Undercover(39)

Could he do the work that led to the death of his sister? Even if she was a traitor? The thought had nagged him since Sera had told him of Kira’s possible involvement.

But whenever he weakened, he remembered the footage of those destroyed stations. Of the people who’d lost lives, and all for nothing but profit. Then he knew he could do whatever he had to, to make things right. At that point, what was done, was done, so all Brandt could do was hope he was wrong, and Kira wasn’t involved.

Once back inside their house, the three of them headed in different directions. He knew they needed to sit down and have a very long discussion about what would happen next with their relationship at some point. But first he had to attend to his trip home. He had to find Kira himself, if he could, to deal with her. Tossing himself in his office chair, he booted up his comm unit and sent a message to his Family’s social secretary to set up travel arrangements. He’d be getting a personal call later from his parents, but it was best to get things started right then.

A smaller transport could get him home in less than one turn. Borran wasn’t too far from Majar, his home ’Verse, just a few slips between Borran and Ravena. Kira had a home there with Perry. She’d mentioned heading back, so he’d try there first. If not, he’d have to meet up with Ash and try Sanctu, the Walker Family-controlled ’Verse.

After some speaking back and forth, he found himself scheduled to leave before nightfall. He’d wanted some more time with Sera, but it looked like it wouldn’t be possible.

As he made to get up and look for her, his comm pinged, and a vid call from his father came in.

“Hello, Father.” Brandt smiled. His father was the only person in his family who knew of his military status. It took the pressure off Brandt to know the man he respected most in the Known Universes didn’t think him a layabout with more credits than sense and duty.

“Brandt, I hear from my assistant you’ll be coming for a visit. Your mother is pleased; she’s inviting half the city to a meal in your honor.”

Brandt knew that meant eligible women as well. They were angry at him about the concubine thing. His father had known enough to realize what he shared with Sera was genuine. Not that he’d be pleased in either case. Sharing a woman, a woman from an unranked family most especially, was not something a Pela did. Not in the long term, anyway.

He needed to talk to them about Sera, to make it clear he was going to be with her and no one else. But he needed to deal with this business with Kira as well.

“Father, please tell her not to worry about female companionship. I can’t stay long, I’ve got work to do. Will Kira be in attendance?”

His father paused and then spoke to someone else before turning back to the screen. “Her house manager says she and Perry should arrive within the next turn or so. Is there a problem?”

“I ran into them both in Nondal Major, and I need to follow up. I’ll be seeing you soon then. Send my love to Mother.”

His father’s worried frown was the last thing he saw before he terminated the call. Brandt didn’t want to involve his father in this mess. He didn’t even want to be involved in it. Eventually, when it all came to light, everyone would be involved. There was no help for it.

He looked up at a tap on the door and saw Sera standing there, looking hesitant. Her hair was back to normal, and the elaborate makeup had been removed. And yet she was so beautiful his heart ached.

“Hey, come in.” He motioned to her appearance. “I see you took care of that.”

She perched on a chair across from him, and the closeness he’d felt on the trip back to Borran evaporated. A small smile touched her lips as she drew her fingers through her hair with uncharacteristic self-consciousness. “I know. You were used to high-glamour Sela. This has to be a bit of a shock.”

Cocking his head, he sighed. “I love the way you look, long hair or short. The first time I clapped eyes on you, you had on combat gear and, if I recall, a dirt smudge across one cheek. You took my breath away then, you take it away now.”

She smiled, her back straightening a bit. “Mmm-hmm. Listen, I’ve put out some feelers, and the data should start coming in shortly. Would you like to meet tomorrow so we can go over it?”

“I have to leave in just a bit to go home.”

Her face fell, but just as quickly, she reassembled herself and nodded. “Oh, of course.”

“I had to catch a quick transport, and it leaves tonight. I won’t be gone too long, hopefully. I need to catch Kira before she has a chance to assemble a story. Or while her conscience might sting. Something. She has to know.” He blew out a frustrated breath.

Placing her papers on the edge of his desk, she moved toward him, kneeling at his feet and laying her head in his lap. A deep tenderness, so sharp it caught his breath, rolled through him at her gesture. His fingers sought the softness of her hair, took comfort there.

Brandt wasn’t sure what he had done, but he thanked the gods for her. He bent and kissed her head. “You mean so much to me,” he said, lips still pressed to the cool, sweet-smelling softness.

“I know this is hard for you. I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”

So kind, his love. “You are helping, and it’s not your fault. Our job is to find who’s been giving information to the Imperialists, and we may very well have done that. I’m the one who’s sorry for having to leave so soon after we arrived. I’d been hoping we could have some time together, to talk and get things settled.”

“You’ve drafted me into this team and taken away my old one,” she said with humor. “Where else am I going to go? Go and do your job. I don’t expect any less of you.”





Ash came around the corner and saw the rich gold of Sera’s hair, short once again, in Brandt’s lap. The look on Brandt’s face brought a smile to Ash’s lips.

How many times had that simple act—Sera putting her head in Ash’s lap or on his shoulder when he’d had a hard day—made the exhaustion or agitation fall away? The what was haunted him at times. Kira never offered such kindnesses, just a touch or a moment of quiet. Certainly never to him and most likely not to Perry, either.

Brandt looked up, noticing him in the doorway. “Hey, come in. I was just telling Sera I had to leave at nightfall. I’m hoping Kira will return to her home in Majar, so I’m going to try to get her while she may be feeling bad about what happened. She might be a way in, a weak link.”

“Ah, yes. I was on my way in to relate similar news. I’m actually on my way out now. I’ve been called in to HQ to report, and then I thought I’d head home to speak with my uncle and father, see what they know.”

Sera stood and dusted her knees off. “I’ll be here working. Keep me updated.”

Ash didn’t like the way she’d physically pulled away from Brandt and saw her hesitance.

“I wanted to be here with you. We have a lot to talk about.”

She nodded slowly. “That seems to be the general consensus. But there’s work to be done, and people’s lives are in the balance. Go. Both of you. We’ll talk when you return.”

Three steps, and she was close enough for him to draw her to his body. “We will, Sera, so get that look off your face. It’s different now. You know that. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it between us not only in Nondal but on the way back. I love you. I need you, and we will be together.”

“We are together.” Brandt spoke from behind her.

She didn’t speak but looked up into Ash’s face. Every part of her—he remembered thinking he’d memorized every part of her. He used to lie in bed at night after she’d gone and think about the curve of her cheek or the line of her jaw, but as he looked just then, he noticed parts of her he hadn’t before. Like a new puzzle, a gift.

He laid kisses across the bridge of her nose and over her cheeks. She held on to his shoulders without speaking, only holding her face up to receive his affections.

“I wish I had the time to take you slow and deep.”

Her cheeks plumped as she smiled against his kisses. “You were just inside me this morning. It isn’t as if you’ll die from an over-abundance of seed.”

“No. I just want you. I need you. Now that you’re with me again, I don’t want to walk out that door. Even for just a few days.” He dreaded it. The idea of not seeing her, even for such a short time, brought back a ghost of the misery he’d felt those days just before she’d found out about his engagement. He simply didn’t want to be away from her now that she was at his side again.

“You put a chip in my skull; you can find me within twelve klicks. It’s not like I can run.” She gave him a lopsided grin.

He held her face gently between his palms, tipping it so he could see directly into her eyes. “Don’t. Don’t make light of it. Not for me, or you. Ten years without you. I never want that again.”

Her bottom lip quivered just a moment before she firmed up and nodded. “Are you trying to make me weepy?” Her hands fisted and relaxed in the front of his shirt.

“I’m trying to make you understand. Things are different this time.” A universe different, thank the gods.