Chase You To The Sun Read online

  “Okay,” she replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. After all, this man owed her nothing – she’d given herself to him willingly, and she knew there were no strings attached.

  He smiled a bit ruefully, apparently picking up on her mood. “Sweet dreams, Lana,” he said softly. “I hope you had fun.”

  “I did,” she assured him. “You’re, uhm, really good at this.”

  “Thanks.” He cracked a roguish smile. “You too, little minx.”

  Lana followed Bruce with her eyes as he strolled out of the room. Her entire body still felt aglow with passion. Why did it make her sad that he wasn’t there to hold her? She’d had casual shags in college. None of them had felt this intense, though. Thinking of what they’d just shared made her wish he’d come back to her.

  Heaving an irritated sigh, Lana hopped out of bed and walked over to the small washing basin in the corner to freshen up a bit. It was bad enough she’d let this happen – it was even worse wanting more of it. She’d spent years trying to push people away in order to avoid getting hurt. Funny that the first person she felt a strange kind of connection with after her mom’s death had to be a man who could hurt her in the most literal sense of the word.

  “Just think of papa,” she muttered to herself. “Just think of the shame you’d bring to him if you let yourself get carried away.”

  And yet, part of her felt there was no need for guilt or shame. As long as she was in this house, far away from everybody she knew, nothing she did would have real consequences in the world outside.

  11.

  The next morning, Svetlana came downstairs as late as possible, wearing a delicate, gossamer shawl wrapped around her neck.

  As she made a beeline for the kitchen to get some juice from the fridge, Shou looked up from his newspaper and shot her a curious look. “Why are you wearing a scarf?” he asked. “It’s thirty Celsius outside.”

  Lana quickly ran through a list of plausible excuses in her mind. “Because it’s fashionable,” she finally replied awkwardly.

  “Sure.” Shou eyed her skeptically.

  “I have eczema in my neck, okay?” she spluttered. “Stress, you know.”

  “Never would have pegged you as a vain girl,” he smiled. “Why don’t you ask Chester to have a look at it? He used to practice herbal medicine for a while.”

  “Yeah, will do,” Lana mumbled. Of course she had no intention of talking to Chester whatsoever. He was really the last one she wanted to show her love bite the size of Luna to, not after Bruce’s former teacher had warned her to be careful.

  After having a quick breakfast of juice and some yoghurt, she reluctantly made her way to Bruce’s study. This was probably going to be an uncomfortable meeting, but she had to talk to him about her mother, no matter how tongue-tied she’d get.

  “Come in,” his dark, rough voice boomed when she lightly knocked on the door. Lana stepped inside and closed the door behind her before looking up to meet his eyes.

  Bruce arched an eyebrow at seeing her shawl. “Hello, trendy girl,” he said.

  “Hi.” Lana tugged at the scarf. Shou was right – it was way too hot to be wearing this thing. Or maybe Bruce’s eyes on her made her hot and bothered.

  “I talked to your father an hour ago,” Bruce went on before she could say anything, making her instantly nervous. “It wasn’t a very rewarding conversation, I’m afraid.”

  “Oh.” Her legs trembled as she sagged down on the stool next to Bruce. “What did he say?”

  Bruce’s jaw was working. “Well, at least he didn’t lie to me. He didn’t claim he’d stopped transporting gemstones to Mars or Luna. He did say he’d ordered a temporary slowdown in shipments to the moon, though. I guess that’s what we were seeing in your DesEx app a few days ago. Nothing has changed since.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, anxiously looking up at him.

  His eyes narrowed when he observed her. “Tell me again, why were you on your way to Earth when I abducted you?”

  “To negotiate new trade agreements between the Desidan Alliance and Elitists from Old Russia,” Lana replied.

  “What kind of Elite Russians?”

  “Just – stock traders. Investors. I was told they’re interested in that new wormhole the Desidan scientists recently discovered near Saturn. The Alliance is funding research into the black hole.”

  “Why would they want to enter into a trade agreement when that research is still in its infancy?”

  Lana sighed. “I don’t know. You whisked me away before I could get to Nuuk. Why?”

  “Because those Russians are all really good friends of your dad’s.”

  She swallowed. “What do you mean?”

  Bruce unexpectedly slammed his fist down on the desk. “Those Russians are working for Ivanov Mining Companies. Or at the very least, they have very strong ties with the company. Are you still claiming you don’t work for your father?” he fumed.

  Lana trembled under his burning gaze. “I work for Mr. Stockton at Desida One. He was the one who sent me on this assignment. If my dad was the one who indirectly gave the order to organize the meeting, I sure as hell don’t know about it,” she muttered indignantly.

  Bruce grabbed her arm. “If you’re lying to me, Lana, I swear...” His fingers dug into her skin. Lana tried to free herself from his vise-like grip, but it was no use.

  “I’m not,” she snapped. “And if anyone here is telling lies, it’s you. You said you had nothing to do with my mom’s death. You said you didn’t kill her, and yet everybody in this house seems to know stuff about her, but you want them to shut up about it. I come here to talk about her, and instead I’m treated to all kinds of horrible accusations again. Seriously, what’s your problem?”

  Bruce quietly shook his head. Strangely enough, he didn’t seem to be upset by the tone of voice she was using. “I haven’t lied about anything.”

  “Well, neither have I.” She glared at him as angrily as she dared. “I have never worked for Ivanov Mining Industries, I don’t know what they’re involved in, and I bet my dad is doing the best he can to meet your outrageous demands. Imposing trade restrictions really is complicated. But I guess my father told you that when you called him this morning. And you mean business, so are you gonna beat my face to a pulp to make your point, or will you let John do the dirty work?” Her voice rose to a scream on the last few words, unwanted tears pooling in her eyes.

  Bruce took a deep breath, his hand slowly releasing her. “I don’t know.”

  Lana rubbed her painful arm. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I know I should, but I don’t really want to.”

  “Well, if you look the other way, I’m sure John will be more than happy to oblige,” she griped bitterly.

  He shook his head. “I’m not gonna let him touch you.”

  Slowly, the anger drained from her body. Only now did she realize that she’d crossed several lines in talking to Bruce like this. He seemed to recognize this fact at the exact same time, because his whole countenance darkened. “Don’t get too comfortable with me, Lana. I’m warning you – you don’t want to make me angry.”

  Lana exhaled slowly. “I think you’re nicer than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

  “Oh, really? Well, enlighten me,” Bruce scoffed. “How am I a nice guy?”

  She stared at her hands, thinking back to the gentle way he’d seduced her last night. Sure, she’d been scared of him, but he had respected her wishes. He’d stopped when she’d begged him to stop. And he’d protected her even before that. “You were kind enough to save me from John,” she pointed out.

  Bruce showed her a faint smile. “Maybe I just don’t like sharing, little minx.”

  Lana slowly shook her head. “Why do you insist you’re a jackass? Are you afraid someone might discover you’re actually quite decent?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Me. Afraid.”

  “Yeah. You’re afraid you'll get caught up in something you can
't control – something fragile. Because you might lose it one day.”

  Suddenly, Lana realized she wasn’t talking about him – she was analyzing herself. In a way, they were both scared of letting their walls down, though.

  Bruce stared at her, pinning her with his impenetrable gaze. “You don’t know what you’re saying,” he finally rumbled, getting up from his chair to stare out the window. His entire body looked tense. “I am used to losing what I love. But right now, I’m in control of an army of fighters who follow my orders. Hundreds of ships are ready to fly out at my command. And I’m not scared of anything.”

  “Whatever you say,” Lana mumbled.

  Bruce turned around and stared her down. “Shut up,” he finally told her quietly.

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “Nothing would make me happier,” he replied sarcastically. “Now, are you ready to listen to the story of how I caused your mom’s death?”

  The bottom dropped out of her stomach. “You what?”

  Bruce stood next to her stool, towering over her. “Five years ago, I managed to contact your mother. It wasn’t easy – your father has a very tight security net around his household and company, but I succeeded in slipping through it. And once I did, I told your mother what was going on in the mines of Prometheus.” He clicked a few buttons on his computer system.

  Lana’s eyes welled up with sudden tears when an image of her mother appeared on screen. “If what you’re saying is true, I have to go there and see it for myself,” her familiar, warm voice said, pouring from the speakers.

  “It is true,” Bruce’s disembodied voice told her. “You’ve seen the recordings.”

  “Can I trust you, Mr. Randall?” Mrs. Chapham-Ivanova whispered, her face pale with shock.

  “Yes, you can. No harm will come to you. I give you my word.”

  “Okay.” Her mother blinked a few times before looking down, seemingly gathering courage. “Then I will meet up with you. And afterwards, I’ll go to Prometheus without telling Anatoly.”

  Lana’s mouth fell open as she sat there listening to the recorded conversation between Bruce and Mrs. Ivanova. Her mom had talked to Bruce – in fact, she’d even met up with the pirate, and yet she hadn’t turned him in.

  “It took some time to convince her,” Bruce remarked softly, casting a sideward glance at her grief-stricken face. “She couldn’t believe it at first.”

  “You said she wouldn’t be harmed,” Lana spoke up in a strangled voice. “You promised her.”

  A shadow crossed Bruce’s face. “She was killed by a renegade cell of my own armed forces on her way to the mines.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I was too naive to see that some of my Amalthean allies were blinded by the need to take revenge,” he replied, his tone so desolate that it took Lana’s breath away. Bruce probably didn’t mean for her to see he was capable of feeling pain and disappointment, but it was obvious from his words and his mournful, dark eyes. “They refused to see the bigger picture. All they wanted was to hurt your dad back.”

  “Why did you want her to see the mines?” Lana whispered.

  “I hoped she’d talk to her husband. Persuade him to do things differently. And instead of being a spokesperson for the people of Amalthea, she ended up being a martyr for the Russian Realm Elitists. Thanks to me.”

  “Maybe I can talk to my dad,” she suggested timidly. “If you let me go, I’ll talk to him.”

  His eyes flashed with anger as he looked at her. “No. The only way I’ll be able to make him listen is by blackmailing him. Besides, you don’t even believe me.”

  Lana swallowed. “It’s so – I mean, I know my dad. He wouldn’t do such a thing. Exploit helpless people. He said it was more complicated than that.”

  Bruce looked away, his jaw tense. “Yeah, well, I thought I knew my family, too. There are things about our society deeper and darker than you could ever imagine.”

  “By our society, you mean the Elite?” she ventured.

  “Well said,” he said, his voice taking on a sharp edge. “Because let’s face it – the commoners make up ninety percent of the population, but they hardly have a voice.”

  She stared at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. “You think that should change?”

  “I don’t know.” Bruce absently rubbed his face. “I’m not saying every commoner is a kind soul and every Elitist should burn in hell. I’ve killed and maimed people on both sides to try and tip the balance. I’ve stolen far more money than I ever needed to help out innocent people, and I’ve used it to do things I’m not very proud of. But who needs pride? In the end, we all just want to survive.”

  “I don’t want to survive if it means hurting others in the process,” Lana quietly declared.

  Bruce’s intense gaze landed on her again. He was still standing over her, but the threat in his posture was gone. In fact, it felt like he just wanted to talk and get things off his chest. “Are you sure about that?” he said. “Because nobody knows how deep their waters run and how dark it gets below the surface until they have to make a choice.”

  “I’d like to believe I’m a nice human being,” she said, sitting up straighter.

  A slight smile lit up his face. “You’re better than most people I deal with.” He paused and sat down on the chair across from her. “You were trying to protect your friends when I took you prisoner,” he continued.

  “Of course I did. What kind of person do you think I am?”

  Bruce put his hand on her knee. “Actually, I think you’re brave.”

  “You – you do?” Lana couldn’t believe her ears. Bruce had been so intimidating and contemptuous of her culture and her background when she first got here. By some miracle, she seemed to have impressed him. “Why?”

  “Because you’re willing to find out the truth, or you wouldn’t be here.” His eyes swerved to her scarf, barely concealing the kiss mark in her neck. “And because you know what kind of man I am, and yet you gave yourself to me.”

  “Well.” Lana shrugged, trying to force down the blood heating her cheeks. “Lots of girls give themselves to you, right? Does it make them all brave?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you know about that?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Chester said you, uhm, hang out with women ‘a lot’.” She air-quoted the old hacker’s words.

  Bruce blinked in astonishment. “Chester talked to you about my sex life?”

  Lana cringed, suddenly realizing she should have kept her mouth shut. “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Spontaneously?”

  “N-no,” she stuttered. “Look, I don’t know, okay? It just – came up.”

  He eyed her skeptically. “It did, huh?”

  There was no way out of this besides staring at the floor so hard it might crack and swallow her up, so that’s what she did.

  “You asked him, didn’t you?” he said, his voice dropping.

  “I guess,” she murmured evasively.

  Lana heard him stifle a sigh. “He should have warned you about me.”

  “He did.” When she looked up to meet his eyes, Lana caught Bruce studying her intently.

  He shook his head, cracking a weary smile. “So you’re either very brave or very stupid.”

  “Or sex-starved,” she suggested helpfully.

  Bruce tried to bite back a laugh, but couldn’t help chuckling darkly. “A cute girl like you? Not very bloody likely.” He leaned forward and slid his hand up her thigh, making her shiver involuntarily. “Those girls Chester told you about don’t know who I am. If they did, they’d probably run screaming.”

  “As should I,” Lana whispered uncomfortably.

  “As should you.”

  She swallowed when his hand softly brushed the warm spot between her legs, her heart speeding up as Bruce inched nearer and slipped his other hand around her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed when his lips landed on hers, her mouth moving with his as he kissed her langu
idly. Everything faded into the background as Bruce scooped her up in his arms and lifted her onto his lap, his mouth never breaking contact. Lana moaned helplessly when his large hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs flicking over her hardening nipples. The kiss deepened as she opened her mouth for him, granting him access despite his warnings, despite her own common sense, despite everything. Even though Bruce was still terrifying, he somehow seemed more human when he held her in his arms.

  After a few more seconds, Bruce broke away from their kiss, slowly running his hand down her spine as he looked up at her. “You have to talk to your father for a few minutes,” he announced. “I promised him he could see you today.”

  Svetlana bit her lip. “Please don’t hit me,” she begged, suddenly scared again. “I promise I’ll make him do what you want.”

  Bruce stood up, his face grim as he put her back on the stool in front of the video screen. “I have to,” he said. “Unless you want to show him those bruises I left on your ass.”

  Before Lana could move or back away, Bruce slapped her across the face. It knocked her head back, and she cried out as blood started to drip from her nose. Tears blurred her vision as she looked up at him pleadingly, holding her nose to staunch the bleeding.

  “That will do,” he said, his voice impassive, though there was a slight tremor to it as well. He reached behind her to turn the monitor toward her before tuning in to the right channel. Lana was still blinking away tears when her father appeared on screen. Apparently, he’d been waiting for her to call.

  “Oh my God, Sveta,” he yelled in alarm. “What has he done to you?”

  “He hit me,” she sobbed, genuinely upset. “He said you weren’t sticking to your end of the deal.”

  “I’m trying,” Mr. Ivanov said in despair. “I really am. Please, Mr. Randall, don’t hurt her anymore. I know you’re not afraid to use force. You’ve taken my wife from me – please don’t take my daughter as well.”