Page 22 of Tempting Jupiter (Arena Dogs #2)

Chapter Fifteen

Jupiter stepped out of the ship and into the space station’s cavernous docking bay.

The main arena could have fit inside, were it not for the enormous machinery everywhere.

Feeona had made the arrangements to get them and the ship safely into what she called an off-the-logs entrance.

He wanted to stop and study the place, but Feeona was striding with purpose.

Sen waited at his side. “I believe she expects us to follow.”

They did follow but at a slower pace. Cautious. Wary. A shared glance with Sen set them both into motion. Splitting up, they each took a wider path. They would not be ambushed. They would not walk blindly into a trap. Feeona glanced over her shoulder but seemed unconcerned when they moved away.

There was no need to keep her in sight, her enticing scent left a clear trail through the sleeping giants that must be spaceships.

They covered the floor in every direction.

A week back he’d never seen such a thing, now he’d ridden aboard two of them.

He crouched low to slip beneath the belly of one of the monsters.

Scorch marks marred the surface, but no heat came from the slumbering machine.

He’d learned much and freedom had more to teach him, more to be experienced.

But he mourned the separation from the other Dogs of the pack.

He needed to find a way to get them all back together and free.

He heard her voice before he could see her.

“I need a tuck away, Peety.”

“You know the upcharge.” The second voice was male, but weak. “I can’t keep a prime spot occupied indefinitely without something to show for it.” There was complaint in his tone, but no sign of strength to stand his ground.

Jupiter rounded the machinery blocking his view and melted into the shadow of a structure overhead. Feeona stood close to Peety. The thin human, with a burn scar that melted one side of his face, leaned away from her as if he feared being too close.

Feeona smiled. The angle of her stance allowed Jupiter to enjoy it. Those soft, plump lips had been around his cock. Not to tease him. To give him relief. She’d healed him and saved Sen. Saved them all. And so far, asked for nothing in return.

She put her hand on the man’s shoulder. “How about this? You can have the damned thing on the condition that you keep it out of sight for the next week and that you scrap the ship’s computer and salvage the rest as parts.”

The man’s eyes glimmered with a hint of interest. “She’s a running ship.”

Feeona scoffed.

“Oh, don’t be hard on the old girl,” the man said. “She got you here.”

Feeona brought her hand back to her side as she lifted one shoulder. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave it. The value of parting it out for one week’s storage.”

She stood confident, feet apart, ready for anything.

The man shifted from one foot to the other.

“Lemme check one thing.” He shuffled his way behind a counter Jupiter hadn’t even noticed.

There was a frame or structure of some sort around it.

All of that had blended with the surrounding metal crafts.

A jumble of color and metallic surfaces created an effective camouflage.

A blue glow lit the man’s face as he stared down into a screen.

Feeona never flinched or looked uncertain. She waited calmly, though he knew she was worried. Jupiter could see it in the way she clenched one hand behind her back, the stiffness in her spine. He’d learned a lot about her in the few days since they’d met.

The man looked up, studying Fee as if weighing her. His lips bunched then shifted side to side. “All right. I might regret it, but I’ll go for it.”

Fee stepped forward and reached a hand across the counter between them. “You know you’re getting a great deal here.”

The man took the offered hand and shook it up and down. “And it won’t even take up the storage time. I have a team available to chop her later this sleep cycle. Won’t be able to find two pieces left together by morning.” He grinned as if he’d won a prize.

“Perfect,” said Feeona. “Then you won’t mind waiving my current storage balance.”

“Ah, Mattie, a man needs to make a living.”

Jupiter couldn’t see her face now and she didn’t answer. The moment stretched out until the man’s shoulders slumped and he offered a disgruntled “agreed.”

Fee leaned against the counter and angled her body across it. “I need your discretion on this. You haven’t seen me or a ship like this one.”

“Ah, hell, you know I’d never rat on you.” A nervous laugh escaped the man’s narrow lips.

“Thanks, Peety. Next time I’m back this way I’ll bring some of those red berries you like.”

His frown flipped, turning into a grin in a flash. “Now you’re after my heart.”

Jupiter wasn’t certain of all of the expressions common beyond the gates of the arena, but he did know he didn’t like the way the man watched her. Eyes focused on her breasts with occasional glances down to her hips.

“I have to go up to my ship for a few minutes then I’m going into the station. I want to leave in four hours. Can you have things ready by then?

“Sure. No trouble.”

***

Feeona knew the Arena Dogs were around somewhere, but she wasn’t prepared for how fast they appeared when she stepped out of Peety’s sight. Jupiter materialized out of a shadow and Sen came from somewhere off to her left.

“The little man is going to chop the ship?” Jupiter’s nose scrunched in confusion.

“Fitz will guess we’re here, but I don’t want anyone to be sure of anything. Peety’s crew will take the ship apart and sell those parts so no one will be able to find a piece big enough to identify it. And they’ll destroy the ship’s computer, so Roma won’t get their hands on any data.”

“You said you had cleared the data.” Seneca’s voice was free of accusation.

It rarely showed any sign of emotion unless he wanted it to. Even having spent more time with him, he remained as mysterious as the day they’d met. The only thing she knew for sure was that he was completely devoted to Jupiter.

“Trust me. Roma can afford to hire an army of experts to find a way to get something out of the computer’s corpse. With data, nothing is ever one hundred percent except melting down the hardware.”

A twinge of guilt tugged at her conscious.

After two days aboard, she’d learned everything there was to know about that ship.

Everything she was doing her best to keep safe was backed up on her neural processor’s storage.

She hated that melting down that computer also ensured the value of what she had.

She didn’t want to think she would ever use the info except to help Jupiter and Seneca, but if that was true, why hadn’t she told them she had the location of the resistance’s base?

Old habits. Always hang on to your aces.

She traced her fingers over Bug’s rigid surface, where it hugged her neck like a gaudy piece of jewelry.

“I have to go into the station, but you two need to stay out of sight.”

Feeona led them to the edge of the maze of machinery and ships, then slid her palm over the almost invisible control panel.

She traced her fingers over the images that appeared on its surface to open the small lift.

It hadn’t been designed to accommodate the bulk of two Arena Dogs, but she stepped in and urged them to crowd in around her.

Jupiter maneuvered her to stand with her back pressed against his chest. She looked over her shoulder at him. When he lifted an eyebrow, she smiled a closed lip smile.

Then they bolted upward. To his credit he didn’t panic, but his muscles tightened and his breath hitched. She hadn’t considered that he might not have been in a lift before. She’d only wanted to keep where they were going a surprise. She reached for his hand and squeezed.

“It’s a lift,” explained Seneca. “To take us to another level.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Jupiter. Odd that one of the men would know and the other wouldn’t.

Seneca stared down at her. “There are lifts in the arena, but Dogs don’t ride them.”

She wanted to prompt him for more, but the door slid open before she could formulate a question. They stared out onto a similar but much smaller maze of ships. They hung from above. Beneath them there was only space. No floor—just a network of narrow metal grated walkways.

Jupiter and Sen followed her onto the walkway, alert and soaking in their surroundings.

“It’s an impressive sight, isn’t it?” She directed them to look down. “That’s a clear drop to the level we were on earlier, so be careful up here.”

“I can see it, but something obscures the view,” said Jupiter, hesitation in his voice.

“Some sort of energy field?” added Seneca.

“Yes, but nothing solid enough to break your fall if you go over the edge.”

Jupiter tipped his head to the side as he studied the obfuscation field. “It’s like looking through a basin of water.”

“From down there, you can’t see the ships stored here.” Fee stopped in front of her sleek black craft. “The extra layer of security is expensive but worth it.”

“Didn’t you say this is a secret landing port?” Seneca sounded only mildly curious.

“Mm-hm.” She ran a hand over the ship’s satin hull.

“A secret within a secret?” Jupiter followed his question with a low growl.

Feeona turned to face him. Despite the growl he didn’t seem angry at her, but the mood definitely needed lightening. “Not everyone who ends up in a brig doesn’t deserve to be there, big guy.”

“I’ll remember that the next time I end up in one.” His sober tone broke the humor.

Feeona’s smile faded. She reached out and pressed her cool palm against the healing injury on his chest. “Let’s see if we can all stay clear of lock-up. Okay?”

***