is what I mean. You call me Magdalena and I call you Warrior. Tit for tat. You need to lighten up.”
“You don’t know what calling me Warrior does to me.”
“I’m guessing it reminds you of a time you’d like to forget.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“Because it suits you. More than Commander.” When she set her palm flat against his chest, warmth spread through his body, down to his cocks. They both rose easily and often for her. It was beyond distracting at this point. Maddening. He wanted her, but she was off-limits, now more than ever. He could not compromise his position by associating with a suspect.
“You can avoid telling me about the scars, but you were a warrior. You can’t deny that.”
“I have a past, like anyone else. One I’ve put behind me.”
She chuckled. “Look at that. We have something in common after all.”
He raised a brow. “Explain.”
“We’re both trying to outrun our pasts. And we’re failing. At least, I am. Or you and the other marshals wouldn’t think I’m a traitor.”
“I never said you are a traitor.”
