Claus (Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #7)

Chapter 16

Aubrey rummaged through the closet in her childhood bedroom, pulling out items she wanted to bring to New Vaxx. Though Claus had promised to provide her and the boys with anything they might need, she still wanted to pack her favorite clothes and shoes, as well as a few keepsakes from her interstellar travels.

As she worked, she made a mental note of all the other items from around the house she wanted to bring. Like the scrapbooks her mother had so lovingly made, a colorful quilt passed down from a great-great grandmother she’d never met, and an antiquated but still functioning e-reader that contained all her favorite books.

She paused and pressed a finger to the spot on her arm where Claus had administered her dose of healing nanobots last night, but just as he’d promised, there was no lingering pain. After much convincing, he’d also given each of the boys a shot containing healing nanobots, and she was still having a difficult time reconciling what it meant.

No illness could claim any of them now, and only the gravest sort of physical injury could result in death. It was the ultimate protection for the boys, and it would be the ultimate protection for any children she had with Claus.

A sense of closure filled her, and she felt as though she were standing on a cliff preparing to leap into the water below. But she wasn’t scared. Nervous about a great number of things, sure, but not scared. Claus would be there to catch her, to help her and the boys become acclimated to a new planet. A new normal. She exhaled slowly and wiped sweat from her brow. Just as she removed her oversized sweater, she heard the telltale buzzing of her phone.

She rushed to answer the phone, only to see another unknown caller. She groaned aloud. But she was still waiting on an insurance payment, albeit a very small one. While she no longer needed the money to add to her Escape Earth ASAP Fund, she could always create a trust for the boys. Emily would’ve liked that.

“Hello.” She tensed as she waited for the caller to speak.

“Don’t hang up, baby.”

Fuck. It was Pete. She rolled her eyes and sank down on the bed. “I’m not giving you another chance.” She debated whether to tell him she was leaving Earth soon, so he might as well drop the subject, but she quickly decided it was none of his business.

“We can talk about you giving me another chance later, Aubrey. There’s something else we need to discuss. Something that will benefit you greatly.” His tone was calm. Level. She didn’t think he was hopped up on an illicit substance like the last time they interacted.

“You have thirty seconds. Starting now.” Her stomach clenched, and part of her wanted to hang up immediately. She hated that she was curious about his call.

“A business partner of mine needs the services of an interpreter for an important meeting being held on December twenty-ninth. They need someone who’s fluent in both Drexsillan and Mortashhan. The meeting will last approximately one hour, and the pay is fifty thousand galactic credits.”

“Who’s your business partner?” Come the twenty-ninth, she wouldn’t even be on Earth. But fifty thousand galactic credits for one hour of work was an outlandish sum of money. Perhaps she could pass the job on to a colleague. Before she did that, however, she wanted to make sure it was legit, and that the interpreter’s safety was guaranteed.

“The identity of my business partner is classified. Come on, Aubrey, surely you know how these things work. The Drexsillans and Mortashhans who meet will have their faces obscured. No witnesses. That sort of thing.”

“What’s the merchandise?” she asked. “Drugs? Weapons? Prohibited alien pets?”

There was a long pause on the line. The sound of his breathing disgusted her. Finally, he said, “Drugs, weapons, and… mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries?” She laughed. “Wow, Pete, look at you. You’ve sure moved up in the world.”

“You have no idea how powerful I’ve become, Aubrey,” he said in an ominous tone. “I’d watch your mouth if I were you.”

“Do you want my help or not, asshat?” She inspected her nails, deciding she would paint them sparkly red for the holidays after she finished packing.

“Will you do it?” Exasperation rumbled in his voice, and she took perverse satisfaction in having gotten under his skin.

“I’m busy that day, however, I can recommend a former colleague. That is, as long as Level 5 protections are in place,” she said, referring to the security level Interstellar Translators United required for their employees.”

“You’re busy?” He cursed under his breath. “What the fuck are you busy doing? If you need someone to watch your sister’s brats so you can leave the house, I can send my mother over.”

Her fury rose. If she didn’t know several former colleagues who were desperate to earn extra money, she would’ve hung up on Pete already. But she thought of her friend Harriet in particular who was trying to fund her husband’s medical treatments, and she couldn’t in good conscience pass up a chance to help the young woman. Not if it wasn’t safe though. “I’m busy,” she repeated. “But if you send me the time and meeting place, and if you guarantee Level 5 protections, I will make sure a former ITU colleague shows up.”

“I don’t want one of your stupid colleagues, Aubrey. I want you there. Just you!”

Foreboding pricked at the back of her neck, and a shiver rushed down her spine. Was he trying to set her up? Alarm bells went off in her head.

“I’m hanging up now, Pete, but if you change your mind and want me to send a colleague, send me the details as well as a notarized Level 5 plan.” She ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed.

What the fuck?

She’d known Pete was involved in some shady stuff. But she was shocked that he was facilitating meetings between Drexsillans and Mortashhans. Drugs and weapons trafficking were one thing, but mercenaries? She hoped the mercenaries weren’t going to be deployed somewhere on Earth.

Thank God she was leaving her home planet in just a few days. For a moment, she considered asking Claus to move up their departure date. But then she recalled her nephews’ excitement as they’d helped decorate the Christmas tree. Surely several more days on Earth wouldn’t result in disaster. Especially with Claus and his protective shield keeping them safe.

They would stay for Christmas, make some beautiful memories, then they would say goodbye to Earth forever.