He tapped his finger against his chin, the digit disappearing for a moment beneath the darkness of his shroud. “You’re late. Almost thought you weren’t coming.”
Elle raised her chin. “There was never any question of our arrival, Malachi. Do you have the numitite crystals? All of them?”
A garbled laugh burst from his lips. “Of course I do. The question is, do you have enough tenium to trade?”
Elle’s hair stood on end, but she refused to let down her guard. “I have the two hundred containers we agreed upon.”
He tsked. The sound skated over her nerves. “Well, that’s not nearly enough. I’m afraid the price has increased.”
She knew they’d ask for more. She ground her teeth, her pulse pounding at her temple. With careful measure, she contained her expression. The last thing she wanted was for him to realize her desperation. “Perhaps you don’t want our tenium as badly as I thought.”
He pulled back his hood. Two antennae protruded from behind his ears, the feelers flicking this way and that. A row of progressively smaller eyes flared from the edges of the two largest that graced either side of his nose. Their gazes tracked over her body, each eyeball studying a different part of her anatomy. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Now she understood what it was like to be studied under a microscope.
His eyes gleamed. “Don’t toy with me, Altonian. I know how much your kind values numitite crystals. Ready for another harsh winter?”
She fisted her hand, her nails digging into her palm. Toman… What choice did she have?
Hatred flowed through her veins and into her voice. “What is your price?”
“Six hundred containers of tenium or their equivalent.”
Her stomach hardened. They’d loaded an extra hundred containers for just this circumstance, but she never imagined they would triple the price. She scoffed. “That’s ludicrous.”
A heinous grin spread across his face. “That is our price. Take it or leave it. I will give you until tomorrow to decide.”
The picture faded to black.
Adalyn swiped her hand over her vid-screen, and the holo closed.
Elle’s mind reeled. How could she pay him? A flush of warmth flared up her neck. An urge to lash out, pound her fists against the dirty Sandowin’s chest bubbled to the surface, but she could do no such thing. She placed her hand over her mouth to hold back the scream.
Montoya rubbed her nape. “Elle, we can’t possibly come up with—”
Elle raised her hand. With her head held high, she faced her crew. “Those bastards and their drink fetish. I need time to think. I’ll be in my quarters.”
As she crossed the bridge, her boots echoed through the silent room. The tension was as thick as an uncut slab of frozen glacial water.
Angelo stood in her path. He placed his palm against the doorframe’s smooth surface, blocking her exit. His deep brown eyes roamed her features as he studied her.
She stepped into his personal space, her body heating as the memory of his kiss raced through her mind, but fear and anger gripped her heart. “Move.”
“Elle, you’re upset. Let me—”
“Please let me by.” She pursed her lips, holding back her fear.
He visibly flinched, the creases around his eyes deepening along with his furrowed brow, but he stepped aside. She ran down the corridor, tears hot and fast streaming down her cheeks. All she wanted was some time alone to sort out her options. She couldn’t let her brother suffer.
CHAPTER 9
F or the third time, Angelo Thirteen traced his fingers over the vid-screen outside Elle’s door. A light blinked on the display, but she didn’t answer. A part of him wanted to bust through the barrier, pull her to him and take away all her anxiety.
Why was she so upset about a cargo of numitite crystals? His mind raced, searching for answers. Not knowing the source of the problem drove him crazy. How could he fix it if he didn’t know what was wrong?
He clenched his hand and knocked on the door. “C’mon Elle, open up.”
A ripple crossed over the door’s thin membrane, and a rumble shook his feet.
He exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. “I share your frustration, Santek.”
On a soft hiss, the door to her room slid open.
She stood before him, the muscles in her shoulders bunched tight. Her red-rimmed, moist eyes pierced deep into his chest. He couldn’t breathe. Creases wrinkled her forehead, but spunk and determination lined her lips. She’d never seemed so distraught, so pained, yet he couldn’t help but admire her passion.
“What do you want, Angelo?” The bitterness in her voice only solidified his need to help her.
“Elle, let’s talk. Maybe we can figure out a solution.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I haven’t already come up with one?”
He tilted his head. “Have you?”
A slight flinch crossed her features before she stepped away from the door. “All right. Let’s hear your brilliant ideas.”
As he crossed the threshold, her fresh, clean scent filtered into his senses, stirring a craving deep inside. A memory of their kiss in the cultivation unit flared to life. The urge to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her to him caused his fingers to tingle. He’d make her forget all about the Sandowins, of that, he had no doubt.
Her room was as he remembered. A vid-screen graced one wall and two chairs surrounded a small table, but the largest piece of furniture, her bed, took up most of the space. Seems real estate on a ship was at a premium for most races in the galaxy.
The door closed, enclosing them in the small space. As Elle walked by, she brushed against his arm. Sensual fire, hot and fast, raced across his skin.
She motioned to one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”
The tension lines around her eyes hadn’t eased, and he vowed to remove the offending marks come hell or high water.
“Please, sit.” Strained and rough, her words pinged across his nerves. Her captain’s shields were up full force, and it would take some work on his part to get her to lower them. He hated to see her in such pain.
She placed her hands on the table and twirled the ring on her thumb. The gold-colored metal was dull, evidence of her constant touch. “If you have an idea, I’m all ears.”
He pulled his gaze to her eyes. “How much tenium do you have to trade?”
“We have three hundred containers, not nearly enough to meet Malachi’s requirement.”
“I sense that doing half the trade now and coming back isn’t an option.”
She stood abruptly, almost knocking her chair to the ground. With quick strides, she paced in the small space between the table and the end of her bed. She raised her fist and shook her hand. “Those damn bastards. I knew they’d try to weasel more out of us. We even brought extra just in case, but not enough.”
“Is there anything else you can offer?” He had an idea, but he wanted to give her a chance first.
“Unfortunately, tenium is our only product.” She pursed her lips. The puckered edges of her mouth flared the memory of their kiss back to life once again.
He couldn’t stand to see her pace any longer, so he rose from his seat and gripped her arm. The softness of her warm skin fed the flames burning between them.