Bastien cursed at the confirmation of a spy. “There you go. As far as The League knows, I’m dead and buried. My file showed termination two years ago. Only people who knew I was still around were in The Sentella.”
Minus the guard he’d told when they rescued Kalea Hauk. But that had been weeks ago. Had the guard filed a report outing him, The Sentella would have picked it up and warned him to run. No one got past Syn Wade’s alerts or bypassed them.
No one. He was the best tech in the Nine Worlds.
Not to mention, The Sentella had their own crew of spies who would have instantly relayed that intel.
This definitely came from the suspected spy Nykyrian had warned him about.
And with the thought of his hidden enemy, his old familiar battle calm came over him. There was one way to stop this and protect what he loved.
“Where’s a comm link?” he asked them.
Ember went cold at that tone of voice she knew a little too well. Bastien had a battle plan. And while his plans were always innovative, they were usually highly risky, and often explosive.
If not downright stupid.
“What are you thinking, Cabarro?”
That old charming grin that had melted her heart more than once split his face. “Not sure I want to disclose it at this time, Major.”
Yeah, stupid for the win.
Her stomach knotted to a sickening level at the thought of what he might do. “Don’t even.”
But Tasi, who had no idea what level of carelessness Bastien was capable of, handed her link over to him.
Ember cursed her silently.
Bastien turned to Badger. “Load my fighter with enough explosives to detonate whatever they have. Tonde!”
Her jaw dropping, Ember arched a brow at that last order, which was the Kirovarian military term for tel-ass.
“Bastien…”
And still the irritating beast ignored her as he activated the link. “Put me on with The League MCO.”
She gaped even wider as he demanded to speak to the mission’s commanding officer. Was he out of his Kirovarian mind? This cannot be good. Bastien and commanding officers didn’t mix. And she said that as one of his former commanding officers.
A bad feeling went through her. And Rian must have felt it too, because he came to stand beside her so that he could whisper, “What’s he doing, Ma?”
“No idea. Now you see why I tell you not to act like your father?”
Rian ignored her.
Just like Bastien.
When the MCO picked up, Bastien didn’t flinch or show any emotion whatsoever. “Hello, Dumbass … back your troops off this station. I’m coming out and turning myself in. But only if you withdraw.”
“No!” she gasped before she could stop herself. Surely he wasn’t planning to commit suicide.
But to protect them, he might. Bastien had a fanatical need to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. And with a son to protect, his suicidal level would be ratcheted up even more.
Bastien turned on the mute and glared at her. “Do you mind not interfering with my noble act of extreme stupidity, Major? Please?” Then he turned the mute off so that he could continue his conversation with The League. “Yeah, I’m on my way as soon as you pull back. I’ll be in my fighter. You can’t miss it. Sentella ship. Has The League flag with a big X going through it on a black field. Will need clearance to land it, though.”
Holding on to Rian, she ground her teeth, wanting to thrash Bastien. If he thought for one minute that she was going to allow him to do this, he was even more delusional than normal! Which was saying something.
And still Bastien ignored her as he made plans to die.
Her sisters were all gaping, too. But they didn’t speak until he had the coordinates and cut the link.
He blinked innocently at all of them while Ember made a sound of supreme disgust in the back of her throat. “What are you thinking, Bas?”
With a devilish wink, he headed straight for his fighter. “Not thinking at all. According to you and my father, I never do.”
“Bas! I’m not letting you do this!”
He gave her a coy glance. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“No, it means you’re an idiot!”
He tsked at her vim. “You know, that’s what I missed most all the years we were apart. Your unfailing support and sweet-talk. It humbles me.”
“Don’t be an ass.”
“See! That’s what I’m talking about. No one else could ever insult me the way you do. And I still have one testicle left you haven’t kicked.”
“Mom?”
Only then did Bastien take pity on them. “Don’t worry, champ. I’ve got this.” Without a word, he jogged to the fighter and shot up the ladder, but instead of getting inside it to launch, he opened the engine bay.
Following after him, Ember frowned as she watched him work on who knew what. Though as she saw him scrambling about she began to have some idea of what he intended.
Yet there was one major problem.…
“You know, they’ll scan for life forms. If you send it up on autopilot, they’ll detonate it before it can cause harm.”
“That would be true in most cases.”
“Meaning?”
“That I’ve had years and years alone to hone my skills and plot my revenge. They’ve no idea what they’re dealing with. But I’m about to set them up for some hostile lessons.”
Brand scratched at her ear as she watched him working. “You think he can do it?”
Ember shrugged. “We didn’t call him Ghost Gadget without cause.”
“True.”
Still, she did have doubts.
Pulling away from her, Rian ran to climb up the fighter behind his father. She started to grab him, but Bastien reached down to help him move to stand by his side so that they could work on it together.
The sight of them like that … of Bastien’s patience with their son as he explained to him what he was doing and why … it made her strangely weepy.
“So this will work?” Rian asked.
“It should. Or it’ll piss them off and they’ll kill us.” Bastien pulled out his link and handed it to their son. “Please, hold the light so that I can see a little better.”
“Okay. And for the record, I don’t want to die.”
“For the record, I don’t intend to let you. I’d never hear the end of it from your mom. And she really scares me most days.”
Rian glanced at her, then whispered, “She scares me, too.”
Ember sighed as that tweaked her heart, in a psychotic kind of way. Bastien made it so hard to stay angry at him. But then that was nothing new. The entire time they’d dated, she’d been on the verge of wanting to choke the life out of his body and then he’d surprise her with an act so incredibly kind or thoughtful that she’d instantly forget her rage.
His mother had complained of the same thing. And so had Lil. In fact, she could hear his sister’s voice in her head to this day—“It’s the only reason I didn’t drown him while he was still in nappies.…”
“So what are you doing now?” Rian asked excitedly.
“This is the heater for the ship. If we scramble things about, it’ll heat up the seat and make it appear as if there’s someone in it.”
“You can do that?” Rian gaped.
“Sure can. Then we need to rig the drive so that it can pilot out on remote. And the sensors so that they’ll think they see a phantom body in the seat.”
“That’s awesome. How will you land it?”
“Won’t have to. SOP for The League is they’ll tractor beam the ship in. They won’t chance my ramming their facility out of suicidal tendencies.” Bastien flashed a charming grin down at her. “Of which I have many, according to your mother.”
“Wow … how do you know all this?”
“Studied hard in school.”
Rian screwed his face up at his father. “Not what Mama says.”
This time, Bastien glanced down to her and smirked. “What lies has she been telling on me?”
“She says you’re where I get my slackness from. That you charmed your way through school and negotiated grades with your teachers like you were running for political office. You never studied for anything, other than how to avoid responsiblity.”
Bastien feigned being offended. “Why she tell you that?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know.”
Bastien grimaced down at Ember. “Why you tell my boy those stories?”
“’Cause he’s little Bastien, all the way. Just look at him. He’s not your son so much as your clone.”
Rian was digging around the engine, toying with various belts. Just the way Bastien tinkered whenever he had a new toy. He looked up with a charming smile that was identical to the one his father used whenever he got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.
Bastien grinned proudly.
Ember groaned and then had to smile at the two of them and the trouble she was in while facing their combined force.
Cin wrapped her arms around her. “I like seeing you with that expression on your face.”
She leaned back against her sister. “It’s not happiness. I’m imagining creative places to hide Bastien’s body should my child be harmed.”
Brand laughed.
Until Badger returned, with Kindel in tow, hauling enough explosives that it made her sick to her stomach. Ember couldn’t believe how much he’d found.
Or how quickly.
Good Jake, you are Bastien’s brother.
How had their family ever survived to become rulers of anything?
Bastien forced Rian down the ladder and away from the ship while they wired the explosives.
Against the child’s protests, she had Brand take him home so that if something went wrong—like she maimed his father over this “brilliant” plan, he wouldn’t be here to witness it.
Or worse, get caught in the blast range.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she watched the men running around to rig the explosives. Bastien was a little too cavalier with the highly volatile compound for her tastes. As was Badger. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Not at all,” Bastien said with a laugh. He scowled at Badger. “Is it the red and green wires you’re not supposed to cross?”
“Um, yeah. So please don’t forget that. Especialy while I’m in range.”
Bastien nodded. “I guess this would be a bad time to tell you I’m color blind?”
Badger turned stark white. “Are you effing kidding?”
“He’s joking, Xander.” Ember laughed.
Bastien flashed that evil grin. “You feel more alive now, though, right?”
The expression on Badger’s face said that he wanted a place to hide Bastien’s body now. “I swear I’m going to murder you.”
Bastien laughed again as he finished wiring the ship.
Once they’d jumped down, Bastien scowled at the remote. “Boy, I hope I didn’t fuck up those connections.”
It was her turn to go pale. “Meaning?”
“You might want to stand back a few miles while I do this.”
“Bastien…”
He calmly flipped the switch. “Oh hey, it’s all right. I’ll be damned. Works. That’s a first!”
Xander screwed his face up. “He always like this?”
“Yes,” she growled. “You should have been in the field with him.”
“I’m surprised his own troops didn’t shoot him … in the back … of the head.”
“They tried,” Kindel said with a laugh. “Bastard moves fast for an aristos.”
Meanwhile Bastien continued to chuckle at them while he launched the ship. “Time for that spectacular enema.”
A few minutes later, they heard The League commander telling Bastien to drop shields.
Bastien’s face lost color. “Ah, minsid hell, I forgot that part.…”
“Ha, ha,” Badger mocked. “You’re not funny, Cabarro.”
“He’s not joking this time.” Ember stepped forward. “What do we do?”
Bastien glanced around at all of them. “Run!”
“Not without you.”
He grimaced at her. “You don’t even like me.”
“I know. But it would traumatize my son if I let you die right now.”
“Great.” Bastien started to argue, but there wasn’t time. He met Badger’s gaze. “Don’t scramble fighters. Withdraw everyone into whatever bomb shelters you have. Tonde!”
Issuing orders, everyone evacuated in expectation of a League assault.
Ember took Bastien’s hand and ran toward the condos where her sisters lived with Rian. There would be shelters there.
They heard the fighter detonation over their links.
It was followed by sirens blaring to warn them of an impending strike.
“Cabarro!” The League MCO shouted. “You’ve damned them all by your actions!”
Bastien cursed under his breath.
An instant later, bombs fell against the station, jarring them off their feet.
Bastien grabbed Ember and threw her under a reinforced beam as another shock wave went through the building and brought down sections of the roof and walls around them. “You always rocked my world. Nice to know things haven’t changed.”
She moaned at his cheesy lines. “Not the time.”
Suddenly, there was a massive strike against the base. One that lit up the sky like a nuclear device had detonated. The wave from it was so fierce that it knocked all of them from their feet.
The whistling sound of engines and bombings deafened her.
Amidst the smoking debris, Bastien rose slowly and helped her up.
Terrified of what was going on, Ember grabbed him and held fast. She let the scent of his skin ground her. But most of all, it was his strong arms and the slow gentle beating of his heart that soothed her.
That was one of the things she’d missed most about him. His calmness when everything was falling apart. Nothing ever rattled him. Not even a bombing run. It was just like the day they met when he’d jumped headfirst in after Alura.
His gaze warm, he kissed her forehead and gave her a light squeeze to reassure her. “It’ll be fine, Ember. I’ll die before I allow them to harm you or Florian.”
She fisted her hand in his hair and let his whiskers scrape against her cheek. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that they might not make it out this time. And if they died, she didn’t want him to go not knowing the truth of how she felt for him.
How she’d always felt about him. He’d lived too long doubting her and that was her fault.
No more.
“I still love you, Bastien.”
“I know.” He pulled back with a playful grin. “How could you ever stop loving all this sexiness?”
Snorting, she wanted to beat him for his facetious humor, which she didn’t appreciate right now. But it did succeed in making her laugh. “You’re a beast!”
Bastien winked at her. “But I’m your beast.”
And he wished he believed the lies he was spewing for her benefit. The truth, however, was that he had no idea what was going on or how to help her or her people out of this disaster. How could I have brought this down on them? He should have remembered that damn shield.…
“How many fighters can we scramble?” he asked her.
“You said not to.”
“Circumstances have changed my mind.”
She bit her lip as she considered it. “I don’t know. Not my base.” She looked around for her sisters, but they seemed to have vanished during the attack.
Until Kindel popped up from the rubble on her left. “Ember? Do you know the call sign Merksaker?”
She shook her head.
Kindel tapped her link. “Blast him out.”
“Wait!” Bastien stopped her. “Give me the digits.”
“Hold on that order,” Kindel said quickly, then handed him her earpiece so that he could hear the pilot.
“Drake? That you?”
“Yeah … can you tell these lunatics to back it down a notch?”
“You alone?”
“Here with Jari. On Kimmerian business. We were sent as your backup.”
By that, Bastien knew Drake didn’t want him to let the others know he was the Caronese prince or that Safir was a former League assassin. “Gotcha, drey.” He glanced over to Kindel. “They’re friendly. Can we not blast them out of the sky?”
She relayed the orders on Cin’s link while Bastien returned to the call. “Who sent you?”
“Was the least we could do after everything you’ve done for our families. Since they were all tied up with official business, Saf and I decided we couldn’t let you do this alone. We picked up your tail after you left the Gort base and were planning to hang back until your League friends showed. Nice fireworks, by the way. Learned from Darling?”
“Hauk, actually.”
“Nice.” Drake laughed.
And their presence here touched him a lot more than he would have thought. “By the way, I appreciate you coming.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s what families do.”
“Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Safir Jari said, cutting in. “But as the resident League expert here, I can tell all of you that our friends will be sending reinforcements. A lot of them with a ton of warheads. We need to evac that base immediately. If you don’t have a safe place, we need to locate one that can jam them from identifying lifeforms.”
Bastien turned toward Ember.
She looked to Kindel.
“I’ll get it started.”
“We’ll need a ship,” Bastien reminded her. “You know, mine kind of exploded.”
Ember groaned at the reminder.
Drake laughed in his ear. “I have a small ship that can seat five. You want me to take passengers?”
Bastien didn’t hesitate to accept. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Let me get clearance and I’ll be down in a few.”
As soon as he cut the transmission, Ember gave him a peeved glare. “You trust him?”
“With my life.” Coming from him, that was the highest testament.
“You’re sure? What if they’re the ones who led The League here? Isn’t Saf Jari the younger brother of Kyr Zemin? The League prime commander?”
She had a point. “He is, but Kyr captured and tortured him because he helped their brother Maris, who is the best friend of Drake’s brother. Then Kyr had him stripped of his League rank and declared a traitor. Given that, I don’t think Saf is likely to be working with them.”
“But you said they had a spy.…”
“I did. However, Saf would be too easy a target to spot and suspect. Kyr’s more devious than that.”
Ember wasn’t so sure, but they did need to get out of here as soon as possible. So when Florian returned to the bay with her sisters, she sent him off with Kindel for the base evacuation. Just in case. The last thing she wanted was to take a chance with her child staying with her when he’d be safer with Kindel, since she and the others were planning to head for battle.
She and Bastien went with Drake.
Ember pulled up short the moment she saw the youngest Caronese prince. Unlike his brother Darling who had short red hair, Drake’s was jet black and as long as Bastien’s. He also bore that same innate regal aura undercut by strict military training that said he tolerated no fools and would sooner kick ass than kiss it. Yeah, this wasn’t a typical aristo or politician.
Drakari Cruel was no one’s puppet or pawn.
Dressed in an elite Kimmerian assassin’s uniform, he greeted Bastien like a brother. But his blue eyes glowed with suspicion as they narrowed on her.
“Ember Wyldestarrin, meet Drake Cruel.”
She had the impression that he could read her soul with that slow, probing stare. “Your Highness.”
A friendly smile lightened his dark demeanor. “Please, no formalities. I don’t want to hear that unless I’m at court, and even then it gets on my nerves.” He shut and locked his ramp, then gestured for her to follow him. “Come, my lady. Make yourself at home.”
As they headed for the flight deck, he shook his head at Bastien. “What is it with uncles? Fucking bastards, all. I’d say to kill them, but being one myself … I don’t want to die.”
“Well, I assume you’ve no intention of killing off your nephew for his throne.”
“Minsid no to that. He’s adorable. Plan to teach him everything I know to make Darling crazy. Payback’s a bitch. Besides, I had a chance to take the Caronese throne. Don’t want no part of that.”
She didn’t miss the sadness in Bastien’s eyes. He’d never wanted to inherit either. Especially not over the bodies of his family.
Wanting to cheer him, she quickly changed the subject. “Nice ship.”
“Thank you. Designed her myself. Kimmerian code, all the way.”
“Rather unusual occupation for a prince.”
Drake flashed her a charming grin. “We had an unusual upbringing.” He paused to touch his link. “Merksaker, here.” He listened for several minutes. “Aye, Lady DR. We can pull the rear. If you’ll send the coordinates, Saf and I will make sure no one follows. Saker Mara, out.”
“Saker Mara?” Ember asked with a frown.
“Name of my ship. It’s Caronese for Outlaw Nightmare.”
“Ah … and Merksaker?”
“Dark outlaw.” He waited for them to strap in before he launched and followed the rest of the Dread Reckoning toward their remotest outpost, where they retreated any time things got hot for them.
Once they were clear of escape velocity, Drake turned to smirk at Bastien. “When was the last time you slept?”
“Not sure.”
“No offense, it shows.” He checked his headings. “We’ve got a while. Why don’t you and Ember head to the crew quarters, shower, and take a nap. Eat. If you need a change of clothes, I’ll unlock the door to my room. Take whatever you need and don’t worry about it. My sister’s room is the last one on the left. She’s a little taller than Ember, but she should have something in there that she can change into, too. Believe me, Ana won’t miss anything. Woman has more clothes than a department store.”
“Thanks, drey.”
“Any time.”
Bastien unbuckled himself and headed for the back with Ember one step behind.
As they walked in silence, she couldn’t help noticing just how gorgeous he was. But as Drake had noticed, he was tired. She could tell by his slow, methodical movements.
“You okay, Bas?”
“Been a heck of a day.”
It had indeed.
When they reached the first room, Bastien turned around and gave her a kiss so hot that it left her breathless.
“Been dying to do that. And I would kill to make love to you, but I have got to have a nap.”
She laughed. “You have been running on empty.”
“You have no idea.” He gave her one more searing kiss before he pulled himself away and went to literally flop on the bunk.
Ember laughed at his actions.
He didn’t even bother to remove his boots. Feeling sorry for him, she moved to disrobe him while he lay there like a corpse. At first it reminded her of undressing Rian when he was too tired to bother, but as she uncovered more of his delectable body, all thoughts of their son fled her mind.
Bastien had always possessed one of the best physiques she’d ever seen on any male. He still did. Every sleek, hard muscle of his body was clearly defined and honed like steel. It beckoned her with a hunger that was undeniable.
Unable to resist it, she quickly stripped and slid herself into bed beside him and snuggled up against his warm, bare flesh.
He let out a contented sigh, but he was already asleep.
Smiling, she took her time playing with his hair and listening to him breathe. Took her time running her hand down his muscled arm and ribs and buttocks. When she reached the short hairs at the center of his body, she started to leave him alone, but that had also been one of her favorite things to caress. And it’d been too long since she last had him like this.
At least any place other than in her dreams.
Before she could stop herself, she sank her fingers into the crisp mat and ran her fingernails through it. He grew hard instantly. And yet he didn’t wake. Which told her exactly how exhausted he was. In the past, he’d have awakened instantly and been inside her within a few minutes. Foreplay be damned.
One of his more irritating habits. But it’d been one that she’d decided she could live with as it’d always proven to her how much he desired her. How much he loved her.
Her humor over that died as her gaze dipped to the Ravin mark that marred his abdomen. The injustice of it all enraged her to a level that made her want to kill everyone involved with what had been done to his parents and hers.
Wrongfully convicted. She’d spent hours over the years trying to imagine the horror he’d lived through having seen his family slaughtered, and then having been arrested and sentenced for it.
How could Alura do that to him?
Ember had never understood, and still didn’t. There was nothing in the universe that could compel her to harm someone that way.
Sure there is.
You’d do it to save your son.
But only for that reason. Alura had had none whatsoever. None. It’d been heartless and cruel. Especially after Bastien had given up his happiness with Ember to marry Alura over a lie that she knew would destroy them both internally.
How selfish could one human being be? But then her sister had always been that way. She’d always held her needs out as greater than those of the rest of them. A congenital birth defect.
I swear, Alura, if I ever get my hands on you, I will strangle you for this.
Her days of protecting her sister were over.
* * *
Bastien slept for two full days. He didn’t stir until they were landing on the Dread Reckoning outpost. Even then, Ember had to practically inject him with adrenaline to wake him.
Like a languid cat, he opened his eyes and stretched. “Where am I?”
“We landed about half an hour ago.… I’ve been trying to wake you.”
“No wonder I have to go so badly.” He flashed a grin before he rushed from the bed.
She laughed as she waited for him to return.
And waited.
By the time he came back, she realized he’d taken a quick shower first.
He flashed that devilish grin at her. “I was rather ripe.”
“No comment.”
Stretching, he yawned. “Where’s Drake?”
“They went into the main hailing room to talk to Tasi’s mom. Apparently, he’s known her for a while, but she didn’t realize who he was until now. And had never given her his call sign before.”
“Good thing or bad thing?”
“Appears good.”
Bastien let out a relieved breath. They could use some good.
And speaking of … He swept a hungry gaze over her lush body. She’d always made him hungry.
Hard.
He didn’t know what it was about her, but damn. An image of her long dark hair in his lap really didn’t help the mood, either.
“I know that expression.” She tsked at him. “We can’t. Rian’s waiting for you.”
“I know. And I need to make plans with Drake and Saf. Which I meant to do instead of sleep the entire trip.”
“You must have been exhausted.”
He nodded. “Been a long time since I had someplace really safe to sleep.”
“Safe because of me or Drake?”
“You.” His eyes darkened. “Definitely you.”
“So you trust me?”
His gaze turned warm as he began to slowly kiss his way around her neck. “I’ve always trusted you, Ember. You were the one who lacked faith in me.”
She looked away, letting him know he’d struck the truth with that comment.
But before he could pursue it, Drake came on board.
“Ember?”
Bastien pulled away from her with a frustrated hiss.
“Yeah?”
“You’re Hadean Corps, right?” Drake asked from outside, in the hallway.
“I am.”
He opened the door to see them, and grinned at Bastien. “Nice to see the dead has risen.”
Bastien rolled his eyes.
Ignoring him, Drake returned his attention to Ember. “I’m intercepting some strange Tavali stuff, and I can’t get ahold of my brother, Ryn. But I swear I heard his mother’s name mentioned and it concerns me. Can you take a listen and see what you think?”
“Absolutely.”
She and Bastien followed him off the ship and outside to the primitive base that had once been a mining facility. But it’d petered out centuries before and been abandoned. Since no one had come here and it seldom showed on maps, the DR had decided it was a great place to use for emergencies.
Like now.
The old shed appeared abandoned on the outside. But inside, it was crisp and clean, outfitted with the latest technology. She tried not to let her thoughts wander to how good Bastien smelled when freshly bathed as they went to the comm room where Cin and Kindel were waiting.
At first, she couldn’t understand the thick accents of the speakers over the channel. It wasn’t Gorturnum. But the longer she listened, the more she began to understand.
Finally, she deciphered it.
Drake had been right. It was about Hermione Dane and it did involve the Tavali.
She felt the color drain from her face as she met his concerned gaze. “They’re planning to bomb Hermione and kill your brother Ryn.”