“And you’re absolutely breathtaking.”
Her stomach fluttered as he gazed at her, desire clearly etched on his face. Her eyes widened and she said, “Oh man, V’s gonna’ kill me. A freaking OmniLab trader. What the hell am I thinking? I’m beyond stupid. I’ve gotta’ get out of here.”
She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Carl caught her hand and stopped her.
“Kayla, wait. What will it take to get you to join my crew?”
She turned to peer up at him. “I’m not joining your crew, Carl. What happened just now has nothing to do with your offer.”
His mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “Should I scan for another listening device?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, like you wouldn’t suspect that. Give me some credit, will you? I was just returning the favor. But no, I’m not joining your crew. It’s not that part of me isn’t tempted. But this life? For me? Not in a million years.”
“Why not?”
Something in his voice made her pause and she turned to study him. He seemed to be sincere in not understanding why she would reject his offer. “Do you really not get it? You’re an OmniLab trader. From what I’ve seen, all you traders seem to do is try to run our lives. We’re constantly held under your thumb and have to tiptoe around you. If we piss off the great trader, we’re screwed. Our lives mean nothing to you. I mean, look at what you did earlier today. You threatened Leo, took away my freedom, and split up my team. Now you think I should join you? So I can give you and OmniLab more control over me?”
Carl blew out a long breath and released her hand. “I see.” He lowered his gaze for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. When he looked up, she saw the frustration and disappointment in his eyes. It wasn't what she expected from a trader and she wasn't sure what to think about it.
“It’s obvious you have some pretty strong feelings about the matter. But not all traders are the same, Kayla. I’m not sure what you’ve been told or what you’ve experienced, but each of us has different styles. I try to guide my crew, but I wouldn’t say I control them. I trust them and rely on them.”
It was a nice story, but everything she'd experienced led her to think otherwise. She knew firsthand how cruel and manipulative traders could be in their dealings with ruin rats. Even though he seemed to be more trustworthy than others, it might be a ploy to manipulate her further. She wasn't willing to take that leap of faith.
“I find that hard to believe. Your actions earlier were classic trader. Do you handle all your crew members the way you handled me earlier? Do you decide you know best and order them around?”
Carl sighed. “No, I don’t. But then again, most of my team is much more sensible and cautious than you seem to be. From everything I’ve seen over the past several months and from what I’ve heard, you consistently push the limits. You’re talented, Kayla. You’re probably the best scavenger I’ve ever seen, but you’re also the most reckless.”
When she didn’t reply, he took a step toward her. “I don’t want to control you. I respect your talent. I just don’t want to see your potential go to waste either from recklessness or an idiot like Leo who doesn’t know how to utilize your skills.”
Kayla glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Leo may have napped on the wrong side of the ion shield a few too many times, but he doesn’t try to control me. He may yell, scream, and threaten, but up until today, he’s always let me go my own way. You changed that and it pissed me off.”
She wasn't sure what Carl saw in her expression, but his eyes softened. He was silent for a long moment as though choosing his next words carefully.
“You’re right. I admit it wasn’t the best approach. I didn't understand how important your independence is to you.”
His admission surprised her. Just when she was convinced he would react in a certain way, he would do or say something unexpected. She bit her lip, unsure about how to handle this situation. The man kept throwing her off balance. The intense chemistry between them didn't help matters either.
As though sensing her turmoil, he took her hand in his again. “Kayla, I want you on my crew. I’ll try to give you the freedom you seem to want. I can offer you things and opportunities you’d never experience as a ruin rat. If you decide this isn’t the life for you, you can always leave. You have nothing to lose.”
Kayla shook her head and pulled her hand away. It was too much. His touch, him, the whole OmniLab trader thing. “I can’t. Look, I appreciate the offer. But I won’t ever join a trader’s crew.”
A loud beep at the door interrupted them. Carl cursed at the interruption and pressed the button to open the door.
Veridian entered the room, panic on his face when he saw Kayla and Carl together. He looked anxiously back and forth between them. “I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?”
Carl raised an eyebrow. “She’s fine. Why wouldn’t she be?”
Veridian shook his head. “Not her. You. Leo called me and told me Kayla was pissed off and headed here. I was worried she was going to come over here and try to kick your ass.”
“One punch is hardly an ass kicking,” Carl admitted.
Veridian’s eyes flew open. Whirling around to face Kayla, he threw up his hands in exasperation. “Are you crazy, Kayla? You hit him? You hit a trader?”
Kayla gave a small shrug. “I didn’t get to finish a full ass kicking. Give me a few more minutes and I’ll see what I can do.”
Cruncher stuck his head through the open door. “Sorry to interrupt, Boss. Ramiro and Vex just pulled up. You want me to bring them in here?”
Kayla jerked her head up to look at Carl. “Uh, would that be Trader Ramiro and his trusty sidekick?”
Surprise crossed Carl's face. “You’ve met them?”
“Oh, shit,” Veridian swore, running his hands through his hair in agitation.
“What is it?”
Kayla shifted uncomfortably, not liking the turn of events. “Yeah, Ramiro and I go way back and not in a good way. So, if you’ve got a back door, it might be a good idea to show us to it.”
“Oh?” Carl asked, leaning against the desk and waiting for an explanation.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Veridian paced the floor. He spun around and pointed at Kayla. “Dammit, Kayla, this is what happens when we get involved with traders.”
Kayla gave Veridian an annoyed look and then turned to Carl. “Ramiro and I had a misunderstanding about a year ago.”
Veridian shook his head. “It was a lot more than a misunderstanding.”
“Keep them in the entrance for a minute, Cruncher,” Carl instructed. The moment Cruncher disappeared, he turned back to Kayla. “You’d better tell me fast.”
Kayla crossed her arms over her chest. “It was his own damn fault. I found that data cube. That pig-headed sack of shit stole it from me, so I stole it back.”
Veridian nodded, his shoulders slumping. “Not to mention she slapped him down in front of his crew when he made a pass at her. By the time he realized it was missing, she had already sold it to Warig.”
Carl gaped at Kayla. “The Aurelia Data Cube? That was you?”
“Well you don’t see anyone else claiming credit for it,” she retorted. “Besides, don’t you traders talk to each other?”
Carl took a deep breath. “Yes, but Ramiro was pretty tight-lipped about that one. Cruncher told me about it. He heard about it from some of Ramiro’s crew. It’s a low blow to a trader when an artifact like that disappears. They lose a lot of respect. He tried to keep it quiet as best he could.”
Carl’s comlink beeped and he glanced at it. “Cruncher just met them at the entrance.” He pointed to Kayla. “Stay here. You’re a potential recruit and I’m going to resolve this one way or another.”
Veridian gaped at Carl. “You’re crazy if you think Ramiro’s going to listen to anything you say when it comes to her.”
“He’s right. I tend to piss Ramiro off simply by existing. I appreciate the gesture, but you might want to show us a back door.”
Carl headed for the door, ending the discussion. “Forget it. You’re staying here. I’ll take care of this.”
Kayla sighed and leaned against the corner of the desk, trying to mentally prepare for the inevitable showdown. She caught Veridian's worried look and tried to give him a reassuring smile. There wasn't much she could do to extricate the two of them from the situation. They'd have to roll with it.
She heard the voices in the hall and recognized Ramiro and his right-hand man, Vex. In Kayla’s opinion, they were both creeps.
The door slid open, and Carl and Ramiro entered, followed by Cruncher and Vex. A look of confusion crossed Ramiro’s face when he saw Kayla standing in Carl’s office.
Ramiro stood a few inches shorter than Carl but was considerably wider. He wasn’t overweight, but simply massive. His dark hair was cropped extremely close to his head and his arms were covered with tattoos. He reminded her of some of the pictures she'd seen of tanks from the pre-war era, both in stature and personality.
Vex was a bit taller and thinner than Ramiro, but his brown hair was slicked back away from his face, rather than cut short. His dark eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw Kayla. Neither one of them had much love for her.
“Heya, Ramiro,” she said cheerfully, giving him a little finger wave. “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”
“You little whore,” Ramiro sneered, his face twisted in rage.
Before anyone could react, he leapt across the room. He grabbed Kayla’s arm and yanked her off the desk.
“Get your slimy ass-grabbing hands off of me,” she shrieked and kicked him. He backhanded her across the face.
Pain lanced through her cheek and she stumbled backward, falling to the ground. Carl and Veridian both tackled Ramiro and wrestled with him. Cruncher grabbed Vex and held him back.
Kayla scrambled to her feet and rubbed her throbbing cheek. Working her jaw, she glared at him. “What’s the matter, Ramiro? Forget to remove your anal probe?”
Veridian and Carl both managed to subdue a raging Ramiro. He glared at her with venomous hatred. She considered blowing him a kiss to piss him off more but then decided that might be akin to suicide. Carl held up his hand and said loudly, “That’s enough, Kayla. Ramiro, I’ll let you go if you can manage to keep your hands off of her.”
Ramiro pulled away from Carl and demanded, “Why are you protecting this little bitch, Carl? If you think you can trust her, you’re a fool.”
“She’s a potential recruit.”
“Bullshit,” Ramiro sneered. “She’s screwing with you.”
Carl pulled up her contract on his monitor and pushed it toward Ramiro.
“I’ve already made her an offer. See for yourself.”
Ramiro stared at the screen and his eyes narrowed. “She hasn’t accepted and this doesn’t change anything. She owes me. I intend to collect.”
“I don’t owe you a thing. The Aurelia Data Cube was mine!”
“You stole it from my sector,” he snarled.
“You cleared those tunnels,” she shouted, clenching her fists. “It’s not my problem your crew couldn’t figure out if their ass was on fire with a flashlight and a three-way mirror.”
“Wait a second,” Carl interrupted. “You cleared the tunnels, Ramiro?”
Ramiro crossed his arms. “You’re a trader, Carl. You understand how things work. Maybe my crew had already finished in that sector, but that was
my
sector. I offered her a generous finder’s fee for the data cube. She refused and then walked into my base and stole it.”
“You lying sack of shit,” Kayla spat. “Your ‘generous offer’ was five hundred credits and me flat on my back while you tried to figure out how to pilot my speeder.”
Carl’s eyes narrowed. “Is that true, Ramiro? If you said those tunnels were clear, you know she was damn well within her rights. As painful as it may have been, the data cube was hers.”
Ramiro turned to Carl in disgust. “You would take her side over another trader? She’s nothing but a piece of ass.”
Carl’s face hardened. Understanding crossed Ramiro’s face.
“Ahh, I see now,” he sneered. “You’re hoping to get a piece of her. So how much are you offering to pay her?”
Carl’s fist shot out and he punched the man square in the face. Kayla heard an audible crunch and blood gushed from Ramiro’s nose. “You bastard! You’re going to pay for that!” Ramiro yelled.
Carl growled, “Get the hell out of my camp.”
Cruncher pushed Vex toward the door and yelled for Xantham and Zane who appeared a moment later. Along with Veridian, the four men forcibly escorted Ramiro and Vex out of the camp.
As soon as they were gone, Carl turned to look at Kayla. She gaped at him, incredulous that he had defended her against another trader. She could feel the side of her face beginning to swell, but it was insignificant compared to the emotions coursing through her. She swallowed, and decided it might be best to make light of the situation.
“Well, shit, Carl.”
“What?”
“I wanted to be the one to hit him.”
Carl stared at her for a moment. He shook his head in disbelief and laughed. “Are you okay? It looked like he hit you pretty hard.”
“He hits like a girl,” she replied and touched her swollen cheek.
“As I recall from earlier, some girls can hit pretty hard.”
Kayla considered that for a minute and then admitted, “Well, I guess he hits like a pissed off girl, then.”
He chuckled and reached out to touch her cheek. Although his touch was gentle, she winced.
“You need an ice pack on that cheek. Come with me and we’ll get you fixed up.”
“Do I get more of that scotch?” she asked with interest.
“Against my better judgment, but sure,” he agreed, and grabbed the bottle from the drawer. He took her hand and led her out to the common room. Plopping herself down in one of the seats, she poured herself a glass of the liquor while Carl put together an ice pack for her.
Corsin came into the room followed by a tall, fair-skinned, willowy redhead with hazel eyes. The girl asked, “We heard the commotion. What’s going on?”
Carl handed Kayla the ice pack and introduced her to Jinx, a former ruin rat. “We had an incident with Ramiro.”
Jinx sat down next to Kayla, studying her cheek. “Wow, the bastard hit you? I knew I never liked that guy.” Kayla pressed the ice against her cheek and winced. That made two of them.