Page 25

M ira shifted on the hard metal bench, wincing as new aches made themselves known. Every movement awakened tender spots, visceral reminders of the night in his quarters. Five times. Five fucking times, and her body felt gloriously used but oddly energized despite the lack of sleep.

Vestian Station hummed around them. The air tasted stale recycled through ancient filtration systems too many times. Myriad smells of alien foods from nearby stalls, metallic engine coolant, and unwashed bodies packed into too small a space assaulted her from every direction.

"He's late," Davis said, his thigh pressing against hers on the narrow bench.

She frowned. He radiated heat like a boiler, like his body temperature was cranked up to high. His hand rested on her knee, thumb tracing small circles that sent electricity up her spine.

"Brokers always make you wait," she said, keeping her voice low. "It's about anticipation. Basic negotiation tactic."

His lips quirked into that half-smile that made her stomach flip. "You sound like you've done this before."

"I've played enough strategic negotiation sims," she said with a slight shrug. "Same principles in games as in real life."

His hand slid higher on her thigh. "You okay? After last night..."

Her face went hot. "I'm fine. Just a little sore." Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "You're not exactly small."

His eyes darkened as he leaned closer, lips brushing her ear. "You seemed to take all of me quite well. Especially that last time, on your hands and knees."

"Not here," she warned, glancing around nervously. "People are watching."

"Let them," he murmured, strong fingers tugging her chin around. Before she could say anything, he'd claimed her lips. His mouth was hungry and demanding, hard on hers with a possessiveness that melted her insides.

She broke away, her breathing ragged. "We're supposed to be meeting a broker."

"He's late," he reminded her, leaning in to nibble kisses down her neck. "We're just passing the time."

A throat cleared directly in front of them.

Her heart about stopped. She pulled away from Davis and stared up at the broker they'd been waiting for.

He had to be nearly seven feet tall, and his silver-blue skin shimmered with a metallic quality.

Four arms emerged from a torso that tapered to an impossibly narrow waist, and his large, multifaceted eyes reflected their faces back at them.

"If you're quite finished," the broker said in a liquid voice that made her want to shake her head like she had water in her ears. "I believe we have business to discuss."

Davis pulled his hand from her thigh. "You're late, Thexus."

The broker inclined his head. "Traffic." He offered nothing more, simply gesturing with one of his lower arms. "Follow me."

They rose from the bench. Davis placed his hand at the small of her back as they followed Kraatt through the crowded concourse. The touch burned through her jacket. She felt eyes tracking them as they walked across the main concourse.

"We're being watched," she murmured to Davis, keeping her gaze forward.

His fingers pressed more firmly against her back.

"Three observers," he whispered close to her ear. "Dravoran by the fuel depot, wearing the blue vest. A T'renar near the currency exchange. That's the guy with the implants. Someone else lurking in the shadows by the maintenance hatch, but I can't make out what species."

She resisted the urge to look, the concourse layout already in her mind. The areas he was pointing out he shouldn't have been able to pick out those details, not at this distance, and not with the station crowds between them.

The broker led them down a narrow side passage, and the foot traffic around them thinned.

Glancing up and down the corridor, he stopped at an unmarked door recessed into the metal wall.

One hand pressed against a biometric scanner while another tapped a complex code into a small panel.

The door slid open in front of them with a hiss.

"Please," Kraatt said, extending one arm into the room while another gestured for them to enter.

She stepped through the doorway, looking around the room as she did.

It was small, with only a metal table and four chairs bolted to the floor inside.

There were no windows, no visible surveillance that she could see anyway.

Overall, it was the perfect place for discussions no one wanted recorded.

Davis followed her, his body radiating heat like a furnace against her back.

The door sealed with a heavy thunk, cutting off the station's noise beyond. Kraatt folded his lanky frame into one of the chairs, all four hands splaying across the metal tabletop.

"You seek information on K ell," the broker stated, his eyes reflecting the dim light from overhead, indicating the seats opposite.

"What's your price?" Davis asked, voice carefully neutral.

Thexus's gaze flickered toward her, then back to Davis.

"Information exchange," Kraatt said. "First, explain what happens to you." His upper left hand rose, one long finger pointing toward Davis's face. The broker's finger moved in a circle around his own eyes. "This Not human normal."

Davis's leg tensed beneath her palm.

"Our business is finding K ell," Davis replied, each word precise and cold. "Not me."

Kraatt didn't react to the sharp tone, just leaned back in his chair.

"Unusual changes interest information brokers," he said. "Worth much to right buyers." He tilted his head, the movement oddly insect-like. "But perhaps alternative arrangement possible. Credits sufficient, if quantity impressive."

"How much?" Davis asked.

"Two hundred thousand."

Davis laughed, the sound harsh in the small room. "For unverified information about a scientist who disappeared years ago? No. Forty thousand."

Thexus's lower hands fluttered against the tabletop. "Information well-verified. Sources impeccable. One hundred fifty."

"For a second-rate scientist?" Davis snorted in amusement. "Fifty thousand, and that's generous."

She watched the broker's expression as he considered.

"Thexus," she said, leaning forward slightly. "We understand information of this quality commands premium rates. But surely a broker of your reputation prefers building long-term relationships over one-time transactions?"

The broker's eyes brightened at her words. His secondary hands stilled.

"The female speaks wisdom," he said. "Reputation valuable. Future business possible."

"Guaranteed," Davis added, picking up her thread. "If your information leads us to K ell or someone equally knowledgeable. The Reapers often need good intelligence."

The fingers of the broker's four hands tapped on the table, like he was calculating something.

"Seventy thousand," he finally declared, "Plus right of first refusal on future intelligence."

"Sixty thousand, plus future consideration. But not the right of first refusal. Final offer," Davis said firmly.

"Acceptable." The broker nodded. "Payment first."

Davis tapped a series of commands on his wrist unit. A small device on the table lit up with transaction details. Kraatt pulled it toward himself to verify the payment. Satisfied, he pocketed it and leaned forward.

"K ell has disappeared most effectively," he said, voice dropping lower. "Traces ended three years ago. Trail cold."

Davis's jaw tightened. "That's not worth sixty thousand credits."

Kraatt raised a secondary hand, palm outward. "Information not complete," he added. "K ell worked closely with research assistant, Laaer."

"Where is this Laaer?" she asked.

Kraatt glanced at her. "R aaxiin research station. Officially studies indigenous plant adaptations." The edges of his mouth curved upward in what might have been a smile. "Unofficially... works for highest bidder."

"How confident are you in this information?" Davis asked, his voice steady.

"Verified through three separate sources," Kraatt replied. "One visual confirmation within past fourteen days."

Davis nodded and placed his hand on the table as if to push himself up. She frowned, spotting the tremor running through his hand and forearm. His face paled beneath his tan, and his jaw clenched.

"One more thing," Kraatt said, thankfully not noticing Davis's sudden distress. "Laaer not alone. Has arrangement with local security forces. Caution advised."

"We got it," Davis said, the sound half-grunt, half-growl. His pupils dilated so rapidly that she saw it even from her angle, sitting down. The golden ring around his irises flared wide, and this time even Kraatt noticed, his eyes widening as he leaned forward with renewed interest.

"Are you-" the broker began.

"We're done," Davis cut him off, his voice rough like gravel. He pushed to his feet, but his knees buckled slightly.

She shot to her feet and got between him and the broker's too-interested stare. "Thank you for the information," she said, reaching behind to grasp Davis's wrist. His pulse hammered against her fingertips, racing at an impossible pace.

Kraatt rose to his full height, towering over her. All four of his arms moved together, straightening his clothing.

"Fascinating," the broker murmured, his gaze fixed on Davis over her shoulder. "Most fascinating."

"The door," she prompted, tightening her grip on Davis's wrist.

The broker hesitated, his eyes reflecting Davis like multifaceted mirrors. Information, she realized available to the highest bidder. Davis had just become a commodity.

"Now," she insisted, pulling on his wrist.

With reluctance, Kraatt pressed his hand to the control panel beside him. The door slid open, releasing them back into the corridor. She all but shoved Davis through it. The moment they were out of the broker's sight, he sagged against the corridor wall, breath coming in harsh pants.

"What's going on?" she asked, keeping her voice low as she stepped close.