Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nik hurried to his cabin. He was tidy by nature, so he didn’t need to clean up. He quickly ordered food from the tiny food printer in his room, and then placed an order to the galley for a few fresh things. He kept his shower to a quick in-and-out, mainly to scrub the Earth dirt off.
He paused in the act of pulling on his shirt. Earth. He still couldn’t believe he was here. He’d stepped foot in the ruins of New York. Unbelievable.
The classic cars were a great find, and he hoped Mexico, with its wealth of ancient history, would prove a fertile ground for their hunt.
The food printer chimed, disrupting his musings.
He hurried to get everything set up on the small table in his cabin.
The food arrived from the galley, and he arranged that as well.
He didn’t bother with flowers or a simulated candle.
That wasn’t Nera’s style. Instead, he focused on lush, tasty foods to tantalize the senses.
He’d just finished setting the table when his door chimed.
He opened it. “You look…” As he looked at her, his words stuck in his throat. His chest constricted.
He’d mainly seen Nera in her armor. Always black and formfitting. Once, at the Galaxy’s Edge space station, they’d both infiltrated a nightclub to steal a special invitation from a partygoer. Then, she’d been wearing a provocative black catsuit—simply a civilian version of her armor.
He’d never before seen her legs bare. All that skin…
He gave his head a slight shake, and forced himself to start at the top.
She wore a simple, black wrap top that left her arms bare and molded to her high, firm breasts.
The short skirt…holy hell, her legs were impossibly long, toned, with skin the color of Amoron honey.
He cleared his throat. “You look fantastic.”
She looked faintly amused. “You’re acting like an idiot.”
“I know, but you are insanely beautiful.”
“You know what I look like.”
“I do know what you look like, yes. But I didn’t know your legs were that long, and seeing the skin of your thighs…not many people get to see that. I like seeing it.”
“You’re easily pleased, Niklas.”
“No.” He reached out and fingered her platinum hair. “I’m not.”
“Are you going to invite me in?” she asked.
“Not yet. We have something to do first.” He snatched up a small bag he’d set aside.
“What?” she asked.
“A delivery to make.” He grabbed her arm and propelled her down the hall.
“I don’t like surprises, Phoenix.”
“Everyone likes surprises.”
“No, they don’t.”
He pulled her to a stop at the end of the corridor and pressed a finger to her lips. A second later, a door hissed open and heavy footsteps stomped their way.
“What the hell was so important I have to get down there myself? Damn young upstart.” Gunn strode past without noticing them, muttering under his breath.
Nik leaned closer to Nera. “I had Solomon call Gunn away.”
Nera swallowed, her gaze burning into him. “The bag. It’s for Alarah.”
He nodded and watched something move over her face. Her hand grabbed his, squeezed.
His heart spasmed. “Come on.”
It took Nera twenty seconds to hack the door lock on Gunn’s cabin. When they stepped inside, they spotted Alarah sitting on a seat by the round window. She turned and when she saw them, she gasped.
Nik’s jaw hardened. The woman’s left eye was black and swollen shut. Beside him, he felt the tension in Nera. Then she grabbed the bag and hurried forward.
“Are you okay?” Nera asked, kneeling by the woman.
“You…you shouldn’t be here.” Alarah curled her arms and legs in closer to her thin body.
“We won’t stay long,” Nera promised.
Nik stayed back and let Nera deal with the woman. He watched her open the bag and when she pulled out the medscope, Nera glanced up at him with a look that made him want to do this a hundred times over.
“You know how to use this?” she asked the young woman.
Alarah nodded.
“Just use it in short bursts. That way it won’t heal you all in one go and make him suspicious.” Nera pulled some other items out. Food and a mini-Sync. “I’m guessing you’ll know where to hide these so he doesn’t find them.”
Nik’s fingers curled into fists. She said that in a way that spoke of experience. Damn. It made him want to hurt whoever in her past needed hurting.
Alarah nodded. “Thank you.” Her voice was so quiet, so broken, it was hard to hear.
Nera gently touched the woman’s hand. “I will get you away from him. Not today. But I don’t care how long it takes, I promise you’ll be free.”
“He’s dangerous. Why risk yourself for me?”
Nera dragged in a breath. “You matter. What he’s done to you, that’s on him, not you. You belong to yourself, no one else.” Nera rose, her tone lowering. “And I am far more dangerous than Alexei Gunn.”
Alarah blinked up at her, then her gaze went to Nik. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Nera, we need to go. Gunn will be back soon.”
She looked like she didn’t want to leave, but finally she nodded.
They were silent as they made their way back to Nik’s cabin. Now, it was his chance to spoil Nera.
When they stepped inside, she paused. “Thank you. For what you just did.”
“I knew you’d go to see her before too long. I didn’t want you to barge in there and confront Gunn. It wouldn’t help her, or be good for you.” He ran a hand along her jaw. “Now, in here, it’s just you and me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He gestured her toward the table. “Please, take a seat.” He helped push her chair in, which earned him a puzzled glance. He sat in the chair across from her. It took him a second to ladle some fragrant soup into their bowls. “Eat.”
He watched as she took a spoonful, saw the flush of pleasure as the flavors hit her taste buds.
“It’s good,” she said. “What is it?”
“My own recipe. It’s Zerzuran stew. My mother taught me how to make it.” Before she’d left their dusty desert planet behind, and deserted her three rowdy, young boys to the drunken husband she no longer wanted.
“Do you know where she is?” Nera asked.
“Yeah.” He, Dathan, and Zayn had tracked her down. They hadn’t seen her, just learned she’d remarried, had no other kids, and lived on the megacity world of Rendar. “But she’s happy where she is, so I don’t feel the need to intrude on that.” He had his brothers. That was all that mattered.
“Do you miss the Institute?”
“No.” He set his spoon down. Damn, even to him, that sounded too fast and defensive.
He took a calming breath. “I miss my job, yes. I loved research and the Institute has the best resources available and access to the best artifacts in the galaxy. But I don’t miss the Institute itself, with its politics, hidden agendas, and… ” He trailed off.
“And the underground black market in artifacts they’re running?”
He stiffened and met her gaze. She took another mouthful of soup. “I know about it. I was approached once to acquire something for them.”
His jaw tightened. “Did you?”
She made a scoffing sound. “They didn’t want to pay me enough. Cheap bastards.”
He laughed and his shoulders relaxed. “It isn’t all the Institute, just a small, but powerful and connected group.
” His hand tightened on his spoon. “They select some of the best artifacts that come in from the digs, and then those items conveniently go missing, or are ‘damaged in transport’ and sold to their clients. Usually private collectors.” But he knew some scummy crime lords had been clients at times.
“You stumbled onto it. That’s why you left?”
He made a bitter sound. “Stumbled, yes. I’d led a dig on Chang Xui and found an old Terran starship wreck.
Some of the artifacts were in pristine condition.
They were amazing.” He stared at the plush floor covering.
“When the artifacts went missing, I couldn’t let it go.
I knew something was off. I got a few anonymous warnings, but that just made me work harder to find the artifacts. ”
“You didn’t know the Institute was involved.”
He rested his elbows on the table. “Na?ve of me, wasn’t it? But I soon found out the truth.” Found out his mentor, a man he’d thought was one of the greatest astro-archeologists ever and a guardian of history, was nothing but a thief.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
“At first, I threatened to go public. I was so angry.” He’d been incensed. “But they threatened my brothers.” And then he’d discovered his best friend, Galen, had been involved too. Nik hadn’t known who to trust anymore. “Finally, they ‘fired’ me, and I left.”
“That was it?”
Old, bitter anger welled up. Along with that damn sense of failure that never went away.
He thumped a fist against the table. “There was nothing else I could do. I couldn’t let them hurt Dathan and Zayn.
” They’d promised Nik the reach of the Institute was long, and one little “accident” on a treasure hunt and his brothers would be dead. “I turned tail and went home.”
“They would have destroyed you if you’d threatened the millions in e-creds they make.”
“I did nothing.”
A hand reached out and covered his tight fist. “And that’s eating you up inside.”
He stared at her elegant fingers. A beautiful hand that hid such strength. A hand he knew had killed and stolen. He knew Nera would never walk away from what she wanted to do or have.
“I left. I left them to continue to cherry pick the best pieces of our past and barter them away like cheap tourist replicas.” He ruthlessly shoved the anger away.
“Enough of that. Let’s move onto the next course.
” He set their empty soup bowls aside, and moved a plate of zhoma-berries to the center of the table.
She peered at them. “I’ve never seen berries like this.”
“They’re rare, and native to Souk.”
“The market world your moon orbits.”
He nodded. “I still remember the first time I tried one. These are from the printer, unfortunately, so not quite as good as fresh, but you’ll get a feel for them.”
He watched her take a bite of the red berry. White teeth sinking into succulent flesh. His body hardened as he kept his gaze on her mouth. Her eyes widened.
“Stars,” she murmured.