Breakwater: Custer (BBW Bad Boy Space Bear Shifter Romance) by Becca Fanning Read Free Book Online

enough to forget you’re on Fenos.”

    Delphine hummed, taking another sip. “We were told to not order anything with a high alcohol content because while we don’t get intoxicated easily, it’s an unnecessary risk. This is, of course, only if you absolutely have to drink on an assignment.”

    “When all of this blows over,” Custer told her very matter-of-factly, “I am taking you on the bar crawl to end all bar crawls.”

    And just like that, her good mood evaporated. The bracelet suddenly felt heavy and her mouth tasted bitter as her blood ran cold. Custer noticed immediately.

    “Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking,” he told her, suddenly serious. He leaned towards her. “I already told you, I won’t let anything happen to you. And whether it looks like it or not, the others are on board. The captain’s the patron saint of hopeless cases. No one’s going to make you go back to Mason Co., and turning you out on your own would be just as bad. We’ll get through this.”

    “Custer,” she said quietly, looking straight at the bar, “I’m evidence. I could, at any time, go to any law enforcement agency with the right jurisdiction and tell them that Mason is making illegal splices for violent use. All I would need to do is let them run a few tests on me. They can’t risk that. It’s why Coleson didn’t want me on this. He knew my upbringing would be an issue eventually.”

    “Yeah, well, Coleson’s going to die ugly,” Custer said, “and we’ve made evidence disappear before. This is just going to be a new version of an old trick.” He took her hand slowly, curling his fingers around hers. “Trust me.”

    She wanted to, more than anything else, but now the fears were swirling in her head. Her mind wouldn’t calm down and her frustration at her lack of control only made everything worse.

    “Hey, look at me a sec,” Custer said softly. Delphine hesitated, then obeyed. He opened his mouth to continue, but before he could the door to the bar burst opened.

    Delphine whipped around, her hopes that it was just an aggressive local or a clumsy drunk evaporated as she took in the blasters at their hips. There were four of them, their eyes scanning the patrons before quickly locking onto Custer and Delphine. They definitely weren’t Mason’s, which was a relief, but that hardly meant they weren’t dangerous.

    “Heard you been asking questions,” one said. Delphine turned and noticed the bartender was mysteriously absent. Around them, people not-so-subtlety tried to get out of the door.

    “Might have been,” Custer said calmly, reaching for his blaster. “I don’t suppose you’re here to answer them.”

    “Boy, you need to learn to mind your own business,” the man growled.  

    Custer’s face split into a wide, sharp grin. “Or else what?”

    The other men, almost definitely mercs, took that as their cue to start shooting. Anyone who hadn’t gotten out yet rushed for the exit, several of them screaming and stumbling on their way out. Custer and Delphine both ducked out of the way and the bolt smashed through Custer’s glass, splashing glass and the remaining drink onto the counter. They dove apart, Custer drawing his blaster and firing at the man who’d shot. Three of the mercs went for Custer, the remaining man heading for Delphine. It made sense. As far as they knew, Delphine was just some unknown woman hanging off of their actual target. She almost felt bad for the poor bastard.

    He sauntered towards her with a smirk. “Now, I won’t hurt you if I don’t have to, but—”

    Delphine lashed out at him as soon as he was in range. She felt her nails harden and grow longer as she rushed forward, grabbing her would-be attacker around the middle and driving him into the wall several feet behind him. He grunted on impact and Delphine pulled back and struck him in the jaw, not letting him get his breath back. He crumpled but was still conscious, going to his knees and