Ricochet (18 page)

“Poor Sin.” Chaf’s laugh morphed into a full-blown guffaw, complete with hard edges. “Worried I might get away and you won’t get paid?”

Neither Willa nor Stratton answered the question, yet the tension inside the cabin grew as thick as space dust, palpable and bigger than Chaf’s interference.

“Doesn’t matter to me, Sinnet. If you want some sort of purse, you’d better get your bucket moving in order to catch up with the rest of the pack and—” A burst of static obliterated the rest of his statement. “Willa, love, you should have bribed the racing commission to score me as a racemate again. At least with me, I’d let you
think
you were in control.”

“That’s it.” Willa’s grip on the situation snapped. She leaned over and severed the comlink while glaring at Stratton. “I don’t know what your issues are with Chaf. I don’t care.” She yanked her HEPP from its holster and trained it on him. “Your only responsibility is to finish this race, do you understand? You signed the registration papers, so you owe it to both of us to bring this baby home.”

He put his hands in the air in the universal gesture of surrender. “I’m on your side.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

“There’s the trust thing again. One day, you’ll have to depend on someone. It might even be me.”

Oddly enough, she did trust him. For all his faults and sketchy morals, he was probably the one person she could count on. He had nothing to gain by lying to her. Of course, on the other hand, his life had been built on falsehoods, but deep down, she felt he’d come through.

Willa reholstered her weapon. Grasping the steering joystick, she turned the
Stellar Drift
about 180 degrees. If Chaf thought she’d let him intimidate her, he’d be proven wrong in three seconds. “I’m sick and tired of men like you and Chaf telling me how to live.”

“What are you doing?” Stratton’s question was forced through clenched teeth. “You’re facing off with him? That’s insane.”

“No, it’s edgy and innovative.” Willa kept her focus trained on the windscreen. The
Stryker
loomed several hundred feet before them, a sleek, black ship that had more than enough artillery on board to render them helpless.

“Damn it, woman, we have no guns!”

“You don’t know that. We never took the time to inspect every inch of this ship.” Surely even a rust bucket like this one had to possess a means of defending itself from attack.

“Think, Willa. We got this bird from thieves. Of course they would have already gutted it. What the hell do you think’s going to happen if Chaf fires on us—if we manage to somehow survive a direct hit in this pile?”

“Oh, now you care? I guess you do, since you’re probably using me and this ship to further whatever game you’re playing.” She refused to give life to the self-pity waiting in the wings. “You don’t understand, Stratton. Lingorians never back down in the face of a blatant challenge. And this Lingorian refuses to give way for trash like Chaf.”

He snorted. “It’s not just Lingorians. It’s the same attitude of most humanoids. They wouldn’t have survived so long without it. The question here is do you want to be blown to bits right now, over
this
?” He gestured toward the windscreen and Chaf. “Pick your battles, Willa. Today’s not the day to get even with him, but we will.”

Stone-cold sober, his expression and intense gaze, as much as hearing him say “
we
”, caused her stomach to tighten with anxiety. Of course he was right. His life experiences must have made him wise beyond his years—that or the annoying man was extremely optimistic. Her shoulders sagged. Once more she wished she could surrender and cling to his strength.

“Put the ship on autopilot.”

She straightened her spine. “I don’t take orders from you.” Her pulse pounded in her temples, matching the stutter of her heart.

“Put the damned ship on autopilot, Willa.” His tone demanded immediate compliance, and she did what he said. He threw the datapad on the console. “If this is where you make your last stand, at least tell me why.” Stratton left his seat, crossed the small aisle, gripped her shoulders and swiveled her around to face him. “Look me in the eye. So help me, if you say it’s to gain your father’s attention or Chaf’s approval…” A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he didn’t finish his statement.

“I…” Willa swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. She held his gaze, wondering what the speculative light in his eyes meant. Finally, she detached his hands from her shoulders. “I don’t need to give you an explanation. I have half ownership in this vessel.” She ignored him in order to stare at Chaf’s ship. Since when did she have no understanding of her own motivation? If one bout of sex made her this weak, she’d vow to be celibate for the rest of her life. “I’m making a point.”

“Exactly. And that point is saying you’re playing the game like a girl who’s trying to show a bastard she’s worth his attention. Break the cycle right now.”

Twin bursts from Chaf’s laser cannons hurtled over the top of their ship, close enough to be a warning, but off the mark to leave no damage. Then the
Stryker
shot past them. Empty space remained while the tension between Stratton and her thickened as if it were a living entity.

“I think your stubborn side is sexy as hell, but it will be your downfall if you let it.” He threw himself into his seat.

“Report, please.” The command rasped with emotion she wasn’t ready to indulge in.

Stratton’s fingers flew over his control panel. “No damage to our hull.”

She nodded, still numb from Chaf’s actions, yet reeling from Stratton’s words. Was she still seeking approval from the men in her life? Had she not made strides in taking back her life? She had, yet they were baby steps. The bad thing? She’d begun looking at herself differently since meeting Stratton.

“Continue on to Treachin Houth.”

Stratton tweaked a strand of her hair. “That’s my girl. Now let’s go kick that hybrid humanoid’s ass. He’s starting to get on my nerves.”

“That’s an understatement.” She couldn’t stop her grin, for the first time glad Stratton was her partner, despite his catalog of flaws.

“We’re losing speed and power.” Over an hour later, Willa scrutinized her side of the control panel, looking for anything that would give her an explanation. “Get into the computer and find out why.” Warning alerts flashed red, plunging the cabin into an angry gloom.

Silence greeted her request.

Tamping down her annoyance, she spared a glance at her navigator. Stratton was slumped in his seat, his legs sprawled in front of him under the console. The datapad lay propped against the radar screen and fuel gauges, while various food wrappers and old newspapers covered a good portion of the controls. “Damn it, Sin, this isn’t nap time!” She gave him a rough shake and snickered when he jolted awake.

“What are you yapping about now, woman?” He rubbed a hand along his stubble-shadowed jaw. “Why are the alert lights on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know, genius. We’ve been steadily losing power for the past quarter of an hour. Trouble is, we’re close enough to the planet that gravity is pulling us into orbit. I really don’t feel like crashing, so do your job and investigate.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m sure it’s not a big deal.” He yawned while clearing sections of the control panel. “There’s nothing indicating a problem.”

Willa bit her lip. She mentally counted to ten. “Right, but that doesn’t explain the loss of acceleration. Get into the hold and take a look. You do know your way around an engine, right?”

“As well as I do the bedroom. And you know how good my skill there is.”

A flush crept over her skin as he left the cabin. Damn him for making her remember their time together. Seconds later, the screech of the metal trapdoor’s being wrenched open filled the air. Yanking her thoughts from anything resembling a naked Stratton, she leaned across the aisle and snagged the datapad. “Did you sync the onboard computer with the datapad? I want to check the flight path for our descent, in case we do need to crash land.”

Nothing but banging met her question.

She rolled her eyes. “Sin? Did you sync it?”

“Not yet. I only put in coordinates to the planet’s location. I’ll do it after I’m finished here. No need to keep busting my balls, unless you want to employ them in other activities.”

That wasn’t the issue. Regardless, heat settled between her legs. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the sync.”

Metal clattering on metal followed the statement. Stratton vaulted from the cargo area, breathing heavily and wiping at a smudge of grease on his cheek. “I told you I’d do it.” He lunged for the datapad, but Willa yanked it out of reach.

“What’s your problem? It’s just coordinates, not life-or-death decisions.” Willa narrowed her eyes. Something was off. She steered her gaze toward her nav. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes were dilated. He shifted his weight, yet his expression gave nothing away.

“What’s
my
problem?” Stratton glanced at the control panel. “Didn’t you see the little blinking light that virtually screams we’re out of auxiliary fuel, not to mention the freaking Ginix crystals are broken, the one thing we absolutely need to power this boat?”

“Pardon me, you gigantic ass, but I was busy trying to keep us in one piece. And with all your trash, I couldn’t see that panel!” Why was it that every time she felt a tiny bit amiable toward him, he did something stupid to cancel it out?

Stratton shrugged. “Chaf’s ramming must have damaged the ship.”

“Doesn’t explain why the alert lights didn’t go on.”

“I’m aware, but since I’m not an engineer, I can’t say why.” His expression grew shuttered and closed, almost as if he were retreating into himself to deflect a coming storm. “Give me the datapad. I’ll run you some calculations and alternate routes.” He held out a hand, clearly expecting her to surrender the equipment.

“Do what you can with the crystals. I’ll take care of everything up here.” She turned the handheld computer on, quickly flipping through screens while searching for star charts and course coordinates. Why was he acting so nervous? Yes, the lack of fuel was concerning, but it hadn’t turned dire yet. A few words on the screen caught her attention and prompted a frown. “Is there a detour on this leg? You have two sets of instructions and coordinates…” Her voice trailed off as she skimmed through each of the routes.

“Damn it, Willa, give me the datapad. I don’t want you looking at it right now.” The statement, little more than a whisper, chilled her blood.

She couldn’t believe the evidence before her eyes. He had no intention of winning the rally. In fact, he planned to take them so far off course there’d be no hope of even finishing the race. Her chest heaved while her heart ached. A sudden rush of hot anger whooshed over her body. Her cheeks burned. Her blood pressure spiked. She wanted to kick the lying piece of shit in the teeth. “You dirty bastard.”

Stratton’s carefully built glass house began to splinter and crack. “I’ll admit I programmed those routes. Nothing has been decided.” He plucked the datapad from her weak grasp, then retreated to his seat. The hurt and anger blazing in her eyes cut him deeper than a dagger. Couldn’t be helped. “Of course I needed a backup plan. And yes, being in the Trike is a handy coincidence. You can’t fault me for seizing the opportunity. If Chaf hadn’t entered the race to hide, I wouldn’t be here. I never lied about that.”

“You didn’t tell me everything.”

“Not my fault you didn’t ask a specific question.” He thought telling her the truth about his place on her ship would bring relief. It didn’t. Instead, heavy waves of guilt rolled over him, strong enough to squeeze his chest and churn his stomach. “Say something.” Even if she cursed him into next week, it would be better than the cold silence swirling around him.

“What do you want me to say? You used me. I get it. The end.” With slow movements, she strapped herself into the seat harness. “I did the same thing. I needed a nav. You were it. I needed to scratch the itch for sex. You had the dick. Just business. Once we get to the checkpoint, I’ll petition the racing commission for a replacement partner. Maybe one of the eliminated participants will pinch-hit for you.”

He jerked as if she’d punched him, triggering memories of every other time someone had left him. “Fine. Let’s get to the planet’s surface, and we’ll part ways.” As a self-preservation effort, he took steps to shield himself from the fallout. All thoughts of how he’d treated her and how he felt about her were shoved into a far corner of his brain, tucked into boxes he had no intention of opening again. Familiar tactics he used every time he was in danger of forming a relationship. Yet even that mental prep didn’t ease his conscience.

Let it go, Sin. She was expendable. You knew this going in.

“
Kita
, listen—”

“I can’t talk to you right now.” The tendons in her neck worked as she swallowed. “My responsibility lies in getting this bird through orbit and on the ground. In no way does my allegiance belong to you. Not anymore.”

Something inside him seemed to die.
Not anymore.
There was no one to blame but himself for killing her trust in him. Caught in a trap of his own making, he knew there would be no scheming or cheating his way out. He nodded, closing himself off even more. They had more in common than either of them wanted to admit—broken and unable to deal. “Ten minutes until impact. Thirty if you’re looking to put the
Stellar Drift
down near the town of Dreanar, which is where our checkpoint is located.”

“That would be best, seeing as how we don’t have the quad rover anymore.” Accusation hung thick on her words.

“You were the one who decided to stop on the damned asteroid.” Images of her leaving everything behind in order to rescue him replayed in his mind. The guilt deepened into a sticky mire of self-loathing.

“I didn’t have a choice, thanks to you.” Even as she clutched the steering mechanism, her hands shook, from anger or another emotion, Stratton couldn’t say. “You’ve been a pain in my ass from moment one. I should have known you weren’t going to take the race seriously.”