Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (3 page)

She nodded and watched him disappear. Her face throbbed and the taste of copper filled her mouth. Laleh wobbled a bit as she stood, her head pounding briefly before her body regained equilibrium. She sidestepped piles of clothing and broken furniture and bric-a-brac on her way to the restroom. Why Jai and Daneel had ransacked the place confounded her. She didn't have anything worth stealing. Most months, Laleh was lucky to make her rent and still have enough money for necessities. It wasn't as if they'd brought anything from Hezma-12 when they made their escape. She and her mother had arrived in Houston with just the clothes on their backs.

So what the hell did he want?

Laleh waved her hand in front of the faucet and activated the water flow. She flicked her fingers in front of the temperature control. Almost immediately warm water splashed her outstretched hands. She bent forward, wincing as her sore ribs protested the movement, and scooped a handful of water into her mouth. She slowly swished it around and spit the now pink liquid it into the chrome basin.

Very gently, Laleh washed her face with a bit of hand cleanser, rubbing soft circles around the bloody smudges on her upper lip and crusting her nostrils. By morning, she'd likely sport a smattering of nasty bruises. She closed her eyes and rinsed the pink suds from her face. As water dripped from her face into the sink, Laleh's fingers clutched air as they sought the hand towel hanging from the towel ring.

The sensation of strong fingers wrapping around her wrist startled Laleh. She bolted upright, still jumpy after her run-in with Jai and his goon. Her nervous gaze settled on Pike's face, his eyes dark with concern. Towel in hand, he reached out and ever so gently wiped the cloth against her forehead and across her cheeks. Her eyelids lowered as the cloth moved over her face, wiping away the moisture clinging to her skin.

When his thumb touched her swollen lower lip, Laleh's gaze jumped to his. She'd never seen such anger boiling beneath a man's hardened exterior or such fierce protection playing on his face. It simultaneously touched and thrilled her. She'd never seen a man look at her like
that,
as if he'd commit unspeakable acts in the name of justice for her.

"We should put something cold on this," Pike said, his voice gruff. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

"No," she whispered, the movement of her lips hindered by his lingering thumb.

"I'll make do then." Pike's thumb swept softly over her chin before his hand dropped.

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen."

As he left, Laleh gulped and put a steadying hand to her neck. Her pulse beat rapidly against her fingertips. She wasn't quite sure what was happening between them. And how had he come to be here, just when she needed him?

Mind reeling with questions, Laleh returned to her bedroom and chose a pair of pajama bottoms and a camisole from one of the piles of strewn about clothing. She hastily changed into her clothes and carried her bloodstained suit jacket top back to the bathroom. Certain she couldn't afford a trip to the cleaners, Laleh daubed a bit of shampoo onto the stains and worked the spots into a foamy lather. She left the top on the counter, hoping a little time and the old like-dissolves-like maxim she'd learned all those years earlier in chemistry would work.

Laleh found Pike wetting a small dish cloth in the sink. It was odd to see a man standing in the tiny space. While she and her mother had abandoned most of the restrictive Hezman customs, they'd never gone so far as to invite men into their home.

Only when it came to modesty and virtue did Laleh's mother hold fast to the old ways.

She'd had her fair share of relationships, always under the watchful eye of her mother, but never had she been totally alone with a man—especially in her pajamas!

Pike glanced over his shoulder, his expression softening at the sight of her. With a tilt of his head, he gestured for Laleh to come closer. She willingly complied. A shocked gasp escaped her lips as his hands grasped her waist and hoisted her effortlessly onto the counter. He stood so close she could feel the waves of heat radiating from his body. His scent, a delicious mixture of sweat and soap and cedar, invaded her senses. An unexpected coil of desire tightened low in her belly.

Laleh jerked back when Pike brought a cloth wrapped bundle close to her face.

"What is that?"

"I couldn't find any ice in your freezer, so I wrapped up a bag of frozen strawberries."

"Oh." Laleh moved her face closer to his hand. "I don't keep ice. Seems wasteful considering water rationing."

"Makes sense." Pike placed the cold pack against her fat lip and busted nose. She winced at the shock of the chill but slowly the temperature lessened the pain. Pike picked up her hand to replace his and took a moment to check out her injuries. His fingers prodded the area around her right eye before drifting lower to her bruised cheek and jaw.

"I don't feel any breaks. I think you'll have some swelling and bruises but nothing too nasty. If we were onboard my ship, you wouldn't even have the slightest bit of discomfort by now."

"The perks of Spacefleet," Laleh replied, shifting aside the pack so she could speak.

"Not that I'm complaining about healthcare here. It's a million times better than what we had on Hezma-12. We just don't get all the nifty new miracle drugs like you do."

"We get them first because we're their guinea pigs," Pike jokingly said.

"Good point." Laleh moved the cold pack to the side of her face. "How is Noozeen?"

"He's going to have a pair of black eyes to go with that broken nose come morning."

Pike hopped onto the counter beside her, his thigh touching hers. "He refused to go in for medical treatment or to call the police, too."

Laleh felt Pike's questioning stare. "He's legal, but his wife isn't. Salida came here on a work visa but her employer refused to hold up his end of the bargain. Noozeen can't sponsor her for a spousal visa because he's only been a citizen for a year. And she's pregnant."

"I see." An uncomfortable silence hung between them. "Are there a lot of illegal residents in this building?"

Laleh shrugged. "No more than usual in this sector. You know how it is. Generally, the authorities turn a blind eye since cheap labor keeps Houston booming. As long as you stay off the radar, you're fine, but once you're on it…" Laleh shook her head. "They're very efficient when it comes to deportation."

"Do you think you'll be deported soon?"

His question made her stomach lurch. "Yes."

"How soon?" Pike sounded worried.

Laleh cast a quick glance in his direction. "Days probably. If Jai found me, my name is already on the roundup log. My denied application put me in a weird limbo of sorts.

I'm still technically legal for the next few days, but the odds of me gaining any kind of reprieve aren't high. Immigration will try to scoop me up before I run."

"Were you planning to run?"

"I don't know." Laleh set aside the cold pack. Her face felt oddly numb as she spoke.

"I can't stay here because they'll deport me to my planet of origin. I suppose my only option is to flee to another planet with lenient residency requirements while my Earth refugee passport is still valid. Hopefully I can find a job. At this point, I'd take anything—even a position on a star cruise vessel."

"A star cruise?" Pike looked appalled. "You're earning a doctorate for god's sake!"

Surprise shook her. "How the hell do you know that?"

"The directory," he explained. "I used an information kiosk to find you."

Needing answers, Laleh swiveled to better face him. "Why were you looking for me in the first place?"

"I saw that man following you out of the bar. He looked like bad news so I gave chase but lost you on the maglev. I didn't know your last name, so I asked the directory to cross-reference the address list with university students."

"I'm impressed. You've got rather sharp problem solving skills. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," she added. "I'd imagine captaining a starship requires the best multitasking minds."

"Generally yes," Pike agreed. He leaned back on his hands. "So tell me about this marriage."

Nausea swirled in the pit of her stomach. "I'd rather not."

"I'd rather you did."

Stunned by his grave tone, Laleh snapped her gaze to his face. "Why?"

Pike held her gaze. "I can't help you if I don't know everything."

"Why do you want to help me? You don't even know me."

"I know enough."

Realizing he wouldn't be swayed, Laleh sighed and launched into the sordid tale.

"Childhood betrothals are very common on Hezma-12, especially among the aristocracy.

When I was three, my father betrothed me to General Feeshan. I was to be his fifth wife.

In our culture, polygamy is a symbol of wealth and importance and—"

"Feeshan?" Pike interrupted rather stridently. "That barbaric son of a bitch who keeps a harem of little boys in that compound of his?"

Disgust rippled through her. "Now you understand my mother's desperation to escape Hezma."

"Absolutely."

"Just before my ninth birthday, the general's fourth wife died under suspicious circumstances. I didn't understand it at the time, but I realize now she was killed in some sort of deviant sexual play. Not your run of the mill games that some people enjoy but real and horrific torture."

"I can imagine," Pike grumbled. "His parties were rather notorious during our stay.

I'll spare you the sickening details of what I've heard."

"Thanks."

"So your mother planned your escape?"

"The general was short a wife and wanted what belonged to him. My mother refused to let me suffer the same abuse she had her entire life. She made contact with an underground escape network that helped move us off planet aboard a trading ship. By the time we were missed, we'd already boarded an Earth bound spaceship. Once we landed in Houston, Mother applied for immediate refugee status under an assumed name."

"Sarafpour?"

Laleh nodded. "It's not a Hezman surname. Mother saw it in a book from the ship's library."

"What was the ship's name?"

"Brennan."

"Orion class ship." Pike's forehead creased. "Twelve years ago? No." He shook his head. "I can't remember the captain that far back."

"Boreanaz," Laleh supplied.

Recognition colored his face. "He was a few years ahead of me at the Academy. Nice guy."

"Very," she said. "He took a huge risk allowing my mother and me to board his ship.

If my father had been able to locate us, I think it likely he would have lodged a formal complaint with the Federation and demanded our hasty return. Until we reached Earth soil, we were in a quandary as far as our political refugee status was concerned."

"Can't you try to extend your refugee status now?"

"I tried, but I don't qualify. I'm no longer a minor so the threat of impending marriage to a man, I can't stomach the sight of doesn't exactly qualify me as suffering a hardship or imminent danger."

"But they have to know how women are treated on that planet!" Pike insisted angrily.

He shoved off the counter and paced the small kitchen. "What's the use of all those fucking treaties and mandates if we can't protect the people who need it most?"

Laleh's eyes widened at the sight of this man stalking her kitchen, displeasure evident on his face. She sensed he felt as powerless as she did in this situation. When he passed close by, she snatched his hand. His focus moved to their joined hands. She tried to ignore the electric sensation of his touch.

"It's all right. I'm not looking for a savior, you know. I'll figure something out. I always do," she said, her voice soft. His fingers shifted until they were laced with hers.

Pike took a step closer, his intense gaze boring into her. Her stomach fluttered with excitement and desire. In that moment, Laleh realized things could quickly spiral out of control between them—but she couldn't allow that.

Laleh untangled her fingers and slid off the countertop. "I should get some sleep. I have a long day ahead of me."

Pike's face fell slightly. In an instant, he'd steeled his expression. "Of course," he agreed, stepping back. "You need rest. I, uh, I'll sleep on the couch."

"What?" Laleh thought maybe she'd misheard him.

"You can't stay here alone, Laleh. The lock on your door is busted. You're not safe."

She couldn't argue with his logic. Even with a working lock, Laleh knew she was incredibly vulnerable to another attack. "All right," she conceded. "I'll grab an extra pillow and blanket for you."

"Thanks."

Laleh retrieved the promised items. When she entered the living area, she found Pike jamming a kitchen chair under the door handle. The sight of the melted metal and scorch marks surrounding the biometric lock made her stomach fall.
How much is that going to
cost me?

She placed the pillow and blanket on the couch. "If you like to shower in the mornings, you'll have to do it early. They cut off the water to Delta Sector a little after seven. It won't pop back on until ten or so."

"Good to know," Pike said as he lowered the zipper closing the front of his jacket and started to kick off his boot.

Realizing he meant to undress to some extent, Laleh averted her eyes. "Feel free to make yourself at home. Good night."

"Good night, Laleh."

As he started to peel off his jacket, Laleh fled. Safe inside her room, she switched off the lights and slipped into bed. The mess and her pressing problems could wait until morning. Right now, Laleh desperately needed sleep.

But the sound of Pike moving around on the couch kept her awake. Even after the trauma she'd just suffered, Laleh's mind automatically jumped to the question of what, exactly, Pike was wearing. Had he only shucked his jacket? Had he stripped down to his skivvies and nothing else? Was his chest smooth or lightly haired?

Just because she'd never been with a man in
that
way didn't mean Laleh wasn't curious. When it came to sex, she'd lived a surprisingly sheltered life. Her mother's strident desire to protect Laleh from the evils of men had prevented her from doing much more than sharing a few tongue kisses or having her breasts fondled through her shirt.