by Vi Keeland
Dallas leaned on the table, his head dropping to his chest. “Being with Lilly…”
“Brought it all back.”
“Yeah.” Dallas hesitated. “No. I mean it is different.”
“Because Lilly’s human?”
He lifted his head. “There’s that. But it’s more. Sarah never intended to let us in. In the months we worked together and even after we shared a bed with her, she never let down her guard. Never wanted to be vulnerable.”
“Znedus tend to do that.” Thaegan shrugged. “They hold themselves separate. I never expected anything more.”
“Yeah, well humans aren’t hard-wired that way. At first it was great. But I’m getting tired of the love ’em and leave ’em attitude of deep space. I had myself believing Sarah wanted more. I guess we’ll never find out.”
“I repeat. Lilly. Is. Not. Sarah.”
Dallas laughed, a bitter sound that tore at Lilly’s heart. “No, she’s a bounty hunter looking for revenge against the very organization we work for.”
“Whether you like it or not, she’s the only one who can identify Grebetz’s boss. I understand your reticence, but there’s no way she can draw the tattoo well enough for us to identify him.”
Lilly hadn’t shared with them that her photographic memory would have allowed her to do just that, but she’d thought the two of them were being hardheaded and unreasonable. Now she understood Dallas couldn’t bring himself to lose someone else under his command or perhaps—someone he’d come to care about.
“I’m resigned to the fact she’ll be there,” said Dallas. “But I won’t survive if she gets hurt.”
“Bastower’s not a prick. He doesn’t blame you for—”
“I’m not talking about my career, Thaegan. I’m talking about my God damn heart.”
“She’s not going to get hurt. I’m sure she can handle it. Hell, if we hadn’t double teamed her tonight, I have no doubt she’d have Grebetz in custody. That talent of hers definitely can take a man down.”
“Tell me what you feel,” Dallas asked quietly.
“You really aren’t affected by it, are you?”
“The woman turns me on like no female in a very long time. But it’s not the sexual madness that seemed to overtake you.”
“It’s that chemical shit flowing through your veins, isn’t it?”
Lilly had a hard time staying still. She had wondered about the knife wound and again the way Dallas had healed after Thaegan’s beating. The man had brushed it off and then circumstances had tumbled on top of each other and she’d never gotten around to asking him again.
“The docs on Canus Delta told me the synthetic blood would keep me from ever getting drunk or sick and that cuts and bruises were a thing of the past. But no one mentioned that a Seraphelium’s touch would have no impact on me.”
Thaegan laughed as Lilly’s heart tripped over itself.
“When she’s not using it as a weapon, it’s quite a pleasant buzz. Guess you’re just going to have to live with your own libido guiding you on that one,” said Thaegan.
“With that woman, it’s certainly not hard.”
“No, that woman makes it very hard.”
Both men laughed again and Lilly felt as if her prayers had been answered. What she’d felt from Dallas had been real desire, not a figment of her imagination or spurred on by her gift. She couldn’t hold back the smile that brightened her face.
From her vantage point on the mattress, Lilly could see out the side window. The first and second moons had already set and the third sat low on the horizon. Though day would never break here on Garalon Five, she knew there were only a few hours left before the official morning started. She stretched and yawned loudly. There was a lot of work ahead of them.
Chapter Nine
“Bastower say you and Thaegan bring woman in.”
Dallas’ cochlear implant translated the Xerick’s clicks and pops. In the comfort of the backroom at headquarters, his team spoke their native tongues. They were trying to relax before all hell broke loose at the tavern in a couple of hours.
“Yeah, well, the way the bimbo handled herself in the tavern we thought she might know something about Grebetz,” Thaegan said.
He and Thaegan had arrived nearly forty minutes ago. They’d taken time to change their clothes but hadn’t wasted time with showers. He could still smell Lilly on his skin.
“Gone you two a long while.” One head of the Xerick puffed on a cigar while the other ate and shot the shit.
“Turned out she didn’t know anything.” Thaegan casually leaned forward and grabbed another of the stuffed purple flowers from the overflowing platter of food products in the center of the table. “Bringing her in wouldn’t have done any good.”
As hungry as he was, Dallas knew the spicy meat and vegetable concoction in his hands wouldn’t satisfy. It would only add weight to the tight knot of nerves sitting cold in his gut. He didn’t like the idea of Lilly being at the tavern and in the line of fire, but it appeared if he wanted to bring down Hij’Rozhod, he didn’t have a choice. “Turned out she was nothing but a common streetwalker. There wasn’t much she could do for us.”
The Drikspa next to him made a crude sexual motion with his hands. “Thaegan say you two enjoyed a little…”
Dallas tried to tune him out. They’d been playing it loose and casual where Lilly was concerned. She and Thaegan had convinced him seeing her safely back to her hotel could be dangerous. Lilly wouldn’t even agree to spend the day in his residence. She couldn’t very well show up at the tavern tonight wearing the t-shirt and gym shorts he’d given her. He’d had to be content dropping her back in the center of the city, several blocks from her hotel. Dallas didn’t like leaving her alone and vulnerable, but he’d had no choice. Just like this fucking locker room conversation—it was all part of the charade. “Yeah, well, it never hurts to blow off a little steam, but she didn’t have any other information we needed—”
The Xerick punched Thaegan. “Boom boom for you.”
The Ka’al growled in response. Obviously, his partner wasn’t enjoying this farce any more than he was.
“Sawyer,” Bastower said as he stormed into the room. His boss was still in his Ka’al form—and didn’t this day just get crappier?
“Sir.” Dallas stood, ready to present the ten-page report he’d already filed about the takedown at the tavern and the fake details of Lilly’s interview.
“I need one of your men for a couple of hours.”
That was not where he expected Bastower to go. “Sir?”
“I’ve just been informed Ambassador Tervoss is making a refueling stop here on Garalon Five on his way to Reigis Alpha. He’s decided to meet some of his constituents at an impromptu news conference. In light of recent events his private security asked if QAL would add some manpower to his team. I’ve got three men, one more and we can do a complete surveillance of our own.”
Thaegan’s gaze met Dallas’ for one telling instant. This was too damn convenient. Only hours before they were supposed to take down Hij’Rozhod and it appeared someone was pulling his team apart. No way in hell that was a coincidence. If their mission had been leaked again, it was highly likely there would be bloodshed at the tavern. He’d think about protecting Lilly later. Right now he wanted every man he trusted at his fingertips.
“I’m not sure I can spare any men, sir.”
“What about Lelkin?” Bastower inquired. “Seems to me, from all the scenarios we’ve been through that his position isn’t as critical as the others.”
It was true, but Dallas hadn’t meant for the newest member of his team to know that detail. He and the Drikspa simply hadn’t developed the easy camaraderie he had with the rest of his team. Dallas wanted to think it had to do with the way the Drikspa kept to himself and not the fact that he’d been the one to fill the void left by Sarah’s death. Dallas shrugged.
“I’d hate to be without him,” Dallas lied. “But I guess if Tervoss’ secur
ity team needs you both, then Thaegan can cover Lelkin’s position if you don’t get back in time.”
The Drikspa stood, his hard red eyes glaring at Dallas. “No problem, Sir.” He spat the title at Dallas like a curse. “Glad to know I wasn’t an important part of taking down Grebetz tonight.”
Bastower slapped the Drikspa on the back. “Don’t look so disappointed, Lelkin. Tervoss’ speech is supposed to be short and sweet. We’ll be back before the fireworks at the tavern even begin.”
Lilly bounced down on the edge of the bed and flipped through the channels on the televid. Nothing held her interest. She’d been wandering around her tiny hotel room, feeling lost and alone and more than a little on edge. She checked the time again. The afternoon continued to tick by at a snail’s pace. There was still more than an hour before she needed to leave for the tavern.
The soft roll of excitement warmed her belly. She wasn’t kidding herself that it had anything to do with a bounty payment being within reach. Lilly credited it all to the fact she’d soon be seeing Dallas. She picked up his t-shirt from the bed. She’d reluctantly parted with it after her shower when she’d pulled on her leather pants and a silk blouse. A perfect outfit for taking down a criminal—or running for her life. Lifting the soft cotton to her face, Lilly inhaled deeply, the unmistakable masculine scent of Dallas wrapping around her nostrils and making her dizzy with want.
After she’d gotten up at the cabin, the three of them had sat around the table strategizing.
Somewhere between the cutting of her clothing and their lovemaking, they’d developed trust. But there had been something more. None of them had been anxious to leave the secluded confines of the cabin and their discussion of Treljon lasers and vantage points had deteriorated into another round of very hot, very sweaty sex. Her desire fueled by the knowledge her energy had no pull on Dallas and yet he still wanted her. Craved her was more like it. The two of them had managed another quick session in his residence while they were searching for clothes and Thaegan was contacting headquarters.
Eyeing the computer on the desk, Lilly realized she’d be leaving for the tavern without knowing any additional information about Grebetz or his boss. The decoding program was still ticking away, working with her cochlear translator, trying to decipher the conversation she’d overheard between the Znedu and the Braugtot. A little stab of guilt twisted in her gut. She could have given the translator to Dallas. No doubt QAL computers would do a much faster job, but she’d feared it might make her appearance tonight unnecessary.
Then again, it may also save some lives.
Lilly couldn’t think that way. When this night was over, she didn’t want what she’d found with Dallas to be over as well. Yes, it was selfish, but the way karma had been kicking her ass lately, Lilly figured she was owed a little selfishness. And being with Dallas was certainly an indulgence she’d like to repeat. Having Thaegan around would make it a welcomed trio she could definitely get used to.
Her body was still delectably bruised all these hours later. When she’d stripped for her shower, Lilly laughed at the bite marks on her breasts and ass, trying to remember exactly when they’d occurred—but not really caring. The memory of their hands and hot mouths on her skin and their silken erections filling her so completely had raised her energy. She’d stepped into the shower with a couple of toys, trying to bring it down a notch or two. Even now the current hummed along her skin, adding to the nervousness and the unsettled feeling making her fidgety.
She studied the heavy pack next to the door, wondering if she needed to grab one of the sex toys again just to take the edge off the jumpiness. But rummaging through the neat stacks of clothes and books contained in the packs seemed like more effort than it was worth.
Lilly wasn’t sure she would even be leaving Garalon Five. No one knew how tonight would play out. She’d packed her meager possessions earlier in the afternoon with the absurd thought that if she helped bring down Hij’Rozhod, perhaps QAL would reconsider her qualifications and allow her to pull out with Dallas’ team.
But now that seemed like a foolish girl’s romantic dream.
All Lilly knew for certain was that she didn’t want to give up what she’d only recently found with Dallas and Thaegan. QAL had sent her away once. But here in deep space where rules were different, she wondered if there was a way she could become one of them, a member of a ragtag family who would keep her from feeling so utterly alone and isolated.
But putting that expectation on two men she’d just met, certainly seemed unrealistic. No doubt she was mistaking Dallas’ concern for affection. If she understood correctly, the men had not only lost a teammate but a lover. Thaegan had convinced Dallas that Lilly needed to be at the tavern and the man had reluctantly capitulated. She suspected his balking had nothing to do with his heart and everything to do with pride. It didn’t matter. Lilly would never forgive herself if she didn’t at least try to continue what they’d begun.
Absently she flipped stations on the televid. Boredom had most certainly set in. Every channel looked the same to her. It took Lilly a moment to register what she was seeing. Hitting the volume control, she tuned to the English language station and cued in to the special bulletin being televised on every channel.
“…Premier Commander’s inauguration is only ten days away. Ambassador Antonio Tervoss is making an unannounced stop on Garalon Five…”
Lilly recognized the airstrip where a crowd had gathered. She’d landed there herself less than two weeks ago. It wasn’t more than a fifteen-minute walk from her hotel. Five, if she hailed a luna cab. She checked her watch. Perhaps she’d go down and see the man she’d voted for in person and burn off a little of her restless energy.
“…will be speaking in less than thirty minutes. Elected into office, many say, because of his strong stand against illegal trades on Krystallos Three. We’re not sure if he’ll…”
Lilly’s police training had her focusing on the aliens with the official security badges milling about the podium. Ambassador Tervoss had made few friends during his campaign and his protection detail was no doubt high. A couple of Ka’al scanned the growing crowd, while a Xerick walked every inch of the open area where the ambassador would cross to the podium. But it was the Drikspa checking along the back of the staging area that nearly stopped Lilly’s heart. When he turned to face the camera and scan the crowd, nausea rolled hot and thick in her gut. Disbelief tripped over fury as she leaned in closer to the televid screen.
The bulky Drikspa aliens with their white skin and hornlike protrusions on their head sometimes blended one into another. But there was one male Drikspa she would never forget. As the alien on stage turned to speak into his communicator, Lilly’s suspicions were confirmed. The horny protrusion on the right side of his face was incomplete. Burned beyond repair in a QAL takedown, the doctors at the infirmary told her they wouldn’t be able to mend the damage wrought by a Treljon laser.
The laser she’d held to the Drikspa’s head as she’d taken him into QAL custody on Earth six months ago. The same Drikspa who had bought his way out of jail and imprisoned her on a freighter bound for Krystallos Three. A Drikspa she’d been tracking intent on exacting her own form of revenge.
Lilly grabbed her coat, the Ba’alkin dagger and headed for the door. No way in hell was he getting away alive this time.
Dallas leaned forward on his hands, the hologram of the tavern illuminated in front of him.
“Have they changed anything in the last thirty minutes, partner?” Thaegan slammed a wide palm on his back, lifting him from the morass of anxiety he’d fallen into.
Dallas pressed a button on the control panel and the tavern melted away. “Tell me again I made the right decision allowing her to be there.”
Thaegan laughed. “Let her? Did you really say let her? Nothing’s going to stop that woman when she’s got her mind set on something.”
“Hey, Sawyer, isn’t this the bimbo you guys took into custody?” The geeky Xerick wh
o monitored all QAL communication hollered from across the room.
“What the hell you talking about, Harrick?” Dallas really wanted to be left alone to stew in his indecision.
“This blonde human with the big tits.” The Xerick waved his hand at the monitor in front of him. “I need your confirmation before I radio Bastower. Seems too much of a coincidence after screwing up our missing last night that she’d also be skulking around a surprise visit by the ambassador.”
Dallas strode to the bank of vid screens in three quick steps. Though the female on the screen wasn’t facing the security camera and the honey tresses that had tickled his skin were caught up in a long braid down her back, he would have known that curvaceous ass, hugged by soft leather from any angle.
“Yes.” He pushed the simple word past the strangle hold of panic wrapped around his throat. She turned then and looked into the televid, her eyes searching the crowd. Her full mouth was a tight line of determination, her hand sliding under her coat, no doubt ready to draw a weapon.
“What the hell?” Dallas hadn’t meant to pose the question out loud.
“I’ll warn Bastower and Lelkin. They’ll have time to apprehend her—”
“No.”
“But I’m pretty sure—”
“Dallas said no.” Thaegan’s voice was low and menacing, a Ka’al growl riding on the words. “He’s team leader. Are you questioning him?”
“No Sir. No…I just thought…”
“You’re right, it’s not a coincidence she’s there. I don’t want to chance alerting her if she’s somehow hacked into our frequencies. Thaegan and I will go down there ourselves.” Dallas headed for the exit. “Continue to monitor all channels, but don’t radio Bastower.”
“But I can scramble the—”
Thaegan’s angry roar vibrated off the walls.
The Xerick’s trembling would have been comical if Dallas wasn’t so worried about Lilly. What the hell was she doing? Doubt clawed at his gut. The fact she was at the airstrip and in detective mode meant she was chasing a bounty—or worse—knew something about Hij’Rozhod she hadn’t bothered to share with him.
