Ezra
Dagger is a quiet thing, but she’s strong. I can understand how people would underestimate her at first glance. She looks frail and tiny, but she has an inner-strength most people could only dream of possessing.
So her boss decided to talk with someone about getting rid of her husband. That’s not uncommon. Even on Sapphira, murder happens. Evil lurks everywhere and it doesn’t care what species you are, what color your skin is, or what planet you’re from. It only cares that you’re a willing vessel.
“Why do they want to kill her husband, Dagger?” Surely, the rich woman is only after more money. Of course, power is always another motivating factor.
“Martin Stremon is a bounty hunter and her lover,” Dagger explains. “I’ve known about their affair for awhile. They didn’t know I knew. I kept it a secret and pretended not to know because if they found out I was aware of their relationship, they would have me killed.”
“This sounds extreme.”
“They have a flair for the dramatic.”
I cock my head for what seems like the millionth time. I’m tired of the Earth slang. She reminds me of my brother, Quinn. He’s always repeating things we heard on television when we were children. We spent so much time watching movies and Earth reruns that I should have all of this lingo memorized, but I don’t.
Somehow, it didn’t stick for me, and hearing Dagger repeat these phrases is both endearing and confusing.
If she notices I’m struggling to follow along, she doesn’t stop to explain. She just keeps talking.
“Martin wants Mr. Finkle’s job,” Dagger explains. “He’s on a committee that deals with transport. Right now, the laws for importing goods to Mars are very restrictive. Martin wants to change all of that.”
“Why? Import laws are an important method of making sure a planet’s economy stays balanced.”
“I know. Martin owns a company on Dreagle and he wants his goods to be imported to Mars on a larger scale. He also wants to be able to import things more inexpensively. Right now, he smuggles a lot onto Mars, but smuggling is dangerous and expensive. He wants a better alternative.”
“Why didn’t they just ask Mr. Finkle to change the laws? Or to at least vote on making a change?”
“They did. He refused. This is their Plan B,” Dagger explains. “I heard them talking about how they were going to make his death look like an accident. Martin Stremon is already a known friend of the family. It would make sense for him to step up and replace Mr. Finkle at his job during the family’s ‘time of need.’” She rolls her eyes. “Please. The only thing they need is jail time.”
“I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle of this. I wondered where you had come from.”
“You mean, you didn’t think I was just sightseeing in the middle of the jungle?” She bats her eyelashes a little and smiles. I have to laugh. Dagger is delightful to be around. I really have never met anyone quite like her before.
“The thought did cross my mind. I thought, ‘Out of all the jungles in the galaxy, this beautiful woman has decided to sight-see in mine. How interesting.’”
“Beautiful?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Do you prefer ‘gorgeous’?”
“I don’t think either of those words apply to me,” Dagger says quietly. My hand is still on her waist, still touching the little stretch of skin where her shirt doesn’t quite meet her pants.
“Has no one ever told you’re pretty?” I ask, surprised. Dagger is an incredibly gorgeous female. Her body is quite pleasing, quite lovely to look at. I’m surprised, to be honest, that she isn’t already mated or married. Surely someone should have snatched her up by now. Surely someone should have stolen her heart.
She shakes her head, and my heart breaks a little bit. I understand that her parents died when she was young. Mine did, too. Luckily, there were other people around to support me emotionally.
Did she not have that?
How has no one ever told her she’s incredible?
“You’re lovely, Dagger. Perfectly lovely.”
Her breath hitches and her heart starts to race again. I can hear it beating louder and louder and louder. It’s practically beating out of her chest now. One of the perks of being a Sapphiran is that I can almost always read the emotions of those around me. If someone is sad or happy or angry, their scent will change.
I rub her side softly, gently. She doesn’t seem to mind me touching her, which is nice. I like to touch and be touched. I like to feel close to others. I rarely allow myself this luxury, though. I’ve been hurt before and for me, it’s best to keep other people at a distance. It’s best to stay to myself.
The exception to this self-imposed rule has always been my family. I’ll hug Hayden and Quinn, and now Fiona, as much as I want. I just don’t let women get close to me anymore. It’s too painful.
“No one has ever thought that before.”
“Oh, trust me, they’ve thought it. Maybe they were just too stupid to say it.”
Dagger isn’t convinced she’s pretty, but I want her to know that she is. I want her to feel it. I want her to know how I see her, how I view her. I want her to know that to me, she is incredible. She is perfect.
Usually, if someone doesn’t believe the words I say, I don’t give a shit. I tell them to fuck off and I go on with my life, but Dagger isn’t just some girl.
She’s not someone I can just push away.
She’s not someone I will ever be able to get out of my head.
So I do something that’s probably incredibly stupid, something that’s not very smart at all.
I kiss her. We’re side-by-side facing each other and my hand is still firmly on her waist, and I kiss her. I press my lips to Dagger’s, and I show her how pretty I think she is.
She hesitates for only a second, and then she pushes me onto my back and straddles me, kissing me back. She kisses me eagerly and excitedly. She kisses me like it’s important that she does, like this moment is just as valuable to her as it is to me. She kisses me like there’s no one else in the world but the two of us.
She kisses me like she means it.
And I really think that she means it.