Retribution Read Online Free PDF Page A

He remembered the first few blows. He’d fought them off, but there had been too many.
    “Too many,” he repeated out loud.
    He needed a fucking drink.
    Rave jumped out of bed and walked to his built-in bar.
    Too much had happened that night. He grabbed a bottle of Barian scotch and left the tumbler on the counter. He chugged and worked through the burn. His stomach on fire, he took another gulp. Then another. Finally feeling no pain, he set down the bottle and attempted to collapse on the bed, but he missed and landed on the floor.
    He laughed and clawed his way up the bed. “Lights, off,” he ordered the computer.
    His door opened, and Rave looked over at it.
    “Rave, you okay? I heard—”
    “Se, my beautiful, Se. What are you’ doin ’ here?”
    “Oh, Rave, what did you do?”
    “Nightmares chasin ’ me.”
    “Shit, Rave. You should have talked to me before hitting the bottle.”
    “Forget, I have to forget. Kain , DI. No more, Se.”
    “I hate seeing you like this. Scoot over.”
    Se crawled onto the bed and took Rave into her arms before she noticed his clothes were missing. “Fuck, Rave , where are your clothes?”
    “ Kain .”
    “What about him?”
    “ Didn ’ need clothes. He didn ’ need clothes.” He laughed.
    “You didn’t.” She looked at his face, and he grinned. “You dirty dog. You did! Get under the covers because I don’t need to see your naked ass.”
    He struggled with the covers until he found a comfortable spot and snuggled into Se. She stroked his hair for comfort, and he drifted to sleep with her words in his ears.
    “Everything will work out, Rave. Give it time. It’ll be okay.”
    A couple of hours later, something woke him from his sleep. He couldn’t tell if the pounding came from his head or the door.
    “Fuck. I’m never drinking again.”
    “I’ve heard that before,” Se’s soft voice drifted over him.
    “Shit, you scared me. What are you still doing here?”
    “I fell asleep. Are you going to let Kain in, or have him beat the door down?”
    He stumbled out of bed and worked his way to the door, still feeling the effects of his bender.
    “Shit, Rave, your white ass is glaring at me.”
    “Shut it, Se.”
    He pushed the button and gestured for Kain to enter.
    “We’re getting ready to dock. I would have had the computer contact you, but I’m not in the system so I came down—”
    When Kain stopped talking, Rave looked up. The man’s face was deathly white. Rave looked behind him to see what had caused it before turning back to Kain . Rave caught Kain as he looked at Sela then back at him.
    “What’s your problem, Kain ?” Rave had no idea what would cause the colour to drain from his face.
    “Nothing, I just…nothing. I’ll go now. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Kain turned and fled the room.
    “What was that all about?” Rave asked as he turned to Se.
    “Put some clothes on, idiot. He thinks we slept together.”
    “Well, we did.”
    “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
    “I guess you do.”
    “ Kain thinks we had sex.”
    “Fuck no!” He paced over to his closet, slapped a palm on the door to open it and jerked on some boxer briefs.
    “I’m not that hideous, jackass.”
    “Shit. You know what I mean. I’m not into girls. If I was, I would have made a play for you ages ago.” He rolled his eyes.
    “ Kain always thought we had something going. He asked me about it when I introduced you two.”
    Why did she feel the need to tell him that?
    “This isn’t making my head better. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what he thinks. Can you get us docked? I’m going back to bed. Wake me in an hour, and we’ll go get Mel then head on to Seid II.”
    “Aye, aye, Captain.”
    Rave fell back to bed and tossed a pillow at Se. “Love ya , babe.”
    “I love you too, Rave.”
    She left the room and Rave drifted back to sleep. This time his nightmares revolved around the shock in Kain’s face when he’d seen Se in Rave’s