Page 8 of Alien’s Love Child

CHAPTER 8

DAVIN

T he cargo hold falls silent, every pair of eyes boring into me. My skin prickles under their scrutiny, but I maintain my composure, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You lying scumbag, you're a mole, aren't you!?" Taluk yells, puffing up his chest and getting in my space. "You faked getting stuck in that closet to hide that you helped them!"

"A mole?" I bark out a laugh. "For what? Pocket change from some two-bit syndicate?"

Taluk's scales bristle. "Then how'd you know who Xander really is?"

"Because I'm not blind?" I tap my temple. "Athenaverse's most wanted doesn't exactly keep a low profile. That bounty's worth more than this whole ship."

"Exactly why you'd want to cash in," Taluk snarls, taking a step forward.

"Kid, if I wanted the bounty, I'd have grabbed him myself. Why split the take with thugs when I could collect the whole thing?" I lean against a cargo container. "In fact, you seem pretty educated on his bounty yourself. How do we know you’re not the mole?"

"You--" Taluk's fists clench.

"Both of you, shut it." Jesse steps between us, her eyes narrowed. "Davin's right. The syndicate's small-time compared to Alliance bounties. This doesn't add up."

Paraxan's footsteps echo through the cargo hold as he boards, his fur bristling at the sight of the dead syndicate member. He steps over the body without comment, heading straight for the engine room.

"All clear?" Jesse calls after him.

A grunt echoes back, followed by the clang of the engine room door.

"Rena." Jesse's voice shifts to that commanding tone I've come to recognize. "Get us to Glimner. Fast as you can manage. Find the closest pad to The Lucky Hand."

"On it." Rena's boots clatter up the metal stairs. "Might need to burn some favors for clearance."

"Burn them all if you have to."

The engines hum to life beneath our feet. Jesse turns to me, her green eyes hard as emeralds. "You. My quarters. Now."

My stomach tightens. This isn't the kind of invitation I'd hoped for when imagining being summoned to her room. The way her jaw clenches tells me this isn't a social call.

"What about them?" Taluk gestures at the dead mafia goons Paraxan left in the hallway.

"Stuff him in a cargo container," Jesse says, already walking away. "We'll space him once we break atmo."

I follow her through the narrow corridors, my heart hammering against my ribs. She knows something. Has to. The question is: how much?

Jesse's quarters are sparse - a bed, a desk with scattered datapads, and a small window showing the blur of stars. The door hisses shut behind me, and she whirls around, her red hair catching the starlight.

"Cut the crap. Right now." Her fingers drum against her holstered blaster. "You're not with that syndicate. That much I can buy. But your story's still too neat, too convenient."

I spread my hands. "You're right."

"Then who are you really?"

"Bounty hunter." The truth slides off my tongue easier than expected. "Tracking Xander. That big of a payday is hard to pass up."

She barks out a laugh. "Right. And I'm the Queen of Mars."

"Check the bounty boards yourself. His face is plastered everywhere." I lean against her desk. "Though I'm guessing you already knew that when you took this job."

"A bounty hunter wouldn't tell me this." Her eyes narrow. "You're playing some angle."

"The angle where I get my target back." I meet her gaze. "Those thugs just complicated everything."

"And why should I believe you now?"

"Because right now, we both want the same thing - Xander back on this ship." I cross my arms. "You need him to complete your contract. I need him for the bounty. Enemy of my enemy?"

Jesse's hand stays near her blaster, but her shoulders relax slightly. "And after we get him back?"

"Then we can sort out who gets to keep him." I shrug. "But first, we need to find him."

"You're assuming I won't just shoot you and space your body right now."

"You won't."

"Pretty confident for someone at gunpoint."

"Because you're smart. You know I have skills you need on a planet like Glimner. Military training. Combat experience. The real stuff, not the sanitized version I fed you before."

Her lips twist into a half-smile. "At least you're honest about being a liar."

Jesse drops into her desk chair, running her fingers through her copper hair. "All this time. Years running a tight ship, never letting my crew down. And then I let a bounty hunter onto my ship." Her laugh holds no humor. "Some captain I turned out to be."

"You saw what you wanted to see." I step closer, the scent of her jasmine shampoo hitting me like a physical force. "But maybe what you saw wasn't entirely false."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

My skin tingles with the urge to touch her, to explain about fated mates and the pull I've been fighting since I first laid eyes on her. She'd probably space me in an instant if I did.

"There are things in this universe bigger than bounties or smuggling runs."

She looks up at me, those green eyes searching my face. "Like what?"

"Like--" The words catch in my throat. How do I explain something I barely understand myself? "Like the way you make me question everything I thought I knew about myself."

Jesse rises slowly from her chair, close enough now that I can see the light dusting of freckles across her nose. The air between us grows thick with possibility.

"That's quite a line for a bounty hunter," she whispers, but there's no bite in her words. "Or a mob goon. Or an ex-Sirius crew. Or whatever you are."

"Not a line." I reach out, my blue fingers hovering just shy of her cheek. "The truth, for once."

She leans forward, her breath warm against my lips--

"Captain!" Rena's voice crackles over the intercom. "Got us clearance at Landing Pad 47-B. ETA two hours to Glimner atmosphere."

Jesse jerks back, the moment shattered. Her cheeks flush as she hits the comm button. "Copy that, Rena. Good work." And with that she rushes out, not bothering to look back

The landing pad stinks of burnt fuel and ozone, typical of the shadier districts on Glimner. Jesse and I crouch behind a stack of cargo containers, watching a suspect ship. It looks damn close to the one that boarded us not hours ago, and the steam formed by the rain says it just landed.

"That's definitely them."

Jesse shifts closer, her shoulder brushing mine. "Now what?"

A kid in a leather jacket emerges from the ship's cargo hold, lighting up something that glows blue in the evening light. The sweet scent of contraband tobacco wafts our way.

"Stay here." I touch her arm. "Let me handle this."

"Like hell. He's my cargo they took."

"And if he sees you, he'll recognize the captain whose ship they just hit." I raise an eyebrow. "Me? I'm just another face in the crowd."

She grips my wrist. "Don't kill him. We need information."

"Trust me."

"I don't." But she releases me anyway.

I circle wide, using the shadows between ships for cover. The kid's too busy trying to look cool with his smoke to notice me approach. Amateur. One quick move and I have him in a chokehold, dragging him backward into the alley.

"Hey, what the--" His protest cuts off as I tighten my grip.

Jesse materializes from the shadows, pressing her blaster under his chin. "Where's Xander?"

The kid's eyes go wide. "Oh shit."

"Wrong answer." I increase the pressure on his throat. "Try again."

"I can't-- they'll kill me--"

"We'll kill you faster," Jesse says, her voice ice cold. "And unlike them, we're right here."

The kid thrashes in my grip, his voice cracking. "Look, I didn't sign up for this! It was supposed to be a simple grab job!"

"Who do you work for?" Jesse presses the blaster harder under his chin.

"The Lightyear crew, alright? They pay better than the bars--"

A laugh bursts from my throat before I can stop it. "The Lightyear crew? What, did they name themselves after watching old Earth cartoons?"

His face flushes red. "Hey! They're legit! They control half the--"

"Half the playground, maybe."

"You don't know shit about--"

Heavy footsteps echo across the landing pad. Port authority. Their boots splash through puddles, getting closer.

The kid's eyes light up. He takes a deep breath and screams, "Help! They're gonna kill me! Help!"

"Shit." My grip loosens just enough for him to writhe free. He bolts toward the authorities, still yelling his head off.

I grab Jesse's wrist. Her skin burns hot against my palm. "Time to go."

"But--"

"Now." I pull her into the shadows between the ships.

The sound of boots hitting pavement grows louder. A beam of light cuts through the darkness behind us. "Stop! Port Authority!"

Jesse matches my pace as we weave through the maze of ships and cargo containers. Her breath comes in short gasps, but she doesn't slow down. The rain makes the walkways slick under our feet.

"Over there!" Someone shouts.

A blast of energy sizzles past my ear, leaving an acrid smell in its wake. Jesse stumbles, but I keep her upright, dragging her around another corner.

We burst out of the port and into the neon-lit streets. The rain drums against metal awnings, creating a chaotic symphony with our footsteps. Jesse's hand stays locked in mine as we weave through the evening crowd.

"Move!" I shoulder past a group of Vakutans, their scales gleaming under the street lights.

"This way." Jesse tugs me toward a dingy bar, its holographic sign flickering in and out. The Sweet Spot. Real creative.

Inside, the air reeks of cheap alcohol and sweat. Music pounds through ancient speakers, the bass making my teeth rattle. We dodge around a server carrying a tray of something fluorescent green.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry, coming through!" Jesse shouts over her shoulder.

The kitchen door slams open under my palm. A cook drops his knife, cursing in three different languages as we dash past. The back door gives way to a narrow alley slick with rain and whatever else coats these streets.

We press against the wall, our breaths coming in sharp gasps. The distant shouts of authority fade into the city's ambient noise. My heart pounds against my ribs, but not from the running.

"You okay?" I turn to Jesse, scanning for injuries.

Her hands grab my face, fingers cool against my skin. She pulls me down and crashes her lips against mine. The rain soaks through my clothes, but I barely notice. Her mouth is soft, insistent. She tastes like adrenaline and possibility.

I wrap my arms around her waist, drawing her closer. The rational part of my brain screams that this is a terrible idea - I'm here for Xander, for the bounty. But with her pressed against me, those concerns feel distant, unimportant.

She breaks the kiss first, but doesn't pull away. Her breath mingles with mine in the space between us.

"I shouldn't trust you," she whispers against my lips. "But fuck it."