Breakwater: Custer (BBW Bad Boy Space Bear Shifter Romance) Read Online Free Page A

sort of charisma around him that stopped her from looking away. It was the kind that didn’t mesh well with others, but was intoxicating when it did. Whether they loved or hated him, Delphine doubted many people forgot meeting Custer. It was a shame he’d gotten on the bad side of Mason. Removing someone like him from the galaxy seemed like it’d make the whole thing darker.  

    “So, how long do we have until Mason sends someone else to kill us?” Custer asked as though he knew what she was thinking.

    Delphine refused to allow herself to react to the name. Instead, she went through all the people who had the power to find that out in the short amount of time she’d been on the ship and dearly hoped that none of them were correct.

    “I’m not sure,” she said instead. “It’ll depend on how long it takes them to find you again. The only reason they could in the first place was because they were already familiar with the U4 route.”

    “That’s good, then,” Custer said, tapping his finger on his chin. “We’re good at not being found. It’ll give us time to figure something else out, at least.”

    “They won’t engage you anywhere with a significant amount of water,” she told him. “They know what the ship can do.”

    “Hopefully, it won’t come to that. The last time we had to use that particular function was interesting, but not something I want to repeat right now.”

    Delphine cocked her head. “Was that when you killed Strathmore?”

    “I didn’t kill him personally. But yes,” Custer said, setting his mug down. “How did you know about that, exactly?”

    His eyes were suddenly very, very cold. His apparent protective streak really shouldn’t have been attractive but, to Delphine’s chagrin, it was.

    “It was easy enough. Anyanka Heathcoat was announced as Strathmore’s fiancée. A week later, she disappears. A day later, Strathmore’s dead and she’s reappeared on the Breakwater ,” Delphine spooned the last of her food into her mouth, forcing herself to seem uncaring even as the intensity of Custer’s gaze sent tingles down her spine.

    “And how many others know this?” he asked.

    “I don’t know,” she told him. “I don’t do the research.”

    “And why should I believe you?”

    Delphine shrugged. “No point in lying. You won’t be able to get away from whoever they send next.”

    “We’ll see,” Custer said distantly, his smile gone. “I’m going to go check in with the captain.”

    With that, he stood and grabbed the mugs and spoons and walked into the main body of the ship.

    Delphine sat alone with the two bottles of water for the moment, then sighed and stretched out. She lay staring at the ceiling until she felt less full, then stripped off her over shirt and started a set of pushups. She alternated between working out and resting, not seeing a point in interacting with the crew. She splashed some of the water on herself to keep herself as clean as she could and saved the other to drink. Eventually, she went back to sleep, the bitter taste of failing to accomplish anything coating her mouth.

    The next few days passed similarly. At some point, someone would bring her food. When not eating, she would meditate, sleep, or work out.  

    Out of everyone who brought her food, the only one who stayed to talk was Custer, who seemed to have brushed off the conversation about Strathmore. He sat with her, telling her bad jokes and detailing ludicrous jobs they’d had, not seeming to mind when she didn’t provide information about her own life. He filled in the silences and after a few days, Delphine was horrified to realize that she’d grown ridiculously fond of him.

    He was prattling on about something to do with engine failures when she realized she was smiling a little helplessly, no trace of irritation in her mind. It was more than not minding if he was there. She actively didn’t want him to go.

    Her blood froze. She had been so sure she had