The expansive condominium Charles sends me to stands tall against Miami’s beach backdrop, all glass and steel. The deal states I meet with the “buyer.” The Big Bad, if you will. It’s unusual, but when a job pays this much, I don’t ask questions. Not directly, anyway. Not only can I buy a new car, but I can afford one of these fancy condos and still have enough left over to live comfortably for the next year.
Except that I won’t. The key to living on the run, and keeping under the radar is to never stay in one place for too long.
I’m considering Palm Springs next. Or maybe one of Jupiter’s moons—I hear they’ve terraformed spectacular new beach towns. Who am I kidding? I’ll go to Palm Springs because I happen to like Earth’s non-processed air, genuine gravity, and real sunlight. For starters.
I love Earth. Or more specifically, my current home in Florida. But the desert will be nice too. Just not nice like this. I’ve always been drawn to the water. It’s almost instinctual; I was born in an underwater dome on a planet made up almost entirely of ocean.
The need for coastal waters could also be because I spent my formative years living on generation ark ships with a species taking from everyone they come across. Like a virus. They call themselves the Flux. They’ve bred with so many species that no one can recall their actual origins anymore.
Deep indigo paints Miami’s twilight sky tonight. On a light breeze are the familiar scents of home: the brine of seawater, human sweat mixed with sunscreen, and the local flora. Large square lamps light the parking lot enough to make the condo owners feel safe without obstructing the view.
Except that I’m on alert and the attention even the dim orange light brings is the last thing I want. Instead, I park in the deepest shadow available. I might bluster about how no one will come after me for killing the wrong guy, but the truth is, I did once and now there’s a hefty price on my head. And I like my pretty head intact, thank you very much.
Which is why my guard never, ever goes down. Otherwise I wouldn’t have sensed the approaching someone with practically no sound to their footsteps. There’s only one reason to sneak around me like that.
I’m being hunted.
Fifteen lightyears away from the source of my problems, and some bounty hunter still managed to find me. Why couldn’t I have been sold to a non-slaver, non-gangster type without a cent to his name, so that when I killed him to escape, I wouldn’t be dealing with assholes like this trying to have the best payday of their life?
Bracing against the roof of the car—it’s still hot from hours of sun exposure—I close my eyes and push at my twin until I feel the sharp snap of our separation. She wades free, turns to face me, and grabs hold of the car on my right, her left, breathing deep. My vision swims and the concrete seems to tilt.
We recover at the same time and exchange a long silent look. Her violet eyes blink at the exact time mine do. Her right brow, near black and perfectly arched, ticks up with mine. Every breath is a mirrored action. Until we begin having different experiences, we have the same exact thoughts. Say the exact same things at the same time.
We scan each other, from the slightly rumpled white blouse, long sleeves rolled casually over our forearms, to the pair of pale blue jean shorts. We kick our sandals under the car.
“Hello, beauté.”
Every muscle in my body tightens around my frozen bones, and a cold sweat breaks out across my brow. The emotional dilemma of the coming situation is written all over her—my—face. The color drains from her cheeks, and her rising chest shudders on her next breath. Just like mine.
Jérémie Tiquet.
Jérémie?
Of all the males, in all the worlds, he had to be the one to come after me?
I can do this. He’s just another warm body.
Eden’s eyes lift to the voice that came from behind me, so I turn and step to my other half’s side. Jérémie saunters out of the shadows, brown, almost black waves of hair frame the sharp angles of bone shaping his face. Dark shadows of trimmed beard coat his chin and upper lip. A tight, dark blue cotton shirt hugs every contour of muscle in his broad shoulders and chest. Black jeans are just tight enough on his lean lower half to accentuate the goods that...yep, still make my mouth water.
Oh-hell-yes I still want to fuck him. Five years hasn’t diminished the need even a little bit.
You have unbreakable restraint, Eden. It might need to be dusted off, but it’s there. Use it.
“A long way from home, Beast,” Eden and I say in unison. It was a nickname I gave him early on in our relationship because of the way he moves, almost glides, like a powerful predator about to pounce and devour his target. That and the whole Flux shape-shifting into an animal thing.
Jérémie stops ten feet out and quirks a sexy grin. “Nobody has called me that since—”
“The day you chose Alexandre over me,” we say, cutting him off before that beautiful, accented voice hits me right in the G-spot.
I sidestep right. No matter what is said between us, he’s still a bounty hunter, he’s still Flux, and I’m still going to take him down. Unless he chooses to restrain me in his other form. Then I’m just fucked.
His gaze follows me, while darting to the other Eden who remains motionless but alert beside the car. “He was my leader, and you were...”
He doesn’t finish, but why not? How hard can it be to throw out a descriptor or two? It’s easy. Watch: a slave, an amusement, and let’s not forget his lover. I also thought I was the woman he loved, but that turned out to be a lie.
He holds up placating hands. “As you can see, I am unarmed. I did not bring you here to fight.”
This statement throws me completely off balance. I’m so stunned I’m speechless for the longest five seconds of my existence. “You brought me here?” Our voices sound in stereo. Furious at both Jérémie and Charles, who I trusted to vet the job offers for any sort of twist. This is exactly the sort of surprise I needed to avoid.
“And now you want to take me back, right?” we say. “Still loyal to a dead man.”
“Loyal to my people.”
“Your people are monsters.”
Jérémie can’t seem to decide which of us to focus on, but it’s mostly me because I’m the only one moving. “Not all of us.”
He starts forward again, lining up between both versions of me. Eyeing my every move down to the smallest of finger twitches. Jaw muscles flexing. Fists curling.
“Thought you weren’t here for a fight?” we say.
“It does not appear you are leaving me the choice.”
I’m okay with that. It’s been too long since I’ve fought someone of his caliber. Fighting weaker opponents just isn’t as fun anymore.
“You do not really think you can win, do you?” he asks.
He sure is a cocky son of a bitch. I like turning the cocky ones into speed bumps. It makes my day. It won’t suck to get my hands on his perfect physique again, either. Even if it is while cracking ribs.
We give him a dark chuckle. “Beast, all you’re doing is teasing me with a good time.”
Jérémie feints toward Eden, then takes one lunging step and leaps at me. He kicks out with one very large boot, the sole aimed right at my chest. I bend backwards, taking nothing but the swish of air.
By the time I pop upright, he’s already countering Eden’s attack. The two exchange several punches that never land. Once I enter the fight, he can’t get a single offensive swing in with all the defense he has to perform. He’s fast. Accurate. Utterly silent as each half of his body defends against our very different moves.
We’re so busy trying to land punches and kicks that we’re surprised when he drops to a crouch and sweeps a foot at Eden’s ankles. He drops her on her back, and she lies very still. Too still. Jérémie and I freeze until she finally blinks slowly as if stunned.
He bends over her, and I resume my attack, driving a spinning ax kick down on the back of his head. Hobbling, Jérémie retreats from my twin, rattling his head and cursing. Eyes on the ground, braced on his knees, his dark hair hangs loose, obscuring his peripherals. He’ll never see me coming.
Or so I think.
Jérémie flies upright, dodging the knee I drive toward his nose by millimeters. He snatches me up by the throat. I dangle in the air like a hooked fish, feet swinging, body twisting, scraping nails over his large hand.
He stares up at me, eyes bright with adrenaline, and for just a moment, his expression ripples like a gentle brook, giving me a glimpse of his even more dangerous side. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him in his beast form. A bear-like creature, known for his incredible size and viciousness. He wouldn’t really shift to win this fight, would he?
“I told you,” he says, “you will not win this fight.”
“Night’s not over yet.”
He power drives me toward my twin on the ground.
My next decision happens out of necessity. I liquefy and merge with Eden rather than let him use me to break her. Once I’m complete, I’m shaky and stinging and suffering from both sets of injuries inflicted on both my twin and myself.
Jérémie fists my shirtfront, hauls me up, and slams me against my car. He works my wrists behind the small of my back and pins them there with one hand, while I’m still working my vision into something resembling a straight line.
His dark eyes, heavily shadowed under a hooded brow line, look into mine. For a second, I get swept into the moment. Pinned by one of the hottest men I’ve ever been with, feeling his weight press against mine, inhaling the spice of his sweat. It’s one hell of a turn-on.
Once upon a time, he and I faced all sorts of dangers for a moment like this. He risked possible banishment to be with me. This was why I never questioned whether or not he’d come with me when I left. Turned out I should have.
I’ll never forget the stone-faced stare he gave me after I told him that I’d killed my owner—his leader—Alexandre. Jérémie Tiquet haunts me in too many ways to count, because stars help me, I will love him until the day I die.
He never loved me, I remind myself. If he had, he’d have followed me out that door. We would have escaped together just as I planned.
“Will you come with me?” he asks.
“I’d rather leap into a vat of acid. You’re going to want to get off me now,” I say with clear warning. He has to know I’m not giving in easily.
His gaze darts back and forth between my eyes. A pale pink tongue swipes slowly across his mouth as his attention falls to my lips. “Is that what you really want, beauté?”
Heat rises in my center, reacting instantly to the implied proposition. There’s no doubt in my mind what he wants. I see it in his eyes. The proof of his intentions is also pressed against my hip.
Jérémie’s lips slant over mine suddenly, and his tongue invades my mouth. His kiss is as hot as I remember. As consuming. And damn he tastes good.
Against my better judgement, I shift my hips forward until his growing erection digs bruisingly deep against me. A deep growl vibrates up his chest. He deepens the kiss with a harshness that slams my head into the car.
Then, as suddenly as the kiss began, it’s over. Jérémie pulls away and sets his forehead to mine. His nose slides along one side of mine, then the other. Our heaving breaths crash together in the small space he’s left.
“I am sorry about this,” he whispers.
Then his head hits mine like a hammer, and—