Grunting, disgusted with the events of the day and his black temper, he rolled onto his side, his back to Tru, and willed himself to sleep.
Chapter 3
A hand on his arm jerked Nick awake, heart pounding in his throat as screams echoed from the nightmare. Instinctively, he exploded off the bed, and shoved the figure bending over him against the bulkhead with enough force to expel a whoosh of air against his face. Adrenaline thundered through his veins, tightening muscles to steel. He rammed a forearm against a soft throat and leaned his full weight against the smaller body trying to buck him off. It took a moment for him to shake off the effects of his dream and recognize Tru making gurgling noises as she struggled to move his arm off her neck. Huge blue eyes, darkened almost to black, stared back at him.
Lightning fast, he released her, stepped back and ran a shaking hand through his short hair.
“What kind of fucking idiot sneaks up on a sleeping man?” he roared, more shaken than he cared to admit. He hadn’t been in control of his actions. “I could have killed you. Sonofabitch!”
Needing physical release, he punched the steel locker compartment nearest him. He didn’t feel the pain as his knuckles split.
It gave him little satisfaction when Tru jumped. He kept his distance as she rubbed her neck and slid as far away from him as possible in the confined space. Nick hadn’t been gentle and she’d be sporting a new set of bruises by morning.
“I’m s-sorry,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she turned her head away, making him all too aware of the fury pouring off him in waves.
He fought for calm.
“You were moaning in your sleep. I thought only to wake you to see if you were ill.”
He dropped his head, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths to gain control of himself. Opening his eyes, he took a good look at Tru, huddled on the bunk, her back to the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t meet his gaze, but her mouth was set in mutinous lines. He was surprised she wasn’t crying. Obviously, she was made of sterner stuff.
He made an effort to gentle his voice. “I’m rarely ill.”
No doubt about it, she was a mess. Not only did the right side of her face sport a nasty bruise, complete with a black eye, but now her throat showed marks of their most recent clash. He wasn’t the kind of man who enjoyed hurting women. For the most part, he respected and liked them. He enjoyed intimacy with them. So, hurting her, even though it hadn’t been deliberate, embarrassed and disturbed him. Dishonorable in his mind.
Crouching in front of the bunk brought them eye level, and he sought her gaze, holding it with the sheer power of his will. The skin around his eyes felt tight and he clenched his teeth until they hurt. A headache pounded behind his eyes.
“Don’t...don’t ever do that again. You’re just lucky to escape with only a few bruises to add to your collection. You could be dead. Do I make myself clear?”
She might not like it, but she was smart enough to nod. Frustration, anger with himself and the residual echo of helplessness from his nightmare made him wonder what possessed her to believe she would be safer with him than taking her chances on Lodestone. At the moment, he felt like a very poor bargain.
Too many sickening memories crowded his mind, echoes from a past he tried to forget. He’d seen too much death and devastation during the war on Tonlith and the old, helpless rage burned like vitriol through his bloodstream, putting him on edge. It had been a mistake to think about the past earlier, and he had paid the expected price for his foolishness. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been the only victim. He hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in a long time.
Nick rose from his crouch and went to a cabinet to remove a compress. Twisting it released the gas inside and instantly cooled the slick material. He handed it to Tru and she pressed it against the tender skin on her throat.
He waited, giving her time to gather herself. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t avoid him for long. If nothing else, curiosity would eventually get the best of her.
“What?” she snapped.
She seemed mad at herself for losing the silent battle of wills. He couldn’t blame her for refusing to look at him, but when she raised her chin to glare at him, he knew she was a fighter. For some reason he felt the stirrings of perverse admiration in the face of her dogged determination.
“We have not gotten off to a good start, Tru Creighton, and I still do not know what you want from me or what you’re running from,” he said gruffly. “But, I swear I do not mean to hurt you and I regret you have been injured in my care.”
For an apology, it wasn’t bad. Stilted, but not bad. Threads of anger still wove their way through the words, but they were sincere. He wasn’t much for apologizing at the best of times, but it was important to him she understood he didn’t mean to hurt her.
Not knowing what to expect, it still caught him by surprise when the starch went out of her and she wilted against the wall behind her. She started to shake. He’d seen it often enough in battle to realize she’d reached an emotional overload and couldn’t take much more. He experienced an uncomfortable flash of panic while his mind grappled with what he should do in the face of one small female falling apart. Men he could deal with; women were ever a mystery. In his limited experience, telling her to pull herself together would solve nothing and, quite possibly, make everything worse.
“I need your help. I’m in so much trouble and I...I don’t know what to do. I’m so afraid.” She dropped her forehead onto her raised knees and wrapped her arms around them. Deep shudders wracked her body. “Please,” she begged in a whisper, “please.”
She looked so small and defenseless curled in on herself, and he was so screwed. If he were honest with himself, he had been since their first meeting. He didn’t want to bring trouble into his life but was helpless to turn her away.
Nick eased onto the bunk beside her and awkwardly patted her shoulder, offering rough comfort. He grunted when she threw herself into his arms. Instinctively, he wrapped them around her and cradled her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. Silky curls caught on the whiskers on his jaw and he sucked in a deep breath. He was surprised his body responded to the warm weight he held. It had been a while since he’d felt the stirrings of desire, and he shifted to ease his discomfort.
He held her while she wept on his shoulder. Held her until the tremors quit shaking her small frame and she finally leaned, spent, against him. As she stirred, he released her. Didn’t comment when she placed a hand against the bare skin over his heart, although it shocked him nearly speechless. She looked up at him with tear-drenched eyes and Nick raised a finger to catch a drop as it slid down her cheek. What the hell had just happened? Off balance, he stood up and moved to the bunk across from her. It was unnerving to acknowledge he needed the distance between them, no matter how small.
“What are you running from, Tru?” he asked with a resigned sigh. He had some of the pieces, but he still hadn’t figured out a lot. He saw her weighing her words, deciding just how much to trust him.
“Have you heard of Creighton Mutual?” She wiped wetness from her cheeks with the heels of her hands.
He froze at the name of the largest and most prestigious investment company on three worlds. Hell, he’d even put some of his hard-earned credits in the multiple businesses falling under Creighton’s banner.
“Of course,” he replied dryly. “Who hasn’t?” There had been no mention of her connection to Creighton Mutual, not surprising if someone wanted to keep pertinent pieces of information buried. Regardless, he should have made the connection when doing his research. He must have been more tired than he’d thought, to have