Born of Fire

Donya frowned at the statue as if it pained her. “Come now, sweet. You’ve got better taste than that. What? Is this a gift for your friend?”


Shahara gave her a sultry smile. “Oh, if only I could be so lucky. I would love to have something like that to remind me of you.”

“Of me?”

“Both of you got back, baby. More than that, she’s got your hairstyle, too.”

Donya’s face flushed bright red as her eyes narrowed in fury.

Get control, boy. You can’t afford to blow this.

He directed a warning look at Shahara before he turned back to Donya to recapture her attention. “I really need to find this piece, no matter the cost. Do you know who has it?”

It took several minutes before Donya stopped glaring at Shahara and pulled up the information. “We’ve sold it six times. The last sale was three years ago to a private collector.”

“Any chance I can get his name?”

Donya turned the kiosk off. “You know we don’t do that, baby. Sorry. But I can make some calls to see if she’d like to sell it.”

“Please do so. See what you can arrange.”

“My usual commission?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then I’ll start the calls and let you know what I find.”

Syn inclined his head to her. “Look forward to hearing from you.” As he started for the door with Shahara, Donya stopped him.

She waited until he’d turned back to her before she spoke again. “Next time you drop by, leave your friend at home.”

“Sorry, Donya. Can’t do that.” He leaned in to kiss Shahara on the cheek. “I love my hot new girlfriend and her wild ways. You really should have taken her up on the threesome. We could have had a lot of fun together.”

He left as soon as he saw Donya about to explode. Then he quickly ushered Shahara out of the office and through the building.

“Syn—”

“Shh,” he said, not hesitating in their hasty retreat.

Shahara didn’t take the hint. “But what about—”

“Shh. I’ll explain outside.”

Shahara really didn’t like being shushed, but it was obvious there was something significant going on that she was missing. So she waited until they were out on the street and Vik was circling above them.

“What’s going on, Syn? We have no information.”

He flashed her that devilish grin that made her weak in the knees. “Not true at all.” He held up a small handheld device.

“What’s that?”

“Her entire set of secure records, including the current owner’s name and address. Let’s hear it for the filch, baby. You get me near a computer network and I can drain it dry. But I had to be in the building to get it. Yeah, me.”

She smiled at his skill, impressed yet again. “You are awesome.”

He arched a brow at that as he discreetly took her hand and pressed it up against the bulge in his pants so that she could feel how aroused he was. “Have you any idea of the fire you started in there with what you were doing?”

She licked her lips suggestively, then clamped down hard on his balls as she let her anger at him finally show. “Have you any idea of the fire you started?”

Syn’s body seized as pain shredded all other emotions. He froze, trying to keep her from hurting him any more. “Careful, love. You might want that to work later.”

She twisted her hand, not so much as to incapacitate him, but more as a warning. “You’re lucky, given your little performance in there, that I don’t rip them off.”

“I only did it for you.” He held up his palm computer. “I had to have the data.”

“Uh-huh.” She tightened her hand on his balls, making him raise up on his toes. “You ever do something like that again and I’ll make you a permanent soprano.” She wrenched her hand away.

Syn gasped as he rubbed himself to alleviate the pain she’d caused. “That was just wrong, man.”

“Don’t go there. I’m still pissed off and you’re lucky they’re still attached given the way I feel.”

He held his hands up in surrender . . . and took two steps back from her. Out of her reach.

Eyeing her warily, he plugged the last owner’s number into his link and let it hail her.

After a few seconds, an older woman answered.

“Good afternoon. My name is Chryton Doone, and I’d like to speak with Fria Togg about a sculpture she purchased a couple of years ago from Berringer’s.”

“One moment, please.”

The wait this time was a little bit longer. Finally another woman picked up the phone. “Can I help you?”

“I certainly hope so. I’m on a bit of a quest to find an old Derridian sculpture of the goddess Pikra that you purchased.”

“Oh, that ugly little thing from Berringer’s that I bought to irritate my former husband? God, who would want that?”

His stomach hit the floor as he saw the hopeful look on Shahara’s face. Since she couldn’t hear the woman, she didn’t know that their hopes were being dashed. Damn it.

“I take it you don’t still have it.”

Shahara closed her eyes and winced.

“God, no. I couldn’t stand looking at that thing.”