Page 100 of Seduced By the Mermen
Castor’s next to her. “Here.” He thrusts an envelope into my hands.
“What’s this?”
“A new passport and a bank card with access to your money.”
I smirk at him. Because since I’ve fled the farm, I’ve been living on the just-in-time money management system. Earn it, spend it. So I know I don’t have anything left. I’m sure the auto payment of our apartment cleared out my account last month. “My money?”
“The money my dad paid him-who-shouldn’t-be-named for the farm belongs more to you than me.” Annabelle squeezes my hand.
“It belongs to all of us,” I say, taking Marlee’s hand in my other.
“Cool, great. Then spend it on this.” Marlee hands me a folded paper. “If you can’t get me anything, it’s okay, Mom. You having fun is more important than anything on the list.”
I’m about to open the paper when she shakes her head at me. So I slide it into my pocket instead.
“Really, Mom, have fun.”
I’m giddy. I honestly don’t remember ever being more excited.
Marlee opens the door for me. And I’m more than a little disappointed to find Hunter standing there. I was really hoping that Sterling would be the one picking me up.
Chapter 39
Sterling
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” I drop my fists on the king’s desk, hard enough his tablet jumps and his cup of tea rattles. I lean over the desk. He’s dismissed his guards, but there’s no fear in the fool’s eyes.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Atlas stands. He’s as tall as me, though his shoulders are more squared from years of long-range travel, while mine are rounded from battle and fighting. I could take him in a fight but not a swim. “Stop eyeing me up like you’re going to hit me. We both know you have more common sense than that.”
A low rumble comes from my gut. He has more faith in me than I do. Because I’d like to pull his swim bladder out through his throat right now. “The female is being chased by enough pods. And then there are the separatists who want nothing to do with humans or the possible dependents of the original orphaned mermaids who went to live with the humans.” I glare at Atlas. I’m honestly much more worried about the separatists. There have been some less than vague threats made.
“Zion is leaving today. There’s no time for anyone to organize a plan to attack,” the king says.
“You’re thinking like a militarist, not a terrorist. It doesn’t take an army of males to hurt one fragile human. A malfunction in her transport would be enough. How the hell do they think they’re going to keep her safe? Zion? He runs a company. Delmar? An elementary school teacher isn’t going to help.”
“There’s room for two more. I thought you would be going?”
“I’ll take one of the elite government solos and follow them. I can cloak the whole way.”
“No, that’s absurd. Zion and I already talked. You’re the best pilot in the Mason pod. You’ll have to have the helm.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I still want to punch Atlas. But age has taught me a thing or two. I’m not going to get anywhere with hitting the king. Well, except for exiled to the chasm.
I inhale. It doesn’t matter. I should drop it because... “There’s no way the Portsmouth pod is going to allow Blair to go.”
Atlas shakes his head. “I received a message from Castor this morning, letting me know that while they aren’t thrilled about it, they are letting her go.” Atlas smirks. “But since the Mason pod bought a Pelagic voyager, there was some subtext about possibly borrowing it sometime. After your two pods become related.”
I scowl. The thought of a Pelagic voyager being owned by the Mason pod is still so absurd. I don’t care if we haven’t spent gold on anything in years. It’s beyond extravagant, and why for a female we shouldn’t be pursuing? We’re only going to get her hurt—or worse, killed.
“It’s done. You should get home and pack. I gave them permission, but only if they left quickly. As in now! Unless you want to be walking about London wearing what you have on, you better hustle home and pack.”
“I don’t want to be walking around London wearing anything.”
“That’s a choice. I know they have less strict laws about nudity than America does, but I wouldn’t push your luck. This isn’t an official visit. And I won’t let my first contact with their government be about getting you out of their jail.”
Anger blurs my trip home. I don’t remember anything of the route home, and that’s never good. I’ve learned to overcome my anger. Anger has no place in my life. Anger only makes you make mistakes. Like my journey to the Stele Dome, it blinds you to the real dangers lurking around.
I’m through the airlock and around back in the residents’ docking area. And fuck me. I’m not sure why it’s not called a Blue Whale voyager. And I’m not sure how the hell it fits through the airlock. I’m also pretty sure that more than half of the residents of the Stele Dome are gathered around it. Hunter’s directing a few other guys around. Which is only making it worse. Nothing like telling a bunch of Stele males that they can’t look at something to make them want to look at it more.
