Page 110 of Star Claimed Omega
By this time, Zev was bent over with laughter.
‘Smokin’ hot princess?’ Santi muttered, his fingers flying across his console, never glancing up. ‘Let me guess, that’s because she’s sending you images of herself in your bunk. Where she’s waiting in nothing but what her mama gave her. Watch out, she might be a ‘heiress’ only because she’s the sole heir to a cargo bay full of restraining orders. Don’t worry, Kaal, we’ll be done in time. We wouldn’t want to jeopardize the most thrilling moments of your romantic life, yet.’
‘Fokkoff,’ Kaal rasped, with a twinkle in his eye, even as Zev and Boaz guffawed.
Santi stepped away from the others and activated a holo call on his wrist comm.
A soft chime rang before her image bloomed to life, her face half-lit, her background a golden dawn light over one of his lakeside cabins.
‘Santi?’ she asked, her voice warm, sleepy.
‘Naam, mi sol,’ he growled in a gentle burr. ‘Didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.’
Her smile wavered. ‘You’re leaving?’
‘Got an urgent mission that came up early this morning. It might be a day. Maybe two. We’re intercepting a ship we think belongs to theRed Skullsfaction, which has drifted too close to the flotilla.’
She stilled. ‘That’s dangerous.’
‘Only if they’re smart, and I’m betting they’re not.’
He leaned one shoulder against the steel hull, eyes raking her face. ‘Listen, I don’t want to be away from you, but I need to do this. We have to know what they’re planning.’
Soleil gave a slight shrug. ‘I get it, honey.’
‘That’s my girl,’ he said with a grin. ‘And as long as you’re okay with it, I’m a happy man.’
She laughed, that beautiful sound that tugged at his soul. ‘Just come back to me.’
‘Promise.’ He reached out, brushing a thumb across her holo-cheek. ‘Seal it with a kiss?’
She leaned in with a slow, intimate smile, then kissed the air like she meant it.
He shut off the call with a throbbing ache in his chest, and he rubbed at it.
Turning back, he found Kaal eyeing him from the edge of the loading bay.
‘You ready, lover?’ his lycan brother chuckled, winking.
Santi bestowed himthefinger.
‘Never readier,fokker,’ the XO muttered, eyes hardening. ‘Let’s kick shit up.’
The crew stepped into the drop ship and sealed the ramp.
Propulsion systems ignited with a roar, casting them into the void, shadows armed with purpose.
The drop ship was quiet at first, engines humming in stealth mode as it knifed through the black toward the rogueRed Skullgunner.
The inside of the cabin glowed vermilion from the control panels, a hush of anticipation clinging to the walls.
It was a three-hour ride to contact, and even for seasoned warriors like the Signet strong guard, that was a long stretch to let your nerves dance.
The banter had begun early, and the brothers focused on Zev, who was still suffering lingering effects from his extracurricular activities the night before.
Boaz grunted as he adjusted a weapons strap across his broad chest. ‘Zev, did you even recognize your own name last night? I think you tried to pay the bartender, then explained to the bouncer that your new spirit animal was a startled flamingo. Your attempts at ‘seductive dancing’ looked less like a party stripper and more like a malfunctioning ceiling fan.’
‘Hey, it’s called embracing the moment, and I distinctly remember having some intense, philosophical conversations,’ Zev shot back, trying to smooth down his hair. ‘I enlightened at least three strangers on the true meaning of existence, and one of them bought me a beverage, so my charisma was at peak limit. Besides, you’re just jealous you went home early and missed my interpretive dance performance dedicated to the lost art of the cheese platter.’
