In the Devil's Nebula (Phoenix Adventures #2) (23 page)

“No.” Zayn stepped closer and before she
knew what he had planned, he grabbed her around the waist and
hauled her up over his shoulder.

Shock held her immobile. “What the hell are
you doing?”

“Just be quiet. You’re coming with us. End
of argument.”

They moved out of the alley. Ria lifted her
head and saw Dathan grinning at her.

He winked. “Never thought I’d see my baby
bro so gaga over a woman.”

Ria scowled at him, then thumped Zayn on the
back. “I can hurt you, even like this.”

“Do your worst.” He slapped a hand over her
bottom, making her jump. Then the movement turned into a caress,
making her squirm.

“The transport station’s right here.” Nik’s
voice interrupted. “Transport’s pulling up.”

Ria watched upside down as they boarded a
public transport. It was miraculously empty. Once the doors closed
with a chime, the transport pulled away, headed upward.

Zayn set her down. Instantly, she slammed a
fist into his gut. He bent over with a grunt. Then he reached out
and grabbed her, his mouth finding hers with unerring accuracy.

She was helpless to resist him. Her anger
melted away and she leaned into the kiss.

He pulled back, his cheek pressed to hers.
“I love you, Ria.”

God, he didn’t fight fair. Her hands twisted
in his shirt.

The sound of a throat clearing had them
separating. Nik was looking at the ceiling and Dathan was
smiling.

A sudden lurch had them all stumbling. Zayn
grabbed her and together they clung to the upright grip poles. The
transport moved into a steep climb.

“What the hell?” Zayn said.

Niklas was frowning and looking out the
window. “Transport’s been hijacked. We’re heading off course. And
up. Way up.”

“Shit.” Dathan pressed a hand against the
window. “I smell assassin.”

“You should never have come after me.” Ria
pressed her lips together.

Zayn yanked her closer. “One thing you need
to learn about the Phoenix brothers, is once we see something we
want, we go after it until we get it.”

She stiffened. “I’m not some treasure for
you to hunt.”

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “No,
you’re the woman I’m in love with.”

She sagged. How was she supposed to fight
against that?

Dathan was still staring out the window.
“We’re headed for the top of the tallest building.”

Ria looked out and sure enough all she saw
below was smog-filled air. One tower speared upward and the
transport was nearing the landing pad on the roof.

The transport lumbered to a halt and the
doors opened. All of them traded looks before they stepped off onto
the landing pad.

A man in a black robe stood waiting for
them. He lifted his head and Ria’s heart sank.

“Xi,” she said.

The assassin gave her a regal nod.
“Ria.”

His coal-black hair was tied at the back of
his head and his eyes were the color of deep space. She knew just
how deadly he was. He’d been the closest thing to a friend she’d
had in the Guild.

“They sent you to kill me.”

“Yes.”

Her chest felt tight. “Let Zayn and his
brothers go. They have nothing to do with this.”

Xi’s dark eyes remained emotionless. “You
aren’t in a position to bargain.”

Zayn pushed forward. “We aren’t going
anywhere. You try and kill her, you’re taking all of us on. Four
against one. Not such an easy target.”

The smallest flicker of a smile on Xi’s
harsh face. “Loyalty is an admirable trait.”

Behind him the shadows moved and more robed
assassins stepped forward.

Ria closed her eyes. They would all die
here. The thought of Zayn dying, because of her…she could barely
breathe. She grabbed Zayn’s hand. “I love you. I’m sorry you got
dragged into this mess.”

“Your loyalty is admirable as well, Ria.” Xi
took a step forward. “Not only to Phoenix but to all
assassins.”

She frowned. What the hell was he talking
about?

“We saw the news transmissions.” Xi’s face
hardened. “We found the lab.”

Another assassin shifted into the light. “I
have memories of a planet with twin suns. Memories of a family. I
thought I was crazy.”

Ria’s heart beat loudly in her ears.

A female assassin pushed her robe from her
head. “I have nightmares. I can’t separate the images but I know
they aren’t from my life as an assassin.”

“I’ve always felt like something was
missing,” another assassin said.

“As have I,” Xi added.

Ria bit her lip, emotion welling inside
her.

“You’ve freed us from a lie,” Xi said.
“Thank you.”

She gripped Zayn’s hand like a lifeline.
When he squeezed it, the touch steadied her. She looked at Xi. “I
don’t know what to say.”

“The Guild masters have been imprisoned…or
executed. As have any assassins not willing to give up the old
ways.” Xi’s voice darkened. “There will be no more regeneration
program.”

She felt dizzy. “The Guild’s been
destroyed?”

“No. We believe it still has a role to play
in the galaxy. But it will be rebuilt, on a new code. Regeneration
will never, ever happen again.”

“I can’t believe it,” she said.

“And another new rule, assassins can leave
if they choose.” Xi held out a hand. “Assassin Ria, hand over your
official Guild blade.”

Ria glanced at Zayn. He smiled at her and
with a shaking hand, she pulled out her Guild blade. She reached
out and placed it on Xi’s wide palm.

The assassin bowed his head. “You are no
longer an assassin, Ria Dante. The execution orders for your death
have been rescinded. You have your freedom.”

“Hot damn.” Zayn slid an arm across her
shoulders, tugged her close and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Xi smiled. “Ensure you make the most of that
freedom.”

Ria managed her own smile through her tears.
“I plan to.”

***

Zayn revved the engine of his water speeder.
He raced parallel to the pristine white beach, barely noticing the
palm trees dancing in the sea breeze.

Speed. He wanted more.

The speeder crested a wave and he launched
into the air with a laugh. He landed, skidding the rear end outward
and sending a spray of water into the air.

It felt good to just enjoy himself. Enjoy
the wind in his face. He wanted to go fast, not to outrun anything,
but just because it felt good.

If anything, he wanted to run toward
something.

He saw her ahead, standing on the white sand
in front of their private villa, Duna’s waves lapping at her
ankles. She shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand as she
watched him. Her tiny blue bikini hugged her fantastic body and
made his mouth go dry. It didn’t matter that they’d made love
multiple times every day and in every way imaginable. He wanted her
again.

Zayn throttled back and let the speeder skid
up onto the beach.

Without a word, he threw his leg over the
speeder, strode toward her and scooped her up in his arms. Her
laughter filled his chest to bursting.

As he kissed her, he waded into the water.
The cool waves lapped his waist and she shifted, clamping her legs
around his hips.

“Hello, Commander Phoenix. How was your
ride?”

He nipped her lips. “Fine. I missed you.
Come with me next time.”

She smiled. “Good. And I’ll come with you
again when you slow down. You dumped me in the water last
time.”

“You weren’t holding onto me hard
enough.”

Her arms and legs tightened around him.
“Trust me, flyboy, I have no intention of letting you go.”

He let their bodies sway with the waves and
brushed her hair off her face. “You happy?”

“Incandescently.” She pressed a kiss to his
forehead. “I feel…at peace. No blades, no guns, no orders.”

“Freedom.” He understood because he felt the
same way. He couldn’t stop himself running his hands down her hips,
his thumbs sliding into the narrow strings of her bikini
bottoms.

She undulated against him. “Yes,
freedom.”

He buried his face against her neck, loving
the salty taste of her skin. He let one finger slip inside her
bikini and brush against where she was so, so hot.

“Zayn,” she murmured.

“I’ve already had you in the waves. How
about we try something different? Ever made love in a hammock?”

“I haven’t. Maybe Viktoria had?”

“Vik? Nah, she wasn’t that adventurous.”
Saying Vik’s name didn’t hurt quite as much as it used to. He liked
that he and Ria could talk about her without it feeling
uncomfortable.

And he was enjoying watching as Ria accepted
who she was. Ria Dante. Former assassin, budding treasure hunter
and lover to Zayn Phoenix.

Damn, he was happy.

He carried her out of the water and she
gripped him hard. “Zayn, you can’t be serious about the hammock.
We’ll kill each other! It doesn’t look strong enough.”

He flashed her a grin. “Come on, live a
little.”

He stepped up onto the wide wooden deck. The
multi-colored hammock was swinging in the breeze.

One step away and he heard the ring of his
Sync.

“Damn it!” He paused. “I’m not answering
it.”

“It’s probably your brothers. They wouldn’t
call unless it was important.”

With another curse, Zayn dumped her in the
hammock. Seconds later he snatched up his Sync from the table.

“Dath? Everything okay?”

Dathan’s face appeared on the screen. “We’ve
got a hunt. Need you two to cut the lazing around and get back
here.”

Zayn scowled. “Dath, I—”

“What’s the treasure?” Ria leaned over
Zayn’s shoulder, wagging a finger at Dathan.

Dathan waved back. “Terran treasure.”

Another face pushed in front of Dathan.
“Three dusty-looking statues.” Lala poked her tongue out. “The
pictures of them look kind of dry and crumbling and not very
sparkly, but Mr. Hunky Hunter here tells me they are worth a
fooor-tuuune.”

Zayn hid a smile, especially when he saw the
frustration etched on his brother’s face. They’d all been happy
when Lala had decided not to go back to Diablo, and all very
surprised when she’d decided—without any consultation—to join the
Phoenix clan.

Dathan wrestled the Sync back from the
teenager. “We got a lead on three life-sized terracotta
warriors.”

Zayn whistled. Only one terracotta warrior
had ever been found and was on display in a Galactic Institute of
Historical Preservation museum. There were myths about more. Some
said thousands had been created by a Terran emperor whose name had
been lost in time.

Zayn felt that tingle that came at the
beginning of every treasure hunt. The excitement, the promise, the
possibility. Then he looked at Ria and realized he felt the same
way every time he looked at her.

“Sunshine or adventure? Your call,” he
said.

A slow smile unfurled on her lips. “I
suspect every moment with you is going to be an adventure.” She
slid her hands into his hair. “Let’s go hunting.”

~ Official Document ~

Galactic Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)

Daily News Update - #9991023

Subject: Assassin’s Guild Scandal

All eyes continue to watch, with incredible
interest, the aftermath of the coup in the Assassin’s Guild in the
Devil’s Nebula. Since former assassin Ria Dante exposed the Guild’s
secret regeneration program, the Guild has been a shambles, but
from the ashes, a new leader has emerged in Assassin Xi. Xi assures
us the Guild is still open for business but the scandalous regen
program has been dismantled…permanently.

Ria Dante was the first assassin to be
granted freedom from the Guild and is now a treasure hunter with
the notorious Phoenix brothers. So far her new career is off to an
incredible start with her gaining credit for uncovering the famous
Terran treasures of the Lincoln Derringer and the spectacular Crown
of the Consorts.

Sources also report that Dante is
romantically linked with the youngest Phoenix, ex-Strike Wing
pilot, Zayn. Some sources are even telling us that we might have a
good, old-fashioned engagement in the works.

Stay tuned to GBC for more updates on the situation
in the Devil’s Nebula and for the first in breaking galaxy
news.

The Phoenix Adventures continue with ON A
ROGUE PLANET, the story of Malin and sexy cyborg, Xander.

Join the adventure!

Read the first chapter of On a Rogue
Planet

She loved the smell of starship fuel.

Malin Phoenix grinned to herself and hitched
up the well-worn toolbelt around her waist. She also loved the
salvage yard at Haxx. The capital city of the planet of Centax had
such
good stuff. She spun slowly, eyeing the hulks of
retired starships, the engines of smashed planetary transports
and…a few wrecks even she couldn’t identify.

Ooh
. She spotted an intact Centaxian
Infiltrator. She crouched and ran a hand over the side of its dark,
obsidian hull. It only seated one pilot and was made to go in fast
and stealthy. Centax was renowned throughout the galaxy for
designing the some of the best tech—starships, computer systems,
armor and biological enhancements. The Infiltrator was a beauty and
she wanted it.

She stood, swiped her hands on her
coveralls—only to remember she wasn’t wearing her coveralls since
she wasn’t at home in her salvage yard on Khan. She stared at the
grease stain on her tan cargo pants.
Oopsie
. With a shrug,
she grabbed her personal Sync communicator off her belt. She had a
buyer who’d pay top e-cred for the Infiltrator’s shield system. She
tapped the screen, adding the Infiltrator to her list.

Her long list.

God, she loved going on salvage trips. She
smiled again. Okay, she also loved being at home in her starship
graveyard, stripping parts, tinkering with engines, and arguing
with her cousins. But her father had put a love of wandering in her
blood. A pang hit under her ribs. It had been four years since he’d
died and she still missed him so much. But knew he’d be thrilled
she’d found a home with her rough and tumble treasure hunter
cousins.