Crimson Read online

  “Why would anyone do that?” she asked, horrified at the prospect of someone harboring Roark.

  “He’s a powerful man with a lot of powerful friends. It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Morgan said. “You forget, people put us up knowing we were wanted.”

  Red thought about Jonah and the Sand Moles. Morgan was right. Roark may be an asshole, but that didn’t mean everyone believed he was in the wrong.

  Do not worry yourself, Raphael said, using their mental pathway. I have no doubt I could find him. His stench permeated my brother’s flesh. The odor stays with me to this day. He will not escape justice.

  I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Do you feel pain when I do? Red asked.

  He frowned. No, why do you ask?

  Melea said something about Demery being able to feel her pain.

  Ah, you mean a blood bond. You and I have not experienced such a thing, Raphael said.

  But you drank my blood and I drank yours, Red said.

  There’s more to it than that. A sexual element. We’d have to exchange blood multiple times for it to occur.

  Why didn’t she say that? Red asked.

  She might not remember. Memory grows fuzzy with blood loss.

  Oh, she said.

  You sound disappointed, Raphael said, glancing at Catherine. His gaze warmed.

  Not at all. More like relieved.

  Raphael laughed.

  Morgan’s amber eyes met Raphael’s black ones, then he looked at Red. He knew they were talking and if his expression was any indication, Morgan wasn’t happy about being left out of the conversation.

  Roark is ours, he said mentally, slamming the thought into Raphael’s mind loud enough for Red to hear it.

  Morgan is right. I know you hurt over what he did to Michael, she said.

  He destroyed my brother, Raphael said. Gone was the humor. It had been replaced by anguish.

  I know, Red said. And he will pay. I promise. But first we have to get through this. She raised her cuffed hands in reminder.

  Raphael’s expression soured, but he eventually nodded. I will not harm him—much—if I find him. I’ll make sure there’s some left to chew on.

  As reassurances go, it wasn’t the greatest, but Red knew it was the best she could hope for under the circumstances. The trip back to IPTT was long and uneventful. One of the few shuttle rides she could say that about as of late. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, so she stopped trying. It wasn’t until the vehicle halted that she realized she’d fallen asleep with her head on Morgan’s shoulder.

  “Sorry,” she said, shaking her head to wake up.

  He smiled down at her. “It’s okay. It was nice.”

  “Ready to go?” her grandfather asked.

  Red nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Over a hundred tactical team members had turned up at the shuttle lot. She didn’t recognize many of the faces, which meant most had just come here to get a look at the hottest news to hit the planet in a few decades. Red straightened her shoulders and held her head high. She wasn’t about to cower under their regard. She’d done nothing wrong. And in a couple of days, she’d get her chance to prove it.

  Her grandfather and ten armed men led them into IPTT headquarters. There they were processed by more team members. Her grandfather never left her side as images were taken, along with their statements. Morgan turned over Kane’s journal. These would be logged into the official compunit banks as evidence. The republic leaders would listen to them and read the files, then conduct the tribunal.

  Red had no doubt it would take at least a week before they would hear an official verdict in their case. She hoped that Catherine, Raphael, and Melea were released after they gave their statements. Despite the power cuffs, Catherine was still considered a member of IPTT in good standing. Her grandfather had even discussed promoting her.

  As for Bannon Richards, they’d know what had happened to him once the dissecting lab examined him. Red had no doubt he’d somehow become another one of Roark Montgomery’s casualties. With any luck, he’d be the last. Red tried to muster sympathy for him, but she was fresh out.

  chapter thirty-two

  T

  he tribunal was long and arduous. Red and Morgan were interviewed together and separately. The republic leaders were particularly interested in the existence of the Others and what effect they’d have on the community. Once Morgan explained that they’d been living with Others for more than a hundred years, they calmed down. At least most of them did. A few worried about the safety of so-called pure-blood people, but fortunately they remained in the minority.

  Red and Morgan reassured the tribunal that a tactical team made up of Others was already being formed and would be available to begin policing the Other community within the month. This quieted the last of the dissenters. Although they did have to agree to allow regular inspections at least until the republic leaders could determine whether the Others posed a credible threat.

  Red supposed that was something. Certainly better than the previous policy of shoot first and ask questions later. The next three days were spent testifying about Roark Montgomery’s actions. He’d fled shortly after the broadcast of him ordering the hit and hadn’t been seen since. The tribunal assured them that they had people looking for him and it was only a matter of time before he was found.

  Red listened attentively because she knew that’s what was expected of her, but she thoroughly disagreed. Roark wouldn’t be easy to find. He was used to slipping through nets. And she had no doubt that he had more than a few friends sitting on this tribunal, even if they weren’t actively defending him now.

  On day six, Red and Morgan walked into the tribunal to await their ruling. Red had spent the night staring at the ceiling of her old quarters. The place felt foreign compared to where she’d been in the last few weeks.

  Nothing smelled right or tasted the same. She’d walked around the room picking up objects that should’ve been familiar, but weren’t. They might as well have belonged to a stranger. Well, everything but the navcom that now encircled her wrist.

  She still couldn’t believe that her grandfather had resurrected Rita. She rubbed the familiar band, resisting the urge to power up. Red hadn’t had a chance to see if she still sounded the same. Her grandfather had assured her she did, but Red wanted to hear her navcom’s voice for herself. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until the verdicts were read. She didn’t want Rita alerting the tribunal to her elevated heart rate.

  Red grasped Morgan’s hand. He squeezed hers back, but didn’t look over. Instead, he stared straight ahead, his body at attention. He looked so proud and handsome that once again she remembered why she loved him so much. Robert Santiago walked into the room and Red automatically saluted the commander. Ten years of training drilled into her head was hard to forget.

  “All rise,” the leader of the tribunal said.

  The other members stood, scooting back their chairs. Red looked at their faces, attempting to read their expressions, but it was impossible. She inhaled, sifting through their scents. Most gave off clean odors. There were a few that held a slightly sour smell, which could be attributed to nerves or diet. Overall, she didn’t sense lies or deception. She hoped that was a good sign.

  “Have you reached verdicts?” the leader asked.

  “We have, illustrious one,” the group said as one.

  He nodded. “What say you on the charges of escaping detention and eluding arrest? Guilty or not guilty?”

  Red’s heart thundered and her ears began to buzz as her blood roared through her veins. She swayed. Morgan tightened his hold on her hand until pain shot through her fingers. The discomfort forced her to focus and the panic receded.

  “Not guilty with special circumstances,” the group said.

  She knew that was a formal way of saying she and Morgan had just cause to flee.

  Morgan turned to her and smiled. He pulled her into his arms a second lat
er and kissed her. “Told you everything was going to be okay.”

  He had, but Red didn’t dare hope in case things hadn’t gone their way. “We’re finally free,” she said.

  “Yes, and we can go home. I found out they released Raphael, Melea, and Catherine a couple of days ago.”

  “How?” Red asked.

  “Your grandfather told me,” Morgan said. “They even gave Melea a chip, so she could stay in the Republic of Arizona.”

  “He came to see you? He didn’t come to see me.”

  Morgan pulled back. “Don’t be too hard on him. He wanted to see you. He just didn’t want to do anything that could be perceived as giving you preferential treatment.”

  That sounded like her grandfather. He always followed the book, even when he disagreed with it.

  “What else did he say to you?” Red asked, genuinely curious. How many times had her grandfather visited Morgan? And what could they find to talk about besides her? Suddenly Red didn’t like the idea of her grandfather visiting without her present.

  “Oh, a little bit of this and that. Mainly guy talk. We had to come to an understanding. If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask him, because I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” His lips twitched.

  “That’s sounds ominous,” Red said. What were they up to?

  “Now that this tribunal is over, I’m sure the commander will have a lot to say to you,” Morgan said, grinning.

  “Why does that not sound like a good thing?” she asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing, I swear,” he said, chuckling.

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Red said, fighting back a smile.

  “Only when it comes to lying to you,” Morgan said. “Go spend some time with your grandfather. Now that we’re free, I need to contact Nuria to have the credits and seeds sent to Jonah. He kept his end of the bargain. It’s time for us to keep ours.” Morgan strolled out of the tribunal.

  Red waited for her grandfather, who was shaking the hands of the republic leaders congratulating them on a job well done. It didn’t take him long. He came over the second he finished.

  “So how does it feel to be free?” he asked.

  “Good,” Red said, pressing the power button on her navcom.

  A nasal voice came out a moment later. “Gina, where have you been? I’ve been unable to contact you for . . . My scanners seem to be unable to recall the date. I will have to run a diagnostic on you and my system to see why.”

  “It’s good to hear your voice, Rita,” Red said.

  “My system detects dehydration and malnutrition. Administering patch fluids now,” Rita said. “You really should take better care of yourself,” she chastised.

  “I was about to ask you if she was working the same,” Red said to her grandfather. “But now I have the answer. How did you ever repair her after Roark crushed her?”

  Robert Santiago’s bushy white brow lowered over his brown eyes. “It wasn’t easy. The tech guys called the job impossible, but they gave it a shot anyway. As you can see, it worked.”

  Red stood on her toes and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

  He patted her back. “There, there, it’s all over now.”

  She held him for a moment longer, then pulled back. Her gaze met his and her expression hardened. “It won’t be over until Roark is caught.”

  “Leave that to the tactical team, special one,” he said, half pleading and half warning.

  “Which team? Mine or yours?” Red asked.

  “So you’re going back?” he asked.

  Red nodded. “I have some things to straighten out in Nuria.” She looked over his shoulder, but Morgan was gone.

  “He loves you, you know,” Robert said. “So do I, Gina.”

  “I love you, too, Grandpa. Always.”

  Red and Morgan returned to Nuria the next morning. Strangely, the town looked the same. Red didn’t know why she’d expected it to have changed. So much had changed for them. Juan and Takeo met them in front of the sheriff’s station.

  “Welcome back,” Juan said. “I told Takeo you’d return soon.”

  “Saw that in a vision, did you?” Red asked, shaking their hands.

  Juan blushed. “Something like that.”

  “He saw it on the viewer like everyone else in town,” Takeo said.

  “Some psychic.” She snorted. “Where’s Raphael and Melea?”

  Takeo stiffened at the mention of the woman’s name.

  “Is there a problem?” Red asked.

  Juan grinned at Takeo. “Nothing that won’t be resolved with time,” he said.

  “Don’t you have work to do?” Takeo asked Juan.

  “Nope, my afternoon is clear,” he said, then turned back to Red. “We’re up to ten team members now, not counting Takeo, Demery, and me.”

  Red tensed. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten all about Demery. The expression on her face must’ve shown her pain because Takeo asked what was wrong.

  “Demery is dead,” she said. “I’m surprised Melea didn’t tell you.”

  Takeo suddenly looked uncomfortable.

  “She hasn’t said much besides ‘keep him away from me,’ ” Juan said, pointing at Takeo.

  Red’s eyes narrowed. “You better not be harassing that woman. She’s been through hell and she saved my life.”

  Takeo held his hands up. “I haven’t touched her,” he said, looking as innocent as possible, but his expression said he would like to. His lovely Asian eyes sparkled with mischief.

  She tapped her arm and waited.

  “I swear,” he said.

  Juan laughed. “He’s telling the truth—sort of. He might not have touched her, but he’s been following her around like a lost puppy for the past two days.”

  Takeo shot him a warning look. “I have not.”

  Red pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

  “I wanted to make sure she was finding everything. She’s never lived in a town before,” Takeo said, as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation for his behavior.

  “Whatever you say,” Red said.

  Morgan touched her shoulder. “I’m going to head inside. I’m sure there is a mountain of paperwork waiting for me. It’ll take time to get reinstated.”

  “I’ll be in, in a moment,” she said.

  “So what happened to Demery?” Juan asked, turning the jovial conversation somber.

  Red didn’t know how to break it to them gently so she came straight out with the truth. “The leader of the Sand Devils and I killed him.”

  The men’s eyes widened and they took an involuntary step back.

  “What is a Sand Devil?” Takeo asked. “And do I really want to know?”

  Juan scowled. “Why would you do that?”

  Red hadn’t had time to mourn Demery’s death. Until now, she’d done her best to forget all about him. But these men deserved an explanation. Demery had been their friend. He had been a friend to them all—at least until things went sideways.

  “The trip didn’t go exactly like we expected. Life was much harder than we’d anticipated. Demery didn’t lie about knowing and trading with several bands of people in no-man’s-land. He was known by almost all. He just left out the fact that he’d gambled Melea away and needed Other blood to get her back,” Red said. “The leader of the Sand Devils, the group that held her, raped and beat her repeatedly. She’s been through so much that I’m amazed she’s survived. That girl is a fighter and she deserves our respect.” She looked straight at the beautiful Asian warrior standing before her.

  Takeo’s face morphed into a mask of pure fury. His slanted eyes glistened and his fangs flashed. She heard a hiss. Red had no doubt the viper was restless beneath his trench coat, ready to strike.

  Juan looked over at his friend, then asked softly, “What happened?”

  Red took a deep breath. Why hadn’t Demery told them what was going on? All he had to do was confide in them, but he hadn’t. I
nstead, he’d played everyone and gotten burned.

  “Demery kidnapped Morgan and helped the leader of the band holding Melea bleed him,” she said. Images of a bloody Morgan strung up at the center of the Sand Devil encampment flashed in her mind. Foolish. They should’ve never taken her mate from her. She’d have killed them all, if given the chance.

  “It’s a good thing Demery’s dead,” Takeo said. Or I’d have killed him myself was left out. His voice was so cold Red shivered.

  “He paid dearly for his mistakes,” she said. “I ripped Demery’s protective suit open right before Reaper, the leader of the Sand Devils, tried to knife me. He missed, but nailed Demery in the process.”

  “So he exploded?” Takeo asked.

  “Yes,” Red said, reliving the horrifying moment. Her stomach flipped, threatening to empty.

  Takeo’s jaw tightened. “He didn’t pay nearly enough, if what you say about the girl is true.”

  Red met his gaze. “She was nothing but chattel to this group and they treated her as such.”

  “I will make sure that doesn’t happen in Nuria,” Takeo vowed.

  Red gave him a small smile. “You do that,” she said, then turned to Juan. “Have you been able to locate Roark yet?”

  He shook his head. “The man seems to have disappeared off the planet, which means he’s found a very good hiding place. I’ve sent two wolves to his old office to check out the prison under his building. If they can get a scent of his blood, it’ll be easier to track him.”

  “Keep me posted.” Red walked to the sheriff’s office, but stopped at the doorway. “I want to thank you both for continuing to build the tactical team and taking care of Nuria while we were gone. I won’t forget it.”

  They shifted uncomfortably under her regard. Red thought she spotted Juan blushing, but he turned before she could be sure.

  “It’s nothing,” Takeo grumbled.

  “If you hear anything else, let me know,” she said.

  “Will do,” Juan said, but he still wouldn’t look at her.

  Red laughed and walked into the sheriff’s station. She found Morgan standing in his office. It looked like the place had been hit by a sandstorm.