CALLEY (RIBUS 7 Book 3) (34 page)

Chelan finally smiled. “I guess I lucked out.”

Jason shrugged. “So did I.”

Chelan cocked her head. “I don’t know about that. All I’ve managed to do so far is destroy your friendship with Jim, possibly ruin a portion of your career, and cause you undeserved grief.”

Jason looked deep into her fawn-like eyes. “But now I have you,” he whispered.

Chelan’s heart stopped. “Have me?”

Jason smiled. “I have your company and your friendship, don’t I?”

Chelan released her held breath. “I guess you do,” she uttered faintly. “If that’s okay?”

Jason’s warm aqua eyes glinted. “Of course it is. You will have no complaints from me. And unlike my former friend, I will treat you with the respect you deserve.”

Chelan awoke early, curled up comfortably on Jason’s couch. Though he had insisted she use his room, she had been equally adamant that she not displace him. After a standoff, Jason had finally conceded.

Chelan stayed hunkered down in the warm blankets while she stared out the window. Yet more snow was falling gently. She smiled as thoughts of the Empire drifted into her mind. The coolness of RIBUS 7 and the ice-covered planet represented security, and because of that connection, the snow outside filled her with contentment.

But all good things come to an end. Jim loomed into her mind like an unwelcome incubus. She feared the man, and though she felt safe with Jason, she knew it was time for her to disappear. She did not want Jason to suffer any retribution for harboring her. As she had come to with Ticees, it was time to gather herself together and be strong. She had been on the verge of lapsing headlong into her old ways with her old attitudes while on her home planet; now was the time to take charge completely.

She began to make plans. First she would have to repay Jason for the medical exam and the lab work. Then she would have to get the doctor’s number so that she could phone for the test results from wherever she was. Next, she would wait for her period. If it did not arrive, she would take one of the muscle contractors to solve that problem.

She ran her fingers through her hair. In addition, she had to wait for William’s return from Florida. If she decided that moving on and disappearing completely was the best plan of action, she would have to spend some time with her brother and explain everything.

Her next thought revolved around just where to relocate for the duration. Ideally, she wanted to find a little place to rent in an obscure small town somewhere in Oregon, but finding a suitable dwelling could take some time. There were always hotels, but that would leave a paper trail she could ill afford if Jim decided to look for her.

The final option, if all else failed, was to survive in the wilderness until Fremma returned. That, of course, was something she would pursue only out of desperation as the mountains at this time of year would be unforgiving. Nonetheless, she would have to plan for that in case the need to escape arose suddenly. Between her times in the caverns and all the wilderness training her dad had provided, she had a far better than average chance of doing well.

Silently, she began a checklist of mandatory items. Procuring a firearm legitimately was dicey, so what she needed most were good knives. After all, if she had had her own yesterday, Jim’s incapacitation may have been permanent, and she allowed herself a small caustic smile.

Chelan looked at her watch. It was now six, and still Jason had not stirred. But she was content to stay where she was. The last thing she needed to do was disturb his badly needed sleep, and so she continued to make plans.

*****

But Jason was not tucked in bed. He sat silently in a chair in Jim’s room and watched the sleeping man.

Finally, Jim stirred and then grabbed for his aching head. “Jesus,” he mumbled. He sat up and then jerked back, uttering a startled cry. “Christ, Jason! You scared the hell out of me.”

Jason remained mute, his icy eyes locked on his adversary.

Jim drew a deep and uneasy breath. “I guess you want to talk about yesterday.”

Jason did not move.

Jim watched him warily and then stood up slowly, pulling on his hastily discarded pants. He looked around. “Where is she?” he asked cautiously. He looked at Jason’s expression, the man’s eyes causing him to tense.

“She’s safe,” Jason stated in an ominous growl.

“Hey, look! Don’t get on my case. The woman’s a tease, not to mention a bona fide bitch and a ball buster.”

Jason sprang at him with a speed Jim could never have hoped to react to. He rammed him up against the wall and suspended him with a strength beyond imagination. Jason locked his forearm across his throat. “You took her without her consent,” Jason seethed, “and then tried to rape her again, violently.”

Jim remained silent, unable to breathe, let alone speak. Suddenly, Jason released him and turned away.

Jim grabbed at his throat and took in a deep and raspy breath. “You should hear both sides of the story first before you prosecute me.”

Jason whirled around. “So talk!”

“I took her to bed the other night,” he began defensively. “I made love to her and it was beautiful. And it was about time, I might add. Then, the next morning, you know what that bitch said to me? She said I fucked her like a dog. Jesus. That was the last thing I expected. She loved it when we did it. She was just so damn drunk, I guess she didn’t remember it.” And he laughed.

Jason set his jaw and clenched his fists in a bid to maintain control. “And what about this alcohol you gave her?”

Jim froze. “What the fuck are you implying?”

“You tell me!”

Jim lied easily. “The bitch didn’t know her limit.”

“So you took her in her compromised condition?”

“Like I said, we made love.”

“She asked you to stop!” Jason barked.

“To stop? I was on the verge of coming when she hit me with that crap. No man stops when he’s that close. She was dreaming!”

“You stop whenever a woman asks you to!”

Jim’s mouth opened. “Well, maybe you’re Superman, but I’m not. Come on, Jason, back off.”

Jason called on every ounce of restraint before asking his next question. “And how did you intend to ‘make love’ to her when I arrived?”

Jim smirked at Jason’s sarcasm. “Look, I don’t have to justify anything to you. She used me. She led me on, and she owed me. If she thought I was such a poor lover, she should have just left. Fuck!” Jim grabbed for his shirt and threw it on as he scowled at Jason. “You can have the bitch. Because if I ever see her again, I
will
show her how the dogs do it, and this time I’ll succeed.”

Jason’s fist connected squarely, and Jim flew over the bed and onto the floor. Before the stunned man could respond, Jason picked him up effortlessly by the shirt front and forced him to focus on him. His voice was low and dangerous. “If you ever try to see her again, you will die like a dog. Do you understand? And in the meantime, you’re coming down with me to a special place for a blood test. If you have contaminated her in any way, I will tear your genitals off and stuff them down your throat just before I slit it. Do you get me?”

Jim’s mouth worked, but no sound came out. He had now experienced his friend’s brute strength, and the savagery in Jason’s eyes left him with the irrefutable knowledge that he would hold true to his word. “Like I said,” Jim mumbled through split lips. “She’s all yours.”

Jason let him drop. “Get your coat.”

*****

Ten o’clock rolled around and Chelan was becoming concerned. Plus her bladder was going to burst. Slipping out of the blankets, she slid into her jeans and did them up under her long nightshirt. Then she tiptoed to the washroom. Upon exiting, she glanced at Jason’s room, surprised to see the door open and him nowhere to be seen. Then she jumped, startled by the sound of the front door opening.

Jason smiled at her. “Good morning.”

Chelan clutched the neck of her T-shirt, her heart pounding. “I thought you were still in bed. You scared the life out of me.”

Jason chuckled as he shut the door. “I’m sorry. I just had some early morning errands to run. That’s all.”

Chelan raised her brows. “What’s open this time of the morning on the holidays?”

Jason hung up his coat. “Oh, quite a few things.” He presented her with a brown paper bag. “Here, I picked this up for breakfast.”

Chelan looked in it and then closed her eyes. “Oh! Fresh cinnamon buns and coffee. How divine.” She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

Jason slid off his shoes and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen. Her shapely body and long slender legs tugged at him. She was beautiful. But only someone as warped as Jim would say she teased. She could not help her looks. She oozed sensuality. But it was inbred, not contrived. It flowed from her; it was not flaunted. Jason shook his head. Jim deserved no more than a dog.

Chelan laid the food out on the small kitchen table and watched Jason as he entered. She looked over his handsome face and his tall, well-muscled body. He was impressive, and very well conditioned. She grinned at him. “Obviously, you don’t eat
this
every morning,” she said.

He chuckled and sat down. “No, but the local health food store wasn’t open.”

Chelan laughed and joined him. She ate in silence and then glanced at him. She became serious. “I know you don’t know this, but you’ve been my guardian angel twice, and I probably owe you my life.” She paused. “I’d like to pay you back for everything you have done for me any way that I can, and I will pay the medical bill when you get it, but in the meantime it is best that I leave.”

Jason stopped chewing and stared out the window. Chelan felt her throat constrict, her emotions taking her by surprise. She tried to calm herself and she looked back at the still man. “It’s all for the best. I don’t want to be near Jim, and it’s imperative that I leave here, especially for your sake. I’ve done you enough harm already.”

Jason finally swallowed his food and looked at her. “Where will you go?”

Chelan shrugged her shoulders. “To Will’s in New York for a little bit first, whether he and Marion are back or not. I need to make some concrete plans from there. Then back to Oregon, I suppose. I want to be in a place for which I have nothing but fond memories.”

Jason looked back at his plate and attempted to sound light. “So, what about our camping trip? Is that off?”

Chelan stared at him, his question catching her off guard. “No. It doesn’t have to be. I mean, you’ve never mentioned it again since Canada—I just assumed you weren’t interested in it anymore. I assumed that you wanted to distance yourself from me just in case it jeopardized your career or your relationship with Jim.”

Jason shook his head slowly. “No, actually, I was very much looking forward to it. Besides, I suspect my relationship with Jim is now over.”

Chelan hesitated, the man's strange hold on her reaching out and surrounding her once again. The aura of attraction had been there the night they met, and it surfaced every time she was in his presence. “Okay, well, we can make some superficial plans and then I’ll keep in touch.” She flinched. “I’ll have to call back from wherever I am for test results anyway. Oh, and speaking of that, it’s actually best that I give you some money for my checkup now and we’ll square up when the bill comes in.”

Chelan began to rise but Jason grabbed her arm. “Please sit.”

Chelan heard the melancholy in his voice and she sat back slowly.

“You owe me nothing, Chelan.”

“But I want to pay you.”

He shook his head. “I’m not Jim.”

“Okay,” she whispered. She glanced around uneasily. “Look, can I impose on you to take me to the airport? I’m sure I can get out of here today. I just need to call Will and see if I can get into his place.”

Jason was silent. “Sure,” he finally answered quietly.

Chelan studied him. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.

Jason held onto his coffee cup. “I had just hoped that you would stick around a while.”

Chelan pinked a bit. “I… uh…” she stammered. “I just assumed that since you disappeared completely after our trip that…” And she shook her head.

Jason peered at her. “That what?”

Chelan twisted at a strand of her hair. “That maybe you were nervous about being in my company for some reason other than Jim.”

Jason cleared the frog that had lodged in his throat. “Quite the contrary,” he uttered. “I would be honored to have your company.”

She glanced down at her coffee. “I guess I could stay a little while, at least till I hear from the doctor.” She finally dared to look back at him and was relieved to see a renewed spark in his eyes.

“That would be nice,” he whispered.

Chelan smiled briefly and then spoke seriously. “But you have to understand that I’m scared to death of Jim. If he comes around or threatens me in any way, I will have to leave immediately.”

Jason gave her a small smile. “He won’t come around.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I paid him a visit this morning.”

Chelan blanched. “You did
what
? You’re crazy! He could have killed you.”