Page 12 of Jordan

Chapter Four

Jordan firedup the ship’s boosters, huffing as he did.

Nina belted herself in and watched his actions. “They’re fast, Jordan. Let it go.”

Pheebes had paid them a visit just as they were entering the corridor to board the shuttle. He and Jordan had exchanged words and she’d been left having to call for backup to break the men apart. Jordan’s mood had soured nearly instantly. Prior to that, he’d laughed, joked and even held her hand in his as they’d made their way through the compound. Now he seemed distant, even cold.

He shot her an annoyed look and then tapped his com unit. “Shuttle Vessel 0912 ready for departure.”

“Copy that,” Christian said, overseeing the command control room. “Permission for liftoff granted. Safe trip.”

“Shuttle Vessel 0912 out,” Jordan replied, flipping off his com and piloting the vessel. They encountered a touch of resistance at about a thousand feet but it passed quickly and they began their journey. The course Jordan, Bradi and Sevan had plotted would take them over the planet before they ventured higher into orbit. It would give Jordan and Nina a chance to scout the others before continuing on their way to Margaidia.

Ten minutes passed with not a word spoken between them. Nina looked out the shuttle window and down at the planet she called home. Of all her brothers and sisters, outside of Jacquelyn of course, she was the only one who didn’t pilot vessels. She headed a land army that took all of her time.

Thoughts of Jacquelyn brought a quiet sadness over her. There once had been a time when her baby sister, who had barely survived a malicious attack, was still able to be a part of their lives via a holographic program and interface system that Christian had built for her. While it had only been able to produce a lifelike rendering of Jacquelyn as she had been right before the attack—a young girl—it had still afforded them a chance to interact with her.

Something had gone wrong after Jacquelyn had assisted in saving Lorelei and her then unborn sons during the delivery of them. Christian theorized that she’d expelled too much energy, and that she would require time before she was able to sync with the computer systems once more. The more time that passed, the less anyone believed she would ever be part of their lives again. Bradi had even suggested the unthinkable—shutting off life support to the barely recognizable form that was their sister.

No one was willing to do that just yet.

“Hey,” Jordan said softly, drawing her from her thoughts. “You all right?”

Her eyes were moist and her throat was tight. She nodded.

He sighed. “Baby, I’m sorry I got into it with Pheebes—again.” He put his hand on her thigh, squeezing it gently. “And I’m sorry I was a dick to you about it all.”

Her hand went instantly to his. “It’s not that, but your apology is most welcome.”

“Then what is it?” he asked, caressing her inner thigh.

“Jacquelyn,” she confessed. “She’s not getting any better. If anything, she seems to be deteriorating.”

He caught hold of her hand in his and held it firm. The man’s support meant so much to her, but voicing as much was out of character for her. “Baby, you’re not ready to let her go just yet. I don’t think any of you are, but you especially hold so much guilt over what happened. It wasn’t your fault.”

She tensed.

Jordan pressed onward. “Nina, you told me yourself that Stegian mimicked your voice to lure Jacquelyn away from the safety of the compound and into the jungle. You can’t tell me that doesn’t eat away at you, that you don’t sit in that infirmary room with her, dwelling on as much. I like to think I know you, and you try to shoulder the weight of the universe. You don’t lay blame where it often should go—instead, you internalize it.”

Her bottom lip trembled. How was it he’d done what so many couldn’t? He’d seen through her defenses and straight to the heart of her.

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You’re gonna punch me now, aren’t you? That or kick my ass when we land, huh?”

His quirky sense of humor helped to stop the tears from wanting to come. She grinned and blinked away the moisture in her eyes. She used her forefinger to trace around the edges of his mouth. “Actually, I’m leaning more towards tossing you down and having my way with you.”

Jordan’s eyes widened and he glanced towards the back portion of the shuttle. She could see the wheels spinning in his head and she laughed.

“Not while we’re in the air, Vasil.”

He shrugged. “Hey, I’m no fool. I’ll take it wherever you’re willing to give it to me, baby.”

Laughing, she squeezed his hand. “I know I’m the one who insisted upon time to think, to collect my thoughts on all this, but…and then this morning you got into it again with Pheebes, throwing in my face yet again that I slept with him at all, let alone as much as I used to.” She’d hoped after their pleasant evening together that things between them would be different, but the second she’d shown for departure, she’d found Jordan and Pheebes going rounds once more, each yelling at the other.

“Shh,” he whispered as he winked. “Just let it be for now, Nina. Look out at Sargaidia’s beauty and remember it, because there is nowhere quite like it in the universe.”

For a nanosecond, she wondered if it was he who now needed time to think upon what was happening between them.

She glanced out the viewing area and took in the sight before her. Seeing her planet from high in the air had the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. It was breathtaking. She pivoted in her seat and grabbed Jordan’s knee. “Oh, Jordan, look how beautiful it is.”

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