The Star Thief (Star Thief Chronicles #1)(74)
Author: Jamie Grey

He moaned, his arms trembling slightly as he held himself above her. And then he was between her legs, his thick heaviness pressed against her. She arched and let him slide slowly inside.

He captured her mouth with his as he thrust the rest of the way into her. She gasped against his lips at the feeling, at the exquisite pressure, and then moved her hips so he could slide in and out of her. His gaze never wavered, and she felt itchy and uncomfortable, like he was truly seeing her.

But if this was the end of the Renna as she had been, she wanted someone to have seen her. So she gazed back as the pleasure built, as each thrust made her whimper, and her hands clutched at his back. Finally she couldn’t stand it; her eyes fluttered shut as her whole body exploded. She felt Finn stiffen against her, and she opened her eyes to watch him come. When he collapsed on her, panting, heart pounding, she wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders and blinked away the tears.

They had just started to get to know each other again. So much possibility in front of them. Now this might be the last time she could be with him. She was going to make the most of it.

THIRTY-THREE

Renna let herself lie in bed a few minutes after Finn left. She didn’t know if she loved him, but she knew she cared about him more than she had anyone. Ever maybe. Now she’d never get a chance to see what would have happened. Maybe they would have never worked. Maybe he would have broken her heart. But Navang had taken all of that away from her.

She felt the burn of tears again and growled. She wasn’t going to spend her last few days feeling sorry for herself. She was going to find some way to stop this traitor and put an end to all of this. Somehow she needed to figure out how to use Larson to get to Pallas.

But first, she had someone she needed to visit.

The crew nodded and smiled at her as she made her way to Myka’s cabin, but she didn’t have the energy to do more than smile back. She paused in front of Myka’s door and stared at the smooth metal. Would he even want to see her? Was he angry that it had taken so long to rescue him?

She sucked in a breath and knocked lightly at his door. Her heart skipped a beat before he finally called out, “Come in.”

“Hey, kid.” Renna sat down on the bed beside Myka. He was still pale and dark smudges shadowed his eyes, but he grinned at her and sat up. Relief washed over her. He didn’t hate her.

“Renna! You’re all right?”

“Damn straight. You didn’t think that creep would stop me, did you?”

He shook his head. “I saw the explosion. I was glad.”

“Good.” She ran a hand over his shaved head. “Nice look. You’d fit right in with the mercs I used to run with.”

“You’re not going back to them, are you?” he asked, looking worried. “I want you to stay with Uncle David and me.”

“No, I’m not going back to that. But I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’m going to be honest. They’re still looking for you. You’re the only thing left from that research now, and whoever commissioned it is going to be very pissed off. We need to keep you safe.”

“But if you’re with me, I’ll be fine.” He slipped his hand into Renna’s, and her heart twisted.

“Myka, how much did you know about your parents’ research after your accident?”

“About me being part-machine?” He shrugged. “I don’t remember any of it. I’m just me.”

She blinked in surprise. He seemed so…accepting. “Do you feel any different? Do you notice your implants?”

He shook his head. “No, they’re part of me now. And they help me sometimes. Run fast, lift heavy things. It’s cool.”

“Good. I didn’t want you to be afraid after what happened…”

“No, I always knew there was something different about me after the accident. After my operation, Mom and Dad treated me different. Watched me more. But it’s okay. When we were attacked, they said it would save my life. That I shouldn’t be afraid.”

She squeezed his hand. “I want you to know whatever happens, I’m out there watching for you, too, okay? We’re going to make sure you’re safe. Captain Finn promised.”

“I saw that mercenary guy. I don’t like him.”

“Viktis? He’s going to protect you, too. He’s a good guy, even if he’s made some mistakes.”

Myka shrugged. “I’m not worried. When I’m bigger, I’ll protect all of you.”

“I bet you will. Now get some rest. We should be at your uncle’s lab soon.”

He snuggled back into the bed. “I’m glad you’re here, Renna. Thank you for finding me.”

She watched him drift off to sleep before getting to her feet. She’d told Finn and Viktis she’d meet them in the conference room when she was done. With her luck, they’d already started fighting.

The headache had eased somewhat, but she still felt unsteady on her feet as she made her way through the ship. The radio and electromagnetic waves around her felt like prickles of energy against her skin.

Gheewala watched her with wide eyes as Renna approached her station. “You have an electronic signature,” the woman said.

“Lucky me.” Renna grimaced. “At least you’ll always know how to find me if I’m close.”

“I’m so sorry.” Gheewala stared down at her computer. “I wish there was something I could say.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s thanks to you we made it this far. Make sure the rest of the crew know it.” She squeezed the woman’s shoulder and moved on. She could already hear the raised voices coming from the conference room.

When she walked in, Viktis and Finn were on opposite sides of the conference table, glaring at each other.

“What the hell is going on here?” she asked.

“Just a little disagreement. We’ll handle it,” Finn said, not moving his angry gaze from the Ileth.

Viktis shook his head. “Pretty boy here thinks he’s in charge of me. I think otherwise.”

“Well, you both need to stop it. We’re almost out of time, and we have to figure out what our next steps are.” She sank into one of the chairs and glared at both of them until they sat as well. “I have an idea, but it means both of you need to work together.” She stared down at her hands. She had no problem asking Viktis to do his part, but what she was about to propose was going to send Finn completely over the edge.