Rachol sighed and m oved to stand behind Nykyrian where he could read over his shoulder. There was something going on with his friend, and Rachol couldn't quite place what it was. "No, not really. Just enough to really make me mad."
Rachol's eyes widened as he scanned the contract. "Holy geez," he breathed. "Biardi's not playing around with that."
"No, he's not."
Rachol took a deep breath. "So what are we going to do about it? My vote is we terminate the gratter. " Nykyrian gave him a m enacing glare. "He deserves it," Rachol said defensively.
"Yeah well, we can't go around assassinating respected officials."
Rachol snorted, wishing they could. "I think we should forget this protection crap and jettison Kiara back on a remote shuttle." He moved to lie down on one of the sofas.
The door upstairs opened. The softened look on Nykyrian's face as he stared up at the dancer made Rachol grind his teeth. He glanced up from the couch and caught Kiara's blush, and in that moment, he knew what the two of them had been up to. "Aw God," he muttered.
Nykyrian shot him a lethal glare. "Please deny it," Rachol begged. Kiara's blush deepened.
Rachol slung his feet over the couch and stood. "Have you lost all your brains?"
Nykyrian came to his feet and Rachol recognized the angry twitch in his jaw. "It's none of your concern."
Clenching his teeth, Rachol backed down. "Fine," he snapped, glaring at Kiara with all the malice he felt.
"Kiara and I have a few things to do this morning. I need you to stay here and work on locating Aksel and Shahara. When I get back, we'll repair your ship."
Rachol wanted to strangle some sense into his friend. It wasn't like Nykyrian to toss safety to the wind for anything, especially a woman.
"Fine," Rachol said, knowing this wasn't the time to start a heavy debate, but he promised himself he would talk sense into Kip even if he had to shoot him. "I need a new plate for my rear thruster."
"No problem," Nykyrian said, heading up the stairs. "I need to change, then we'll leave."
Rachol turned his glare to Kiara.
After a few seconds, Nykyrian called down to him. "I need you to find an address for Aksel's wife. Her name is Driana Bredeh, she should be in the Solaras System."
Rachol frowned. "I didn't know that scab was married," he muttered.
Kiara walked around the couch, a strange look on her face as she neared him. "Why are Aksel and Nykyrian at odds with one another?"
Rachol shrugged. "Comm ander Huwin's eldest and favorite son died in battle. For whatever reason, he didn't think Aksel or Arast were soldier material so he decided to adopt another son."
Rachol glanced up the stairs, wondering if Nykyrian could hear him. Maliciously, he decided he didn't care and continued, "Huwin found Nykyrian in a work home. From the moment Aksel met Kip, he hated him. Then when Nykyrian graduated top of his class and went into the League as the youngest commissioned officer in history, Aksel couldn't take it. He's been mental toward Kip ever since."
Kiara opened her mouth to ask him another question, but Nykyrian returned. Rachol recognized the warning in Kip's eyes that he should keep his tongue still around Kiara. A vengeful smile curved his lips as he silently dared Kip to say anything.
At least Kip wore his usual street clothes, the long black coat that concealed his blaster, his glasses and the silver inlaid boots with retractable blades.
Rachol knew Kip could take care of himself, but he still wished Nykyrian would see reason and stop this crap with Kiara before it was too late for all of them. Nykyrian held his hand out to Kiara and Rachol cursed under his breath.
With his temper barely restrained, Rachol watched the two of them leave. Stroking Ilyse's head, he listened to the engines fire outside.
"I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered to him self. "Most of all, I hope she's worth it."
Even as he said the words, Rachol had a strange premonition Nykyrian was headed for death.
Nine
"Where are we?" Kiara asked as they docked inside a brightly lighted bay on a planet she had never seen before.
"The city of Verta," Nykyrian said, switching off his engines.
"Verta?" Kiara repeated, a thrill rushing through her. She had always wanted to visit the infamous shops lining Paraf Run, but her father had always claimed it would be far too dangerous. Every manner of questionable merchandise— including slaves— was bought and sold here by some of the universe's most dangerous beings.
"Are you sure this is safe?" she asked.
Nykyrian released the hatch. "Very. I'm well known here and no one is stupid enough to cross me."
An impish thought occurred to her and she couldn't resist asking, "What if some high-ranking aristocrat sees me and demands my private services?"
His hands tensed around her safety strap. "I'd rip his heart out and feed it to him."
Kiara wasn't sure if she liked his answer. She swallowed as an image of Arast's death played through her mind.