“Ada . . .”
“Fine, fine. I’ll send you the landing coordinates and meet you there. The hangar is enclosed so you’ll need the access codes to land. Rhys owns the whole complex; you won’t have to worry too much about prying eyes.”
“Thanks, Ada.”
“Of course, Bianca. You don’t even need to ask.”
Ridiculous tears pricked my eyes. I blinked them away. “See you soon.”
She said farewell and disconnected the call. A few seconds later, she sent me the information I needed to land. I input it into the navigation system and Fortuitous chimed the atmospheric entry warning.
We landed in Rhys’s hangar without any trouble. The building had space for four ships, but the other berths were empty except for one. I recognized Jester. Scarlett Hargrove must be waiting out her FTL cooldown on the ground. I hadn’t forgotten Ada’s dislike, but Captain Hargrove had helped me escape Ian long enough to make him see reason. I needed to thank her if I saw her.
Wireless signals bombarded me. My first instinct was to tense up, to freeze, but I remembered Ian’s rough voice in the regen tank. I kept my breathing slow and even. I focused on saving Ferdinand. I would do anything, endure any pain, in order to save my brother.
The pain in my head was still there, but it was manageable. Of course, we were on the edge of Sedition; it would be much worse when we moved into the heart of the city.
A hundred million people called Sedition home despite the fact that the island had a footprint of less than eight square kilometers. When the land ran out, buildings climbed upward. Now they towered in the clouds, a marvel of engineering.
Unlike most cities, where the rich wanted to live above the seething masses, in Sedition the elite sheltered on the ground. Staying low meant they were more protected from the penetrating heat of the sun thanks to shade from the surrounding buildings and a system of industrial thermoregulators.
It also meant that Sedition was one of the cleanest cities in the ’verse—littering of any kind was punished with a prison sentence, especially if you were stupid enough to drop something off one of the upper-level balconies. The rich didn’t want to worry about dying from falling garbage.
I hadn’t been to Sedition since Gregory had altered my nanos, and I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to stomach this trip. Even with Ian’s pain management advice, I would have to take a silencer at the very least, or I’d be too sick to visit MineCorp.
Alexander and Aoife left the flight deck after a brief, quiet conversation with Ian. We would have to abandon Fortuitous because we didn’t have time to wait the two days needed for the FTL cooldown.
Waiting for an FTL cooldown or taking a starliner had never bothered me before, because it was just the way it was, but now that I knew ships could jump in an hour, I understood House Rockhurst’s logic. From their perspective, they had to go to war, especially if they knew alcubium was rare. The House that controlled the resource would control the universe.
It also meant stopping the war would be nearly impossible. And as soon as House Yamado found out what the war was really about, they would jump in, too. It would be a monumental disaster.
“Ready?” Ian asked, breaking me out of my depressing thoughts. “Your sister is waiting.”
Sure enough, the outside video showed Ada and Loch standing at the bottom of the cargo ramp. “I need to stop by my quarters to grab a few things.”
“I’ll meet you outside.”
I stood and tried to ignore the throbbing in my head. To distract myself, I made a mental list of the things I needed to pack. By the time I’d made it to my quarters, my list included pretty much everything I had.
After packing, I went to find Alexander and Aoife. I found Alexander first, in the mess hall. He glanced up when I entered, then raised an eyebrow when I approached.
“In case I don’t see you again, I wanted to thank you for your help. You rescued me in Matavara, and without your help I wouldn’t be here. Thank you. If you need any help in the future, please contact me.”
I held out my hand for long enough that I figured he was going to leave me hanging. Just as I was about to retract it, he slid his palm into mine. His hands were large and calloused but he didn’t try to dominate me with strength or go the other way and give me a fragile squeeze. His handshake was firm and solid.
“You’re welcome,” he said. He kept my hand as he peered closely at me. “Are you sure you’re a von Hasenberg?”
My own eyebrows crept up my forehead. “Yes. I look just like my father.”
“You don’t act like one.”
I smiled gently. “Of course I do. I just try not to.”
The hint of a smile touched his mouth and he let go of my hand. “Maybe that’s enough. Call me Alex.”
I grinned and inclined my head in agreement before taking my leave.
I tracked Aoife to the engine maintenance area and only because I cheated and asked the ship where she was. She turned as I approached. She tried to avoid a handshake because her hands were dirty, but I firmly clasped her hand in mine. “Thank you for everything,” I said. “We wouldn’t have made it out of Matavara without you. I told Alex this as well, but let me know if I can do anything for you in the future.”
I handed her the chocolate I’d snagged from the cargo bay. Once she realized what it was, she tried to hand it back. I waved her off. “It’s a small gift. It’s not enough, but I hope you like it.”
“Ian hasn’t told us to go, so I doubt this is good-bye, but you’re welcome.” She held the chocolate up to her nose and inhaled deeply with an appreciative sigh. “And thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Safe travels until I see you again.”
“Safe travels,” she echoed.
I exited the ship, running through my mental checklist. I thought I’d grabbed everything I needed. Ada, Loch, and Ian stood in strained silence at the bottom of the cargo ramp. Both men were tall and muscular, but Loch was bulkier than Ian. Looking at them together, I preferred Ian’s more athletic build.
Ada smiled when she caught sight of me. “Finally!” she called. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Yeah, yeah, I had to pack.” I smiled at Loch. “Hello, Marcus.”
He inclined his head. “Hello, Bianca.”
When I got close, Ada pulled me into a hug, then held me out at arm’s length. “You look terrible,” she said bluntly.
“It’s been a day. I’ll tell you about it, but not right now. Do you have a transport?”
She nodded and slid my bag off my shoulder. I started to protest, but she handed it to Loch and whispered, “You don’t want him to feel useless, do you?”
Loch grinned at me over her shoulder and I chuckled. Marcus Loch was a Genesis Project supersoldier; he wouldn’t feel useless because I didn’t let him carry my bag. But Ada’s comment had drawn me into laughter and she smiled, pleased.
Chapter 19
Ada and Loch entered the transport first and sat next to each other, leaving Ian and me to sit across from them. Ian was stiff and quiet next to me. Ada swiped her identity chip over the reader and set our destination.
“So, what happened?” she asked.
I gave her a very brief recap of what I’d learned from Riccardo.
“The Silvas might be bastards but no one can say they’re not smart bastards,” Ada said. “When their deal went wrong, they made Ferdinand someone else’s problem and got paid for doing it.” She shook her head in grudging respect. “MineCorp will kill Ferdinand if they find out who he is. How do we get him back?”
Ada intuitively understood something it had taken me time to figure out. She’d always excelled at understanding tactics and motivation. Father had made a grave mistake when he’d banished her.
“I have requests for information out, but I’m probably going to need physical access to MineCorp’s network,” I said, “so I need you to set up a meeting for me later today. I was thinking we’d spin it as me doing preliminary re
search on companies to mine one of my planets.”
She nodded slowly. “That might work. Are you sure you want to go in as yourself?”
“Yes, I’ll need the power of our name to get deep enough to do any good. Set the meeting as late as possible. Claim my need for privacy or whatever else you have to do.”
“I will be accompanying Lady Bianca,” Ian said, his voice hard.
Ada raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked at me. I sighed. “Ian will be accompanying me, Ada. Play nice.”
She didn’t have to fake her incredulous expression. “You threatened to geld Marcus with a rusty fork. You have no room to talk about playing nice.”
Ian launched into a fit of coughing that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.
“That was different,” I said. I pointed at Marcus and mouthed, I’ll still do it, too. His eyes crinkled at the corners as if he, too, was suppressing a smile.
So much for all of my supposed power. Not that I thought the threat was needed any longer. It was clear that Marcus Loch was ridiculously in love with my sister, and she with him.
Envy nipped at my heart. I acknowledged the emotion, then set it aside. I did want what she had, but I’d never begrudge Ada her happiness. She deserved every happiness in the world.
Ian finally got his “coughing” under control and asked, “Why don’t we break in after hours? No one will know we’re looking for Ferdinand and you don’t have to betray your location to Riccardo.”
“Does anyone know how good their security is? I might be able to override their surveillance system given a few hours, but it’s not without risk.”
“Ada and I will check it out while you two rest,” Loch said. I started to protest, but he cut me off. “You’re dead on your feet. Resting for a few hours will do far more for Ferdinand than if you keep going and make a stupid mistake because you’re tired.”
He was right, of course, but I hated to admit it. Ada grinned at my grumbling, but her eyes were serious. “You left me out before. This is something I can do without any unnecessary risk. Let me help,” she said, her voice pleading. “He’s my brother, too.”
I closed my eyes against the tears and nodded. While I’d always see her as my baby sister, Ada was fully capable of assessing a building’s security without my help. And with Loch glued to her side, she wouldn’t be in any danger.
“Riccardo said the kidnapping contract was anonymous, which I believe,” I said, “but he thought it came from someone high in the Consortium. Can you think of anyone in particular who would benefit from Ferdinand’s disappearance?”
Ada thought about it for a minute, then shook her head. “No. It might weaken our House slightly, but Hannah would just step up and no one has gone after her.”
I bit my tongue. Hannah had asked me not to share the fact that she wouldn’t be replacing Ferdinand. Instead, I said, “Catarina is looking into a potential leak in the House. Perhaps they are related and it’s just someone with a grudge.”
Ian glanced sharply at me. “How do you know about the leak?”
“Someone tipped off a photographer about Ferdinand’s schedule on the day he was taken. How do you know about the leak?”
“It’s my job,” Ian said. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “We’ve been tracking down a high-level leak for months, but whoever it is, he or she is being very, very careful.”
“So we find the leaker, figure out who they leaked to, and find the culprit?” Ada asked.
I didn’t think it would be as easy as that, especially if Ian hadn’t already plugged the leak, but I nodded anyway. I’d update Catarina with the new information and see if she could make any more progress.
As we edged into the heart of Sedition, wireless signals flew fast and furious. Breathing helped, but not enough. I gritted my teeth and tried mentally pulling back, but it was like trying to escape a whirlpool in a rowboat. By the time the transport landed behind an impressive four-story stone house situated on a lot with a yard, my dinner was nearly ready to make another appearance.
The tiny portion of my brain not occupied with keeping the contents of my stomach where they belonged tried to calculate the vast amount of money each house represented. Every centimeter of Sedition was precious. Towers soared all around, but this street had seemingly been untouched by the ever-expanding climb upward.
Ian helped me from the transport, then lightly clasped my arm and let Ada and Loch precede us. “Are you okay?” he murmured into my ear.
I glanced up at him in surprise—he’d noticed something was wrong. I gave him an honest answer. “My stomach is upset.”
“Can I do anything?”
Warmth bloomed, but I shook my head. Getting in a silencer would help more than anything else.
“Let me know if that changes,” he said.
I inclined my head in agreement and he escorted me into the House.
Inside, the signal noise dropped a little, held back by the thick stone walls, similar to House von Hasenberg. From what I could see, the interior was as luxurious as a House worth more than some small planets should be. Ada led us up two flights of stairs, to a hallway with doors on both sides.
“Rhys and Veronica are out, but they should be back by the time you’re up. Rhys said to make yourself at home. Marcus and I are here,” she indicated a door on the right, “but the rest of the rooms are available. Help yourself. If you need anything, request it from the suite computer and someone will bring it up.”
I stepped across the hallway and opened the first door. A pretty room in buttercup yellow greeted me and I shrugged. It had a bed, so good enough.
“I need six hours,” I said. I really needed more like eight, but six would have to do. “If you decide we should go the meeting route instead of breaking in, set it up and call me so I get up in time. Otherwise I’ll see you in the morning. Evening. Whatever.” I was too tired to deal with time zones right now.
I moved back to Ada and hugged her close. “Thank you. Be careful.”
“You’re welcome and I will be.”
Ada let go and Loch handed me my bag. “I’ll keep her out of trouble,” he promised.
Ian moved down the hall and opened the door next to mine. “See you all in six hours,” he said. He looked at Loch. “Let me know if you need help.”
Loch inclined his head in agreement. Satisfied, Ian disappeared into his room.
I waved to Ada and Loch, then entered my room for the night and closed the door. I crossed to the bed and dug through my bag until I found the silencer. I clicked it on and moaned in relief. I still felt shaky, but now that I didn’t have to fight the signals for focus, my stomach started to settle.
I put the silencer next to the bed then moved away until the signals came back. I sent Catarina a quick message, then set my com on a dresser outside the silence field. If Ada called, she would be able to get through. That done, I explored the suite.
My room had its own bathroom—a giant, luxurious affair—and a huge walk-in closet. The third door opened upon a view of Ian in a pair of boxer briefs and nothing else.
My brain stuttered to a stop. Tan skin, taut muscles, and a face so handsome, it seemed sculpted. He glanced at me and raised one eyebrow. When he turned my way, I couldn’t help watching the beautiful play of muscles as he moved.
Until I realized he was moving closer and I was staring.
I squeaked, my face flamed in embarrassment, and I slammed the door closed with a shouted, “Sorry!”
Then I promptly banged my head on the door and cursed under my breath for acting like a teenager instead of a grown woman. What was it about him that turned my brain into a pile of stupid?
The door had no lock, so when Ian tried to open it from his side, I silently held the handle and prayed he’d give up. I was not so lucky. “Bianca, let go of the door.” The thick door muffled his voice, but I could still hear him.
“Let me die in peace,” I moaned under my breath.
Somehow, he heard me
, and his voice turned amused. “I don’t think embarrassment is terminal.”
“It might be in this case,” I muttered, but I let go of the handle.
He swung the door open and there he was, in all of his near-naked glory. And it was glorious, even better up close than it had been from across the room. I jerked my gaze up to his chin and kept it there. Chins were safe.
I cleared my throat and pulled my tattered dignity around me. “Did you need something, Director Bishop?”
“I would ask you the same, Lady Bianca. What was so urgent that you needed to barge into my room unannounced?” Despite staring resolutely at his chin, I could see the grin hovering around his mouth.
“What makes you think I knew it was your room?” I asked breezily. “I was merely checking the exits.”
He stretched and muscles flexed in my peripheral vision. The grin bloomed, warm and tempting. I wondered how it would feel against my mouth. Soft and gentle or hard and demanding? I shivered and my nipples tightened as desire licked through my belly—and lower.
“Are you satisfied or did you need another look?” he asked.
The teasing challenge brought my eyes up to his. I gave him a coy smile. “I don’t think a look will satisfy. I prefer a more hands-on approach.”
His eyes darkened and he stepped closer. “As the lady prefers.”
I hummed in appreciation, then touched one finger to his chest. He froze. Now that I had his skin under my hands, slight though the contact was, I had to fight to stay on course. I wanted to run my hands across his chest, to see if the muscle was as firm everywhere as it was under my finger. Instead, I pressed him backward two steps.
Then, with fierce reluctance, I pulled my hand away from temptation. I turned and caressed the edge of the door and the handle. “Everything seems to be in order,” I murmured. I winked at him and pulled the door closed while he stood stock-still.
Safely on my side, I blew out a slow, silent breath. Holy hell. A playful Ian was an irresistible Ian.
When a maid knocked on the door a few minutes later with a pot of sweet, milky tea that I hadn’t ordered, I knew exactly who it came from. If I wasn’t careful, Ian Bishop would steal my heart.
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