Page 52 of Breakaway
"Docking in five minutes," Marr calls from the front of the transport.
"Skia's getting this job?" Isha asks, and I can already hear how unhappy she is with the decision. She doesn't like it when any of us takes dangerous jobs.
"Someone's got to do it, and Skia's worked with them before," I tell her, motioning for my comm back. "I'll talk to him about it, though. If he doesn't think it's a good idea, Kolos is next in line, and then me."
"Why not, Isha?" Reese asks, her brows pulling together. Isha snorts, the only indication she's listening in on Reese's thoughts.
"They're more likely to try to figure out a way to smuggle me too if I were to show up," Isha says.
I cut in, not wanting Reese to think our line of work is as dangerous as Isha is making it out to be. "Skia is going to appear at a gala of sorts, where there could potentially be others there who don't wish to be. If there are, he alerts the Intergalactic Alliance, and they handle the rest of it. Isha, being female and not knowing anyone at the gala, will be seen as more suspicious."
"But none of you are attracted to anyone, or well, you know what I mean," Reese says, her cheeks flaming as she thinks she made some kind of faux pas in mentioning it.
Kolos merely smiles and leans back in his chair, not caring to remind her that he definitely feels attraction now. Though to what extent, I couldn't tell anyone. I know when I think about anyone other than Reese, I don't feel the same things I do when I see her. Even when I've seen other beautiful women, they don't stir in me the same things Reese does. Kolos has been without his soulbond for a lot longer, though. Maybe our bodies adapt, and our desire for just one person lessens if that person isn't around.
"We're not, and anyone with half a brain knows that," Isha says, her features tight as she speaks. "But there are plenty of others who think we're exaggerating or that, since they feel a certain way, everyone feels that way as well. I don't know what Skia does to make them think he's one of them, but he's done it. It's been convincing considering he remains in contact with a few of them for the Intergalactic Alliance."
"He's probably the one who told the IA about this gala," I tell Reese. "The only reason they sent the job to me is so it can go through the proper channels for us getting paid. If they could work directly with him, they would."
"But why would you be third in line to go?" Reese asks, her mood shifting into something that's making me feel like I might be wading into dangerous territory.
"Because I'm male?" I say, the answer comes out as more of a question.
"And what would happen to me?" she asks.
Now I'm truly confused. "You'd be on the ship with whoever else isn't working. There's always someone."
I pause, swallowing hard because what if she didn't realize this would be her life if she chose me?
"Reese." I grab her hand and hold it close to me, not caring that Isha and Kolos are now purposefully looking away. Her thoughts must be on a whole new level of disaster if they're not even looking at us. "I'll have to be away from you sometimes. It's not ideal, but this is my job."
"What?" she asks. This time, she's the one looking confused. "I know that. I don't want to go on your jobs with you. If you said I was going to have to go deal with smugglers and bad guys, well, that wouldn't be ideal."
"If I have it my way, you're never going to be close to danger ever again," I tell her, "Plus, we don't take untrained personnel into the field. That's a good way for us to get hurt and put them in danger. It would be absolutely reckless if someone were to accompany any of us on one of the undercover missions."
"Docking," Marr calls out from the front of the transport. The vehicle pulls to a stop, and we all begin to release ourselves from the safety belts and gather our things.
I grab Reese's hand as we exit the transport, my shadows already wrapped around her. She turns to look up at me, a smile in her eyes. "Thanks for making me feel better."
"Of course," I say, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
"I'm so curious how you learned to do nails, though," she says, a giggle in her voice.
"Is it really a surprise that I would know how to do them? You've met my mother," I tell her, looping my arm over her shoulder. "You have to know she taught us how to do her nailswhen we were children, right? That woman hasn't paid for a manicure since she found my father."
"Lucky woman," Reese murmurs.
I cock my head to the side, "And what about you? Do you feel lucky?"
She nuzzles in closer to me, her hand resting on my abdomen. "The luckiest."
CHAPTER 19
REESE
Breaking News! Empress is sitting down with Traci Tattles for her first interview since her real name was leaked. Kind of rude that she's not talking to us, if we do say so ourselves.
I've done countless interviews before. They've all been done with me in full glam, a skimpy outfit, and a mask covering a good portion, if not all of my face. What I mean to say is this shouldn't even be something remotely outside of my wheelhouse, but as I step onto the set, I'm nervous.
