beep of Hallie’s heart rate on the monitor the only noise in
the room. Finally, Vicious spoke again. “She was right,
you know? We have failed these women. We take them
away from their homes. We bring them to a strange
culture. They have no support for thirty days because of
some ridiculous custom that works just fine when we’re
back home but not so well out here in the field. On top of
that, some of us are incredibly hard on our brides. Others
are more lenient with them.”
“Like you,” Terror needled.
Vicious shot him the finger. “Be serious, Terror.”
“All right. How about this, Vee? Stop talking. Start
doing.”
Vicious considered his friend’s advice. He could
always count on Terror to cut through the bullshit. “We’re
going to have to change things around here.”
“Yes, we are.” Terror nodded and stretched out his
legs. “Are you going to eat those cookies?”
Vicious laughed and tossed the crinkly bag at Terror.
“Here.”
“I don’t know why I love these things so much.” Terror
ripped into the bag. “They’re so bad for me.”
“Listen to you,” Vicious said with a chuckle. “Your
feminine side is showing.”
“What can I say? I work hard for this figure.”
Head tilted back, Vicious laughed—and it felt good.
Some of the tension left his body. His gaze fell to Hallie
and he sobered. “What if she doesn’t forgive me?”
Terror frowned. “For what?”
“Letting this happen.”
“Vee,” Terror squeezed his arm, “this wasn’t your fault.
Hallie knows that.”
“Does she?”
“She does.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m never wrong.”
Vicious chortled. “You’ve got the right idea staying out
of the Grab. You’d be bounced back to the bachelor’s
quarters by your new bride in twenty-four hours.”
Terror snorted. “Another reason to stay out of that
mess.”
When Terror finished his cookies, he rose and clapped
Vicious on the arm. He left the room without another
word. They didn’t need to say anything. They’d been
friends long enough to have their own silent language. One
look, one smile—that was all they required.
Medics came in and out of the room. Medications were
adjusted. They checked her rash and decided it was
receding. He was offered a blanket and pillow for the
pullout couch in the corner but declined. His inner martyr
surfaced. He needed to be uncomfortable and suffer
through a night of discomfort to assuage some of his guilt.
He’d only just dozed off when he heard the faint rustle
of bed sheets. He was on his feet in an instant, those old
instincts still well-honed. Hallie struggled to sit up and
frantically glanced around the room. He quickly
recognized she was in some kind of drug-induced hysteria.
“Hallie, baby, calm down.”
She turned pleading, glassy eyes on him. “Please don’t
hit me again!”
“Hit you? I’m not going to hit you.”
She cowered behind her hands. “Please! I’m sorry. I’m
sorry!”
Vicious glanced down at his blood-stained uniform. He
looked a lot like the sergeant or maybe even her father.
Though horrified at the idea of being mistaken for her
abusive father or Sergeant Crow, Vicious pushed down
his hurt and smiled at her. “Hallie, it’s me. It’s Vicious.”
She seemed so uncertain and afraid. Finally, in a
whisper, she said, “He’s mad at me.”
“Who, Kitten?”
“Vicious. I did a bad thing. I stole his card and almost
got myself killed. I caused a lot of trouble today.”
“He’s not mad at you, Hallie. He would never be mad
at you for helping a friend, for showing such loyalty and
kindness. If anything, he’s mad at himself.” Vicious
approached her cautiously. “He’s worried about you. He
cares for you very much.” He swallowed the painful lump
clogging his throat. “I wish I could tell you just how much
you mean to him.”
Her face softened. With wonder in her voice, she
admitted, “I think I might be falling in love with him.”
Joy blossomed in his chest. A bit conspiratorially, he
said, “Don’t tell anyone, but he thinks he’s falling in love
with you too.”
She smiled then and slid back onto the bed. She rolled
onto her side and seemed relaxed again. “When he comes
back, will you tell him I need him?”
“I will.” Vicious could hardly speak. He watched as her
eyelids grew heavy and she fell back asleep. When he was
sure she was out, he removed his boots and the uniform
shirt now ruined with blood. As carefully as possibly, he
climbed into the bed with her. He was hyper-vigilant
about moving her IV lines out of the way and avoiding her
arm and its sling. He slid an arm under her and used the
other to gather her close.
Even in her drug-induced sleep, she snuggled closer to
him, burrowing into his warmth. “Vicious.”
His name escaped her lips on a happy sigh. He pressed
a tender kiss to the crown of her head. In that moment, he
didn’t care that she was splotchy and bruised and covered
in bloody grime. To him, she was the most beautiful thing
in all the galaxies of the universe. He never wanted to let
her go.
Vicious replayed their odd conversation. Maybe Terror
was right. Hallie didn’t blame him. The hang-up was his
alone. He was smart enough to realize that if he didn’t let
it go he was going to drive her away. He’d come so close
to losing her forever today. Focusing on his own guilt
wasn’t going to do them any good.
He needed to focus on the most important thing in his
life—Hallie.
Chapter Thirteen
“You’re not going, Hallie. End of discussion.” Vicious
slashed his hand through the air as he made his final
decree on the subject.
Hallie leapt off the couch in their quarters and stood toe
to toe with Vicious. “You can’t keep me locked up here!
I’m dying in this place. I’m wilting like a dying flower. I
need sunshine. I need fresh air. I feel like a prisoner in
solitary. Let me out, warden!”
His hard expression slipped. “It was never my intention
to make you feel like my prisoner. I’m just trying to keep
you safe.”
She inhaled a steadying breath and tried to see things
from his point of view. It wasn’t cruelty that motivated
him to keep her under lock and key. It was fear. “Vicious,
it’s been three and a half weeks. I’m totally healed. Your
awesome medicine fixed me right up. There’s no reason I
can’t go on this trip to the colonies with Deniva and
Lenny.”
“I can think of at least a dozen good reasons not to let
you go.”
She huffed in frustration. “Vicious, be reasonable.”
“I’m trying,” he said through gritted teeth. “I let you go
to the food court today, didn’t I?”
“Oh, well, thanks so much, warden!” Hallie rolled her
eyes. “A whole two hours outside our quarters with my
friend. And an armed guard,” she added in annoyance.
Vicious frowned. “Menace isn’t an armed guard.”
“Really? Because the guy looked like a walking
advertisement for a weaponry store!”
His mouth twitched. “All right. I’ll give you that one.”
She sighed loudly. Taking a step closer, she grasped his
shirt and gazed up at him with as much pleading as she
could muster. “Vicious, please, let me go.”
He looked stricken at her begging tone. “All right. You
may go—but you’re taking Terror.”
“Terror? You’re not serious, Vicious! He’s, well…
terrifying. I mean, I like him and we get along well but
Deniva, she’s still recovering from her attempted murder
and Terror looks like—well, you know.”
Vicious remained rigid. “You take Terror or you stay
here.”
Shoulders slumped, Hallie grumbled, “Fine. I’ll take
Terror.”
“Good girl. Since you’ve agreed to my stipulation, it’s
only fair that I reward you.”
She perked up at his offer. “Oh?”
“Would you like to see your sister? I know you’re
taking Deniva to Safe Harbor but I’m sure that a quick side
trip to the Jesco colony to see your sister could be
arranged.”
“Really?” She grinned as excitement took hold. Vicious
had managed to put through a call to Bernie but they’d only
been able to speak for less than fifteen minutes before the
satellites shifted out of line.
Vicious nodded. “I’ll speak to Terror tonight and make
the arrangements.”
“Tonight?” Her head popped up. “But I thought we
were going to have dinner and watch a movie.”
He cringed and his eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, Hallie.
That’s why I came by to see you. General Thorn is on his
way. It’s…complicated.”
“War stuff?” she guessed, certain he wouldn’t divulge
the details.
A small smile curved his mouth. “Yes. War stuff.”
“Well. All right.” She couldn’t exactly throw a hissy fit
and demand her high-ranking officer husband spend the
evening lounging on the couch with her instead of
answering a summons from his superior officer.
“I am sorry, Hallie.”
“Yeah. I know.” She sounded glum and bitchy but it
couldn’t be helped. In the last week, she’d seen very little
of Vicious. He’d been holding in-service training for his
officers to help them spot women in trouble. The old
thirty-days
custom
was
being
slightly
changed.
Commanding officers would visit the couple once a week,
unannounced, just in case. The med bay would now be
required to report suspected abuse.
From what she’d gathered during her lunch with Lenny,
there were a handful of very vocal men who felt this
overhaul wasn’t in line with their extremely private
culture. What went on behind closed doors was sacred to
these Harcos men. Hallie assumed there would always be
hold-outs but overwhelmingly the men aboard the
Valiant
supported the new changes. The need to protect their
women ran deep. Many of them seemed to view what
happened to Deniva and her as a mark against the entire
ship. It was a matter of pride to restore their tarnished
honor now.
Hallie moved a bit closer to Vicious and played with
one of the buttons on his shirt. Feeling a bit frisky, she
rose on tiptoes to kiss him. He stiffened and didn’t lower
his face to meet her seeking mouth. Undeterred, she
pressed against him and asked, “How long until you have
to meet with the general?”
“I’m already late.”
She tried to nip at his neck but he brushed his hand
between her mouth and his skin. “So make an excuse.” She
burned with need and desire. “It won’t take long.”
Vicious put both hands on her shoulders and gently
shoved her back. “I don’t want you now.”
She swallowed hard as the pain of his rejection
swamped her. Her face flamed with the humiliation of his
words. She clenched her teeth and tried to shove down the
pain aching in her chest. “Fine.”
“Hallie…”
She held up her hand. “No, it’s okay, Vicious. You
don’t have to say anything else. I get it, okay? Really, I do.
Last night when I came on to you and you pushed me away,
I thought maybe you were tired. This morning when I tried
to get in the shower with you and you hopped out before I
could even touch you, I convinced myself you were
running late. But now?” She shook her head. “No worries,
Vicious. You’re coming through loud and clear.”
As she stormed out of the living room, he called after
her. “Hallie, stop. Come back here. Now!”
She didn’t even slow down. Instead, she lifted her hand
over her head and made the crude gesture she’d seen some
of the soldiers make. His gasp of outrage snapped in the
silence of their quarters. Well screw him! She’d had just
about enough of walking on eggshells.
Their first week home from the hospital had been great.
He’d hovered nearby and seen to her every need as she
finished the healing process. That second week, she’d
started her period so she hadn’t been surprised when he
didn’t try anything with her. But that was last week! In the
time since, he hadn’t even tried to really kiss her. She’d
been sure that the night he’d replaced her ruined bride’s
collar with a new one, he’d reclaim her as his wife, but
he’d simply brushed his lips against her cheek.
What happened to the alpha male who made her melt?