Chase You To The Sun (20 page)

“What about Kelso?”

“The Desida Two commander? Possibly. He was actually the first one I intended to show those recordings to in case I needed to change my plans.”

Lana fell silent. She didn’t want to discuss Plan B with Bruce. Plan B meant her father would refuse to stop exporting the gemstone. If Plan A failed, it was clear she had to be disposed of.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Bruce mumbled, eyeing her quizzically.

“If my dad doesn’t help you, I’ll be useless to you,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “What will happen to me then?”

“As long as he loves you, you won’t be useless,” Bruce replied quietly. “He’ll come around.”

“If you’re so sure of that, why do you have a back-up plan?”

He shrugged, his eyes fastened on her worried face. “I always have a back-up plan. Comes with the job.”

“I’d like to sign up for some Pirate 101 tomorrow, then,” Lana half-joked, feeling slightly more reassured. “If you really want me to help you.”

“Yes, I do.” He pulled her against his chest and kissed her forehead. “You’re not useless to me, Sveta. Don’t think that.”

“Okay,” she mumbled timidly.

“We should probably go to sleep,” Bruce continued, propping himself up on his elbows and looking around for the pants he’d discarded earlier.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Lana watched as he picked up his clothes. He was going to get dressed and go back to his own room again. “But – can you – I mean, I’d like it if you stayed.”

Bruce stopped putting on his pajama bottoms and looked down at her.

“Just until I fall asleep,” she continued. “And you did say I should tell you if I want you to do stuff for me. You know.”

A slight smile pulled at his lips. “I didn’t say I’d always comply with your requests, though.”

“That’s true.” The bitter taste of disappointment pervaded her mouth. “Never mind.”

Bruce let out a sigh. “Don’t grow too attached to me.”

Lana didn’t reply. She just stared at him in silence, trying to figure out what it was that he was so scared of. When he got back into bed, reached down and pulled the bed sheets up so they were both covered, she blinked her eyes in puzzlement.

“Just until you fall asleep,” he said softly. Without another word, he lay down on his side and scooped her into an embrace, spooning her with his warm body.

With a satisfied sigh, Lana nestled into his arms, reaching behind her to stroke the hard muscles of his leg and butt. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Sweet dreams, Lana,” he whispered back.

It only took her minutes to drift off to sleep this time, despite all of today’s horrors. Tomorrow would bring new opportunities to live her life and new choices to make about what kind of world she wanted to contribute to. For now, though, everything felt perfectly all right.

T
he first thing Lana noticed when she woke up the next morning was the fact that the mattress was still warm next to her. So Bruce hadn’t left her after she fell asleep – he’d stayed with her. She smiled. He was gone now, but that didn’t matter. Sitting up slowly, she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a loud yawn. When her eye fell on the pad next to her bed, her spirits sank a bit, though. It was the pad Hikaru had given to her so she’d watch that horrible video of the mines – definite proof that her father had done dark and terrible things.

“Well, hello,” a low and gravelly voice startled her. Bruce walked into the room, his hair still wet from the shower and his lower body clad in blue jeans. “You want to come downstairs in a bit?”

“Sure.” Lana couldn’t keep her eyes off his naked, broad chest. My God, he looked even more attractive than he had that first time she’d bumped into him in the bathroom. His skin was still damp and looked so soft to the touch.

“Good.” He cracked a devious smile, walking over to the bed. “I’m sorry I didn’t wait to take a shower together with you.”

“That’s all right. You stayed all night,” she said.

Bruce slowly nodded, his hand landing on her shoulder to caress her bare skin. “Don’t mention it.”

“So.” She glanced up at him. “Can I still take a shower before breakfast?”

“You should.” He sat down on the bed and leaned into her, still smiling. “You smell like sex, Lana.”

“I bet.” She flinched a bit when Bruce kissed her on the lips, his mouth vaguely tasting like toothpaste. “Don’t. I have morning breath.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I forgot all about that phenomenon,” he teased her. Lana blushed with pleasure at his words. He hadn’t spent the night since forever – and she’d managed to make him stay.

Bruce grabbed the comforter and pulled it off her, his gaze skimming over her naked body. “I got you good, didn’t I?” he went on, brushing his fingers over the bruises on her legs, the bite marks on her shoulder and neck.

“You claimed me,” she replied. “And it was more than just fucking.”

He kept quiet for a very long time, his eyes trained on the rise and fall of her chest. “Yes, it was,” he finally admitted.

“Well, don’t grow too attached to me,” she whispered.

Bruce closed his eyes for a moment, his voice just as soft as hers. “I know.”

Lana wrapped her hands around his neck and planted her lips on his cheek. “I’ll go and hit the shower. See you downstairs?”

“I’ll be there.” As she moved away from the bed to dig up some clean clothes from her travel bag, he picked up the pad from her bedside table and left the room.

The hot water running down her body managed to wash away all of last night’s smell, but the memories lingered. When Lana closed her eyes, she could still see Bruce’s pale, livid face when she’d refused to talk to him about the recordings, and the peace in his eyes when they’d finally discussed things for real. She could feel his strong hands on her, punishing her at first and then giving her incredible pleasure in the end. He’d been in the wrong by assaulting her, but she’d been just as wrong by blaming him in her inability to cope with the truth.

They’d both apologized. Some things that had happened were inexcusable, but she wasn’t about to judge Bruce, much like he didn’t seem interested in holding a grudge against her for the things she’d said to him.

What would happen now? Would she continue to live under one roof with him, no longer really a prisoner but an accomplice? Were there other places with the same dark secrets as Prometheus – like Mimas, the other mining moon, which was property of the Brits? How much was wrong with the world she’d always taken at face value?

When she came downstairs in another one of her business outfits, everybody was convened at the table. In the middle sat a big pan of what smelled like beet soup.

“What the...” she started out. “Is that what I think it is?”

“If you think it’s beet soup, yes,” Chester replied deadpan. “Made it last night. Thought maybe you’d come down after talking to Bruce.”

“That’s really sweet. Thanks.” Lana shot the ex-teacher a grateful smile. “And don’t worry, we talked. I’m – okay now.”

“She wants to help me,” Bruce mumbled, dipping bread in his bowl of soup. Even though he didn’t look up at her, she could hear the slight tremor of excitement and appreciation in his voice.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who picked up on it, because Chester eyed Bruce intently, a smile spreading across his face. “Does she now?” he said. “Good to hear.”

Lana hesitantly pulled back the chair next to Bruce. “Can I sit here?”

When he looked up at her, the gentle sparkle in his eyes took her breath away. “Of course you can,” he said warmly. “I saved you a seat, business woman.”

She rolled her eyes at his comment on her clothes. “Look, I’ll do some laundry today. This is all I have. It’s either this or nothing at all.”

“Do I get to choose?” he inquired as she sat down next to him, his words making her blush like a tomato.

“No.” She bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. “Now let me eat.”

“
Oyabun
?” Shou looked up from the pad he was reading the news on. “Looks like something is happening on the stock market today. They’re writing about it in the Martian Herald. All trade to and from Prometheus has stopped dead.”

“What?” Bruce reached for the pad across the table. “Give me that.” His eyes frantically scanned the site Shou was talking about.

Lana leaned to the left to read over his shoulder, her mouth falling open when she saw what Shou was talking about. She hadn’t seen the Great German mark and the British pound dipping this low since the monetary crisis due to the eruption of Olympus Mons four years ago, when all flights to and from Mars had been canceled for weeks. “Something’s up,” she whispered in awe. “It’s really happening. He’s doing what you told him, Bruce.”

“Finally.” The tall pirate next to her put down the pad, a disbelieving smile playing around his lips. “Well, I should go talk to him. See what else he has in store for us. For me.” He pushed back his chair and got up, shooting her a hesitant sideward glance. “You want to join me?”

“Uhm.” Lana cringed a bit. “Will you have to hit me again?”

“Just wear your hair up,” John suggested a bit sourly. “That should do the trick.”

She self-consciously touched the bruises in her neck.

“Good point, John.” Bruce put his hand on her shoulder. “Come on.”

Lana could feel four sets of eyes burning holes in her back as she moved away from the table. Crap, they all knew – it was clear as day something more than just chemistry was going on between her and Bruce. He’d confided in her last night, and now he didn’t hesitate to treat her as an equal in front of his men anymore. It filled her with pride, and that in turn made her cringe as well – she’d never quite understood the thrill of falling for a bad boy, until now. There was an undeniable kick in getting a dangerous man to respect you and care for you.

Slipping into a seat in front of Bruce’s video screen, Lana wrapped a black scrunchie around her long hair, tying it into a chignon halfway up her neck. Her dad was definitely going to see the bruises this way. Maybe he would just think she’d been beaten up. Maybe he’d recognize the wounds for what they really were and assume she’d been raped. At the moment, she really couldn’t care less what he thought or assumed – her blood boiled just thinking of what he’d allowed to happen on Prometheus for all those years. Stopping shipments of gemstones was just the beginning. Things would have to change radically if he ever wanted to get back in her good graces.

When the on-screen static suddenly dissolved and showed her the image of her dad’s disheveled face, Lana still had to bite back tears, though. He’d been worried sick – she could tell.

“Well done, Mr. Ivanov,” Bruce started out. “I applaud you. Trade to Mars has stopped. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Mr. Randall,” her father replied in a shaky voice. “You’re right – for now. But I can’t keep this up. The Russian authorities are breathing down my neck.”

“Let them breathe. You own those mines.”

“You really don’t get it, do you?” Mr. Ivanov exploded. “They own me. They always have. And they leave me alone as long as I play nicely. But no more.”

“
Papa
,” Lana said, unable to stop herself from crying out to the man who’d lied to her. “What do you mean?”

He turned his panicked gaze to her. “Sveta, I can’t do what Bruce Randall wants. Not in the long term.”

What? “But – you stopped those shipments,” she faltered. “Right?”

“Just for a day. That’s all I can do.”

“But you have to do more!” Lana insisted. “You can’t let this go on.”

“If I don’t do what the Russian Elite wants, they’ll kill both me and you,” her father said flatly.

His statement made her freeze on the spot. Was this really true?

“You’re aware that you’re risking your daughter’s life?” Bruce growled.

“I won’t risk her life,” Mr. Ivanov said firmly. “I know you’re never going to let her go like this, so...” He turned his gaze to Lana. “I can’t lose you, my sweet girl. Not you. So there’s only one way out of this mess.”

Bruce shifted uncomfortably next to her. “What are you saying?”

Mr. Ivanov took a deep breath. “I’m giving them to you.”

“Giving me what?” Bruce’s voice grew increasingly confused.

“The mines. The trade routes. Everything. You can have it. I’m done. I just want my daughter back. Please don’t hurt her.” Lana bit her lip as her father wiped away a few tears. “She’s all I have,” he croaked.

Bruce snorted. “How the fuck can you hand over your precious mines to me?”

“Svetlana’s fingerprints and iris scan,” her dad explained tiredly. “I covertly uploaded them into the login system yesterday. She can get in now. You can hack your way into the system and take over, disable the mine fields and send those security troops home. And once you’ve got what you want, you can send
her
home.” His voice cracked as he looked at Lana. “You’re coming home,
dorogaya
,” he whispered.

Lana sat there completely gobsmacked, Bruce next to her not doing much better. Her father was giving away the family fortune just to save her ass. He was handing over the mines to his mortal enemy.

“I’ll have to see it to believe it,” Bruce finally stammered, unable to keep his voice completely steady.

“Have a look,” Lana’s father said, his voice soft and his eyes brimming with tears. “I’m not lying. I erased all my tracks. To the whole Elite world, it will look like you managed to crack my security by abducting my daughter. And I know they’ll hate me. They’ll blame me for building an inferior network. They’ll probably cast me out, but I don’t care. I’ll still be alive, and I’ll have my daughter with me.”

Svetlana clasped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from breaking down in sobs. Her dad loved her so much. How could she not love him back, although he’d done appalling things? “Thanks,
papa
,” she whispered.

“
Ya lyublyu tebya
,” he mouthed wordlessly. “I love you.”

When Bruce turned off the screen and looked at her with a mixture of hope and confusion on his face, Lana reached out and took his hand. “Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s get John and go to the computer room. You did it. You’ve actually won.”