Rayven's Keep

by Wolfe, Kylie

  His business relied on information and he was an expert at finding deep wells of it. All his ships were retrofitted with specialized, proprietary equipment, which interfaced with databanks scattered across the solar system. It gave him a competitive and personal edge, particularly since the technology was from his home world and not available on the open market. The beauty of it was even if someone did manage to steal it, it would be useless unless they understood the language of Tonlith. The likelihood was remote; few had escaped the planet’s destruction.

  Nick was no fool and always judicious in his use of his technology. He made sure he didn’t trigger any warnings or leave a trace of his inquiries behind. It didn’t take long to find the information he sought.

  Her family had offered a reward for her safe return. Escaping family was common enough, but whatever had her fleeing seemed more complicated than family problems. His mouth tightened in a jaw-popping clench as he read about the reward offered for information on him. Tru Creighton had better have a good explanation. How in the hell had his name become linked with hers in the Alert Notice?

  Scowling, he slumped back in his chair, going over the events of the day, scouring his memory for any detail he might have missed. He’d been careful, respecting his client’s request for secrecy. The only one to follow him back to his ship had been Tru. He was certain of that. With no witness to their “interaction,” there was no discernible reason for their names to be connected, no reason for anyone to think they might travel together. None. Nothing quite added up, and he didn’t like loose ends.

  The connection might have come from her, but there was another possibility. A firm believer in going to the source, Nick shifted into a more comfortable position and delved into the particulars of Lodestone Mining Consortium, a fierce competitor of Geotern. He followed poorly hidden threads and traced the Alert to them.

  Companies had been known to go to great lengths to undercut a competitor. Using a young woman to steal information or goods was nothing new. Having him arrested on a kidnapping charge would prevent him filing Geotern’s claim and give Lodestone the opportunity to swoop in and stake their own. He didn’t like the thought of being played, but there wasn’t much he could do about it until he talked further with Tru.

  His hand hovered over the keypad while he debated his next move. A grim smile curved his mouth, and he shifted his shoulders in response to the familiar visceral thrill of the chase. Leaning forward, Nick began the tedious job of opening a back door into Lodestone Mining’s databanks. The reverberation of the ship’s engine and creak of his leather chair faded into the background. Even the annoying blue backlight on the helm console was only a minor distraction.

  The final sequence of code launched, taking with it the urgency that had kept him working. He’d be warned if anyone accessed the data he’d just manipulated. Input of his name or Tru’s would start a catastrophic wipe of information. The “records” would download to his data storage for safekeeping, which afforded him a great deal of satisfaction. Two could play at this game and Nick always played for keeps.

  He’d done all he could for the moment. It had been a hell of a day and he still wasn’t sure what to do about Tru Creighton or Lodestone Mining. Relaxing his neck and shoulders, he slouched comfortably in his chair and gazed out the ship’s viewscreen.

  Space fascinated him, its vastness humbling and exciting. It was the reason he’d been an eager recruit for Tonlith’s space military and had shot up through the ranks. There hadn’t been a machine on Tonlith he couldn’t fly. Nothing he couldn’t push to its limits and make sing.

  A decorated warrior, he’d been one of the best fighter pilots around, but in the end no amount of talent could have prevented what happened. He’d watched his world burn, helpless to do anything about it. It was something indelibly etched in his mind and heart.

  His pleasant lethargy vanished, replaced by the all too familiar rigidity of muscles holding emotions at bay. Teeth gritted so hard his jaw ached was just punishment, in his mind, for allowing himself to think about Tonlith and the horrors of war. Nick didn’t often let thoughts of his past intrude, preferring to keep that part of his life where it belonged. Shut away. His memories of the war buried deep. It was the only way he continued to move forward.

  The crackle of the ship’s communication frequency snapped his attention back to the present. Scooting upright, he hit the console to open the secured channel.

  “Rayven here.” His voice a rough growl, the gravel undertones pushed through his tight throat like granite cracking under brutal pressure.

  “Whoa, what flew up your ass?” Seth Mandekor responded. “Is there a problem, boss?”

  “Yeah, there’s a slight change of plans. I’m headed back to base.”

  “The cargo?”

  “On board, along with an unexpected guest. I’ll explain when I get back.” Nick rubbed the back of his neck, kneading knotted muscles.

  “Do you want special accommodations for our guest?” Seth asked.

  Nick frowned. Seth alluded to the secured rooms located below ground. “No. I don’t think she’s dangerous.”

  “She?”

  The one word held plenty of interest and speculation, which Nick chose to ignore. “For now I need you to keep a tight rein on my recent whereabouts. If anyone gets curious make sure they hear I was somewhere other than Lodestone.”

  “Sure, no problem. Now what about your passenger?”

  Nick severed the link.

  In a black mood, he wandered to the crew quarters to check on his sleeping “guest”. She hadn’t moved, her slight form barely visible under the covering. He studied her for a moment. What had she gotten him into?

  He crossed to the food unit, snagged a hot drink, and stood sipping it in brooding silence. Amazing, how his day had turned to shit when he landed on Lodestone. He would have some answers before he returned to base.

  After draining his cup, Nick placed it in the scrubber and then headed to the tiny shower cleanser. He wanted to remove as much of Lodestone’s pervasive dust as possible. The cleanser would do an adequate job, but he really wanted to spend time under the water spray at home, letting the bad memories and grime wash away in the warm slide of the water on his skin. He’d have to make do with the ship’s accommodations for now.

  Feeling better, he dressed in loose drawstring pants and considered putting on a loose shirt for the sake of modesty. “Screw it,” he muttered under his breath, tossed the shirt aside and headed to his bunk. He stretched out, folded his arms behind his head and stared at the metal grillwork of the ceiling while he listened to the thrum of the ship’s engines. He’d pushed hard to get to Lodestone to secure the job. This should have been an easy run with a healthy influx of credits to show for his time. Instead he was stuck with unwanted company and unanswered questions.

  Grunting, disgusted with the events of the day and his black temper, he rolled onto his side, his back to Tru, and willed himself to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  A hand on his arm jerked Nick awake, heart pounding in his throat as screams echoed from the nightmare. Instinctively, he exploded off the bed, and shoved the figure bending over him against the bulkhead with enough force to expel a whoosh of air against his face. Adrenaline thundered through his veins, tightening muscles to steel. He rammed a forearm against a soft throat and leaned his full weight against the smaller body trying to buck him off. It took a moment for him to shake off the effects of his dream and recognize Tru making gurgling noises as she struggled to move his arm off her neck. Huge blue eyes, darkened almost to black, stared back at him.

  Lightning fast, he released her, stepped back and ran a shaking hand through his short hair.

  “What kind of fucking idiot sneaks up on a sleeping man?” he roared, more shaken than he cared to admit. He hadn’t been in control of his actions. “I could have killed you. Sonofabitch!”

  Needing physical release, he punched the steel locker compartment nearest him. He didn
’t feel the pain as his knuckles split.

  It gave him little satisfaction when Tru jumped. He kept his distance as she rubbed her neck and slid as far away from him as possible in the confined space. Nick hadn’t been gentle and she’d be sporting a new set of bruises by morning.

  “I’m s-sorry,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she turned her head away, making him all too aware of the fury pouring off him in waves.

  He fought for calm.

  “You were moaning in your sleep. I thought only to wake you to see if you were ill.”

  He dropped his head, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths to gain control of himself. Opening his eyes, he took a good look at Tru, huddled on the bunk, her back to the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t meet his gaze, but her mouth was set in mutinous lines. He was surprised she wasn’t crying. Obviously, she was made of sterner stuff.

  He made an effort to gentle his voice. “I’m rarely ill.”

  No doubt about it, she was a mess. Not only did the right side of her face sport a nasty bruise, complete with a black eye, but now her throat showed marks of their most recent clash. He wasn’t the kind of man who enjoyed hurting women. For the most part, he respected and liked them. He enjoyed intimacy with them. So, hurting her, even though it hadn’t been deliberate, embarrassed and disturbed him. Dishonorable in his mind.

  Crouching in front of the bunk brought them eye level, and he sought her gaze, holding it with the sheer power of his will. The skin around his eyes felt tight and he clenched his teeth until they hurt. A headache pounded behind his eyes.

  “Don’t...don’t ever do that again. You’re just lucky to escape with only a few bruises to add to your collection. You could be dead. Do I make myself clear?”

  She might not like it, but she was smart enough to nod. Frustration, anger with himself and the residual echo of helplessness from his nightmare made him wonder what possessed her to believe she would be safer with him than taking her chances on Lodestone. At the moment, he felt like a very poor bargain.

  Too many sickening memories crowded his mind, echoes from a past he tried to forget. He’d seen too much death and devastation during the war on Tonlith and the old, helpless rage burned like vitriol through his bloodstream, putting him on edge. It had been a mistake to think about the past earlier, and he had paid the expected price for his foolishness. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been the only victim. He hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in a long time.

  Nick rose from his crouch and went to a cabinet to remove a compress. Twisting it released the gas inside and instantly cooled the slick material. He handed it to Tru and she pressed it against the tender skin on her throat.

  He waited, giving her time to gather herself. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t avoid him for long. If nothing else, curiosity would eventually get the best of her.

  “What?” she snapped.

  She seemed mad at herself for losing the silent battle of wills. He couldn’t blame her for refusing to look at him, but when she raised her chin to glare at him, he knew she was a fighter. For some reason he felt the stirrings of perverse admiration in the face of her dogged determination.

  “We have not gotten off to a good start, Tru Creighton, and I still do not know what you want from me or what you’re running from,” he said gruffly. “But, I swear I do not mean to hurt you and I regret you have been injured in my care.”

  For an apology, it wasn’t bad. Stilted, but not bad. Threads of anger still wove their way through the words, but they were sincere. He wasn’t much for apologizing at the best of times, but it was important to him she understood he didn’t mean to hurt her.

  Not knowing what to expect, it still caught him by surprise when the starch went out of her and she wilted against the wall behind her. She started to shake. He’d seen it often enough in battle to realize she’d reached an emotional overload and couldn’t take much more. He experienced an uncomfortable flash of panic while his mind grappled with what he should do in the face of one small female falling apart. Men he could deal with; women were ever a mystery. In his limited experience, telling her to pull herself together would solve nothing and, quite possibly, make everything worse.

  “I need your help. I’m in so much trouble and I...I don’t know what to do. I’m so afraid.” She dropped her forehead onto her raised knees and wrapped her arms around them. Deep shudders wracked her body. “Please,” she begged in a whisper, “please.”

  She looked so small and defenseless curled in on herself, and he was so screwed. If he were honest with himself, he had been since their first meeting. He didn’t want to bring trouble into his life but was helpless to turn her away.

  Nick eased onto the bunk beside her and awkwardly patted her shoulder, offering rough comfort. He grunted when she threw herself into his arms. Instinctively, he wrapped them around her and cradled her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. Silky curls caught on the whiskers on his jaw and he sucked in a deep breath. He was surprised his body responded to the warm weight he held. It had been a while since he’d felt the stirrings of desire, and he shifted to ease his discomfort.

  He held her while she wept on his shoulder. Held her until the tremors quit shaking her small frame and she finally leaned, spent, against him. As she stirred, he released her. Didn’t comment when she placed a hand against the bare skin over his heart, although it shocked him nearly speechless. She looked up at him with tear-drenched eyes and Nick raised a finger to catch a drop as it slid down her cheek. What the hell had just happened? Off balance, he stood up and moved to the bunk across from her. It was unnerving to acknowledge he needed the distance between them, no matter how small.

  “What are you running from, Tru?” he asked with a resigned sigh. He had some of the pieces, but he still hadn’t figured out a lot. He saw her weighing her words, deciding just how much to trust him.

  “Have you heard of Creighton Mutual?” She wiped wetness from her cheeks with the heels of her hands.

  He froze at the name of the largest and most prestigious investment company on three worlds. Hell, he’d even put some of his hard-earned credits in the multiple businesses falling under Creighton’s banner.

  “Of course,” he replied dryly. “Who hasn’t?” There had been no mention of her connection to Creighton Mutual, not surprising if someone wanted to keep pertinent pieces of information buried. Regardless, he should have made the connection when doing his research. He must have been more tired than he’d thought, to have missed it.

  She sniffed and cleared her throat. “My family owns Creighton. More specifically, my grandfather.” Her voice was a little hoarse, but steady. “Most of my family is involved in the business one way or another and I’m no exception.”

  “If that’s the case, then what were you doing in a backwater like Lodestone?” He watched her expression change and mentally ran down the information he’d discovered. “And,” he continued, “I would think a family with the kind of associations yours has wouldn’t allow one of their daughters to rub elbows with the kind of people blowing into a mining town. It is too dangerous. Hell, I would think the only thing required of you would be to marry the right person and further the aspirations of your family.”

  He knew he’d hit a nerve when she stiffened and shot him a resentful look.

  “I have one of the best educations money can buy. I speak four languages fluently and have a mind of my own. A mind my family doesn’t want me to use. I’m not like my sister. I want more from life than being an ornament on some man’s arm. To be paraded about when it suits him. Or to be stuck in some corner office with a meaningless title while others do the work.”

  “So you ran off to Lodestone, of all places. Smart.”

  Two spots of color bloomed on her pale cheeks. “You don’t understand!”

  “Then enlighten me.” Angry all over again, he stood and paced the small confines between the two bunks. “What in the four corners of hell were you doing in Lodesto
ne? What kind of trouble are you in, little girl? Why would you think it wise to ask me for help?” Nick thumped his bare chest for emphasis and she jumped. “You don’t know me. I might be worse than what you are running from. Did you stop to consider that?”

  “I researched you,” she answered in a small voice.

  Nick stopped and turned to face her. She’d shocked him and not in a good way. Folding his arms over his chest, he braced his legs apart and scowled. A muscle jumped in his cheek. “You researched me?”

  “Yes,” she squeaked. Ducking her head, she plucked at a loose thread on her shirt. “You have to understand, I was desperate. I was trapped and I needed to get off Lodestone. I needed to get home. Everything I read indicated you could be trusted and when I saw you I chose to believe it.”

  “And, what pray tell, did you learn?” He was amazed he sounded so calm, almost conversational.

  Tru scooted to the edge of the bed. She stood and slowly eased around him, away from the wall, her back to the open area. Maybe it hadn’t occurred to her yet there was nowhere to run on the ship.

  He raised an eyebrow and forced himself to keep his arms crossed over his chest. “I look like I can be trusted. Interesting. You got all that from a haloviz and a search on my name.”

  “N-no. I...ah...looked up your business records and noticed you have a good reputation for...um...being honest in your...in your business practices.” She backed up another step.

  He shook his head and huffed. He shouldn’t have been surprised she would have access to some of his information, as he’d made a name for himself. He’d manipulated most of the available data on himself and the information was innocuous at best.

  “I see. And how did you know I’d be on Lodestone? The trip was privately negotiated between Axyl Hargrave, the head of Geotern, and me. I didn’t know what day I was going to be there. So how did you?” He stepped toward her and she stepped back.

  “I d-didn’t. Not really. I was looking for a way off-world and when I saw you I thought I’d found it,” she said, staring at her feet.