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  "Yeah," said Eden, nodding fervently. "I think I've achieved my adrenaline fix, thank you very much. Arleda, is your ship close by?"

  "Are you still driving around that hoverbike?" asked Thiago, peering around at his surroundings.

  Eden couldn't believe it. Not only was Arleda built like a voluptuous comic book heroine, she apparently kicked ass like one, too. She imagined Arleda on a glinting speedster bike, gliding through a backdrop of heavenly skies as her perfect hair whipped back in the wind.

  "I finally decided to sell my old girl," said Arleda, unfurling her bottom lip. She sighed for effect. "I made sure to find her a good home. I have a ship of my own now. It had been acting up much more recently, so I decided to take it to the repair shop at Runic Central, but of course, with my luck, it broke down. Now it's completely dead. I've tried everything, but that thing isn't budging."

  "Oh no," said Eden. "Where did it break down?"

  "Not too far from here. I was out here looking for help when I found you."

  "I can head back to my ship and call a towing company."

  "You could also hitch a ride with us," Eden blurted. Her heart raced, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she might be inviting trouble. But Arleda saved her life, and Eden felt grateful. She didn't want to leave Arleda stranded. Besides, Thiago and Eden's exclusivity was only sanctified through a shady intergalactic operation involving TerraMates and an underground auction house.

  Wasn't it?

  "I don't know if that's such a good idea," Thiago muttered, scratching the back of his head.

  "That's very kind of you to offer, Eden," said Arleda. Something about the tone of her voice told Eden she wasn't entirely sincere. "I don't want to put anyone out."

  "All right, then don't."

  "You won't be!" Eden reassured her, shooting Thiago a deathly glare. She spoke through gritted teeth. "What Thiago meant to say was, we would be glad to tow your ship. It's the least we can do."

  "It's the least you can do," Thiago pointed out, staring blankly at Eden. Noting the vein bulging out of Eden's temple, he swiftly changed his tune. "Sure. Whatever! Show me your ship, and we'll get it hooked onto the back of mine. "

  "Wonderful! I think I've got an inflatable hovering pad lying around somewhere," said Arleda gleefully. She turned to Thiago, smiling brightly. "Oh Thi-ger, I'll need your help fastening my craft to yours."

  "Lead the way. I'll be right behind you."

  "Don't keep her waiting, Thi-ger," Eden grumbled under her breath. She bitterly crushed a piece of gravel under her remaining boot.

  "What was that?"

  "I didn't say anything," Eden said innocently, her cheeks blushing furiously. "I'll get myself washed up. Herc and I will meet you guys back at your ship. "

  "Right. We won't be long," said Thiago slowly. As he walked away from her, there was an inkling of a smile lingering on his lips.

  "Come on, Hercules, let's go. I need a shower to wash off this stink," said Eden as Hercules settled next to her. She stroked the top of his furry head as the creature nuzzled lovingly against her side. "What were you thinking, scaring Arleda like that? That wasn't very nice of you."

  Hercules blubbered in resentment as if to defend himself.

  "Whatever you say, Mr. Grumpy," said Eden sternly. She nudged him with her knee, easing the creature off the ground. "Come on now, let's get out of here."

  Eden paused, catching a glimpse of Arleda and Thiago out of the corner of her eye. She watched a giggling Arleda touch Thiago gently on the arm. The distance between the pair was steadily shrinking. A twist of dread brewed in the pit of her stomach. Eden averted her spying eyes and began moving back to Thiago's spaceship.

  Perhaps asking Thiago's ex-flame to tag along wasn't a great idea after all.

  Chapter 14

  "Your ship hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here, and that was almost two years ago," Arleda mused, stroking her chin. "Would you like me to set you up with an interior designer? You can have Jacqua's information. The man is a miracle. He'll know what to do to fix this place up."

  "I'm not interested, but thanks," said Thiago from the passenger's seat.

  He pulled back the green lever next to his steering controls. Mirrors from either side of the ship disengaged, mechanically setting themselves into position. He peered into each mirror, wanting to make sure Arleda's luxurious ship was still firmly attached to the hover pad latched to the back of his spaceship. Hearing the familiar sound of Arleda bustling about behind him as she loudly began to rearrange his furniture, his grip tightened on the wheel.

  "Arleda," said Thiago loudly, hoping to distract her. He checked out Arleda's ship through the mirrors again. It was a luxurious triple-decker vessel with top-of-the-line lights and shields with sleek stripes the color of ruby and onyx. The ship had weapons, too; there was a large turret on the roof and four archer missile launchers fused to the sides. It was a terrifying combination of violence and femininity. "That ship of yours is quite the looker. How much did she cost?"

  "Isn't it grand?" Arleda agreed, beaming in admiration. "You better be extra careful with her. That's my baby you've got back there! It didn't come cheap, but I finally decided something. After all these years on the road, I wasted too much time breaking my back and eliminating one bad guy at a time. I'd never taken any time to do anything for myself, so I decided I deserved a treat."

  Thiago snickered but instantly clammed up and looked behind himself when Arleda fell silent. She narrowed her eyes in Thiago's direction. The tiny diamond hoop around her left nostril jiggled as they flared.

  "Do you find something funny, Thiago?"

  "Not at all," said Thiago. His face lost all emotion as he nodded at her to continue. "Sorry. What were you were saying?"

  "I decided to splurge. It put a five million credit hole in my pocket, but it is well worth it if you ask me."

  "Five million what?" Thiago repeated. He was flabbergasted. Thiago's eyes flashed as he turned to question her. "Are you talking about a different type of credit?"

  "Full-fledged, intergalactically accepted credits. Of course!" replied Arleda without missing a beat.

  "Well then – in that case, good for you."

  Thiago turned back to face the windshield. He kept his eyes straight in front of him as the spaceship glided through the clouds and burnt sienna haze of the sunset. Although he tried not to show any emotion, something didn't feel right. Warning bells were ringing in his head.

  He had only been with Arleda for a short time, but for the six months they decided to join forces and work together, he'd gotten a taste of Arleda's deep-seated gambling addiction. Although he'd caught onto her vice soon after their partnership began, he initially refrained from interfering because she was a terrific fighter.

  Like Thiago, she had grown up without her parents. The difference between the two was that she had no recollection of them at all. After she bounced around from one foster home to another, each with living conditions and harsh environments more deplorable than the next, she finally ended up on the streets.

  A Thymore alien named Demitri took Arleda under his wing when she was twelve years old. A disgraced monk from one of the most famous monasteries on the planet, Demitri banded a group of homeless street urchins together into an organized gang. The children scoured shops and broke into residences for food and valuables under their leader's direction. The group stayed together for years until Demitri's sudden and unexplained disappearance.

  With no manipulative glue to hold the children together, they disbanded. At the time, Arleda was seventeen. Armed with years of monastic martial arts training and street smarts honed to near-perfection, she set out to take on the world by herself.

  Arleda had some of the quickest reflexes Thiago had ever seen. She had pinned him down on multiple occasions when they regularly trained together. But when Arleda began showing up late to their missions from late-night card games at underground casinos, half-awake and grumpy from another subst
antial loss, Thiago grew weary of her. When she failed up to show up for the third mission in a row, and he found her barely lucid and immersed in an all-night card game, it was enough for him.

  He made the logical decision of cutting ties with her before she could drag him down. He hadn't thought about her since then, but as Arleda had mentioned, nearly two years had passed. Thiago wanted to keep things civil with Arleda for the sake of Eden. He should make an effort to give her the benefit of the doubt. Two years were long enough for people to change. Maybe Arleda truly had a change of heart, and she was prepared to leave the past behind her.

  Arleda lifted her nose in the air, sniffing defensively. "I don't think I like the accusatory tone in your voice. Am I detecting a hint of jealousy?"

  "There's no tone, Arleda. I don't know what you mean."

  "If you must know, our break-up turned out to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. For one thing, I'm getting a hundred percent of my bounty rewards." She signed. "I tried to be classy and raise myself above petty bickering, but you know what I think?"

  "I most certainly do not. Do I look like a mind reader to you?"

  "I think it bothers you to see me succeed."

  "Don't be ridiculous, Arleda. You're welcome to think what you'd like, but I'm genuinely happy to see you back on your feet again."

  "Oh, Thi-ger," Arleda drawled. She slunk up to him, walking her fingers along the curves of his ear. Thiago's shoulders stiffened as he felt the contours of her breasts gently pressed against his back. He leaned away from her as she continued. "You know, I could always tell when you're lying."

  "What's going on, guys?"

  Eden strolled through the doorway of the cockpit as she wrung out her muted copper hair with a towel. Feeling refreshed after a much-needed shower, she had dumped her shredded clothes, and currently wore a crisp tangerine jumpsuit. Thiago's eyes darted to the indoor mirror Eden had installed a few days ago, settling on her reflection. He observed a drop in Eden's jumpsuit zipper, revealing a dimple of her cleavage. He smiled to himself as his eyes moving back to the windshield.

  "I'm sorry," said Eden. Her voice was slightly shaky. "Am I interrupting something?"

  "Oh, no," said Arleda, her full, pearly-white grin returning. She sauntered away from Thiago's side. "We were merely reminiscing, weren't we, Thiago?"

  "Whatever you say."

  "Sounds like fun," said Eden. She gave up her attempt to keep the towel knotted in place around her head and sighed. "I wish you had something to dry my hair around here. Are you hungry? I was on my way to put something in the oven to eat."

  "Not me, thanks. But what's that I hear? Thiago, have you been forcing Eden to live with your grotesque man-products? You poor thing," said Arleda, holding a hand to her chest sympathetically. She strode over to a chrome trunk she had brought on board.

  Arleda popped it open. A soft whirring sound emitted from the container as three tiers rose to the top. Eden's eyes lit up. Arleda had packed it with an incredible selection of neatly presented beauty products. Sparkling compact powders and eyeshadow palettes swirled in beautiful containers.

  "That looks fantastic," breathed Eden. Her mouth watered at what looked like an entire cosmic Sephora aisle sitting inside the trunk.

  "Doesn't it?" said Arleda proudly. She studied Eden's shoes and began shaking her head in pity. "Oh honey, don't tell me, let me guess. Thiago did the shoe shopping for you, didn't he? The only time a woman would ever choose buckles that size and in those awful color would be at gunpoint. Let me see if I can find something in here for you."

  "It's okay. These shoes aren't runway-worthy, but they are pretty comfortable. I'm not sure we're the same size."

  "Please. You're not on Earth any longer. My feet are sensitive to anything other than the most fashionable designer smart shoes available in the galaxy. All my shoes and clothes adjust to the wearer's proportions."

  Before Eden could politely decline again, Arleda stooped down and began rifling through the bottom level of the trunk. Eden gasped as Arleda pulled out and displayed a series of trendsetting shoes that would put all the Kardashian sisters to shame. The bold designs and vibrant splashes of color were nothing like Eden had ever seen back on Earth. They ranged from boots to platforms to double and triple-wedged heels with all sorts of complicated knots, unnecessary zippers, and shoe beds that made you stand at unexpected angles. Eden's eyes remained fixed on a pair of gladiator-like heels with crisscrossing beige straps running up to the knees. Its heels were thick, transparent wedges filled with neon-colored tadpoles swimming in pink-tinted water.

  Arleda watched Eden devour the shoes with her eyes. She smiled, scooping up the gladiator heels and handing them over to Eden. "Go ahead. Try them on."

  "I don't know if I should."

  "Don't be shy," Arleda urged encouragingly. Her eyes brightened with an idea that cropped up in her mind. She turned over to the driver's seat, calling out to Thiago. "Why don't we make a quick pit stop at the Odi Pauperum Lounge? We'll all get some dinner and get to know each other some more. It will be my treat!"

  "That sounds fancy," said Eden, who was only half-listening as she admired her shoes. She had slipped into the gladiator heels, which perfectly molded to the shape of her feet.

  "It's beautiful! I'm sure Thiago doesn't bring you out much. It's a pity."

  "You're talking about one of the most expensive parts of Runic Territory," said Thiago solemnly, keeping his eyes focused outside. "Security there is airtight. How would you expect Eden to get around?"

  "Have you forgotten that I have the best prosthetics and make-up products in the galaxy?" said Arleda confidently, her mind clearly set on the idea. "Come on Thiago, it will be just like we used to do an operation when we went undercover."

  "That was different. We were working. The lounge could be dangerous for Eden."

  "It will be just like the old days. Don't be that way, Thiago," Arleda pleaded. She looked at Eden meaningfully for support.

  "Don't we have to eat?" said Eden, smiling. She was becoming increasingly stir-crazy and was dying to get out of Thiago's spaceship. "I know the rules. I won't draw any attention to myself. You'll be there the whole time!"

  "I, on the other hand, have a plan for Eden's new look," said Arleda, rubbing her hands. She winked at Eden. "I've got a whole wardrobe of clothes back on my ship. So many, in fact, I still haven't gotten around to wearing them all. You are in excellent hands."

  Thiago frowned as he thought about his situation. He could hear a quiver of eager anticipation in Eden's voice, and he couldn't bring himself to be the one to extinguish her dreams. He looked back to see Eden and Arleda hunched towards each other, talking and giggling behind him inaudibly.

  To his surprise, Arleda seemed to be genuinely attempting not only civility but generosity towards Eden. Eden wasn't just any woman – she was a human woman. Two years ago, he would have laughed himself silly if someone had suggested Arleda was capable of conversing with an alien. Today, here he was, witnessing it with his eyes.

  "I suppose we can stop by at that lounge. Two hours at most, then we have to leave."

  His chest warmed at the sound of Eden's gleeful squeals. Arleda whisked her away and out of the cockpit, activating the drone features of the trunk with a remote control. The trunk ascended from the floor, slowly following them.

  Thiago pursed his lips thoughtfully as he set course for the restaurant. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to let his guard down a little around Arleda. She was his former partner, after all. Perhaps she had changed for the better.

  Chapter 15

  "Are we ready to leave yet?"

  Thiago slid down the couch, groaning miserably. He had been alone for too long and forgotten how long it took one woman to get ready to go out, let alone two. He managed to stop the impatient tapping of his boot against the floor and rose from his seat, shuffling into the kitchen. Smoothing the length of white-blonde hair he had neatly slicked back for the occasion, he examined his reflecti
on on the reflective surface of the overhanging cupboard.

  He had never been the type to loiter in front of mirrors. Now that he found himself looking at his face, he couldn't deny the real change in his appearance since Eden's arrival. Perhaps the 'cuddling' thing Eden insisted on after love-making had affected him more than he cared to admit. The saggy bags under his eyes were less prominent than before.

  The acute bouts of pain that plagued his limbs from overzealous physical exertion on his missions still bothered him daily. Instead of being left to toss and turn on his spacious old bed in complete solitude, which typically woke him up multiple times in a single night, he found himself sleeping better than ever. Something about Eden's presence assured him a night of satisfying sleep, not unlike that of a hibernating Hercules with a store of food in his belly big enough to render him immovable through winter.

  Thiago flattened the creases on the overlapping dark denim lapels of his coat. The leather sleeves of his rarely used formal wear breathed lightly with each of his movements.

  He examined a square steel band around his wrist. He had bolted the center himself with a single piece of burnt screw found in the remains of his father's workshop. He pressed down on the button, making ghostly green digits project onto his arm.

  "Come on, Arleda, Eden. You said we were going to leave in five minutes. That was half an hour ago."

  Thiago spun around at the noise of the bathroom door opening. Arleda paraded into the room. Half of her pushed-up breasts poured out of a tiny strapless dress miraculously clinging to her body. She twirled around, showing off dizzying intricate patterns on her gaudy golden dress and a peek of her butt.

  "Do you like it?"

  He blinked, averting his eyes from her open invitation. Thiago managed to focus his attention on her hair instead, which Arleda had intricately coiled around her head like a nest of pink snakes.

  "You look lovely," said Thiago tonelessly. He stretched out his neck, his eyes gliding right past Arleda's shoulder. "Now where's Eden?" Thiago gulped, feeling his words trail off at the abrupt knotting in his chest.