Flames of Redemption

by Jamie A. Waters

  She reached up to trace the line of his jaw with her fingertips. The love she had for him was overwhelming and stronger than anything she'd ever known. His gaze softened, mirroring everything she was feeling. It only reaffirmed her decision to do whatever was necessary to ensure Sergei and the rest of her family remained safe. And the best way to do that was to clear his name and hold whoever was responsible accountable for their actions. Everything else was negotiable. Whether they lived here in the towers with the Omnis or on the surface with the Coalition, it didn't matter. Her home had always been with them.

  “You saved me too, Seryohza. You all did.”

  Valentina Golubeva’s story continues in Spirit of the Towers, #6 The Omni Towers Series. Turn the page for a sneak peek or click here to read it now!

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  Sneak Peek

  Fate may guide you, but it never promises you’ll survive …

  Valentina once prided herself on her ability to blend in and adapt to any situation. But no one can remain in the shadows forever, especially when faced with the flames of truth.

  The alliance between OmniLab and the Coalition is crumbling, and the man Valentina loves is at the heart of it. With people dying and riots threatening the already shaky foundation of the towers, it's a race against time for Valentina to find out who's responsible.

  And deep below the surface, the rapids and danger continue to grow...

  An unlikely friendship may be the only chance Valentina has to calm the storm and stop the rebellion before it's too late. And if she fails, it's not just her life and the man she loves at risk—but also the spirit of the towers and the secrets lurking beneath the fallen city.

  Spirit of the Towers

  Valentina crept out of bed, timing her movements to coincide with Sergei's deep and regular breathing. From all appearances, he was fast asleep and had been for some time, yet she waited, watching the rhythmic motion of his chest for any variations. He could be sneaky when it suited him, and she didn't trust he was truly asleep.

  Reaching down, she picked up the shirt she’d taken off Sergei earlier. She pulled it over her head and glanced at him again. The sight of him in the dim lighting took her breath away. Although, in all fairness, Sergei was just as alluring in the stark light of day too. His blond hair was brushed away from his face, revealing his chiseled jawline and lips that were more than kissable.

  Watching him in this unguarded moment gave her a pang of regret, and she wished she could curl up beside him again. Having him within touching distance again didn't seem real after being so long without him, and it made it even harder knowing that if she slipped back into bed, his arms would immediately encircle her. She could fall asleep within minutes, basking in his comforting warmth. But she couldn't risk any delays. Not tonight.

  Taking the opportunity to escape, she slipped out into the hallway and closed the door silently behind her. Nikolai's room was across the hall, and even though light shone from underneath the door, she didn't want to disturb him. Hopefully, if Sergei were feigning sleep, he'd believe she was in there talking with Nikolai. It was a common enough occurrence that it might work. At least, she hoped.

  She moved silently down the hall and stopped outside Yuri's room. Not bothering to knock, she slipped inside the darkened room and closed the door behind her.

  “Tired of Sergei already, Valya? You're always welcome to share my bed.” Yuri muttered sleepily.

  Valentina grinned and reached over to activate the lights. With a wide yawn, Yuri stretched, causing the blankets to shift and making it apparent he was sleeping nude again. Lovely.

  Averting her eyes, she grabbed his discarded clothing from the floor. She tossed them on the bed strategically over certain body parts she didn't want to look at longer than necessary. “I got a message from one of my contacts on the surface. I think he may have a lead about the missing weapons. I need you to come with me.”

  Ignoring his clothing, Yuri put his hands behind his head and leaned back. “It won't work. Sergei won't let you leave without him.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I'm not asking him to go with me. He can't leave the towers without endangering himself. If Viktor was being honest with me, Sergei is a marked man. Not only that, Dmitri requested the meet.”

  Yuri made a noncommittal noise and scratched his chest. “Oh, I'm not disagreeing with your assessment. Sergei will likely kill Dmitri. I'm simply saying your plan to sneak out will not work.”

  Valentina ignored him and walked over to the bag she'd hidden in his room earlier. If they hurried, they could be back before morning. She paused, tilting her head to listen for any sounds coming from the hallway. So far, it was still quiet, but that could change at any moment. Yanking open the bag, she strapped on her weapons and grabbed a pair of UV pants and shimmied into them.

  “You know, I think I prefer when women take off their clothing in my room,” Yuri mused thoughtfully, watching her from his position in bed. “This just doesn't have the same appeal. The weapons and black panties are a nice touch though. Are those new?”

  Valentina scowled at him, withdrew a knife from her arm sheath, and flung it in his direction. It embedded into the headboard with a thump. Yuri glanced up at it and grinned, but he still didn't move.

  She finished fastening her belt and put her hands on her hips. “I'll throw another knife if you're not dressed in five minutes, and this time, I may decide not to miss.” She paused, considering for a moment, and added, “On second thought, maybe I should just ask Brant to join me. He doesn't give me nearly as many headaches or comment on my panties.”

  Yuri snorted. “You have as much chance of taking Brant as you do in avoiding Sergei. Open the door, Valya.”

  Valentina paused, her gaze darting toward the closed door. Dammit. She'd hoped to have at least escaped the towers before Sergei learned what she was doing.

  At her hesitation, Yuri called out, “You might as well come in. She doesn't want to believe you're standing out there listening to every word.”

  “Traitor!” she yelled at Yuri as the door swung open. Valentina darted to the far side of the room, narrowly avoiding Sergei trying to grab her. Leaping onto the bed, she ignored Yuri's grunt as she scrambled over him.

  Yuri grabbed her ankle and hauled her back, but she kicked out, making contact briefly before rolling off the side of the bed and onto the floor. A second later, she was tackled and pinned facedown by a body she knew well.

  “I win,” Sergei whispered next to her ear.

  Valentina blew her hair out of her face and laughed. “You cheated. Yuri helped you.”

  “Since when do we have rules, Valechka?” He chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “It was worth agreeing to take over two days of training Nikolai's new recruits.”

  She wriggled against Sergei's ironclad hold, plotting how she'd make Yuri pay. “Really, Yuri? You sold me out for two days of training?”

  “I'm a cheap date,” Yuri agreed.

  “Just wait,” she threatened. “I’ll get you back for this.”

  Sergei slid her shirt off her shoulder and kissed her bare skin. She couldn't help the delicious shiver that went through her at his touch.

  “Definitely worth it,” he murmured and trailed several kisses along her shoulder and up toward her neck. “I'm trying to decide what I want to do with you now that I won.”

  She squirmed underneath him. “I have to go, Sergei. I can't play right now.”

  “Is that so?” He pressed a kiss right below her ear and slid his hand under her shirt, caressing her skin. His skin was hot compared to hers, and it only fueled her desire for him. “And where are you sneaking off to in the middle of the night?”

  “I have a meeting with a contact,” she managed, trying not to pant
from his slow seduction. Her resistance was slowly starting to dissipate, and she was beginning to wonder if it were possible to push back the meeting a few hours.

  “As entertaining as this is,” Yuri began and yawned again, “you should probably let her get up. It's about the missing weapon shipments.”

  Sergei made a noncommittal noise but shifted off of her. She rolled over, staring up into his gray eyes, mildly disappointed. With a knowing smile, he leaned over and kissed her. She rested her hand against his chest, the warmth of his skin surrounding her, and for a moment, she got lost in the kiss and him. He tightened his hand on her hip and shifted his leg to slide between hers as he deepened the kiss.

  Yuri cleared his throat.

  Valentina pulled away from Sergei with a disappointed sigh. Getting to her feet, she reached over, yanked her knife out of Yuri's headboard, and pointed the tip of it in his direction. “You should have held out for three days of training. Trust me, he would have agreed to it.”

  Yuri chuckled. “I'll keep that in mind for next time.”

  She sheathed her knife and winked at him. Turning back to Sergei, she tilted her head to regard him as he stood. Her heart always beat just a little faster at the sight of him. Since she was currently wearing his stolen shirt, he was only half dressed. The sight was enough to make her want to run her hands over his muscular chest again. She couldn't afford to be sidetracked though, at least not more than she already was. “How did you know what I was planning?”

  Sergei chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. “While I immensely enjoyed your efforts to distract me earlier with sex, you were more … determined than usual. You also normally fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow, and nothing short of an invasion will wake you. When that didn't happen, it only confirmed my suspicions.” He paused and added, “I also caught some of your plans through our bond. I had no intention of letting you go to the surface alone.”

  She huffed. “That's why I came to drag Yuri out of bed. You can't go with me, Sergei.”

  He pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. “Watch me.”

  Pushing against his chest, she said, “No. Until we clear your name or find out who's responsible for the missing weapon shipments, you're a liability on the surface. Yuri can come with me while you stay with Nikolai. We'll be back before morning.”

  “No.”

  Valentina blew out a breath. Sergei could be stubborn and annoying when it suited him. He slid his hands under her shirt again, and she stepped away from him, lightly swatting away his roaming hands. If Sergei had his way, he'd seduce her back into bed. It wouldn't take much effort either. She needed to get out of there.

  Turning back to Yuri, she said, “Get dressed. We need to go now.”

  Yuri arched an eyebrow and glanced at Sergei over her shoulder before grinning and shaking his head. “You might as well agree to take him, Valya. He'll just follow you anyway, and at least this way, you can keep an eye on him.”

  She clenched her fists and turned to glare at them. When the two of them teamed up, it was like trying to break down a wall with her bare hands. Part of her preferred it when they were at odds with each other. “Both of you are impossible, especially together. And don’t think I’m unaware you just bribed him again, Sergei.”

  Without waiting for a response, she stormed past Sergei and back into the hallway to find a voice of reason. Opening the door to Nikolai's room, she found him working at his desk. He looked like he'd been sitting there for hours. It made her heart hurt a little to know how much effort he was pouring into keeping everything together for their people. They'd only been in the towers for a few days, but his duties didn't permit any sort of downtime.

  It only reinforced her decision to meet with Dmitri to find out what he knew. She’d met with him last time at an off-site and in a more remote location. Valentina didn't like meeting in places where someone might recognize her as being connected to Nikolai, but Dmitri's schedule restricted his movements. If she could help resolve the mystery of the weapon thefts or find a clue to clear Sergei's name, it would take some pressure off him and Nikolai.

  Traveling to Dmitri’s camp was a risk, but a necessary one, especially if he had information about the missing weapons.

  “Take both of them with you, Valya,” Nikolai said casually before turning back to his tablet. “You need backup, and if there's any trouble, the three of you will be in a better position to handle it. I would go with you, but it'll just raise more questions.”

  She blinked at him. “You can't be serious.”

  Nikolai shrugged. “Maybe Yuri can also keep Sergei from killing Dmitri, although I wouldn't mind terribly if he did. I'm not fond of him either.” He paused for a moment and added, “I think Yuri probably could have gotten four days of training duties out of Sergei. I'm surprised he settled for only two. You might want to go back to bribing Yuri with food. He was much more amenable to taking your side when you smuggled him extra helpings.”

  “I'm really starting to hate this bond,” she muttered, irritated they all knew what she was doing before she had a chance to do it.

  Sergei wrapped his arms around her again, drawing her against his heated skin. “If our situations were reversed, would you let me go without you?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. “No.”

  “Then don't ask of me what you're not willing to do yourself,” Sergei murmured in her ear. “And I would have agreed to any number of days with Yuri's annoying recruits for even one night with you.”

  She leaned back, unable to resist him. “Stop being charming. It makes it difficult to be annoyed with you.”

  He chuckled and pressed a kiss against her hair. “Come. Let's go meet your contact. When we're finished, I'll take you back to bed and try distracting you this time.”

  Despite herself, she couldn't help but smile. He was just too appealing for his own good. “Fine, but you need to keep your distance. I don't want people to know we're working together again. They'll be more inclined to talk about you if they believe we're still at odds.”

  He made a noncommittal noise. “Will you tell me about this Dmitri?”

  When she hesitated, he turned her around and narrowed his eyes. “Who is he, Valentina? Why do Yuri and Nikolai think I'll want to kill him?”

  She shrugged. “He's been a contact for a couple of years. He's not important. Only his intel is.”

  Yuri chuckled from the doorway. “It's not going to work, Valya. You're broadcasting your discomfort loud and clear. You might as well tell him. Besides, I could use a little more entertainment since you dragged me out of bed.”

  Valentina inwardly cursed, clamping down tightly on their shared connection. Alec and Ariana had been trying to instruct them how to control it since their bond changed, but certain things still filtered through. To make matters even worse, she was at the heart of the bond and who connected all of them together. So while they only had to suppress one connection, she had to manage all three, which proved to be rather challenging.

  Sometimes there wasn’t a tactful way to handle an unpleasant discussion, especially where Sergei was involved. She pulled away from him and headed into the other room to collect the rest of her gear. “You were gone, Sergei. Did you really think I waited around pining over you?”

  She felt more than heard the explosion of heat erupt behind her. Without bothering to turn around, she ducked back into Yuri's bedroom. Hopefully, Yuri and Nikolai could calm him down because she'd really rather not spend the next several years grooming another contact to replace Dmitri.

  Valentina stopped her speeder a short distance from the camp. Glancing at her display, she confirmed they were just within the confines of the UV guard encompassing the area. She wasn't willing to advertise their presence more than necessary by engaging the one affixed to her vehicle. She climbed off just as Sergei and Yuri pulled up alongside her.

  This camp was technically under Ivan's control, another one of their leaders, and a common s
topping point for people traveling back and forth between the tower construction and river excavation sites. According to her contact, Ivan rarely visited this camp, so she should be able to move freely within it without arousing suspicion or being recognized. It was only when one of camp’s leaders was in residence or during an active operation in hostile territory that they increased security.

  Sergei was still actively in charge of their people's involvement in both endeavors, so hopefully no one would question his presence, and, with any luck, he'd agree to keep a low profile. However, there were no guarantees with Sergei.

  Glancing over at him, she noted the obvious rigidity in his shoulders through his UV gear. He was still angry about Dmitri, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Valentina suspected he was angrier at himself more than anything. Sergei had left her for three years, and even though she'd never been serious about anyone other than him, they'd both lived separate lives during that time. In all fairness, she'd probably have a similar reaction to learning about any of his lovers. For their sake, she hoped they were fast runners, though she might be inclined to run them over with a speeder… a few times.

  With a sigh, she gestured for Yuri to try to run interference. It likely wouldn't work for long, but she needed to take this meeting. She finished adjusting the listening device she'd hidden in her arm sheath so Yuri could monitor her. She'd specifically asked him to keep Sergei away from the comms. Knowing Sergei, he'd come charging in the moment Dmitri opened his mouth.

  “Valechka,” Sergei spoke over her headset.

  Valentina turned toward him, waiting expectantly.

  “Be careful.”

  She tilted her head, considering him for a long time. Even now, he still managed to catch her off guard. He was one of the few who had that ability.