Free Purity (Pure and Tainted) by Evangeline Anderson Page A

But here’s the deal—I can
tell you’re an honorable person, that your word means a lot to you and you
won’t break it.”
    “That’s true.” K nodded.
    “Okay, so if you give me your word that you won’t try to harm me,
yourself, or anybody else until you get your suit back, you get to come out and
play with the rest of us. If, however,
you keep reciting from the homicidal handbook, I’m going to feel the need to
keep you tied up in here like a real prisoner.
So what’s it gonna be, darlin’?”
    K lifted her chin. “You’re safe from my retribution until I get my
suit. But only because it will be much easier to kill you with it on.”
    “Well, thank you,” Boone said dryly. “I’ll consider myself
reprieved for now. Here.” He handed her a long, soft piece of deep green fabric
that had one wide triangular end. “That’s my best tie. Try not to abuse it too
much.”
    K took the tie and knotted it around her waist in silence. Though
she tried not to let anger cloud her judgment, inside she was fuming. She
wasn’t used to having her threats laughed at. Well, she would make Boone pay as
soon as she found her suit. It had to be hidden somewhere on the ship and as
soon as she could get away from him she would make a thorough search for it.
One blast from her gauntlets and he’d be fried from the inside out. The thought
gave her a grim satisfaction, especially when he insisted on inspecting her leg
before they left his quarters.
    “Just want to make sure the stitches are holding up,” he murmured,
kneeling on the floor in front of her to examine the long row of black threads
that marred the pale flesh of her inner thigh. He probed lightly and K shivered
at the sensation of his bare flesh touching hers. No matter how much he
contaminated her each touch was somehow new. “Does it hurt?” Boone asked softly.
    “I feel nothing,” K said, wishing it was true.
    He looked up at her, frowning. “Are you sure? Your skin is all
broken out in goosebumps.”
    K could feel her cheeks getting hot and was sure he could see the
blush creeping into her pale cheeks. Purity, how she hated having emotions!
“I’m just…I’m not use to being touched,” she blurted. “Every instinct I have
says I should kill you right now for daring to even come near me, let alone putting
your bare skin against mine.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Well I’m glad you’re controlling yourself, K.
But I’m afraid with your Erian DNA touching is going to be an integral part of
your life from now on.”
    “Only until I get my suit back. And I will get it back.” She glared at him.
    “In good time.” Boone appeared unperturbed. “Well,
the stitches look good for now. I hated to resort to something so primitive but
I didn’t really have any choice. If I’d been back home
at a med-center on Colossus I could have used adhesive wound sealant.”
    “If you were back home on Colossus where
you belonged, I wouldn’t have this wound at all,” K pointed out. “ And I wouldn’t be contaminated and
condemned to death.”
    “Hey.” Boone looked up at her again, his hand still warm on her
thigh. “There’s nobody here who says you have to die. I mean, Loki might want
to kill you but there’s nobody from the Purist High Council standing over you
and demanding your death. That decision is on you , darlin’, so who’s to say you shouldn’t choose to live?”
    “Live and do what?” K demanded. “I can never go back now. Even if
I didn’t wish an honorable death—which I do—my commanding officers would still
think me fit only to be purged.” She imagined the High Sentinel, his
black-on-black eyes filled with absolutely nothing as he gave the order for her
death. Oh yes, she would be purged the moment she dared set foot back on Athena.
    “Make a life away from them,” Boone said, rising at last. “There
are always plenty of ships looking for battle-trained mercenaries. Or if you
don’t want to leave your old way of life