Chapter 67: Chapter 66: Threads

“She slapped you, eh? That explains the red mark on the side of your face.”

“It looks like it really hurts too. I’m guessing it stung like crazy.”

Alex growled as he nursed his red cheek. “No, whatever gave you that idea?”

He was currently in Rick’s housing unit. It was late in the evening, only about an hour after he’d come clean to Jenna about his prior sexual relations with Ellie. As expected, Jenna blew a gasket and kicked him out of their shared unit. Alex made his way to the only safe place in Vesta, which was Rick’s housing unit.

At least they were somewhat sympathetic. Alex knew better than to expect them to take his side, not like he wanted them to. He knew he fucked up and that he should pay the consequences, but he also knew he was human too.

And having someone as sexy as Ellie throw herself at him constantly was only something he could resist for so long.

“Have you tried to reach out to her at all?” asked Michelle. “Send her a P-com message or something like that?”

Alex shook his head. “You didn’t see the look in her eyes when I left. I don’t think that would do me any good. Personally, I think I ought to sit this one out for a while. Let her be angry. I don’t think anything I say or do right now is going to help.”

Nikki brought him a fresh cup of coffee. “Do you want me to say something to her? I’ve known her since the Racine. If anyone knows what she’s going through, it’s probably me.”

As soon as Nikki said the words, Rick made a quiet coughing noise as he looked at Michelle with a guilty expression on his face. After all, Alex hadn’t failed to notice that both Nikki and Michelle were here in the unit. There was a story there somewhere but Alex hadn’t been alone yet with Rick to find out what happened.

“I don’t know,” admitted Alex. “Partly yes and partly no. I just fear that I might have ruined it forever. I just can’t get the way she looked at me out of my brain.”

In all honesty, Alex never wanted to see that look from Jenna again. It was like her eyes had been completely devoid of any warmth or affection—the kind that he’d come to expect from her. It was like he was a nobody to her, and that hurt as much as the guilt.

But then again, he deserved it, didn’t he? He kept having to remind himself of that, which was mostly the reason why he was turning down help from his friends.

This was a mess that only he could get himself out of and no one else.

“I really feel for you, Alex,” said Michelle. “It seems like you’re between a rock and a hard place.”

“True enough,” grumbled Alex. “But I put myself there. I have no one else to blame but myself.”

“Everything will be just fine,” said Nikki, touching his shoulder as she stood up from the table. “Everything happens for a reason. I really believe that.”

Alex wished he could share in that sentiment right now but the only reason he kept coming back to was the fact that he was a dumbass. It certainly didn’t make him feel any better.

It took a while before Alex could get some one-on-one time with Rick but he didn’t waste his chance once it finally appeared.

“Okay, so fill me in,” said Alex as he gestured to the other room where Nikki and Michelle were. “What happened there? The last time we talked about it, you were still in the doghouse with Nikki because of Michelle. And yet they’re both here. What gives?”

Rick actually gave him a wolfish smile. “So it’s an interesting story actually. Nikki is full of surprises. She was pissed when she found out I slept with Michelle, understandably so.”

“But you managed to hypnotize her into thinking it’s no big deal?” guessed Alex.

“Not quite. Actually, Nikki sought out Michelle. She told me afterward that she assumed she’d have to make some changes when she got to Vesta and sharing a man was one of them. It’s something she’d been preparing herself for, but what she was really mad about was that I did it behind her back.”

“So you’re saying if you’d just told Nikki you wanted to sleep with Michelle, she would have been cool with it?”

“Hell, Nikki might have even gotten me ready to fuck Michelle,” joked Rick. “But essentially that’s what it is. Once we got over that little part, Nikki grilled Michelle about being a permanent member of our housing unit. That was her one stipulation—she didn’t want a short-term fling being here with us. And Michelle and I have been getting along great so we’re trying this whole thing out for now. And I have to say, Alex, it’s working out pretty damn well for me.”

“Lucky son of a bitch,” mumbled Alex. “Maybe there’s hope for me yet.”

Rick winced. “I don’t mean to burst your bubble but Nikki is an exceptional woman in that she’s very open-minded. Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t get the same impression from Jenna.”

Alex’s stomach fell. He couldn’t fault Rick’s logic and the idea of Jenna seeking out Ellie to make things right between them seemed to be the same likelihood as Belladonna taking a vow of poverty.

“Just say it plainly,” said Alex. “I’m screwed.”

“Well, not in the good way,” replied Rick. “At least you still have Ellie though, right? And she’s quite a looker.”

Alex shook his head. “Bad idea. I think going to Ellie right now would be the worst thing I could do. As much as I like Ellie, deepening that relationship right now is just going to destroy any chance I have of making things right with Jenna.”

“Then it looks like you might want to take a vow of celibacy,” joked Rick. “I feel bad for you, my old friend. I really do.”

“I deserved it,” mumbled Alex. “I just hope I can still fix it.”

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“I hope you can too,” said Rick before he leaned in closer. “Because if you do, it’ll all be worth it. Last night, I had both Michelle and Nikki in bed. It was wild, man. Entirely wild. Over an hour of straight-up sweaty, monkey sex and I loved every minute of it.”

Alex started to laugh. “Sweaty monkey sex? You have a way with words, don’t you?”

Rick grinned. “I’m a very satisfied man right now. And I’m sure you will be too once you get your situation figured out. I just hope it doesn’t take too long to get there.”

Alex grunted. “Yeah, you and me both.”

*****

“Serrano! Can you not leave your dirty drawers on the floor please? There’s like three pairs on the side of the bed alone.”

Ross watched as Serrano growled aloud while shaking his fist in the direction of the voice. It was a familiar voice—the nagging voice of Belladonna—and it was definitely a distraction from their game of cards.

“Daniela!” barked Serrano, calling for his companion from the Racine. “Go clean up the room and do it now!”

“Yes, sir,” replied Daniela, who rushed out of the room to carry out her orders.

“You seem to have Daniela well-trained these days,” noted Ross, tossing another card down on the table. “I’ve never seen a bitch spring into action so fast.”

Serrano smirked at him. “At least she knows her place. Unlike that other one back there who still thinks she’s the queen of this whole colony.”

“Yeah, what’s with that, Serrano? That cunt walks around like she owns the place. I’ve never seen anyone with a stick so firmly planted up her ass. Are you not giving her the Daniela treatment?”

Serrano would know exactly what he meant by that. Daniela was broken in shortly after she was assigned to Serrano, learning her place as his companion. That meant that she was little more than a sexual slave as well as a housemaid. And yet, there was a big difference between Daniela and Belladonna, who was more liable to talk down to Serrano (at least from what Ross had noticed).

“I can’t do that to her,” replied Serrano, shaking his head. “Belladonna still has power here. As long as she sits on the Council, I have to pick my battles.”

“But you sit on the Council too,” said Ross. “That means you have the same amount of power.”

“No shit, Ross. But our voting block is what keeps us in control. That means I have to keep her happy.”

Ross grunted and said no more. They continued to play cards for another ten minutes or so before Belladonna stuck her head in the door. She glared at Ross (they didn’t get along) before looking at Serrano.

“Don’t stay up too much longer. You’ve been coming to bed late recently and I don’t care for it.”

Serrano waved his hand. “I’ll be back soon.”

Belladonna looked happy temporarily and closed the door, leaving them alone. As soon as she was gone, Ross put his cards down and put his hands against his head.

“Man, she’s got you whipped,” said Ross. “I never thought I’d see the day that some bitch was telling you what time to go to bed.”

Serrano growled at him and kicked him under the table. “I’m not whipped! This is all part of my plan, dumbass! I told you I’m not staying in Vesta any longer than I have to. One way or another, we’re getting to fucking Dangallu. In order for me to do that, I have to play the long game in regards to Belladonna.”

“Fuck the long game! Go in there and smack her around a bit. Show her who’s boss!”

Serrano shook his head. “That wouldn’t do anyone any good. She’s not that type of woman, not like Daniela. She’d have me exiled before the sun came up. No, better to keep this game going. Let her think I’m her loyal partner until the time comes that I don’t need her anymore. Once that happens, she’s going to find out just who really was in control this whole time. And it’s not going to be her.”

“I still don’t like it, Serrano. It makes you look weak. It makes all of us look weak by extension.”

“Then don’t fucking look at it,” snapped Serrano. “Don’t even mention it. Accept the fact that the boss knows more than you do on this one and shut your fucking mouth.”

Ross grunted and stayed quiet for a few moments.

“Can you at least tell me your plan?” he asked. “So I know what you’re working toward. I’d feel better about this if I knew what the hell was going on.”

Serrano looked behind him to make sure the door was really shut. “All right, you really want to know? Here’s what’s going down. My whole master plan for getting off of Vesta.”

Ross listened for several minutes while Serrano explained it all. By the time he was done, he could only say one thing.

“Holy fucking shit, Serrano. That’s fucking genius.”

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