Reckless Rescue by Rinelle Grey

the first one to Weiss, recoiling from his scowl. Then to her mother, who thanked her softly.
    When she brought the third cup over to him, he deliberately met her eyes, catching them in his for a moment. “Thank you, Marlee.”
    She gave him a flicker of a smile then stood at the end of the bed. Everyone sipped the tea as they eyed each other cautiously. Tyris spared a thought for what her childhood must have been like. Had this man, her father, ever raised a hand to her? If he had, he hoped her mother had stood up to him. The older woman certainly looked as tough as nails.
    Weiss handed his cup back to Marlee, his eyes on Tyris. “So, are you willing to make a deal? If, of course, the council agrees,” he added, inclining his head mockingly at Yasmyn.
    “I won’t know what the chances of getting away from here are until I’ve seen my ship.” A good way to avoid the question. “Your engineer seems to think it is unrepairable.”
    Weiss laughed. “I’m sure something can be done.” He waved his hand. “After all, we have a whole ship of spare parts and one of the best engineers in the Colonies.”
    Was he being serious?
    Yasmyn’s eyes snapped towards him. Her look held a warning. “It’s time to go, Weiss. The young man’s had quite a day, and he needs his rest.”
    “Of course, dear.” The word held no warmth. “We’ll see you up and about in a few days no doubt.” Without looking at his daughter, he said, “Take care of him now, Marlee.”
    Yasmyn kissed Marlee on the forehead, and moments later the door closed behind them.
    Marlee sank onto the chair her mother had vacated and let out a deep breath.
    Tyris replayed the ending of the conversation in his mind. It only confirmed what he already suspected. Without thinking he spoke out aloud. “I think Nerris is trying to stop me from leaving the planet.”
    Marlee’s nose wrinkled. “Why would he do that?”
    “I hoped you might know the answer to that.” He watched her carefully. If she denied it, he would have to be careful around her. He had no idea who he could trust, but there was too much at stake to not have any allies.
    A frown wrinkled her forehead. “There’s no advantage to staying here that I can see. If we don’t leave, it is almost certain we’ll all die out in a generation or two. Nerris couldn’t possibly want to stay. But…”
    There was that but again. Tyris raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
    “Well, when we brought you back to the settlement, the council was acting strangely. Everyone else was excited about the possibility of getting off the planet, but the council didn’t seem to be able to see it. They seemed more worried than excited.”
    When their eyes connected, he knew she was telling the truth. Tyris ran his hands through his hair. “Why wouldn’t they want to get away from here?”
    “Maybe they don’t want everyone to get their hopes up when they’re not sure that your ship can be repaired,” Marlee suggested.
    Tyris shook his head. “No, it’s more than that. Your mother silenced your father when he said something could be done about my ship. That means they are actively trying to stop me repairing it.”
    “He’s not my father!”
    Tyris jumped at the volume of Marlee’s words. He lost track of his point.
    “He insisted I call him that. Said I had to be the same as the boys, that I wasn’t any different from them, that I wasn’t special.” Her voice quivered. Tyris’s dislike of the man rose another notch, if that was possible.
    “Your brothers?” he guessed.
    “Half-brothers,” she clarified.
    “So the woman, Yasmyn, she’s your mother?”
    She nodded. “My father died in a car accident before we left Semala.” Her lower lip trembled. She opened the drawer next to the bed and handed him a worn picture.
    The photo was faded, and tattered around the edges. The man’s hands were shoved in his pockets and his head tilted to one side, squinting against a bright light. A smile pulled at one