Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (19 page)

Recoiling in shock, Laleh stared at Pike. He'd never spoken to her like that. His words, his tone, cut so deeply. She didn't even bother replying. Pivoting on her heel, Laleh left his office—and came face-to-face with a stilled lobby of gawking Spacefleet personnel. They all quickly averted their eyes, obviously embarrassed for her.

Humiliation flushed her cheeks.

Tears stinging her eyes, Laleh fled the lobby. With deep breaths and fists clenching, she managed to hold it together until she stepped into of one the elevators with access to the
Spica
. Once inside the car, she sobbed into her hand, big fat tears sliding down her cheeks. Yes, she shared some of the blame. The moment she realized Pike was busy, she should have left.

But that didn't excuse Pike's outburst. He had no right to talk her like that, especially not in earshot of his entire staff.

As the elevator announced a stop on the crew quarters’ deck, Laleh hastily wiped at her face. She sniffed and blinked as the doors slid apart and a new passenger boarded.

"Laleh!" Quinn seemed surprised to see her. "I thought for sure you'd still be at work. I—" He stopped abruptly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied and attempted a smile.

Quinn pinned her with his gaze. "Please don't lie to me."

The floodgates opened as she poured out the entire story to him. Quinn wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and patted her back as he listened.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Laleh." Quinn's voice rumbled against her ear, her cheek pressed to his chest. "He's under a lot of stress right now." She started to protest, but he continued talking. "But you're right. He didn't have any business talking to you like that in front of all those people." He set her back a few steps and leveled a stare at her. "He has no right talking to you like that ever, Laleh."

"He doesn't. Really," she added, sensing Quinn's skepticism. "This was just a one-off."

"It better be." Quinn's grumble was barely audible. "Officer's deck." As the elevator began its ascent, he leaned back against the wall. "I might be able to help you."

"Really?" Hope filled her voice. "I just feel so guilty. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be in the bind they're in now."

The elevator stopped on her floor. Quinn walked her out into the corridor. "Let me make some calls. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"I appreciate whatever you can do. Even just trying," Laleh said, touching his arm.

"I've got to save some stranded folks." Quinn backed into the elevator. "As soon as I'm done with this mission, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Still dazed by her interaction with Pike, but hopeful after running into Quinn, Laleh entered their quarters. She felt so restless and impotent waiting to see if Quinn's idea would pan out. Maybe Pike was right. Did she rely on others to solve her problems? She didn't think so, but perhaps her view was skewed. Granted, she'd accepted help whenever it was offered. Was that so wrong?

Her stomach twisted as she realized they were probably going to have it out once Pike returned home for the evening. She simply couldn't allow Pike to think he could talk to her like that—even if he was at the end of his rope. She'd seen enough of that in her childhood. Laleh wasn't about to accept it in her own marriage.

Desperate to get her mind off Pike, Laleh kicked off her heels and strode into the kitchen. She reached for a bottle of wine but changed her mind, not particularly keen on the idea of getting drunk. She chose a bottle of her favorite orange soda and splashed the fizzy liquid into a glass. After a long sip, she settled on starting the packing that needed to be done. She grabbed some containers from the closet and headed back into the living room.

Laleh wrapped and packed the bric-a-brac in the living area and dining room.

Anything that wasn't absolutely necessary found its way into a box. She moved to the kitchen and sorted through the shelves and drawers, leaving out a pair of everything and a selection of multipurpose pans and utensils.

With the kitchen finished, Laleh headed into the office. She tackled her book collection first. The work was boring and repetitive but it served a purpose. She ran through various scenarios of the heated discussion she and Pike were likely to share.

Laleh hoped she'd keep her cool and not say anything she'd later regret. It was so easy to snap when feeling defensive or attacked.

Laleh's stomach grumbled. She glanced at her watch. Had she really been packing that long? And where was Pike? He was always home by now.

Certain the aftermath of the collision kept him, Laleh took a break and fixed a sandwich for dinner. It felt so strange to eat dinner alone after all those weeks of sharing dinner with Pike. Laleh bristled with irritation that she missed him even after he'd been such a jackass. Love just wasn't fair.

As Laleh cleaned up her plate, someone rang the doorbell. She crossed the living room and answered the door, not sure who to expect. The sight of Quinn surprised her until she remembered their elevator discussion.

"Quinn! Come in," she said, stepping aside.

"Thanks." He swept a hand through his already ruffled hair.

Laleh followed him into the living room. He looked rather tired. Stains marred his usually impeccable uniform. There was a red cut on the back of his right hand. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

Quinn wavered, as if uncertain. "I wouldn't say no to a beer," he said finally.

"A beer it is." Laleh returned to the kitchen, Quinn just a few steps behind. "How did your rescue mission go?"

"Just fine," he said, leaning against the counter. "Once we got the passengers off the freighter, we were able to get some engineering crews out to the stalled ships. We got them started and docked. There's a crew patching up the hull on the
Cassiopeia
as we speak. Shouldn't be any problems once that's done."

"I'm glad to hear it." Laleh poured a beer into an icy mug and handed it over. "Here you go."

Quinn accepted with a nod and gulped the cold brew. "That's really good."

"Pike only drinks the best."

"I'm not surprised."

Laleh detected the sarcasm in his voice but let it slide. She gestured for Quinn to follow her into the living room. "Sorry about the mess. I've been packing for the move."

"Move?"

She nodded and settled onto the couch. "We're upgrading to permanent quarters on Virgo."

"Lucky you." Quinn took another drink and set aside his mug. "I spoke with my sister."

"Your sister?"

"She runs a star cruise company with her husband. It's a very popular line. She's always looking for new employees. I told her about your friend's predicament, and she offered to hire and sponsor her for a visa and eventually permanent residency. All of Steffi's ships are Earth-based so she meets all the qualifications for visa sponsorship.

Obviously, Steffi wouldn't expect your friend to do any kind of hard labor since she's pregnant. She mentioned something about the daycare facility."

Stunned, Laleh sat back. "Why would she do that? She doesn't even know Salida."

"My sister and I grew up in a group home," Quinn explained. He didn't elaborate as to the reasons why. "She's always had something of a soft spot for people in rough situations."

Unable to contain her gratitude, Laleh threw her arms around Quinn and hugged him tight. "Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me."

Quinn's arms lingered around her a bit longer than she'd expected. She pulled back gently, not wanting to hurt his feelings—or encourage them. Laleh stiffened when his fingers brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Quinn," she said carefully.

Lust darkened his gaze. Laleh's heart leapt, not with desire but fear. Before she could stop him, Quinn kissed her, his lips warm and pliable—and wrong. He wasn't Pike.

Vaguely, Laleh heard the front door open. She broke the kiss and spotted Pike standing just inside their quarters. Rage blazed across his face.

"Get your hands off of my wife!"

And then all hell broke loose.

Of all the things he'd expected when he walked through those doors, Pike had never imagined he'd find Laleh kissing someone else. Kissing Quinn. Furious, he strode aggressively toward the couch. Quinn jumped to his feet, his weight shifted into a defensive boxer stance. Pike didn't even hesitate. He balled up his fists and slammed Quinn with a right cross followed by a nasty uppercut. Shock filtered across the other man's now bloodied face.

Pike's smug smile didn't last very long. Quinn rushed him, knocking him into the wall. Pike kneed Quinn in the stomach and received a foot stomping in return. They grappled, fists swinging, fingers gouging.

"Stop!" Laleh shouted, frantically tearing at them. She shoved hard on Pike’s chest and sent him hurtling backwards. Hands raised, she stepped between them. Tears rushed down her cheeks. "Just stop."

Panting hard, Quinn backed down. He roughly wiped at the blood dribbling from his nose and bottom lip. Pike felt something wet trickling from his nose. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

"Please go, Quinn." She practically pleaded for him to leave.

His foe glanced at Laleh, seemingly torn. When Quinn fixed him with a menacing gaze, Pike's ire rose. "If he hurts you, Laleh…"

Pike couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He gritted his teeth. "How dare you! I've never put a hand on her."

"Just like you've never snapped at her in public like some kind of dog," Quinn snarled.

Pike swallowed hard. "That wasn't—"

"Doesn't matter what it was," Quinn interrupted. "Everyone on this damn skyport is talking about it."

Shame turned Pike's stomach. What Quinn said was true. He'd noticed the whispers and stares. There was no doubt he owed Laleh an apology, but Pike wasn't about to take a scolding from a subordinate. "What happens in our marriage is our business."

Quinn scoffed. "Marriage? She doesn't even have a wedding band."

Pike followed Quinn's angry gesture. Laleh hid her left hand behind her back. His jaw hardened at yet another reminder of his failures as a husband. "You've overstepped the line, Petty Officer."

Nodding, Quinn straightened, as if finally remembering the gap in rank between them. "I likely have, sir. But you can be damn sure if she was my wife I'd treat her with a little more respect."

Laleh's eyes widened as Quinn leveled a heated gaze in her direction. It was all Pike could do to contain his anger. "You'd do well to remember she's
my
wife."

Quinn shrugged nonchalantly. "For now."

His parting shot fired, Quinn left their quarters. Tense silence stretched between them. Pike couldn't think straight. The first time he'd spotted them together, he'd suspected the worst. But he'd done the level-headed thing and bit his tongue when Laleh chose to pursue a friendship with Quinn. Being reasonable had bitten him in the ass. He squashed the urge to lash out at her.

Laleh tentatively stepped forward. "Your face…"

Pike flinched at her touch and moved away from her. "Don't touch me."

Her lower lip wobbled as she put space between them. "All right."

"What the hell was he doing here?"

"His sister operates a star cruise line. She's offered to give Salida a position and sponsor a visa that will allow her to rejoin Noozeen."

Envy rattled Pike. Not wanting to accept Quinn had helped Laleh when he'd refused, he snapped at her. "So what? You just go running to Quinn every time you have a problem?"

"No.'

"How long?" Even as he asked, Pike wondered if he really wanted to know.

"How long what?" Confusion played on Laleh's face.

"Don't play games with me, Laleh," Pike warned. "Just tell me the truth."

Laleh took a step forward and then, as if rethinking her decision, retreated a few steps. "Pike, tonight was the first time anything inappropriate happened between us. It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything."

"And my kisses? Don't they mean anything?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Pike arched his eyebrows. "Do I, Laleh? I thought I knew you until I walked in here a few minutes ago."

"Oh, that's rich," Laleh retorted angrily. "The same could be said about you. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong. I never imagined you'd humiliate me like that."

Pike's guilt made him defensive. "What did you expect, Laleh? I was in the middle of a class A clusterfuck. You know my duty to this skyport comes first."

"You're right," she agreed. "I guess I just never realized how bad it was going to make me feel. Maybe I don't like coming second."

"That's not fair, Laleh. You chose to marry me. You came into this with eyes wide open. You don't get to start complaining now that you've gotten your first taste of reality.

And you sure as hell don't get to throw yourself at the first swinging dick that pretends to care."

Laleh blanched. The sight of her blinking back tears made his gut clench. He'd gone too far, and he knew it. Pike silently cursed his anger-induced stupidity. Unless he shut his mouth soon, he'd never get out of the hole he kept digging. "Shit," he swore under his breath. "Laleh, I—"

Shaking her head, Laleh held up her hand. "You know what, Pike? I think you've said enough." Laleh slipped her feet into her heels and grabbed her transmitter.

"Where are you going?" Fear struck his heart as Laleh stomped toward the door.

She rounded on him. "Apparently I'm going to throw myself at the first swinging dick to cross my path."

And then she left.

Completely at a loss, Pike stared at the closed door. He couldn't believe she'd actually walked out on him. Had he just driven her straight into Quinn's arms? His belly churned at the thought. Pike reeled as he glanced helplessly around the room. His gaze fell on the beer mug. Thinking of Quinn drinking his beer, in his glass, on his couch and kissing his wife made Pike furious. He snatched up the mug and threw it against the wall.

The sound of shattering glass filled some dark need inside him.