A half-crazed smile drifted over Gunner’s lips, making her shiver. She’d never seen him look the way he did now. “The deal and its terms have nothing to do with you. And, Chesnik, is it? It’s time for yourdaughterto pay up.”
***
GUNNER WAS HAVING Ahard time keeping his systems running smoothly. Every other minute, they stopped and restarted. They rebooted. But each time they did, the process was shorter, his nanocells changing to battle Ballsy’s disruption. He was slowly returning to a fully functioning machine.But not fucking fast enough.
Elodie was safe, standing several feet away from him, though her father had murder in his eyes.No more patience.
It was gone. His muscles bunched and released and most of the bullets still embedded in his back popped out to hit the floor with ringing clangs.
“Get out,” he growled at Chesnik.
“Fuck you. We want nothing from you.”
“It’s not your decision.”
He shot a look at Elodie. She appeared lost. How could she not be? It was the choice between him, a maniac, or her dad, a mere mortal who risked his life to break her out of the brig. They both had risked their lives for her. But the difference, he knew, was that he didn’t make her life easier in the process. He made it harder.
Gunner wasn’t going to leave the choice up to her.
“If you don’t leave now,” he snarled, “I’ll have to force you. And if I do, you’ll never see your daughter again.” He meant it to be a lie, but after the words came out, he wasn’t so sure.
To his shock, Elodie spoke out. “Dad. Leave.”
Chesnik stared at her. “I’m not leaving you alone with him. He’ll have to kill me first.”
“I made a deal. I did so willingly. I knew the risks and what I was asking for. I’m not a goddamned child! Listen to Gunner and leave.”
“So you call...it by a name? What’s gotten into you, boy?”
She held her ground. Held her own. But Gunner knew if she couldn’t persuade her dad to leave soon, he was going to force the issue and it wouldn’t be pretty.
“Nothing. Nothing’s gotten into me.” Elodie suddenly turned on him and Gunner leaned back into the damaged wall. “Is it safe for him if he leaves?”
“Yes. If he makes it back out of the underbelly but seeing—” a pulse rippled through him, stopping his words. Elodie had already turned back toward her dad before he could continue.
“Please leave us. He says it’s safe. If he says it’s safe, I believe him. It’s part of our deal.”
Chesnik rose to his feet. “What’s this deal?”
“Our safety and the safety of those in the brig. He’s going to get all of us off this ship alive. That’s his end of the bargain.”
“And you trust him?”
Gunner watched her face. He wanted to know the answer more than anyone. Now that the question was out in the open, he couldn’t focus on anything else.
“Yes.”
Yes.The word punched him in the gut. It was everything. Elodietrustedhim.
Trusted him.Had anyone ever trusted him before?
“You’ve lost your mind,girl,” Chesnik replied in a bitter, despondent tone. “Your damn mind.”
“Get. Out.” Gunner wouldn’t tell him again. They shared a withering stare but Chesnik slammed the gun onto the table and moved toward the door. Gunner walked him to the exit.
“Dad,” Elodie pleaded and took a step forward. Gunner stopped her with a dark glance over his shoulder.
I’m not going to let you go. Not so easily.
