by Anna Hackett
He leaned back against the desk. “You don’t know what you want.”
She thrust out her hand dismissively. “I’ll work it out once I have the treasure. And you’re one to talk about knowing what you want.”
Dare raised a brow. “I have exactly what I want.”
“Career-wise, maybe. But I think you’re just as messed up as I am. I see the dark edges you keep under your gloss and control. Something in your past is still nipping at your heels.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Drop it, Dakota.”
His icy tone made goosebumps break out on her skin, but she’d never been one to back away.
“You prodded into my past. You wanted all the gory details. I slept in doorways, and I ate scraps that were unfit for dogs. I even traded sex for food once or twice.” She’d thrown up afterward and vowed to find a way, any way, to escape. To one day be rich and to be the master of her own life.
She saw an answering darkness on Dare’s face.
“So whatever you’re trying to control and keep hidden, it can’t be as bad as what I lived. I’ll do whatever I have to do to outrun my past. You just seem to be ignoring yours.”
They stared at each other. She thought he was about to say something, anything, when there was a chime from the comp.
Rynan’s voice filled the cabin. “We are coming up on the coordinates.”
Dare and Dakota stared at each other a few more seconds.
“On our way,” Dare answered, his tone ruthlessly controlled.
Then he stood up and walked out of the office.
Dakota’s shoulders sagged. She’d pushed him too hard. She knew better than most that no one wanted all their inner demons out there for the galaxy to see.
Dare, it seemed, was happy to uncover all of her secrets, was more than happy to share his body with her.
But anything else was clearly off-limits.
She strode out of the office. The treasure was within her grasp. That was all that mattered, and all she needed to think about. Not Dare Phoenix.
Chapter Thirteen
A rocky, lava-covered proto-planet appeared on the viewscreen, and Dare sucked in a quick breath.
This was it.
Most of it was pockmarked, gray rock, but large pools of glowing, orange molten rock dotted the surface. It didn’t seem a likely planet to wreck your starship on…unless you wanted to kill everyone.
“Scan it,” Dare ordered.
“Done,” Rynan replied. “There’s nothing here.”
“What?” Dakota said sharply.
“There are no signs of structures, starship wrecks, or any life.”
“There must be something.” Dakota pressed a fist to her chest. “The wreck of the Southwind must be there, somewhere.”
Ry cleared his throat. “I’ll run the scans again, but my equipment’s good. There’s nothing here but rock.”
Dare glanced at Dakota, and saw she was struggling to contain how upset she was.
“Maybe lava covered the wreck?” Nissa suggested.
“This is only a proto-planet with limited atmosphere,” Ry added. “Perhaps it impacted with the original planet.”
“Dakota?” Dare asked. She was staring hard at the screen. “What do you want to do next?”
“Nothing.” Her arms fell to her sides. “There is no next. I’m out of options.”
Hell. He hated seeing her so lost, with that bruised look in her eyes.
Suddenly, Nissa straightened. “We have an incoming transmission. There’s a ship on course for us and the proto-planet.”
Dare frowned. “Justyn?”
“No.”
“Put it up on screen.”
The screen filled with the image of a young man with pale-blue skin. He was sitting in a small cockpit. His blond hair was swept back off his face and gills were just visible on his neck.
“Hello, my name is Ralu.” The man smiled. “You have something of mine.”
Dare’s brow creased. “I’m convoy master Dare Phoenix. I’m not sure who you are, Ralu, but we don’t have anything of yours.”
“The orb.” The young man’s smile disappeared, leaving a hard look on his blue face. “It belongs to me.”
There was silence on the bridge. Dakota stepped forward. “No, the orb belongs to me.”
Her jaw was tight and Dare could feel her anger.
“Everyone wants a piece of this.” She lifted the orb up, dangling it from the chain. “And frankly, I’m sick of it. This is mine. So whoever the hell you are, you can fuck off.”
The man tilted his head. “I want the orb, and I’ll trade you for it.”
Dakota shook her head. “I’m not giving it up. You have nothing that could interest me.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I have something I think you’ll all find very interesting.” The man’s gaze shifted to Dare, and then the man moved to the side.
Behind him, tied to a chair, was Justyn.
Nissa gasped and stood. “What the hell have you done to him?”
Justyn was slumped forward, and appeared unconscious.
Dare felt the icy blade of anger. His brothers, his family, his convoy. They were all his to protect, and whoever this man was, he’d hurt one of Dare’s brothers.
“Send a shuttle down to the proto-planet. We can make the exchange there.” The man smiled. “You have thirty minutes.” The man’s image disappeared.
Ry moved to Nissa, pulling her close to his side.
Dare dragged in a deep breath. Justyn was his, but the orb wasn’t. He knew Dakota inside and out. Knew just what the treasure represented to her.
He looked at her and saw she was staring straight ahead, her face blank.
“Dakota?”
She refused to look at him and didn’t say anything.
His gut cramped. “Dakota, I’ll pay you a fair price in exchange for the orb.”
He saw her stiffen, her fingers curled into her palms. “Really?”
Why wouldn’t she look at him? He wanted to find a way to get Justyn back safely and not leave Dakota empty-handed. He knew how hard she’d worked toward escaping, toward her dream of a life of her own.
“Let’s talk bottom line,” he said. “Tell me what it will take for you to give me the orb.”
“Right. It’s all about the bottom line.”
Dare couldn’t read what he heard in her voice.
She turned now and her blue eyes were sharper than Perman ice. “How much are you willing to give me?”
Dare felt a vibration of pain. A part of him had hoped that she’d felt enough for him to help him out here. He named a price. An outrageously high price. He banked the majority of the money they earned from the convoys and it gathered nice interest in a central-system bank. He had more than enough to spare. He felt the others watching him.
Dakota’s gaze searched his face and then it was like she just shut down. The light drained from her eyes and her face went blank. She reached down and lifted the orb over her head. She held it out. “I’m coming down to the planet. I want to know who the hell this guy is and what he knows. He knows something.”
“Okay.” Dare held out his hand. “And I’ll have the e-creds transferred to you straight away.”
She set the orb in his palm, careful not to touch him. “I don’t want your credits, Dare.”
She turned around and stalked off the bridge.
Dare’s fingers closed over the sphere. It felt warm to the touch and he knew it was from her skin. What the hell had just happened?
“You broke her,” Nissa said quietly.
“What?” Dare frowned, a lick of panic in his gut. “Dakota is unbreakable. All I did was what I had to do to save Justyn. Your husband.”
“Yes. But you didn’t trust her to help. You decided and demanded.”
Dare rubbed his forehead. “We need to get down to the planet and get Justyn. Hopefully, we can make this bastard pay for his games and keep the orb.”
“You should hav
e mentioned that to Dakota first,” Nissa added.
“I didn’t want to leave her with nothing. That’s why I paid for it.”
Nissa just shook her head.
Angry now, Dare strode out. “Come on, Rynan.”
When Dare and Ry entered the shuttle bay, they found Dakota there, waiting beside the shuttle. She was already decked out in an envirosuit. She refused to meet his gaze.
Soon, Dare and Ry were also in suits and they all boarded. Rynan maneuvered the shuttle out of the Nomad, and they headed down toward the proto-planet.
Dare kept glancing back to where Dakota sat. She was stiff, silent, all her energy…gone.
He’d hurt her, and he wasn’t sure exactly how. Damn, she confused him.
“Landing shortly,” Rynan said.
They closed in on the rocky surface of the planet. As they got closer, he could see the bubbling lava in giant pools. Ahead, on a small patch of rock surrounded by molten liquid, was a small, sleek shuttle.
Dare frowned. He’d never seen a design like this one. It had large wings that were currently folded upright, pointing into the sky. Ralu was standing beside it, and nearby, on a small, rocky outcrop, sat a tied-up Justyn.
“Landing.” Rynan’s hands moved over the controls.
Dare took a deep breath. He needed all his control and patience for this. He glanced at Dakota again.
Whatever was going on with her would have to wait. For now, he needed to get his brother back safely.
***
As Dakota stepped out onto the rocky surface of the planet, she was internally berating herself.
She should’ve just taken the credits that Dare had offered and left the Sky Nomad.
Maybe the sum he’d paid her wasn’t as large as what the Atocha Treasure would yield, but it would be enough for her. She could find a nice, cozy place on some distant world.
Alone and in peace. With no demanding men, no one asking questions that made you feel like crap, no one ever wanting your things, and no one underestimating you.
She felt a confusing mash of emotions inside her—anger, hurt, sorrow. Ugh. She hated it.
Dare hadn’t even asked her if she’d just give the orb to him to help Justyn. He’d just assumed she’d let Justyn die and that all she cared about was being paid.
Her eyes prickled and she sucked in a breath. Hell, why was she so bent out of shape? She couldn’t blame him.
As they exited the shuttle, she spotted the man with the blue skin who’d set all this in motion. She decided to focus her anger on him.
Beside her, she felt Dare and Rynan’s tensed readiness. Both men had their hands hovering over their holstered laser pistols.
They looked over to the rocks where Justyn sat. He looked up. His face was swollen, his eyes unfocused and dazed.
She looked at Ralu. “Who the hell are you?”
The man shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. All you need to know is that I will protect the Atocha Treasure, and ensure no one finds it.”
“How did you know we had the orb? That we were looking for it?”
“I have friends on Sulla. We protect the treasure. The final decryption of the map was changed, to lead any would-be thieves here to this hunk of rock.”
Dakota tilted her head. “You know where the treasure is.”
“It is on my home planet, but it was lost many years ago.” He held his hand out for the orb. “Now, with the original map, I can locate it again and safeguard it. I’ll be a hero.”
“Heroes don’t kidnap and bribe,” Dare said darkly.
Something crossed the man’s face. He wiggled his fingers. “Hand it over.”
Dare held up the orb. “What did you do to my brother?”
“He’s fine. I just gave him a shot of a sedative we derive from a fish on my world. He’s alive, and the sedative will wear off shortly.”
The man snatched the orb from Dare’s hand. “Thank you.” The man stepped back. “And I’m sorry, but I’ve decided it is probably not a good idea to let you leave here alive.”
“What?” Dare said.
Ralu pulled out a laser pistol, and fired at a large pile of rocks behind them. Dakota dropped to the ground, heard rocks falling. Dare dived toward her, grabbed her, and together, they rolled across the bumpy surface.
She quickly assessed their surroundings, and she saw a giant rock boulder rolling. It fell into the lava lake with a splash, sending up a giant spray of molten rock.
And that’s when she saw it.
The fall of the pile of rocks had created a domino effect.
A wide river of lava was now snaking from the lake, across the rocky ground where they stood.
It cut them off from both their shuttle and Ralu.
“Ry, get Justyn,” Dare bellowed.
Ralu had turned his back on them, hurrying toward his shuttle.
Something inside Dakota exploded. She was tired of people taking everything from her. Usually, it was things, just like this man. And sometimes it was other things. She glanced at Dare. Like trust.
With a frustrated yell, Dakota sprinted forward toward the lava river.
“Dakota!” Dare roared.
She leaped into the air, flying across the flow. She landed, just inches away from the molten rock, and rolled. Then she sprang to her feet, sprinted across the rocky ground, and tackled Ralu.
She could hear Dare shouting, but she ignored it and focused on fighting. Ralu looked young, but he was strong.
But Dakota was pissed, and she was mean.
Dakota hammered a fist into the man’s blue face, ignoring the pain that flared in her knuckles. They rolled, both fighting to get on top. Ralu slammed an elbow against her jaw and Dakota tasted blood in her mouth.
She got a knee into his gut and heard him groan, and then they rolled again. Rocks struck painfully into her side and back, but she gripped the man’s shirt and refused to let go.
She got another punch in to his stomach, and blocked one of his hits.
He heaved and they rolled again across the rocks.
“Dakota! Watch out!”
Dare’s urgent shout made her glance over. Her heart stopped. They were dangerously close to the lava. She felt the heat pouring off it.
But she wasn’t giving up. She managed to get on top of Ralu and pounded him with her fists.
“No one takes what’s mine. Not unless I choose to give it.” She smacked him again.
They skidded a few inches across the rock and she smelled something burning. Ralu let out a scream.
“My boots! It’s burning my boots!”
Then, hands were hauling her off him. Dare yanked her backward, and Rynan swooped in and pulled a groaning Ralu to his feet. Rynan yanked out some electro-cuffs, and cuffed the man’s wrists together behind his back.
“Dakota, are you okay?” Dare ran his hands over her body, patting her down. “Did the lava touch you anywhere?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” She probed her face where it was stinging.
Dare cupped her cheeks. “You have a few scratches.”
“Not the—”
“First time,” he finished for her.
Their gazes locked, and she forced herself to turn her head. She saw Rynan leading Ralu over toward their shuttle. Justyn was beside the shuttle, on his feet now, although a little wobbly.
She pulled away from Dare. “Let’s get going.”
“This is yours.”
His quiet voice made her glance back at him. He was holding out the orb.
She stared at it, then took it. She held it for a second, then slipped it over her head.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For not giving you the chance to help me save Justyn.”
She hardened her heart and shrugged. “You did the right thing. I look out for myself, no one else.” She started back toward the shuttle.
He grabbed her arm, and spun her back to him. “No, you don’t. You look out
for what—and who—you care about.”
She felt a burn of something uncomfortable under her ribs. She recognized it in a flash. Fear. Dare was the one person who could see inside her, reach inside her. He was the one person who could really hurt her. Today had proven that.
“Don’t kid yourself, Phoenix.” She shrugged off his hold and walked back to the shuttle.
Chapter Fourteen
Dare stared through the glass at the man in the Nomad’s interview room just off the brig.
Rynan had tied Ralu to a chair. He sat in front of an empty desk and he looked unhappy.
“Bastard got the jump on me,” Justyn said from the other side of Dare. “He seemed so friendly and unthreatening. Then he jammed an injector in my neck and it was lights out.”
Elana had checked Justyn out and given him the all-clear. He looked almost back to his normal self, but his eyes still appeared a little unfocused.
“What species is he?” Dare asked.
“Whatever he is, it’s not in the database,” Rynan answered. “He has some aquatic heritage, but it’s faint. There’s a whole lot of human in him.”
Not surprising. Colonists leaving war-torn Earth had seeded a lot of life across the galaxy.
Ry and Dare had both questioned Ralu. The man hadn’t said a word. He was afraid of them, but whatever cause he was dedicated to was stronger than his fear.
“My turn.”
Dare turned to look at Dakota. She’d quietly watched their interrogations and their failure, but hadn’t said much since they’d returned from the proto-planet. Now, she had a stubborn look on her face.
Dare nodded. “Okay.”
He watched her enter the room.
“You screwed up with her,” Justyn said.
“You’re usually Mr. Smooth with women,” Rynan said. “Not with her.”
Dare gritted his teeth. He’d fix what he’d broken.
“You care about her,” Justyn said.
“Yes.” When Dare looked at his brothers, he saw them both watching him intently.
Justyn broke out in a wide grin. “Well, I’ll be damned.”