by Anna Hackett
“Are you sure?” her voice was a near purr.
No, he wasn’t sure about anything when it came to her. She was an enigma. And if there was one thing Niklas loved, it was a puzzle that needed solving. It was why he’d become an astro-archeologist. He’d wasted hours after hours researching her. Trying to find where she’d come from, her past, where she lived. Anything.
Instead, he’d found nothing.
“You aren’t the bitch you let the galaxy think you are.”
She didn’t make a sound, but suddenly, she was off him and he was yanked up off the bed.
Shit. Nik stumbled and spun. A fist slammed into his stomach and he grunted. He grabbed for her, but she was quick and all he felt was air.
A kick landed on his side and this time he growled. She wanted to prove she was a badass, fine. But he wasn’t going to let her beat him up.
On her next kick, he grabbed her foot and twisted. She leapt with incredible grace, spun and got free of his hold. She moved again and in the darkened room and with her armor, he lost sight of her.
He turned in a circle, tensed, ready for anything.
A weight hit him on the back. He stumbled forward, and long, slim legs wrapped around him. Tight. Damn, she was strong. He gripped her thighs, trying to pry her off, but she was all muscle.
Hot breath on his ear. “You move surprisingly well for an astro-archeologist.” As she spoke, her lips brushed his ear.
His cock was so hard it was heading toward painful. He dragged in a breath, trying not to let her muddle his head. All he wore was a pair of dark sleep shorts. If she looked, she’d hardly miss his body’s reaction to her.
“You don’t have the body of an academic, either.” She reached around, and dragged her nails across his bare chest.
“I’m a treasure hunter.” He’d left the tatters of his career behind. It had almost killed him to do it, to leave the thing he’d loved most. The thing that had given him a lifeline out of the shithole of his childhood. But he’d had no other option.
And he didn’t regret it. He loved working with his brothers. He liked the life they’d made for themselves.
She twisted and he lost his balance. He landed face-first, Nera riding him to the ground. With one hand on his neck and a knee in the small of his back, she kept him down. She always bested him. He wondered why that didn’t bother him more.
Her mouth was back at his ear. “I like that about you, Niklas. What you show the world isn’t who you really are.”
He pondered her words, wondered why he sensed a deeper meaning to them.
Then sharp teeth nipped at his ear. The shock of her mouth on him made him jerk and swallow a groan.
Any touch she offered him, whether it was a stolen dance on a space station, being tied to a chair on a desert moon, or the sharp bite of her teeth, he drank it all in. Nera Darc was his addiction and he’d long ago realized he’d take whatever she gave him.
But it was time for him to admit he wanted more. Even though he knew deep inside, the slightest wrong move from him and she’d run. Or kill him.
“What did they want?” she asked again.
It took a second for him to process what she was talking about. The Institute, right. He sighed. “They’re mounting an expedition to Earth.”
He felt her still. “And?”
“They know it won’t be a neat and tidy dig. They decided to hire treasure hunters to help.”
“So, you’re going to Earth?”
“No. I turned them down.”
Silence. “Did they tell you they’d let you see the Hawass Documents?”
Nik’s chest tightened. “No.” He’d sell one of his brothers for the chance to see the Hawass Documents. Maybe.
They were a collection of records of famous Terran books and documents that a historian on Earth had collected. The historian had clearly seen that the war was not going to end and spent several years collecting everything of historical significance he could before he’d left Earth.
“It’s a pity you aren’t coming, then.” Her weight lifted off him.
Nik spun and sat up. He tried to see her face, but all he got was a flash of creamy skin in the darkness. “You? They asked you to go?”
“They hired me to go.”
“They came to you?” he asked incredulously.
She straightened. “They wanted the best. And I want the chance to uncover the rarest old Earth treasures.” Her helmet slid back into place. “It was nice catching up, Niklas. Remember, I haven’t forgotten you owe me a few favors. I helped rescue Dathan on Beta7. I helped Zayn and Ria infiltrate the Tekton hideout. And I helped your cousin and her cyborg get onto that rogue planet.”
Yeah. Nik remembered. Each debt was burned on his brain. Along with the fact she had yet to call them in. He was still trying to work out why the Institute would hire her, the least trustworthy and deadliest of the treasure hunters in the galaxy.
And he liked it even less that she would be in the middle of an Institute expedition. Nera could be cunning, but the Institute could not be trusted.
“Sleep well, Niklas. And thanks.”
And like that, she was gone.
He knew her armor had spectrum camouflage built in, rendering her invisible at the flick of a button. How she got on and off a starship traveling at interstellar speed—an impossible feat—was another mystery he had yet to solve.
Then he tensed. What had she just thanked him for?
He swiveled and strode to his desk. He tapped the mirror and a backlit display appeared in the shiny surface. He quickly pressed his palm to it and waited impatiently for it to read his bioprint.
The door opened with a hiss.
The safe was empty.
The Inca idol was gone.
He thrust his hands on his hips and looked at the ceiling. Dathan was going to lose his mind. Not only about the idol, but also about the fact that Niklas was now going to join the expedition to Earth.
Chapter Three
“No way. This is the dumbest idea ever.” Anger was a hot blaze in Dathan’s voice.
Nik ignored his brother and shoved some clothes in his bag. “I’m going.”
“The chance to see Earth and what’s left of Terran history…it’s incredibly tempting.” This from Eos who stood in the doorway. Despite her words, she looked concerned.
“This isn’t about Earth.” Dathan spun, hands on his hips. “You’re going because Darc’s going.”
Whatever strange tie they had, Nik knew Nera didn’t need his protection. And he knew if she got even the slightest hint he was trying to protect her, she’d cut his knees out from under him. But he didn’t trust the Institute, and he wasn’t going to let Nera wade into those dark waters alone.
“I heard chatter on the grapevine that Solomon and Gunn have been hired as well,” Zayn said.
That made Nik pause. Jonas Solomon was young and enthusiastic. Out to make a name for himself. He’d tangled with their cousin, Justyn Phoenix, and Justyn had only good things to say about the twenty-something treasure hunter. Alexei Gunn was a different story. He was harsh, cruel and mean.
And he hated the Phoenix brothers’ guts.
Dathan stomped up to Nik. “Why don’t you just fuck her, and get this out of your system?”
Nik glared at his brother and kept packing.
Dathan threw his hands in the air. “Fine. Get dead, see if I care.” He stormed out of the cabin.
Zayn shot Nik a rueful glance and followed Dathan.
“He loves you,” Eos said quietly. “He’s worried.”
“I know.”
She came closer and he smelled her perfume, something containing jasmina from her homeworld of Vedia. She pressed a hand to his arm and he saw the delicate, floral tattoo-like designs that she’d been born with on her skin. “I love you, too. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Nera won’t hurt me.”
“Well, I’m not so sure about that. But it’s whatever you’re barreling into th
at might get you killed.” She tilted her head, intelligence shining in her dark eyes. “I worked for the Institute, too. I know there are things you haven’t told me about why you left.”
And he wouldn’t tell her. He touched her face. “I’ll be fine.”
She nodded. “Take lots of pictures for me.” Her eyes got a distant look. “Earth. I can only imagine what it’ll be like to pick through the remnants of her cities. Amazing.” Then her face turned serious again. “Come back safely to us, okay?”
He nodded, his throat a little tight. “Count on it.”
Several hours later, Nik stood in the cockpit of the Infinitas watching the large Institute starship, the Magellan, get larger and larger in the viewscreen. Zayn was at the controls, and in the chair beside him, staring at the screen with her arms crossed was his wife, Ria.
With her athletic build and blonde hair, she could have been anything. What most people didn’t guess was that she was a former assassin, with a past worthy of a multi-million-e-cred, blockbuster holovid. She was also completely in love with her husband.
Nik felt his gut tighten. He loved his brothers, and was happy they’d found amazing women to match them. Eos had smoothed out Dathan’s more ragged edges, and the two of them made a good team. It was the same with Zayn and Ria. Sometimes they loved diving into adventure, and other times Zayn was finally content to stay in one place and take it easy, as long as Ria was by his side.
It made Nik feel acutely alone.
“Infinitas, please use docking clamp alpha-seventeen,” said a voice over the comm line.
“Sure thing, Magellan. Docking clamp alpha-seventeen.” Zayn’s hands danced over the controls. The Infinitas smoothly changed course. He looked over his shoulder at Nik. “You sure you want to do this? There’s still time to turn around and bug out of here.”
“I’m sure.”
Zayn sighed and nodded.
Moments later, they docked with the larger ship with a muted clang.
“Docking complete.” The female voice came from the ship’s computer. “Someone tell me why the hell we’re letting the big guy do this?”
Nik stomped on his irritation. Everyone had made it clear what they thought about his decision to go on this expedition. He didn’t need an outspoken biocomp giving him a mouthful too. “I’m going, BEll, so save the lecture.”
A huffing noise came from the comm. “It is my job to keep your ass safe. As I have been doing since Dathan acquired me.”
“Stole you,” Zayn said, leaning back in his chair.
“He won me in a card game.”
Zayn snorted. “He cheated, so that’s stealing.”
“Whatever,” BEll said in an irritated voice. “Niklas, please be careful.”
He hefted his bag up. He had his clothes, a few other helpful items for a treasure hunt, and his Sync—loaded with all his notes and records on Earth. “I will.”
“And give that bitch, Nera Darc, a slap from me.”
Zayn snorted again. “Something tells me he wouldn’t slap her in the same place you would, BEll.”
Ria came up to Nik and gave him a hug. “Stay safe and good hunting.”
Zayn pressed a hand to Nik’s shoulder. “Don’t let those Institute snobs take all the good stuff. Bring us something home.”
“It’s in my contract. I get two items.” He’d studied the contract Dr. Luma-Smythe had sent to him in great detail. There was a generous pay and the addition of two old Earth items would be extremely valuable. Of course, the Institute would get the rest. He wondered darkly what the hell they’d do with them.
As he headed for the docking door, Eos and Dathan appeared. She gave a small smile. “Good luck, Niklas.”
Dathan let out a huff. “All I’m going to say is, stay alive. And if it comes down to you or any of the assholes on that ship—” he stabbed a finger toward the docking door “—it’s you, okay?”
Nik crossed the distance between them and pulled Dathan in for a quick hug. He slapped his brother on the back. “I’ll be back.”
Nik hefted his bag onto his shoulder and waited at the door while it cycled through its unlocking sequence. Finally, it opened with a quiet hiss. Avril Luma-Smythe stood on the other side. “Dr. Phoenix, I am so glad you changed your mind.” She waved him in. “Welcome aboard the Magellan.”
“Thanks.” They started down a corridor. Its silver walls gleamed. “It’s a great ship.”
“Brand-spanking new, and named for a famous old Earth explorer.” She smiled up at him. “Of course, I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Ferdinand Magellan.”
She nodded. “I had to pull a few strings to get her for this expedition. We have two state-of-the-art shuttles, fully equipped research labs, excellent crew quarters and plenty of storage in the cargo bays.” She beamed up at him. “And wait until you see the library. I had it specially upgraded for the voyage.”
“With the Hawass Documents.”
She blinked. “How did you hear that? I was planning to call you again and tell you about them, but then I got your call telling me you’d changed your mind.”
“You were going to dangle them in front of me like a carrot?”
She ran her tongue over her teeth. “Maybe.” A smile. “Would they have worked?”
He realized she really was cute. “Maybe.” But that carrot couldn’t remotely compare to Nera Darc’s long, lean body. “Are the other treasure hunters on board?”
“Yes.” She wrinkled her nose like she wasn’t as happy about that decision as she’d made out. “I’ve asked everyone to meet in the library shortly.”
They rounded a corridor, and he spotted Galen. The Institute agent was waiting outside a doorway, standing ramrod-straight in his gray-and-black uniform. His gray gaze met Nik’s.
Nik didn’t look away.
“Ah, Agent Ryant, I don’t think you’ve officially met Dr. Niklas Phoenix—”
Galen nodded. “We’ve met.”
“Oh.” The astro-archeologist blinked. “Right, when Dr. Phoenix was at the Institute. Agent Ryant is in charge of security for the expedition.”
Great. Nik nodded.
“For the record,” Galen said. “I don’t think hiring treasure hunters was the right option for this expedition.” He said treasure hunters the same way most people would mention the Tavalian pox. “We have the capability and skills ourselves to carry out this expedition to Earth.”
Avril waved a hand. “Yes, yes, you’ve told me. Your objection is noted. I don’t agree. We’ll need all the help we can get to find what we’re looking for on Earth.”
Nik’s interest sharpened. “And what are we looking for?”
“I’ll save that until we’re all together with the others.” She stopped at a door. “Here’s the library.” She pressed a button beside the door and it slid open.
Nik’s chest went tight. Holy stars. It was gorgeous. The modern, almost-clinical feel of the ship ended at the doorway. Inside, it looked like an Old World library. Lots of glowing, warm wood, shelves upon shelves of old paper books, sleek comp screens sitting on wooden desks in front of large, leather chairs.
And somewhere in here were the Hawass Documents, rumored to have detailed historical information on Earth. Documents the Institute kept tightly locked up.
“If you’d like to wait here,” Dr. Luma-Smythe said. “Agent Ryant and I will return when the other hunters arrive.”
Nik gave her a distracted nod.
He did a circle of the room. There were so many valuable books here. Every astro-archeologist’s idea of heaven. Eos would love it. He paused by a large, curved window showing space beyond.
It was then he sensed he wasn’t alone.
He turned and scanned the room. Saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Nera,” he said.
There was a shimmer to Nik’s left and Nera’s form appeared. Her helmet retracted. She eyed the room before her nebula gaze came back to him. “I was worried I was becoming pr
edictable, but it seems you’re the only one I have to worry about guessing my moves.”
Maybe it was because he’d watched her for so long, and wondered what drove her. But Nik was sure that for every little thing he worked out about Nera Darc, she would always continually surprise him. “You make an entrance. As always.”
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Where’s my idol?”
She raised one slim brow. “You mean the idol I sold? Gone.” She wandered along one book shelf, studying the volumes. “So, the lure of Earth was too strong for you to resist?”
“No. It wasn’t the main reason I came.”
She turned. “Oh? And what was that reason?”
The time for games was over. “You. I came because of you.”
Nera went very, very still. Then she leaned against the wall. “That’s a foolish reason.”
“I don’t think so.” He took a step closer to her. “I decided it was time to explore what’s between us.”
“What’s between us?” She made a scoffing noise. “Rivalry. Oh, and the fact that I routinely beat up you and your brothers.”
He took another deliberate step toward her, and saw her tense. “We both know that there’s more than that.”
“You’re deluding yourself.” She pushed away from him and crossed the room.
“Then why are you shying away from me?”
She spun back, her eyes sparking…but just then, the library doors opened and two men strode in.
The moment broken, Nik watched her slide back into the shadows at the edge of the room. Reluctantly, he turned his attention to the newcomers. He recognized them both immediately.
Jonas Solomon was tall, with a lean, muscular build, blond hair, and a face Nik was sure the ladies loved. He was twenty-four years old, and making a name for himself as a successful treasure hunter. He gave Nik a nod.
Nik nodded back before turning to look at the other man. He barely controlled a grimace. Alexei Gunn was mean, and just about Solomon’s opposite in every way. Gunn was known for careless cruelty, and for trailing other treasure hunters, killing them and stealing their finds. He had a short, stocky build and a ragged scar over his left eye socket and cheek. The eye was clearly an implant and glowed neon green. The man was a snake, and Nik wouldn’t trust Gunn to have his back on a hunt…ever.
