by Anna Hackett
“Watch out!” she suddenly yelled.
Dare felt the man beneath him rear up. Davarr wasn’t as beaten as he’d let them believe.
As Dare turned, he saw another knife coming straight at his chest. He dodged to the side, then swung around, landing a vicious blow to the man’s arm to knock the knife away.
Davarr heaved up, and they both rolled across the grass. Dare leaped to his feet, and turned to face the monk.
But Davarr didn’t attack again. He ran.
Dare took a few steps, his hands curling into fists. He wanted to go after the man, but he couldn’t risk leaving Miss Johns alone and unprotected. Anger stormed through him, hot and raging. It burned him that a passenger on his ship had been attacked. Worse, that this scumbag had attacked a woman. Dare had a deep hatred of people who beat up women and children.
He touched his earpiece. “Rynan, are you there? We have an attacker loose on the Nomad.”
“What?” Ry’s deep voice came through clearly.
“Davarr the monk. He attacked Miss Johns in the arboretum. I hurt him, but he took off. He’s armed with a knife.”
“You both okay? Should I send Elana?”
Elana was part of Ry’s security team, and also the ship’s medic. Dare raked his gaze down Miss Johns’ form. He saw a tear in her coat, but no blood. She was also edging toward the door. “We’re fine. Just find the bastard. I want him in the brig.” Blue eyes flicked up to his for a second. “I want to know exactly what the hell is going on aboard my ship.”
“On it,” Ry replied. “I’ll update you when I find him.”
Miss Johns was looking at the ground again. “I need to get back to my cabin.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “I don’t feel safe.”
Dare nodded and gestured toward the door. “I’ll escort you to your cabin. I’m sorry this happened.” He’d get her ensconced in her cabin, and then help track down Davarr. “You’re sure you don’t know why he attacked you?”
She shook her head and he watched her ugly brown hair tip a little more to the left. It was in complete disarray. “I have no idea. Please—” her voice hitched “—I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Dare instantly felt guilty about upsetting her further. They walked in silence to her cabin. He really wanted to ask her more questions, but he figured she’d been through enough.
They stopped at her door. “You’re sure he didn’t hurt you? I can have our medic check you over—”
She shook her head vigorously. “I’m fine.” Her hair slipped again, falling into her eyes. With a gasp, she reached up and touched it, quickly straightening it. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Phoenix.”
“You’re welcome. Now, get inside and make sure you engage the master locks on the door. For your safety.”
She hesitated. “Okay.” Without another word, she slipped inside and shut the door.
Dare waited until he heard the electronic lock click into place. As he walked down the hall, he was still thinking of her strange hair. Then he realized what was wrong with it.
It was a wig.
He scowled. There were lots of perfectly good reasons she’d wear a wig. He turned all the options over in his head. He was very aware that the number one reason for wearing one was because you needed a disguise.
What exactly was Miss Johns hiding? And why had the monk attacked her?
Dare pulled out his Sync communicator and logged into the Nomad’s systems. He saw that Rynan was near the gym, and headed that way. He figured it was best to start by finding Davarr. As he strode down the corridor, he barely had to think about where he was going. He knew every corridor, passageway, and vent shaft on the ship. The Sky Nomad was his home, his domain. His to protect.
“Dare.” Ry’s voice in his ear. “We found him.”
A muscle in Dare’s jaw clenched, and he felt a fierce satisfaction. “Good. I have a few questions for him, and I want answers.”
“Don’t think he’ll give you anything.”
“He will,” Dare said darkly.
As he turned a corner, he saw Rynan up ahead, in front of the doors to the gym.
His brother shook his head. “He’s dead.”
“What?” Dare reached him and looked into the gym. The ship’s gymnasium was filled with exercise equipment, a muscle conditioning unit, and a small resistance pool for doing laps.
The monk sat slumped against the far wall, his legs splayed in front of him. His eyes were colorless and bulging out of his head. A white froth coated his lips.
“Dammit,” Dare bit out.
A small woman in a navy-blue medic jumpsuit was crouched beside the man’s body, running a handheld scanner over him. Elana looked up. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “Definitely dead. Poisoned.”
“With what?” Dare demanded.
Elana stood. She barely reached the center of his chest, but that didn’t make her any less skilled or tough. She frowned at the screen of her scanner. “I’m not sure. It’s not common. The scanner is still running through the database.”
Dare ran a hand through his hair. Damn. He wanted answers.
The scanner beeped, and Elana’s dark brows rose. “Vrofin.”
Dare frowned. “What the hell is that?”
Ry cursed. “It’s an engineered poison used by members of Golden Nova.”
Now Dare cursed. Justyn and Nissa wouldn’t be happy to hear this. Golden Nova was a cult-like terrorist organization that plagued the galaxy. They were crazy, dangerous, and destructive. Their leader also happened to be Nissa’s estranged brother.
Dare looked down at the dead man’s face. If Golden Nova was involved, whatever the hell was going on wasn’t good.
He needed answers. And now there was only one person who could give them to him.
***
Dakota paced her cabin. She’d thought it spacious before, but now it felt very small.
Her cheek was throbbing and she held a cold cloth on it. And her shoulder hadn’t stopped bleeding.
She’d lied to Dare. That crazy-ass assassin’s knife had nicked her.
She wanted to tear her coat and wig off, but she was too afraid. She was certain she’d have unwelcome visitors before too long. Her heart was still pounding. Calm down, Dakota. She’d survive. Like she always did.
But if Dare caught the assassin, she was certain he’d sing like a Terran canary.
She sat heavily on the bed, her head in her hands. Maybe Davarr wouldn’t tell them anything? Maybe he’d keep the map a secret?
Dammit all. She shot to her feet. She couldn’t take the risk. She was well aware that the Phoenix deep-space convoy brothers had a set of cousins—the notorious Phoenix brothers. The galaxy’s most infamous treasure hunters. If they found out she was carrying the map to a secret lost Terran treasure worth billions of e-creds…
She had to get away from here. They weren’t far from Galaxy’s Edge. She could take an escape pod and get close enough to the space station to get picked up by a starship.
Dakota left her bag. It was filled with Miss Johns’ boring, baggy clothes, and she didn’t need them anymore.
Checking her wig was straight, she tore open the panel beside her cabin door. She pulled out her tiny multi-tool, and quickly disabled the comp system. She didn’t want someone on the bridge knowing she was on the move. She headed out into the corridor. The closest escape pods weren’t far away, at the end of this level.
With her pulse racing, she walked at a fast clip, but not too fast. She didn’t want to raise anyone’s suspicion.
She took a corridor left, and saw four escape pods ahead, set into the ship’s exterior wall. These were four-man pods. She opened the control panel, and again disabled the system linking the pods to the ship’s comp. She tapped in the required commands to initiate departure.
When she launched, someone on the bridge would know, but she’d be gone before anyone could reach her. Hopefully, the hunt for the fake monk would keep them busy.
The control panel beeped, and one of the reinforced synth-glass pod doors slid open. Inside, the cylindrical space was empty, except for four harnesses hanging on the smooth metal walls for survivors to strap into.
Time to go.
Dakota took a step inside…and then was yanked backward. She yelped.
“Going somewhere?”
Her blood ran cold. She turned and looked up at Dare. His face looked icy.
Dakota didn’t think. She dropped to the ground, swiped her leg out, and hit against his ankles. The damn coat made her move awkward, tangling around her legs, but he lost his balance with a curse.
That was enough. As he fell back, she sprung up.
But she only managed a few steps and she was jerked back again. He kept tugging and Dakota wrenched the front buttons of her coat open.
She let it slip off her shoulders, glad to be free of the damn thing.
She sprinted down the corridor, took the next right, and kept running. She needed to get to another set of escape pods before Phoenix locked them down.
If she didn’t make it, then she’d try the shuttle bay. She was a terrible pilot, but she could fly a shuttle if she had to.
She approached some stairs and glanced back. Her entire chest went tight. Dare was sprinting toward her, moving silently and very fast.
Shit. She leaped up the steps two at a time, and barreled down another corridor. She reached a junction and turned right.
Ahead, she spotted a small group of crew members. Rynan Phoenix’s powerful form dominated the group.
No. Of all the bad luck. Before she could decide on her next move, strong arms wrapped around her from behind and lifted her off her feet.
Dakota kicked and jerked.
Dare’s grip tightened. “Stop fighting.”
The group approached them.
“What have you got there, Dare?” Rynan asked.
“A stowaway.”
As he spoke the words right near her left ear, she felt the warmth of his breath on her skin.
“I paid for my passage,” she said. “I’m not a stowaway.”
“All right,” Dare said darkly. “A liar, then.”
Damn. She couldn’t argue with that one. She struggled again, but he held her tight with her back pressed against his chest. She had no trouble feeling every inch of his hard, muscled body, and knew she was no match against his strength.
“Ry, take her picture.” Dare’s hand snagged in her hair and yanked her head back.
“Hey!” she cried.
Her wig came off. A small, attractive brunette standing beside Rynan stared, her eyebrows shooting up.
Rynan lifted a Sync communicator, and snapped a picture. She blinked at the flash of light.
“Run it through facial recognition,” Dare demanded. “I want to know who she is.”
“You could ask,” she suggested sourly.
He turned her enough to look at her face. His silver gaze ran over her features in a way that made her want to squirm.
“Who are you?”
She smiled sweetly. “The Queen of Dagon VII. I seem to have misplaced my entourage somewhere.”
Dare looked back at his brother. “Run the check.”
Then he turned and walked down the corridor, lugging Dakota with him like she weighed nothing.
“Where are you taking her?” Rynan called out. “The brig?”
Dakota sucked in a breath. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d spent time in a brig, or, she suspected, her last.
“My cabin,” Dare replied. “Call me when you have an ID.”
His cabin? A dozen scenarios ran through Dakota’s head, and she discarded all of them. She had no idea what the man had planned.
But there was one thing she was certain about…she was in big trouble.
Chapter Four
Dare entered his cabin, making sure to lock the door behind him. His cabin was large, and his bed was big. He liked his space, even if he did live on a starship.
He dumped his still-struggling bundle on the bed. She bounced once, before pushing up on her knees, blue eyes sparking.
There was nothing left of frumpy, mousy Miss Johns. This woman was lean and toned, and oozed a confidence that said she could take care of herself. Without the coat, he got a good look at her slick, black synth-leather pants, and a long-sleeved, tight-fitting black top. The neckline scooped low enough in front to give him a hint of firm, high breasts. A silver chain disappeared into her cleavage.
Her hair was dark, a few shades from black, and fell just past her shoulders. But it was the stubborn lift of her chin and the challenging spark in her eyes that drew him. She was a fighter, this one.
“What was the Golden Nova assassin after you for?”
Her eyes widened a fraction.
Dare smiled. “Yes. We know he was with Golden Nova.”
“What else did that scumbag tell you?” she demanded.
“Nothing. He’s dead.”
She sat back. “You killed him?”
“No. He did it himself.”
That seemed to perk her up, some of the tension draining from her face. No squeamish sorrow for this woman.
“I don’t know why he was after me.” She slid to the edge of the bed, and crossed her legs. “He attacked me, terrified me.”
She didn’t look terrified. “So you thought you’d just steal one of my escape pods?”
“Like I said, I was afraid of that crazy monk. He tried to kill me.”
Dare strode closer and watched her tense. “My bullshit detector is pretty finely tuned, Miss Mysterious. Tell me your name.”
She lifted her chin another inch and stayed silent.
Oh, he wanted to answer that arrogant challenge. Dare’s hands itched to turn her over his knee and show her who was the boss around here. If he spanked her ass, would she cry out or would she writhe against him? Or both?
She spread her hands out. “Look, I just want safe passage to Sierra. Like I paid for.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I was minding my own business until that bastard jumped me.”
“I think you’re hiding more than just your name.” Dare walked over to a cupboard by his desk, found the device he wanted, and walked back to her. “I’m responsible for the safety of this convoy. I think you’re putting it at risk.”
As he approached, she eyed him warily.
He knelt beside her, watching the muscles beneath the synth-leather tense. He held up the small metallic wand of a medscope. “I dislike seeing that swelling and bruising on your cheek and you have blood on your shoulder.”
She stayed still as he flicked on the medscope. Blue light shone out, and he held it up to her face. The small device could heal small to medium wounds in minutes.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been smacked in the face,” she said. “Probably not the last, either.”
He studied her features. She wasn’t beautiful—there were too many angles, and her blue eyes were a little large. But there was something compelling about her. She had a pointed chin, sharp cheekbones, and perfectly-formed lips. He moved the wand over the still-oozing cut on her toned shoulder. He watched it close, then clicked the scope off and set it down on the bed beside her. “You will answer my questions.”
She raised a brow. “Does that work for you? You just demand and everyone gives you what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m going to disappoint you.”
He gripped her arm. “No, you’re not.”
“And if I don’t answer? What then?”
He lowered his voice. “Something you won’t like.”
She waved a hand at him. “I’ve suffered plenty that I don’t like. Hell, life seems to enjoy throwing stuff at me that I don’t like. I just do whatever I have to do to extricate myself from the situation.”
So defiant. Dare felt a dangerous stir of heat in his gut. What would it be li
ke to have that defiance all to himself? To tame his little stowaway? His gaze dropped to her lips.
She went still, like an animal sensing danger. Her gaze zeroed in on his face and curiosity moved through her eyes. Then she cleared her throat. “We seem to be at an impasse, Phoenix.”
“So it seems.”
She raised a hand, her fingertips brushing along his cheek. It was the slightest touch, almost hesitant. Then it grew firmer and drifted lower, across his jaw, down his neck, spreading heat in its wake.
Suddenly, he wanted to know what she tasted like.
“I always get what I want,” he murmured.
Blue eyes flicked up to his. “So do I.”
She jabbed her fingers hard into a spot on the side of his neck.
Dare felt a flash of pain flaring out along his nerves. He collapsed on the floor, fighting to stay conscious. He couldn’t move, could only feel a pain that felt like a thousand burning knives cutting through him.
She crouched down, her fingers touching his cheek briefly, then she straightened. “Since we’re not going see each other again, my name is Dakota.”
Then she was gone, the door swishing closed behind her.
Dare tried to move, but darkness swallowed him like a dark cloud.
***
“Dammit! Dare? Dare?”
Dare heard Ry’s insistent voice and felt a hand slapping his cheek—not very gently. He gripped his brother’s wrist. “I’m awake.” Damn, his eyelids felt like they weighed as much as a starship.
Ry helped him sit up, and Dare leaned back against the side of his bed. As a wave of nausea washed over him, he let his head fall down between his knees.
“What the hell happened?” Ry demanded.
“She hit some sort of pressure point.” Dare rubbed the side of his neck. It was still sensitive. “I was out in seconds.” He didn’t know whether to be enraged at her or be impressed.
Ry grunted. “But you’re okay?”
Dare nodded, his gaze narrowing. His stomach was slowly leveling out. “I want her found.”
“And thrown in the brig, this time.”
They’d see. Dare was formulating a few plans to punish his lovely stowaway.
Ry touched his ear. “Sayer, I need you to check camera feeds and access logs. Find Ms. Jones.”