Planet Killer (Star Kingdom Book 6)

by Lindsay Buroker

  Bonita wondered if station security would try to detain him—she’d been hoping he wouldn’t be allowed to dock, as that would have solved the Kim problem completely. Bonita didn’t know how Kim planned to get off the station, but Casmir had said they both meant to leave. Maybe he’d schmoozed the sultan for a ship they could borrow.

  Bjarke’s roving gaze paused on an android security guard stationed near an exit, and Bonita thought he might ignore her, Qin, and Asger altogether, and head off to search on his own. But after his perusal of the area, Bjarke strode toward Asger.

  He wore a form-fitting galaxy suit rather than a knight’s liquid armor, which either meant he didn’t think Kim would pose that much of a threat or he didn’t want to be obviously associated with the Kingdom when he was roaming the station. The suit accentuated his muscular form nicely. He wasn’t quite as tall or broad as Asger, but he had an impressive physique, and Bonita remembered the topless picture he’d sent her early on.

  She kept herself from admiring him too thoroughly and too openly, but couldn’t help but wish he’d come all this way for her rather than on an errand for his prince. What would it be like to be with a man who felt that kind of loyalty toward her?

  Bonita shook her head, reminding herself that relationships were trouble. All the men she’d cared for who’d started out feeling, or feigning, such loyalty had turned into dicks in the end. Bjarke was probably the same way.

  Still, he looked at her before he reached Asger, his gaze sliding down her form-fitting galaxy suit, and warmth flushed her body. Maybe it was her imagination, but his gaze seemed interested rather than dismissive.

  Bonita folded her arms over her chest and feigned indifference, but she used the gesture to give her boobs a little boost. As one got older, one had to assist gravity.

  Bjarke smiled wryly in her direction, but his face grew grave as he stopped in front of Asger. He glanced at Qin, looking like he wanted to ask her to leave, but she had returned to cleaning her gun and pretended not to notice him. Bonita hoped Asger opted to lead his father astray, not start a fist-fight. Especially since Qin had offered to help. Even though Bjarke wore his pertundo and a stunner on the utility belt of his galaxy suit, Bonita doubted he could overcome both of them. And being ground into the gritty metal deck by them would be sure to ruin his mood.

  “William,” Bjarke said. “You said you completed your mission here?”

  Asger blinked. Maybe that wasn’t the opening he’d expected.

  “I have,” Asger said.

  “Where’s Tremayne’s pertundo?”

  “In the Dragon.” Asger waved toward Bonita and the open cargo hold behind her. “Ishii’s shuttle developed malfunctions, so I had to transfer to this ship.”

  “I heard.” Bjarke’s tone was cool, completely lacking in the sardonic edge he used with Bonita. “You will fetch the weapon and return in my shuttle with me.”

  Asger shrugged. “Fine.”

  “And you will help me retrieve Scholar Sato.”

  “No, sir. I won’t.”

  Bjarke clenched his jaw. Asger glared defiantly back at him. Qin hadn’t looked up from her Brockinger, but she’d reassembled it, and her hand rested on the barrel. She was poised to leap to aid Asger if needed. Bonita wondered if he realized how loyal a friend—maybe more than a friend—he had in her.

  “I am not making this request as your father. Baron Farley sent orders that I could put you to use out here as I see fit.”

  “Baron Farley has implied on more than one occasion that I’ll be kicked out of the knighthood when I get back.”

  Bjarke’s nostrils flared. “Is that what you want?”

  “No, but—”

  “After all the strings I had to pull to get you affirmed into the knighthood to start with?”

  “Something you only did because you would have been embarrassed if I didn’t make it. It’s not like you cared about me or what I wanted.”

  Their voices were escalating and drawing more gazes than the android security officer’s.

  “Of course I cared. What are you talking about?”

  “You were never there to do anything with me when I was growing up. How could you possibly care? You didn’t even know me!”

  Asger’s fingers balled into fists. Did he see the startled expression flash in Bjarke’s eyes?

  Bjarke visibly gathered himself. “William, this isn’t the place for tantrums. If you won’t help me complete my mission, you will wait in the shuttle for me to return.”

  “With a woman you intend to kidnap against her wishes?” The fists tightened.

  This was going to devolve into an ugly brawl soon. Qin must have thought so, too, for she surged to her feet and looked to Asger for a signal.

  “She is a Kingdom subject,” Bjarke said. “Her duty is to serve the Kingdom in a time of need, and this is definitely—”

  “I’ll take you to her,” Bonita cut in, aware of Asger’s fist cocking back. Maybe the two needed to have a down-and-out-brawl, but not when they were carrying deadly weapons and Qin planned to jump in to help. Not only might one of them be seriously injured, but Bonita could see the rift between them growing irreparable if Asger truly did knock his father out and lock him up on the station somewhere.

  “Captain!” Asger blurted in a betrayed tone.

  Bonita couldn’t tell if it was feigned or if he believed she would do it. He should have known better, since he’d been at the meeting with Casmir, but maybe he was putting on a show to make Bjarke believe her.

  Bonita shrugged. “If you two fight, you’re going to get blood all over my cargo ramp, and it’ll be annoying to have to clean it.”

  One of the robot vacuums whirred past the hatchway behind her. She didn’t look at it.

  “You know where she is?” Bjarke pinned her with a considering gaze. “Before, you implied that you wouldn’t help me.”

  “I don’t particularly want to, but I also don’t want to see you get pulverized.”

  Bjarke snorted. “William could not best me.”

  “William isn’t alone.” Bonita looked at Qin.

  Bjarke studied her for the first time. They’d fought together, so he ought to know what Qin was capable of. But then, he’d run over to the other ship shortly after they’d started that ambush aboard the Machu Picchu. Depending on what had gone on in that astroshaman base, Bjarke might not have witnessed her full capabilities yet.

  Qin lifted her chin under his scrutiny.

  “You would battle me, Qin?” Bjarke asked. “After we climbed elevator shafts together? I’m distressed.”

  “I like Asger—William. More than I like you. And I stand beside those I like.”

  “I see.” Bjarke shifted his focus to Bonita. “You said you know where she is now?”

  Bonita shrugged again. “I know where she’s staying, and I know where the lab is that she’s been working in. We can go check those two places.”

  Bjarke held her gaze, then looked slowly around the bay again, as if he suspected Kim of being hidden nearby. Which was possible. Numerous ships occupied the landing pads and blocked the view to the far side.

  “Very well,” Bjarke said. “You may guide me to those locations, the most likely first.”

  “May I? How magnanimous of you. If I help you, and we find her, I’m going to expect you to buy me dinner and rub my feet.”

  Asger made a gagging noise. Viggo, who was monitoring everything taking place on his cargo ramp, issued a similar sound. Bonita rolled her eyes.

  “Will this foot rubbing occur at dinner?” Some of the tension finally ebbed from Bjarke’s face as his tone grew lighter. “That doesn’t seem sanitary.”

  “Dinner at a fancy restaurant—your treat—where they don’t print the prices on the menu because they’re so exorbitant. Foot rubbing back in my cabin.” Bonita pointed a thumb toward the cargo hold. “Though I assure you there’s nothing unsanitary about my feet. I wash and pumice them regularly.”

  Judging by t
he twist of Asger’s lips, he was considering another gag.

  “Ven acá pendejo.” Bonita stalked down the ramp, linked her arm with Bjarke’s, and led him away from the ship. To her surprise, he allowed it. “Finish preparing the ship, Qin,” she called over her shoulder. “We’ll leave in the morning.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  Qin and Asger stared after them.

  Bjarke walked closer than she would have expected if he was angry. Maybe he was only angry with Asger and not her. That would change, unfortunately, when he realized she was leading him away from his quarry, not toward it. That made her sad, but she walked resolutely into the rest of the station. It was better than letting father and son pummel each other in front of her cargo ramp.

  “Pendejo? Does that mean mighty bear?”

  “No. You’re thinking of oso pequeño. Or osito.” She smiled and patted him on the ass.

  “You’re insulting me, aren’t you?”

  “Just correcting your high opinion of yourself.”

  “I see.” His eyelids drooped into a sultry expression. “And what name will you cry out when I’m bringing you to unprecedented heights of pleasure during our lovemaking tonight?”

  Damn her for finding his throaty whisper sexy. “That depends wholly on your performance.”

  Bjarke stopped in the middle of the corridor. Since their arms were still linked, she did too.

  There hadn’t been much foot traffic going in and out of the ship bay, and they were alone at the moment. He shifted, pushing her gently but firmly against the wall, and he kissed her.

  She was so surprised that she stood slack-jawed for a few seconds, but his hand found her hip, then drifted higher, and her body tightened in anticipation of pleasures she’d almost forgotten she could experience. She stirred, running her hands up his back and moving her mouth against his, the kiss far more rousing than it should have been, hungrier and more demanding than the brief one they’d shared on the Kingdom warship. She’d initiated that one, surprising him. This time, he was in control, and fiery heat flushed her body as she thought of making her teasing words from earlier a reality.

  She gripped his hard, muscular shoulders and leaned in, thoughts of wrapping her legs around him flashing through her mind. To hell with all the warnings from her past. She wanted him. She twined her fingers into his hair and pulled his head closer, sliding her tongue against his. They danced and wrestled for pleasure and dominance.

  Too soon, his lips left hers, but his mouth didn’t go far. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, as if savoring her taste. “Don’t screw me, Laser,” he murmured, his eyes intense, burning into hers.

  “That’s your job.” She heard the breathlessness in her voice, and she could feel the reverberations of her heart thundering against her ribs, her breasts pressed against his chest.

  “Help me complete my mission, and I’ll show you how good I am at that job.” He brushed his stubbled jaw against her cheek as he leaned in to nibble her earlobe.

  Bonita, eyes rolling back in her head, was abruptly glad she didn’t know where Kim was. He was manipulating her—did this kiss mean anything to him?—and she knew it. How ironic that she had drawn him away to manipulate him.

  Even knowing he was using her, her body wanted this to turn into far more than kissing and groping in a corridor. The temptation to give in to him was real.

  Could she pretend that she was giving in? Take him up to some hotel room, say it was where Kim was staying, and then convince him to spend the night with her? That would give Kim and Casmir time to get away, wouldn’t it? And Bjarke deserved being deceived when he was trying to use sex to get her to help him, didn’t he?

  “Is she really in that lab?” He rubbed the back of her neck, fingers as sensuous as his mouth.

  “Look, I don’t know where she is at this minute. All I can do is show you to the places where she’s been these last few days.”

  The fingers left her neck, and his mouth left her earlobe. Cold disappointment surged through her, but she struggled to keep her face neutral as he assessed her with his gaze. He was trying to tell if she was telling the truth or not. She gave him nothing.

  “Show me then.” He linked his arm with hers again and guided her back into the middle of the corridor, heading for a lift.

  Her legs were rubbery, and it had nothing to do with old knee injuries. “Are you ever not undercover and serving your king?”

  “Rarely.” He eyed her sidelong, then shifted his arm so he could cup her ass this time. “But I would enjoy rewarding you for your assistance.”

  “Rewarding me? Like I’m a good hound that’s retrieved some prey for you?”

  “Like you’re the sexy, snarky, independent woman you are.” They stepped into the lift, and his considering gaze locked onto her again.

  She’d seen that gaze from men enough times to know what it meant. He wanted her. He knew he shouldn’t give in, but he’d crossed a line from playing a role to wanting to cave to carnal pleasure. Earlier, she’d been considering a hotel room, but maybe they didn’t need that for her to distract him for a lengthy period of time.

  She turned into his arms, planted a hand on his chest, and pushed him against the wall. His eyes flared, not with indignation but with fierce satisfaction, as if he’d wanted exactly this. He slammed a hand against the control panel to hold the lift, and pulled her against him, his lips taking hers again.

  He would be livid when he realized what she was doing, but it wasn’t as if she expected to have a future with some Sir Noble Knight from the Kingdom. Let them have one exciting, memorable encounter. It would all be much less complicated then, anyway.

  Kim shifted from foot to foot, anxious to get out of the shuttle bay and off Stardust Palace Station. Bonita had led Bjarke out of the area—thankfully putting an end to the angry conversation between Bjarke and Asger that had floated back through the bay, past the ships that Kim, Casmir, and Casmir’s twelve-crusher army were hiding behind. Asger remained in the bay—Casmir’s access to the station’s security cameras were allowing him to give updates of things beyond Kim’s sight. He was speaking with Qin at the base of the Dragon’s cargo ramp.

  “How do we get rid of him?” Kim whispered to Casmir. “Them,” she added. Qin might be as likely to fight Rache as Asger.

  Casmir was leaning against the wall next to her, his gaze unfocused as he concentrated on the network security cameras—or read a comic book. It was hard to tell. “How much time do we have? If they’re still there when Rache gets here, we may have to just tell them to stay back.”

  Kim spread her hands, palms up. She’d sent a message earlier and gotten the vague response of Today.

  “You were programmed with the Star Kingdom Royal Bodyguard Manual?” Zee asked quietly.

  “I was,” came several soft replies.

  “I have seen you practice defense on the knight, but there are times when we may be asked to be the aggressors. It is Casmir Dabrowski’s wish that we not take human lives. Is this understood?”

  “Yes. Casmir Dabrowski is the maker. His will must be fulfilled.”

  Kim raised her eyebrows at Casmir. He only shrugged.

  “There are many ways to disable human opponents without killing them,” Zee went on. “We will employ those techniques when necessary.”

  “What about rendering other crushers, robots, and androids inoperable?” one of his new buddies asked.

  “If it is determined that they are the enemies of Casmir Dabrowski, and a threat to our mission, we will need to remove them from the fight. It is not necessary to do so much damage that they will be forever inoperable.”

  “When I first met you,” Kim murmured to Casmir, “I wouldn’t have guessed that you would end up building a loyal robot army.”

  His eye blinked. “Are you sure? I think my parents could have predicted this when I was four and making vroom vroom noises as I drove my first robot cab around the kitchen floor.”

  “It wasn’t so much th
at I thought you lacked interest as… initiative.”

  “Or megalomania?”

  “That too.”

  “That’s one of my fifty words for describing comic book villains, you know. Which I hope I’m not in danger of becoming.” Concern wrinkled his brow. “I just didn’t want to program them to obey Jorg. Or Jager. Or anyone with an inordinate amount of control over the lives of my friends and family.”

  “Understandable.” Kim refrained from adding if a bit creepy. She found the robots quietly discussing their battle tactics—with Zee setting himself up as general—discomfiting, but she wouldn’t add to Casmir’s concerns by saying so. She hoped they truly were all willing to obey him and didn’t develop a recalcitrant independence. So far, Zee’s personality was quirky rather than dangerous, but what if they didn’t all come out that way?

  “Maybe we should have waited somewhere else. We’re not going to be able to avoid attracting notice for long. I’m on the network and have convinced that security android in the doorway over there not to look this way, but some captain or crewman is bound to come get something from his or her ship soon—” Casmir waved at the two closest yachts parked near them, “—and report us. We’re conspicuous.”

  Kim eyed the crushers, all made from the same black tarry material. “They would be invisible if you turned out the lights.”

  “I think turning out the lights would also be conspicuous.”

  “I suppose. I’ll message Rache. He sent me a succinct note this morning and said he was getting close, but nothing since then.”

  “Succinct?”

  “Yes, it’s the opposite of what you are. Is that not one of your words for describing villains?”

  “It’s not. A good villain gets chatty before revealing all to the hapless hero. That’s right before the tables are turned, the legions of mindless sycophants are defeated, and the hero gains the upper hand.” Casmir glanced at the crushers. “Maybe I am the villain. This is distressing, Kim. I may need some time to reflect. Fortunately, it’ll take close to a week to get to this moon base.”