Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 148(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Someone clucks his tongue next to me, his gaze glued to the scene below. Sure enough, the female is wiggling her backside, trying to pull out a long piece of scrap metal from under the pile. Jonnas rubs his mouth, and another one of the crew peels off to come and watch what the female is up to.
“All right, that’s enough,” I say, projecting my voice. “Back to work.”
At my side, Jonnas groans. “Oh, come on, boss—”
I shoot him a dangerous look and he puts his hands up, backing away.
“Back to work, you got it.” He jogs away, pretending like he’s always been on task. “Who’s on the crane?”
I stride forward, grabbing each male by his work uniform and shoving him backward, toward the dock we’re supposed to be working on right now. “Show’s over. Back to your stations.” The men break up, but too slowly for my liking. I keep on shoving, making my way to the edge of the platform. “Back to your stations, all of you. And you, human—get out of here. You’re distracting my crew.”
The human finishes jerking on the piece of metal and stumbles backward, falling on her ass. She picks herself up quickly and jumps to her feet, turning to face me. “I got permission to be here! I spoke to…”
Her voice dies as she gazes up at me and a wide smile crosses her face. “Oh my god.”
Oh, kef me.
I know this female.
“Brux!” she cries out happily. “Oh my god! I thought I’d never see you again!” She takes a step forward and holds her hand out, the tips of her fingers barely reaching the edge of the platform.
Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I reach down and grab her by the arm, lightly hauling her up onto the platform beside me as if she weighs nothing. Because she does weigh nothing. Though Melody has filled out in the five years that have passed since I saw her, she’s still a tiny thing, especially next to my much-larger form.
And she beams up at me with that same brilliant smile she cast on me five years ago.
After seeing that adoring expression on her face, I know in my gut it’s going to take me at least five more years to get over seeing her again today.
CHAPTER
TWO
MELODY
You find all kinds of incredible things in a scrap pile. I mean, sure, it’s not glamorous work, but I’ve learned that a lot can be made with discarded things, things nobody else finds value in anymore. I’ve also learned that a cheerful smile and a polite ask will get me a lot of places.
I have permission to dig through the scrap piles at the docks. The moment I see a construction crew arrive on Risda, I find the boss, flutter my lashes and ask nicely, and I get to pick through the discards. Those discards help me earn some coin, and at some point I want to have my own repair business, since I’m not cut out to be a farmer.
Do the crews leer a little when I’m working? Sure. Does that stop me? No. All they can do is look. If I have a problem, the Port custodians will be on things and the work contract will be revoked. I’m not worried. I carry a weapon and I know how to take care of myself.
So when one of the workers starts growling about how I shouldn’t be here, I’m ready to give him a very polite “I talked to your boss” conversation and maybe even a bit of flirting, because you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
But when I turn…I see a familiar face. One that I’ve dreamed of seeing again for the last five years. I didn’t think it would be possible, and yet…
“Oh my god. Brux! Oh my god.” I shove my hand into the air, indicating he should bring me up onto the platform, and I’m both surprised and pleased when he takes it and hauls me up, pulling me to his side.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he grumbles, even as he continues to hold my hand, gazing down at me.
I ignore that. I hear it a lot in my line of work. All I can think about is how he hasn’t changed in five years. The broken horns, still capped off with battered metal. The heavy features, covered with tattoos that crawl up the thick neck and across impossibly broad shoulders. The hard look in his eyes and the swishing tail.
It feels like I’m back in time, five years ago, a scrawny, starving, beaten and cowering pet of an old mesakkah, and Brux is here for me again. That same heady elation flares through me, and sheer joy bubbles in my chest.
I don’t care that it’s been five years. He’s come back. I can’t let him escape me again. I put both of my hands on the big one still grasping my wrist and bring it to my lips, kissing his knuckles. God, even his big, work-callused hands make me so happy. “I can’t believe you’re here! This is such a coincidence. What are you doing on Risda?”