Rayven's Keep. Kylie Wolft

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СКАЧАТЬ think about lying either. I want the truth.”

      She bit her bottom lip. Nerves drove her heart rate up a notch. “I was desperate and trapped on Lodestone. I thought you looked like someone who might help, who could be trusted.” She glanced at him. “I still don’t know if I made the right choice.”

      Nick’s mouth tightened.

      Her simplistic answer wouldn’t satisfy him for long. Whatever he thought was well hidden, but he didn’t press for more. She was grateful.

      “It must be your lucky day then. You’re aboard my ship, the Messenger, and I’m Nick Rayven. Currently, we’re headed to my home world of Alludra. Got a problem with that?”

      “No, none at all. Thank you.” She breathed her first easy breath in days.

      He pushed out of his chair and rummaged in the food storage unit until he found a meal packet. He popped it into the heater, warmed it, then plopped it in front of Tru.

      “Eat.” He headed to the bridge, leaving her alone.

      She waited, but he didn’t return, so she relaxed enough to shrug off her outer coat and drape it over the back of her chair. It was a relief to remove the heavy garment. She would have liked to remove the work jacket she wore under it as well, but wasn’t quite up to the task. Instead, she turned her attention to the foil packet in front of her and inhaled. It smelled like heaven, better than any gourmet meal she’d ever eaten.

      She couldn’t open it fast enough. She barely tasted the first few bites, but once her initial hunger eased, she slowed down and savored the food. She wouldn’t turn her nose up at a prepackaged meal ever again. Finishing off the meal, she kept one eye out for the man who held her fate in his hands. Her gamble had paid off and she’d escaped Lodestone, but she might have just jumped from the fat to the fire.

      * * * *

      Nick listened to her quiet movements with half an ear. He wasn’t without sympathy, although he did his best to hide it. Obviously, she was up to her pretty little neck in some kind of trouble. Whatever her problems, he had no intention of getting involved. He’d drop her off at the nearest city and let her fend for herself. What happened beyond that was of no interest to him. He had bigger problems to worry about.

      The last minute change in delivery plans by Geotern Mining worried him. Why was it necessary to travel all the way to Kaydet instead of the original drop off on his home world? Dendera Labs had many outposts, but Kaydet lay way off the beaten path. If Geotern Mining was in such a hurry to register its find, then it made no sense to add so much travel time.

      Nothing would be gained by brooding so Nick ambled back to the crew quarters to check on Tru. She slept at the table with her head pillowed on folded arms, the remnants of her meal pushed to one side. She looked vulnerable and young. Long lashes left crescent shadows against her cheek and the paleness of her skin highlighted the darkened bruise on her temple. It had not been one of his finer moments and guilt twisted his gut. He could do nothing about it now. Time would tell what trouble Tru Creighton was in and until she told him the whole of it, he would bide his time and reserve judgment.

      He lifted her easily and carried her to one of the bunks bolted to the wall. She slept deeply without stirring when moved. Placing one knee on the pliant surface he shifted her against his chest one armed while he unbuttoned and removed her work jacket. He tossed it to the foot of the bunk and then removed her boots, letting them drop to the floor with a soft, metallic thud. He opted to leave the remainder of her clothing alone.

      He got his MedKit and then did a quick scan using the portable MedScan. It showed her vitals were good, and her concussion nothing to worry about. She’d dropped into a restorative sleep. Some of the tension eased out of his shoulders as he put the device away.

      Restless, he cleaned up the table then paced to the bridge to double check the coordinates. He settled into his chair and ran a long-range perimeter sweep to look for anything out of the ordinary, a habit ingrained from years in the military. Satisfied no one followed, he initiated a random scan program, and then pulled up a haloviz screen to do a little research on his sleeping guest.

      His business relied on information and he was an expert at finding deep wells of it. All his ships were retrofitted with specialized, proprietary equipment, which interfaced with databanks scattered across the solar system. It gave him a competitive and personal edge, particularly since the technology was from his home world and not available on the open market. The beauty of it was even if someone did manage to steal it, it would be useless unless they understood the language of Tonlith. The likelihood was remote; few had escaped the planet’s destruction.

      Nick was no fool and always judicious in his use of his technology. He made sure he didn’t trigger any warnings or leave a trace of his inquiries behind. It didn’t take long to find the information he sought.

      Her family had offered a reward for her safe return. Escaping family was common enough, but whatever had her fleeing seemed more complicated than family problems. His mouth tightened in a jaw-popping clench as he read about the reward offered for information on him. Tru Creighton had better have a good explanation. How in the hell had his name become linked with hers in the Alert Notice?

      Scowling, he slumped back in his chair, going over the events of the day, scouring his memory for any detail he might have missed. He’d been careful, respecting his client’s request for secrecy. The only one to follow him back to his ship had been Tru. He was certain of that. With no witness to their “interaction,” there was no discernible reason for their names to be connected, no reason for anyone to think they might travel together. None. Nothing quite added up, and he didn’t like loose ends.

      The connection might have come from her, but there was another possibility. A firm believer in going to the source, Nick shifted into a more comfortable position and delved into the particulars of Lodestone Mining Consortium, a fierce competitor of Geotern. He followed poorly hidden threads and traced the Alert to them.

      Companies had been known to go to great lengths to undercut a competitor. Using a young woman to steal information or goods was nothing new. Having him arrested on a kidnapping charge would prevent him filing Geotern’s claim and give Lodestone the opportunity to swoop in and stake their own. He didn’t like the thought of being played, but there wasn’t much he could do about it until he talked further with Tru.

      His hand hovered over the keypad while he debated his next move. A grim smile curved his mouth, and he shifted his shoulders in response to the familiar visceral thrill of the chase. Leaning forward, Nick began the tedious job of opening a back door into Lodestone Mining’s databanks. The reverberation of the ship’s engine and creak of his leather chair faded into the background. Even the annoying blue backlight on the helm console was only a minor distraction.

      The final sequence of code launched, taking with it the urgency that had kept him working. He’d be warned if anyone accessed the data he’d just manipulated. Input of his name or Tru’s would start a catastrophic wipe of information. The “records” would download to his data storage for safekeeping, which afforded him a great deal of satisfaction. Two could play at this game and Nick always played for keeps.

      He’d done all he could for the moment. It had been a hell of a day and he still wasn’t sure what to do about Tru Creighton or Lodestone Mining. Relaxing his neck and shoulders, he slouched comfortably in his chair and gazed out the ship’s viewscreen.

      Space fascinated him, its vastness humbling and exciting. It was the reason he’d been an eager recruit for Tonlith’s space military and had shot up through the ranks. There hadn’t been СКАЧАТЬ