by JC Cassels
“General Rameus?” Royce echoed. “Gad Rameus?”
“You know him?” Blade asked.
“Yeah. He went to school with Galen.”
Blade sat up and rolled the tension out of his shoulders. “Galen and Rameus? Galen didn’t go through Barron Academy?”
Royce shook his head. “His father was special envoy to Trisdos. Galen’s mother was some lesser First Sector nobility. She was a courtier to Lady Marin. She died in the attack that killed your mom. Galen grew up in the First Sector.”
“That’s it!” Blade came to his feet. “That’s the connection we’ve been looking for. For some reason, Rameus is working with Galen.”
Kendall shook his head. “I get why Galen wanted The Barron dead,” he said. “He’s the Regent. He keeps his power. If you’re guilty of murder, you’re out of succession.”
Royce pointed to Blade. “Yeah. Remember, Bhruic was talking about that.”
Blade nodded. “But Bo hasn’t been aboard Sundance since her father was killed. She doesn’t know.”
Pacing the floor, Royce gripped the bottle of Tinsani ale tightly. “If he doesn’t know you’re married, why go to all the trouble of breaking you up?”
Blade turned and stared out at the lights of the city like so many starbugs coming to life. He stared into the darkness. Bracing his fists on his hips, he ran over the facts once more. Something didn’t add up. It was staring him in the face, but he couldn’t see it.
His com-set buzzed and whistled in his pocket.
“What the hell?”
Blade pulled it out and checked the display.
“Son of a kretch… It’s Varo.”
“Put her on speaker,” Royce said.
He answered the com-set and placed it on the desk.
“Larianne. I was expecting your call. This has you written all over it.”
“Hello, Blade. How are things with your Joy Babe?” Her voice dripped venom.
Blade braced his hands on the edge of the desk, leaning over the com-set.
“That relationship is over, as I’m sure you already know.”
“Oh, Blade, you should thank me. She’s got a target on her back and half the Commonwealth gunning for her.”
“I know. And you have effectively just hung her out in the wind.”
“I’d like to say I took no delight in it, but we both know that’s not true.”
A muscle twitched in Blade’s jaw. He met Royce’s stare.
“Keep her talking,” Royce mouthed.
“Somebody’s been trying to kill me,” he said. “Would you happen to know anything about that?”
She laughed. “What kind of question is that?”
“A valid one, considering that every time someone takes a shot at me, you’re reported leaving the scene. You were on Catarrh and Cormoran,” he said. “I wasn’t that out of it in the med center.”
“Well, the way you are about having security, who do you think they would call in to protect you?”
Blade looked to Kendall, whose mouth twisted in disdain. He waved his arms in front of him and circled his finger around his temple, calling her crazy.
“Yeah, I’m not buying it,” he said. “You sabotaged my hovercycle and you took a shot at me on Cormoran.”
“You wound me.”
“Not yet. Why did you do it?”
“Orders, handsome. Cultivating her was one thing…but having feelings for her? Did you really think they’d let you carry on an affair with her? You are compromised. Compromised agents are a liability. You’re not as untouchable as you thought you were. Right now the contract on you is off the books, but after the latest stunt you pulled, not even the old man himself can help but wonder where your loyalties lie.”
“You made it a point to let me know that you’re the one who screwed me with the data reader,” he said.
“I owed you,” she said. “They said I could make you suffer before I took you out. How does it feel?”
“I told you what would happen, Larianne. I told you to leave her alone.”
“Just remember that I can get to her any time I want,” she said. “Lucky for her I was only ordered to deliver a message. As long as you’re feeling so sorry for yourself that you’re crawling into a bottle in some dive bar, there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“It was a restaurant, not a dive bar.”
“Just thank your maker your bodyguard showed up when he did. You never saw me waiting for you in the parking lot.” She tsked. “You’re getting careless. Didn’t I teach you better than to stand in front of an exposed window?”
Ian tackled Blade, knocking the breath from him. The force of impact rattled through Blade’s side just as the window shattered. The two men hit the floor hard. A half-dozen bursts of blaster fire tore through the air over them in rapid succession. Micro thunderclaps ripped through the room with each blast. Every blast thumped into walls and furnishings, knocking burning bits out of melted and superheated holes.
As unexpectedly as it had begun, the shooting stopped.
Her laughter spilled out of the speaker of the com-set, which had fallen to the floor. With a small tone to indicate she’d ended the call, Blade’s IC com-set went silent.
Distant sounds of traffic from the city below wafted in through the hole in the wall. Small fires from the debris crackled. Wind stirred the curtains, swirling ashes.
Blade’s head throbbed in time with the pulse pounding in his ears. He gasped against the hot and cold adrenaline surge that left his limbs shaking. Ian lay heavily on top of him, shielding him with his body.
If he wasn’t cold sober before, he was now.
He gripped Kendall’s shoulder and shoved him away.
Royce lifted his head from the floor. “Anybody hit?”
“I’m good,” Blade said.
“I think I’m okay,” Ian said.
“That’s your message,” Royce said.
Cold fear gripped Blade. “I’ve got to get to Bo.” He started to climb to his feet, but Ian yanked him back onto the floor. He looked to Royce for help. “They can get to her, Royce! They can get to her any time!”
“Now hang on a minute, kid! Don’t panic! Keep your head down!” Royce’s amber eyes narrowed as he took stock of the situation. “Hallway,” he said. He jerked his chin towards the door. “Now! Keep low.”
Ian rose to a crouch, pulling Blade along with him. Shielding Blade with his body, he obeyed Royce quickly, ushering him out of the hotel room and into the corridor. Royce followed closely behind.
Once outside, the men straightened. Ian started looking Blade over for injury, but Blade shrugged him off.
“I’m fine,” he snapped.
“Here.” Royce handed Blade his com-set and leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes and drew several deep, calming breaths. “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Blade squeezed the com-set tightly in his fist. If Larianne had gotten to him here, Bo was vulnerable as well. With a glance at the other two men, he started for the lift. Ian clamped down on his shoulder, dragging him to a halt.
“No you don’t,” Ian said.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Royce said.
“You heard her threaten Bo.”
“Snap out of it!” Royce glowered at him. “Start using your head. She’s trying to force you into making a mistake.”
Amber eyes locked with blue in silent battle.
As the haze of panic receded, Blade read worry behind the determination in Royce’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
“As long as Bo’s alive, there’s no question about who is running things,” Royce said. “If she dies without naming a successor, there’s a whole big diplomatic dance that has to be done before the governing council can select a new First Minister, and it doesn’t have to be a Barron. They’re gonna keep her alive. It keeps Galen in power as regent.”
“What happens if she names Galen as her successor?” Kendall asked.
Kendall nodded. “What are we gonna do?”
Blade and Royce stared at him.
“We?” Royce asked.
Ian had the good grace to look chastened. “Bo’s a class act,” he shrugged. “She’s your wife. That makes her a Sovran, too.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted from one foot to the other. “Your father wants you back on Trisdos, but I see what you’re doing out here. Your wife is marked for death. She’s got nobody but you two looking out for her. I’m guessing she was set up for Frostfire, too, right?”
Royce nodded.
“Somebody’s making a power play, and the last thing they need is the Sovran Heir joining with The Barron. If your father can’t see that’s a danger to the stability of the Commonwealth…” He broke off, shaking his head. “I know you, Devon. You’re going on the offensive. You’re gonna take the fight to these bastards. You can’t do that from Trisdos. Your father assigned me to you as a bodyguard, and we both know that was a shit assignment on both our parts. You’re talking about starting a war – a shadow war – the kind of war we were trained to fight. If you think I’m gonna sit this out, you’re crazy.”
“You got a plan, kid?”
Blade nodded. “When someone goes to all the effort to send you a message like this, the only reasonable course of action is to send a reply. I think I should send a little message of my own.”
“Do me a favor, kid. Say hello for me,” Royce said. “What are you gonna do with those three strays you picked up?”
Scratching his stubbled jaw, Blade considered the question. “Well,” he said, “they’re idealistic. They have a ship. They’re green, but they’re eager to learn. They need to know what they’re in for, but I think they’ll stay in it for the haul.” He nodded to Royce. “What about you?”
“I promised my brother I’d look after Bo. She’ll never see me. She’ll never know I’m there.”
With a small smile, Royce offered his hand to Blade. “It’s tough being out in the deep dark. If you need me, you know how to contact me. My first loyalty is to my family. That includes you.”
“Likewise.”
With a final nod, Blade released Royce’s hand. He looked to Ian. “You ready?”
“I can come?”
Blade exchanged a look with Royce. “Hell, you may as well.” He sighed. “You’d only follow me otherwise. Besides, I’m going to need help getting these kids up to speed.”
Ian relaxed enough to smile. “Where are these green recruits of yours?”
Blade nodded towards the lift and Ian fell into step beside him. As they passed the chute leading to the trash incinerator, Blade tossed the IC com-set in.
He wouldn’t be needing it anymore.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
A soft blue light from the streets outside slanted in through the blinds, falling across the bed’s rumpled sheets and the shadowy female form under them. With a tiny sigh that was little more than a breath, she turned her head on the pillow and rolled onto her back. One hand rested lightly on her flat stomach, the other lay on the pillow beside her. Underneath the covers, she was naked. She always slept naked.
In the darkness beside the door, Blade watched her. He didn’t move. He didn’t make a sound. Patiently he timed her soft breaths, assuring himself that she slept as soundly as possible. He wasn’t ready for her to wake. Not yet.
Working with methodical efficiency, he disabled every possible alarm, surveillance, or communications device in the tiny apartment. Once he had ensured their privacy, he turned his full attention on her. With infinite care, he moved through the darkness to her bed. He reached under her pillow and removed the palm blaster she kept there. He slipped it into his pocket. Next, he felt along the bottom edge of the mattress for the hilt of the long-bladed hunting knife she kept within reach. He found it quickly and tucked it away for safekeeping.
In one smooth maneuver, he eased onto the bed, taking her wrists in his hands and lifting them over her head, His mouth covered hers, absorbing her cries and soothing her as she came awake. She struggled against him, but he lay full-length on top of her, pinning her under the covers and subduing her with his weight. His lips toyed with hers, lightly nipping hers.
“Blade?” Larianne hissed in the darkness when his mouth left hers, to trace a path along her jaw. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Can’t you guess?” He murmured softly against her throat.
Baring his teeth, he bit into the soft flesh, none-too-gently. At her yelp of pain, he smiled to himself. Larianne always liked it rough. This time, he was more than happy to oblige her.
“I’m here on business,” he said.
With his tongue, he soothed the hurt he’d inflicted and resumed his assault, licking and sucking his way along her jaw to the sensitive flesh below her ear.
“By here, do you mean Trisdos, or my apartment?”
“Both,” he said.
Tension radiated off her like a tightly drawn bowstring.
“Blade, get off me, I’m not in the mood to play.”
“Who said anything about playing?” He lifted his head and stared down at her. “I am deadly serious.”
“What do you want?”
“What do you think I want?” His lips quirked. “I told you what would happen if you threatened or hurt my family, didn’t I?”
When the full import of his words sunk in, she thrashed against him, struggling to break his hold on her or throw him off.
Blade leaned harder on her, and transferred both her captured wrists to one hand. With his free hand, he traced her curves under the light sheet.
“This is hot,” he laughed. “Are you sure you want to get me aroused, too?”
She stopped struggling against him. Her breath came in short gasps. Good. He wanted her fear.
“That’s better,” he said, his tones soothing and soft. “You killed a good man and you framed another good man to take the blame for it.”
“I didn’t…”
“Of course you did. Barron’s assassination had you all over it.”
“Orders, Blade…” she whimpered. “I was only following orders.”
“Marin didn’t order you to assassinate The Barron. He has nothing to gain from that. He didn’t order you to kill me, either.”
Her pupils dilated slightly. Direct hit.
“Of course it was you,” he said. “No one sabotages a hovercycle quite like you.”
A half-forgotten memory tickled the back of his consciousness.
The silhouette on top of the rubble the day Niall was killed.
“You’ve tried to kill me before,” he said. His hand tightened over her breast. He squeezed and twisted until she cried out in pain. “Twelve years ago. You took a hit on a kid on Fasi. You were trying for me but you got my kid brother instead.”
She bit her lip to keep from screaming. Blood trickled from her mouth.
“Who are you working for?”
His grip on her wrists tightened and she whimpered and winced. She glared at him stubbornly. She wasn’t afraid enough to talk…yet. He slapped her hard across the face. The impact jarred a cry out of her, but nothing else.
“Who are you working for?” he shouted. “Who ordered the hit on The Barron? Who wants me dead?”
Her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. Pressed tightly against her, he could feel her heart pounding, but she said nothing.
Taking a different tack, he chuckled and ran his free hand intimately over her. “Maker, this is going to be fun,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to break you. And I’ve got all the time in the world to do it.” He licked his lips. “I’ve spent ten years thinking of every disgusting, degrading, and painful thing I could do to you. I’m going to take my time doing every last one of them. Do me a favor and don’t crack too soon.”
Leaning down, he traced her jaw with his tongue. She cringed and tried to turn away.
>
“General Rameus!”
“Thank you,” he said. “That’s all I needed to know.”
He shifted his hold and his grip on her loosened. She struck out at him, but only managed a glancing blow on his jaw. She shoved hard, trying to push him off while she fumbled along the edge of the mattress.
“Looking for this?” He thrust the knife into her just below her ribcage, up into her vital organs.
She stopped struggling against him. She stared up at him in disbelief.
“I told you I would kill you if you hurt my family,” he snarled. Rage boiled up from deep inside. “Bo’s not just some fling. She’s my wife!” He gave the knife a little twist. “That man you killed was her father.” He twisted the knife again. “The man you framed was my friend.” Another quick twist. “His brother died in his arms.” His voice was hoarse with emotion. “Do you know what it feels like to hold your brother while he slips away? Niall was only fifteen-years-old. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Unable to speak, she shook her head. Bloody spittle spilled out from the corner of her mouth.
“You didn’t just follow orders, you destroyed a family – my family. You didn’t think I’d let that go, did you?”
She tried to cough, but more blood and spittle rolled down her cheek. “Go to hell,” she whispered.
“Tell you what, you go first. I’ll meet you there.”
With one last gasp, her eyes unfocused and her body grew limp. Blade growled and pushed himself off the bed. He paced the room in impotent fury. He glanced back over his shoulder at the dead woman. He wanted to bring her back just so he could kill her again.
Taking a deep, calming breath, he glanced down at his hands, sticky with her blood. More of the red stuff stained his shirt and jacket. Good. When the cams recorded his image, he’d look like a butcher. With one last look at Larianne, he left her bedroom. His night’s work wasn’t finished.
Without concern for the security cams in the hallway, he let himself out through her front door. When he reached the first cam, he looked directly into it and raised his arm, pointing an accusing finger in silent promise. This wasn’t over. This was only the beginning.
***