As We Rise: Rogue (As We Rise Saga Book 1) Page 13

  “No! We align with the Common Citizen’s Insurgence,” Kohen’s eyebrows pinched in confusion as he met Raiden’s eyes in a quick movement Jo almost missed.

  “They would be proudly displaying the symbol of their affiliation if they had business with one of the syndicates,” Raiden stated, ignoring the confused-looking waiter.

  Jo took another bite of her food and watched Raiden as he ate. His shoulders were pulled back and his spine stiff, unlike his relaxed posture he of a few minutes before. Had Kohen set him off or the mention of the insurgence? Jo knew of the organization, but was unaware that the CCI’s reach stretched beyond a few rumors. If the insurgence had loyalties in the edge worlds, did the Consulate know as well? Would Raiden turn this family into the GCM for being affiliated with them?

  “I will need your name to reserve the room,” Kohen broke the silence.

  “I’m Jo and that’s Raiden. Forgive me if I don’t feel comfortable giving you more information, but she’ll scan our holoID’s when we check in.”

  Kohen began to walk away, but paused and turned back. “Jo, um…I am off tomorrow and would like to offer my help. The market alone is the size of a small city and can be hard to navigate if you don’t know your way. I could help you locate the vendors you’re looking for and steer you clear of the ones controlled by the syndicates.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Jo saw Raiden opening his mouth to protest, but it was Jo’s turn to kick his shin. He grunted before pinching his lips tightly. Another yield to her leadership.

  “How much would this service cost?” Jo asked, not quite taking her eyes off Raiden.

  “No fee. I just want to help,” Kohen rubbed his neck and Jo watched as his skin slowly flushed red. She smirked as she looked the man over again. He was handsome, and if Raiden weren’t with her, she would probably take advantage of his obvious attraction to her. Not that she was holding back because of Raiden. They were on a dangerous planet and Raiden was right, it would be foolish to separate.

  At least that’s what she kept telling herself.

  Still, it would be foolish to refuse Kohen’s offer. Having a guide would expedite their tasks and get them off this moon quicker. Raiden would just have to cope with the waiter’s presence.

  “Okay, meet us at second sunrise.”

  Twenty-One

  The market was never-ending.

  Jo dragged her feet as the heat from the two suns beat down on her. With each breath, she felt as if she were inhaling a mouthful of water. Whatever moisture escaped her lungs was soaked in her clothes. With each saturated step, her sensible decision to wear long pants in case there was cyborg hostility on this planet morphed into regret and bitchiness. Jo tried to remember a time she had felt so miserable, but none came to mind. She was beginning to hate this moon.

  “We should be done soon,” Raiden announced as he guided her to walk underneath the bulky awnings that protruded from the shops. Jo sighed with relief. It felt at least twenty degrees cooler in the shade.

  “Have I been grumbling out loud? The temperature must be making me delirious,” Jo murmured, her eyes straying to take in Kohen’s back as he slipped through the crowd. “I wouldn’t want to offend our guide.”

  Raiden grunted as he narrowed his gaze on Kohen.

  After leaving the diner the previous day, Raiden had been vocal in his criticism regarding the waiter the entire trek to the lodge. Once inside their shared room, although his comments declined in number, they grew more passive aggressive, and Jo had to threaten the loss of his man-parts just to enjoy her bath in blissful silence. Raiden was dirt born and knew nothing of how magnificently rare a hot bath was for one who’d spent majority of their life on a ship. When she hadn’t changed her mind by the following morning, he begrudgingly accepted that the waiter would be joining them. She had even gone so far as to admit that she wasn’t interested in the man, hoping that would appease Raiden. It worked until the first time Kohen placed his hand on her lower back as he led her into a shop. Since then, Raiden had hovered over Jo as a self-appointed sentry to her virtue.

  His jealousy amused her.

  Jo tilted her head toward Raiden, and like a magnet attracts metal, he absentmindedly leaned closer. “You have to admit, the man has been extremely helpful. We wouldn’t be this close to finishing our list if he hadn’t offered his assistance.”

  “He has, but I don’t like the way he looks at you,” Raiden grumbled.

  “You don’t have to like it. Besides, you cannot stand the way any man has looked at me since we landed.” Jo smirked and stood straight as Kohen stopped to read the holodisplay outside a gleaming, silver building.

  Raiden placed a hand on her waist and pulled her in close. She pressed against his sinewy side. Jo breathed deeply, enjoying the way his soap and mint scent wrapped around her in a vortex of heady sensations. He slowed their steps as he leaned down, his breath tickling the short hairs that fell from her braided bun and rested against the lobe of her ear. “That’s because even if you don’t realize it, you’re mine.”

  Jo’s breath hitched, partly because the growl in his voice did something to her insides. The rest of her was irritated at his presumptuousness.

  “And I am wholly yours,” he whispered before Jo could clear her head enough to speak, and then he stepped away, taking his warmth and delicious smell with him.

  Her feet wouldn’t move. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and Jo forgot how to breathe for a moment as his words sank in. This didn’t feel like a game anymore. It crossed over from casual flirtation to full-fledged threat of emotions. A spark ignited behind her chest, and she cursed Raiden with every obscenity that she could think of.

  She could not develop feelings for him.

  Not now and maybe not ever. But that stubborn flutter in her stomach made it hard to deny what could be the beginnings of love, and Jo knew she shouldn’t let it flourish.

  “Jo,” Kohen shouted, shocking her into motion. Raiden’s gaze burned her, but she ignored him. She had to begin the separation of work and emotion. It was the only way she could make sure that her ship and crew would be safe from him and his employers. A deep anger burned away the fluttering in her core as she thought about all the ways she could have betrayed her crew because she decided to relax around a damn GC officer.

  “Did you find something, Kohen?”

  “This shop should have the tools you need for cybernetic repairs. Mr. Heph has the best reputation and doesn’t display any syndicate loyalties. Would you like me to go inside with you?”

  “Sure.” Jo shrugged before passing by him and entering the shop without a glance at either man.

  Cool air blasted Jo’s overheated skin as she stepped over the threshold. She stilled for a moment and luxuriated in the respite the store offered. The shop was obsessively clean, a trait Jo appreciated in a cybernetics vendor. It was a mark of an entrepreneur who cared about his customers. Glass displays lined the wall with various artificial body parts arranged by where they would be located on one’s anatomy.

  As she passed by the eyes, she noticed the exact set Rana had installed and tried not to gawk at the impressive list of specs just below the ludicrously high price. Raiden eyed her with a deep scrutiny. Mentally cursing, she realized her mistake and made a point to stop and feign interest at random body parts on her way to the back of the store where she assumed the tools would be located.

  Standing behind the display of cybernetic tools was a short, portly man with skin so dark that he made Raiden’s tawny complexion look Elitian and eyes a bright electric blue that would rival the swirling gas of Ianthe. The lower half of his face was hidden beneath an unkempt beard while the upper portion was completely hairless. The man was a living contrast, and even though neither had said a word, Jo instantly liked him.

  “Welcome to my shop. My name is Mr. Heph. How may I help you?” His deep voice resonated throughout the room.

  “Hello. I’m looking for a bionic multi-tool with a nanowrench,” Jo
declared as she leaned against the display. She hoped her present company wouldn’t be well-versed in cybernetic repairs and would assume that the dainty tool was for her. Mr. Heph studied Jo with a keen interest and she smiled, silently imploring him to not ask questions.

  When he nodded and disappeared behind the counter without a word, Jo wanted to melt in relief. Instead she dared a quick look over her shoulder. Both Kohen and Raiden stood close behind her with matching pinched expressions of deep thought. Jo snickered and the two men stepped away from each other, pretending to be interested in the display cases on opposite sides of the store.

  “Here you go.” He set the almost dainty looking tool on the counter with care. “Anything else?”

  “An actuator,” Jo answered.

  “I’ll need the part’s GC id.”

  Jo pulled up the number on her UAB and showed it to the merchant.

  “I have that in stock. Will you need me to install it?”

  “How do you know the part is for me?” Jo couldn’t keep the naked curiosity from bleeding into her question.

  “You favor your right leg when you walk, and when you passed by the leg displays, you unconsciously rubbed your left thigh.” Mr. Heph pulled the part from a nearby case and slid the two items in tubes of temperature-regulating foam.

  “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or worried.” Jo was used to unwelcome scrutiny, but it was never pleasant when someone is able to read you so clearly.

  “I’ve been a bio-mechanic for most my life. Observation is a learned skill. Now, do you want me to install your new actuator or do you have a qualified bio-mechanic to do it for you?”

  “I have my ship’s mechanic.”

  Mr. Heph raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. “A ship does not have biomechanical parts.”

  “No, but he’s kept my leg in working order just fine.” Jo kept her voice level as she tried not to take offense on behalf of Siaren, but the man had started to wear her down. “I’ll just take the part. We’re scheduled to leave soon.”

  Jo paid him and left without another word, her companions following close behind. Just outside the store, Jo stopped to put away the items in her pack and to check the list on her UAB.

  “Where to next?” Kohen was the first to break the silence.

  “The rest is only my personal supplies. Where’s the closest…”

  The whine of the Galactic Consulate’s crisis alarm resonated from numerous sources, intensifying the effect of the obnoxious siren.

  Raiden grabbed Jo’s arm above her elbow and weaved them through the throng of people as they gathered around the various holoscreen displays, awaiting the official announcement and leaving Kohen in the growing crowd.

  “Hey! Stop! I want to see the announcement,” Jo grunted as she pulled against Raiden’s steel grip. He didn’t let go, but pulled Jo into an alley that had a clear view of the holoscreen outside of Mr. Heph’s cybernetic shop. The Galactic Consulate’s logo of a white interlocking G and C overlaying two stars revolved on the black background. Jo was only slightly unnerved by the many possibilities this alarm could mean. The last system wide announcement was when the GC declared their intended absorption of the savage planets on the outer rim of the binary system. Jo’s mind was whirring with questions when the siren ended.

  There was no vid message. Only the word MISSING flashing above a familiar pair of cybernetic eyes that stared blankly back at Jo. An official portrait of Rana filled the screens with an announcement of a four million credit reward for her return.

  Well, shit.

  Twenty-Two

  Dread snaked around her throat as Jo stared at the image one last time before turning her back to the crowd and walking deeper into the alley. She paced and typed furiously on her UAB, calling everyone back to the Kismet.

  “Care to fill me in?” Raiden grunted from across the alleyway, watching her with those stupidly keen eyes.

  “No. No I do not.” Jo walked up to the soldier and stood toe-to-toe with him. “Walk away right now and return to your unit. I cannot take you any farther.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” His voice was deceptively calm for being forced through a clenched jaw. Jo could see the utter determination blazing back down at her.

  “Your assignment is complete. There is no need for you to be on my ship anymore.”

  Raiden stared at Jo, completely unreadable, and she fought the urge to fidget under his glare. Radiating barely controlled rage, Raiden was completely intimidating, and Jo understood how a farmer from Carme could rise in the Elitian-dominated officer ranks as quickly as he had.

  Just as Jo thought she would have to break the stalemate, Raiden leaned forward, taking up the space between them, his nose brushing against hers. Jo didn’t flinch from his nearness as she met his gaze and with each exhale, hot air brush against her lips.

  “My orders have been fulfilled, but my assignment is nowhere near complete. You need me on your ship, Jo, and I am not leaving. Ever.” Raiden spoke barely loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

  Jo sucked in a breath and every burning question she had entertained, and refrained from vocalizing, since he boarded her ship burst from her mouth in a flurry of words. “Why are you here…with me? Why refuse to leave? You’re a damned officer in the Galactic Consulate! Don’t you care about your career? Who are you really? Why try to befriend my crew? Are you reporting what you see and hear to your command?”

  She panted as she took a step away from Raiden. His expression was a mix of shock and amusement, not the anger she’d expected. Feeling brave from both the pressure lifted from her chest and the fact that Raiden was still standing there, looking at her with a careful smile, she decided to put it all out there.

  “Can I trust you?”

  “You’ve been holding all that in these past few weeks?” Raiden chuckled.

  “Can you blame me?”

  “No.” He shook his head with a sad smile. “I can answer every question once we are back in the air and more.”

  “More?” Jo’s brows pinched as she thought about what more there could be and instantly felt overwhelmed. With her own secrets, which were huge themselves, Jo couldn’t even scratch at the surface of what else he could reveal to her.

  “Yes.” He stepped forward, closing in the gap she had made between them. His warm hand slipped around her waist and rested in the dip of her lower back, pulling her against him. “But before we run back to the ship, I will answer two of your questions.”

  Jo licked her lips and nodded. For a moment, she had forgotten about the announcement and the danger they could be in if someone figured out that one of the women who exited her ship had the same face as the one worth four million credits.

  “I am here with you because there’s nowhere else I want to be. It’s all I’ve wanted for an entire cycle, and every action I have taken since has been crafted so I can be with you. It’s all I have thought about since I realized that I am irrevocably in love with you.”

  His lips crashed into Jo’s. It wasn’t a gentle kiss, but one filled with intent to claim and a promise of devotion. He broke the kiss almost as quick as it started, leaving Jo panting.

  “Wow,” Jo whispered. In all her life, she had only heard statements of love from her father. She knew there was love between her and the crew, but there was no need for words. Raiden’s declaration was more than she had ever expected from any man, and she didn’t know how to process it. “What was the second answer?”

  Raiden smirked at her obvious deflection and Jo’s heart turned violently in her chest. She hadn’t realized that his acceptance of her non-reaction would mean so much.

  “As for whether you can trust me or not, just know that I am always on your side. Putting you in danger is unfathomable, and when we get back to the Kismet, I can prove everything. Please trust me.”

  “I…” Jo’s heart and mind fought for control. She wanted more than anything to trust him because, if she was honest with herself, she wanted
to explore where a relationship with Raiden could lead. But the nagging thought that this could be a trick just wouldn’t relent.

  She stumbled away from Raiden, hoping the space would bring clarity, but nothing helped. So like a coward, she didn’t answer him. Instead she turned on her heel and cautiously exited the alleyway, hand gripping her blazer.

  They were about two kilometers from the terminal when Jo noticed they were being followed. Two men pretending to be tourists paced behind them at about ten meters. She first noticed the men huddled together, studying a holomap just outside the market, and thought it strange that tourists would be dressed like locals, but brushed it off as coincidence. Maybe they were from a different city.

  Feigning the need to check her own holomap, Jo stepped toward a cafe with outdoor seating. Raiden threw Jo a confused glance before his UAB chimed with a message from her.

  Two men. East. Holomap. Following us.

  Raiden didn’t give any outward indication that he was alarmed by her message, but Jo saw the strain in his eyes. He reached out and took her hand in his as if they were casual lovers out for a stroll and guided her to the cafe. When they reached a table, Raiden pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. Jo melted against him, allowing her natural reaction to his touch to play along with Raiden’s ruse. He was nuzzling her so he could scan the crowds inconspicuously, but she enjoyed it all the same.

  They sat down. While Raiden spoke with the waitress, only requesting two glasses of water, Jo sent another message to Sky. She was the only member of the team who hadn’t checked in since Jo sent her first message, recalling everyone back to the Kismet. Almost immediately, Sky returned her message.

  We’ve been following you. In the alleyways. Syndicate spies everywhere. Too risky to be in open.

  Relief crashed into Jo and she quickly typed in a response.

  I’ll create a distraction. Get her on the ship.

  When Jo looked up, the two men were approaching their table, no longer acting discreet.