Authors: Annabel Wolfe
“The ship is out there.” Kel frowned and went to sink in his chair
by the monitors. “We aren’t looking in the right place. They’re
hiding, which supports Governor Janssen’s argument the ship has
been taken over.”
“They’ll need provisions eventually.”
“I pity the poor planet where they decide to dock. We need to find
them first.”
Jake’s face had an uncharacteristic grim expression. “I have to tell
you I’m not sure how comfortable I am with these orders. Find the
ship and then wait for instructions. In no way attempt to board the
vessel. Refuse to engage in any discourse. Don’t negotiate for the
return of any hostages. I agree with the Council’s policies on not
bargaining with criminals, but according to Will Janssen that ship had
a full crew, plus a phalanx of prison guards. That’s a lot of our
personnel, Kel. A lot more than the criminals on board.”
“I know.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t caught the ominous undertones
in the conversation with Minoa’s governor. “But orders are orders. In
this case, we are the instrument. Rarely do we have all the
information. I trust Kartel to not make any decision lightly.”
“I do too, but I’m not at all sure I can issue a fire order on a ship
that carries more innocent people than convicts.”
The same dilemma was what had Kel sleepless, even after his
satisfying interlude with Peyton. At least the pleasurable diversion
had taken his mind off it for a little while. And he might have drifted
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off if she hadn’t compounded the unsettled state of his mind by asking
him some uncomfortably probing questions. “I guess we’ll have to
wait and see what they want us to do.
If
we even locate the
Serpentine.”
“A big variable, I agree.” Jake rested his head on the back of his
chair and briefly closed his eyes. “I’m half hoping we don’t. Let some
other military command take this one.”
“Peyton thinks they’ll head for Anaya Two.”
Jake’s eyes opened and his mouth curved. “You discussed this
with her? Here I thought you were just fucking each other.”
Kel scowled before he could control the reaction. “I’m not just…”
Thank the stars he managed to trail off before he said more. Not
that it helped much, for Jake looked openly amused. “Not just what?”
“Never mind,” he growled.
His second in command just laughed. “Let me venture a guess as
to what you’re not. Not as detached as you should be from the
beautiful lieutenant, am I right? I’ve felt that from the start of this
mission. Maybe you aren’t aware of the way you look at her.”
Kel stared at him, his mouth tight. If he denied it, he’d be lying
and he made it a personal policy to tell the truth at all times, even
when it was painful. Unfortunately, Jake Naiad knew him very well.
And it was undeniable the very first time he’d seen Peyton Valmont
she’d had a profound effect on him in more than just the physical
sense. If there was one thing he admired, it was skill, courage, and
intelligence. In bed, he found her passionate and arousing, but he also
thought about her in other ways.
It was a first in his life. Females were passing entertainment, not
someone you discussed command decisions with, and the reality of
the situation already had him uneasy.
“She asks about you,” Jake informed him. “I noticed from the
beginning when we talk she has a less-than-flattering-for-me tendency
to steer the conversation back to you.” He shrugged broad shoulders.
“You and our gorgeous lieutenant connect.”
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67
Our. He wasn’t precisely jealous she and Jake had a sexual
relationship. Kel knew his first in command well and Jake would take
care to pleasure her and that was what mattered. They shared women
often enough the concept was perfectly acceptable, but he
would
be
jealous, he realized, if Peyton showed a preference for his friend.
What the hell did
that
mean?
“Does it bother you?” Kel asked, settling into his own chair.
Naiad shook his head. “I saw it coming from the beginning.
Peyton and I are friends. You and I are friends. If she’s destined to be
your life mate, why wouldn’t I be happy for you both?”
“Life mate?” Kel’s brows shot up.
“I’ve never seen you so interested in a female and we’ve known
each other a long time. She is certainly interested in
you
. Considering
how tired she is when I get off duty I’m going to say the sex between
you two is more than just good, and—”
“I think you’ve said enough,” Kel interrupted curtly.
Life mate
?
Just the idea of it made him break out in a gentle sweat. His career
was his entire existence at this time of his life. Most males didn’t take
a wife until they decided to breed and even then it wasn’t necessary.
There were always human females to impregnate and the S-species
males had the right to keep the children.
No doubt Peyton would breed children as beautiful as she
was…and why did he even just think of that? Kel felt a muscle in his
jaw twitch.
“You should see the look on your face.” Jake grinned. “She’s
asked me about your family, by the way. She asked me if I’d ever met
your mother.”
Whatever he might have said to that was interrupted by a flicker
of the communication screen, indicating a message from the military
headquarters on Minoa. Kel leaned forward and flicked one of the
controls on the panel and an image solidified. General Ian Helm
looked more grim than usual, his mouth tightly compressed.
“Commander Gallico. Colonel Naiad. I am glad you are both there.”
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That didn’t bode well but Kel wasn’t sure if it was any more
alarming than the conversations he’d just had with Peyton and now
Jake. He said, “What do you know, General?”
“The Serpentine has been located.”
Jake muttered something undecipherable under his breath.
“Where?”
“Right now they are just out from Anaya Two.”
Damn if Peyton wasn’t right on target. Anaya Two was a small
planet with a tiny colony of settlers, peaceful and strictly agrarian. It
had no weapons defense program, which was a minor point in their
favor since the escaped prisoners couldn’t confiscate anything but
hand arms, but it did have both food and fuel. Kel swore softly. “The
colony knows not to let them dock, I assume.”
“The convicts are threatening to kill the crew one by one if not
granted landing privileges. They claim all they want is to take on
supplies.” Helm showed no emotion at all, his face a granite mask.
“They executed the commander of the ship at the end of the
communication just to show they aren’t trying to bluff us. We have no
idea how many of the rest of the crew and guards are still alive, but
maybe they are. It’s hard to say.”
This was truly turning into a nightmare like no commanding
officer ever wanted to face. “Do we have orders?”
Helm gave a decisive nod. “The settlers are being sent to bunkers
designed for emergencies such as meteor events and cosmic storms.
We’re going to let the ship dock, but the colony itself will be deserted.
You will take transports down and land also. At that time, you will
have an opportunity to effect retaking the hijacked ship. I realize you
don’t have combat troops on board, Commander, but your crew is
trained military personnel.”
In other words, they were in for a fight. No group of desperate
escaped felons was going to surrender quietly.
“Is this an extermination now?” He hated to ask it, but he did need
to know. “Are we supposed to take the prisoners if we can?”
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69
“Commander, you are supposed to do whatever you have to do.”
There was a pause. “On no account let them get near your ship,
understand? What they have now is a freight vessel. We’re taking a
chance letting you land with transports on the same planet, but the
Council is concerned about the lives of the crew of the Serpentine and
the settlers. If any can be saved, we’re willing to at least send you in
to try. But if a military vessel fell into the hands of these men…”
He trailed off and shook his head.
Unfortunately, Kel understood all too well. Criminals aside, he’d
never lose his ship while still breathing.
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Chapter 7
When the light flashed, she jumped up and then had to
consciously stop herself from running over to push the admittance
button.
By the stars, she was acting like an adolescent and Tara had no
real idea why. Well, that wasn’t quite true, she admitted silently as
she managed a sedate pace across the small space. For one thing she
was bored. That was the first excuse she gave herself. The boredom
on these journeys was always a problem for her, but normally she at
least brought along some of her own solutions to relieve the tedium.
Reading material, research to do, scientific papers to write, games…
On this trip she had nothing to play with. She reached out a finger
to touch the pad that would open the door. Nothing to play with
except possibly Will Janssen.
She had no clue as to why the idea intrigued her but it did. Quiet
intellectual males usually didn’t even garner a passing glance from
her. Her last true sexual interest—it was inappropriate to label it
love—had been a trooper who worked with a special division that ran
secret missions for the Universal Council. Missions that were usually
covert and always dangerous. He could fly any type of transport, had
the skills to survive in almost any type of atmosphere, handled all
weapons with ease, and spoke nearly every dialect in four solar
systems. The sex had been much the same as his personality, a little
rough and wild, just a touch on the dangerous side. Exactly how she
liked it.
Will Janssen lived and breathed numbers on a screen. His
existence was based on logic and rules, not risk. She was pretty sure
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71
he couldn’t say the word
fuck
in eleven languages like Lucas, but then
again, if he could, he wouldn’t. He was polite to a fault.
But, she thought as the panel slid up, she was attracted to him for
some reason. It didn’t make sense to her, but the interest was there
just the same. It was reciprocated as far as she could tell, though he
hadn’t once in the past days since their rescue from Epsilon made as
much as one suggestive move or even a comment to indicate he was
thinking along the same lines.
In short, Tara was pretty sure if she wanted him in bed, she was
going to have to make the move.
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by every day.” Will smiled,
hovering outside the door. “I just sent the last of the figures I’d stored
in my handheld memory bank to my father’s assistant. That’s the end
of it. I guess right now, technically, I’m unemployed.”
“I’m glad you’re here. And believe me, if I did mind, I’d say so,
don’t worry,” Tara assured him, not for the first time. She made a
face. “I’m not known for my ability to keep my thoughts to myself.
Ask poor beleaguered Commander Gallico. Come on in.”
“I suppose I am not surprised he still won’t let you see your
sister.” Will stepped inside and the door swooshed shut. “He doesn’t
strike me as someone who would change their mind.”
“Yes, you’d be right.” Tara went back and sat down with a sigh.
“I asked if I could just talk to her on the intership monitor. Correction,
I begged. He said no to that also.”
Will laughed and took his usual chair. After almost two weeks of
these daily visits, he was definitely more relaxed than in the
beginning. The usual lock of curly brown hair fell over his brow and
he brushed it back in an unconscious mannerism she was coming to
know. He said, “I really can’t imagine you begging for anything,
Tara.”
She quirked a brow. “Under the right circumstances, I’ve been
known to beg.”
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Annabel Wolfe
The husky note in her voice didn’t go unnoticed. A faint flush
crept up the neck of the male sitting opposite and it was obvious he
couldn’t think of anything to say. Tara let her gaze linger on the nice
width of his shoulders, the clean cut lines of his face, the long length
of his legs. Like her, he wore military issue off duty clothing, just a
plain lightweight shirt and drawstring pants.
Easy to take off, which might be convenient…
She was definitely having some less than professional thoughts
about the governor’s son.
Was
this uncharacteristic attraction the result of boredom? She
didn’t think so. It was odd, but for the first time in her life she thought
it might be because she
liked
him. No, there was no pressing adrenalin
rush fueled alone by animal lust between them. This interest was
different.
How to do this
?
Had she ever seduced anyone before? No. The males she went for