Double Down (The Drift Book 1)

by Susan Hayes

  “It’s Vin,” Zura stated. If anyone knew why the hell Vin was sniffing around, it was Phyl. The wily freighter captain had been transporting goods of every kind across the galaxy since before Zura was born. Phyl always knew what was going on with friends and competitors alike, and Zura had long since learned not to ask where she got her information from.

  Phyl snorted and gestured for them to join her. “Vin, huh? I should have guessed.”

  They moved tables before speaking further. Kit sat with his back against the wall while the two women sat beside each other.

  “Vin tracked me down again and doesn’t seem to be getting the hint I’m not coming back,” Zura explained.

  Phyl steepled her fingers in front of her and sighed. “That boy is six kinds of bad news. The smartest thing you ever did was to throw him off your ship.”

  Zura scoffed. “I should never have let the bastard on the Sun Sprite in the first place.”

  Phyl nodded and glanced over at Kit. “At least this one’s better looking. Is he any smarter?”

  Kit’s face folded into a thunderous frown, and Zura had to stifle a laugh at his stormy expression.

  “I’m a cybernetically enhanced soldier who survived more than ten years of combat duty. Please do not compare me to that pathetic creature who has been threatening Zura.”

  “I like him already. It’s a pity I don’t get too many runs that take me out to the Drift. I’m only here as a favor to a friend. His ship needed a part that this floating junkyard didn’t carry, so I brought it out for him.” Phyl turned to give Zura an intent look. “I heard a rumor you were operating out this way. Something about saving hundreds of lives and becoming a hero. Your daddy would be proud of you.”

  Zura shrugged. “It wasn’t that big a deal. If you had been there, you’d have done the same thing.”

  “I’m really not much for heroics and near death experiences. I’m getting too old for that sort of nonsense.”

  “You’re not that old, Phyl. I’m sorry it got so much publicity, though. I’m no hero, and if the news networks hadn’t gotten wind of it, then Vin wouldn’t know where I am. Do you think he’s after the bonus money I got? He’s always been a greedy bastard.”

  Phyl was quiet for a long moment, then leaned in closer to Zura. “This might not be about you. Well, not entirely. I think this might concern your father.”

  “Dad? Why? He’s been dead almost a year now, and I walked away from our old life. Why would Vin care about him, or me for that matter? He never showed this much interest in me when I was with him.”

  “Russ Watson was many things, most of them aggravating, but he wasn’t completely selfish. He told me once that he was trying to make sure you and your brother had a shot at a better life if you wanted it. Did he ever tell you about his insurance policy?”

  Zura nearly choked on her drink. “Not you, too. Vin asked me about that. There’s no insurance policy. Trust me, I checked. When dad died, he left me the Sun Sprite, his contracts, and a mountain of debt the size of Mons Olympus. That’s it.”

  Phyl’s gaze dropped to the ring Zura wore around her neck. “That’s not all he left you. Somewhere in all his personal possessions and papers, you never saw anything that might give you a clue?”

  “There was nothing else, Phyl. As for Dad’s lucky ring, this thing isn’t worth more than a few dollars.” She caught the chain with her fingers, pulling out the worn, battered ring to look at it again. “It was never very lucky, either. If it were, he would still be alive.”

  Kit frowned and eyed the ring. “Didn’t you tell me he always said that luck was a poor man’s only insurance?”

  “He did. It was one of his favorite expressions. Well, one of the ones I can repeat in polite company, anyway.”

  Phyl snorted with laughter. “Sounds about right.” She took a drink from her glass and stared at it for a second before setting it down and looking hard at Zura. “Whatever failings that man had, he loved you and wanted you to have a good life. You know he and I weren’t much for talking, but he told me in confidence one time that he was setting up something for you, an insurance policy to give you a way out. Whatever it was, he must have died before he got it finished or he would have told you what he was up to. Trust that idiot to get himself killed before he could do a good thing for once in his life.”

  “I don’t understand, why are you only telling me about this now?” Zura demanded.

  “I came looking for you a few months after your Dad died and found out you were already gone. I figured that whatever your dad had been planning, he’d told you about it and that’s how you managed to walk away. Not many do that, you know. Most of us who try to leave the life don’t make it very far.”

  “I was too stubborn to fail.”

  “Another trait you got from your daddy,” Phyl said.

  “It’s so strange that he never said anything to me. He must have said something to Vin though.” Zura was musing aloud, trying to organize her whirling thoughts.

  “Or Vin overheard something he shouldn’t have. That one was always lurking around, listening to other people’s conversations, looking for any information he could use to his advantage,” Phyl said.

  Zura kept idly toying with her dad’s ring as she worked through all she knew. “That would explain why he’s still looking for me. He thinks I’ve got money. Joke is on him, I’m as broke as the day I left. I’m nearly clear of dad’s debts, at least, but that’s it.

  “But you’re doing okay. You found a way out, even without your daddy’s help. I’m proud of you. Hell, maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but I like knowing you’re out there and doing well for yourself.”

  “Then take the block off your ship’s communication so I can talk to you sometimes. In fact, while I’m making requests, I’d like it if you got your ass over to the Drift one day soon. I can put in a good word for you and maybe find you some work that doesn’t require breaking more than one or two rules and regulations.”

  Phyl arched a brow. “The block’s been gone since your daddy died. You just never tried to call me. As for the offer, I’m too old to go legit now.”

  “Not completely legit, just…less criminal.” Zura grinned back at Phyl. The truth was she hoped she could offer Phyl a way out of her old life and into one with less risk. It would take some convincing, but she had to try.

  “I’ll consider it. Might be nice to change the scenery for a while. Places like this lost their charm a long time ago.”

  “You’d be welcome at the Nova. Any friend of Zura’s is a friend of ours,” Kit said.

  Phyl flashed a wide grin, “I might take you up on that offer, Kit. I’ve seen the pretty boys you have fight at your club. It might be worth a return visit. I really do like this one, Zura. I can see why you let him on your ship.”

  Zura smiled to herself. Phyl didn’t give out praise lightly, especially when it came to males of any species. It was nice to know she approved of Kit.

  Kit grinned back. “I meant what I said before. You’re welcome at the Nova anytime, but please don’t call my fighters pretty.”

  Further conversation was halted by the arrival of a group of miners, including two Torskis so large their table shook as they ambled past. The big, burly aliens were both over seven feet tall and weighed at least four hundred pounds each. They claimed seats within earshot of Phyl’s table, making it unwise to keep talking.

  When the meal was over, they said their goodbyes and headed back to the Sun Sprite. At least she had gotten Phyl’s word that she would be in touch. There was a time when Phyl had been like a mother to Zura. The older woman’s on-again-off-again relationship with Zura’s father had been too volatile to ever last, but Phyl was one of the few people Zura trusted completely.

  They were nearly back to the ship when Kit finally spoke. “She’s an interesting woman. I take it you were close once?”

  “She hated my dad almost as much as she loved him. They were too much alike to ever stay together long
, but she always looked out for me.”

  “When we get on board, we need to go through everything your father left you and try to figure out what this insurance policy was. She seemed convinced he left behind something important.”

  “We can try, but I have no idea what the hell it could be. I’ve been over it all so many times already.”

  “You’ve been over it. I haven’t. Maybe I’ll see something you missed.”

  “Maybe.” Zura couldn’t imagine what her father could have left her that she didn’t already know about. If anyone but Phyl had even suggested it, she would have laughed at them. Phyl believed there was something, though, and apparently so did Vin. If she wanted Vin off her back, she needed to figure this out, fast.

  A new thought struck her as they reached the airlock they needed to pass through to get to her ship. “If I’m rich and didn’t know it, I’m going to be seriously pissed off at my dad.”

  Kit laughed. “If that’s the case, then maybe you can buy us a bigger bed for the Sun Sprite.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Luke stood at the portal and watched as the Sun Sprite docked. He should be back at the club serving drinks and waiting for his brother and Zura to come to him. That would have been the smart choice. It was the option that didn’t make him look like a smitten fool who couldn’t wait to see his girl again. Of course, he could claim that it was Kit he was waiting to see, but that was only slightly less pathetic.

  The truth was that he’d missed both of them more than he’d expected to. Oh, they had been in contact daily, but it wasn’t the same thing as having his brother at his side or having Zura sandwiched between them while they slept. Being out of contact with Kit had affected him in ways he hadn’t expected either. On some level, he had always been aware of his twin’s presence, even if it was only the subconscious registration of Kit’s bio-signs. Without even that faint reminder of his brother, Luke had felt completely alone. It gave him a deeper understanding of what Cyn must have gone through when she had lost her twin.

  In the early years, the constant chatter from their batch siblings, other cyborgs, and command channels had been enough to make them all a little mad. Then they’d gone into battle, and he’d had to listen as, one by one, his friends and surrogate family had been injured or died. He didn’t have to rely on his recordings of those terrible moments to remember them. He relived them in his nightmares.

  Since Kit left, the nightmares had returned. Not as bad as they’d once been, but being alone had triggered thoughts of Luke’s greatest fear, having to be alone, without Kit, or Cyn, or anyone he loved. By the time he’d sensed the return of Kit’s bio-signs, he’d realized there was someone else he didn’t want to live without. Zura. Just the thought of having her back in his arms soothed him in a way nothing else ever could.

  Kit appeared through the door first and broke into a grin as soon as he spotted Luke. “It’s good to be home again. Hell, I even missed your annoying presence.”

  “I missed you too. Mostly because with you gone I had more work to do. I swear half the quadrant heard you were away and decided that meant it was a free-for-all at the bar.”

  Kit frowned. “My club better be in one piece.”

  “Our club is fine. The customers who were dumb enough to cause trouble are all in medical or already off the station.”

  “Which one of our people put someone in medical? We should probably give them a raise.”

  Luke grinned. “Cyn and Owen. Those two are terrifying when they team up. The idiot who was hassling Teenie the other night came back, and he brought friends. Cyn spotted him on the security feed and came down to deal with it herself. We might need to consider letting her out of her office more often; she’s mean when she’s stuck doing paperwork too many days in a row.”

  Kit nodded. “Frankly, I’m thinking we might want to see if she wants a shot at the cage fights. Let her burn off some of that aggression in the ring.”

  “Brilliant idea. They’d love to see her kicking ass. Hell, so would I. So long as I wasn’t the poor sap in the ring with her.”

  “If she says yes, I’m putting all my money on Cyn,” Zura said as she joined them.

  Luke had her in his arms a heartbeat later, his mouth slanting over hers as he kissed her before uttering a single word of welcome. She rose up on her toes and kissed him back, her arms twining around his neck as she opened her lips and let their tongues dance. Her curvy body pressed up hard against his, and his cock surged to full attention in seconds. He needed to be alone with her soon. He wanted to strip her naked and reclaim every inch of her soft skin and remind her that she belonged to him as well as Kit.

  “We weren’t gone that long,” Kit finally muttered.

  “Time is relative. You two were together, and I was here alone.” Luke tore his lips from Zura’s to answer Kit.

  “I missed you, too,” Zura said, her voice barely more than a silken whisper. “Universe help me, but I really did.”

  “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. If you want to make me even happier, tell me that you have nothing pressing to do for the next few hours.”

  She grinned at him. “I’m all yours as soon as I oversee the offloading of my cargo. There isn’t much, just some odds and ends I traded for with some of the miners. No more than ten minutes, I swear.”

  Luke groaned and sunk his fingers into her long hair, tugging her head back so he was looking into her eyes. “That’s too long. Can’t Kit do it?”

  “I’m still on the ship’s roster as crew. I can sign for it,” Kit said, and Luke said a silent thank you to his brother for stepping up.

  “Give me one good reason why I should leave before the job is finished. This is my livelihood we’re talking about, after all.”

  “If you don’t go with me right now, I’m going to take you back on board, strip you naked, and take you up against the nearest flat surface.”

  She laughed. “That sounds like a good reason for me to stay right here.”

  “Teasing a cyborg is a dangerous thing, gorgeous.”

  “Who said I was teasing?”

  “Zura…” he groaned her name, and she laughed before kissing him again.

  “Okay, okay. Kit, you’re in charge. If you need me—”

  “He’ll figure it out. You’re going to be out of contact for a while. Thanks. I owe you one.”

  Kit chuckled. “Take good care of our girl. I’ll see you both at the bar tonight. We still have things to discuss.”

  Luke nodded and lifted Zura into his arms before turning on his heel and heading for the other side of the station. The ship was closer, but he wanted to put a locked door between them and everyone else on the station, including Kit. He needed time alone with Zura, and there was only one place in the Drift where he knew that could happen: his quarters. No one would bother them there.

  “Dammit, Luke, put me down.”

  “No.”

  Zura swung her leg, catching him in the side with the heel of her boot. “Yes! If you carry me across the station like this, you’re going to cause all sorts of gossip. I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

  “Do you really care what people think? What are they going to say that isn’t true? I’ve missed you, and I want to take you to bed as soon as possible. That’s true enough.”

  “They might think that one of the station’s most eligible bachelors has finally fallen for a—never mind. Forget I said that.”

  He grinned at her. “That might also be true.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, really?”

  “I’m not confirming or denying the possibility just yet. First, I need you naked. Then we’ll talk.”

  Laughter and desire flared in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “In that case, I suggest you move your ass.”

  They made it to his quarters in record time, and Zura still couldn’t believe he had actually broken into a run along the way. She should be embarrassed at the display they put on, but she wasn’t.
He did it because he wanted her and didn’t care who knew it. It was the sexiest thing any man had ever done for her, and she was enjoying herself too much to worry what other people might think.

  The best part was when they’d arrived at the doors to the Nova. The security guard on duty saw them coming and opened the door with a smirk, letting Luke in so he didn’t even have to slow down. Cyn waved at them from behind the bar, then they were through the private doors and headed for the elevator to Luke’s quarters.

  She hadn’t been to his rooms yet, and she was curious to see what it looked like. The moment they were inside, she burst out laughing. “You made your place look like this on purpose?” she asked as she took in the décor.

  His living space looked like a small-scale replica of the bar itself, right down to the all-blue furnishings.

  Luke shrugged slightly as he carried her through the living area toward what she assumed was the bedroom. The layout of Luke’s space was a little different than Kit’s but not by much. “We order furniture in bulk, so I went with what was available. It’s comfortable enough. The bed was a special order, though.”

  “Of course it was.” Zura glanced through the door, expecting to see a black or blue monstrosity, possibly with a mirror on the ceiling. Instead, the bed looked like it could be an antique. It had four posts that rose from the corners of the frame, and she would almost swear that both the posts and headboard were made of real wood. Not something that was easy to come by this far from a planet.

  “Is that wood? Like, actual wood from a tree?” she asked as he carried her across the room and set her down in the middle of the bed.

  “It is. Are we really going to talk about this right now?” Luke stripped his vest over his head, baring his muscular chest.

  “We could, but now that you have my attention, I think I’d rather watch you undress. Keep going, please.”