“What’s going on?”
Callum turned from the screen as Tannis spoke from the doorway. She sounded irked. “You’ve been on this ship one hour and already we’re under attack. How come they caught up so soon?” Her eyes narrowed on him. “Have you been in contact with anyone? Perhaps you’ve decided you don’t want this trip after all.”
“No.”
“So how have they homed in on us so quickly? There’s a lot of space out here—this can’t be just good luck on their part.”
“Do you think we’ve got a bug on board?” Janey swiveled in her seat and eyed him curiously. “Like Jon had?”
“You bugged?” Tannis asked him.
“Not that I know of. They wouldn’t dare without my knowledge.”
“Yeah, right, of course they wouldn’t, because you’re so big, bad, and important. Get the scanner, Janey.”
Callum stood still as Janey ran the machine down over his body. Nothing happened, and he slowly relaxed. Then she moved around behind him.
Beep, beep, beep.
“They always put it in the ass,” Janey murmured. “Lend me your knife,” she said to Skylar.
Skylar drew a wicked-looking blade from the weapons belt at her waist and handed it to the redhead.
His mind reeled. They’d bugged him without his knowledge. When the hell had they done that? And why hadn’t they told him? The Council had suggested it years ago as a security precaution and he’d refused. It looked like they’d gone ahead anyway, must have been during one of the medicals. Bastards. And what the hell was that woman brandishing a knife at him for? No way was she cutting into him with that blade.
“Spread the wings and drop your pants.”
“What?” He peered over his shoulder as she crouched behind him, the scanner in one hand, the knife in the other. She grinned with relish as though she could sense his discomfort.
“I need to get the bug out, or we’ll never get away from…” She waved a scarlet-tipped hand at the monitor, where the Corps ships still hovered. He couldn’t see how they were going to get away anyway. The Endeavor was a Mark Five cruiser. He’d commissioned her himself. She was the fastest ship in space, with more than fifty times the firepower of El Cazador.
“Well…” Janey prompted.
He shrugged. Everyone backed away as he spread his wings. His hand went to the fastener at his waist, and he hesitated. Five sets of eyes watched him avidly. He glanced at Tannis, and she raised an eyebrow as though daring him. He couldn’t remember feeling this uncomfortable. Ever. This was no big deal. He turned to face the console, and Janey shuffled around so she was behind him.
He flicked open the fastener and pushed his pants down. Someone whistled, and he cringed inwardly but didn’t react.
“Do you all realize we’re looking at the most powerful butt in the known universe?” Janey said.
“Wow—I feel honored,” Tannis replied. “Now get on with it.”
Callum ignored them. Leaning one arm against the curved silver wall, he willed this whole humiliating experience over. Fingers ran lightly over the curve of his buttocks. “Got it,” she murmured. “This might sting a little.”
Was that anticipation he could hear in her voice?
Bitch.
He peered over his shoulders and caught Tannis with her gaze glued on his ass. She looked up and straight into his eyes as the knife probed his flesh. Shit that hurt. It must have shown on his face, because she grinned. “Don’t be a baby.”
He gritted his teeth as the blade dug deeper. Was she deliberately taking her time? Finally, something popped free from his skin and fell to the floor.
“Okay, done,” Janey said. “You can put your pants back on.”
A slow trickle of blood ran down his left buttock, but he couldn’t think what to do about that, and he wanted his pants back on sooner rather than later. He pulled them up, folded his wings, and turned around just as Tannis smashed her booted foot on the small silver bug. She ground down, so he heard the splinter of metal.
Now his ass hurt as well. He tried the at-least-I’m-not-bored argument again, but it was losing its potency. He wanted to go home, to his palace, where people at least pretended to like him. A smile tugged at his lips at the pathetic thought.
“Okay, so that’s one problem solved. All we need to do now is get away from that ship and stay away, and we’re all good. Any ideas?” Tannis looked around the room. No one answered.
“They’re trying to comm us,” Janey said. “You want to hear what they have to say?”
“Not particularly, but I suppose we should.”
“This is Captain Harris of The Endeavor. Please lock your weapons and get ready to be boarded.”
Callum knew Captain Harris—he was Tyler’s man. Fuck. He stepped closer to the comm unit and spoke.
“Captain, this is Callum Meridian. I’m ordering you to stand down and return to Trakis Five.”