Darcone showered, dressed, and then returned to where his exhausted woman lay sleeping. He hated to wake her, but knew now he risked her wrath if he didn’t. Besides, he told himself, his news was something the commander of the ship needed to know.

“Bri,” he said, shaking her shoulder.

Bri fought to wake, blinking up at Darcone. Frowning at his fully clothed body, she closed her eyes. “Sneaking away again, I see.”

He ignored her complaining and got right to business. “Leaving to help Admiral,” he corrected. That got her gaze back on him. This time she was paying attention and not being just his whining female. Illogically, he missed her attention being all on him. His woman had such a strange effect.

“Why?” Bri asked in alarm, wide awake now. “What’s wrong with Nate?”

Darcone automatically growled a warning. “Evil father returns.”

Bri partially sat up, pulling the bed covers over her naked form. The temperature in the rooms always dropped at night. “This is unexpected. Why is he here again? He just left.”

Darcone nodded. “Reason not known. Protect you, I will.”

Bri scooted up more, sitting as tall as she could. She met Darcone’s gaze. “You saw what Sheena did to him, right?” Darcone moved his head in agreement. “Protection may not be necessary this time, but just in case, I will take more precautions than usual. However, I won’t let the bastard stop me from doing my job or from keeping the ship safe. If we have to kill him, so be it. But we can’t let Nate do it. Evil or not, no one should have to kill their own father. That shit should stay in vids.”

“Worry not. I will kill him. Lose you, this I cannot do,” Darcone said.

Bri half crawled into his lap. Darcone wrapped his arms around her and she felt safe. It was an illusion—because no one was ever really safe on any airship—but she enjoyed the fact her alien could make her feel like everything was going to be okay. Outside of her parents, and maybe Angus and Erin, no else really had.

“Knowing Sheena, even if I died, she’d just bring me back to life. She’s the most talented mad scientist I know. I’m glad she’s on our side.”

“Sheena mad too? Not surprising. Nate be ass,” Darcone said.

Bri laughed at him calling Nate an ass but also understood that she’d confused him. “No. I was making a joke about my sister. Guess it wasn’t that funny.”

Darcone’s mouth gently swiped across hers. “Sleep now. Trouble comes soon enough. You need rest.”

Bri shook her head. “I’ll never sleep well with Director Tiberius on the ship, but I will call Toorg or Berg to accompany me when I leave the room. Get someone to stand guard on Maslin until I can collect her. You go take care of Nate.”

Darcone nodded and stood. “Okay. I love you.”

Bri drew back and stared up at him. “You do?”

He shrugged as he stared at her. “According to manual,” he said.

Bri burst out laughing and ran a hand through her hair. “God, I’m afraid to ask what manual.”

“Bride program,” Darcone explained.

“Because you plan to make me your bride?” Bri teased.

“I thought yes.”

“Oh. Okay,” Bri said with a giggle, feeling surreal. Maybe she wasn’t awake yet. Maybe this was a dream. “I’d love to be your bride. I love you too.”

“I know,” Darcone said confidently, walking out of the bedroom without saying anything more.

Bri ducked her head and laughed, mostly because there was nothing else to do about Darcone’s half-ass proposal.

* * *

Nate was glad Sheena and the Matchmakers hadn’t returned. With any luck, his father would come and go before they arrived. The love of his life had woken him with a phone call as soon as they’d boarded their shuttle. Not only were they on their back to the airship, they were bringing even more unexpected guests with them. The infamous scientist being openly courted by the Guardians continued to bring a lot of drama into his formerly quiet life.

Nate nodded when Darcone met him on his way to the bridge. He should tell the alien, prepare him for those arriving, but there just wasn’t time. He needed the alien sharp and focused on helping him protect the ship and its occupants from his father. The news about their other visitors might render him useless.

“Is Bri okay?” Nate asked.

Darcone nodded. “Bri prepares for fight.”

“Good,” Nate said. “Where’s your clone?”

“In my room.”

Nate stopped. What the hell? “Why isn’t she back in the holding cell?”

“Bri,” Darcone answered, thinking just her name explained all the chaos in his life.

Nate released a long breath and walked on. “But you were not in your quarters last night. Your wrist com reported your location to me when I looked for you. You were with Brianna in her room.”

“My woman, she is,” Darcone said, shrugging one shoulder.

Nate nodded. “Sure. That’s what I thought.”

“Clone is mine too.”

Snorting at first, Nate eventually laughed. “If you think Brianna is going to share you in bed with another woman, you have a lot to learn about MacNamara women. You can fuck whoever you like when they get done with you, but you better not even look at another female while they’re fucking you. Most Earth women have that sensibility about mating habits. Be warned, my friend.”

“Manual is right,” Darcone said, not really seeing a problem since on his planet, males were loyal to only one.

Nate did a double-take. “Wait. You’re reading the bride manual? After two hundred years?”

“Yes. My… knowledge,” Darcone struggled for the proper word, “is too old. Much I learn again.”

Nate chuckled. “Or you could just ask me or Angus. We’re bloody experts on MacNamara women.” He stopped walking when Darcone grabbed his arm. The alien was stronger than anyone else on the ship. There would be no more moving forward until Darcone let go. “What?”

“Know this, you must.” Darcone looked away and growled. Sometimes thinking about the subject first was hard. “Clone is not my woman. Clone is my child. Clone made from me.”

Ah, Nate thought, nodding at the statement. He had to fight not to rub his arm when Darcone finally released his grip. He didn’t think the alien had any idea he’d probably left bruises behind.

“Have you told Maslin how you feel about her?”

“Yes. Like her teacher, I am.”

Nate shook his head and started walking on. “Teacher?”

“Yes. Know Yoda, you do?” Darcone asked.

“Yoda?” Nate burst out laughing, then stopped at Darcone’s glare.

“Is funny joke?”

“No, no,” Nate said, covering his grin with his hand. “Yoda was a great teacher. The comparison just surprised me. The clone is showing an intelligence I didn’t think she had.”

“Smart, she is. Made from me, she was,” Darcone insisted.

“Right,” Nate said dryly, afraid he would laugh without stopping if he looked at Darcone again. The alien had probably never watched an entertainment vid in his whole time on the planet. But the equator would freeze before he ever told Darcone who Yoda really was.

* * *

“Director Tiberius, we’ll be docking in twenty minutes.”

“Land at your convenience, Captain. I’m ready.”

To be sure though, Clayton swiveled in his flight chair until he was facing away from his pilot. He checked his concealed weapon, the syringe in one pocket, the vial in the other, and then sent a written message to confirm his arrival was going smoothly. When he was done, Clayton turned back to the pilot.

“I wish you to wait for me, Captain. My visit should be brief. I’ll not be staying long.”

“I will wait for as long as I can, Director. Clearance on the airship is restricted to two hours.”

“My son can extend your clearance. He’s the Admiral. But I don’t expect that will be necessary. I’m just delivering something.”

“Family visit?” the pilot asked.

“No to this time. Just a long overdue piece of business,” Clayton stated dryly. “Besides, my son and I are not close.”

Encouragement to take whatever action he saw fit came moments later from Director Vader. The time was nearly here for a new ruling order to take control of the happenings on this planet.

* * *

Nate watched the shuttle land and then walked slowly out to it. Darcone flanked him on one side. He’d asked a dozen of his men to also be there in full dress uniform. They were there for distraction. He’d hoped they might amuse his father enough to have the man dropping his guard.

Nate stopped at the bottom of the debarking ramp and waited. Darcone growled softly.

“I know. That’s exactly how I feel about this. Stay alert,” Nate ordered.

His father walked down the ramp, snorting at the lined up men in uniform. “Rolling out the toy soldiers for me, son? This reminds me of your childhood.”

Nate shrugged. Since his father was never around much when he was a child, how would he know? At least his mother came home from her job every night—usually.

“Last time you arrived, I was too busy to greet you, Director Tiberius. I’m playing the good son today.”

Clayton smiled. “You’ve always been the good son, Nathaniel… or so your mother informed me.”

“Speaking of my mother,” Nate said casually, letting his father fall into step with him. “I hear your marriage dissolution is final. I’m glad you two were able to separate in an amicable manner. Four of my five dissolutions were like that.”

“I know your dissolution with Sheena was not amicable.”

“No, it wasn’t. Sheena fought and screamed for years before going through with it. When she left for good, she did not look back. It was the worst experience of my entire life,” Nate said, agreeing.

“And yet you’re willing to go through all that nonsense again,” Clayton said.

“Oh, I have no intention of going through it again,” Nate vowed, turning to stare at the stranger who was his father. “I’m going to be smart enough not to let go of Sheena this time. There is no one for me but her.”

Clayton shook his head. “That woman is your weakness.”

“Like my mother was yours?” Nate asked.

Sighing, Clayton stopped walking and stared back at his son. “Yes. Your mother was my weakness and I was hers. All relationships are just that, Nathaniel. Temporary ones are far easier than those fraught with emotional ties. I’ve tried my best to tell you that over the years.”

“My grandfather might disagree with your view on love.”

“And your grandmother might not. It was not a happy life for my mother being bound to a Guardian. He was never there for either of us.”

“So? You were never there for me and yet I survived without the constant attention,” Nate said, continuing his walk. “If life was that awful for her, why did she stay bound to him by marriage?”

“For no other reason than love,” Clayton said, making a face. “Or at least that was the only reason she ever gave me. They often wept and talked of their love for each other while I was within hearing distance. I had to leave the room to keep from being ill.”

“Yet their love for each other is precisely why I always believed I’d have that sort of relationship for myself one day,” Nate said.

He pointed down a hallway and nodded to Darcone over his shoulder. “Let’s go to my office. We can talk privately there and have some of Angus MacNamara’s tea.”

Nate saw his teasing fall flat and accepted his father was never going to change. He hated thinking the man would never be redeemed.

“This is not a pleasure visit, Nathaniel,” Clayton said firmly. “I’ve come on behalf of the Guardians to collect the illegal alien-human hybrid you have on the airship. Recent intel says she was sent here to the airship as a phony bride in order for her to kill Brianna MacNamara. The clone’s name is Maslin Jones and she’s a trained assassin. Very distinct looking as you can tell by her photo in the apprehension forms I have for you.”

Smirking at the beady-eyed alien glaring at him, Clayton reached into his jacket and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing them over to his wide-eyed son. The boy was always so obedient and trusting of those in authority. Clayton blamed Nathaniel’s rule-following mother. But all of it was going to help him have a much easier day in carrying out his plans.

“I trust you’ll constrain this dangerous person, Admiral Tiberius. The Guardians wish me to bring her directly to them for study.” Clayton studied his son’s pensive gaze. “What is that look you’re giving me? Surely you haven’t been letting that deadly female run loose around the ship on her own.”

“Sorry. This is quite a surprise. Maslin’s behavior on the airship has been fine so far,” Nate lied. He met his father’s disbelieving stare. Mutual lying would get them nowhere, but the apprehension papers looked legitimate. He needed time to figure out what to do. “I’ll send someone to look for her. In the meantime, let’s go to my office and discuss this further. I’ll have some refreshments sent to us.”

* * *

Bri jogged through the hallways with Toorg walking fast behind her. She stopped at Darcone’s quarters and used her wrist unit to let herself inside. She found Maslin sitting at the table working on a com.

“Up quickly,” Bri said, yanking on her arm making her stand. She shoved something at her. “Here. Put this on.”

Maslin studied the fabric. It was utilitarian. “What is this clothing?”

“Something that will hopefully deflect laser fire in case you get shot. I’m wearing one as well. Sheena said they were prototypes, but since I think someone is coming to kill you… or me… it time to give my sister’s first foray into fashion a real defense trial.”

“Kill me?” Maslin asked. “Why would someone come to kill me? Because I failed to kill you?”

“Maybe… or maybe because you know too much. They can’t take a chance you’ll talk before you die of natural causes.”

Maslin held the long-sleeved shirt in her hands. “I must ask once again… why do you keep sparing my life when I can tell you want to take it?”

“Your self-proclaimed father cares for you… and he cares for me. This morning he even proposed. Sort of. I think I said yes, but it’s all a blur. I wasn’t even awake when he asked.” Bri laughed at her rambling. “Hell, Maslin, if I do accept Darcone as a mate, you and I will be family. I might have to forgive you for trying to kill me if that happens.”

“Family,” Maslin repeated. It was what Darcone had told her about her relationship to him. “I have no family. I have no one.”

“That was yesterday. This is today. Put the fucking shirt on,” Bri ordered.

Though she had nothing on under her clothes, Maslin pulled off her top and replaced it with the shirt the Commander had brought. A throat clearing was all that reminded them they weren’t alone in the room. Toorg’s gaze was on the ceiling when they turned to him.

Bri chuckled. “Enjoying the show, Toorg?”

“I am Toorg,” he said carefully.

“And Maslin was naked Maslin there for a moment or two—we get it,” Bri teased.

“I am Toorg. I am Toorg,” Toorg repeated.

Bri chuckled at Toorg’s chanting until she noticed the stunned look on Maslin’s face. “Look… I may still want to kill you tomorrow, but nobody’s going to come on this ship and take the decision out of my hands or the Admiral’s. You are not dying today. Are we clear?”

Maslin nodded numbly. She looked at her fellow clone. “Sorry if I embarrassed you, Toorg,” she said, thinking it was the first time she’d ever apologized to anyone. It was odd to her that it was to a fellow clone and not one of the humans she’d been trained to kill.

“Sexy,” Toorg said with a shrug, openly grinning at her.

Bri burst out laughing for real. “Wow, Maslin. Toorg used a brand new word for you. You should feel honored.”

“Yet I do not,” Maslin declared, rolling her eyes over the behavior of the female her DNA donor favored.

“Okay. You’re with me and Toorg,” Bri ordered, motioning to the door. “We’re going to keep moving and hope the Admiral can talk his evil father off the ship before we run into him.”

“His evil father?” Maslin repeated, her shorter legs pumping fast to keep up with the two giants she walked with down the hall.

“Yes. Portal Director Clayton Tiberius,” Bri explained.

Maslin stopped. “Wait. He definitely knows who I am. The Novus Prime Director sent him here just as he sent me to kill you. They both said you were a criminal.”

Bri stared into Maslin’s confused gaze. “I saw the two stand by while a mass murder was committed. They watched the whole thing and did nothing to stop it. That’s why they want me dead. I told no one what I saw, but that doesn’t matter to them. They’re just trying to keep people from finding out they’re the real criminals.”

Maslin pushed away from the wall. “My brain hurts now.”

Bri nodded. “Mine too. But the bastard still needs to die. I wasn’t in favor of letting him walk away before. That was my sister’s idea. She was trying to get Novus Prime and Nate’s father to leave us alone. Guess that’s never going to happen.”

Bri’s wrist com went off. She stopped and swiped for video connection. Nathan’s father appeared on the screen. Behind him, Nathan was sitting slumped in a chair.

“Director Tiberius, what the hell have you done to your son?”

“I’ve apprehended an Admiral who wasn’t going to comply with official orders from the Guardians for me to collect the illegal clone you’re currently harboring. Don’t worry though. He’ll wake up shortly with no memory of this unpleasant exchange—only a huge headache. Your sister really is a genius.”

Bri growled low, the sound a rumble in the silent hallway. It was habitual now for her to communicate with it. Director Tiberius laughed. “Ah yes, that reminds me of the most important thing I need to share with you.”

He swept his vid camera to the floor. Darcone lay prone and unmoving. Bri’s heart stuttered in her chest. Every cell in her body screamed no. Suddenly the vid camera was back and she was staring at Director Tiberius’s smirk.

“Aliens are so hard to kill, so I didn’t bother. But I did inject him with poison. If the clone isn’t at my shuttle in ten minutes, the precious representative of our savior planet will not receive the antidote in time to continue living. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be responsible for the next interplanetary war, now would you, Agent MacNamara?”

“That would be a negative, Director Tiberius. I’m on my way with the clone. It will take me three minutes to retrieve her and ten to reach the shuttle bay. If Darcone dies in that time, I will have no reason at all not to kill you. No matter where you go on the planet I will find and eliminate you long before your hired thugs ever find me. You have my word.”

“If your sister is even half as passionate as you are, I can see why my son can’t stay away from her. Time’s running out, Agent MacNamara. Better get your passionate ass to the shuttle with the clone.”

The vid com went dark. Bri lifted her gaze and stared at Maslin. “I have no intentions of giving that bastard what he wants. Stay with Toorg. He’ll keep you safe.”

Maslin felt a band of tension wrap itself around her chest and it wasn’t from the laser proof shirt she was wearing. “If you die and Darcone dies, where will be this family you speak of?” Maslin shook her head. “No. I was trained to kill. Let me use my skills. Let me be the one.”

Bri glared at her. “Have you ever taken a life?”

“Not yet,” Maslin admitted. Lying wouldn’t help any of them. “Let Director Tiberius be my first. Darcone would have killed for me. Let me kill for him.”

Bri blew out a breath and finally nodded. “If I show up without you, he’d probably just try to kill me outright. He may still do it if I pass you over.”

Maslin stepped close. “He seeks my death for his own reasons. He does not know I seek his. Make him believe I still seek yours.”

Bri stepped close. “Good idea. Hit me as hard as you can. Across the mouth. I need blood to show.”

Maslin shook her head. Then put a hand to it. “This is your fault… yours and his. Trouble you are, just as he said.”

“Do you want Director Tiberius to believe us or not?” Bri demanded.

Maslin gasped and drew back her fist. When it connected with the Commander’s mouth, blood flew and the woman stumbled back. Maslin shook her hand, her knuckles split by the woman’s teeth.

Bri held up a hand when Toorg started forward. “No. It’s all good.” She nodded. “Let’s go.” She looked at the alien guard. “Get Berg and check on Nate and Darcone. Take them both to Medical. We’ll meet there after the situation gets neutralized.”

Toorg nodded and jogged off.

Bri put a hand on Maslin’s shoulder. “Wait.”

She pulled a key fob from her pocket. The restraint collar and cuffs came undone. A surprised Maslin slipped them off.

“Give them to me.” Bri took the collar from Maslin and retrieved a metal stylus from another pocket. She inserted the metal stylus into the reset area of the collar. She put the cuffs and collar on the floor.

“Now stay back for a minute.” Pressing the remote, Bri winced as the devices shorted out. She retrieved them from the floor and handed them back. “You can safely put them back on. They won’t harm you now. I took out the shocker part. They won’t shock again until another complete reset is done.”

“How did you know to do that?” Maslin asked.

“I watched Darcone do it. Nate made him put them on me. Darcone couldn’t handle the idea of anyone being able to harm me, not even himself.”

Maslin nodded as she clamped the bracelets back into place. “I will not betray your trust.”

Bri shrugged. “I’m going to have to believe you. There’s no time to doubt.”

They took off for the shuttle bay in a near run.