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Chapter Three

Earth

The Domed City of Covenworth

Stay Alive Survivor Store

2252 years, September

S limy Kev’s smirk made Britta’s skin crawl.

It took everything in her not to smack his smug face.

Instead, she glared at the backs of her departing colleagues.

Damn if they hadn’t found something else to attend to that night—a sick mom, an AA meeting, dinner with the in-laws.

Beside her, Kev pressed in a little too close, having just demanded she stay behind for stock taking.

As the franchisee’s son, he acted as if he owned the survival shop… and her.

“If you touch me,” she gritted out, “I’m breaking something.”

He raised his hands as if to surrender.

She snorted, spun on a polished boot heel, and stormed into the back storeroom. Something brushed her ass, but the sensation was so slight, she half-imagined it. She snuck a glance at Kev whose cheeks had taken on a ruddiness.

Clearing out clogged sewage drains was preferable to this. Except for the stinking like shit part of the job.

Mom had begged her to stop working there, to resume her studies.

But no, Britt, with a bachelor’s degree in zoology, worked at Stay Alive survival store, instead.

Versus some newly colonized dwarf planet, the shop offered her no excitement, and only boredom.

Oh, to be the person to discover bacteria on some faraway moon. She sighed. A woman could dream, right?

She scanned the stuffed shelves, everything in its place. “Didn’t we do this two weeks ago?”

“Daddy wants it redone,” he said.

‘Daddy,’ she mouthed. “Right.”

If the boss wanted to know where some of his stock went, like snacks and ammunition, he needed to look no further than his spoilt and irresponsible son.

She’d taken to recording his ‘purchases’ and had advised her fellow shop assistants to do the same, lest they be accused of theft.

She wouldn’t put it past Slimy Kev to get them all fired.

What the shit didn’t know was that two days ago, during a dull afternoon, she’d done her own stock take. She pulled out the updated register and started on the closest shelf. She’d be on her way home within the hour.

“But…” Kev spluttered when she moved from shelf to shelf as if she strolled through the aisles. “Aren’t you going to check the boxes?”

“When they’re sealed?” She arched both brows at him, using her tone to imply he was being an idiot.

“Are they?”

She huffed and bent over the first box to double check. Again, that fleeting sensation skimmed over her ass. She snapped up to scowl at Kev, who ran a finger along a box label that read, ‘Camo Caps: Green.’

That was it. She’d warned him, and still, he hadn’t listened. What she wanted to give him was a whooping. To do that, she needed him within arm’s length. Argh. She swallowed past the bile in her throat, drew in a slow breath, and prepared herself for a little seduction.

“I’m glad you asked me to work late,” she crooned, lowering her voice to a huskiness she hoped sounded sexy.

She slid the register onto a box, flicked open the top button of her camel-colored shirt, then fluffed her ponytail, all while giving him a ‘sensual’ look. She’d have to test it in a mirror when she got home. For all she knew, she came across as insane.

“You are?” he squeaked. Sweat dewed on his forehead.

“Is it hot in here?” She fanned herself and thrust out her chest to best show off her cleavage.

Like a horny teenager, his gaze dipped.

“I’ve been hoping to get you alone, Kevvy.” She dragged out the ‘vee’ of his name.

Sashaying around him, she snapped the door shut, then cast a glance at the security cam directed at the ceiling. All at Stay Alive knew, the storeroom was a safe zone for kissy-kissy and thieving. So what she did to him would go unnoticed. Lucky for her.

“I like a man who knows what he wants and goes after it.” Leaning in, she whispered into his ear, “Have I found such a man?”

He nodded.

“What do you want, Kevvy?” She ran her fingertip along his smooth-as-a-baby’s-bum jawline.

“You.”

Well, she couldn’t say she wasn’t a little impressed he had the balls to admit that. Still, sexual harassment wasn’t the way to ‘woo’ any woman.

“What would you do with or to me?”

He swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed. When he grabbed her ass, she squeaked, having not expected him to move that fast. Worse, he tried to kiss her, smashing his wet lips across hers.

Bile rose to choke her. All her damn fault for messing with him. She caught his middle finger on one hand and bent them back.

He squealed and froze, his body tight as she threatened to break his digit. “What…. What are you doing?”

“I warned you, Kev.”

He offered her a slimy smile, even if it trembled his lips. When he reached for her, she didn’t hesitate.

At the snap, he screamed. He leaped back to cradle his hand to his chest while giving her a wounded expression.

“Stock take’s over.” She fixed her shirt and checked that it was still tucked into her camo cargo pants. “Get your shit together and never…as in ever, pull this stunt again.”

“I’m telling Daddy,” he called after her.

She faced him. “Sure, tell him how you touch me inappropriately. Better yet, tell E.F.A. They do look kindly upon harassers.”

He paled, proving him more of an idiot than she’d initially thought. Earth Armed Forces didn’t bother with cases or men like him. Not that she was about to educate him of that fact.

As she strolled to the front of the shop, she relished the elation adding a bounce to her step. She was so getting fired for this.

Chuckling, she closed the front door on Kev’s mottled face. So worth it.

Her day didn’t get better. After sliding into her leather jacket, she tapped on the helmet then tried to start her bike. It stuttered and died. No fucking way was she going into the shop to wait for her mom. Hell, no, she wouldn’t even let Mom know about this…set back.

She raised her gaze to the cloudy sky obscuring the moon.

Dammit. Solar panels meant she needed sunlight, and the day had been dismal.

Nor had she checked the back-up battery’s capacity in a while.

Idiot. She unzipped her jacket, flicked open the visor of her helmet so she could breathe, then began the slow trek home, pushing her bike along the side of the road.

She muttered at being late when it would worry her mom.

The sun had set ages ago, and she was so hungry, she could eat roadkill.

A starving and pissed-off Britt made for one hangry woman.

Her solarcycle may not have the biggest engine capacity, but it was beautiful and a gift from her late father. She cherished it.

Despite the chill, pushing the bike made her perspire.

Every now and then, a breeze would slip inside her leather jacket and summon a shiver.

She cursed Kev and the damned survival shop.

Her ass twinged as if he’d left bruises.

Pity she only broke his fingers when she’d wanted to do so much more to him.

She should’ve kneed him in the balls and head-butted him, as well.

Just because she was a dirty scrapper didn’t necessarily make her a good one.

Working at Stay Alive gave her access to guns, ammunition, tasers, and self-defense canisters like tear gas or pepper spray.

She grunted as she crested the top of a hill.

The weight of a taser rested in her right jacket pocket, comforting her.

She’d formulated a plan if thugs bothered her on the walk home.

Taser then the pepper spray in her left pocket.

She parked her bike in her neighbor’s driveway, planning on fetching it tomorrow. For now, she’d cross to her mother’s house through the narrow gate between both backyards. It cut off at least half a mile from her journey. That sounded so good as exhausted as she was.

Tomorrow, she’d have to quit or be fired for breaking poor Kev’s finger. She chuckled at having broken his middle one. Perfect .

When she stepped into her yard, a tall shadow lurked a few feet in front of her.

She froze, shallowing her breath. Who’s that?

By his height and width, she had to assume the intruder was a ‘he.’ Regardless of his gender, he was visible enough for her to grasp that he watched her mother’s house with startling dedication.

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin, hoping her voice didn’t reveal her fear. “Hi, can I help you?” she asked, as if dealing with a suspicious customer was an everyday thing.

She wished she’d taken off her helmet. The raised visor narrowed her peripherals. Now wasn’t the time to remove it, though. Thankfully, when the solarcycle hadn’t started, she’d just unclipped the chinstrap.

She strolled toward him, hoping to get in close enough to use her aforementioned taser and spray.

It was risky, being within his reach. He could harm her before she managed to yank the items out of her pockets.

Her leather gloves didn’t make nimble movements easier.

Another regret that she hadn’t taken the time to stuff those into her back pockets.

“Greetings,” he rumbled in a voice that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

It was so deep, her nipples hardened. What the hell? She shivered, blindsided by a hot explosion of lust.

“Lovely night, isn’t it?” She sidled closer; surprised he was letting her.

As she neared him, his incredible height loomed, and the sheer breadth of his chest forced her to shift her head to take it all in.

The clouds cleared, revealing a little of his form in the waning moonlight.

The silver rays highlighted his stance; wide spread legs with his hands clasped behind him.

A military uniform adorned his impressive physique, and she almost relaxed, thinking him law enforcement.

Since she worked at a survival shop and they sold similar outfits, her relief was short lived.

“Leave,” he muttered, his voice surly.

Leave?