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Twelve years on the prison planet Erebus makes a man long for death. The worst part for Tannin Everette is that he was framed for murder. He’s innocent. When the ship Imojenna lands for emergency repairs, Tannin risks everything to escape…only to find himself face to face with the captain’s undeniably gorgeous sister.
Zahli Sherron isn’t planning on turning Tannin in. In fact, she actually believes him. Sure, he’s sexy as every kind of sin, but he’s no criminal—so she hides him. But no one escapes from Erebus and lives to tell about it. With every day that passes, Zahli further risks the lives of the entire crew…even as she falls in love with a man she can never have for herself.
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In the diffused glow of her cabin, her eyes looked almost black andher tousled hair a rich deep gold. She smelled like summer-storm-rain on
a hot day back home on Barasa, bringing another sting of innocent days
past. He could feel her lush curves yielding against him, though tension
ran through every line of her body.
She knew he was onboard now.
The only way he’d be getting off this hellhole of a planet was with her
cooperation. If she would agree to hide him. His heart tripped over
itself. It’d been a long time since he’d trusted anyone besides himself,
and she almost literally held his life in her hands.
The only way he’d be getting off this hellhole of a planet was with her
cooperation. If she would agree to hide him. His heart tripped over
itself. It’d been a long time since he’d trusted anyone besides himself,
and she almost literally held his life in her hands.
“I need your help.” His voice came out uneven and he swallowed against the tightness in the back of his throat.
She shook her head, pressing herself harder against the wall, her nails digging into the skin on his forearm.
“Please,
just listen. I need to get off Erebus. I know you have no reason to
trust me, especially now. It’s asking a lot, I know that, too.” Helpless
emotion he’d long thought dead and buried tightened his chest. For
once, he needed something in the universe to go his way, for this
stranger to give him the chance the IPC justice system hadn’t. “I just
need a little faith here. So I’m going to take my hand off your mouth,
because I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to be afraid of
me.”
just listen. I need to get off Erebus. I know you have no reason to
trust me, especially now. It’s asking a lot, I know that, too.” Helpless
emotion he’d long thought dead and buried tightened his chest. For
once, he needed something in the universe to go his way, for this
stranger to give him the chance the IPC justice system hadn’t. “I just
need a little faith here. So I’m going to take my hand off your mouth,
because I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to be afraid of
me.”
With a short breath, knowing with almost total certainty
that his one chance of freedom was about to be blown, he dropped his
hands away from her and stepped back.
that his one chance of freedom was about to be blown, he dropped his
hands away from her and stepped back.
She didn’t shift, didn’t
run, and didn’t scream for help, just stood there with fingers locked on
her necklace, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
run, and didn’t scream for help, just stood there with fingers locked on
her necklace, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Tannin Everette.”
Fatigue
started catching up with him as his body finally hit the adrenaline
wall and splattered into a jelly-like mess. His limbs heavy, he walked
to her unmade bed and dropped onto the edge. He scrubbed both hands over
his face, swallowing again around the tautness in his throat and stared
unseeing at the floor. Would he really allow himself to be killed
rather than return to a life on Erebus? Panic blended with grief in a
sickening whirlpool of misery. He wasn’t brave enough to die, rather
than stay on Erebus. Survival instincts reared within him, despite the
depravity he’d be facing out in the general population upon his return.
started catching up with him as his body finally hit the adrenaline
wall and splattered into a jelly-like mess. His limbs heavy, he walked
to her unmade bed and dropped onto the edge. He scrubbed both hands over
his face, swallowing again around the tautness in his throat and stared
unseeing at the floor. Would he really allow himself to be killed
rather than return to a life on Erebus? Panic blended with grief in a
sickening whirlpool of misery. He wasn’t brave enough to die, rather
than stay on Erebus. Survival instincts reared within him, despite the
depravity he’d be facing out in the general population upon his return.
“You’re the guy who came in after that officer attacked me.”
Her
bare feet appeared in his line of vision, toenails painted gold and a
petite, graphite-colored ring on the little toe of her left foot. She
crouched down and touched his chin, bringing his head up.
bare feet appeared in his line of vision, toenails painted gold and a
petite, graphite-colored ring on the little toe of her left foot. She
crouched down and touched his chin, bringing his head up.
“What happened to you?”
No
one had ever asked him what happened. As far as everyone had been
concerned, the case had been cut and dry, no need to ask any questions
when the apparent evidence was so overwhelming.
one had ever asked him what happened. As far as everyone had been
concerned, the case had been cut and dry, no need to ask any questions
when the apparent evidence was so overwhelming.
About the author:
Jess has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred and now she gets to make up stories for a living. She loves loud music, a good book on a rainy day, and probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia, with her very supportive husband, three daughters, one ball-obsessed border collie, and one cat who thinks he’s one of the kids.
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