“I’m going to take a few minutes to set up an account for Rina.” Sera went to the wall of computers near the door and began to work while Brandt made a copy of the film and Ash went to deal with the Nondalese officials.

  “I’m going to head to the security offices here in Nondal Major. I want to know what they plan to do about this. What if Sela had been there?” Despite knowing Sera was quite capable of protecting herself, she’d have been limited by her cover and Ash didn’t like the idea of anyone trying to harm her. Rage simmered in his gut and he wanted to hit something.

  “We’ll meet you at the new cottage.” Brandt’s face told Ash he held the same anger at the situation. He knew Brandt wouldn’t leave Sera alone for a moment now that someone was so boldly trying to find information about them.

  * * *

  Sera knew she didn’t have to help Rina. Knew she couldn’t trust Rina totally either. But she could have been Rina but for the accident of birth. In a place like Nondal, what options would she have had being born unranked? Sera supposed she felt a sort of kinship with the other woman and she wanted to give her an option if things got worse and she wanted out.

  After she’d taken care of that, she headed to their rooms, cleaned up, changed clothes and slid Sela firmly back in place. Brandt had watched it all with a smile, taking in every moment. It wasn’t the same weighty surveillance she’d have to deal with once they stepped outside the transport. No, he watched her because it pleased him.

  Being with Brandt was entirely different than being with Ash. There was no heaviness of the past between them, no pain. And while there was fear, the absence of the hurt she’d had with Ash created an ease between them.

  An ease that felt totally natural and right. Which scared Sera right to her toes. Losing it terrified her. This situation was a fairy tale. She wasn’t Sela, she was Sera. She didn’t walk around in slinky gowns and cast her eyes down unless sex was involved. When they got back to Borran and the ruse was gone, when the real Sera surfaced, would they both still want her? Moreover, if they decided they did, would they regret it later?

  Still, it was inevitable the ruse would end and reality reassert itself. She may as well ride it out to what she hoped would be a positive outcome.

  “Are you ready to go back and meet up with Ash?” she asked Brandt.

  “As much as I love having you all to myself, I think we should. Do you feel all right? You do know we’ll keep you safe?”

  She laughed and snuggled into his arms. She could strike several killing blows with her bare hands but they worried for her. Annoying but sweet.

  “I trust you both, yes.”

  He kissed her temple. “Good.”

  He held his hand out and she took it, giving herself to him in more ways than one.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  After the small privacy the transport afforded, being back in the city was oppressive. Sera sat, her body curled into Brandt’s as they were ferried to their new cottage. This one was even grander than the last. But she felt a thousand eyes on her when they went inside.

  And found Ash having a very gruff conversation with none other than Kira.

  Sera froze, feeling invaded. Brandt squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and rest a while?”

  In her cottage and she had to leave because poor Kira shouldn’t even be exposed to her presence. Sera pulled her hand from his, ignoring his through the link and stormed into the bedroom. It was only mildly satisfying to slam the door in her wake when she really wanted to knock Kira’s smirk from her face.

  What Sera hated so much was that she wasn’t a whiny woman. She wasn’t the type to stomp her foot and have tantrums but this entire situation turned her into one because she had no recourse. She had no ability to say to Kira exactly what she’d say if she were living her normal life.

  She growled at the impotence she felt. She couldn’t confront Kira, she couldn’t speak openly to Brandt and Ash about their relationship and she had to act like a silly piece of fluff. It galled her because it was the opposite of her normal way of being.

  Ah well, at least Sela would stomp out of the room so she had that one small solace. Of course Sera would walk up and kiss her on the lips as if being unranked was a disease she could transmit to Kira.

  She laughed to herself at the image as she tossed herself on the bed.

  “I see you’ve finally learned some manners,” Kira said archly as Brandt approached.

  “Too bad you haven’t. Why are you here?” Brandt demanded. He’d had enough of the whole fucking situation and his sister’s presence just capped it.

  “Giles Stander has been murdered.” Ash looked at Brandt, one eyebrow slightly raised.

  “What? Here in Nondal Major? Well have they made arrests?” Brandt’s thoughts went to Sera, not in his sight. He wanted to know she was all right.

  “Damn it, Sera, answer me.”

  “What?”

  Ash actually laughed a moment but covered it with a cough.

  “That answers my question. I just wanted to know if you were all right. Stander has been murdered.”

  He turned his focus back to Ash. He knew Sera would wait for them to tell her more once they’d dealt with Kira.

  “No. They have no suspects at this time.” The sarcasm in Ash’s voice was clear.

  Kira interrupted Ash, placing her hand on his forearm and Brandt shot his friend a confused look. “It’s just awful! What kind of place is this? I’ve always felt safe when Perry and I visited but Ash tells me you’ve had a break-in and now this murder. What is the ‘Verse coming to?”

  “What are you up to, Kira? Why are you here to tell Ash instead of sending a comm. or letting us learn from the authorities?” Brandt crossed his arms over his chest, seeing right through her histrionics.

  “Is it wrong to seek out some comfort from my former husband and my brother? Why are you so suspicious? Is that pet of yours trying to turn you against me?” Her artful pout only made Brandt more suspicious.

  Ash took her upper arm, gently but firmly, and led her toward the door. “Kira was just leaving. She’s delivered her news and now she needs to get back to her husband where she’s safe.”

  Kira tried to shake him off but was unsuccessful. “I don’t have a chaperone or an escort back to our rooms. Ash, would you take me?” She fluttered her lashes at Ash, who let go and took three steps back rather quickly.

  “I’ll take you, Kira. Although you seem to have made it here just fine.” Brandt hid his smile at Ash’s response.

  “I was so shocked I didn’t stop to think.” She held her hand out and Brandt took it, placing it on his arm.

  “I’ll be back shortly,” he called over his shoulder as he steered Kira out of the cottage and away from Sera.

  Once they’d gotten a bit away from the cottage he turned to his sister. “Now, as we’re out and about and things are noisy and a bit chaotic, why don’t you tell me what the hells you’ve gotten yourself into? This isn’t playtime, just ask Giles. Oh, but you can’t.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about or why you keep accusing me. Giles was a friend of my husband’s.” She sniffed, offended, and Brandt wanted to grind his teeth.

  “I’m warning you, Kira, for your own safety, stop to think about whatever it is you and Perry are involved in. People are dying.”

  “Here we are. Thank you for escorting me. Perry and I are leaving in several hours so I suppose this is farewell.” She kissed the air above his cheek and he sighed as she rushed inside without a backward glance.

  When he returned to the cottage, Sera and Ash stood stiffly side by side watching a vid screen. He moved to catch the footage of another destroyed outpost, one he knew was an important relay station.

  “Fifty-three people were killed.” Sera answered the question he hadn’t asked yet.

  “They’re saying it was an accident. The electrical station had a malfunction and set off a series of explosions. The enviro-tent over the settlement was destroyed and the pressure killed those the explosions hadn’t.” Ash’s eyes lit with anger. They had friends at that station.

  “We need to make our way back toward the Center.” Brandt couldn’t tear his eyes from the scenes of devastation on the screen.

  “I’d like to say goodbye to Rina.”

  “That’s not going to be possible, Sela. We should get moving now. I don’t like you here with all this anarchy.” Brandt moved to brush a hand down his arm but she stepped back and narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Don’t you even try to tell me what to do. I’m going to see her. I have something for her. And you can fuck right off, along with Ash and your stupid sister too.”

  But Sela simply smiled. “While your worry for me is touching, Rina is a friend. I will say goodbye.”

  “Every time with this, Sera. It’s really rather tedious. You get angry for something I can’t control.” Brandt didn’t bother to hide his annoyance.

  “Well don’t let my tedium at repeatedly being treated as a whore get in your way then, Brandt. And don’t tell me she was just here to deliver the news about Stander. She was here for Ash. I’m not stupid.”

  Brandt turned to Ash with a smile, hoping to look casual but Ash’s face told him Sera’s accusation was on the mark.

  She moved to the comm center made to arrange for a chaperone but Ash negated the order.

  “I will escort you. You have no need of a chaperone when you have Brandt and me here.”

  “Fine,” she said through clenched teeth and went out the door without waiting for either man.

  Sera moved rather quickly toward Rina’s home. Instead of her usual towering heels, she wore flat sandals and she didn’t care a bit that Brandt and Ash had to rush around people to keep up with her.

  Men were so blind sometimes! She wasn’t mad at them for having to leave the room when Kira was there. That was work, she knew her cover and even though it galled her, she did what the job called for.

  She wasn’t jealous of Kira either. She saw the way Ash reacted to his ex-wife and he didn’t look at the two of them the same at all.

  She was sick of the ruse and sick of the situation and then they have the nerve to try and forbid her from helping the one woman they’d dealt with who did deserve the help. Of course that went right over Brandt’s head and she would have just told him that via the link but then he’d gotten all snotty and high handed so he could just wait now.

  As for Kira? She snorted. Kira was a sly bitch, but it didn’t miss Sera’s notice how often she’d been around and it sure as hells wasn’t to visit with her brother. Sera did see some measure of affection between brother and sister but what she saw on Kira’s face was the same thing she saw on the faces of children. Kira didn’t necessarily want Ash, but she didn’t like it one bit when he didn’t want her. What made it all the more irksome was that Sera couldn’t simply tell the woman off and stake her territory.

  The atmosphere had changed, even up there on the higher levels. More police milled around and the normally carefree looking Nondalese upper classes didn’t look so comfortable. They’d been faced with something pretty unheard of for them. The constant supervision by cameras had rendered their society one with very little violent or property crime. She supposed it was an exchange many people were willing to make.

  Rina came to the door, her normally beautiful face drawn. “You heard?” she asked as she drew them all inside.

  “I did, Kira came over to relay the news.”

  Rina’s eyebrows shot up as she laughed. “Thank you for that, I needed to laugh.” Ignoring the men, Rina led Sera into the living room and sat down.

  Sera sat next to her, close, and put a small chip in Rina’s hand. Without pausing, Rina took it and continued to speak about her shock.

  “How is Delia?” Sera wondered what would happen to her after Giles’ death.

  “She’s been turned out by Stander’s wife. All the others have been as well or so I hear. Delia is resourceful, she’s already found protection from another as I’m sure her compatriots will. Giles may have been irresponsible on many levels but one couldn’t fault his taste in women.”

  Sera nodded. “We’re going to be leaving. There’s not much enjoyment in the lights when someone you know has been murdered. I suppose you heard about the break-in at our guest house?”

  Rina nodded. “I did. Nothing was taken?”

  “News travels fast here.” Sera winked.

  “Yes. We’re all in each others’ pockets. A result of being on camera every moment of the day. I trust you’ll travel safely?” Rina stood and hugged her again. “I have a little something for you. Hold on a moment.”

  Rina left the room and Sera didn’t bother looking at Brandt and Ash. She felt their presence, knew they stood in the entry, waiting for her.

  “Here, it’s nothing fancy but I think it would look lovely in your hair.” Rina handed her a pretty box with a black lacquer hair comb inside. “I hope to see you again sometime.”

  “Me as well. My ear is open should you need it.” Sera worried for Rina but there wasn’t much she could do. Rina’s care in how she spoke compared to the day before told her the authorities had ramped up their surveillance in the wake of Stander’s murder.

  “Thank you.” Rina kissed her lips gently. “Have a care, all right?”

  “You too. Please be safe.” Sera headed for the door and bypassed the men.

  Out on the avenue, heading toward their cottage Ash caught her about the waist and she slowed her pace, not wanting to make a scene.

  He grunted his satisfaction. “That’s better. Do you plan to be angry with me for the rest of the day?”

  She sighed, he thought it was about Kira too. “Since we haven’t unpacked, we can get things sent back to the transport right away. We could even take them ourselves but I suppose that’s out of the question.” She ignored him. She’d started to say something to him back at the guest house when Brandt had taken Kira back but the story about the relay station being attacked came on and they’d simply watched in shock.

  This had to end, and if it involved Kira so be it. Anyone who could so blithely cooperate in the attack like the one on the relay station didn’t deserve to be protected.

  “I’ve already had it sent back. We’ve received clearance and are ready to make the first slip.” Brandt took her other side, slipping his arm around her that way. Did they think she’d just melt? Stunned into quiescence by their utter manliness? She snorted, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

  “No monitors this time. Just the crew so should you decide to be naked the whole trip back, all the better.” Ash spoke with his lips against her ear.

  “You wish.” She hadn’t snarled but it was a close thing.

  Ash took a deep breath and led her onto the lift with Brandt right behind them. She was extraordinarily angry and he understood part of it. He didn’t chalk it up to simple jealousy. She’d known exactly what Kira’s intentions were even before he’d figured them out.

  And she couldn’t say a damned thing about it. She had to go into the other room to keep up the ruse of being a concubine. Just like she’d had to be set aside those years before. He realized that when she came from her room when Kira had left with Brandt. It hurt him deeply, knowing she felt that way again and that he was the cause, even in a corollary way.

  It was different this time. He didn’t sense her planning to run off and he hoped it was due to understanding he had no feelings for Kira at all.

  And Kira, he wanted to kick Perry’s ass for not getting a handle on his wife but hells, he hadn’t and he was twice the man Perry was. Kira needed to be dealt with. Clearly she and Perry were involved with something and he hoped it wasn’t as bad as he suspected. If his cousin had anything to do with that bombing at the relay station and the other attacks, he’d pay. Ash would make sure of it himself.

  There were a lot of things he and Brandt had to make right.

  She remained totally silent on the trip to the port. But her relief at leaving Nondal hung in the air. He couldn’t blame her. He felt the same way.

  They loaded into the transport after Nondalese authorities had shown up to apologize profusely about the break in. This after they’d played dumb about the way the intruders had known where the cameras were.

  Theirs wasn’t the only transport readying to leave. Others had lined up to get out and Ash knew they’d lose a lot of credits as fall out. He could only hope it hit the people behind the murder.

  “I’m going to speak with the crew to get them started and then we’ll all talk.” He sent a pointed look at Sera, who waved it away over her shoulder as she stalked down the corridor.

  Brandt chuckled as he took a deep breath. “We’re in trouble.”

  “Been there since I saw those eyes the first time.” Ash headed out to deal with his crew.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Brandt headed toward their quarters and found her hauling her things across the corridor to an empty room.

  “What is it you think you’re doing?” He blocked her way.

  “Moving my things to an empty room.”

  He walked her back into their room, using his body and the look on his face. The transport made the first slide and he felt the tug in his gut as it happened.

  “I don’t think so. I like waking up with you in my bed.”

  “And it’s all about what you like, is it?”

  Her face was flushed, her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to spring at him. Gods, she made him hard.

  “Well, certainly I like it when it’s about what I like.” He kept his voice calm as he cornered her near the bed.