The woman pursed her lips, not moving. What was she? The damn gatekeeper?
“Wait here.” She finally turned on the ball of her foot, not inviting him in as she left.
She came back with Jax. The big man didn’t look happy.
Nerves suddenly bunched in Shade’s belly. “Tess isn’t here?” Had she gone out when he hadn’t been looking and not come back?
Jax answered with a question of his own. “You got some parts to drop off?”
“Not tonight. As I told…” He looked in question at the woman, whom he now realized was missing a hand.
“Miko,” she supplied.
“…Miko, I’m looking for Tess.”
Jax glared at him, then around at the fading light. Dusk was falling fast. “Why?” he asked.
Well, this was going well. Jax had seemed a lot friendlier when they’d been working together. But that hadn’t been about Tess.
“I thought I’d show her around the city.” Actually, getting out of the city sounded better right now. He felt stifled. Having nothing but bad choices always made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.
Jax’s eyes narrowed.
“If she wants,” Shade added.
What he wanted was to get to know her better. He needed to make a decision. His damn docks were on the line. What had been a slow work in progress only two days ago could turn into tomorrow’s reality with just a bit of rope and a call to Bridgebane.
“Oh, it’s SRP,” a new woman said, showing up in the doorway and crossing her arms as she looked down at him. She had spitfire written all over her.
Shade felt heat rise up his neck. Tess had talked to her about him?
Jax turned to the brunette, looking incredulous. “Now is when you leave your lab, Fiona?”
She shrugged, but Shade could see the humor in her green eyes. “Since you two are the perpetual wall of no, I guess I’ll go get Tess myself.” She turned, her high ponytail swinging as she strode away.
Miko’s mouth flattened into a line. She trailed Fiona into the ship, not looking like a happy gatekeeper.
Jax followed the women with his eyes before turning back to him. “Could you get that door you promised?” he asked.
Shade nodded. “Ordered it yesterday.”
“Half-priced is half-priced,” Jax said with a low growl in his voice. “I hope you’re not expecting extra payment.”
What was he talking about? “A deal’s a deal,” Shade said.
Unless he turned Tess in and ruined their lives.
A bitter taste flooded his mouth. He doubted any of them would be worrying about a new door after that.
“Shade.” Tess arrived in the ruined doorway, tucking her hair behind her ears and looking slightly flushed. “Did you bring something for the ship?”
He supposed it was normal for them all to think he was here about the Endeavor, but couldn’t a guy just show up?
“No. I thought you might want to explore for a bit. If you have time,” he said.
Her face brightened. “That sounds like fun.”
“The city? You sure about that?” Jax asked.
Tess seemed to waver. “Actually, I should probably stay in.”
Disappointment squeezed Shade’s lungs, jarring him.
Shit. This was worse than he’d thought.
“Forget the city. We can go to the beach,” Shade said, trying to tempt her. It wasn’t a secret between them that she was interested in discretion, so he added, “There shouldn’t be anyone around once we get past the casino.”
Her eyes widened. “A beach? With sand?”
He nodded. “And water. Waves. Fish. The usual things.”
Tess looked both excited and petrified. Had she never been to the beach before?
“I can’t swim,” she admitted, seeming to deflate.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” Shade almost shuddered at the thought. “The water’s too cold for that.”
Visibly relieved, she turned to Jax, grinning. “Jax. The beach!”
His answering smile was resigned, but genuine. “Enjoy it, partner.”
Partner? Shade instantly knew what that meant. They’d been paired up on Hourglass Mile.
A stab of jealousy struck him square in the chest, surprising him with its sharpness. Had they been lovers? Were they still?
Realizing he was being irrational and even an asshole, considering his own agenda, Shade still replayed any interaction he’d seen between them in his head. They were close, and seemed to understand each other without many words, but they didn’t look at each other like they were anything other than friends.
Whatever relief he felt was tainted. He couldn’t imagine what they’d been through, and yet here he was, poised to rip them apart. He could even do it tonight, with her coming willingly. Unsuspectingly.
Shade started to feel a little nauseous. Was this who he was now? He didn’t like this man much.
“Do I need anything?” Tess asked. She frowned. “Currency units?”
Shade shook his head. He knew she didn’t have a unit to spare. “Just a sweater. It’s cooler outside of the city.”
She nodded and disappeared back into the ship.
Jax stared at him, and Shade waited for the home-before-midnight-hands-to-yourself speech. He hadn’t heard it since he was a teenager, but he knew that look well enough. It was timeless and universal.
“Tess makes her own decisions.” Jax squatted down, bringing their faces closer together. “Just be careful what you do with her good faith.”
That was more spot-on and hit harder than the lecture Shade had been anticipating. Jax flexing a big hand between them like he was ready to wrap it around Shade’s throat and squeeze was exactly what he’d expected.
Shade didn’t step back. Jax had to know he would put up a good fight.
Tess reappeared quickly and hopped down onto the platform to join him. Her slightly hesitant smile always seemed to knock the air from his lungs, and this time was no different. Shade once again had to wonder what the hell he was doing, especially since there was attraction between them. Was he moving toward a decision, or just making everything worse?
His questions didn’t stop him, and they turned and walked toward the elevator tubes together. Shade glanced furtively at Tess. He couldn’t remember a time in his adult life when he hadn’t had to shorten his stride to accommodate a woman.
“Bye, Jax!” Tess called as they stepped into the next available lift.
Jax grimace-smiled at her from the Endeavor. He waved just as the elevator doors shut.
“He hates me,” Shade said as they whooshed toward ground level.
Tess laughed. “He’s just protective. He’s…lost people.”
The smile that had managed to start budding on Shade’s lips died. “You seemed to like the idea of the beach,” he said, wanting to change the subject.
“I saw what I thought was an ocean when we flew in. I was curious.”
“Not used to water, then?” he asked as they exited the elevator, and he guided her toward his small private cruiser. It easily fit two, though not many more. It was space-worthy, but he also used it to get around Albion 5. It was a hell of a lot safer than the public shuttles run by the planetary authorities. He knew that for a fact.
“I’m used to metal, metal, and more metal. Honestly, when I hit water, I might rust.”
Shade chuckled, opening the door for her. “I don’t think it works that way.”
Tess slid into her seat, seeming entirely at home in any kind of spacecraft. “I’ll let you know after the beach.”
Her words gnawed at Shade’s conscience as he rounded the cruiser to his side. What if there wasn’t an after? What if there was? He was feeling less and less inclined to make a decision tonight.
But if he didn’t bring her in soon, then someone else would. She had a massive price on her head. He knew of at least one couple that was bound to be searching high and low for Tess—and they’d be a lot less gentle with her than he would. And Solan and Raquel weren’t the only ones. There were a dozen skilled hunters that could be on this right now, and a dozen others that might just have dumb luck. The end result would still be the same for Tess, but he would be out two hundred million units—everything and more that he still needed to buy back his docks.