by Anna Hackett
Something sparked in her eyes. “Dare runs a tight ship. His crew knows what they’re doing.”
Of course she’d be focused on the ship and crew. Justyn grinned. “Dare gives orders and expects complete obedience.”
An almost-smile on that generous mouth. “Yeah, I got that. When he was giving the pilot orders, I almost jumped to do it.” She turned to look at Dare as he issued orders to a ship that was late getting into line. She lowered her voice. “He’s actually a bit scary.”
“This from an experienced GSS Patrol captain? I thought you’d be used to following orders.”
“Ah, but most of mine come across the safety of the comms. And I don’t fear for my life if I don’t follow them.” She watched the pilot for a moment. “He’s not bad. A little heavy on the thrusters, though.”
“Evan’s new. This is only his second convoy.”
A wistful look crossed her face. “Sometimes I miss the feel of a ship’s controls under my fingers. All that power at your fingertips, waiting for the right commands.”
“Downside of being promoted, I guess.”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly Dare’s raised voice cut through the bridge. “Galactic Pride, get into line now or we’ll leave you behind.”
On the bottom of the viewscreen was a small square showing the cockpit of the Galactic Pride. A young man with a long, shaggy hair waved a hand at them. “We just want to swing around and get some shots of the space station.”
“In line. Now.”
Dare’s voice was like a blade. Justyn grimaced. The Pride’s captain was an idiot.
“We just need a couple more minutes. We’ll catch up.”
“No, you won’t. You’re off the convoy. Head back to dock.”
“What?” The young captain’s eyes bugged out. “I paid good e-creds—”
“They’ll be refunded to your account.” Dare looked away. “Tasha, contact the next ships in line and have them close the gap.”
“Phoenix! You can’t kick us off this fucking convoy before we even get going.”
“We got going twenty minutes ago when the Sky Nomad started her engines. If one ship disobeys convoy orders while out there in uncharted space, it could mean we all die. I told you when we went over the convoy agreement, you follow my orders without question, without hesitation, or you’re off.”
The Galactic Pride’s captain kept spluttering, but Dare chopped a hand through the air and the screen showing the Pride clicked off.
“Not the forgiving type, is he?” Nissa said.
“No.” Dare didn’t have a forgiving bone in his body. Born out of the bleak, horrible things of their childhood. A bad taste filled Justyn’s mouth, but he wrestled the dark memories away.
“How long to Hydrae?”
Nissa’s smoky voice brought Justyn back with a start. “A week at convoy speed.”
“We won’t be at interstellar speed?”
“For some parts of the route, but not all of it. Some people out there like to set ambushes for ships at interstellar speed. They can attack before you know they’re there. Where Aurina tells us it’s safe, we’ll use interstellar.”
“We could go ahead in your runnership.”
She’d watched him dock the Mercury in one of the Nomad’s bays. “Not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because—” a voice from behind them said “—you’ll set yourself up as pirate bait.” Aurina’s red-gold hair swung in a high ponytail. She was wearing olive-green cargo trousers and tight white tank. “For now, it’s safer with the convoy.”
Nissa raised a brow. “But you go ahead.”
Aurina shrugged. “I’m a trained, experienced scout. My scoutship has exceptional cloaking. And I do a hell of a lot of research before I take off into the black.”
“You aren’t heading out yet?”
“Nope.” His sister sank onto a chair and crossed her long legs. “This part of the route is well known. I’ll head out after Hydrae.”
Nissa sighed. “I just want to get to Hydrae as quickly as possible.”
Justyn’s mouth tightened. That call with her father had crushed the shimmer of excitement Justyn had seen in her yesterday.
And damn it, he wanted it back.
“Come on now,” he said. “Treasure hunters don’t want the hunt over quickly.”
“I’m not a treasure hunter. I’m an officer of the GSS in the pursuit of an artifact of galactic importance.”
He raised his brows. “I thought you were a GSS officer on a leave of absence pursuing a treasure of galactic importance so I don’t steal it.”
She stared resolutely ahead and wandered away.
Okay. Teasing wasn’t working. Justyn followed her. “So, your father isn’t happy you’re doing this.”
Nissa shot him a quick look before once again focusing on the viewscreen. “Understatement, Phoenix.”
“You two close?’
“Yes.”
“Yet he upset you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Her tone had “drop it” all over it.
“He seems like a…stern guy.”
“Drop it, Phoenix.”
Hell, no. “Can’t have been an easy kind of father.”
She huffed out a breath and turned. “You can never just let things lie, can you? Fine, no he wasn’t easy. But he loves me, in his own way, and he’s always wanted the best for me. After my mother died…it was just me and him.”
“And he wanted a career just like his for you?”
“No, a career better than his.”
Justyn tilted his head. “What about what you want? Did you want to join GSS and go into Patrol?”
“Of course.” She straightened her spine, her jaw tight. “I’m good at it.”
“That’s not the same as loving it. As living life your way.” Locked in the dark as a child, with only his brothers holding him to sanity, Justyn had vowed to live life the way he wanted.
“Some of us don’t have that luxury. Didn’t your parents have expectations and dreams for you?”
His hand curled into a fist. “Hell, no.”
She eyed him and something told him she could see his hidden secrets. “Well, mine did. And for my brother.”
“Brother?” He hadn’t known she had any siblings.
“Yes.”
Just one word but it was filled with so much pain, Justyn wanted to pull her close. “Tell me.”
She was silent, staring ahead and disappointment rose in him. What would it take to make her trust him?
Then she spoke in a voice that was low and serrated. “He was in the GSS as well. Had a promising career. Then he joined Golden Nova.”
Shit. The terror group was the worst of the worst. They had no agenda except anarchy. “Shit, Nissa. Maybe he just got messed up, brainwashed?”
Yellow eyes turned his way. The expression in them was heartbreaking. “He’s one of their leaders.”
Damn. It clicked into place. He’d seen holo-footage of the icy, part-reptilian Golden Nova leader. “Your brother is Maxir Sander?”
A nod.
Jesus. Maxir was one bad dude. Nissa’s brother was a criminal of the worst magnitude.
Nissa looked away from the viewscreen. “I’m heading back to the cabin. I’m going to keep working on our notes for more references to the Nero.”
Justyn watched her go. He wished he’d never forced her to talk. But now he had a better understanding of the heavy load of expectation Nissa shouldered every day.
***
Goddess, she was tired.
Nissa blinked in the low light from the lamp above the desk in her cabin. Her Sync glowed, displaying the records she’d been going through. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. One o’clock in the morning, ship time.
She stretched her arms above her head, working out the kinks. Her cabin was more spacious than she’d anticipated and over
the last three days, she’d slowly made a mess of it. It was Nissa’s secret weakness—in her own space, she had a bad habit of tossing clothes and things wherever they landed. On the Freedom, she forced herself to keep her cabin clean. A captain couldn’t be a slob. In her little apartment on Raxus Station, where Patrol had their base in the Exodus quadrant, it often looked like a space storm had hit.
Snatching up the coffee she’d made from the small food printer in her cabin, she took a sip and immediately grimaced. It was stone cold.
During the last three days, she’d spent most of her time poring over the records and making notes. Most days, she and Justyn worked side by side in the empty cabin they’d commandeered as an office. In the evenings, she continued in her cabin.
And kept Admiral DeRuyter apprised of everything they were doing.
Nissa felt…dirty. She hated that she was lying to Justyn. He’d demanded her loyalty, and instead, she was spying for the admiral. She dropped her head into her hands. The guilt was eating at her like acid.
Her self-control wasn’t faring well, either. Justyn tried every day to coax her to join him for meals in the mess. But Nissa was trying to keep her distance.
Having Justyn Phoenix so close, hour after hour, was slowly, painfully wearing on her down. The man was always there, leaning over her shoulder, touching her arm, grinning at her, surrounding her with his delicious scent.
With a sigh, she stared at her notes again. She really didn’t want to climb into her bed and toss and turn, her head filled with Justyn.
She swiped the Sync to turn to the next page. She was reading an e-book history of the caravanserai and its many visitors. It was actually quite interesting reading.
The sentence she read suddenly hit her. She reread it, her heart starting to pound. She read it again.
Goddess. Nissa shot to her feet. Energy raced into her veins. She had to tell Justyn.
She swung out of her cabin door and jogged down the corridor. Justyn and his brothers had cabins on the next level up, separated from the main guest level.
When she reached his door, she was surprised to find it ajar. Without thinking, she pushed it open. She couldn’t wait to tell him what she’d found, even if she had to wake him up.
She stumbled to a halt. Her heart stopping.
He was awake.
He and the woman stood close together, her hand pressed against his bare chest. She was wearing…not much. A small, silky scrap of a nightgown in a vibrant purple. She was one of the female colonists who’d been flirting like mad with all three Phoenix brothers. Justyn’s jeans were hanging low on his hips, the top button undone. His hair was mussed and he had that “just got out of bed” look on his face.
Justyn’s head whipped around. His gaze crashed into Nissa’s.
Nissa finally got her brain functioning around the pain roaring through her body. “Sorry…” She stumbled backward. “I…sorry.” She didn’t want to see the tableau anymore. Or see that woman touching him.
“Nissa! Wait! Shit.”
Nissa hurried down the corridor. Goddess, it hurt. She had no claim on him. She shouldn’t feel like her insides were shredded.
A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her to a halt. “Nissa, I said wait.”
She hadn’t heard him. Either he could move damned quietly when it suited him or she was too messed up to be paying attention. “Look, I’ll talk to you in the morning.” She tried to pull away, not looking at him, instead staring at the plush carpeted floor like it was the most interesting thing she’d seen.
“Damn it.” He tightened his grip and backed her up against the wall, caging her in. “Let me explain.”
Oh, no. Nissa didn’t want to hear any explanations or details. She steeled herself, looking over his shoulder. “You don’t have to. It’s not my business who you fuck.”
“I wasn’t fucking anyone,” he growled.
She flicked a glance at his face. It was smoldering with rage. Right, she’d interrupted. He wasn’t fucking the attractive woman in his cabin at one in the morning…yet. Goddess, she was so cut inside she was surprised she didn’t see blood running down her body. “Then I’ll let you get on with it.”
Justyn leaned in closer, his bare chest pressing hard against her breasts. His fists were planted on the wall either side of her head.
Nissa felt her nipples harden and she sucked in a breath. “Let me go.”
“I can’t.” Another growl in her ear. His lips pressed to the side of her neck.
She cried out. His lips were hot, his tongue finding the sensitive space below her ear. Had he kissed that woman in the same place, made her writhe and light up inside? “Get off. Go back to your friend!” She pushed against him.
“She snuck into my cabin—”
“I don’t want a blow-by-blow!” Nissa shoved again. “You fuck whoever the hell you want.”
He stilled, then thrust one hard thigh between hers. As hard muscle rasped between her legs, she made a strangled moan.
“What if I want to fuck you, Nissa?” Hot breath across her skin.
***
Nissa squirmed against Justyn’s body, making every nerve in his body flare to life.
“I won’t let you touch me after you were touching her—”
“I never touched her.” He hadn’t touched a damn woman in so long because the only person he wanted skin-to-skin with him was Nissa. “She was looking for Dare’s cabin and got mine by mistake. He’s been fucking her the last two days.”
When Nissa stilled, Justyn pulled back. He watched a range of emotion flit across her face. Oh, his sweet captain felt something for him. If she’d ever stop denying it to herself.
Driven to the edge, he took her mouth with his.
All thought was erased from his head. All that existed was the taste of her, her body straining against his and the way she kissed him back.
It was as much a battle as a kiss. She took it all and demanded her own pleasures. Soon his arms were locked around her, sliding under her shirt, finding the smooth skin of the lower back.
With a moan, she clung to him, winding one long leg around his hip. He felt the damp heat of her through the soft trousers she wore. She pressed hard against his thigh and he thrust it harder between her legs, until her other foot was off the ground.
She tore her mouth away, her head falling back against the wall. “Goddess.” Her voice was soaked with desire. She moved against his thigh, grinding hard against him.
“I want you so badly.” He pushed the words through his gritted teeth. Then he slid his hands down to cup her ass and move her against his leg.
Her breaths were coming in sharp pants, her yellow eyes glittering as she watched him. She was moving with him now, her lips parted.
His cock was hard and throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to rip her trousers off and sink inside her. But first, he wanted to watch her come. This time with no chemical involved. Just the two of them.
He kept one palm on her bottom, urging her to keep moving. With the other hand, he gripped her thigh, and pulled it tighter around his hip. It tilted her hips, driving her farther down his thigh, his erection digging into her.
Air hissed between her lips. “Yes.”
“So fucking sexy, Nissa.” Her movements against him were driving him insane, but he could feel her getting closer to orgasm. “Go over, baby.”
He slid his hands between them. He tunneled his fingers between her legs, feeling how wet the fabric of her trousers was. A few strokes and he found the spot he was looking for. One hard rub and she exploded against him.
“Justyn.” Her leg clenched on him, her hands clutching at his shoulders. He felt the sting of her nails drawing blood.
So damned beautiful. His own desire was an incessant pounding in his blood. He dropped his head, burying it in the crook of her neck. He pressed a kiss to the thundering pulse he found there. “Come back to my cabin.”
Her body had re
laxed against him, but tiny shudders were still running through her. She opened her mouth—
“Sorry to interrupt…”
Rynan’s voice broke through the haze. Justyn watched Nissa register the fact that they had company. She squeezed her eyes shut, then pushed at his chest.
With great reluctance, he pulled away from her. But he was damned pleased to see regret flash in her eyes.
“Ry…you’re lucky as hell you’re related to me,” Justyn muttered.
“Yeah, I get that.” The tiniest smile flirted around Rynan’s lips. “Alarm went off. Security breach in Nissa’s cabin.”
“What?” Nissa pushed forward, all color leaching from her face.
“Come on.” Justyn grabbed her hand. “Let’s check it out.”
“All our notes…” Yellow eyes stared up at him. “Everything about the Constitution and the Nero is in there.”
Chapter Fourteen
At the door to her cabin, Nissa tried to ignore the taste of Justyn lingering in her mouth. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall headlong into an addiction for that flavor. Her body was still tingling all over.
Her cabin door was closed, and looked normal. But the tension pumping off Justyn and Rynan behind her reminded her that it wasn’t. She opened the door and gasped.
All her things were tossed about the cabin like a rabid dog had been let loose inside. The bunk had been ripped open and synth-stuffing littered the room like snow.
“What the fuck?” Justyn swore.
Her stomach did a fast turn. “The notes!” She raced to the desk.
All her handwritten notes and the few original documents she’d been looking at were gone. Her Sync lay in the center of the desk, blue screen blinking.
“No.” As she tapped in commands, she already knew what she’d find. “They uploaded a virus into my Sync.” She looked up. “Everything’s gone.”
Justyn swore again, snatching the Sync from her. “We have backups, but we have to see how far the virus went. If it made it into the Nomad’s system…”
“Nico’s up in security control.” A forbidding look was etched on Rynan’s face. “He’s one of my best with tech. I’ll get him running security checks on the system.”
