Dayna felt Rillian’s energy swamp her. It was huge, deep, and powerful. A well of power that she gorged on.

And she felt him drawing from her.

She was riding his thigh faster now, each undulation rubbing against her swollen clit. Desire was so intertwined with the energy that she couldn’t separate them.

He yanked her up toward him, and his mouth closed over her breast. Oh. His clever mouth was magic, sucking on her nipple. She looked down at his dark head pressed against her skin, and she could also see his symbiont glowing silver along his spine.

God, she was so close to coming. She moved against him again, brushing against the rock-hard cock under his trousers. She wanted to feel him inside her. She wanted to feel that powerful body taking hers.

She reached down, stroking the hard bulge covered by a thin layer of fabric. He moaned and she felt a rush of power. It had nothing to do with energy swelling between them, and everything to do with want and need.

Dayna quickly flicked open the fastening on his trousers. She slid her hand in and stroked the thick cock she found. They both groaned.

Dayna felt her orgasm growing closer. She ground down on his hard thigh, and with all the power coursing through her, she couldn’t hold back.

Suddenly Rillian lifted his head. His eyes were a wicked, flickering silver. Their gazes locked, and she saw everything she felt reflected in them. Need, want, desire.

His mouth was on hers again, tongue stroking inside. She sank her hand into his silky hair, her hips moving rapidly now.

Her orgasm blindsided her. As her body shattered with pleasure, a scream was ripped from her throat. The deluge of pleasure made her body shake. She kept stroking Rillian’s cock, and a second later, she felt him tense. His cock pulsed, spilling warm come over her hand, and his body shuddered.

“Dayna,” A tortured groan.

They sat there for a long moment, their panting the only sound in the quiet office.

God. She licked her lips. She’d never felt anything that intense before. She was completely wired. Vibrating with pleasure and energy.

She looked up and saw Rillian’s serious expression.

She sighed. “This is where you tell me that this was a mistake, and you can’t take advantage of me. Blah, blah, blah.”

Long fingers tangled in her hair and he tilted her head, pressing a light kiss to the side of her neck.

“This is where I tell you that you’ll be in my bed tonight. And I will be inside you the next time you come.” His voice lowered. “And the next time you feed, you’ll also do it while riding my cock.”

Her mouth dropped open, and her belly spasmed. “Oh. Well, then.”

The smile he shot her was sexy and satisfied. The man was far too gorgeous.

“That’s all you have to say?” he asked. “You usually have more. A lot more.”

She shifted against him, loving the feel of his skin on hers. “I’m ready to tangle with you, Mr. Owns-Half-the-Planet.”

He gripped her chin and pressed a quick kiss to hers. “Good. Be ready.”

Heat coiled through Dayna’s belly.

A second later, she heard the now-familiar chime of his communicator. They both groaned.

Rillian pulled the device from his pocket, not relinquishing his hold on Dayna. “This had better be really good.”

“Rillian.”

Tannon’s serious tone made Dayna freeze. Oh, no. All the good feeling she’d been enjoying started to slide away. She knew what the man was going to say before he said it.

“There’s been another murder.”

Rillian’s face was inscrutable, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Where?”

“At your Dark Fire Distillery.”

* * *

Dayna climbed out of the sleek transport and stared at the huge, hulking, metal-and-stone warehouse.

Rillian led the way up to the entrance, and they passed several armed security guards before they stepped inside the huge, cavernous space.

Galen was standing inside, his black cloak falling over his muscled shoulders. Raiden stood beside him, his face grim.

“Galen, you didn’t have to come,” Rillian said.

“You aren’t alone in this fight,” the imperator said. “I wanted to remind everyone of that. This isn’t just an attack on you, it’s an attack on all of us.”

Rillian nodded. “Thank you.”

Nearby, Dayna saw several loaders hovering above the ground. Rows of boxes and glass bottles were stacked against one wall of the distillery. The other side was clearly where the whiskey was made. Massive glass tanks, twice her height, were linked by snaking tubes and equipment she didn’t recognize.

“We make the Dark Fire whiskey here,” Rillian said. “It’s one of the most sought-after drinks on the planet.”

Of course, it was.

They saw Tannon’s large form ahead. The man nodded, and led them down the row of large tanks. They were all filled with different-colored liquids.

As they circled one, Dayna looked at the next tank and spotted the shadow inside. There was a body floating in the clear fluid. She heard Galen mutter a curse.

They stopped nearby, staring at the dead woman floating inside. Dayna glanced at Rillian. His jaw was set like stone. He was staring hard at the woman in the tank.

Dayna catalogued the victim’s appearance. She had short, dark hair that floated up in a cloud around her head. She had a small, wiry body. Most alien species on Carthago were larger than humans, but this woman looked like she would only have been an inch taller than Dayna.

“Who is she?” she asked.

“A memory.”

Rillian turned to Tannon and his team. “Clear out the tanks. All of them.”

Several people made choked noises.

“Sir.” A distillery worker stepped forward. “Not all the tanks would have been contaminated—”

“Clear. Them. Out. Discard the whiskey.”

Tannon gave one nod. “You heard the boss. Get to work.” He waited until the crowd cleared. “The camera feed was jammed at the time she was dumped. They must have—”

“They probably had her do it,” Rillian said. “She had a talent for that.”

He turned and stalked into another row of tanks. Dayna shared a look with Tannon and Galen, then followed. Clearly this woman had been a part of Rillian’s past. Someone he’d known well.

“Let me help,” she said quietly.

He stopped and spun, slamming his fist into some nearby crates in an explosion of fury. He punched a hole in the side of one box with a groan of metal.

“Who was she?” Dayna asked.

“My first lover,” Rillian said. “Drak, it feels like a lifetime ago. She was a street rat like me, before she turned into a cyber thief.”

Dayna had seen the hard lines on the woman’s face. She’d clearly lived a tough life.

“Netta never got out,” he continued. “She never wanted to. I haven’t seen her in years. Drak, decades.”

“Whoever the Thraxians have doing this knows you,” Dayna said.

His gaze flashed. “I will stop them.” He glanced back in the direction of the dead woman. “And they will regret it.”

Dayna didn’t doubt it. Rillian was a force of nature, especially when riled.

He shook his head before glancing at his timepiece. “It’s time for the party. It’s Mia’s big night.” Rillian reached out and took Dayna’s arm.

“I don’t much feel like a party,” she said.

“Me, neither.”

They met the others by the door.

“My team will continue working here,” Rillian said. “Are you coming to the party?”

“Of course,” Galen said. “Mia is excited and nervous about singing.” He glanced back at the tanks. “And we could all do with a reminder that life is for living.”

They were quiet on the ride back to the casino, and Rillian left her at her room. “I’ll see you at the party.”

“Rillian.” She grabbed his arm. “You aren’t alone. Don’t let the anger grow.”

His eyes flashed. “Are you going to help me find another way to deal with it?” He rubbed a thumb across her lips.

“Yes.”

A hot look. “I’ll see you soon.”

Dayna showered away the feeling of death, and when she entered the bedroom, found a gorgeous dress lying on her bed.

She rubbed her palms on her drying cloth, studying the garment. It had a fitted, strapless bodice in deepest black. The long skirt was golden, and made from a fascinating, textured fabric she’d never seen before. Dropping the cloth, she pulled the gown on. She’d never worn anything like this before. The bodice molded her perfectly, and the gold skirt was fitted, but with a slit up one side that showed a lot of leg. She felt like some sort of goddess.

Rillian was good at making her feel that way.

She fumbled through her growing pile of belongings. She found a set of earrings she’d bought at the Kor Magna Markets, back when she’d first been rescued by the House of Galen, before she’d been re-snatched by the Thraxians. She remembered that day. She, Mia, and, a still-blind Winter had reveled at the chance to wander the markets. They’d giggled, bought pretty jewelry to celebrate their freedom, and had fun.

One set of her earrings had been destroyed when she’d been re-captured, but Mia had kept these this pair safe for Dayna—pretty earrings with a single teardrop stone in a glossy black. She threaded them through her earlobes.

She took a deep breath. They would stop the Thraxians, stop the murders, and they would find Zaabha and save Ever and Sam.

Through the black bodice of her dress, she fingered her symbiont stone.

Life went on for those who survived. She thought of the murdered women, whose lives had been cut too short. She thought of her fellow rescued humans, loving and living here on Carthago.

Life went on, and it was time to embrace it.

* * *

Rillian scanned the party, feeling edgy. The drinks were flowing, the servers were passing around large platters of delicacies, and the guests were smiling and laughing.

He glanced at the door. Again. He allowed himself to acknowledge the fact that he was waiting for Dayna to appear.

He spotted Galen and Magnus, deep in conversation, and moved to welcome the imperators.

“Good evening.”

“Rillian,” Galen said. “Nice party.”

The imperator’s scarred face was impassive. Rillian hid a smile. Galen didn’t particularly enjoy parties, just considered them the necessary evils of running a gladiatorial house.

Nearby, the House of Galen gladiators and their mates stood in a group. The gladiators were wearing their leathers and harnesses. The women were wearing dresses of all different colors. Mia stood beside her mate, fiddling with her short, blonde hair. Vek was picking up on her nervousness, and the blue-skinned man was making small growling sounds.

Rillian made small talk with the group, but kept checking the door for Dayna.

Finally, he spotted a tall brunette and a flash of gold.

The crowd parted, and Rillian felt his heart stop.

She was stunning.

He’d had the gown designed for her and chosen the colors to complement her coloring. She was smiling as she moved through the crowd.

Spotting their group, she headed in his direction. Rillian’s gaze was on her, but he didn’t fail to see men noticing her and turning to watch as she walked by.

One man was bold enough to step in front of her and smile.

Something dark flashed inside Rillian. He’d taken a step forward, hating the way she laughed at the man. Then she shook her head and pulled away.

Rillian let his curled hands flex.

“Not you, too,” Galen muttered.

Rillian glanced at his friend. “They push at you and then pull you under.”

“And you look like you’d happily drown,” Galen said.

“I’m sorry. You asked me to protect her—”

The imperator shook his head. “I’ve learned that these women will protect themselves. If you’re lucky, they might let you stand beside them.” A faint smile edged Galen’s lips. “You should know that the women have been placing bets on you and Dayna.”

Rillian shook his head. He’d been alone and kept his business private so long that he wasn’t used to being the subject of teasing speculation.

Magnus sipped his drink. “I don’t understand the attraction of keeping a woman. They…are problematic.”

Rillian skewered the cyborg with a look. “One day, you’ll understand.” Then turned to meet Dayna. “You take my breath away.” He pulled her in for a hard kiss.

She pressed a hand to his chest, leaning back and gasping for air. “How about you just brand me, instead? Your name, right here.” She touched her forehead.

“I like that idea.”

She shook her head, pushing him away. “Behave.”

From nearby, Galen laughed. It was almost a rusty sound.

Dayna turned to face Galen. “Any word on Zaabha?”

The imperator shook his head. “Not yet.”

Rillian watched her shoulders sag.

“We need to find the missing piece of the map,” Rillian said. “The witch had to have left it somewhere. All part of some manipulative game.”

“She’s taunting us.” Frustration filled Dayna’s voice. “Even though she’s dead.”

At that moment, the other Earth women called her over. With a hesitant smile, she walked over. Rillian watched as they embraced her. True friendship. These women helped and supported each other, no matter what. Mia hugged Dayna the hardest and he saw Dayna hold on tight.

“Any more evidence at the latest murder scene?” Galen asked quietly.

A muscle ticked in Rillian’s jaw. “No. But the Thraxians have signed their death warrants.”

He kept watching Dayna. She and Mia stood with their arms around each other. He would protect her.

The only way to do that was to find Zaabha and ensure its destruction.