Free Rebel by Aubrey Ross

rebel.”
    “What would you prefer I call you?”
    “I’d prefer you didn’t call me.”
    He laughed. How could he find her
stubbornness charming? “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll have several
hours of hard hiking tomorrow.”
    She followed him silently toward the cabin.
She’d already tried using her bladder as an excuse for him to
release the wristcuffs, but he’d offered to turn his back and only
turn his back.
    “I don’t want to sleep with you.”
    “All we’re going to do is sleep.” The
pressure on the wristcuff increased as she dug in her heels. Ashton
turned to face his reluctant companion. Tension twisted her
expression and anxiety radiated off her in waves. “I’m not going to
hurt you.”
    “Maybe not tonight, but you’re going to hurt
me.”
    Frustrated by the certainty in her voice,
Ashton met her gaze. “What do you want me to do? I was dragged into
this at weapon point. This is your mess, not mine.”
    “I’m not blaming you.”
    He stepped toward her. She backed into the
wall. “If you told me what you were trying to accomplish with the
kidnappings, I might be able to—”
    “Why would you help me?” Her gaze narrowed
and suspicion stabbed at him, driving him back.
    “I’m not making any promises, but I can’t
help until I understand more about the conflict.”
    She looked away and her emotions softened
and curled. A heated wave of excitement ripped through her and
washed into him. Ashton hesitated. This was more complex than
sexual attraction. His entire body felt attuned to her needs, ready
to provide on some elemental level. He shook away the sensation.
She was right. He had no reason to get involved.
    “I’m trapped,” she whispered. “They expect
me to save them.”
    She took a deep breath and Ashton felt her
emotions stabilize as if she’d raised some intangible barrier.
Pushing away from the wall, she eased past him and went into the
cabin. He had no choice but to follow.
    “Who are ‘they’?” He kept his tone soft and
resisted his urge to touch her. Another erotic wrestling match
wasn’t what they needed right now.
    “My—clients. They know I can’t provide for
them forever and I can’t provide for everyone. Still, I see it in
their eyes. They expect me to work a miracle, to accomplish what
my—what others failed to do.”
    “What your…father failed to do?” It was an
educated guess, but her cheeks flushed and she quickly averted her
face. He sorted through the facts he’d uncovered during his
research and the pieces fell into place. “Cordelia Reah? Korbin is
your half-brother.”
    “Corry. No one calls me Cordelia.”
    “It’s nice to finally meet you, Corry.”
Unable to resist the impulse any longer, he stroked her cheek with
his knuckles. “Kidnapping us was Korbin’s idea, I take it? Your
father was a pacifist.”
    “And look where that got him. We all know
his death wasn’t an accident. The council told him to shut his
mouth and when he refused, they shut it for him.” She straightened
her shoulders and reinforced her control.
    He didn’t bother debating the point. Even
his mother had suspicions about the incident. “What will Korbin
demand in exchange for Danette and Palmer?”
    “I honestly don’t know.” She glanced up at
him through her lashes. “Our departure will throw a wrench in
things, to say the least. I just hope he doesn’t do something
stupid.”
    Stupider than kidnapping three highly
placed citizens of Halley Prime? Knowing she wouldn’t
appreciate his sense of humor, Ashton bit back the sarcastic
question. “We’ll just pray we can put out fires faster than your
brother can start them.”
    She shook her head and sat on the edge of
the bunk. “Sometimes I feel like that sums up my life. It was
easier when Dad was alive.” One corner of her mouth quirked with
the hint of a smile. “We used to gang up on Korbin.”
    After so many days of her unflinching
spirit, he found her vulnerability endearing. It made him want