Probably since her mind constantly dwelled on sex and Saber.
She lifted her fingers away, noted the cessation of tingles then stroked the cat again. She whirled to stare at Saber.
“What have you done to me?”
Chapter Eleven
“I haven’t done anything to you,” he said, but his gaze connected with hers for a fleeting second.
“Saber…”
“I don’t know what that is or why it happened. We should leave now before the solar star gets too high in the sky.”
Eva shot him a swift look and decided she’d ask again later. He seemed off-balance and, having come to know him, that concerned her. “Let’s go then.”
They headed for the door and it opened by itself. Eva came to an abrupt halt. Saber slid his arm around her waist, his silent reassurance easing the prickling flesh on her arms and legs.
“Thank you.” The ghostly voice echoed from all corners of the room. “We are pleased. Visit again soon.”
“Right,” Saber said, and he urged her outside.
Bluebird appeared from inside a small house and gave a honk. Eva bent to stroke his brilliant blue feathers before something caught her attention.
“Look,” she whispered.
A shiny shuttle sat not far from the building they’d exited.
Eva walked closer, wonder and hope tightening her chest. “It’s a two-man shuttle.”
“They heard us talking.”
“They did a lot more than eavesdrop,” Eva said in a dry voice. “I felt them touching me while we were making…ah, having sex. I’ve never come so hard in all my life.”
“Me neither,” Saber said. “Let’s go.” He strode to the shuttle, not even hesitating when a door opened before he reached it. “We can fly to the resort.”
Eva hurried after him and tried not to think about the where and the how of this situation. Thinking too hard would just freak her out.
After placing Bluebird at her feet, she strapped in beside Saber. When the engine purred to life, a sense of loss enveloped her. Revenge was within her grasp, so why didn’t that give her satisfaction?
The shuttle lifted into the air, and Bluebird honked and trembled. Eva stroked his feathers and the bird settled.
“You don’t have to go to Dalcon with me,” she said, her hand stroking over Bluebird’s back.
“I’m going with you,” Saber said. “Once you bring down your in-laws, we’ll talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“Later,” he said.
Eva scowled out the window, watching but not registering the flash of the scenery far below the shuttle. He was back to bossy, remote Saber—the man she’d first glimpsed at the resort—and she didn’t understand why.
“We’ll get one of my brothers to return the shuttle once we arrive at the resort. We can take the resort shuttle.”
She nodded and an uncomfortable silence fell between the pair. Eva idly stroked Bluebird, her thoughts drifting from bad to worse. What if she were too late? What if Pryce’s parents had done something to make her lose everything? She wouldn’t put it past her in-laws. Frying fungus, this was so unfair. She’d worked too hard for everything to implode on her now.
Pryce’s legacy weighed on her shoulders like a load of grain-flour.
Saber concentrated on flying the shuttle. His hands clenched the controls while he struggled to maintain his temper.
She thought she was going to walk away from here, from him. Didn’t she understand how right they were together? He tried to remember all parts of the legend. If they were mated, as he suspected, he wouldn’t want any other woman. No other female would appease the longing, the need, the plain desperation he held for Eva.
Surely she’d felt how good they were together? Each time they touched, it was magical. She soothed him, settled him, made him feel whole in a way he hadn’t experienced since leaving Earth.
Eva was home.
He shot her a glance, saw her averted profile.
Hell, this wasn’t gonna be easy.
But no way, no fuckin’ way, did he intend to let her walk. She was his, as much as he was hers.
The acknowledgment eased the tightness in his chest. He’d deal. He’d go to Dalcon with her then once they’d sorted out her problems, he’d tell her of his suspicions about the mating and ask her if she’d consider returning to the resort with him. She could open restaurants to her heart’s content on Tiraq. He didn’t care if she worked or lazed by the pool each day, just as long as she shared his bed every night.
Finally, still in a pulsing silence, the resort came into view. Saber hadn’t bothered contacting his family on the com-unit, but he did so now.
“Come in, Scarlett,” he said in a brusque tone.
The reply was almost instantaneous. “Saber? Is that you? Where are you? Let me get Felix.”
“No, Eva and I will arrive soon. Can you get Felix to prepare the shuttle? Eva and I need to go to Dalcon.”
“Dalcon? But I thought you’d—”
“Over and out.” Saber cut in before she blabbed anything about the chase. He wanted to tell Eva the truth in his own time. Hearing a patchy explanation from his sister would complicate matters, more than they were already.
Saber landed the craft on the shuttle pad. Felix was waiting for him.
“Where the hell have you been?” Felix demanded. “Are you both okay?” His gaze landed on Bluebird. “What the hell is that?”
“Is the shuttle fueled?” Saber saw Laurence skulking in the background and sent the man a curt nod. Lori’s twin was definitely an odd man.
“Yeah,” Felix said. “I got Laurence to take care of that for you.”
“Thanks. We’d better go. I need someone to return this shuttle.” Saber plucked Bluebird from Eva’s arms and handed the honking bird to Felix. “This is Bluebird. Give him to Scarlett to look after.”
“It’s not dinner?” Felix asked.
“Bluebird is not dinner,” Eva snapped. “And if I come back and discover Bluebird missing, I’ll hunt you down.”
Saber caught the quirk of his brother’s lips, quickly controlled, and grinned. His woman.
“Yes, ma’am.” Felix turned to him. “When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure.” Eva had implied she was returning. Thank god. Maybe this task wouldn’t be as bad as he feared. “A few days, maybe longer.”
Felix frowned but didn’t ask any questions. “Contact Ma, will you? She’s been worried about— What the fuck?”
Saber whirled and saw the shuttle they’d borrowed shimmer out of sight. He strode to where they’d parked it, walking straight through the empty air. “Fuck, that’s all kinds of disturbing.” An understatement.
“It’s lucky we flew straight here,” Eva said, her cheeks bleached of color. “What if it had disappeared while we were in flight? We could have died.”
Saber went to her and pulled her against his chest. “We made it here in one piece, kitten.” He stared over her head, his gaze connecting with Felix’s before he closed his eyes. He could have lost her, and that didn’t bear thinking about.
Eva pulled away to glance down at her clothes, her expression one of horror. “Do you think our clothes will vanish too?”
“Could be quite a show,” Felix said, a lazy grin taking root on his features as his gaze did a visual sweep of Eva.
Saber’s feral snarl charged from his throat without warning, and Felix straightened, his expression wiping clean. “Your call,” he said to Eva once Felix backed away two steps. “We’ll lose time because my mother will want to meet you and feed us.”
She swallowed visibly. “Let’s risk it. Can’t be worse than a cooking pot.”
* * * * *
It felt strange being back on Dalcon. They left the shuttle at the spaceport and walked the short distance to the market, Eva leading Saber through the dark alleyways with confidence. The city was crowded and seemed much noisier than she recalled. People—strangers—pressed
close, and the smells made her nose wrinkle in distaste. She felt out of step even though she was confident no one would eat them here, nor openly attack them, not unless they were on the Dearbhorgaill payroll.
Saber stayed close, a solid presence at her back as she skirted a smelly pile of garbage in the middle of the alley. Eva held her breath to avoid inhaling the stench and gave thanks she wasn’t barefoot. Not yet, at any rate.
“How much farther?” Saber asked.
“At the end of the alley and to the right. This alley opens onto a wide lane, the main thoroughfare of the market.”
“Hey, Eva,” a voice called from behind a fruit stall. “Where you been, lady?”
“On holiday, Jimbo,” she said. “How is Maria?”
“Good, good. There bin trouble at your rest’rant,” he said.
Eva’s stomach plummeted at his words, even though she’d expected the Dearbhorgaills would wreak havoc during her absence. “I’m back now.”
“Who he?”
“Saber Mitchell,” Saber said, moving forward to stand at Eva’s side.
“Who-ee. He a big ’un.” Jimbo gave a laugh that bore a faint air of nerves.
“Talk to you later,” Eva said and lengthened her strides. Saber kept pace, walking at her side in silence. He was watchful though, his gaze never still as he kept tabs on their surroundings and the people of the market.
Several waved at her, let out cheerful calls of greeting, but no one approached her and Saber.
“This is one of my restaurants,” she said, her heart sinking upon seeing the boarded-up windows. At least it was open. She started for the door, but Saber stopped her.
“I’ll go first.”
Eva gave a swift nod, following him inside.
“A table for two?” a familiar voice asked.
“Robbie,” Eva said. “Where is the solar light?” The few candles weren’t providing much illumination, apart from showing her they had no customers.
“Eva! You’re back! Thank the lady.” He rushed to embrace her, his cane tapping the stone floor, but came to an abrupt halt at Saber’s warning snarl.
“Saber, stop that!” Eva said. “This is Robbie Campbell, my assistant and co-conspirator. And friend,” she said firmly. “This is Saber Mitchell.”
Saber growled again, but this time the sound wasn’t as pronounced. Eva scowled and decided to ignore him. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Lady Almeda Dearbhorgaill came in person, with a bully-boy, to retrieve the currency transfer certificates. She was very put out when you weren’t here and we couldn’t contact you. She was desperate for your signature.”
“On what?”
“She didn’t say.”
“Why don’t we have any customers?”
“The stock deliveries have dried up, our solar-light contact was vandalized and the new one hasn’t come yet. Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong,” Robbie said simply. “I’ve tried, Eva. I tried to keep everything going. The other restaurant has fared about the same. We’re lucky if we have a dozen customers each day.”
“I see,” said Eva. “And the balance of our account with the bank?”
“Lady Almeda has taken everything. Just as we planned.”
“Good. You close up here. I want to start taking notes and do a quick stock take.” Eva paused to study her friend with concern. “Robbie, you need to take care. I don’t want you getting hurt in the backlash.”
Robbie nodded. “What about the other restaurant?”
“I’ll stop by and tell them to close too. I’m actually surprised I have staff left.”
Robbie winced. “Not many.”
“And the building on the third restaurant?”
Robbie winced yet again. “It’s come to a halt.”
A pained sound escaped and desolation kicked her in the guts. Bloody dromgoose Dearbhorgaills.
Saber slipped a comforting arm around her waist. “We can fix this.”
Eva bit back her pain. When Pryce was alive, his parents hadn’t been quite as dedicated in destroying everything he’d built. And now she was failing her husband.
“Kitten, it’s time to play hardball. They’re bullies and you need to stand up to them.”
“He’s right,” Robbie said. “They murdered their son and they should pay.”
“Why are you so sure they’re responsible for their son’s death?” Saber asked.
“The marketplace is full of gossip,” Eva said. “There were rumors.”
“Have you followed the rumors to the source?”
“No. Robbie and I have spent every waking moment trying to keep the restaurants afloat.”
Saber nodded. “Take care of your plan, sort out the problems. Submit a formal complaint.”
“Most of the lawmen are in their pockets,” Robbie said.
“There must be someone,” Saber said. “How are you intending to spring your trap?”
“I intend to dress in my finest gown and petition the King of Dalcon for an audience. I met him once when Pryce took me to a court ball. He struck me as a fair man.”
“Do it, but take Robbie with you as a witness to their skullduggery. Gather names from others in the market who have witnessed the Dearbhorgaills’ tactics. Embarrass and shame them in front of their peers, but do a good job of it because a wounded enemy is a dangerous one. You don’t want to give them a chance to regroup.”
Eva nodded, seeing the sense of his words. She needed a perfect plan in place before she pushed the Dearbhorgaills. “What are you going to do?”
Saber brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “I’m going to investigate your husband’s death and discover who killed him. Add another layer of damming proof against your in-laws. Where is your place?”
Eva rattled off the address, befuddled.
“I’ll meet you there later tonight. Keep safe.” He pulled her in for a hard kiss then set her away and strode from the empty restaurant.
“Where did you meet him?” Robbie asked, staring after Saber. “I like a man of action.”
So did she. “At the resort. He owns it.” She sucked in a deep breath and righted her rioting senses. “Let’s do this stock take and then I’ll deliver the second payment to the lawyer.”
They worked together for most of the afternoon. Eva took great satisfaction in delivering the mortgage payment with money she’d hidden away, and returned to the restaurant before darkness fell to retrieve Robbie. “Let’s go to the other restaurant. We’ll document everything that’s gone wrong there and find proof where we can. I’ll send a com to the palace and beg an audience at the next people sessions. When are the next sessions? Do you know?”
“In three solar days, I think. Sometimes they have two a week if there is a demand.”
“Frying fungus. We’ll be lucky if we get on the list.”
“It’s worth a try. My cousin works the people sessions. I’ll consult with him,” Robbie said.
Eva locked the door and set a rapid pace to get to her second restaurant, which was in a better part of town. Even so, she jumped at the slightest noise, her gaze darting left and right, assessing every hint of danger. Robbie limped beside her and rattled off facts and figures, oblivious to her tension. She tried to listen, she really did. Difficult to concentrate when she was forced to walk through the marketplace after dark.
Especially after the attack not long before her trip to Tiraq…
Relief struck her when the sign for her restaurant came into sight.
“Right,” she said, pushing open the door. “Go to the office. We need a list of the damages here. Add the names of witnesses—as many as you can—while I speak with Junita.”
“Yes, boss.”
Eva glanced around the restaurant—the sparse furniture, the lack of customers, the badly cracked mirror behind the bar and the lack of drinking stock.
The buxom restaurant manager sported a black eye and her bright-blue hair tendrils waved in unceasing motion—a sure sign of her agit
ation. Her bodice was laced tight, her black dress and white apron pristine, but she walked with a pronounced limp and leaned heavily on a crutch.
“What happened, Junita?”
“I tried to stop Lady Almeda and her sidekick from taking the contents of the safe,” Junita said in a stiff voice.
Despondency ripped through Eva’s carefully built defenses. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, the Dearbhorgaills seemed to win. She was so tired. Tired of fighting, battling, struggling to keep Pryce’s dream alive. All she wanted to do was cook and plan menus, present good food that people talked about for solar days after they’d eaten in one of her restaurants. Her eyes started to sting, but she clenched her hands to fists, the pain of her nails digging into her palms giving her focus.
She would not break.
She’d go through with this plan.
It would work. It had too.
“Okay, Junita. Robbie is in the office. Give him all the details of what happened and when. He’ll record the information.” Junita sashayed away, her blue tendrils calmer now, and Eva sighed as she scanned the empty restaurant.
Saber was right. Documenting everything to present at once built a better case, and would support the most damning proof—the currency transfer certificates she’d inscribed with special ink, a concoction of her own devise made from the juice of a limonadoc fruit. She had the certificate numbers, and once they were matched with where they were spent and she made the ink react, it would become clear they were stolen.
Hmm, maybe some of the market dwellers had even seen Lady Almeda in the market.
Strange that she’d risked a visit.
Eva’s brow furrowed. Maybe she should do a little sleuthing of her own.
* * * * *
Saber strolled the market from stall to stall, asking questions and pumping the stallholders for information. Even though he was a stranger, it was remarkably easy to gain information. The Dearbhorgaills had attacked one of their own. Everyone loved Eva.
He approached a red mumber after a stallholder had directed him to the tavern where the male worked, and asked his questions.
The swarthy red man eyed him up and down. “What’s it to you?”
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