Havoc (2 page)

"You really think Savoonga will be that much different?"

"At least the clientele will be prettier."

"Come on. That's where the real scum is—slavers, traders, mercenaries."

"Money.” She held up her thumb and middle finger and rubbed them together. “Filthy lucre. That's all I'm interested in, not their morals or their business."

"This isn't you, not the girl I know. What happened to you, Keeva?"

"I grew up. I got broke. I got tired.” She opened her robe and ran her hand down her incredible athletic body. “How much longer do you think this will last? I have maybe five cycles before I'm too old for the high games. It's now or never."

"What about me, about us? We have a contract with Canto."

"D'Parr made a deal with him. No worries there. It's all been smoothed."

His mind whirling with options, none of them workable, Kels shook his head. “When do you leave?"

"Tonight.” She went back to the counter and started packing her things in a silver case. He could see her grim expression in the mirror, and his face too, sad and lost. “I've already signed the contract, as you saw. D'Parr waits for two other clients; then we're all shipping out after twelve-hour."

Pretending to be resigned, he nodded. “Well...I guess there's nothing else I can say to change your mind."

"No. Nothing."

In the reflection, he thought he saw a tear running down her cheek. She brushed it away. He went to her, slid his hands over her shoulders, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, “I never stopped loving you."

She whirled on him, making him hop back. She clutched her cosmetic brushes, which she brandished at him. “You had your chance, Kels.” Her hot glare burned him from head to toe. “I thought maybe, when you came to me about the games, maybe...we could be together again. But no. It's the same old thing, empty promises about the future and new beginnings. This time,
I'm
dumping
you
, and no regrets about it."

He'd believe her if the tears weren't welling in her eyes again. But he knew better than to push. He held up his hands, palms out in surrender. “Okay, luv. Best of luck, break a leg, whatever saying goes along with selling your body and soul nowadays."

Her lip curled in a sneer before she put her back to him.

When he slammed out of her dressing room, he shoved the door into D'Parr's head. Apparently, he'd had his aural pad to the jamb, listening in.

"If I hear she's been killed or hurt, I'll come looking for you,” Kels snarled, squaring off against the tall alien, who rubbed the new lump on his skull.

"In what ship?” D'Parr laughed, a grinding noise deep in his chest. “Unlucky in love and in jarouk, I hear."

Crack and ruin, did everyone know how he'd lost the
Nova?

"Watch your back,” he snapped, then strode off down the corridor to his dressing room. He couldn't let that scrag have Keeva. Between him and his first mate, Elion, they'd come up with some deal she couldn't resist.

About half past twelve-hour, Sayal Iluma found an empty seat in the back of the smoky bar and watched her quarry gesturing emphatically while he told his first mate about his tragic evening. Had she not known who he was, she wouldn't have pegged him as a gamesplayer. Shaggy deep brown hair, nose slightly crooked from having been broken and badly repaired, scar on the chin... Kels Nero Havoc, former captain of the
Ash Nova
: pirate, smuggler, off-and-on sexplayer, and the perfect man for the job she had in mind.

At last destiny had shown her the instrument to revenge.

Then why did her hand shake when she lifted the glass of bubra the tender had given her? Sayal took a lengthy sip of the drink. The time for nervousness was well past. Never would she have this chance again. Kels and his mate needed their ship back. She needed transport to the Zone. Most importantly, she needed a partner for the high games, and Kels Havoc qualified on all counts. Best of all, he'd be motivated to take her offer now that his former lover traveled there as well. Truly, destiny favored her.

Kels sat back, still talking, his boot heels on the table. His blond mate, a slender man with thoughtful, pale blue eyes, listened with enduring patience. Elion Ingemar Andervaars. Sayal reached out to him, touched his life pulse with hers. Yes, he longed to join with Kels, but friendship and duty overrode his desires. She wondered if Kels knew. The man seemed so self-absorbed, she doubted it. Even now he went on about Canto's refusal to pay him.

"I still can't believe it. D'Parr paid out Keeva's contract, but not mine. My share of tonight's haul would've been... Well, it would've been a lot, let me tell you. Doubt Keeva knew it, or she would've told me."

"At least it was enough to buy out your obligation,” Elion said sensibly. “Canto wouldn't have let you go without a fight."

"Nah. It's Keeva they came to see. I'm just her costar.” His words were starting to slur as he was on his fifth shot of hool. Three put most people under the table. The man could hold his liquor, she'd give him that. He stared down mournfully into the blue liquid. “Keeva... I tried to stop her, El. She wouldn't listen, just got on that liner with D'Parr.” His eyebrows scrunched down. “D'Parr of all beings. Scraggin’ lowlien."

"I know, I know.” Elion pushed his glass around with one finger, not drinking. “She's stubborn. It's her way. Money's always been her thing. What can you offer that the Zone can't?"

Kels shot him a spiteful glance. “Money. What's money compared to
love
?"

Elion smiled drily. “Keeva? Love? Those words don't belong in the same sentence. It's always been all about Keev, right from the beginning. Remember, that's why you dumped her."

"Yeah, she didn't realize it was really all about
me
.” Kels's sloppy smile sloped up at one side. Then he sobered, or at least his expression did. “I can change. I can be a different man. The kind of man she wants."

"Rich?"

"Maybe.” He pointed a finger at his friend. “We get the
Nova
back, book a few runs through the Pegasus trade routes. We'll be right where we left off, maybe even better."

"By then she'll have tapped into some wealthy warlord and be living like a queen. Give it up, Kels."

"Fuck you,” Kels mumbled amiably. “Why'd you have to be so honest? You're always so fucking honest."

Elion laughed quietly and downed his drink. He had a sweet face compared to Kels's dark one. When they rose to leave, Kels stumbling, Elion with a steadying arm around his waist, Sayal stood too and shadowed them as they strolled toward the rental cubes.

They stopped in front of the door she knew led to Kels's cheap hovel. Kels threw back his shoulders and twirled a hand in the air. “Well, mate, we're back to square one. Broke, burgled, and...something else that starts with
B
. Buggered."

Elion grinned and patted Kels's shoulder. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll put our heads together and come up with plan C. Or is it plan W? I've lost track."

Kels threw his arms around Elion and thumped his back drunkenly. “Love ya, mate. Don't know what I'd do without you."

Only Sayal could see the pain that flickered across Elion's face as he closed his eyes and held his captain. Kels, of course, swaying out of the embrace, was too potted to notice anything except how elusive the door lock was proving to be. Elion took the keycard from him, passed it over the sensor, and gave Kels a gentle push inside. “Good night, Kels."

His back to him, Kels waggled his fingers, then disappeared from view as the opening slid shut.

Elion leaned a hand against the door before he shook his head and went off toward his own room. Tucked in an alcove, Sayal waited until he was well out of sight before she went to Kels's door.

She pressed her ear against the cold steel. Silence. The apartment, she knew, would be small. The sleeping chamber would be in the rear, through a combination sitting and dining area. Once she was inside, she would need to be quick and decisive.

Taking a deep breath, she plucked the omnikey from her belt and passed it over the sensor. The door whispered open, and she slipped inside.

And nearly stumbled over the prone form of Captain Havoc. Flat out, facedown, he clearly hadn't taken two steps before he'd thudded to the floor, too inebriated to even make it to bed.

A rumbling snore shook his body. Sayal put her hands on her hips and sighed. Truly,
this
was the man to whom Fate had led her? Perhaps she was wrong about him, wrong about everything.

She crouched beside him and, with great effort, for he was a large man, managed to get him over onto his back. His arm flopped limply to the side. His head wobbled. Even when she tapped his cheek, he continued to snore.

She'd hoped not to have to make a connection until he'd agreed to her offer, but there seemed to be little choice. Placing her hand on his forehead, Sayal cleared her mind and let it fill with his energy. In her mind's eye, his life force appeared like a glowing, whirling ball. She held it for a moment while her own life energy flowed into his body, purging it of hool toxins. At least for the most part. With a rush of breath, she mentally pushed the life force back into him, then sat back on her heels.

The room spun slightly, as it always did after such an effort. She had not the gifts of her mother, but they served her when necessary. After only a moment or two, Kels snorted, moaned, and then dragged his hands over his face. He blinked up at the ceiling. Then he saw her and startled onto his elbows.

"Who the fu—"

She held up a hand. “Captain Havoc. My name is not important at the moment. I have business to discuss."

He bolted upright, remarkably recovered and bristling with a dangerous energy she hadn't anticipated. His eyes trained on her like twin laser beams. “I said,
who
the fuck are
you
, and how did you get in here? And what am I doing on the floor?"

He was as angry as a bastion tiger and every bit as intimidating. Sayal's fingers twitched toward her weapon while her heart raced. “I mean you no harm. I followed you inside and found you unconscious. You were drunk, Captain."

"Yeah?” His piercing gaze flicked from her. “Yeah, I was.” He turned back to her, the force of his glare nearly knocking her over. He jabbed a finger toward her, a bad and impolite habit. “Why am I not drunk now? And I'm not going to ask you again, who the
fuck
are you?"

She liked him better with the hool mellowing his temper. Sayal swallowed hard and drifted her fingers to the hasp of her blade. Before she could blink, he seized her wrist and threw her onto her back. The knife came up with her hand, clutched in her fist, which he pinned beside her head. Kels's shin weighted her hips; his other hand pressed her shoulder into the hard floor. His tight, angry face loomed over her, his eyes steely and cold. Sayal's mouth went dry.

"This isn't what you're thinking,” she gasped.

"I'm thinking,” he said slowly, his narrowed gaze sliding over her black bodysuit, which showed only her face and hands, “that somebody decided to settle up an old score.” He stared at her, leaning his weight on her so that her breath came short. “Who? Ulvic? Ferrus?” His grip tightened on her wrist until she thought her bones would snap. “It's D'Parr, isn't it? He's making damned sure I don't follow Keeva."

"No, no. It's nothing like that.” She struggled to breathe, desperate to be up. She let the knife slip from her hand. “You see. I'm not here to kill you or to harm you. As I said, I have a business proposition."

"At knifepoint? Chicky, we haven't even gotten into negotiations yet, and already you want to slit my throat."

Moving with infinite care so as not to set him off further, she pushed the wicked blade away from her as far as her fingers would allow. “I promise, our goals are the same. You want to go to the Zone to rescue your woman. I also want to travel there. I need a captain, a ship."

He laughed unpleasantly. “Well then, you're going to be disappointed. You must be the only sentient being who hasn't heard I lost the
Ash Nova
playing jarouk."

She nodded. “I know. I'm going to help you win it back."

His fingers flexed on her wrist while he considered. “Why?"

"I told you, I—"

"No. I meant, why me? There are a dozen other captains floating around Aleut Station. Any one of them would take you, for the right price."

Sayal almost groaned from the intimidating pressure of his body on hers. “Please, Captain. I can't breathe. Let me up so we can speak properly."

He took his time thinking about it. “That's an Asaki blade. Where'd you get it?"

"I stole it.” It was the truth.

"You should never pull a weapon you don't intend to use."

"I didn't mean to. You frightened me."

His jaw worked. Leaning on her even more heavily, he released her shoulder and reached over her to pick up the long, lethal weapon. The dim light caught its blue-black edge. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it, and the famed Asaki steel sank to the hilt in the wall.

"Sharp,” he said, one eyebrow raised.

Before she could respond, he flipped her again, onto her belly this time, her arms pinned behind her back. Sayal had never been manhandled so. Between the panic and outrage, her pulse raced, and she kicked her legs. He pressed a hand between her shoulder blades and shushed her until she calmed. The heat of his hand burned through the black silk of her bodysuit. “You have any other weapons?"

"No,” she said, her voice muffled, as her face was half pressed into the musty carpet.

"Good.” He trailed his hand down her spine toward her buttocks, leaving a trail of prickle flesh. His voice was level and firm. “I'm going to check for myself. If you're clean, then we talk."

And if she wasn't... Well, she was, but still, she did not like this feeling of helplessness. Yet if she truly desired his aid, she had to submit to his groping.

He moved his hand over her shoulders, down her arms, down the tense muscles of her back, her spine, her buttocks. Holding her crossed wrists against the small of her back, Kels shifted and parted her legs with his knee. Sayal almost snapped in outrage but then remembered her mission, the importance, and forced herself to be still.