Eos shook her head. “We aren’t sure what it is, but I think silver would have been too expensive at that time except for the wealthiest clients. My guess is some sort of metal alloy.”

  “Now, look at that,” a feminine voice drawled. “That is one very old and very cute looking weapon. I’d carry something like that over a boring old laser pistol any day.”

  Zayn shook his head and saw Dathan roll his eyes. Zayn cleared his throat. “BEll, you’re a computer. You can’t carry anything, let alone a gun.”

  “A girl can still dream.”

  Dathan mumbled under his breath. “Sometimes I regret stealing her. A bio-sentient computer is a pain in the butt.”

  “You didn’t steal me, you won me in a card game.”

  “I cheated. So you’re stolen.”

  “And you love me.” A sniff. “Besides, without me, you’d be lost…or dead.”

  Eos raised a brow. “She has a point.”

  “Don’t agree with her, Eos,” Dathan pleaded. “She’s not really a girl, you don’t have to stick together.”

  Eos turned away from him. “BEll, can you display a map of Old Earth, please?”

  “Someone with some manners. So refreshing.” A map appeared on the screen.

  Eos pointed. “From what Nik and I have pieced together, the derringer has a fascinating history. It was utilized by an assassin who used it to kill Abraham Lincoln. From what we know about Lincoln, he was a great man and a great leader. The assassin…I think his name was Booth, but I can’t corroborate yet, shot Lincoln while he was out at the theatre.” Eos’ face came alive, as it always did when talking about Terran history. “The assassination took place here.” She stabbed a finger at the map.

  Zayn leaned forward. “Washington D.C. That was the capital of the United States before it became the United Countries of America.”

  Nik stepped in. “Correct. The theatre later became a museum and the derringer was housed there. It was feared destroyed during the nuclear devastation of the Terran War. But while the world was fighting over everything, even over whether they should call the planet Earth or Terra, rumors have always persisted that the derringer and other presidential treasures were smuggled out of Washington D.C. by loyalists. That they possibly made it to the Pacific Federation capital in Sydney, Australia—” he touched a spot on the map, then another “—or maybe were stolen by the Northern Federation. But after that…nothing.”

  Zayn frowned. “Until our mystery female treasure hunter appears saying it’s in the Devil’s Nebula.”

  “We have to find it.” Eos’ voice was firm.

  “And it’d be worth a huge fortune,” Dathan said.

  She shot her husband a sharp look. “This is an important piece of history. I can’t bear the thought that one of the guilds has it. Wasting it. Wrecking it.”

  Dathan smoothed a hand over her shoulder. “Okay, okay. Then we’ll get it back.”

  Zayn resisted the urge to kick the holo-table. “So we just wait around for mystery woman to make contact?”

  “I’m running some searches for blonde females from the Devil’s Nebula, seeing if I can identify her.” Nik shrugged. “But it isn’t much to go on.”

  “For now, we stock up on supplies.” Dathan looked at Zayn. “Have the Infinitas ready to fly at short notice. If the woman makes a move, we’ll be ready.”

  Zayn nodded. “Mal and I did some maintenance on the engines. And I’m just finishing upgrading the gravity plating. She’ll be ready.”

  “So we wait,” Dathan said.

  Not something Zayn was good at. Twenty minutes later, he headed to his quarters. He wasn’t good company and the edginess inside him was driving him crazy. He felt like a million Argent fire ants were crawling all over him.

  He considered taking the Infinitas for a run, but it would just be a waste of fuel. Maybe he’d take out the smaller space runner he’d been rebuilding in his spare time.

  He flopped on his gel bed, trying to enjoy the undulations beneath him. The runner still needed work and wasn’t ready for much action yet. He snatched his entertainment visor from beside the bedside table and slipped it on. Maybe a little simulation would take his mind off things.

  Instantly he was in the cockpit of an Old Earth fighter jet. He’d always been obsessed by them when he was young. He saw them as an early precursor to the Talons he’d flown with the Strike Wing. Sleek, sexy, and powerful.

  The engines fired and then the plane was racing down the deck of a ship. He pulled at the controls and then he was airborne. The plane soared out high over a vast expanse of azure water. All Zayn could see was ocean all the way to the horizon. They said what was left of Earth today still had oceans—but they were black with sludge and full of mutated sea creatures from the nuclear fallout of the war.

  The plane roared through the sky and he turned it into intricate maneuvers. Speed. It fueled his blood, made him forget. He pushed the plane, feeling the G-force pushing him back in his seat. Modern starships could adjust for acceleration forces, so flying wasn’t quite as physical as it had once been. But reflexes were still important and his were honed superfine.

  But none of that had helped him when he needed it most.

  The simulation, linked to his thoughts, morphed. He was back in his TH47 Talon. Ahead, he saw a neon-red haze fill the sky. The ocean beneath him turned into the impenetrable dark of space, dotted with bright, white stars.

  The Devil’s Nebula enclosed him, trapped him.

  Ahead he saw Lucifa, the hunk of rock the criminals, slavers, thieves and killers called home.

  His hands trembled on the controls. He wanted to open fire, to raze it to nothing with his laser weapons. Jesus. He fought for air. He didn’t use guns anymore, of any kind. Guns killed in an instant and sometimes they killed the wrong people.

  Lucifa came closer, filling the viewscreen of his ship. He heard sobbing, a woman’s sobbing. Zayn felt his heart pounding, his chest tightening. Now he was running, rushing through a maze of rooms.

  Then he heard the gunshot.

  And the silence after it.

  Then alarms blaring.

  Fuck. Zayn tore the visor off. The low light in his room speared into his eyes. He leaped off the bed, trying to shake off the past. It was done. Gone. He had to learn to live with it.

  It was then he realized the screech of the alarm hadn’t stopped. He glanced over at the control panel on the wall.

  It was the proximity alarm for their base.

  Someone had infiltrated the Phoenix headquarters.

  Chapter Three

  Ria cursed. She’d tripped an alarm.

  By the dagger, she was out of practice. If she’d done this in her training, her instructor’s punishment would have been swift and cruel.

  She fought the overwhelming urge to move. Instead she stayed still, buried in the shadows of the large hangar. She was crouched beside a…she peered at the lump of twisted metal. She wasn’t entirely sure.

  The sound of running footsteps and a jumble of voices reached her. She saw the Phoenix brothers and two women rush into the main area.

  None of men were wearing shirts. Ria swallowed. Wow. Her gaze roamed over Zayn’s chest. Lean and smooth, no hair. His navy cargo pants rode low on his hips and made her want to see more.

  “Eos and I will check the hangar and living quarters.” Dathan was directing the group. “Nik, you and BEll check all the scanners and cameras. See if you can track down our…visitor. Z and Mal, you guys check outside, landing pads and everything within the huma-dome.”

  Everyone nodded and split off. Ria watched with interest as Zayn moved outside with a tiny woman who looked like a cross between a slender dancer and a mechanic. Her baggy coveralls almost swamped her frame.

  Keeping an eye on Dathan, Ria used her skills to sneak outside. She’d been trained by the galaxy’s experts at sneaking. The Assassin’s Guild prized the ability to kill your target in an up close and personal fashion. Assassins liked to taunt their victims, leaving knives on their target’s pillows or at their dinner tables, before taking their lives.

  Ria hated it.

  The purple shimmer of the huma-dome extended over the Phoenix base and the landing pads, keeping a breathable atmosphere inside but allowing ships to move in and out unimpeded. Without enviro suits, she knew Zayn and his companion couldn’t move outside the dome.

  Using the shadows, Ria moved along the outside of the building. She saw Zayn and the woman ahead, heads close together, talking. Who the hell was she? Ria felt a splash of something hot and ugly in her belly. Did Zayn have a girlfriend?

  Ria shook her head. He wasn’t hers. She didn’t even know him except from a few vague dreams and her research. Stupid.

  She trailed along behind them, watching them check possible hiding places, rolling her eyes at some of the spots they were searching. Like she’d squish herself into a trash crate. No self-respecting assassin would dream of using such an ignoble hiding spot.

  She saw Zayn pause. His body grew still but his muscles tensed. She narrowed her eyes. What was he doing?

  Suddenly he spun and sprinted toward her.

  Ria jolted but didn’t move. There was no way he could see her. Her all-in-one light armor was the darkest charcoal color and even her head was covered with a helmet. Don’t move. Her muscles screamed in protest. Don’t move.

  Sure enough, he paused. Just meters away from her.

  “Z, what is it?” the woman asked.

  “Something. I sensed…something.”

  “I’m going to head over to the scrap storage.” The woman was close enough now that Ria saw a fine-boned face and large purple eyes. “You take the junk staging area.”

  The woman with the beautiful eyes walked away, but Zayn stayed where he was, his gaze probing the shadows. Seconds later he turned and headed toward the staging area.

  Ria finally let her muscles relax. She waited until he was far enough away and then moved toward the next patch of darkness, stepping into an area of light on her way.

  Zayn whipped around again. This time he couldn’t miss her and she saw his eyes widen.

  She expected him to yell for the others, but instead he ran toward her.

  Ria turned and sprinted.

  She dodged around lumps of metal and scrap parts of all sizes. She leaped up onto a pile of jumbled steel and jumped off it. She had to reach the huma-dome. Outside of it, there was little atmosphere, and Zayn couldn’t follow her. Her suit would provide a minimal amount of air and let her reach her tiny scout ship.

  She shouldn’t have come here. She should have stuck to her plan, contacted them with more information and lured them in for the hunt.

  But she’d wanted to see him.

  Ria dodged around a battered engine taller than she was and slammed into something hard and warm.

  On instinct, she struck out, catching Zayn in his belly. The air rushed out of him with an oof but the guy had muscles of steel and she felt the pain vibrate through her entire right side.

  Ducking under his arm, she ran again.

  She got three steps before a hard body hit her in the back and tackled her to the ground.

  Ahead, she saw the huma-dome, inches away. Damn it!

  “Got you.” He shifted and yanked her to her knees. His arms wrapped around her from behind, solid and intractable.

  She tested her strength against him, but he didn’t yield. She was fit and strong, but even she knew her limits. The only way to get away from him was to hurt him…and she didn’t want to do that.

  The others came running.

  “What have you got there, Z?” Dathan asked in a lazy tone.

  “Well, at first I thought it was Darc. She likes this type of body armor.” Zayn’s warm breath puffed against the back of her neck, the only place that wasn’t covered by the suit.

  “That’s not Darc,” Nik said.

  Ria had heard of Nera Darc. The stories had to be exaggerated, but even so, they were shocking enough that Ria never want to meet the notorious treasure hunter.

  “Nope, not Darc.” Zayn agreed. “This one has many more curves packed into her skintight suit than Darc.”

  Ria was trying to work out her next move. Then she felt his fingers on her helmet. He found the release and yanked it off. Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders.

  The others stared at her, with a blend of curiosity and anger.

  Zayn whipped her around.

  He blanched, every drop of color leaving his face. His hands fell away and he reared back. “No. It’s not possible.”

  The way he was looking at her…Ria felt her heart start to pound. A dark beat that echoed in her ears.

  “What’s wrong, Z?” Dathan stepped forward, his brow scrunched. “Who is she?”

  Ria opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Zayn spoke first.

  “Her name—” he shook his head, his face still white “—her name is Commander Viktoria Anders.”

  Ria blinked. That wasn’t her name.

  “Your old commander in the Strike Wing,” Nik said.

  “Yes.” Zayn’s blue gaze burned into her. “And two years ago, I killed her.”

  ***

  There was a storm inside him.

  Zayn could barely breathe and his insides felt like they were swirling around a black hole. He couldn’t pull his gaze off the woman in front him.

  A ghost. His ghost.

  He heard the others talking, demanding answers. The woman—goddamn it, it was Viktoria—was just staring at him with Vik’s familiar grass-green eyes. “Vik, how the hell are you alive?”

  “My name is not Viktoria.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’m Ria Dante.”

  “No, Viktoria Anders. My commanding officer, my friend.” And something else, something that had shimmered with a promise they had never acted on. Something he’d regretted every day for two years.

  “I’ve never been a commander of anything.” As the woman shook her head, her golden hair whipped around her face. Hair the color of Vik’s but much longer. Vik had kept hers short, said it was best when you had to pull a flight helmet on every day.

  “Stop lying to me.” The words burst out of him. He’d been through hell thinking she was dead. Now the possibility that she’d been living all this time was tearing his insides to pieces.

  “Let’s talk this through, Z.” Dathan stepped between them.

  Zayn’s hands balled into fists. “The Wing was in the Devil’s Nebula. We’d been lured there by a distress call from a merchant ship. It was a ruse. Some nebula scum had decided they wanted the technology from our Talons.” He shuddered. “We were ambushed. They took us prisoner.”

  Dathan cursed and Nik spoke up, shock in his voice. “Why the hell didn’t you ever tell us?”

  He’d never wanted to talk about it. “I woke up, beaten and bloody, in a cell in the Assassin’s Guild. Two of my fellow pilots were dead beside me. They’d died in the ambush. Vik and another pilot, Theo, were missing.” Zayn rubbed a hand over his face, his stomach feeling so tight he thought he might be sick.

  Unable to stop himself, he looked at the woman again. She was riveted by his story, watching him intently. But she was twisting her hands together.

  “I found them.” Zayn’s voice cracked. “They were being tortured for information. They needed security codes to access the main computers of the ships. Theo was dead. They’d—” God, they practically turned the man’s body inside out as they’d tortured him. “Vik…”

  “Was she dead?” Eos asked quietly.

  Zayn shook his head, the memories taking over. “They’d tortured her, raped her repeatedly. There was so much blood. They’d chained her down with laser ropes.” One of the best—and most horrifying—methods of confinement, laser ropes were extremely painful and virtually impossible to get off without the correct biometrics.

  Eos gasped.

  Ria was still staring and he thought he saw something move through those familiar eyes.

  “The Assassin’s Guild kill, they don’t rape and torture,” she said.

  “I still have scars from their handiwork.” And nightmares. “They were coming back. I tried everything I could to get her free.” Memories simmered under the surface. It was like being there again, the desperation, the terrible knowledge that he couldn’t free her. “She asked me to kill her.”

  Zayn, please. Please kill me. I can’t take anymore.

  He closed his eyes. “I shot her. Between the eyes. She died in an instant.”

  He’d somehow managed to escape, operating on autopilot and uncaring if he survived. He’d found their hijacked Talons, destroyed them, and hitched a ride off Lucifa on a transport ship.

  Then he’d come home.

  “This Viktoria—” the woman’s voice was hesitant “—was she Pictori?”

  “No. She was Deltan. Born and raised on the Delta V.”

  Ria lifted her chin and pushed her hair back. “I’m a race called the Pictori.” She showed off the tiny ridges running from her temple down to her neck.

  He stared. No, impossible. It was Vik’s face, her hair, her eyes, her body.

  “I’ve never heard of the Pictori,” Nik said. “Where are you from?”

  She swallowed, glancing around at all of them before her gaze settled once more on Zayn. “The Devil’s Nebula. I’m part of the Assassin’s Guild.”

  Chapter Four

  “That is Vik. I know it.” Zayn kept his voice low as he huddled with his brothers. But he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  “Okay, okay.” Dath dragged a hand through his hair. “Take it easy. They might look the same but everyone knows there are billions of people in the galaxy, there’re bound to be a few who look alike.”

  “No.” Zayn’s gut was screaming the confirmation.

  “She’s a different species, Z.” Nik’s voice was low and steady.

  “They’ve altered her appearance, wiped her memories.” There had to be a rational explanation. Something that made her Viktoria.

  Zayn spun and strode closer to where she sat perched on the edge of an armchair in their leisure area.