“Ian, what’s in the crate?”
“Supplies.”
“So you won’t mind if I take a look?”
The muscle in his jaw flexed, but he ground out, “Not if you think it’s worth the delay.”
“You do realize it would be far faster if you just told me?”
Aoife and Alexander watched us with sharp eyes. They didn’t have the body language to indicate they were a couple, but they were comfortable with each other. They’d worked together for a long time.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Aoife said. “It’s a crate full of von Hasenberg prototype technology. Combat armor, weapons, et cetera.”
I raised an eyebrow at Ian. “There, was that so hard?”
“Aoife, get us in the air,” Ian growled.
She gave him an insolent salute and turned for the stairs. Alexander cast a suspicious look my way before following her, leaving me alone with Ian in the cargo bay.
“Nice crew,” I said.
“They’ll keep the ship safe and their mouths shut. And if things go poorly in Matavara, they’ll get us out.”
“Fair enough. Are the supplies for them, then? Because you know the Syndicate won’t let you within two kilometers of the party with prototype weapons and armor.”
Ian started up the stairs and I followed. “We don’t know where Ferdinand is being held or what condition he is in. If you fail to purchase him, we’ll have to break him out. That’s why Alex and Aoife are really here.”
“You think you can infiltrate a Syndicate compound with four people?”
“Three,” Ian said sharply.
Anger flared through the ice of my facade. “Oh, so you can defeat Silva security? Maybe Alexander or Aoife is a secret security specialist? No? Because I am. I’m one of the best systems crackers in the universe. That’s why I run circles around your security protocols and why House von Hasenberg has never been hacked.”
It was also one of the reasons Father was desperate to have me back, but Ian didn’t need any more reasons to send me home.
Ian spun around to face me. He was a step higher, so he towered over me, an advantage he used to great effect. “Can your precious security protocols prevent you from taking a blaster bolt to the brain? Taking you on a rescue mission into Silva’s compound would be like leading a lamb to slaughter. If it comes to that, you stay on the ship.”
Bright, furious rage turned the world red. “When you get caught, and you will get caught, I am going to make you beg on your knees before I get you out.”
“Dream whatever fantasy you want, love. I will protect you even from yourself, so stay out of my way and let me do my job.”
I’d never before been so tempted to punch a man in the balls as I was right now. I uncurled my fist, one finger at a time, and tucked the rage away, until I was outwardly as still and calm as a windless lake.
The floor picked up a subtle vibration as the main engine started. I stepped around Ian without a word and continued to the flight deck. The door slid open to reveal Aoife in the captain’s chair and Alexander in the navigator’s station. I took the tactical station and clipped in, leaving Ian to sit along the wall.
Fortuitous was a lightly armed and armored ship, designed to be able to defend against most pirates, but it was not a war machine by any stretch. We wouldn’t scratch a battle cruiser before they blew us out of existence.
The ship had already requested and received a jump point from the gate, so once we cleared the atmosphere, we could immediately jump to CCD Six. In half an hour, give or take, we’d be on the ground in one of the deadliest cities in the universe.
Fortuitous landed with a gentle bump, and Aoife immediately engaged the ground defense system. On the outside camera, the ship’s shield turned red and a red projection on the ground warned of the danger. At night, the whole area would glow red. It was subtler during the daylight, but still visible.
If someone ignored the warning and ventured into range of the ship, an audible alert would sound. Fail to clear the area and the ship would open fire. Using the system in a regular spaceport was a dick move; using the system in Matavara was basic common sense.
Any crew members who wanted to leave would have to carry a beacon to identity them as friendlies. So of course they were targeted as soon as they were out of the ship’s range.
I caught movement in my peripheral vision as Ian stood. “Aoife, you have the ship and Lady von Hasenberg. Alex, you’re with me.”
Ian left the flight deck without a glance at me. Of all the high-handed, arrogant . . . I clamped my lips together when I realized I was grumbling under my breath.
I stood and Aoife shadowed me. She was on bodyguard duty. “Fortuitous, where is Ian Bishop?”
“Request denied. You are not authorized,” the ship replied.
Well, I’d have to fix that, but first, I needed to find Ian. I turned to Aoife. “Do you know where they went?”
She shrugged.
Of course she did. I headed for the cargo bay, silent shadow in tow. If Ian wasn’t there already, he would be before he left. It would also give me time to look through the supplies that Ada had sent for me.
When I got to the cargo bay, Ian and Alexander were donning powered combat armor with the brisk efficiency that came only after doing it a thousand times before. I crossed to stand beside Ian. “Care to let me know what your plan is?”
He put on his helmet but at least had the consideration to leave the face guard open so I could see his hard expression. “Alex and I are going to secure an invitation to the party tonight. You and Aoife are going to stay here.”
“So you’re just going to leave the womenfolk behind while the big, strong men go off into danger?” I asked sweetly.
Ian’s fingers twitched as if he’d like to throttle me. Good, then the feeling was mutual. “No,” he said, “I’m leaving the most important asset behind with the best fighter after myself. I’m trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection.”
“The hell you don’t!” he exploded. He gestured to the barely visible bruise on my cheek, hidden under my makeup. “I couldn’t protect you from that, but I’ll damn sure protect you from setting foot in Matavara any more than absolutely necessary. We don’t need your expertise for this and the trip will go faster with the two of us than if we took you along.”
By his tone, I knew Ian wasn’t trying to be intentionally cruel, not like Gregory’s snide little comments had been, but the verbal dagger slid home anyway, laced with poisonous truth. I sucked in a quiet breath and closed my eyes for a heartbeat.
Gregory had taken so much from me that now I was considered a liability rather than an asset. Even after his death, the bastard still haunted me. Would I never be free of him?
I retreated from the hurt and pulled on my public persona, the icy shell as protective as the combat armor Ian wore. This time I vowed I’d make it stick.
“If you do not return before the start of the party,” I said coolly, “I will assume you have fallen. I will go to the party without you and without an invitation. Good hunting, Director Bishop.”
A range of emotions flashed across his face before settling on suspicion. “You’re going to stay here? Voluntarily?”