3013: MENDED (18 page)

“They pay me very well to travel around the universe and explore alien planets. I even get a bonus if I discover a new one.”

What Ivy described sounded like a dream job, and Cami had to bite back a wave of jealousy. “That’s amazing.” She still didn’t understand what it had to do with her or why the commander had been meeting with Lucas and Sion.

“I’m glad you think so.” Commander Dalton glanced at Lucas and grinned before returning her attention to Cami. “Your brother was telling me you have an ear for languages. Is that true?”

“Well, yes.” Linking her fingers together on the tabletop, Cami frowned down at them. “I don’t need a language converter, and I can translate most languages after hearing them only once or twice. Why do you ask?”

“Well, Sion here has agreed to join our security detail.” She tilted her head toward the shifter and smirked. “If you’re interested, I was hoping you’d join our crew as well. Our converters are only programmed for known languages, and someone with your gift of linguistics would be invaluable when exploring new planets.”

Oh, holy nova. Everything Cami had ever wanted had just been delivered to her on a shining silver platter. She’d have a real job doing something important where she could make a difference. Traveling the universe, exploring uncharted planets and discovering new life forms came close to her idea of heaven.

Though her pulse raced and her she nearly vibrated out of her chair with excitement, she knew she couldn’t do it. “You’re offering me an amazing opportunity,” she told the commander. “I know I’m a fool to turn it down, but I’m sorry. I can’t.” She belonged with Tariq, wherever that may be.

“If this is about your companion, I was hoping he’d join us as well,” Ivy elaborated, leaning back in her seat and adjusting the wrist unit on her arm. “Anything can happen out in the Big Black, and the
Dreamweaver
could use a mechanical engineer on board.” Rising abruptly, she straightened the steel-gray uniform jacket and brushed the wrinkles from the black sleeves. “Think it over. We leave tomorrow morning from Bay E, landing platform 2. I hope you’ll be there.”

Cami thought it over while she watched the commander wind her way out of the restaurant. “Do you think he’ll go, Si?”

Sion nodded. “If it’s what you want, he’ll do it.”

“I don’t want him to go just because of me.” Cami wanted to be aboard that vessel when it undocked from the platform, but she didn’t want Tariq to end up resenting her for it.

“Cami, stop worrying.” Sion rose from his seat. “Talk to him. I have a feeling his answer will surprise you.” Then he clapped Lucas on the shoulder and said his goodbyes before following after Commander Dalton.

“I should go talk to Tariq now, give him time to think about it.” They didn’t have long to make a decision, but she hoped she could convince him in the next twenty-four hours.

“Chipmunk, wait.” Lucas pointed in the direction of the curving bar. “There’s someone else who wants to see you.”

Cami turned in her chair, surprised to find her father standing a few feet away. She’d seen him the day after the shooting, but he’d kept his distance since then. If he’d come to try to convince her to go home again, he’d be sorely disappointed with her response.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Sliding into Sion’s vacated seat, he angled the chair toward her and covered her hand with his much larger one. “Camille, this isn’t easy for me to say, so please, just listen.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I think you should go with Commander Dalton. Of course, you’re welcome at home whenever you want to visit, but it’s time for me to let you go.”

Stunned by his admission, Cami didn’t know what to say at first. “Do you really mean that?”

She didn’t need his approval, and she would live her life the way she saw fit. However, hearing him acknowledge what they both knew put her one step closer to forgiveness.

“I do. It scares the hell out of me, but I want you to be happy, Cami.” Lifting her hand, he gave it a light squeeze. “I’ve made more mistakes than I can count, but I’ve only ever wanted you to be safe. You have a new protector now, a very capable one at that, I might add. It’s time for you to spread your wings sweetheart, and it’s time for me to let you.”

Jumping out of her seat, Cami threw herself at her father, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him with all her strength. “I love you.”

Canaan petted her hair as he held her tightly. “I love you, too. I know I have a lot to make up for, but if you’ll give me the chance, I’ll prove you can trust me again.”

Everyone deserved the opportunity for redemption. She hoped her father could change and that one day, they would be as close as they’d once been. He wanted to make amends, to prove he was worthy of her forgiveness, and Cami wanted him to succeed.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.” She’d been given a new start, a new chance at happiness, and she intended to seize it with both hands. “I have to go find Tariq.”

Canaan released her with a teary smile. “Go on then. Something tells me, you won’t have to do much convincing.”

While she hoped Tariq would share her excitement and enthusiasm, Cami mentally prepared herself for disappointment. After promising to meet her family again for dinner before they departed, she hurried through the atrium and along the winding passageways to the heavy doors of Bay E.

“Don’t be a coward,” she chided herself. “The worst he can do is say no. The stars won’t spontaneously fall from the sky, and the suns won’t explode.” Then again, if that happened, they’d have much bigger problems on their hands.

Having put the scope of possible consequences into perspective, Cami steeled her nerves and marched into the bay. She spotted Tariq immediately, standing near one of the work benches as he hovered over his tablet. He looked to be in deep concentration, and Cami almost turned around and left. If she didn’t ask him now, though, she might talk herself out of it.

“Hey,” she called brightly, slipping up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Did you miss me?”

“I saw you less than an hour ago.” Turning to face her, Tariq cradled her face in both hands as he bent to kiss brush their lips together. “Of course I missed you. What are you doing here?”

“Well, I kind of needed to talk to you about something, and I don’t know how you’re going to feel about it.” She retold her conversation with Commander Ivy Dalton, emphasizing the fact that Sion would be joining them, and then waited for his response. “Well?” she asked nervously. “What do you think?”

“This is what you want?”

“Well, yes, but I don’t want you to agree to it just because I want to go.”

It irked her that no one could understand this. Tariq had called her spoiled once, and in a way, it fit. He lavished her with attention and often gave into her whims. She adored him for it, but this time was different. This time, she wanted to make the decision as his partner, his equal, not his companion he’d sacrifice anything for.

“There is nothing holding me to this space station. I just kind of ended up here, and I’m too stubborn to leave.” The tips of his fangs peeked out beneath his upper lip when he smiled. “Sion and I used to talk about buying our own cruiser, exploring the universe, and just living as nomads. That desire hasn’t changed.”

Cami held her breath, trembling with excitement while she searched his face for her answer. “Is that a yes? Really? Just like that?”

“Yes, but to be honest, I talked to Commander Dalton when she docked this morning. She made me the same offer, and I get the feeling she’s not here by accident.”

After a brief pause, they looked at each other and nodded. “Lucas,” they said in unison.

Her brother had made it a habit of interfering in her life, but since he usually produced positive outcomes, Cami could probably forgive him for it.

“Go pack, angel.”

“Holy crap, are we really going to do this? Just pack up, jump on board an Alliance space craft, and go gallivanting around the universe?”

“I do not gallivant,” Tariq responded with narrowed eyes. “But for all intents and purposes, I suppose the answer is yes.”

She had nothing stopping her, nothing holding her back, and with Tariq at her side, she couldn’t wait to start their new adventure.

* * * *

The quiet dinner Cami had planned with her father and brother, turned into something of a going away party. Her friends gathered around her for teary goodbyes while Tariq watched from a four-top table with Sion and Lucas. Canaan had even dropped by for a few minutes to hug his daughter and wish her good luck in her journeys.

“Females are strange,” Sion mumbled. “They leak a lot.”

“Just wait. Your time will come.” Tariq hoped he’d be there to see his friend fall in love and lose his damn mind over a female.

“Cami met with the investigator earlier,” Lucas announced. He waved a hand when Tariq sat up straighter in his chair. “Relax. It lasted about ten minutes, and she did fine. Commander Cain had her death certificate erased from the records, so she can start a bank account and all those other things living people do.”

“What about your father? Are they pressing charges for falsifying records?”

“No, but only because Cami pleaded on his behalf.” Lucas spun his empty glass around on the table and snorted. “So, it’s all been chalked up to an unfortunate clerical error.”

Unpleasant conversation grinded to a halt when Cami floated over to their table. “I’m going to miss everyone,” she said, climbing into Tariq’s lap and tucking her head under his chin. “We’ll come back and visit, right?”

“I’m sure we’ll see them again.” He didn’t have any control over where the
Dreamweaver
would go or when it would return to Station 4, but he’d do his best to make sure she stayed in contact with her friends. “Are you packed?”

Cami nodded. “I don’t have much, and I swear you have even less. We’re all set to go first thing in the morning.” Unfurling herself, she leaned forward across the table and glared at her brother. “What did you say to Scarlett?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. She apparently wants to beat you with something pointy for some reason.”

Casting a glance to the other side of the room where Scarlett sat at a table with Naira, Lucas gaped. “I told her she looked beautiful tonight.”

Tariq threw his head back and laughed right from his gut. “Yes, that sounds like Scarlett. Don’t take it personally,” he added when Lucas continued to gape. Scarlett Nikandros was a complicated woman, and any man who hoped to tame her had his work cut out for him. “Maybe you should ask her to dance.”

“Before you go get your nuts ripped off,” Cami interrupted, “I have another question for you.”

“Shoot.” Slouching back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest, Lucas looked a little too eager to be detained.

“How did you get me out of the house? I heard the crashing downstairs, the people shouting. What did you do?”

A pink hue crept into Lucas’ cheeks when he answered. “I paid one of the cater waiters to accidently knock over a table of appetizers.”

“You did not!”

Snickering, Lucas bobbed his head. “Dad went super nova on the poor kid, but it provided the perfect distraction.”

A few minutes later, Scarlett wandered over to their table, and Lucas suddenly found his wrist unit very interesting. Sion, however, rose to greet her with a cheery grin.

“I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Will you miss me, darling?”

“No,” she answered bluntly, casting him a withering glare. “Go away.”

“I know, I know, but don’t cry. I’ll miss you, too, but I’m afraid we just weren’t meant to be.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but ended up ducking out of the way to avoid her right hook.

“Anyway.” Scarlett drew the word out, exaggerating every syllable. “I just came over to say I’m going to call it a night. I hope space is everything you dreamed it would be, little bird. I’m going to miss you.”

Wiggling out of Tariq’s lap, Cami ran around the table to hug her friend. “I’m going to miss you, too, but we’ll still talk, and I’ll come visit whenever I can.” Cami leaned even closer and lowered her voice, but Tariq still heard her. “I’m sorry about General Whitmore. I know you two were close.”

“Me and General…” Trailing off, Scarlett scrunched her eyebrows together. “Eww. What the hell gave you that impression?”

“That day in the atrium with Becks and Parsons. You called the general, so I just assumed.” Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Cami shrugged. “If you weren’t, you know, how did you have his direct contact?”

Scarlett rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I was bluffing, little bird.”

Cami’s mouth fell open in an adorable
O
, and she blushed to the tips of her ears. “Oops.

Laughing, Scarlett pulled her in for another brief squeeze. “Take care of yourself.” Then she released Cami and offered her well wishes to Tariq. “Asshole,” she sneered as Sion, giving him the finger.

She ignored Lucas completely.

“Man, I don’t know what you did to piss her off, but brrr.” Sion grabbed his elbows and pretended to shiver.

Lucas narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

“We should turn in as well, angel. Tomorrow is a big day.”