Starkissed by Lanette Curington Read Free Book Online Page B

won’t believe it. He knows the Commander.”
    “It doesn’t matter, Leith. The situation will cause so much confusion and accusation that by the time both sides, the Zi government and the Galactic Alliance, come to some kind of agreement, the trail will be cold. There will be no follow-up statement, no trace of either of you, and everyone concerned will assume you died in an unfortunate accident.”
    Hancock shook his head sadly, but the smug smile remained on his lips. “I’ll be by www.samhainpublishing.com
    Starkissed
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    Cameron and Catherine’s side the whole time, grieving with them, consoling them. I’ll even express guilt because I was right there and should have seen it coming. I should have sensed what the Rep was up to.”
    Hancock broke into laughter as he called to Phillips and waited for him to key the lock open on the saàloh ’s cuffs. She rubbed her wrists vigorously. “It won’t work. How can you explain the fourteen-hour delay in reporting my disappearance?”
    Steve sighed in exasperation. “You really don’t have the mental capacity for intrigue, do you? I’ll tell the GPs you and the Rep were gone when I came back from repairing a malfunctioning skid. You left a message—which, by the way, I thoughtlessly erased—
    saying you and the Commander were going out for a while. Of course, I’ll tell the GPs how well you two were getting along and wink suggestively when I say it. So I went to bed, and when you were still gone after I woke up hours later, I went looking for you. But Arreis is a huge place and filled with so many people, I couldn’t find anyone who had seen you.”
    J’Qhir nodded thoughtfully. “How will you explain the ssship’sss disssappearance for fourteen hoursss?”
    Steve frowned. “I won’t. According to the spaceport log, the ship never left Bay 3.”
    “It can’t work,” she protested with less conviction.
    “Well, let’s find out, shall we?” Steve nodded again and trained his Blaser on J’Qhir.
    Phillips keyed the lock open while both held their weapons at the ready. “By the way, I tossed a few things in the flightpack. There are enough protein packs for a few days plus a few other things that might or might not be useful.”
    “Steve, this is insane,” she called out as they watched the two men step backward toward the lifecraft. “What is the point?”
    “Wealth, power, revenge. I have a dozen Zi jewels which will be a fortune on the market, as well as the crysium, another fortune. With you out of the way and Cameron’s illness, McClure Shipping is as good as mine. I’ve been trying to convince Cameron to expand, but he won’t listen. He insists on staying strictly Earth-based. And revenge? I told you you’d be sorry for turning me down, didn’t I?”
    “And the Commander? You could have easily sold him the cargo at an inflated price and kept the difference. Dad never would have found out.”
    Hancock shrugged. “I just don’t like Reps. Good-bye, Leith. Who knows? You two might manage to survive, after all.”
    J’Qhir watched as the two men jumped into the lifecraft then shifted his gaze to the saàloh . Her round eyes were incredibly large as the doors lowered and sealed.
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    36
    Lanette
    Curington
    “Steve! Steve! ” Before J’Qhir could stop her, she took flight, darting across the clearing toward the lifecraft. J’Qhir ran after her, giving in to the searing pain with each limping stride. The foolish saàloh would get herself killed on the spot if the craft took off with her so near. She reached it and beat her hands against the gray metal. “You can’t leave us here! You can’t! Steve, there has to be another way!”
    He scooped her off the lifecraft and threw her over his good shoulder, turned, and ran as if the sandpits of the Bh’rin’gha sucked at his heels.
    The saàloh ’s legs churned in front of him, and her fists battered his back. The lifecraft lifted, creating a gale that reminded him of