Star Crossed (13 page)

Krista giggled as she relaxed against him, his arms tightening around her stomach, pulling her closer. The erratic beat of his heart thumped against her back as her own slowed. Eventually the two beat in time and she snuggled closer.

His hand rested possessively over her lower stomach and she placed her hand over it. For the first time, the realization that they hadn’t even once used protection hit her like a slap in the face. She could be pregnant. Where on Earth had her mind been? How could she have been so careless?

“What are those wheels in your head turning over?” he asked.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about this yet. How would he feel if he thought she might be pregnant? Or had he been trying to get her pregnant all along? “What makes you think they’re turning over anything?”

“Your body tensed. Something upset you.”

Was she that easy to read? “I was just thinking that everyone in the house probably heard that.”

She felt as well as heard his chuckle. “We’re on the third floor. I’m sure they didn’t hear a thing.” He rose on his elbow and tugged her to her back. Grasping her chin, he turned her so she had to look at him. “But I don’t think that’s really what you were thinking about.”

Unable to tell him the truth, she lied. “I was thinking about your return to Rhenari.

I’m concerned about you.”

The corner of his lips lifted in a slight smile, the back of his fingers sent goose bumps down her spine as they brushed along her cheek. “I’m too stubborn to get rid of that easily.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

“I’ll be fine.” His hand rested possessively over her stomach.

She cupped his cheek with her hand. “Just please be careful and come home.” He turned and kissed her palm. “I will. I promise. I’ve decided after the vote tomorrow I’m going to make the announcement that I’m retiring.”

“Retiring?” Krista said, staring up at him in surprise. He had never said anything about this before. “Why?”

“I thought when I first started this that I could handle the senate as well as the responsibilities as count, but I can’t. Maybe I did at first but now it’s just getting to be too much. Dad has helped some, picking up the slack with Tilarus, but he wants to retire, that’s why he went ahead and passed the title to me. I can’t keep asking him to help. Besides, I want to settle down, marry and have children. Our children,” he said as he rubbed his hand back and forth over her stomach. “I can’t do it all. Something has to go and I think this is the best thing.”

“Who will take your place?”

“Probably Count Britton. He has a lot of political experience behind him. I think he would make a good senator.” He softly bit the tip of her finger and grinned. “Think you could tolerate me being around more often?”

“I don’t know.” She winced and blew out a long breath. “That’s asking a lot, but I think I could handle it.”

“Minx,” he growled and quickly found her most ticklish spots.

* * * * *

“So what did the two of you find out?” Damon asked as the men gathered in Sidious’ study later that morning.

“Not a lot,” Taron replied with a sigh. “We know that Carlone was on Shevalli not long after the destruction of the prime minister’s ship. Unfortunately, anything that might have been useful was destroyed in the explosion.”

“So where do we go from here?” Sidious asked, mostly to himself.

Stefan heard Taron call his name but he didn’t reply. He sat on the corner of the desk watching the women and Hayden play in the yard just beyond the veranda.

Krista’s laughter floated across the distance and wrapped around his heart. He wanted to shout his love for her. Scream at the top of his lungs from the highest rooftop that she was the only woman for him. His soul mate.

“He’s got it bad,” Damon said with a chuckle.

“What?” Stefan frowned at everyone’s laughter. “I hope you all are enjoying whatever joke I seem to be the butt of.”

“Sorry, Stefan,” Taron said as he chuckled. “You just seem to be a little distracted today.”

“I heard you,” he said, looking back out the window. “You said you didn’t find anything on Shevalli. I already knew that.”

“Any suggestions as to where we should go from here?” Taron asked as he took a seat in one of the chairs next to the fireplace.

Stefan turned to Taron. “I want you to make one more run to Veenori and talk with Devlin. See if he’s found anything else out. We’ll meet back here tomorrow and head back to Rhenari.”

Taron nodded.

“Excuse me? Did I just hear you say you were headed back to Rhenari?” Damon demanded.

“I have to go back for the senate vote.”

“The hell you do!” Damon’s voice thundered through the room.

“Don’t start with me, damn it, I’m not a child.”

“No. What you are is daft.”

“Should we run for the hills?” Taron mumbled to Sidious.

“No,” Sidious said. “If it gets out of hand, you take Stefan, I’ll take Dad.”

“That’s not funny!” Damon roared toward the two of them. “The two of you can’t seriously be supporting this nonsense.”

“Using Stefan as bait is not my first choice, but it’s the best idea we’ve got. The galaxy’s too big, Dad, he could stay hidden forever. We’ve got to get this guy.”

“Bait?”

Stefan rolled his eyes. He’d thought Damon would have figured out that’s what they were doing, but apparently not. “You didn’t think I was going just for the vote, did you?”

Damon paced, Tilarian curses spewing from his mouth. “I’m against this.”

“I kind of figured that,” Stefan grumbled.

“Stefan,” Sidious cautioned, shaking his head.

Turning, Damon pointed his finger at Sidious and Taron. “I’m holding the two of you responsible.”

“Don’t worry,” Sidious snorted. “I have no desire to take over his title of count.”

“I think I would almost prefer that to trailing him all over the galaxy,” Taron snickered, trying to bring some humor back into the room. Three angry Marcone men were not something he liked being in the middle of.

“Well, Taron,” Damon said with a grin that made Taron cringe. “As my
adopted
son who’s older than Sidious, that makes you next in line.”

“Ah, hell.”

Stefan and Sidious laughed.

Taron stepped into Devlin’s office on the top floor of the Veenori bar, Mirage. To his right, a one-way glass window looked out over the crowded bar area. Scantily clad women sauntered through the throng of men offering drinks or other, more personal wares.

Devlin sat behind his desk, a set of nude identical twins on either side of him. His black hair hung around his shoulders in unruly waves, his sapphire eyes shining bright with intelligence. They never missed a thing, no matter where he was or what he was doing. Devlin had uncanny reflexes—quick, and when necessary, deadly.

His broad frame, even in the chair, dwarfed the twins, one of whom had her hand in Devlin’s shirt. The other nibbled along his neck. Taron cleared his throat. All three pairs of eyes turned in his direction. The women’s twinkled in interest, Devlin’s sparked amusement.

Taron grinned. “Ladies,” he drawled. “May I have a moment alone with Devlin?” The one on Devlin’s left pouted and moved forward. With a wave of her hand she brushed her thick, flame-red hair back and he noticed the tattooing on her chest.

A Beganite?

One Beganite woman was quite a catch. Their powers in the bedroom were unmatched by any other female species, but to have twins was almost unheard of. The two of them together could probably paralyze a man.

Her gold eyes raked over him and she licked her full, sensuous lips, running her hand down to his cock. “My,” she purred, “it feels very nice.”

“It is nice, sweetheart.”

“Would you like to join us?” Her twin came forward as well, her lips nipping at his ear. “We’ve always wanted two men at once.”

“Something tells me the two of you have already done that, more than once.” He stepped back from them, trying not to breathe their essence in too deeply. It was their scent that sent men into an immediate state of undeniable arousal. “I appreciate the offer, ladies. But Devlin and I need to talk.”

“That’s a shame,” she pouted, giving his straining bulge one last squeeze. “He seemed so ready for the task.”

She sauntered out of the room, her firm ass swaying in invitation.

“Damn,” Taron murmured.

The other one left as well, her hand lingering on his backside as she walked by.

Taron turned back to Devlin. “Where the hell did you get twins?”

“I won them,” he answered with a grin.

“You weren’t by any chance trying them out when I walked in?”

“You don’t think I would unleash them on my customers without experiencing them firsthand, do you?”

“Of course not, lucky ass.”

Devlin chuckled. “Whenever you want to try them out, they’re yours for free.” Taron raised an eyebrow in amusement, stepping further into the room. “That’s very generous of you.”

Devlin shrugged. “I owe you one or two, if I recall.” Taron took a seat across from him. The huge mahogany desk took up most of the room, leaving little space for other pieces of furniture.

“Please tell me you have something,” Taron said, suddenly all business.

Devlin nodded. “Yes and no. The
Negash
was docked here and a man was seen asking a lot of questions about it. He wanted to know who flew it in.”

“It wasn’t Stefan. He ditched the ship a while ago.”

“The mechanic found a long-range tracer on it. I’m assuming that’s how Carlone was able to track it here.”

“You know for certain it was Carlone?”

“No. But my gut tells me it is. We searched through the docking bay security film until the mechanic recognized him.” He tossed a picture toward Taron. “That’s what he looks like.”

Taron frowned down at the image. The body size was right, but it was the wrong face. Was Carlone working with someone?

“My guess is,” Devlin folded his hands beneath his chin, “if it’s Carlone. He’s wearing a new skin mask.”

Damn
. “Hopefully, he only has the one.”

“I’ll get this, as well as the other image of him, out to all the planets and stations.

Surely someone will recognize him.”

“I hope you’re right,” Taron sighed. “At least with his face plastered everywhere he won’t be as free to roam the galaxy as he was.”

“There’s a little more.”

Taron raised an eyebrow in interest.

“He left here this morning in a ship.”

“Any idea where he was headed?” Taron asked.

“Carlone, if that’s who it is, covers his tracks well. The security cameras picked up no markings on the ship of any kind, nor was there any information given to the hangar crew prior to his leaving. The only thing we can determine is that the ship was of Litarian design.”

Taron sighed and tossed the picture back onto the desk. “So basically we know he left here but we have no idea what he left here in or where he was headed.” Devlin sat back in the chair behind his desk and folded his hands in front of him before replying. “Apparently when he landed he didn’t leave any instructions for the

ship so the hangar crew pretty much ignored it. Unfortunately that’s what the people here pay them to do, ignore things. ”

Taron nodded. “If it’s Litarian, that would mean it’s fast.”

“Yes,” Devlin replied. “And more than likely also means it has cloaking capabilities.”

Looking up at the ceiling, Taron replied, “Is there anything that’s going to go right with this investigation?”

Devlin smiled slightly. “Do you really want an answer to that?”

“The only answer that I want to hear is yes. If you can’t tell me that, don’t tell me anything.”

Devlin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “I can’t tell you yes, but I think I can do one better.”

“What?” Taron asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Did you know that the Litarian cloak, when used on such a small vessel, puts out a large amount of gamma radiation?”

“No, I didn’t know that,” Taron replied with interest.

Devlin turned his laptop around so that Taron could see it. “As soon as we found out he left and what he left in, I scanned the area surrounding the planet and came up with a gamma trail.”

Taron smiled and said. “Dev, man you’re a genius. Can we follow the trail to where he is?”

“No, unfortunately it disappears quickly. But I can tell you that he’s headed in the general direction of Rhenari.”

“And so is Stefan.” Taron grinned. “Perfect. Maybe now’s our chance to catch the son of a bitch.”

* * * * *

Stefan took a moment to look around his office, trying to decide what he wanted to take and what he didn’t. He had decided to keep the apartment, for he was sure he would be back here periodically. And everyone else in the family could use it as well, whenever they chose to.

For a moment sadness enveloped him, for this is where he had spent the majority of the last two years. Running his fingers along the top of the desk, he moved to stand behind it. He smiled. Fondly he remembered all the times he had fallen asleep in his chair while trying to work, only to be awakened by Taron yelling at him for working himself into a stupor.

All that was going to change. He had a reason to be home more. Krista. He was definitely looking forward to becoming an old married man like his brother. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled a ring out and smiled. The bright office lights made the lavender stone sparkle with blue flecks. The center stone was round, with one ring of white diamonds circling around it.

The color reminded him of the wedding and the lavender punch she dumped on his head. It was the first time he’d kissed her and, he was certain, the very minute he fell in love with her.

With a sigh, he put the ring back in his pocket. He would present it to her later, when he returned. Sitting in the chair, he leaned down and began pulling files from the bottom drawer. If he was going to get this done he might as well get started. He piled them on the desk and began to go through them one by one.

Taron strolled in and took the seat across from him. His usual spot. His shoulders slumped and Stefan glanced at him, his brows creasing in worry. “Nothing?”

“Not a damn thing.”

“Word is spreading fast that I’ve resigned. I’ve already had five senators come in here and say their goodbyes.” He sighed and dropped a file into an empty box. “I have a bad feeling, Taron.”

Taron frowned. “About?”

“I don’t know. But something has been gnawing at my gut all morning.” Taron nodded. “Finish getting your stuff together. We’ll head back to Deago shortly. I’m beginning to think like you. We’re wasting our time here.”

* * * * *

Krista strolled through downtown Deago, her mind not really on the window-shopping. It was focused more on Stefan and her love for him. Could she do this, be a countess? Would she disappoint him? Would she hate it?

She’d never been one for social gatherings and public appearances. She was a homebody. She liked watching movies and working in a garden. All afternoon she’d watched Kaylar. Stefan’s mother was graceful, gracious. Everything Krista thought a royal should be. And everything she wasn’t.

With a sigh, she sat on the edge of the center fountain. She loved Stefan so much.

He had quickly become her whole life. Reaching down, she twirled her fingers in the water, watching the ripples move along the surface. She knew she shouldn’t have done this. Falling in love with him had been such a huge mistake, but how could she now go on without him?

He was so good to her and so good for her. He made her more confident, brought out a side of her she didn’t even know existed—especially in the bedroom. She’d never dreamed she could be so wild, so uninhibited. And it was all due to him.

“Ms. Sinclair?”

Krista looked up at the man standing above her, shielding her eyes from the midday sun. He wore a hat, the brim putting his face in shadow. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared at him.

“Yes?”

“I’m Vorhala. A friend of Stefan’s.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” She stood and tried to get a better look at the gentleman, but he shifted, keeping his face within the shadow of the brim. “Can I help you?”

“Actually, yes.”

“How so?”

“I would like to show you something.” He held his hand palm up. “Would you come with me?”

Krista hesitated. She didn’t know who this man was or why he wanted her to go with him. Something wasn’t quite right but she didn’t know what. She’d left the house without telling anyone where she was going, only a note saying she needed time alone to think. Now she realized the folly of her actions. She hadn’t believed the assassin would want her, but now she began to rethink the idea.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. I told my friend I would be right back and she’s expecting me. Maybe another—”

Something hard poked her in the ribs and she glanced down. A gun?
Oh my God,
what have I done
?

“You will come with me. Now.”

Her heart raced like a runaway train. What the hell was she going to do and who was this man? “What if I don’t? Are you going to shoot me right here?”

“Yes,” he sneered, “I will. Make no mistake.”

“Who are you?”

He pushed her along using the tip of the gun. “Let’s just say you and I have a mutual acquaintance.”

“Stefan?” He grunted and she licked her lips, thinking fast and hard for a way out of her situation. “Taking me won’t help you find him.”

“If I take you, I won’t need to find him. He’ll come to me.” Krista closed her eyes against the scream that wanted to rip from her chest.
Stefan,
I’m so sorry
. Taking a deep breath for courage, she slung her purse as hard as she could, smacking him on the side of the head. While he was distracted, she took off down the

street as fast as she could, refusing to even take the time to look over her shoulder to see where he was.

She should have. A hard yank to her hair brought her to an abrupt stop. She yelped, grabbing at the hand that held her and pulled her into an alleyway.

The man growled in her ear. “Stupid bitch. I can take you alive, or I can take you in pieces. It doesn’t matter to me.”

She cringed at the evil and anger in his voice. “You’re making a mistake,” she snapped. “He has no reason to come for me.”

“I think otherwise,” he snarled and slung her against the stucco wall of the building.

Her head cracked against the wall and pain shot through her neck. Her vision blurred and she slowly slid to the hard stone of the alley.
Why isn’t anyone helping me
?

she wondered as darkness closed in around her.