Lord Regret's Price: A Jane Austen Space Opera, Book 3

by Joely Sue Burkhart

  “I’m so glad,” Charlotte said behind them. She dropped a hand on each of their shoulders, as though she needed even a modest physical connection to them both, but her voice was firmer and more like her usual self. “Your firewalls are holding, then?”

  “Absolutely, and your…surprise…has deployed in response.”

  “Excellent. How many ships are waiting for us outside Hoeng Gong?”

  “There are four ships there now, but they’re all claiming to be merchant frigates. Their systems are running much too hot to be simple trade ships, though.”

  “Four,” Sig growled beneath his breath. “We can outrun them unless they have Razari engines under the hood, but they’ll have warship backup just out of sensor range.”

  “I have a suggestion that might help us both,” Prince Gong said. “See if you can lure them into following you through the Xuanyuan wormhole. Then we’ll easily be able to dispose of any ships that follow you, and we’ll send you back through the wormhole to any location you desire.”

  The wormhole again? Gil suppressed a groan, but his dismay must have been evident on his face, because Prince Gong laughed.

  “We’ll make this trip as smooth as possible, and easily shave days if not weeks of space travel off, depending on your lady’s destination. Even better, your enemies will have no idea where you’ve gone, unless they can decrypt our entire security system after surviving their own trip to the Forbidden City.”

  Charlotte frowned. “I don’t want to end up close to Britannian airspace, and I’d planned to rendezvous with a friend at Morocco. Can you get us anywhere close to that?”

  Prince Gong typed at his workstation. “Let me see… Yes. I have codes for as-Sahra. That’s just a few days’ travel on normal engine speed to your destination.”

  “The Great Desert planet,” she mused aloud, tapping her fingers on Gil’s shoulders.

  “Not much shopping,” Sig teased.

  “Not much of anything but sand,” she admitted, “and heat.”

  “And worms,” Prince Gong added, “big ones.”

  Gil frowned harder at the viewscreen. “That’s not helping your case for sending us through that bumpy wormhole not once but twice more. I hate worms.”

  Laughing softly, she leaned against him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Don’t worry, dearest. I’ll protect you from the big bad worms.”

  Glancing back over his shoulder to make sure Charlie was safely secured back in her chair, Sig engaged the new flight plan. Within minutes, the busy satellite port of Hoeng Gong filled the screen, and there were the four ships hovering just outside the security station. The Oblivion altered direction slightly, as though they were surprised to see visitors waiting, and the four ships immediately followed.

  “Merchants my ass.” The Razari engine hummed with pleasure as he increased power, rumbling like a big cat anxious for an energetic chase. He wove in and out of legitimate merchant ships waiting for their turn to enter the port, pretending that they really were trying to evade the Britannian ships, but the engine barely revved past thirty-percent power.

  They dodged back toward Bei-Jing. Without the trade traffic, the Britannian ships narrowed the gap.

  “Incoming,” Masters warned in a low voice.

  “Our shields are up. We should be fine.”

  “I’m surprised Prince Gong didn’t mention the guns on the ship,” she called from the passenger area. “Surely he would have—”

  Oblivion rocked and alarms began blinking all across his dashboard. Masters cursed and began returning fire, while Sig tried to figure out what they’d been hit with. Normal pulse cannon wouldn’t have affected the shields like that. Worse, the Razari crystal that powered the engines had taken the brunt of the hit. “The crystal’s down to fifty-percent power. What kind of weapon does that?”

  “A new one,” she said at his shoulder. “Good thing I sent a little surprise their way as soon as they tried to hack into Zijin systems.”

  “Bloody hell, Charlie, get back in your seat!”

  She leaned against him, her left arm locked around his shoulders to help her stay on her feet, while she scrolled with the other hand through the command screen. Her fingers moved too quickly for him to track exactly what she did. “Shift over to the regular engines and spare the crystal in case we really need it.”

  “Are you sure? We won’t be able to outrun them on normal power. If we can’t make it to the wormhole, they’ll snag us in a force field. We’ll be as helpless as a beached whale.”

  “That weapon was targeted specifically to the energy frequency of the crystal. If you shut it down, they won’t be able to hit us again.”

  He powered the top-notch engine down and shifted over to auxiliary traditionally powered—aka slow—engines. It might have been only his imagination, but the Oblivion’s ride seemed less smooth now and they felt like they were crawling through space. He’d turned his ultrasleek catamaran into a tugboat. If the Xuanyuan cannon failed to take out those blasted ships as soon as they crossed…

  She squeezed his shoulder. “We just need a few more minutes and I’ll have control of their ship computers. Head for the wormhole as planned.”

  Luckily it was already in sight, the pink tendrils curling out like tentacles ready to ensnare its prey.

  “Another shot’s coming,” Masters growled, pounding out another round of shots. “Damnation, why don’t you have something better than a single pulsor gun on this baby? It’s like shooting with a slingshot.”

  “Weaponry makes us a target,” Sig replied, trying to keep his voice from sounding too defensive. “Big guns mean we’ve got big treasures for someone to try and steal. It’s always been my philosophy to flip the switch on the Razari engine and basically disappear before anyone can get a shot off.”

  The ship shimmied beneath the hit as the energy wave passed through, but nothing else happened.

  “See?” Charlie said with a pleased laugh. “Truth be told, Sig’s as particular about the appearance of his ship as he is about his attire.”

  He was sure his cheeks were flushing. “A big gun will mess up the aerodynamic lines.”

  The other man glanced over at him and laughed, which only made him flush more. “A bad guy’s cannon will definitely mess up these pretty lines when it tears the ship apart.”

  Staring straight ahead, Sig ignored the jibe and opened the line to Prince Gong. “We’re nearly at the wormhole now. Make sure you don’t shoot us by accident!”

  “We’ll try,” Prince Gong said dryly.

  “You have to strap in,” Masters said to Charlotte, probably remembering the way both men had ended up on the floor the first time they’d passed through the wormhole.

  Instead, she plopped herself down in Gil’s lap. “Then you’ll just have to hold me. I’m not going to miss this.”

  As the wormhole engulfed them, golden light flared like they were sailing into a living sun. Built light and sleek for speed, the catamaran rattled hard as they made the jump through to Xuanyuan, creaking desperately to the point Sig feared the hull might give. He let out a sigh of relief when the massive station hung before them and glanced over at Gil. He’d broken a sweat and squeezed Charlotte so tightly her breath wheezed like her corset was cutting her in half, but she made no complaints.

  Pushing the throttle as far as it would go, Sig put as much space between them and the wormhole as possible. Despite knowing the Zijin security was on their side, it still made his palms sweat to fly past those massive heavy-artillery cannon. However, the big guns remained focused on the wormhole exit instead of following their path.

  He flipped the viewscreen to the rear of the ship so they could watch the show. One by one, the Britannian ships began popping through the wormhole. The lead ship saw the massive guns and tried to warn the others, nearly getting hit from behind in the process. The fourth ship paused in midexit, hovering like it was stuck in a web.

  Prince Gong’s voice came over the line. “Not a good
choice for that captain. He’ll be sorry he put the engines in reverse.”

  Indeed, within minutes the ship incinerated and broke in half, the bow of the ship drifting into Xuanyuan space while the rest of the rubble disappeared inside the wormhole.

  “I don’t guess we’re going back that way anytime soon,” Masters grumbled. “Not that I was looking forward to yet another trip through the wormhole. What are we going to do now?”

  Charlotte smiled down at Prince Gong’s face displayed on the monitor. “Oh, I believe we’ll find another way to our destination, won’t we, Your Majesty?”

  He didn’t even blink. “Why do you say that, my lady?”

  The catamaran shivered in sympathy as the big guns opened fire on the three remaining ships. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing but debris clogging the exit.

  “I’d be a poor scientist if I hadn’t scanned the area for another wormhole signature as soon as this one had been revealed to me, especially knowing how you’ve developed the technology to control them.”

  Prince Gong inclined his head with a wry smile. “You’ve earned the infamous Lady Doctor Wyre title yet again, I see.”

  “I’m the infamous one,” Sig interrupted. “She’s legendary.”

  As well as passionate, courageous, forgiving, headstrong, and so damned precious to me. I can’t believe I almost lost her once and for all. I almost lost everything I hold dear, just to be free of my past. The past I thought would drive her away forever.

  Only she wiped it all away without even blinking an eye.

  Gil rested his chin on the top of her head and said softly, “The incomparable, brilliant Lady Wyre.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Charlotte didn’t have to open her eyes to know where she was. Beneath her fingers, she felt the ruffled silk she’d patched together over the years on Americus, hiding who she was while treasuring the last bit of the life of privilege she’d once had. She’d mourned her title, her lands, her family and friends, even her prestigious position as Queen’s Physician. No one had known Majel more intimately than her, except for her lovers. Charlotte had even known of several of them, despite the Queen’s efforts to keep her private life a secret from everyone.

  By the sweet hum of the technology living inside her, she also knew she wasn’t alone. Now that Gil also carried her nanobots, she wasn’t sure which man it was, though she guessed it was Sig. Maybe it was the utter silence that told her the assassin sat quietly at her bedside, waiting for her to awaken. For all his admirable and honorable qualities, Gil breathed entirely too loudly to sneak up on someone.

  A low, masculine chuckle came from the corner, slowly moving closer. She felt the mattress dip as he sat beside her. Now she smelled the Parisiian cologne Sig always wore, a sandalwood musk that smelled as expensive and exquisite as her taste in tea and silks.

  “Can you read my mind now?” she asked aloud, reaching out to trace the firm muscle of his thigh. She regretted the layer of clothing—even fine, tight buckskin—keeping her from the warmth of his flesh.

  “Not exactly. It’s more impressions and images, like a quick snapshot that flashes in my mind that’s not my own.”

  “What did you see that made you laugh?”

  “Masters snoring in a chair, his head back with his ugly cavalry hat tipped to shade his face.”

  She laughed softly. “I was thinking it couldn’t be him because he didn’t breathe like an assassin.”

  Sig’s thigh tensed beneath her hand, though he didn’t pull away. “Do you regret what I am?”

  So many doubts and anxieties crowded that simple question. He didn’t ask if she wanted him to cease being an assassin. That wasn’t at all what he meant.

  Did she regret the sharpness of his need? The pain that he’d come to enjoy, whether receiving or delivering?

  The lash, the bonds, the drive to push deeper and harder each time they made love.

  Out of control, blinding, aching, all-consuming need.

  The inherent danger of loving a killer with a taste for pain.

  “Scorpion,” she whispered.

  He flinched but didn’t try to rise, as though he felt obliged to sit and take whatever punishment she might mete out. He said nothing, braced for her condemnation. Her refusal.

  Her betrayal.

  “I’ve always thought my House had selected a ridiculous sign.” She rolled over on her side to face him, still trailing her fingers lightly over his thigh. “I mean, a dove, white, soft and fragile. The symbol of peace and purity. Wyre has never been very peaceful or pure. We’ve been both ally and enemy of House Krowe, and in that fight, the dove will always get shredded by the raven’s talons.

  “But the dove is also a symbol of hope, and in that regard I guess I’ve always had hope in my heart. Hope that I could change the world for the better. That I could heal anything and help people all across the galaxy. When I saw the truth of what my hope had wrought in Queen Majel…” Her voice broke and she squeezed his thigh, letting him feel all the agony and terror that had clutched her heart as desperately. “I wanted to die, Sig. I wished I’d never been born. I wished I’d never had the arrogance to believe I could heal anything, because in healing her, I’ve turned her into a monster. How can you love me after seeing what I’ve done? What I’ve done to you?”

  He turned to her, stretching out beside her so they lay face-to-face, though he didn’t touch her. He might be lying beside her, but he was still separate and withdrawn, his body rigid with tension. “You saved me. Not just from the crash on Americus, but from my past. My fears. My doubts. All my life, all I wanted was to be free. I didn’t want to be used by the Queen or my House ever again. I didn’t want to be bound and trapped like my father, but now I realize my mother was just as trapped and even more tortured. Queen Majel owned her. She owned me too.

  “But you’ve never tried to own me, Charlie. You’ve never made me feel used or trapped, even when you’ve bound me hand and foot to your bed. I thought I’d hate you someday, that you’d make me feel as helpless and weak as my father, but I don’t. In fact, I started to become afraid of who I was becoming, who you were allowing me to be. You were setting my darkest self free, and that scared me more than anything.”

  She cupped his face in both hands, gently rubbing her thumbs over his lips. “You were afraid you’d hurt me.”

  “No,” he said hoarsely, “I was afraid I’d kill you. When I’m bound, I can’t hurt you. I’m safe, then. I’d rather be Queen’s Scorpion for the rest of my rotten life than to ever hurt you.”

  “I’m not a dove.” She hardened her voice and stared into his eyes, letting the full force of her will and determination shine. “I’m not going to break. My will is just as strong as yours. I’m the bloody Duchess of Wyre, legendary Queen’s Physician, hunted and reviled across the galaxy for the technology I created. I’ve survived countless assassination attempts and turned Majel’s treachery back in her hand to wound her greater than ever. So I can handle your darker urges, Sig, as long as you trust me.”

  “I’m as deadly as my House’s namesake.”

  She tightened her hands, digging her fingers into his jaw firmly. “So. Am. I.”

  As his breath blew out, he sagged, fully relaxed, letting his forehead drop down to touch hers. “I trust you, I do. I love you. But I’m still afraid I’ll go too far. Someday, I might seriously hurt you, and I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Deep inside her, she felt a subtle shift, a tug of energy toward the door. Softly, she called out, “Come in, Gil.”

  He opened the door but didn’t enter, a big, broad shadow against the doorframe. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to let you know that Prince Gong seemed highly interested in joining our efforts of uniting colonies against Majel.”

  “Good, our rebel alliance is growing. If we can get the Razari to join us, we might actually have a shot at pulling off a full-scale rebellion.” Then she sharpened her voice slightly so Gil would know her displeasure at his he
sitation, as though he might not be as important to her as Sig. “And you’re never an intrusion, Gilead Masters. If the ship’s secure, I ask you to join us. If that’s all right with you, Sig.”

  He tipped his face up to search her gaze. “Why wouldn’t it be all right with me?”

  “You seemed…” She sighed, trying to find a way to explain without hurting his feelings. A man always reacted strangely when a woman tried to point out—no matter how kindly and lovingly—an intimate problem he was experiencing.

  Luckily Gil had no qualms about stating her concerns bluntly. “You haven’t handled our more…extreme…intimacies very well. Especially when we share her.”

  “I see.” Sig narrowed his eyes, his mouth a harsh slant. “So you’re afraid I’m going to get jealous and throw a temper tantrum if Gil’s with us?”

  “No.” An image flickered into her mind of Sig stomping around the room stark naked and fuming mad, making it difficult for her not to laugh. “I’m afraid you might not speak to us for a few days if he sees how much you like it when I whip you.”

  Sig wrapped his hand around her throat and pushed her flat on her back, rising up so he could glare down at her. “And what’s he going to do when he sees how rough you like me to get?”

  Gil let out a low, rumbling growl and she swore she heard material rip in his haste. “He’s going to strip off his pants and join you.”

  In moments, he was at her back, Sig at her front, and she was pressed between the two people she loved most in this world. It was so beautiful that she very nearly wanted to cry again. She even sniffled a little, which caused Sig to stiffen with alarm.

  “You’re not going to cry again are you? Quick, make her some more tea.”

  “I’m fine,” she protested, twisting her hand in Sig’s hair to keep him still. “I’m just very, very happy to still be alive.”

  “You and us both, sweetheart,” Gil whispered against her cheek. “You had us very worried today. I’ve never seen you so…shaken.”

  “I know.” Even now, her voice warbled at the memory of the changes twisting Majel’s body. “I have to help her.”