Page 14 of Warrior's Captive
He braced himself for the inevitable question about the marks, and felt relief when she didn't follow up that line of inquiry.
“My child has an intelligent mother.” He winced internally, realizing how patronizing that sounded.
She looked away. “I suppose we have more personal things to talk about right now.”
He wanted to reach across the table and take one of her hands, comfort her, but he knew the touch would be premature. “We can talk about whatever you want, Vivian.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m stalling, and that doesn’t do anyone any good.”
The server returned, and they ordered. Vivian couldn’t read the menu so he spent a few minutes explaining drinks and dishes to her, including the ingredients labeled as potential allergens to non Yadeshi. As the server left, pain flashed across her face, and she grimaced.
“What’s wrong?” Tai’ri asked, tensing.
“Nothing. The baby kicked in my groin.”
“That can’t be comfortable.”
Her lips twitched. “Nothing about this is comfortable.”
Damn. “Sorry, Vivian. Should have. . .” What? Done his job better? Not gotten caught because of outdated intel?
“I’m told it wasn’t your fault. You were harmed as well.” She picked up her glass and took a sip of water.
“No, I didn’t do this to us,” he said, keeping his voice low, soothing, measured. “But I still owe you an apology for my failure. Did theBdakhuntell you the duties I perform for her?”
Vivian hesitated. “She said you’re one of her upper level bodyguards.”
“Of sorts. I don’t deal with matters of her personal security. I handle information.”
“You’re a spy.”
Tai’ri grinned. It was brief, but real. “Not like in the vids.” His job was more dangerous, bloodier, and the consequences literally involved death, and now, life. “You should drink.”
She stiffened, face paling, and he cursed himself. “They made me eat during my imprisonment,” she said.
He remembered.Subject Alpha Two Zeta Toro Lao: Mandatory nourishment has commenced. Consume all assigned food and beverage, or intervention will be required.
He had tested it once. ‘Intervention’ was four masked, silent orderlies who fought him with the ruthlessness of military grade war bots, literally forcing the food and drink down his throat. If she had resisted even once. . .
His stomach clenched. Needed to punch something. Draw blood. “Can’t imagine what you’re going through. I don’t compare what happened to me with what happened to you.”
Tai’ri took a few deep, even breaths, chanting one of the prayers for Silence Vykhan taught all of his subordinates. In moments, the training kicked in and he recovered his equilibrium, banking rage yet again.
“I do.” She met his gaze again. “It . . . helps. It helps to tell myself we’re in this together.” She paused, looked down and began to run her fingers through the moisture drops on the table top. “Is that what you want? To be in this together?”
Tai’ri watched the micro expressions in her face, assessing the inflections in her tone. It was what he was trained to do. Trained to read, and to manipulate. But he didn’t want to manipulate her. Didn’t want to use the data his mind was collecting about her emotions and mental state and exploit it to guide her to make the decision that benefited him the most.
“Do you want honesty, or neutrality?” he asked.
Her finger paused, and she looked up at him through her lashes. The look punched him in the gut. “Honesty.”
The server brought their food, and he waited until she began to eat, clenching words behind his mouth. He wanted to fuss, it was his nature to fuss. A mother, sisters, aunts, cousins . . . he’d taken care of them all and they always allowed it. The females of his family expected pampering as their right.
“I want this child. It's half mine, and I want it.” He pressed his hands against the table top, the only lapse in control he allowed himself. She couldn’t handle the torrent inside him right now—and shouldn’t have to. “I'd like my child's mother to co-parent with me. My childhood was happy. My family—if they knew, they would want to meet you, and they would welcome you both.”
Ibukay had sent him an extensive file on Vivian. The data they had managed to scrape from earth government files, and Vivian's own words. She was educated, thoughtful, and responsible. No reason to think she wouldn't be a good mother.
“How do you envision this co-parenting taking place?” she asked. “Because I have to decide if I want you in my life, and I have to know if our visions of life going forward coincide.”
