She moved farther in to examine the large landscaped area with flowers, shrubs, a pool, and plush outdoor furniture. “What if it rains?”
“The netting is waterproof, partially UV-blocking, and totally impenetrable to wildlife.” It even blended seamlessly into the environment, held up by tall posts made to look like trees with branches and vines connecting them. “It’s not just draped against the ground, either. It’s buried deep and pinned down. You’re perfectly safe inside the house and patio area. I’ve seen a cyclodile try to break through and make zero progress.”
Tess’s head snapped around. “What’s a cyclodile?”
“A one-eyed reptile.” I nodded down the manicured lawn, which sloped toward the river below us. “From the Gano over there.”
Absently chewing her bottom lip, Tess left the open-plan “indoor” area and started exploring the patio. She poked her nose into a few of the flowering plants, dipped her fingers in the pool and swirled them, and then sat in the center of the decadent U-shaped couch, facing nature head-on like I knew she’d rarely had the chance to do in her lifetime.
I came up beside her. Her hair hung past her shoulders in a dark wave, the shorter bits near her neck curling in the humidity. Her usually space-pale complexion reflected the warm glow of the dying sunset colors, almost making her look tan against the white cushions. She smiled up at me and patted the couch next to her. I sank down with a muffled groan of contentment, tossing my feet up on the coffee table and crossing them at the ankles. I leaned my head back. Perfection. This was it. I could stay here forever.
Tess laid her hand on my thigh. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like this. The house, the view, the jungle…”
“Does that mean you like it?” I sprawled my arm over the top of the couch. The way Tess automatically curled into me made my chest muscles tighten while I waited for her answer. I’d missed this place. The Gano Jungle was home to me almost as much as Albion City. I’d lost that home. Maybe I could still have this one.
My heart pounded as I curled my hand around her shoulder, waiting for a final judgment.
“I’m torn.” With a sigh, Tess started drawing light circles on the top of my knee that tickled a little. She watched her slowly moving fingers. “I’m torn between thinking it’s wonderful and hating where you got the money to pay for something like this.”
My mouth flattened. Her answer was about what I was expecting, and maybe more generous than I deserved. “If I could take back the last ten years and start over, I would. But that path also brought me to you, which is something I can’t regret. So I guess I’m torn, too. Giving away the money wouldn’t help either of us at this point. We might need it. Or not.” I shrugged. “We don’t have to spend it on stuff like this again if you don’t want to. We’re safe for now. The Endeavor and everyone on it should be, too. Maybe let’s just try to enjoy tonight and tomorrow morning before we face whatever the meeting with Bridgebane brings.”
Tess didn’t respond. Tension built inside me at her silence. I shifted and looked around. Stars shined brighter now, still framed by the hazy outline of jungle shadows. The wide belt of the river faded, darkness swallowing up the view down the lawn in increments. It was probably a good thing. The snapper jaws and cyclodiles stalking the banks for their dinner wouldn’t help Tess settle in at the bungalow. The worst predators were known to gather upriver from here during the daytime, which meant it was more or less safe to walk the banks near the bungalows except at mealtimes.
Tess looked over her shoulder, checking out the softly glowing interior again. The only closed-off room was the bathroom. Privacy had certain benefits. There would also be a shower I could really use—with Tess, if she was willing. But I could feel her pulling away by the second, and I had no idea how to bring her back again.
I’d been a fool to bring her here and flaunt my bounty-hunting earnings, even if that hadn’t been my intention. The Aisé Resort was one of my favorite places in the galaxy, all wrapped up in family memories and the faded joy of youth. I’d wanted to share it with Tess, but that was just one more mistake in a long line of them. I should’ve docked at the Holy Hollow and been done with it.
Tess sank deeper into the couch, leaning into the crook of my arm again. Her eyes focused on things beyond the netting, even though it was getting pretty dark out there. “I can hear all the jungle noises. It makes me want to find out what’s in the trees, see the animals. The bungalow in the middle of it all is…really special.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “And that bed over there could fit about ten people.”
A chuckle forced me to stop holding my breath. Maybe she didn’t hate it. “Do you want me to go find eight others, or are you good with just me?”
Her mouth quirked. “You’ll do.” Her tense shoulders dropped an inch or two, but she was still uncomfortable. I could tell. Tess had spent most of her life inside one metal container or another. This had to be nature overload. Along with her other objections, it was too much.
“We can go. If this isn’t right for you, we can find something else.” I lifted my arm from around her. “I’ll look into some options.”
Tess gripped my leg, stopping me. “I don’t want to go. I want to see what’s in that ginormous refrigerator and eat my weight in fruit, if I’m lucky. I want to swim in the pool, because I’m pretty sure you won’t let me drown. I want to sleep in that massive bed and watch the sun rise from your arms before I walk down to the river and try to spot a cyclodile—preferably from a distance.”
“Yeah?” Relief swelled my heart so big my ribs ached from the pressure.
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “But I have to tell you something first.”
Tess looked at her hands. She laced and unlaced her fingers and then sat there, seeming unsure. When her eyes finally rose, meeting mine, a chill prickled up my spine and shot little icy darts of worry through me. She looked so nervous that there was no way in hell this could be good news. My relief forgotten, I got colder and colder the longer she took to talk.
“What is it?” I rasped, my stomach tying itself in knots. “Baby, just tell me.” Could it really be worse than the things we’d already faced, both alone and together?
She swallowed. Cosmic-blue eyes hit me square on. “Before you risk yourself any further with me, for me, I think you should know… I’m going to inherit Starway 8.”
I stared, having expected…I wasn’t sure what. Not that. “You can’t inherit an orphanage.”
“I can. It’s private. The Dark Watch regulates Starway 8 to a certain extent, just like it regulates everything—I guess under the supervision of Bridgebane—but despite most people’s assumption, it’s not a galactic entity. Mareeka is full owner of the orphanage, and I’m her heir. It’s in the paperwork.”