Fallon's Fall (4 page)

“No,” she said. “There is nothing you can say to make up for the past. Now get out. I’m not going to ask you again.”

He growled in frustration and strode to the broken door.

Dora snorted. “I see nothing’s changed,” she said. “The only thing you’ve ever been good at is leaving.”

Fallon froze next to the door. “It’s not the
only
thing I’m good at,” he murmured. A smile ghosted his mouth as he ran his hand over the metal, then opened the door. “I’m not going anywhere, Dora. Not until you listen.” He slowly turned to face her. Fallon only had one regret in his life and he was looking at her.

“You have no choice but to leave,” she said.

“I have one choice,” Fallon said. “But you’re not going to like it.” He pulled out his blaster and pointed the weapon at her.

Dora’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “What are you doing?”

Fallon fired.

She never got a chance to scream before he shot her, but her shocked expression said it all. Fallon caught Dora before she hit the floor. He lifted her easily, then settled her over his shoulder. Despite what she thought, their conversation was far from over.

R
eaper stood
at the end of the hall, waiting. Fallon wasn’t surprised to see him. The wraith seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to trouble. He arched a brow when he saw Dora hanging over Fallon’s shoulder.

“I take it she’s coming with us?” Reaper asked.

“For now,” Fallon said.

Reaper grinned. “Can’t say that I’m surprised,” he said. “Wouldn’t want to be you when she wakes up.”

The door opened beside them and a man they didn’t recognize stepped out of the room. He took one look at them, then his curious gaze slid to Dora. When he saw her, his eyes widened.

“What are you doing with our healer?” he asked.

Fallon pulled his blaster out and shot the man. He fell to the floor with a thud.

“You can’t stun everybody you encounter,” Reaper said.

Fallon ignored him. “Where are the others?” he asked. “We have to leave. They won’t be out long.”

“I’ll notify them to meet us at the shuttles,” Reaper said. “Do you want me to carry her? I can conceal her better than you can.”

Fallon’s grip on Dora tightened. “That won’t be necessary.”

Reaper chuckled. “Figured as much.”

“Just round everyone up,” Fallon said. “We have to get out of here before someone notifies the Authority.”

“Her ship is going to come after us, you know,” Reaper said.

“Let them come,” Fallon said. “It won’t be the first vessel that we needed to evade.”

“True,” Reaper said. “But it might be the most important.”

“Go!” Fallon said.

It didn’t take Reaper long to locate the rest of Hawk’s crew and get them back to the shuttles. Fallon waited impatiently for everyone to get strapped in. Only when the engines roared to life, did he relax a little. When they arrived on the ship, Fallon headed toward the transport cylinders.

“Where are you going?” Mars asked.

“To my quarters.” Fallon ignored his crews’ shocked expressions. So what if he’d never brought a woman to his room. It didn’t make Dora special.

“Don't you want to put her in one of the holding chambers?” Mars asked.

“No,” he said. That was where they used to keep the slaves and the pallet warmers. Dora was no slave and she sure as Petron wasn’t a pallet warmer. Besides, Fallon didn’t want her to wake up inside a holding cell. Dora would be mad enough once she realized what he’d done. He didn’t want to add to her anger.

He left his crew in the cargo bay and proceeded to his quarters. Fallon placed Dora on his pallet and slipped her shoes off. She’d be out for at least another hour—long enough for him to let Hawk know what was going on. He stopped by the door and glanced back. Seeing her there made his gut clench. How many times had he imagined Dora lying beside him? Too many to count. Now she was finally here. The question was for how long?

He forced himself to leave before he could change his mind. Fallon punched in a code that would lock his room, then headed to Hawk’s quarters. He didn’t want to interrupt the captain, but he’d done this without permission and would accept whatever punishment Hawk deemed necessary. Fallon placed his hand next to Hawk’s door.

A light flashed under his palm, registering his presence. A moment later, the door opened and Hawk stood in the doorway, chest bare and a blanket wrapped around his hips. He blinked at Fallon. “This better be an emergency.”

Fallon cleared his throat. “I’ve abducted a female,” he said. “I am reporting myself for violating the rules.” He straightened to his full height. “The rest of the crew were only following my orders.”

Hawk leaned against the doorframe, giving Fallon a view of Opal splayed across the captain’s pallet—naked.

He kept his gaze averted.

“Does this female happen to carry a rope?” Hawk asked.

Fallon flushed. “She does.” He kept his voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“Did you bring her aboard for the purpose of selling her?”

Fallon’s gaze locked on Hawk’s. “No!”

“I see,” Hawk said.

“She’s a healer,” Fallon added. “We could use her onboard.”

“True,” Hawk said. “But I’m not sure how useful she’ll be since she’s been taken against her will. Who is she?”

“Someone I knew a long time ago,” he muttered.

Hawk’s black brow rose and his amber gaze sharpened. “Is this the woman from Petron?”

Fallon couldn’t believe that Hawk remembered Dora. He’d only mentioned her once years ago and hadn’t gone into a lot of detail. “Yes.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said.

He didn’t and his expression must’ve said so.

Hawk laughed. “That’s what I thought,” he said. “You have a week, then she goes back. Understand? Now get us out of orbit before her ship realizes she’s missing.”

“Aye, Captain.” Fallon straightened to attention.

“Oh, and First,” Hawk said, stopping him short.

Fallon’s shoulders hunched at the use of his title. “Yes, Captain?”

“You have cleaning duty for the next six months,” he said.

“Aye, Captain.”

The door closed.

Fallon let out the breath he was holding and hurried toward the bridge. He was grateful to be let off so easily. Hawk had given him a week with Dora and he was determined to make the best of it. Now if only he could get her to cooperate.

Hawk closed the door and stalked toward the bed.

“What did he do?” Opal asked.

“Snagged the female who roped him.”

She laughed. “That’s uncharacteristic, especially for Fallon. He’s not the type to attach himself to any female. What does he plan to do with her?”

Hawk thought about it. “I don’t think he knows. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Opal stretched out on the pallet, arching her back so her nipples stabbed skyward. “I’m sure given some time he’ll think of something. I could suggest a few things,” she said, stroking herself. “But I’ve learned it’s best not to get between a mating pair.”

“Who said anything about them mating?” Hawk laughed. “No doubt he’ll have her, but mating isn’t Fallon’s style.”

Opal gave him a knowing smile. “It wasn’t yours either until you met me.” She ran her claws over her abdomen before dipping them between her spread thighs and opening herself to him.

Hawk felt himself harden. The woman had a point.

D
ora awoke with a throbbing head
. A rich, spicy scent surrounded her and she could hear a soft hum in the background. She cracked an eye open and looked around. The room lay in shadows, but seemed to have more furniture. She frowned. Was this the room she’d checked into? It didn’t look familiar.

She looked again, but didn’t recall the workspace to the left of the door or the attached cleaner. Her mind raced. How much had she had to drink? It felt like she had swallowed a vat of Petronian ale. Where was Cooper?

She rolled over and glanced out the porthole, expecting to see the garish neon outside her window. Instead, darkness met her. Darkness and a whole lot of stars. Where was she? Dora staggered to her feet and pressed her face against the porthole to get a better look. The station was gone. She couldn’t remember leaving Terraless Firma. She scanned the room once more. This cabin didn’t look like the ones on the
Anemone
. Certainly not her room anyway.

Dora probed her memories, trying to recall the previous night. She could remember walking into a loud bar and roping something. No, not something—
someone
. Her eyes widened.
Fallon.
The name brought back a deluge of memories. Some welcome. Most not.

She saw flashes of Fallon glaring at her. Glimpses of him crashing through her door. He had grabbed Cooper by the throat…and shot her.

Dora gasped as the memory crystalized in her mind. That son-of-a-dung-worm had
shot
her. She pressed a hand to the front of her shirt, expecting to find a wound. Other than a little tenderness, she seemed fine. He’d obviously set the blaster to stun, but that didn’t matter. She was still going to kill him.

The door slid open behind her.

Dora spun around, jaw clenched and fists ready.

“Glad to see that you’re finally awake,” Fallon said.

“You need to release me right now,” she snarled.

“Can’t,” he said. “I’m sure that you’ve noticed that we’re no longer on Terraless Firma.” Fallon crossed his arms over his chest. The move made his biceps appear even larger.

Dora tore her gaze away from his impressive arms. She couldn’t afford to be distracted. “You cannot just kidnap me. It’s against the law.”

“I’m a smuggler and a slaver,” he said. “That’s kind of what I do.”

His admission shocked her. The boy she knew was a smuggler? Worse yet, a slaver? How had Fallon gone from a prestigious merchant to a criminal in ten years?

“What happened to you? I don’t even know you anymore.” Dora hugged herself to ward off the chill spreading through her body. “I’m not sure I ever did.” The boy she knew was dead. “You’re the last kind of male I’d ever want in my bed.”

Fallon’s jaw hardened. “You know all you need to know about me,” he said.

“You used to dream about bringing beauty to the universe,” she said. “Was everything a lie?”

His chest puffed up and his hands clenched. Color spread across his face, turning it dark green.

“I should thank you for leaving me,” she said. “You did me a favor.”

He flinched. “Taking you wasn’t personal.” Cold seeped into his voice.

Dora felt another flash of pain and did her best to hide it.

“The only reason you’re here is because the ship needs a healer,” he said, then turned his back on her. “But, if I had wanted to seduce you, I could.”

Dora’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Fallon,” she said. She’d died along with her dreams of a future with him. “Your seductive lies are just that—lies.”

“We’ll see,” he growled and hunched his shoulders.

“My crew is going to come after me,” she said. “They’re not just going to let you take me without a fight.”

Fallon glanced over his shoulder. “They have to find you first,” he said.

That won’t be a problem
, Dora thought.

Like all crewmembers of the
Anemone
, she had chip implanted beneath her skin. It allowed her access to the ship, kept track of her vitals, and if need be, worked as a homing device. Had Fallon found it? Dora couldn’t check with him here, so she changed the subject.

“Whose room is this?” Her gaze took in the sterile space. There were no personal items. Nothing to indicate anyone lived here. Maybe this was a spare cabin.

“Mine,” he said, surprising her.

Nothing about this sparse room would indicate that Fallon lived here. Where were the Morean holograms? Where was his art? Where were the images of his family? Who was this man, this stranger?

“I want my own room,” she said.

Fallon’s nostrils flared and he took a menacing step forward. “No,” he said. “You’re not going anywhere. So get comfortable.”

“You need to get something through your thick, horned head,” she said. “I have no intention of helping you and suns will freeze before I sleep with you.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Fallon said.

“You did,” she said softly.

He stormed out of the room.

The moment the door closed behind him, Dora dropped onto his pallet, her heart doing its best to break through her ribs. Just being in the same room with him made her skin itch. What was she going to do? Did her crew know where she was? Did they have any idea who’d taken her? She wasn’t sure.

Cooper had been knocked out before Fallon shot her. Surely he’d suspect and when he did, they’d come after her. She slid her finger along her wrist and felt a slight ridge beneath her skin.

Relief flooded her. Fallon hadn’t found the chip. Eventually her ship would pick up her signal. It might take a few days, depending on how far they’d traveled. All she had to do was hold Fallon off until they arrived. Dora took a deep breath and caught his scent on the covers. She brought them to her nose and inhaled. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she nearly groaned.

When she realized what she was doing, she shoved the covers away. So maybe keeping him at arm’s length wouldn’t be as easy as she envisioned. Didn’t matter. Dora had to stay strong. She couldn’t allow Fallon to get close. He’d already broke her heart once. She wouldn’t survive another round.

Fallon seethed as he stared at the closed door. How could Dora say she didn’t know him? She knew him better than anyone. She was the only one who’d ever truly known him. Yet here he stood, brimming with shame over what he had become. Her disappointment shredded him, leaving him in tatters. Fallon didn’t know this kind of pain was still possible without spilling blood.

So why did he still want her? Was it because she reminded him of the man he used to be? Despite the venom dripping from her words, Dora’s gray eyes told a different story. She saw the best parts of him. The parts he thought had been destroyed until she resurrected them.

He pressed a hand to the door and sighed. He’d never been poetic. Fallon couldn’t say the words she needed to hear. But he was convinced if she let him hold her in his arms, Dora would know the truth. It would emanate from every fiber of his being. His hand curled into a fist. Fallon struck the door. The sound reverberated down the hall.

“Going that well, huh?” Mars came around the corner with Echo in his arms. The creature cooed and fluffed his feathers, preening to get his attention.

“Everything is fine,” Fallon said.

“Then why are you in the hall and not in your room?” Mars asked.

“I’m thinking,” Fallon said.

“Just go inside and claim her.”

Fallon scowled at him. “The situation is not that simple.”

“Yes, it is,” Mars said.

Fallon gave him a sad smile. “No, it’s not,” he said. “Not this time. Besides, I’ve never taken a woman against her will. I’m not going to start now.”

Mars stared at him for a moment, then his crimson eyes widened. “This isn’t just any female,” he said. “This is your mate. Isn’t it?”

“I didn’t say that.” Fallon’s gaze fell away.

“You didn’t have to.” Mars smirked. “It’s written all over your miserable face.”

Fallon shook his head. “She hates me.”

Mars laughed and stroked Echo. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know,” he said.

“She’s angry,” Mars said. “No doubt about it. And confused. But she doesn’t hate you, my friend.”

“You’re wrong,” he said. “I’ve given her every reason to hate me.”

“True, but it’s my job to read people,” Mars said. “I can tell what people are feeling and what they’re thinking. And when I can’t, Echo can. Believe me, Dora doesn’t hate you.”

A small bit of pressure lifted from Fallon’s chest and he was finally able to take a deep breath without his throat closing. “Are you certain?”

“As certain as I can ever be,” Mars said. “But don’t think that means that she’s not going to make it hard for you.” His gaze dropped to the bulge in Fallon’s pants. “In more ways than one.” He chuckled. “That woman is stubborn just like you. You’ll have to work to win her. This won’t be easy.”

Fallon grinned. “I’m counting on it.”