Part 9 (2/2)
The moment he opened the door and saw the cramped closet-sized hole that was her room, he wanted blood.
This was utter bulls.h.i.+t!
He stepped back to leave at the same time the bathroom door opened.
It wasn't Galene.
Dressed in only a towel while drying his hair with another, Talyn came out to glare at him. ”Don't you f.u.c.king knock?”
”I thought this was your mother's room.”
Lowering the towel in his hand, Talyn arched a brow at that and gave him a withering glower. ”Are you trying to p.i.s.s me off? Or is this a natural talent you possess?”
”Apparently, it's an innate skill where you're concerned.”
That p.i.s.s-poor attempt at humor didn't resolve any of the tension in the room. If anything, it made it worse.
Fain sighed at his other raw talent making bad situations fatal. He'd never been good at diffusing things. Only blowing them up. ”Since I have you alone for a minute, can I ask you something?”
”Yes. You're an a.s.shole. I took a survey and everyone agrees.” Talyn didn't lose a beat or crack the slightest trace of a smile. His delivery was totally deadpan.
Fain would have been more ticked off had it not been something he would have said to someone he hated, had he ever thought of it.
Talyn hung the towel around his neck and held it with both hands as he leaned against the bathroom door to watch him. ”Are you going to ask it, or stand there staring at me like a perv?”
d.a.m.n, the kid had way too much of him in his DNA. Poor Galene that she had to put up with him. ”That look you gave Venik earlier. What was behind it?”
”He was so cute and fluffy, I couldn't help noticing.”
Fain rolled his eyes. d.a.m.n, that level of bad att.i.tude must be hardwired into all Hauk DNA.
”You two have history. Since we're supposed to be working together and I'm the lucky moron a.s.signed to this disaster, I don't want to get blindsided by bad blood. What's the deal between you two?”
Talyn let out a long, annoyed breath before he answered. ”I merely found it amusing that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d didn't remember meeting me nine years ago when he held a blaster to my head and threatened to pull the trigger.”
Nine years ago...
Fain's eyes widened as he remembered the one and only time Andarions had infiltrated this station and infuriated Venik to the point of murder. The Tavali had been sheltering Eriadne eton Anatole during the Andarion civil war that had only ended when Cairistiona was crowned and her mother deposed. ”You were part of the Andarion strike force that came here to retrieve the former tadara?”
”I was the commander of it.” Talyn moved to the cot to pull out his clothes.
”Why didn't you tell your mother about that?”
He glared at Fain. ”To what purpose? She needs her head clear to lead. It's my baggage to carry. Not hers. She has enough to deal with. She doesn't need to know Venik almost killed me. Especially since he can't even remember it.”
As Fain watched him digging through his duffel, he noticed something else peculiar about his son.
Without a word, he took Talyn's hand into his and scowled at the tattoo Talyn had in a band around his unification finger. Written in Andarion were the words ”Forever Felicia's.”
Because Talyn couldn't legally marry or even buy or wear a wedding ring, or bear Felicia's family crest in any way, Talyn must have done that as a way of publicly honoring his female. Of showing the universe he was committed to her.
Laws be d.a.m.ned.
Ever defiant. That particular tattoo was a bold move on Andaria, where Talyn could be arrested for it if the wrong official happened to see it, and was in a particularly s.h.i.+tty mood.
Growling at him, Talyn jerked his hand out of Fain's grasp.
Fain stepped back, his gaze falling to the photo on the bed of a beautiful Andarion female, sitting at a white desk with her chin resting on her hand as she smiled sweetly at the photographer. ”Felicia?”
”It's none of your business, old man.” Talyn tucked the picture in the bag, but Fain didn't miss the care he took to protect it from harm.
Realizing anything he said or did would only p.i.s.s his son off more, Fain opened the door to leave. But as he did so, he felt the twenty-degree difference between the hallway and the stifling temperature in Talyn's room. ”Why's it so hot in here?”
”Air's broken.”
”You report it?”
Talyn gave him a droll stare. ”No. I live for sweltering heat. At home, I'd have to pay good credits for a sauna this extreme.”
He ignored the dripping sarcasm. ”What did they say?”
”I'm on the list. They'll get to it when they have time. Now, if you don't mind, I've already given you one free show. That's my limit and there's not enough room in here to dress with you standing on top of me.”
No, there wasn't.
Furious with his Tavali comrades, Fain left and pulled out his link. He called the Station Support Center to ask about the lovely Andarion accommodations, and was greeted with proud laughter.
”Yeah, we put the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds in the slag block quarters.”
Fain's vision darkened. ”I want them moved,” he growled. ”Immediately. They're here to help us, not be hazed.”
”You're serious, Hauk?”
”More than serious. I want them out of here faster than you can tel-a.s.s, and the Baturs are to be given family accommodations, with all working facilities. If not, I'm making a personal visit up there, shoving my foot up your collective a.s.ses, and none of you are going to be walking out of that room tonight. You understand me?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Good. You have twenty minutes. Run, a.s.sholes. Fast.” Fain hung up and almost walked into Galene as she was headed for Talyn's room.
For the merest instant, he saw the way she used to look at him... like he was her hero. ”You didn't have to do that.”
Fain's body reacted instantly to her presence. Dammit. All he wanted was to hold her again. To kiss those perfect lips...
But she'd viciously attack him if he tried. He could feel her slap already.
Clearing his throat, he tried to ignore how much he still loved her. But it was even harder than his body was. ”I didn't bring you here to be abused. And I'm not about to leave Talyn sweltering in a cell so small he doesn't have enough room to change his mind.”
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