Authors: Chandra Ryan
But the other ships had launched another attack of their
own. The
Hawk
rocked and shuddered around him as it was hit hard
somewhere in the aft section.
“Jump drive was hit, Captain.” The mechanic’s voice sounded
strained over the communications device. “One more hit like that and we’ll be
stranded here.”
With no way to call for backup, it’d be a death sentence.
“Copy that,” the captain said, her voice still sounding as
calm as it had with the preflight checks. “All hands brace for jump. We’re getting
outta here.”
There wasn’t time for him to mentally ready himself for the
jump but he was able to grab on to his console to steady himself before time
froze around him. That probably saved him from a bloody nose, as he caught
himself just before smacking his face into his station when they broke through
to normal space.
“This is your captain.”
Adam nearly smiled at the formality of the opening
communications statement. He hadn’t been on board for even a full shift and
judging from the communications slang and her preference for practicality over
procedure, he guessed she didn’t do formality very often.
“We are currently one hour from the planet Ontesys. Once
there, we will dock and begin repairs. But before we land I need a completed
conflict debriefing report from each of you.”
Her voice was tight, as if it was taking every ounce of her
control to get the words out. He didn’t blame her. He’d be pissed if someone
took a couple of shots at his ship too. But as it was, he only felt relief. More
time had been added to the clock.
Pulling the appropriate forms up on his console, he began to
fill them out as he considered tactical advantages to their place of refuge. He
had expected her to head back toward the inner realms during the attack but
Ontesys was so far out that the government’s influence was superficial at best.
The planet had once been a thriving vacation spot but with the ever-increasing
cost of fuel for the jump drives, few tourists could afford to venture this far
out. And without the tourists, the planet had quickly become the shady hub of
gambling and prostitution that it was today.
Though, when he thought it through, it did sound like her
kind of place.
He snorted to himself as he dutifully filled out his report.
It was repetitive bureaucracy bullshit made worse by the knowledge that by the
time the powers-that-be read it, they’d know he was a mole working for the
Coalition—if they ever actually read it at all. The only upside to the
paperwork he could find was that it did make the hour go by faster.
By the time they docked, his report had been filled out,
double-checked for errors or inconsistencies and filed in the ship’s hard
drive. It wasn’t exactly rewarding but it was done. And more importantly, his
cover would be safe for a little while longer.
“The repairs to the long-range array are going to take three
hours,” the captain said as the small crew gathered on the metal grate of the
dock. “Feel free to look around the town, but this isn’t shore leave. I come
back and find anyone drunk or incarcerated, I’ll have your ass.”
Adam froze for a moment, knowing this could be his chance. He
couldn’t imagine a time when she’d be more alone and vulnerable to attack. “Captain?”
“Yes, Sans?”
“Where will you be, sir?”
“Wherever the hell I want to be.” Her tone was clipped and
her posture rigid. She didn’t like to be questioned, that much was obvious. He’d
have to tread lightly.
“Protocol dictates the top security officer accompany the
captain whenever she leaves the ship while on duty,” he recited, forcing his
voice and demeanor to stay meek. She couldn’t see this as a power play. There
were loopholes she could use to get around the regulation if she wanted to
badly enough but they were inconvenient, not to mention more time-consuming. If
he played this right, she’d let him tag along just to save time and paperwork.
“And since you are my entire security team…” She glared at
him as she braced her hands on her hips in defiance.
“Then I’m required to accompany you, sir.”
She threw a look at Aimes but at his shrug she relented. “Fine,
but you’d better keep up. You fall behind and I won’t think twice about leaving
you here.” She stomped off toward the rack of government-issued gliders. “Stupid-ass
government regulations.”
He’d never been a boastful man. Taking wins and losses as
they came was the only way to live in the harsh outer realms. Granted, he’d
seen more losses than wins as of late. But he was still breathing and most days
that was enough of a win to outlast any of the losses life dealt. There was something
about this woman though, maybe it was the way she fought him, that made him
want to celebrate this win in particular.
But he’d have to stay with her if he had any hope of
relishing the victory. She’d already taken the pins out of her hair and had
shaken it loose to put on a helmet. Slipping his helmet on, he straddled the
glider next to hers and slid his military ID through the security scanner.
“You gonna tell me where we’re going?” He didn’t expect her
to but she was already backing out and he needed to buy himself a second to get
his glider started.
“Nope. Meant what I said. You can’t keep up, I leave you
behind.”
The machine roared to life between his legs and he nodded. “Fair
enough.” Not that she heard him. She was already gone. He slapped the visor of
his helmet down and took off after her.
The chase wove through some of the oldest parts of town. Weaving
and ducking through streets and alleys, she made crazy hairpin turns that he
was certain were done in an attempt to shake him. But he stayed on her tail.
And what a tail it was. There was something about a woman on
a bike. Her powerful thighs gripping its metal body tightly, nudging it to do
her will.
A sudden turn and a near-fall had him cursing the wayward
thought as he forced his attention to the cityscape they were speeding through.
Each alleyway, crossroad and blind corner had to be studied for its tactical
advantages. He needed to find the perfect spot to make his move on the way back
to the ship. This excursion was his best shot and there weren’t going to be any
second chances with this mission. There was no leeway for screwups or
surprises. Everything had to be perfect.
Which was why, as they made their way out of the city and
into the surrounding forest, he began to rethink the practicality of the urban
setting. She was faster, smaller and could maneuver on the sleek vehicle. With
all the escape routes the urban-scape made available to her, it’d be difficult
for him to overtake her.
He ducked under a low-hanging branch and the sudden jostle
caused the bike to veer to the right. For one brief moment he had visions of
smashing into a tree skirt through his mind but using brute strength to correct
the skid, he was able to bring the vehicle back under control. They were touchy
machines designed to run over level surfaces like concrete and asphalt, not
dirt. And that was the break he was waiting for.
He’d make his move in the forest, where his strength and the
less-than-ideal road conditions would give him the advantage over her
dexterity. Now he just had to bide his time and wait. He nodded to himself as
confidence spread through his gut. He would win this round.
It only took a few more minutes of riding for them to reach
their destination. But even the brief ride had made his calf and thigh muscles
burn. He didn’t spend much time riding these days. It was worth the discomfort,
though, to watch her pull off her helmet and shake her shoulder-length black
hair. She was untamed beauty wrapped up in duty and honor. And that looked a
whole lot like temptation from where he was standing.
“You sure you’re up to this?” She walked to the door and
knocked twice before turning to face him again. “I mean, if you’re
uncomfortable you could wait outside while I take care of things.”
“I can’t provide adequate security if there’s a wall between
us. Besides, I doubt there’s anything you could do that would make me
uncomfortable.”
She shrugged and turned toward the door. “If you say so.”
He was ready for a number of possibilities, but the door sliding
open to reveal a tall, gracefully handsome man who immediately folded the
captain into his arms in a passionate embrace wasn’t one of them.
Adam stared at the couple as they kissed, unable to look
away from the naked emotion exchanged in the greeting. Granted, he hadn’t known
her for long but nothing about her had even hinted at her being in a
relationship. Especially given the nature of their introduction.
When the two broke apart, the man took a moment to look Adam
over but then his attention focused on the captain again.
“Renee, it’s been much too long.”
“Does that mean I’m not invited in?” she asked. The
breathless quality of her voice made Adam’s pulse pick up a little but he did
his best to ignore the obvious sexual tension in the air around him.
“It could never be that long.” The man smiled sincerely at
her and then looked over at Adam again. “And your friend, does he wish to come
in too?”
Her laugh was husky as she looked over her shoulder at Adam.
“He does. But he’s just going to be,” she winked at him before continuing, “watching.”
The man stared at Adam a second longer, his gaze tracing the
scar that ran down his cheek. But then he stepped out of the doorway to allow
them entrance. “Shame,” he said softly.
Adam’s stomach clenched with tension as he followed her into
the warmly lit parlor. Sure, she wasn’t exactly a by-the-book captain but he
hadn’t seen this coming.
“Michael Dallen,” the man said, holding his hand out to
Adam.
“Adam Sans.” He took Michael’s hand. He wasn’t surprised to
find the skin smooth under his. Whatever this man did, he’d never been a
soldier.
“Sans, that’s a common inner realm surname, isn’t it?” Michael’s
gaze swept the scar on Adam’s face again as he asked the question.
Adam’s whole body tensed as a red flag of caution waved in
his mind. Michael’s gaze was too attentive for the lazy tone of his voice. It
was a tone Adam readily recognized. He used it himself to put people at ease
from time to time. And he found he didn’t like it being used on him. “It is.”
“Unusual scar for such a common name.”
“Unusual professions bring about unusual scars,” Adam
answered quickly.
“That they do.” His curiosity seemingly satisfied, Michael
turned his attention back to the captain. “Would you like some wine or are we
starting with business this visit?”
Her smile warmed as she sat on one of the large couches. “Pleasure
always comes first with me.”
Michael laughed as he poured two glasses of wine. “As well
it should.”
Adam was surprised when Michael handed the second glass to
him. But it became apparent that the man had other things to keep his mouth
busy as he grabbed the captain and began to kiss his way down her neck.
“Please, sit—relax, Mr. Sans,” Michael said between kisses.
“We’re going to be here for a while.”
Grateful for the invitation, Adam sank into an overstuffed
chair. He’d expected to feel uncomfortable by the scene in front of him. But as
the other man cupped the captain’s ass and pulled her closer to his body, Adam
felt nothing but aroused.
That is, he felt aroused until he began to feel drowsy.
Drowsy? That didn’t make sense.
He took another sip of the wine and the sleepy sensation
spread throughout his body like the warmth of the sun on a summer day.
“You drugged my wine,” he accused the room in general.
“You can kick my ass for it when you wake up,” Michael said,
suddenly appearing at his side to take the glass away from him.
He should care more, but the world was already fading around
him. “Deal.”
The blackness that surrounded him this time had nothing to
do with space or jumps but it was every bit as cold and unsettling.
Renee watched Michael carefully as he put the other man’s
wineglass down before walking back toward the couch. She trusted him more than
most but even he wasn’t above suspicion—especially after drugging one of her
crew. Putting her glass of wine on the coffee table in front of her, she placed
her hand over her sidearm as she asked, “Was that absolutely necessary?”
“I’m a business before pleasure kind of guy. And I didn’t
want him listening in.”
She relaxed a little at his explanation but still kept her
hand resting lightly over the hilt of her weapon—just in case. “And here I
thought maybe you were the jealous type,” she teased.
“Please, you know there’s nothing I’d enjoy more than
sharing you.”
It was true. His family had been practicing
tri-relationships even before the financial devastation of the last recession
that had made the arrangement more of a mainstream trend. Having three incomes
kept a family afloat without having to resort to the more shady employment
opportunities that were popping up all over the planet. But for his family it
was more than an economic convenience, it was a tradition. A tradition he
certainly showed no objection to.
“But that would make this…” he gestured from himself to her
before continuing, “too ‘official’ for you.”
She grimaced at the truth in his words. Though she didn’t
object to the idea of being involved in a ménage, especially with the two very
handsome men currently in the room, she couldn’t let Michael think there was a
chance for them to have any more than they already had. They were friends who
had sex. Nothing more. But she wasn’t sure he shared her evaluation of their
relationship. So this was the way it had to be. No ménage equaled no
commitments.
Just because she saw things realistically, though, didn’t
mean she was heartless. Their relationship was dear enough to her that she’d
never been able to indulge in a ménage with another. As crazy as the sentiment
was, she refused to give anyone else what she denied him. But it’d hurt less to
rip her own tongue out than to destroy Michael’s pride by telling him that this
was all they’d ever be, so she kept the admission to herself. “I swear,
Michael, you’re the only guy I’ve ever known with complaints about having me
all to himself.”
“But that’s the thing, I don’t.” He sat next to her on the
couch and pushed a lock of her hair out of her face. “I’m okay with that,
though. Our arrangement works.”
She heard the silent “for now” much too loudly for her own
comfort. But with his logic solid and his manner nonthreatening, she took her
hand off her weapon and gave in to her desire to relax. They did have a good
arrangement but what she’d always liked best about it was how comfortable she
felt in his presence. “Okay, business-first kind of guy. I did have something I
wanted to talk to you about.” Needing to feel the warmth of his skin, she
trailed one finger down his neck and undid the first button on his shirt.
He followed her progress as she undid the second button but didn’t
make a move to stop her. “You’re going to have to talk fast if you keep that
up.”
“I can talk fast,” she insisted as she found his third
button.
“With as little as he drank, it’d be a good idea regardless.”
He unzipped her flak jacket and slipped it off as she continued taking off his
shirt one button at a time. “He could wake up at any moment.”
The thought of Sans waking sent a streak of erotic energy
through her blood. She wondered briefly if she’d feel the same excitement if
Aimes had been the one to accompany her. Something told her she’d only feel
annoyed if it were her navigator sleeping in the chair though. “I was attacked
by two Coalition ships after I came out of jump today.”
He undid the first button on her shirt with the ease of
practice. “How soon after the jump?”
“There’s no way they followed me.” She eased his shirt over
his strong shoulders, letting it fall behind him on the couch. “They were
waiting.” Leaning forward, she ran her tongue down the side of his neck,
stopping to nibble his collarbone before continuing, “And that wasn’t even the
strangest thing.”
He unbuttoned her second button before saying, “Do tell.”
“They had stealth tech.”
He stopped undressing her abruptly. “Are you certain?”
“They weren’t on my radar. That can only mean stealth.” Running
her hand over his firm abs, she shivered with desire. Michael didn’t have the
scars that Sans wore but she knew him too well to think that meant he lived a
life of comfort. Michael’s scars were buried deep, just as hers were. It was one
of the things that drew her to him.
“No. I meant, are you certain they were Coalition ships?”
She stopped her explorations to look up at him. “Of course. They
couldn’t hide from the view screen.” No one could do that, at least not yet. That
bit of technology, when the military finally got the kinks ironed out, was
going to be a game-changer. “I was attacked by two Iron Falcons.”
His brow creased for a moment as it often did when he was
trying to sort out a puzzle. “Odd for anyone to put state-of-the-art tech on
such an obsolete model.”
“The day the Coalition starts making sense is the day I get
fitted for a straitjacket.”
He tilted his head to one side slightly as if he was judging
the truth of her words. She didn’t take it personally though. It was just his
nature to question. It’s what made him the best investigative journalist she’d
ever met. And in her line of work, she’d met a lot.
“I wish the real world was as black and white as the one you
live in,” he said finally.
“What can I say, I’ve been blessed by the gift of clarity.” It
was a running joke. She kept everything and everyone categorized with clear
definitions. True, her views were often at odds with those of polite society. But
since she was the one who had to live with the consequences of her choices, she’d
happily let go of polite society’s expectations a decade or so ago.
“Sorry, but this time I think your vision’s clouded.”
Missing his attention, she tugged on his belt buckle. “What’s
that supposed to mean?”
“The Coalition doesn’t have stealth tech.” The certainty in
his voice shook her confidence but not enough to make her back down.
“I know what I saw,” she said, backing away from him
indignantly.
“You saw what they wanted you to see.”
“And who would they be?” She didn’t even bother to hide the
skepticism in her voice.
“Now that’s the question, isn’t it?”
“Because you’re sure it’s not the Coalition.” She studied
him carefully. “You’re starting to sound like one of those conspiracy nuts.”
“Regardless, I’m positive it wasn’t them. They don’t have
the tech and they wouldn’t know your flight schedule.”
She shook her head in irritation. “If the military had a
mole, they would’ve had access to both,” she argued.
“But they don’t.”
“According to you.”
“According to my sources.”
His sources. They were the reason she’d jumped here when
everything had gone wrong. If anyone knew something it’d be him. But still, she
couldn’t believe what he was saying. It had to be the Coalition. She’d been
knee-deep in this fight for the past ten years and it was always the Coalition.
“When was the last time you talked to these sources of yours?”
“Just a week ago.”
“They could’ve planted a mole since then,” she pointed out.
“The field might as well be a slaughterhouse for them. They’re
too busy on defense to worry much about offense. It’s not looking good for
their side.”
She hated the dark shadows of sorrow that clouded his
otherwise bright-blue eyes, but hated that the uniform she fought in was
partially to blame for those shadows even more. They should be on the same side
of this argument, but he’d never see the Coalition as anything other than the
underdog. And there was nothing he loved more than an underdog. “And you expect
me to what? Discount them because they’re losing or feel sorry for them because
I’m fighting on the right side?”
“Just because you’re on the winning side doesn’t mean you’re
on the right side.”
“I agree, the winning side isn’t always the right one. But
fortunately for me, this time it is. And I’m on it.”
“Along with your father, Chairman St. Thomas and Chairman
Lowry?”
The growl of contempt escaped her before she realized she
was making his point for him. Not that she could’ve silenced her scorn
regardless. She hated being lumped in the same group as the career politicians.
She wasn’t so naïve as to think that just because the politicians’ motives were
wrong meant their war was though. “You don’t have to be a saint to fight the
good fight,” she countered.
“Saint? I’d be happy with law abiding.”
“You want to talk about law abiding? Really? When your precious
freedom fighters are nothing more than a group of traitorous soldiers who
decided they didn’t want to honor the terms of a contract they signed?” She
pushed against his chest.
“There’s so much more to the Coalition movement than the
disillusionment of genetically enhanced soldiers.”
That was news to her. The last time she checked, the whole
damn Coalition military force was made up of the modified soldiers who were
looking for a way out of government service. They were no better than toddlers
throwing a fit in her opinion. “I haven’t heard anything but the bitching of
men who should know better than to sign something they didn’t read.”
“Just because you haven’t heard it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t
exist,” he countered.
“If it’s out there and nobody’s heard about it, I’d say that’s
your fault. You should be doing a better job.”
He pushed her back, leaning over to trap her between the
strong wall of his chest and the warm leather of the couch. “Oh, I’m working on
it. I’ve been digging so deep into these politicians that I can feel their
slime under my fingernails. But I could use a bit of help from my favorite
anonymous military source.”
She bet he could. He could always use her help. But the
intel she provided came with a price. And all too often in this relationship,
it was a price she’d paid. “You have other sources.” The story he’d done a
couple of years ago about the sentient life forms that the government created
proved that. As high as her clearance was, she had no idea the Subservients
existed until she heard it blasted over the universal news channels. “Why don’t
you use them?”
“Because you taste better than they do.” He nuzzled into her
neck as he said the words and his hot breath tickled her skin.
“Helping you always gets me into trouble. That piece you did
on the sex-slave industry nearly got me a tour in the brig.”
His mouth brushed against her neck as he smiled. “Now that’s
a story I’d love to cover. I can already picture the footage. You showering,
hot water streaming off that gorgeous body of yours when, uh-oh, you drop the
soap.” His hand was busy unbuttoning her cargo pants as he spoke.
“That’s really only a problem for guys,” she pointed out.
He pulled away from her and threw a disappointed look her
way. “You certainly do know how to take the fun out of a fantasy.”
“Fine,” she arched an eyebrow at him in speculation. “I’m
sure we’d have daily pillow fights in nothing but our panties.”
“Thank you.” He tugged on her pants, bringing them slowly
over her hips before stopping to look up at her. “But you know it’s a moot
point, right?”
The seriousness of his voice and the intensity of his stare
made the wall she kept around herself melt just a little. “I know. You’d never
give up a source.”
“I’d never give you up.” The kiss on her navel sealed the promise.
“We can both come out of this winners.”
She panted as she pictured all the ways she wanted to win
right now. And not a single one had anything to do with intel or the Coalition.
The military and the resistance were quickly being chased from her mind by
Michael’s very talented mouth. “Oh, I plan on it. If you could just make your
way a little further south, I’ll be winning at the top of my lungs.”
He sat up and she had to fight the urge to yell at him in
frustration.
“Business first.” The gentle rebuke made her roll her eyes
but she did nod. “That’s a good girl. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take a long,
hard second look at the Coalition if you promise to keep your eyes open for
anything that looks suspicious on your side.”
As much as she believed in the ideals of her government, she
was used to keeping an eye open for fishy behavior from the politicians. It was
how Michael had ended up with that now-famous sex-slave story that had sent
five councilmen to prison in the first place. But keeping an eye on her own
people felt wrong somehow. “I’m not sure—”
“I’m just asking you to keep an eye out, that’s all. For all
we know, today was just some rogue pirate that had a lucky break. But keeping
your eyes open never hurts.”
He was right. And it wasn’t as if he were asking her to make
a list of likely suspects or file a report with her superiors—just be on the
lookout. She could do that. She really should be doing that anyway. “Deal.”
“Good.” He finished stripping her pants off her. “Now, are
you going to tell me why you brought this young man with you if you had no
intention of being shared?”
“It didn’t take you long to get back to that subject.”
“I’m curious. You’ve never brought anyone else to my house.”
She looked back at Sans, who still appeared to be sleeping
soundly. “He pulled policy on me. I’m still officially on duty and, as such,
need security.” She couldn’t suppress the harsh laugh at the thought of the
sleeping man being there for her protection.
“How disappointing,” Michael said dryly.
“That he’s only here because of protocol or his
effectiveness as security?”