She froze a moment and ruthlessly turned off as much of her emotions as she could. She would not give them anything. She would not shed another tear for Ash Walker if she could possibly help it.

  Crossing to the door she took a deep breath and opened it. “Yes, PC Pela?”

  “May I come in?”

  “If you’re planning to help him with this ridiculous ploy you’re wasting your breath.”

  “I’d just like to try and work through this to find a solution. On my word as an officer, I promise I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I just ask that you listen to me and help me to find a resolution here.”

  Sighing, she stepped back and waved him inside.

  “Thank you.” Brandt moved past her to the small couch and sat.

  Sera went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water, handing one to him as she took the chair across from him.

  “Sera, you know Nondal is a patriarchal ‘verse. As a woman you’ll be forbidden to move freely unless you’re a wife or concubine accompanied by your husband or lover. And a concubine won’t be expected to observe all the same rules as a wife. You’d have more freedom as a concubine.

  “But if you don’t go in as a concubine you won’t even be allowed to leave the transport. We need you on the ground. We need your ears and your experience with the Nondalese if we’re to get inside. You saw that file, you know who we suspect.”

  “I won’t pose as his concubine, PC Pela. I won’t. I’ll never allow Ash Walker to make me feel like a whore again.”

  “Please, can you call me Brandt? A three person team is very intimate. We’ll be out in the field for long periods of time. If we stick to referring to each other by rank it’ll just be tedious, don’t you think?”

  Sera narrowed her eyes but nodded after a few long moments.

  “Okay, good. Now would it be acceptable to you to be my concubine? Rather, um, to pose as my concubine?” He took a quick drink of his water.

  Sera thought it over. Brandt was right. Nondal was a ‘verse where she’d be unable to move about at all without a man. A wife would be expected to mix with the other married women and stay separate from her husband except for certain social events and after retiring for the evening. But a concubine could easily move about with her lover. The Nondalese would dismiss her as a pretty piece of fluff. A piece of fluff could hear a lot.

  She nodded slowly. “All right.”

  Brandt smiled at her and her heart sped up. She realized she’d just agreed to pose as his lover for as long as necessary. It would certainly take some time to get in with the right people on Nondal. They’d be watched closely and she’d have to be convincing. The Nondalese were notorious for spy cameras everywhere. But as she looked at him she realized it wouldn’t be too very hard to act like a woman smitten with him.

  “I’m glad we could work this through. Your clothes for the assignment are in the transport already. You are aware what you’ll be expected to dress and act like?” Sera appreciated that he said it so carefully.

  “I’m aware. I’ve never been to Nondal but I’ve dealt with enough Nondalese people to know.”

  “And from your file it appears that you have extensive background in the local accents? We’ll be dealing with mainly upper class Nondalese.”

  Nondal had a very stratified class system. Each class grouping had linguistic variants and accents. Most citizens in the Federation Universes spoke Standard. In addition to Standard, on Nondal the population spoke Nondalese. But there were small but important differences in the language that varied by group. Those small differences made the language nearly unintelligible to most people. Fortunately for Sera, she’d done extensive study on the different variations and that would be a big asset to the team.

  “Yes. But Ash is very recognizable, how is he planning to get any information at all?” Nondal was a very closed society. The lower and working classes did not have free access to news from the Known Universes. Or contact with outsiders even. Their travel was restricted and most Nondalese never even left their domed city levels much less folding to visit other universes. But the upper classes did have access to the outside news and information, and they’d hold their knowledge of gossip and celebrity news as a mark of their status.

  “How closely have you followed him over the last ten years? Just between us.”

  She studied her hands. “Not very. Not after his engagement was all over the place. But his wedding was big news for a very long time. It was inescapable. His face was on every vid screen and newspaper and every damned day of their honeymoon, which seemed to last forever.”

  Sera returned her gaze to him. “After that first year, I made it a point not to see him or hear what he was up to. But given that his Family is so powerful it’s not like you can hide it.”

  “No. You can’t. So we’ve played on it. I told you a bit downstairs about our general cover. From the outside, Ash Walker is a playboy with too many credits and too much free time. Sure he has a position in the military, but he doesn’t do any more than collect the credits and show up every once in a while. It makes him ripe for approach by certain people and we’ve cultivated it for the last seven years now.” His smile wasn’t a happy one. “Just two irresponsible men out for as much pleasure as possible.”

  “Playboy? And how does his wife feel about that? Or does she just look the other way?” Whoops, that may have sounded a tad bitter.

  “Kira dissolved their union seven years ago. She’s remarried one of Ash’s cousins. What Ash does is of very little consequence to her. You didn’t know?”

  Her breath caught a moment. “I’ve had better things to do than read the Family pages in the newspapers or watch the vids about you people.”

  Brandt winced. “That’s some chip on your shoulder you’ve got there, Sera.”

  “Let’s get this straight, Brandt. Ash Walker professed his undying love to me one day and the next he brought me the paperwork to be his mistress. Because, and imagine my surprise, it turned out he had a fiancée. He’d even shown me the deed to the new apartment he’d purchased for me. Near his house of course. He could leave her bed and come to mine with impunity. His resistance to marrying according to his family’s wishes lasted about as long as his love for me did.

  “The Families have walked all over me and mine and acted as if they are better by virtue of blood than people who actually shed it. So it’s not a chip, Brandt, it’s called experience.”

  “My father is a decorated military officer who led the troops at Varhana. He lost an arm that day but continued to fight alongside a great many soldiers including my older brother and my uncles. I’ve given up a life of leisure to fight against the Imperialists. We’re not all the same. I know who you come from. I know you were wronged but I’m not Ash. My family, although they have their own flaws, aren’t the Walkers.”

  Sera sighed. “You’re right. I apologize. I’m being unfair.”

  Brandt’s estimation of her rose. Having the courage to apologize when one was wrong was a quality he wished more people possessed.

  “Isn’t it difficult? I mean, clearly you’re not simply rich losers looking for a good time. What do your families think?” She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like if her father thought she was a lazy good for nothing fool.

  Before Brandt could answer, there was a rap at the door. Sera closed her eyes for a moment before getting up.

  “Do you want me to deal with that?” Brandt asked quietly.

  She stopped halfway to the door and turned back to him. “Thank you but no. I have to deal with this if I’m going to be on the team.”

  When Sera opened the door Ash was there as she knew he’d be. As she felt he’d be.

  “May I?” He jerked his chin, indicating he wanted to enter.

  She stepped back and he walked in, moving to sit next to Brandt.

  “Sera, you can’t continue to assault me every time I piss you off.”

  Brandt sighed. “Ash, we’ve moved past that. Sera is going in as my concubine. She feels comfortable with that and it’s really no difference one way or the other. We were just going over our cover.”

  “Well isn’t that cozy?” Ash’s voice was cutting.

  “If this is going to work, you cannot continue to be a ‘verse class asshole, Ash.” Sera wanted to pop him one but she was too tired to move.

  Ash looked at her with surprise and than laughed. “Fine. I see you’re still a smartass. And you need to teach me that move you pulled down there. You’re a lot faster than you were ten years ago.”

  “We’ll see. Now, Brandt, you were about to tell me about your cover.” She moved her attention back to Brandt.

  “Yes, it’s difficult but we all pay a price in some way. The best rule of this sort of work is to play as close to the truth as humanly possible. My Family is powerful, in ways even more so than Ash’s. But I’ve not been seen on the front like my father was. All my work has been quiet and behind the scenes. Ash and I have been close since he married my sister. I’m just a guy from a Family full of heroes looking for something to make me stand out.”

  Sera blinked several times before she could even find the words. That niggling she’d had the night before became totally clear. Kira was a Pela. Just like Brandt. “You’re Kira’s brother?” She didn’t like the sound of her voice. She heard the raw emotion, didn’t want them to.

  “You didn’t know.” Brandt said it and felt like a heel. How could he have been so stupid? The whole thing was stupid. He never should have brought her name to Ash. She’d been such a great candidate for the team and he’d truly thought they could overcome her issues with Ash. But all they’d done since the moment they decided on her was to fuck her life over.

  “No. I’m very tired. We have time to go over this. I’ll read the file and what you’ve put in my system.” She stood woodenly.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you weren’t aware.” Brandt raised his hands but let them fall to his side.

  “Please. Just go.” The strain was clear on her face.

  Sighing, Brandt pushed Ash out the door ahead of him. He knew Ash would want to stay and badger her and Brandt could see in her face that there was just no more room for that.

  Brandt was the one who slammed into his room this time and Ash followed, tossing himself on the bed with a grumble.

  “We’ve really fucked up, Ash. In less than twenty-four hours we’ve swooped in, broken up her team, torn her from her life, tossed her ex-lover in her face and made her feel like a whore. Each surprise we’ve given her has been worse than the last.”

  Ash knew it. Her pain tore at him. He wanted more than anything to make it right. He would make it right. “Yes. Okay, I admit it. I shouldn’t have collared her neck downstairs. That set her off.” Ash watched Brandt as he pulled his shirt off and sat on the edge of the bed to yank his boots off. “But she does something to me. She always has. I just got my roles a little mixed up.”

  “My, you’re the master of understatement tonight. What were you thinking?” Brandt turned but his hair was tight in Ash’s grip, the long rope of it wrapped around his fist.

  Ash moved to his knees directly behind Brandt. “I was thinking just how much I wanted to fuck her. How much I wanted to restrain her wrists and ankles and spread eagle her on my bed. How much I wanted to use the flogger to tease across her nipples and over her mound until she was glistening and writhing and begging me for more. I want her back, damn it. I want her.” Ash’s lips brushed against Brandt’s ear as he murmured the words, “And you as well.”

  “I’m not in the mood, Ash.” Brandt’s teeth were clenched as he said it, but Ash heard the slight tremor in his voice, knew the idea of the three of them together intrigued him too.

  “Oh?” Ash reached around to grab Brandt’s cock and squeezed until Brandt moaned, relaxing against him. “You may not be, but your cock sure is. Hmmm, whose turn is it?” Brandt’s groan was like a dark caress as he reached back, sliding his hand up Ash’s thigh.

  “I believe it’s mine. But instead of whipping your ass for being such a fool, I’ll let you suck my cock instead,” Brandt said as he turned and stood, unbuttoning the placket of his pants and looking down at Ash.

  For Brandt, switching with a man as powerful as Ash Walker was as much about the exchange of power as the sex itself. Normally, both of them preferred women but he and Ash had grown so close that after he and Kira had split, they’d ended up together from time to time. Because they were both dominants, they’d had to switch or constantly ended up arguing. So they took turns. Every other time one got to be dominant and the other submitted.

  His head fell back as Ash’s hand closed around the root of his cock. He’d deal with the situation they’d created with Sera in the morning. Right then, he just wanted to feel.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sera woke up at dawn as she always did. Knowing they’d be traveling to another part of the Known Universe, she made a mental note to adjust to Standard Time but knew she’d have to also get used to Nondalese local time as well.

  She’d stayed up until nearly two reading the files. Her brother hadn’t been annoyed when she’d called in the small hours of the morning to badger him for a favor. Gods knew he’d called her at midnight more than once to get him out of a bind.

  Her brother Paul was a clever man and Sera was glad he was on her side. His results were impressive and she went over the data again in her head as she showered, continuing to work it over as she got dressed.

  It most certainly looked like Giles Stander was a key figure in this whole thing. The Stander Family had a whole lot of influence, especially in the border universes. The bulk of their money and importance came from their trade in goods. They had a lot to gain if the war continued and kept products expensive on the frontier.

  Her research on the nifty electronic gear in her quarters showed a distinct lack of ideological stances on the part of the Stander Family. They didn’t appear to be true believers in the Federation’s precepts of democratic rule, nor did they look like they embraced the Imperialists’ belief in universe-wide fascism as a tool for greater stability. Still, that it seemed to be a purely economic motivation was worse in Sera’s mind. She could understand doing something you believed in, but doing something for profit and all else be damned was lower than low and she was quite ready to take them down for it.

  After reading over everything and piecing through what she had, Sera couldn’t help but feel there was more than just the Stander Family involved. The whole thing screamed a wider conspiracy. Each Family controlled different segments of everything the Federation did. So while Stander might be able to get them certain things and the bombings and other infiltrations could garner more, it seemed logical to bring in more Family members. The big question mark of course, was who else? The key would be to note who Stander’s closest compatriots were once they got to Nondal.

  She made herself kava and noted with some satisfaction her pantry was well stocked. She made the bread, cheese and fruit into a morning meal as she attempted to compartmentalize her emotions.

  It just had to be done. She was right for the job, they weren’t lying about that. Her linguistic skills alone would have made her a perfect candidate, but she could handle herself in a bind too. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with them, but she’d do it. She believed in what she was doing and even though she felt manipulated, she’d stay to do the job.

  After her meal she cleaned up after herself, gathered her weapons and headed out in search of a practice floor and a target range.

  Brandt and Ash were already in the common area eating their meal when she came down. Why did they both have to look so good? It would be so much easier to work with them if they were hard to look at instead of delicious.

  “Sera, good morning. Please, have some breakfast.” Brandt motioned toward the sideboard which held as much food as it did the night before.

  “No thank you. I’ve already eaten. Do you have a practice floor? Target range? I’d like to work out this morning. And then I’d like to speak with you about some of the things I found in my research last night.”

  “You’re welcome to take your meals down here with us. It’s what we do as a team. We have a cook who is quite good.” Ash’s words were harmless enough but his tone needled her.

  Sera took a deep breath to center herself. She would not let Ash rattle her. “I’m sure. Thank you, I’ll consider it in the future. Range? Practice floor? If not, I’ll head back into town and use the one at my old post.”

  Brandt stepped between them again. Ash was picking a fight and he didn’t want that. She’d had enough. “Follow this hall and out the back door. The building just behind this one has a target range, a practice floor and various machines for muscle enhancement and strength training. There’s a pool as well. As I told you last night, the doors are all keyed to your call.”

  Sera inclined her head a moment. “Will three hours from now be amenable to discuss the file?”

  “Yes, meet us both back here.”

  She touched her hand to her forehead and walked down the hall.

  After he’d watched her leave the house, he turned. “Ash, knock it off. You promised last night that you’d try and get along with her.”

  “What? I just told her we have meals here as a team. And anyway, it’s my turn now. I’ll be giving the orders.” He looked smug.

  “This isn’t about that. And if you want that with her and with me, you’re going to have to work for it. She’s not just going to fall to her knees for you this time.”

  With a final look at Ash, Brandt turned on his heel and left the room before he said anything else.

  Brandt watched her from the doorway of the practice room as she moved through her martial arts workout. She was fluid and quick. The muscles in her upper arms and her thighs rippled, her face set in concentration.

  It was hard not to appreciate her form—both her physical body and the way she moved. There was no doubt as he watched her, she was a warrior through and through. He liked that.