The Iron Admiral: Deception (32 page)

And threw him.

He sprawled onto carpet. Before he could even think about getting up, a knee ground into the small of his back, his hands were pulled behind him and handcuffs snicked into place around his wrists.

“On your feet, O’Reilly,” Lena said. “My boss wants a word with you.”

****

Saahren paced. Five strides, turn, five strides back, up and down the length of his private quarters. He’d given up even pretending to work when he’d been informedSpartan had exited shift space. The ship was out there on final approach, ready to join the fleet. And then she’d board a shuttle and cross toArcturus .

 

And then…

He turned on his heel again, hands behind his back. What would she think? What would she do? Fall into his arms? He hoped so. But he’d given the order to kill her. Not in so many words but she hadn’t had a hope. They said she was in a dune crawler, a maintenance vehicle. Oh yes, she said he had to do it

but… is that what she really believed? She’d have a story to tell, whatever else.Oh please, oh please let this be over.I love you, Allysha .

He’d decided not to go down to the hangar. He didn’t want an awkward, public meeting. Far better to wait until she was brought here. He turned again.

“The shuttle fromSpartanhas landed, Grand Admiral.”

He nodded. The blasted machine didn’t really understand what it meant. “As soon as Miss Marten gets here, let her in.”

He turned to face the door when it opened.

She wore too-large, orange overalls, her hair hung loose around her shoulders. She was achingly beautiful but her face looked strange, strained. His heart constricted. “Allysha…”

She rushed toward him, flung her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He engulfed her in his arms, his cheek resting on her hair. He breathed in the clean, soap scent of her hair, ran splayed hands over her back, memorizing the feel of her against his body. He cried with her, tears of happiness too long suppressed. She trembled, spasms racking through her. He let her cry.

At last the flood subsided. Drained and empty, she pushed herself away, just enough so she could look into his face.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

He smiled. “I don’t suppose you meant to be out in space on a dune crawler, either. But I’m glad you were.”

“Did you tell them to look for me?”

“Yes. I… ordered the destruction of the place.” He sucked in a breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to do anything so difficult in all my life. I was sure, I was certain I’d know the second you… died.” He licked his lips. “And when my soul remained intact, I was sure you were still alive.” He smiled again and ran gentle fingers down her cheek. “I love you.”

She put her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. “I love you, too,” she whispered as she brushed his lips with hers.

 

His arm tightened and his mouth crushed hers. She melted against him, eyes closed, and he immersed himself in her, her smell, the taste of her lips, her tongue in his mouth, her hair between his fingers.

At last he took his mouth away. “I want to know everything,” he murmured as he gazed into her eyes.

“You can tell me in bed.”

A flicker of amusement sparkled in her eyes, her beautiful, wonderful, green-grass eyes. “You want to talk?”

“Mm.” He released her and with his left arm around her shoulder, led her toward the bedroom, while his right hand unfastened his jacket. “In breaks between proceedings.”

****

Oh, she was looking forward to this. Her body was already preparing itself. She watched him shuck off his boots and his shirt before she slipped out of the overalls and her panties. He shrugged out of the remainder of his clothes and pulled her naked body against his.

 

“Allysha,” he sighed.

She’d missed him, longed for him, dreamed of him. She thought she’d never see him again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her lips against his throat, drank in his scent, the salty, musky taste of his skin while his hands slid over her back and down to her waist. He lowered her to the bed. She had expected him to enter her immediately but he didn’t. He lay beside her and caressed her as he might a fragile, precious object. He traced the line of her jaw and down her throat with tiny, soft kisses, all the while fondling her breast. She closed her eyes, drowning in the warmth of his caress, as his lips sought one nipple then the other. She melted at his touch as his fingers slipped down her belly and between her thighs. Her skin tingled in wave after wave of delicious erotic quivers.

At last he entered her, filled her.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Oh, yes… oh, yes.”

She raised her knees around his hips and moved with him. Her fingertips traced bunched muscle, slid down his spine and back up to his shoulders. Her mouth sought his as the pressure rose in her body until at last it overflowed, inexorable as a rising tide. “Chaka… oh, Chaka.” She flung back her head and moaned her pleasure.

He curled his body into her, as deep as he could get, his shoulders tense, lips parted, grunting.

Spent, he relaxed and trailed tender fingers down the side of her face.

She moved her head so her lips could brush his fingertips. “You haven’t forgotten how.”

“I’ve practiced,” he mumbled. “In my dreams. And when things got desperate, there were always the virtual entertainments.”

 

“I thought you’d just… you know, get in and get over, fast.”

“Huh. I’ve waited so long. I didn’t want to waste it. I wanted to know I’d given you pleasure, too.”

“Oh, you did, you did.”

He rolled off her and gathered her up against him. “Now then, this is a break between proceedings. The first thing I want to know is, will you marry me?”

She snuggled against him, warm and familiar, still languorous. “Need you ask?’

“I was told you would want to be asked. So I’m asking. Please.”

She gazed at him. No military mask this time; those black eyes demanded an answer. He’d probably be very sure of the reply but he seemed to need to hear it from her.

“Yes, I’ll marry you. But I’ll need that divorce first.”

“I know. I’ll keep my promise. And then we’ll be married?”

He was so earnest, so insistent. “Yes, Chaka. As soon as I’m divorced.”

He smiled and brushed her lips in a brief kiss. “Now tell me what happened, from where you took it into your head to bolt from Malmos.”

“Were you angry?”

He considered the word. “Not angry. More surprised, dismayed that you didn’t talk to me; that you didn’t trust me enough to confide in me. I thought, after Gueri Nestor, that we were friends again. More than anything else I was afraid for you.”

“I’m sorry. Yes, we were friends… more than that. But there were things I had to finish on my own and I couldn’t see any other way.”

“Hmm. You put yourself in danger.” A short sigh. “Oh, well. Tell me your story.”

The telling took a long time, interrupted as it was by urgent physical need.

****

Saahren woke at the beginning of the third shift. As inexorable as sunset and sunrise on a planet, the shifts rotated in space, each heralded by its own tone, transmitted through the ship. Three soft beeps, a pause, three soft beeps… Allysha lay on her side, her back to him, oblivious. He admired the line of her spine, the curve of her hip, her hair cascading over the pillow. He should get up, he knew. His senior officers would be bursting with curiosity. He smiled. Saahren’s died. Died and gone to heaven. Careful not to disturb her, he swung his legs out of the bed and padded to the washroom.

 

He came back into the bedroom just in time to watch her stretch. She smiled at him, cat-like, languid.

He felt himself rising to the occasion and hurried to dress. If once he touched her, he’d never get out of here.

She sat up, the sheet tucked under her armpits. “You’re probably right. I expect I need a shower myself.

I’m awash with semen.”

He laughed as he fastened his jacket. “Are you complaining?”

“No, no, Admiral, Sir. Not at all.”

“I have some things to attend to.” He came over and sat on the bed beside her. Surely he could just touch her cheek, smooth that stray strand of hair away. “I shouldn’t be long. While I’m away, better order yourself some clothes for the time being.”

“Yes, Sir, whatever you say.”

He leaned across to kiss her; just a taste of her lips, that was all. The sheet fell away when she put her arms around his neck. His mouth found hers while a hand slid of its own volition down over the warm skin of her back. Damn it; he had to get out now or… He pulled away from her and stood, letting his fingers trail across her naked breast. His erection pushed against his trousers.

“I’m going.”

He heard her low chuckle as he went through the bedroom door.

****

Saahren ordered kaff and summoned Butcher. While he waited he composed himself. She’d be there when he returned. And he didn’t intend to be away long.

 

His clerk brought a pot of kaff, freshly brewed, and poured, filling the office with the aroma.

Butcher appeared moments later. “Sir.”

Saahren couldn’t help the grin. Butcher was so obviously trying so very hard not to smile. His eyes twinkled, sparkling with curiosity and speculation. “Have some kaff.” Saahren gestured at the pot.

“Is she well?” asked Butcher, helping himself to kaff.

Well? Oh, yes, well… wonderful… beautiful. “Yes, fully recovered.” His eyes strayed to the door to his private quarters. When he looked back, Butcher was grinning.

He cleared his throat. “Have I missed anything?”What a stupid thing to say. But what dida man say at a time like this?

 

Butcher lifted an eyebrow, lips curved, as he took the seat facing the desk. “I don’t think so.” He hesitated. “President McKinley called earlier. He’d like you to call back. At your leisure.”

“Any idea what he wanted?”

“He said it wasn’t important, just congratulations on an excellent result. I explained you were busy dealing with a remaining pocket of resistance.”

“Oh, very good, Butcher. You didn’t even smile when you said that.” He drank some more kaff and the smile faded. “Now then, is everything in place?”

“Your meeting with Suldan Bentrax is scheduled for eleven hundred ship time tomorrow, at the palace.

Should I confirm your guests?

“Do that. Any news of O’Reilly?”

“Yes, Sir. He has been delivered.” Butcher sent a location to Saahren’s implant.

“Excellent.” His eyes strayed to the door again. He could beat the stuffing out of him, kill the bastard, and let the Carnessan authorities find his body on the street and she’d never know. So tempting.

“Other matters?”

“A few.” Butcher’s lips curved again. “They shouldn’t take long.”

They didn’t. When he’d finished with Butcher, Saahren talked to President McKinley and then, with a small, grim smile, he went to see O’Reilly.

****

Sean paced.

 

They’d put him in a room with a central table and two chairs, all fixed to the floor. Or the deck, he supposed. He was on a warship, that much he knew. And that was all. Nobody would tell him anything.

He sat down on one of the chairs and passed his tongue over dry lips, wishing he had a drink. At least this was a Confederacy warship, not a GPR one. That was something.

He’d already told them all he knew, Lena and her friend Hal, back there on Kentor. He’d been happy to help. Tepich, van Tongeren, Horlitz, what happened on Tisyphor. He didn’t owe any of them anything.

The cell door opened and a uniformed figure stepped inside. His heart jolted. No prizes for guessing who this was. But why washe here?

“How nice to meet you at last, O’Reilly.” Saahren’s eyes were half closed and his voice was soft as quicksand. “I was sorry I missed you at Allysha’s apartment after the Fleet ball.”

Sean looked into Saahren’s black, implacable eyes and a cold chill went down his spine. He lifted his hands, palms toward the tall admiral. “Look, I didn’t want her hurt.”

The other man’s lip curled. “Ah, but did you care if she was? Would you care if she was dead?”

Sean swallowed. “They didn’t want to kill her. They had some work they wanted her to do, that was all.” He backed away a little, half a step. Was she dead? He was afraid to ask.

“No, she’s not dead,” Saahren said, as if he’d seen the question in Sean’s face. “But no thanks to you.

And everything you did to her you did to save your own miserable ass.”

He looked Sean up and down. “I can’t for the life of me understand what a woman like Allysha could ever see in a worthless piece of excrement like you.”

A savage backhander crashed into Sean’s cheek. He slammed against the wall and slid to the ground.

He sat up slowly, hand to his burning face. Saahren stood over him, legs apart, wriggling the fingers of his

right hand, as if to loosen them.

“Get up.”

Sean struggled warily to his feet, his heart hammering. Saahren’s eyes were cold as space, black and merciless.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that happened to her. They were going to kill me.” He gabbled the words.

Fast as a snake, Saahren grabbed Sean’s neck in both hands and dragged him onto his toes. “Were they?” His voice was a low growl.

The pressure on Sean’s neck increased. His Adam’s apple pushed into his throat. He couldn’t breathe.

His gut contorted as his diaphragm fought to draw air into laboring lungs. He batted at Saahren’s shoulders, trying to shove him away but the hands gripped tighter. His face grew hot; he gasped for air.

The pressure disappeared. His legs like jelly, Sean bent over, sucking air into his lungs. Panting, he raised his head, one hand on his aching throat.

Saahren stood silent, his arms at his sides but he seemed rigid, as though he was fighting to keep himself restrained. “Allysha is a little more forgiving than I am.” His lips twisted in a parody of a smile. “She would prefer to be a divorcee rather than a widow. I’ve promised her I won’t kill you, so I won’t. But understand this, O’Reilly. When the divorce papers are put in front of you, you sign without a murmur, understand?”