Born of Ice

Nero passed a look to her that said he understood exactly what she meant, and it made her wonder if he shared a past so similar to hers that he would know.

Devyn’s throat tightened at the pain he heard in Alix’s voice. He wanted to comfort her, but this wasn’t the time for it. “All right, guys and lady. We have a day and a half to get everything in place. Merjack wants evidence and we want Merjack. Let’s hope the best team wins.”

Omari cleared his throat. “Otherwise, we’re screwed.”



Alix buzzed Devyn’s quarters. She probably shouldn’t be here, but she wanted to talk to him alone and thank him for a kindness she’d never expected, especially after she’d lied to him.

His door opened.

Devyn sat at the desk across from her where he was working at his computer. “What can I do for you?”

She was hesitant as she stepped inside and the door slid shut. “I just wanted to say thank you for not launching me out an airlock and for helping me and my family. It was something I never expected.”

“It’s all right. Helping people is what we do.”

“Yeah, but unlike the others, I have no way to pay you for it.”

He froze as if she’d just insulted him. “You think I’m getting paid for what I do?”

“Of course. It’s why you run. It pays a lot more than freighting.”

He curled his lip. “I have never and I will never take a single credit for what I do. We run humanitarian missions to those who have nothing. What we do is out of compassion, not for profit.”

Alix was as baffled by his indignation as she was his words. “I don’t understand. How can you afford a ship like this if you don’t get paid?”

“I’m loaded, Alix. In the filthiest sense of that word.”

“I don’t understand.” His father was a retired filch and his mother a tracer. While more lucrative than what her father had done, those weren’t exactly professions that made people wealthy.

“In addition to owning a part of The Sentella, my father owns Precision Shipping.”

Alix gaped. Precision Shipping was the number-one freight company in the universe. They had contracts with everyone. Literally.

“And my mother is the co-owner of the Dagan Investment Group.”

That stunned her even more. DIG was the largest charity organization in existence. They funded schools, co-ops, hospitals . . . you name it.

His gaze bored into hers. “The only person on this ship who gets paid for what they do is you, Alix. The rest of us live off our trust funds and we use those funds for our humanitarian missions. I do what I do because I can’t stand to see innocent people bullied by a corrupt government. I don’t want to see a baby starve and die because some fat politician wants to work its parents into the ground for a mineral most of them can’t even pronounce.”

She felt ill at his words and at the way she’d misjudged him. “I am so sorry, Devyn. I had no idea. I can’t believe I almost got you killed.”

“Well, you’re not the first person to misjudge me. I doubt you’ll be the last.”

Yes, but she felt terrible as she moved closer to him. “I don’t understand then. If you’re not gouging people, why is The League after you?”

“Simple. I was a League soldier who tore down my commanding officer and half my unit. Taryn’s father, Emperor Quiakides, got me off the charges, but it doesn’t mean The League isn’t still after me. After all, running through a League blockade when they’ve cut off supplies to a civilian population is considered treason. They catch someone doing that and it’s over.”

“Why did you tear down your unit?”

“They wanted me to leave Omari to die.”

She was aghast at that. “Vik told me that you’d left The League to save Omari, but I didn’t know you’d attacked them when you did it. I thought he was being metaphorical when he said you’d ruined your career for him.” Horrified, she shook her head. “How could they ask you to leave your own son?”

“He wasn’t my son then. He was just a wounded kid, crying for his mother who was lying dead in the ditch next to him, the victim of a League attack. I was raised that you don’t hurt kids. No matter what they do, they should be cherished.”

She stared at him in wonder. “Do you have a single vice?”

He laughed as he leaned back. “More than my share.”

“Such as?”

The humor fled his features. “I killed the woman I was supposed to marry.”

“While she was trying to kill you.”

“Yeah, but most men wouldn’t have done it. I have a hair-trigger temper that explodes. And while I have a code, I will kill anyone who threatens me or my family.”

“Except for Merjack.”

“Merjack lives only because I want it to stop. I take him out and his son comes for us, et cetera. My goal is to break the chain and make sure that when I’m done with Merjack, he won’t ever have the guts or the ability to come after my family again.”

“And if you can’t?”