Toorg was on duty when she returned. He gave her droids a strange look, lifted a blond eyebrow, but opened the door to Bri’s suite without commenting.

Sheena nodded to him before turning to her droids. She gave the order for them to return to the shuttle bay, proud as hell when they both looked at Toorg and nodded before leaving. The grin on her face lasted until she walked inside the room.

“Hey sweetheart. Where have you been?”

“Scott? What are you doing here?” Sheena asked.

“I think that’s the question I should be asking you. You’ve been gone for days now and never checked in. I got worried.”

Sheena’s mind went blank as he walked to her. Bri exited the kitchen with a couple bottles of water, saw her with Scott’s arms around her, and narrowed her gaze on the man.

It didn’t take much to figure out he’d been sent to see what was going on. Bri knew it and she knew it.

They’d both been in the game too long to think he’d come to the AAS airship voluntarily. No one did that.

Scott’s passionate kiss caught her off-guard, and left her totally un-aroused. Damn Nate anyway. One taste of him again and she was back to not feeling anything for other men.

The next kiss was a little more pressing, and more surprising than the first, given her sister was in the room too. It wasn’t like Scott to be so demonstrative. If she hadn’t already suspected he’d been ordered there, she would have after his tongue had danced in her mouth. When he pulled away this time, she looked up into his clear green gaze. He was hiding something. What was he hiding?

Putting her hand on his neck, she raked her fingernails gently down his skin, hoping it hid the scrape of her ring as it released what was left of the serum she’d used on Nate.

“Miss me much?” she asked wryly, working to bring up a smile as she waited to see if the serum was going to work.

“You have no idea how much,” Scott whispered, tugging her close and pressing her against him.

She leaned back and laughed. “You look tired, Scott. What did you do? Dump your wife and kids and come tearing off to AAS to rescue me?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I did,” Scott said, releasing her body to take her hand.

Sheena smiled and squeezed his fingers. She let him lead her to the sofa.

“Suddenly, I am really tired,” Scott said, pressing his very fit body into the seat. “Guess I was more worried than I realized. People don’t usually come to the AAS airship to visit, especially women. It’s usually a one-way trip, isn’t it?”

“I came because my sister is here. She’s joined the AAS program. She’s waiting to be abducted.”

“What? Are you serious?”

Scott’s gaze took in Brianna as she finished her walk back to the sitting area. Bri handed a bottle of water to Scott.

“Thanks,” he said, setting it on the table without opening it. “Why are you in the program?”

Bri smirked at the man and Sheena slightly shook her head. Bri brought her gaze back to her sister’s lover. “New Earth men don’t do it for me. I figured I’d try an alien or two.”

Scott blinked at Bri’s answer, obviously not sure if she was joking or not. His head fell back, eyes rolling. Sheena squeezed his hand again. “Scott, can you hear me?”

“Yes, but I’m very tired. It’s hard to talk.”

“I know. I have just a few questions though. Were you sent to spy on me?”

“I was sent for all of you. Novus Prime is worried. The new matchmakers are a problem. Can’t make a new pact with aliens so long as the old one goes on.”

Sheena avoided the questions in Bri’s widening gaze. “New pact? What is Novus Prime wanting?”

Scott blinked, closed his eyes again, and shrugged. “Weapons the Guardians can’t control. It’s time for change. I’m to make sure they aren’t your real family before arranging their deaths. If they’re clones, Novus Prime will wait for them to die organically. Looks less bad that way and you’d be less likely to leave the organization. If they’re aliens made to look like the old matchmakers, they can’t be left alive. That level of alien interference will not be tolerated.”

Sheena sighed and stared at the ceiling. “Right. No secret invasions allowed. Did you sincerely like me when you first asked me out, or was I just a target for you?”

Scott laughed. “I was asked to get close when it became clear you were interested in me as a man. You’re as good as my wife in bed. It’s been no hardship for me to have two women in my life.”

Bri covered her mouth, smothering her laugh. Sheena frowned, but held up a finger to her lips. It was important Bri not make a sound now. It might break the hold she had on Scott’s unconscious mind.

“Scott?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to tell you all I know and confess why I’m here. Angus and Erin are sophisticated clones. The aliens helped us mend the DNA the Guardians took from my parents. Despite the strange anomalies of ancient speech and their lack of current knowledge, all my tests indicate they are clones who will live approximately one hundred and twenty years before their cellular structure fails. Tell Novus Prime I’m staying on to do extensive tests because I’m so distraught about the Guardians doing this without my permission. I’m burdened with grief, Scott.”

“Yes. Grief. I can tell that. You’re acting strangely. Your kiss was not right.”

“My less than passionate kiss was because my ex-husband is Admiral Tiberius—the man who runs the AAS airship. I’ve discovered I’m still in love with him, Scott. That’s why I’m breaking up with you, but not before we have the best night of our lives together. This is what you’ll remember tomorrow. I did all the things you really like. Our last night together was great.”

“Yes. It’s always great between us.”

Sheena snorted. “I hear that from lots of men. Now sleep, Scott. Your mission to check on me is complete. Novus Prime needs to accept I’m staying to watch over the new clones until I’m sure they’re not going to be a problem. They’re my DNA property by New Earth law, and therefore my responsibility. That makes a lot of sense, right?”

“Absolutely. They’re your property,” Scott replied.

Sheena lifted her finger again to her lips for Bri’s sake as they waited. When Scott fell deeper asleep and slumped onto the edge of the couch, Sheena finally stood and started to the door.

“Where are you going now?” Bri asked.

“To get a big, strong alien guard to carry my lying lover’s ass to my bed. Then I guess I’m undressing the bastard so he’ll believe my story tomorrow.”

“You don’t need a guard for that,” Bri said, rolling her eyes. She stood and pulled a sleeping Scott up by his arm. Working him over one shoulder, she noticed her sister’s mouth drop open when she took the man’s full weight. “We’ve got crazy scientists at my organization too. One gave me a strength serum the first year out of academy. Ten of us took it, but only two of us got the full benefit. Thankfully I was one of two. What do you think has kept me alive so long?”

Sheena sighed. “Okay. Well, take Scott into my bedroom and dump him. No need standing around with him draped over you.”

“So tell me… how good does a Novus Prime general look naked?”

Sheena giggled at the hopeful expression on her sister’s face. “Scott looks great for a lying bastard.”

“Great. I’ll undress him for you. I haven’t seen a fully naked man in years.”

“Okay,” Sheena said, “but no touching. I don’t want you going where I’ve gone. That’s just too big an ick factor.”

“Okay. Lookie—no touchy. Got it. Damn, it’s hard for a woman to get any thrills around here. I can’t wait until I start getting some alien stick on the regular. I’m so horny—I may go through my whole folder.”

Bri walked off with Scott over her shoulder while Sheena shook her head and stared at her sister’s back.

* * *

While Bri was taking care of Scott, Sheena went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of Angus’s famous tea, except she added a double packet to her mug. She needed all the help she could get staying alert tonight. She might have to share a bed with Scott, but she was planning to use the time to do some research. Bri was back in the sitting area waiting on her when she returned.

“I put his clothes in the bathroom and a bath towel on the chair next to the bed. That makes your story more believable. And yes… I’ve done this before.”

Sheena groaned softly and put her face in both hands. “Stupid. I’m so stupid. Novus Prime made Scott sleep with me. How could I not know something like that was happening?”

“Don’t go there, Sheena. This is not on you. I got orders all the time to sleep with men so I could gain their trust. Sometimes, like Scott, I even followed those orders. It’s not criminal to have physical needs. Sounds like Scott didn’t have to have his arm twisted very hard to follow his orders about you.”

“No, it’s not criminal to need a little comfort now and again, but I was only an assignment to him. He wasn’t one to me. I genuinely liked the man. He’s a good husband and father—well, except for the whole open marriage thing.”

Bri shrugged. “Since you can’t change reality, let’s at least change the subject. Did you have your little talk with Nate?”

Sheena nodded. “Yes.”

“And…?”

Sheena shook her head. “The first thing I did when I came here was have the droids sweep your room. Everything you, Angus, and Erin said was being recorded and passed on to the Admiral—if not the Director of AAS. My boys scrambled the microphones but left them in place. I had them do the same to some of the other equipment in about a third of the rooms on the ship. The engineers think they’re experiencing random tech failures, which they are, but I’m causing them every day.”

Bri chuckled. “Thanks, Dr. MacNamara, Super Spy. Now stop stalling and tell me—what did you find out from Nate? I’m guessing you know for sure now that Angus and Erin aren’t clones. I knew you were lying to Scott earlier, and by the way, that is some super cool shit you used on him. He’s not going to know a thing come tomorrow, is he?”

“No. Not a thing. Not even that he told me all that. His culpability is zero which could save his life if he gets questioned by Novus Prime,” Sheena said wearily. “What did you see, Bri? It’s just the two of us now. I seriously need to know first before I tell you what I learned.”

Bri hunkered down, studying her bottle of water. “I saw Nate’s father talking to the Director from Novus Prime. Nearby, an execution was taking place and both men watched six people get phased to ashes. The victims were all unconscious before being incinerated, but it was still cold of those men to just stand there and do nothing. I got tagged running away because I was shocked. It was criminals who tagged me, but I think they’re working for my company or yours or a new group altogether. Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it all.”

Sheena closed her eyes. Nate would be devastated if he knew about his father. He idolized the role his famous family had played in reshaping the planet after the invasion. But people change for reasons that were often hard to understand. One day even Nate was going to have accept that. Had his mother been able to?

“Does the Provost know who you saw? I’m surprised she would believe you.”

Bri let the breath she’d been holding escape. The only answer she had was the main reason going off-planet didn’t bother her. She was tired of New Earth politics.

“No one else has known the real truth until just now when I told you. Of my group, I was the only one who had a clear view of their faces. I lied to the Provost after deciding no one in my organization or yours could be trusted. I told her two men in black cloaks watched as six innocent civilians were executed in cold blood. I said I didn’t know who they were because I couldn’t get close enough. I did identify the criminal group who tagged me. The Provost told me to stay low and hide until she got in touch. Guess she tracked me to the castle. You were right about that being about me.”

Sheena shrugged. “Not necessarily. This could be about Angus and Erin. The Guardians are using the alien portal for time travel… or something like it. Nate’s father must have known. Dad’s work ruled out going backwards in our own time. It’s possible though that Angus and Erin were stolen from another universe, where life happened for them just like they keep telling us it did.”

“Another universe?” Bri ran both hands through her hair. “I didn’t see that answer coming.”

Sheena nodded. “They come from Universe 6, according to Nate. Dad’s notes said he and the Guardians had located the space-time coordinates for 11 or 12 universes. I also found out they brought another version of Erin here from some other universe who did not survive the transition. That Erin died from depression. But our Angus and Erin? They’re hardcore survivors, aren’t they?”

Bri nodded. “Angus and Erin came to the cells below deck to bust me out just because I was a MacNamara. They made Darcone bring them to see me and I could tell they were still frightened of him back then. I was not kind to them, Sheena, but they dished it right back. And I’ll tell you something else—the aliens adore those two people. They would never let anything happen to them if they could prevent it. Now I’m afraid for them and for the aliens. How crazy is that?”

Sheena snorted. “Not crazy at all, considering I just found out the people I work for paid someone to sleep with me and that they might be trying to start another world war. I signed up to save humanity, not to work for a bunch of irrational warmongers. I’m more grateful than ever now that I saved my best work for myself.”

Bri sighed. “I’m glad Mom and Dad aren’t here to worry about our fuck-ups.”

“Agreed,” Sheena said, putting her head back on the sofa. “The only way I can take care of the new Angus and Erin is if I stay close by for a while. Nate doesn’t like them enough to really watch over them. I’m hoping I’ll get orders from Novus Prime to officially stay. I’m hoping I don’t have to grovel to make it happen.”

“I still think you’re underestimating him,” Bri said.

“Really? His bedroom looks exactly like it did when I left. He’s had four other wives, Brianna. Are you telling me none of them redecorated? If they did, Nate must have erased their existence after they left. He hates change and my life is devoted to discovery. We’re like oil and water. That’s why it never worked out for us.”

“People change, Sheena. I did. Or at least they modify themselves.”

Sheena chuckled at her own thinking being mirrored back to her. “Yes, but you’re my awesome sister and a MacNamara. We’re adaptable. Mom and Dad made sure of that.”

“Nate would be a more effective leader if he had even a smidgeon of flexibility. Maybe you’re meant to be that influence for him.”

Bending from the waist, Sheena leaned forward and laughed. “You’re selling Nate really hard. Maybe you ought to consider working with Angus and Erin as a matchmaker.”

Bri laughed. “Wouldn’t work. I’d just be poking on the horny aliens trying to start fights. From what I hear, Angus has enough work on his hands keeping things under control in that quadrant of the airship. I do think they’re right about the program. The whole process needs to be more… organic.”

“Aliens are not organic,” Sheena said.

“Of course, they are. They’re just not organic to New Earth.”

Sheena snorted. “Okay. Good point.”

“Where are you sleeping tonight?”

Sheena sighed. “Where do you think? Next to my deceiver. I need him to believe the story I implanted come morning.”