Fortune's Risk: A Star Thief Novella (Star Thief Chronicles #1.5) (7 page)

Viktis’s fingers brushed a strand of her escaping hair from her face, his fingers grazing the skin of her jaw and making her skin erupt into goose bumps. They were so close she could see the flecks of green in his golden eyes, the way his skin shimmered in the light.

“Why do small spaces frighten you?” he asked gently, letting his fingers trail down her neck.

Keva stared sightlessly at the vent wall as a wave of terror washed over her. She thought she’d gotten over it years ago, but it came up periodically, sending her into a spiral of fear. “Coup attempt when I was nine. I was locked in a secret compartment in our manor for three days. No food, no water, pitch black. Only the sound of screams and whimpers to keep me company.”

Viktis’s fingers curled into her shoulders. “That must have been horrible.”

“Wasn’t exactly a vacation.”

“I watched assassins kill my parents when I was a kid,” he said softly, his tone nonchalant, but ending with a slight tremble. “I pretended to be a servant. Hooked up with the mercs afterwards so I could escape. They never knew the truth about my past.” He paused, his voice dropping slightly. “I found out later that one of my sisters made it out, too.”

He didn’t make it sound like a good thing, and Keva turned to look at him, interested despite herself. “What happened to her?”

Viktis’s hands were clenched tightly together in his lap, but his voice was perfectly calm. “Caught by slavers just outside our system. Cordoza’s men. Kitty got one look at Jillis and sold her to a rich Trezian who said he wanted an Ileth housekeeper. Her relation to a former President was an added bonus.” He took a breath. “Took me five years to discover she was alive, and when I found out, I went to the Cordozas to buy her back. By then it was too late.”

Horror burned the back of her throat and she slid her hand into Viktis’s. “Did her owner kill her?”

“No, he only raped her. The Cordozas killed her when she managed to escape. They tracked her down like a dog. He didn’t want her back. Too much trouble, and she’d already proved a flight risk. There was only one option. Kitty saw to it personally, since my sister had ruined a lucrative business deal.”

Keva sucked in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

Trapped in his memories, Viktis didn’t respond.

Keva lifted a hand to his face, as if she could physically drag him away from the horror replaying in his mind. She gently forced him to look at her. “I promise you, Kitty Cordoza is a dead woman.”

“I don’t want her dead. I want her locked away for the rest of her life so she can live with what she’s done. That’s the worst thing you can do to a woman like her. Take away her power and influence.”

His eyes glittered angrily in the half-light of the vent and she nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll avenge your sister.”

They stared at each other, both breathing heavily. Before she could blink, Viktis lowered his head and captured her lips with his. They were warm and demanding against her skin, his gentle caress sending tremors through her body. He tasted like champagne and mint.

Gods, it had been so long since she’d been kissed like that. Heat started to pool in her belly and she pulled him closer, their tongues warring. A moan escaped her lips as his hand lowered to her breast, and Viktis shifted so he could pull her half across his lap. Keva didn’t resist.

His hands traveled down her body, resting on her hips. She lowered her lips to his jaw, gently brushing kisses along it until she reached the sensitive spot on his neck just below his ear. Viktis let out a shaky breath as she stroked and kissed him, his fingers curling into her skin.

“We need to go,” he whispered. But he made no move to pull away.

Keva smiled against the smooth skin of his neck. “I know.”

He moaned and pulled her lips back to his. They fit together perfectly, even in the cramped space, and she shivered as his hands slipped beneath her shirt to tease her sensitive nipples through her bra.

She arched her back, her insides feeling as though they’d burst into flame if she continued to deny her desire. She slowly lowered a hand to the stiffness pressing against her leg.

Viktis jerked at her touch, letting out a hiss of pleasure. At the sound, wetness pooled between her thighs. Gods, the only thing she wanted right now was him. She didn’t even care about the darkness.

“Viktis, please,” she panted, tugging him toward the vent opening. Kitty’s bed was sounding pretty good right now.

But before they could move, voices came from the next room.

“Yes, ma’am. We’re here, ma’am.” A pause. “No, no sign of them yet. Of course. We’ll be right there.” There were footsteps in the foyer as the three guards scrambled to leave the suite.

Keva’s breath came in gasps, like she’d just run a race, and beside her, Viktis looked pained. “What was that about?” she whispered.

“No idea. But we’d better take this opportunity to get out of here.”

Almost reluctantly, she climbed out of the vent, back into Kitty’s darkened room. Her gaze fell to the large bed and a pang of regret shot through her. If they’d just had a little more time…

She would have done something completely stupid.

Keva took a deep breath and stepped away from Viktis. “You’re right. Let’s go.” She spun on her heel and stalked out, heat burning her cheeks. She knew exactly who, and what, this man was, and yet she’d thrown herself at him like some sex-starved whore. What the hell was wrong with her?

“Keva, wait.”

She ignored Viktis and yanked open the suite door to peek up and down the hall. Still empty. Without waiting for him, she headed toward the elevators.

Footfalls sounded behind her as Viktis sprinted to catch up. He winced as he walked, like he was in pain. “Keva. Listen.” He grabbed her arm but she jerked it away.

“No, you listen. That shouldn’t have happened. The stress of the moment got to me. It won’t happen again. Now, let’s get moving before the captain becomes violently ill from Kitty’s advances.” A shudder shimmied down Keva’s body.

Viktis frowned, but nodded reluctantly. “Fine, but don’t think this is over.”

CHAPTER 8

Viktis took his seat at the poker table and glanced around the packed casino. Where the hell was Finn? Behind him, he knew Keva was doing the same thing. The tournament was about to start, and there was still no sign of him.

“What do we do?” Keva whispered.

Her breath warmed his ear, the sweet, floral scent of her perfume washing over him, and he closed his eyes against the surge of lust that spiked through his midsection. He still ached from their earlier kiss like a teenaged boy. She shouldn’t have been able to do that to him with barely a touch, but the thought of how she’d tasted, how she’d felt in his arms was making him crazy.

He sucked in a ragged breath.
Pull it together
. He couldn’t afford to slip up now, not when he was so close to ending Kitty.

“We go ahead with the plan and hope he shows up soon,” he answered.

Her worried gazed scanned the room again. “I don’t like this. The captain is never late. What if something’s happened to him?”

“Then there’s nothing we can do about it now. He’ll be okay for a little longer.” But unease made his skin prickle. She was right. Finn would be here if he could. So what had happened? Renna would kill him if Finn was hurt on his watch, and he knew first hand exactly how dangerous it was to get on her bad side.

“Here, hold on to this for me,” Viktis said, passing over a small biolock. “Just in case.”

“What is it?” Keva asked, her forehead furrowing adorably.

He cleared his throat. Since when was adorable part of his vocabulary? “It’s an insurance policy in case our friendly mob queen tries anything. A copy of the data I planted in her suite.”

“Smart.” Her gaze met his with admiration and they stared at each other for a long moment, the sounds of the casino starting to recede.

Until the murmur of the crowd grew louder, breaking the sudden tension between them. Kitty Cordoza and two of her bodyguards had entered the casino and were making for the poker tables. Viktis tried to pick his jaw up off the floor as she sashayed toward him in a dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. The cherry-red, floor length silk had a slash that revealed her long legs as she walked, and a plunging neckline that went almost to her stomach. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in shiny waves, and her red lips were parted in a smile as she met Viktis’s gaze.

“Mr. Zero. So glad you decided to enter the tournament. I have a feeling this is going to be an exceptional game.” She held out her hand to him and he took it, pressing a kiss to her palm.

“You look magnificent, Kitty. I don’t think anyone’s going to be paying attention to their cards, we’ll all be too busy staring at you.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s what I was counting on.”

A short, potbellied Conyara alien climbed onto the platform set up behind the poker tables. He spread his arms with a smile that stretched his facial ridges wide. “Welcome everyone to the first Pointe Blue Casino Poker Tournament. I’m excited at the fantastic response. The Children of the Stars charity will benefit from your extreme generosity. Now without further ado, let’s play!”

The dealer-bots cracked open fresh packages of cards at each table and shuffled them between their metallic fingers. “Costa Five rules, minimum bet twenty thousand credits.” Quickly, the bot dealt out a hand to each player, their human-like eyes watching each of them carefully.

The bots had been designed to be tamper proof, but if you knew the right people…And Viktis always knew the right people.

He picked up his hand and smiled. Not bad at all.

“Bids in.” The dealer stared at each of them. The man on Viktis’s left pushed over a stack of chips. Everyone else followed suit.

“Show your hands please.”

With a smile, Kitty flipped over her cards, along with the two other men at the table. Viktis kept his face expressionless, but he’d won the table. Easily.

“Who’s lucky tonight?” Kitty asked. “That’s quite a hand.”

“Let’s hope it keeps up,” he replied with a smile. “Luck is a fickle thing.”

She ran her fingers down his arm, stroking the back of his hand. “Indeed it is.”

His gut clenched. The expression in her eyes was savage. And not just because of the tournament. Every instinct screamed that there was something wrong, something he was missing, but he had no idea what. He’d have to stay the course for now and hope he could stop her before whatever she was up to went too far.

“Next hand,” the dealer announced.

After a quick glance at their cards, the players placed their bets. And Viktis won again.

And again.

After the fourth time, his hands started to sweat and he furtively wiped them on his tuxedo trousers. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d programmed the hack to only let him win enough to stay in the game, not to obliterate everyone in
every
game.

Beside him, Kitty smiled slyly. “I had no idea you were such a shark, Mr. Zero.”

“You must be my lucky charm,” he replied breezily.

Keva shifted her weight, glancing around the room nervously as the crowd started whispering. The noise swelled louder than the sound of the slot machines, but Viktis blocked it out, focusing on his next batch of cards.

A royal flush. Shit.

There was nothing to do but play it.

The noise crested higher, and the other players at the table studied Viktis with narrowed eyes. He took a sip of the champagne at his elbow to chase away the sudden acid burning at the back of his throat.

Behind him, Keva coughed. He glanced back at her. And then at the trio of casino officials approaching.

The man who’d kicked off the evening shindig glared at him. “Mr. Zero, we have some serious concerns regarding your wins this evening. Would you please stand up and place your hands face down on the table.”

Viktis’s swallowed as he stared at the men. “I assure you, gentlemen, I haven’t been cheating.”

“We’ll determine that for ourselves. On your feet, sir.”

Two casino guards approached and Viktis scrambled to stand up.

“Search him,” the Conyara ordered.

Viktis held up his hands. “Is that necessary?”

“Cheating at this casino will not be tolerated. Men, search his pockets.” The two guards approached and Viktis backed away, bumping against the table. His frantic gaze fell on Kitty Cordoza, watching him calmly from her seat, and his stomach dropped to the floor as it hit him.

She’d framed him.

“Not so lucky after all, Mr. Zero? Or whatever your name is.” She leaned back, her dress spilling open to show off her long legs. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to figure it out once I win here. You won’t be going anywhere for a very long time.”

One of the guards grabbed his arm, while the other shoved a hand into the pocket of Viktis’s tux. He struggled, but the guard pulled out a small electronic device and held it out to the tournament official.

“Looks like a transmitter of some kind.”

Where the hell had that come from?

“Yes. I’ve seen these before. Take him to the security office and lock him up. We’ll deal with him after the tournament.” The official shook his head. “It’s disgusting that someone would try to cheat at a charity tournament. Only the worst kind of criminal would steal from these children.”

Rough hands grabbed Viktis by the arms and dragged him away from the table. He met Keva’s worried gaze, his skin turning icy. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss as to how to get out of this one. If he attacked the guards, hundreds of people could get hurt. If he played along, he’d find himself in a jail cell at Kitty Cordoza’s mercy. Neither option appealed to him.

“I’ll call your lawyer,” Keva shouted over the catcalls and jeers from the crowd. “We’ll get you out of this.”

He had no idea what that meant, but if Kitty was on to him, she had to be suspicious of Keva, too. He shook his head. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he ordered as they dragged him away.

CHAPTER 9