Wanted

Wicked Missions 5

Wanted Children are dying from the plague, and in her attempt to steal antibiotics from a pair of sexy drug smugglers, nurse Callinda Seebré comes face-to-face with a drug lord who now wants her dead. To keep her safe, smugglers Hammond Miller and Spencer Prentice kidnap Callie. Once aboard their ship, she becomes a catalyst, stimulating the men to explore not only their attraction to her, but also their attraction to each other. But Hammond and Spencer aren’t quite what they seem. Determined to bring down the drug lord, they realize that in order to succeed, they must put Callie in danger. Can they risk their hearts and her life in order to catch him? Genre: Futuristic, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Science Fiction Length: 34,329 words

WANTED Wicked Missions 5

Elizabeth Raines

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

WANTED Copyright © 2011 by Elizabeth Raines E-book ISBN: 1-61034-630-0 First E-book Publication: July 2011 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Wanted by Elizabeth Raines from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Elizabeth Raines’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Raines’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Marc—thanks for being such an inspiration!

WANTED Wicked Missions 5 ELIZABETH RAINES Copyright © 2011

Chapter 1 Callinda Seebré jerked the veil away from her face, weary of feeling as if the damn thing was smothering her. She could only gasp and pant after having run for so long. Her side ached with a stitch, but she knew she couldn’t take too much time to catch her breath. She had to make it to the docking platform before the ship with the precious medicines took off. Slipping her hand into the slit she’d cut in her long robe, she pressed her fingers against the pulse pistol holstered against her hip. She still wasn’t sure she could actually shoot anyone, but her boyfriend had encouraged her to take it along just in case. Funny, but when she’d told Mikel she was going to that docking platform come hell or high water, he’d been very supportive—up until the time came to leave, and he told her there was no way he could go with her. Something about his boss needing him to get to the office immediately. So much for love… No way would she let him go on a mission like this on his own, which only confirmed her growing suspicion that she was much more committed to their relationship than he was. His lack of heart and compassion for the children she was trying to save had all but killed

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her budding affection for Mikel. With a shake of her head, Callinda focused on the job she faced rather than her pathetic love life. The children in the mission hospital were counting on her, and she’d vowed not to let another girl die because of lack of what should be a freely available drug. Unfortunately, the Bromond government didn’t give a flying fuck what happened to the females on this world. The men on the desert planet saw women as nothing more than property, and they often abandoned their daughters at birth, leaving them to die in the heat of the sand dunes. Working with others who, like her, believed the practice to be barbaric, Callie helped save as many of the baby girls as they could and tried to find homes for them on other worlds. And then the plague arrived, and no one would “waste” good drugs on girls. So when she received some highly valuable information from her less-than-savory contacts that Ampirica was arriving on Bromond via some well-established drug smugglers, she decided that she would steal the drugs from those smugglers as they delivered them to the person who would sell them for exorbitant prices on the black market. Her contacts told her she was crazy to even think about it, let alone try it. Callie hadn’t bothered arguing that pronouncement. It wasn’t the first time someone had told her she was nuts. Drawing the veil back across her face, she peeked around the corner of the alley, relieved to see she was still alone. Gathering the long robe in her hands, she lifted it above her knees and started running toward the docking area. The sounds of the night were drowned out by her own heavy breaths, but on she ran, terrified she’d miss the one opportunity to steal the drugs her girls needed. Her informant had assured her that today was the day for a shipment of Ampirica, and she wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. She skidded to a stop in front of Platform Eight and quickly ducked behind some enormous crates, moving from one to the next to get closer and watch the two men standing next to the ship.

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Dressed in camo pants, dark T-shirts, and black combat boots, they looked more like soldiers than the pirates she’d expected. No wide sashes or silver swords. No weathered hats jauntily dipped toward their brows. No long hair or patches over one eye. Of course, her silly romantic notions of swashbuckling swordsmen were based on the ancient Earth tomes she and her older sister Lyrianna had grown up reading. Their ship was small, and it appeared to be built for speed rather than for transporting people or cargo. A modern version of a pirate frigate. Both smugglers had laser pistols, but she forced herself not to think about the consequences. Her own pulse pistol was on a stun setting, but she knew their pistols would kill her should they have the opportunity to hit her. Didn’t matter. Little girls were dying, and she’d sworn to help them. She stopped not more than three meters from where the men stood, straining to hear what they were discussing. “We’re ready?” the man with short strawberry-blond hair asked. “God, I wanna get this prick.” The second, a tall man with wavy, brown hair that curled against his neck, patted his pistol. “Damn right, we’ll get him. I need to send the signal for the drop. Keep an eye on things?” The blond tossed him a curt nod. Callie pulled up the long sleeve of her robe to check her watch. Only ten minutes before the smugglers were supposed to arrive to buy the drugs. It was now or never. Luck was on her side as the odds turned in her favor. The brunet returned to the ship, walked up the ramp, and disappeared into the cargo hold. The blond folded his arms over his chest, turned his back to her, and leaned his broad shoulder against the ship’s hull. He was obviously watching the dock’s entrance as he hummed to himself. She didn’t recognize the song. Offering up a quick prayer, she stepped from behind the crate and pulled her pistol through the hole in her robe, trying to control the trembling in her hands. Three quick steps put her behind him, and she

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pressed the gun against the man’s back. “Don’t move.” He froze, not even glancing over his shoulder. “What do you want?” “I want the Ampirica.” Figuring it would be intimidating and perhaps force him to comply, she pressed the barrel of the pistol harder against him. “Now.” “Not happening,” the man replied, his voice calm despite the danger he was in. “I give you those drugs, I’m a dead man.” “You don’t give me those drugs, you’re a dead man. Tell your friend to bring me two boxes, or I’ll shoot you where you stand.” A startled cry slipped out when he suddenly whirled and hit her arm so hard, the pistol went flying from her grasp. The pain was immediate, but she dove for the gun, knowing it was her only chance. The man was faster, kicking it out of the way as he tackled her to the ground. She tried to bring her knee up to connect with his groin, but he pinned her with his heavier weight, his muscular thighs holding hers still. Green eyes stared into hers, a mixture of anger and curiosity reflected in those emerald pools. “What in the hell are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?” Callie struggled as she realized this man could easily kill her. She thrashed around in an attempt to get away. He didn’t budge a centimeter, only grinned at her with one of those condescending masculine smiles that made her want to slap him silly. “Let me go!” “Not yet, my little wildcat. Not until I see who you are.” Holding her wrists with one hand, he lifted them over her head, pinning them to the tarmac. His other hand yanked away her head covering and veil. Her long blonde hair spilled out, partly blocking her vision. He smoothed the tresses away from her face, his fingertips caressing her cheek. “Wow. Not what I expected at all. You’re…pretty.” “Go fuck yourself.” She tried to drag her wrists out of his grasp as she turned her head. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. “I’d rather fuck

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you.” So he wasn’t going to kill her—he was going to rape her. She bucked against him, her pelvis pressing against his. The moment she felt the hard length of his cock, she stilled. “Well, well,” a loud masculine voice called from across the docking platform. “Looks like you’re mixin’ business with pleasure, Hammond.” The blond—Hammond—leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Be quiet. Just do what I tell you so I can keep you safe.” Safe? Was he insane? A moment ago he’d been intent upon rape and now…she had no idea what his intentions were. “What can I say?” he said as he crawled off her and dragged her to her feet. “When a beautiful woman crosses my path, I have to take advantage of my good fortune.” The new man—the one Callie figured the smugglers had come to meet—who’d been calling to the brunet came lumbering across the tarmac. She was amazed someone could walk with that much weight on his frame. Following close behind the obese, bald man were two other people, one a yellow-skinned Dracorian, the other an albino Tanglion with six arms. Both aimed pulse rifles at Hammond. “Hey! Carlos!” the brunet smuggler called as he walked down the ramp. His gaze turned to Callie, and his blue eyes widened. “Geesh, Hammond. I leave for a minute, and you’ve already got a hot piece of tail.” “I am not a hot piece of tail,” Callie shot back, leveling a scorching stare at him. Hammond chuckled. “I think you just insulted yourself, wildcat.” He brushed a kiss on her cheek that sent heat rushing through her traitorous body. “Quiet. Please,” he whispered before she pulled away. He tossed a grin at his friend. “What can I say, Spencer? I have a reputation to uphold.” Spencer turned to Carlos and his henchmen, his handsome face growing hard so quickly, it took her breath away. “Did you bring the

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money?” His command was harsh, sending a shiver down the length of her spine. This was not a man to be crossed. “Of course!” Carlos nodded to the Dracorian who handed him the small duffle he carried. Carlos held it against his enormous belly. “I wanna see the Ampirica first.” Hammond gave his head a stubborn shake. “Uni-credits first. Antibiotics after.” Narrowing his beady brown eyes, Carlos scowled. “You don’t trust me?” “Hell, no,” Hammond replied. “You’re a drug dealer.” Laughter rumbled through the big man. “No wonder you’re such a successful smuggler.” He tossed the duffle to Spencer, who caught it. After unzipping it and fishing around inside, he nodded at Hammond. “I’ll get the boxes.” Taking a couple of steps toward the ramp, he suddenly stopped and turned back to stare at Callie. Shit. For a moment Callie had hoped they’d all forgotten her. She’d even thought about trying to sneak away. Unfortunately, Hammond still had a hold of her. When Spencer cast a glance her way, Hammond draped an arm across her shoulder, hauling her up closer against his side. His gun jabbed painfully into her hip, but she didn’t think now was the time to complain. “Maybe she oughta go on the ship,” Spencer said, nodding at her and leveling a hard stare at Hammond. Hammond hesitated, clearly considering some silent message Spencer was sending him. He shifted his gaze between Carlos and Callie. “Good plan,” he finally replied. “Why don’t you go and wait for me? And take off that damned robe. In fact, take everything off and wait in my bed.” Whirling around, Callie slapped his face. All Hammond did was chuckle, grab her hands, and tug her into his arms. His mouth covered hers, capturing her surprised gasp. And Lord, did he kiss her. Soft, warm lips caressed hers, and when his tongue slipped into her mouth, she forgot where she was.

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Heat flooded her body, settling in her pussy, making her squirm against him. What in the hell was wrong with her? When he tore his mouth away from hers, she tried to follow him with her face and realized she’d threaded her arms around his neck. His arrogant chuckle made her want to slap him again. “Don’t ever do that again!” she warned, laying her palms against his chest and trying to push him away. She might as well have been trying to move a prolobeast. Hammond quirked an eyebrow as if he’d scented a challenge. Instead of kissing her, he turned her around and gave her an insistent push between the shoulder blades. “Be a good girl and go with Spencer.” He patted her ass. “And I will kiss you again later. That’s a promise.” About to blister his ears, Callie could only cry out in pain when a shot rang across the tarmac, hitting her in the shoulder. Her knees startled to buckle, but before she could collapse, Hammond shoved her to the ground and covered her with his body. When a second shot whizzed by, she grabbed the gun from his hip, pointed it at Carlos as he turned to one of his minions, and blindly squeezed the trigger. Carlos let out a howl, his hands covering his nose. His men gaped at him as if unsure what to do. “She shot me!” he bellowed through his hands, which were quickly becoming slick with his blood. “She fucking shot me!” “You shot first! What the hell, Carlos?” Hammond shouted. “She’s a fucking witness!” he shouted back. “And you’re a fucking psycho!” “That whore shot my face!” Carlos pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to his bleeding nose. “Give her to me! Now!” “Fuck you! You aren’t touching her!” Spencer tossed the duffle inside the ship and drew his weapon from the holster. “Give her to me!” Carlos screamed before nodding at the Dracorian. “Kill her.” Spencer took a shot before the Dracorian could obey Carlos,

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hitting him right between his red eyes. The alien crumpled into a lifeless heap. Hammond yanked his pistol out of Callie’s trembling hand and pointed it at Carlos. “She’s dead! And now you’re both dead men too!” Carlos turned and started waddling away, holding his bloodied handkerchief to his face and leaving his henchman to do his dirty work. The Tanglion fired at Spencer, who moved to put himself in front of Callie and Hammond. Rolling to avoid the Tanglion’s shot, Spencer returned fire, his shot nailing the albino’s arm that held the weapon. The alien grabbed the rifle he’d dropped with one of his other arms before it hit the ground, but that gave Hammond just enough time to shoot him, catching the Tanglion’s chest. The albino collapsed on the tarmac. Callie wanted to scream, but she was in too much pain. No one had ever told her how much a pulse rifle shot hurt—like someone was holding a lit torch against her shoulder. She whimpered, trying to move Hammond off her since his heavy weight was making the agony worse. He rolled away, crouching at her side and trying to get the robe off her as Spencer joined him. A frustrated growl slipped out before Hammond was able to wiggle a few fingers into the hole left by the blast and rip the material open. “Hang in there, wildcat. I’ve got a med-kit on the Ecstasy.” His ship was called the Ecstasy? Fuckin’ arrogant bast— She cried out when Spencer scooped her into his arms, forcing her wounded shoulder against his chest. “Sorry, baby.” “I’m not your baby,” she croaked out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Realizing the danger that awaited her if they got her on that ship, she tried to struggle in his arms. But all she did was make her shoulder hurt more, so much so the world started to spin in her mind. Right before she fainted, she heard Spencer say, “Not yet. But you will be.”

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Chapter 2 Callie woke with a start, sitting up in a soft bed. A very large bunk, she realized, in a small bedroom. No windows, only steel walls. Then the memories came tumbling back. She was alone on the inside of their space ship—the Ecstasy. There was no sign of Spencer or Hammond. Damn, she was trapped with two smugglers, and she didn’t even know their last names. Cautiously rolling her shoulder, she felt only a gnawing ache rather than the intense pain that had thrown her into a faint. Seemed the shot had hit her upper arm more than her shoulder. Glancing at the wound, she gasped—not from the ugly welt and bruised skin but from the fact her breasts were bare. She lifted the sheet and sighed in relief that they’d left her shorts on, which she hoped meant they hadn’t taken advantage of her while she’d been out. Fucking pirates just had to take a peek. A hasty glance around the room helped her find her tank top resting on top of a silver med-kit. Callie threw her legs over the side of the bunk and jumped to her feet. Too quickly, because her legs began to tremble. She grabbed the side of the bed and tried to keep herself upright. The door slid open with a loud whoosh. “Hey! Hey! Who told you that you could get up?” Spencer hurried to her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist and holding her close to his side. If she’d had the strength, she would have pushed him away. “I wanted my shirt.” “Then you should have asked.” He helped her back on the bed. She immediately seized the sheet and held it to her naked breasts.

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“You weren’t here.” He shot her a frown, making her roll her eyes in aggravation. “Fine. I’m asking now. May I have my shirt? You had no right to strip me, you know.” With a chuckle, he fetched her shirt and held it out to her. She kept the sheet pressed to her bosom and took the tank top from his grasp. “Turn your back,” she ordered. “I’ve already seen your tits. Damn fine tits, by the way.” “Turn around!” Spencer actually obeyed, although he laughed again. “I had to take the shirt off to check your wound,” he said, sounding defensive, which made her happy. “I took care of you after you got shot while Hammond got us outta there. Not my fault your bra was in the way.” After she checked to see if her shirt was intact, she breathed a sigh of relief. The shot had missed the material. She jerked her shirt over her head, gingerly easing her sore arm through the proper hole, and then tugged the garment down. “I suppose you think I should thank you for your help. You can turn around now.” His handsome smile made her breath catch in her throat. His eyes were the most wonderful shade of blue, reminding her of the clear water on Remiza. The long, brown hair suited his oval face, and she liked that he left it loose to almost touch his shoulders instead of pulling the thick tresses into some kind of masculine ponytail. “You were really lucky,” he said. “The blast went straight through. No broken bones and only minor tissue damage. You’ll be good as new in a day or two.” She just grunted in response. “You’re quite welcome, baby.” “I told you before, don’t call me baby,” Callie countered. “Where are we? Still on Bromond?” He shook his head. “We took off right away before Carlos could gather reinforcements. We’re heading back to Rozale.” Rozale. That was days away. Although she knew she should be grateful to the men for saving her life, she couldn’t bring herself to

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thank Spencer. A weight settled on her heart as she thought of all the innocent lives that would be lost because of the way she’d botched her mission. She had to fix this. Somehow. “I have to go back to Bromond.” Fisting his hands against his hips, Spencer frowned down at her. “No way in hell we’re letting you go back there. Not when Carlos Pontierri wants you dead.” “You don’t get to tell me what to do!” With another loud swish of the door, Hammond walked into the bedroom. His chuckle told her he’d heard her angry declaration. “Unless you want to jump off this ship, we do. I suppose you can consider yourself our hostage for now.” Hostage? She snorted a laugh at the notion of anyone paying money for her safe return. Mikel? He probably wouldn’t part with a single universal-credit to save her ass. The only person in the whole cosmos who truly loved her was her sister. And the siblings lived such separate lives, Callie hadn’t heard from Lyrianna in literally months, although that wasn’t unusual. Like Callie, Lyrianna had a tendency to hang around some shady characters. Both sisters were able to help others with the information they gleaned from their contacts. Maybe once the epidemic ended on Bromond, she’d go looking for her sister. “What’s so funny?” Spencer asked, cocking his head. She refused to reply. “I really need to go back to Bromond. Now.” Just to prove to them she could be reasonable, she added, “Please.” “Not happening,” he replied. “You might as well resign yourself to our company for a few days. When we get to Rozale, we’ll figure out what to do with you.” A few days alone on a small ship with two handsome men? Most women would think they’d hit the interstellar lottery. Not Callie. All she could do was worry about the sick girls back on Bromond who were waiting for medicine that would never arrive. A tear slipped down her cheek. Hammond reached out and captured it with his thumb. “What’s

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wrong now?” All she did was shake her head and try to turn away. Spencer sat down next to her. “What’s wrong, baby?” Callie hit the pillow with her fist. “I’m not your baby! Stop calling me that!” “Then you better give me an alternative,” he replied, clearly unaffected by her temper. An odd reaction, considering Mikel always left the room whenever she vented her irritation, which was probably far too often. Lyrianna always said that Callie needed to learn patience and control. So they wanted to know her name. She thought about lying to them. If she made up some name, they would never know who she truly was. She could invent some story about her life as well, leading both smugglers on a merry chase. But what would that accomplish? These men were drug dealers. They could rape her, even kill her, and probably never feel a moment of remorse. What good would lying do? She’d only be making her life more difficult as she tried to keep her lies straight. “My name’s Callinda Seebré.” “Callinda,” Hammond echoed. “Do people call you that, or do you have a nickname?” “Linda, maybe?” Spencer asked. “Or Lin?” “Callie,” she replied. “Callie it is,” Hammond said, plopping down on the bed at her other side. “I’m Hammond Miller.” He nodded at Spencer. “He’s Spencer Prentice. Now that we’ve been introduced, we need to come to an understanding, and the only way we can do that is to know why you ended up as our pretty little hostage. What were you doing on that docking platform?” They were too close for her to think, and their clean, masculine scents were drowning her, sending a gush of moisture rushing from her pussy. Being Belusian, she possessed a very high sex drive. Or at least that was what she’d always been told. Having never felt an

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overwhelming need to seek out male company, she’d assumed she was immune to that genetic trait. The moment Hammond kissed her back on the docking platform, she realized she’d been wrong, because she’d wanted him with a fierceness that hit her like a club upside the head. She felt the same desire again as she breathed in their pleasing scents, curling her fingers into the palms of her hands to keep from reaching for the men. Sandwiched between the two of them, all she could do was remember the warmth of Hammond’s lips, the wonderful taste of him in her mouth, and how her body responded to his nearness. She also remembered how wonderful it felt to be cradled in Spencer’s arms. Even with the pain in her shoulder, she’d recognized how strong and safe he’d made her feel. Shit, not only was she unbearably horny, she wanted two men. “Callie?” Spencer placed his finger under her chin to turn her to face him. “Why did you come to that dock?” “I needed the Ampirica you smuggled onto the planet,” she replied, trying to take hold of her scattered wits. “Why?” “For the children. The little girls in my hospital are dying from the plague.” “Aren’t there other antibiotics, some that aren’t so rare?” She shook her head. “We tried every other antibiotic. They need Ampirica.” “How did you even know we had any?” Hammond asked, even though he was looking at Spencer. The two seemed to be close enough to communicate without words, and she envied that type of bond. Then something very odd dawned on her. This was the only bed on a ship too small to have more than one bedroom. Did they share it? No. There had to be more bedrooms on the ship, no matter how small it looked. Two men who were that virile, that incredibly masculine couldn’t possibly be involved with each other, not sexually.

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Right? Callie dropped her gaze to her lap, hating that simply looking at their faces made her heart race. These two men were holding her prisoner. They were drug smugglers. Yet all she could think of was getting closer. Why couldn’t they be fat and ugly? Then her stupid desire would die a speedy death. As it was, she had pictures flying through her mind. Kissing them. Touching them. One particular image made heat shoot to her clit—Spencer sucking her tits while Hammond licked her pussy. She was being ridiculous. “Callie?” Hammond reached over and cupped her cheek in his palm to force her to face him. She had to resist the urge to rub her cheek against his hand like a pet seeking a sweet caress from its master. “You’re a million kilometers away.” “I’m right here.” “Not in your thoughts. What are you thinking?” When she didn’t reply, he frowned. “Are you worried about Carlos?” Sweet heaven. She’d been so busy thinking with her cunt, she’d forgotten about him. “He tried to kill me. Why? He doesn’t even know me.” “No, but now you know him. You’re a witness. You could identify him.” He tossed a knowing glance to Spencer. “And of course you went and shot his already ugly face. I can’t imagine how hideous he’ll look without a nose. You know that you can’t go back to Bromond again. Ever. There’ll be a contract out on you, and Carlos never forgets.” “Like an elephant,” Callie said with a resigned sigh. “He even looks like one.” “You know about elephants? You’re human?” Spencer asked. “So are we.” “I’m not human,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I’m Belusian.” Hammond’s green eyes flew wide. If she didn’t know better,

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she’d think he was…frightened. “Belusian?” he said, his voice cracking. “You’re an empath? You know what I’m thinking?” She sighed again as she rolled her eyes. “Why are people so fucking stupid?” A rhetorical question, but it drew frowns from the men that made her mouth twitch in amusement. She squelched the grin. “Empaths don’t read minds. All we do is sense feelings. And before you ask, no. I don’t know what either of you feels right now. My empathic abilities suck. I wonder sometimes if I’m really Belusian.” At least she had until her hormones kicked into overdrive. “I should’ve known,” Spencer said, smoothing her hair over her shoulder, sending shivers of want racing over her skin. How could something as innocent as a touch make her feel such a gut-wrenching need? Every cell in her body came alive when either of the men gave her the simplest attention. “How could you possibly know?” she asked. “Your eyes. They’re such a beautiful shade of gray.” Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the bruises on her bare shoulder. She hissed out a breath in response. “Does it still hurt? I can give you a hypo-spray if you’re in pain.” How about you strip off those camo pants and give me a hot beef injection instead? “N…no, thank you. I’m just…exhausted.” The yawn that slipped out right after the words punctuated her statement. Hammond stood up first, but he bent down to kiss her forehead. She closed her eyes to savor the tender gesture. “Get some rest. We’ll talk later.” Then he frowned, contradicting the kind action. “And you will tell us everything.” She just nodded while wondering how much of their lives they’d reveal to her. Probably not much. Spencer brushed his lips over her cheek. “Sleep. Best thing for you, baby. We’ll come get you after Hammond fixes us something to eat.” He stood up and patted the pillow. When she laid down, he dragged the sheet over her body. The door slid shut behind them, and Callie rolled onto her back to

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stare at the top of the bunk. Her heart was still racing, and both their scents clung to the pillows. Did they share this bed? The thought of them kissing, touching, loving each other sent more fluids from her pussy. Right before she allowed sleep to take hold, she wondered how good it could be between the three of them. Damn good.

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Chapter 3 “What are we supposed to do with her?” Spencer asked as he slid into the copilot’s seat. Their beautiful hostage was still sleeping soundly, and he was relieved her shoulder had only been slightly wounded. He’d also checked for any cracks in the bone where Hammond had slammed her weapon away. Only a small bruise was left behind, and the rifle wound had responded so well to treatment, he figured she’d be good as new in a hurry. Hammond didn’t even glance over. “We can’t let her go back to Bromond. I don’t care how much she begs. It’s for her own good.” Spencer nodded. “You don’t have to convince me. She blew Carlos’s fucking nose off!” “She did, didn’t she?” Hammond’s chuckle made Spencer laugh in return. Then the seriousness of the whole mess set in again. “He’ll have every scumbag on that pile of sand gunning for her. And if someone catches her…” Spencer shuddered in revulsion. The people he and Hammond had to deal with on a daily basis could do horrible things to a woman, especially one as pretty as Callie. “I know,” Hammond replied. “He’ll be gunning for us, too, you know.” That didn’t seem to matter. To either of them. They were well able to protect themselves. Only Callie mattered. Why? He wasn’t sure. Spencer had never felt such a need to shelter a woman in his entire life. But he did now, and he simply decided not to fight against that need. “Someone has to protect her. Carlos has arms that reach all the way to Rozale.”

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“But we still have to get back to report to our superiors what happened back on that docking platform. At least we know more hiding places on Rozale.” A sigh fell from Hammond’s lips as a weighty silence filled the cabin. They were both tiptoeing around the real problem, and it sure wasn’t Carlos Pontierri’s criminal empire or lack of a nose. Spencer and Hammond had been learning all they could about the kingpin, gleaning information from the bottom-feeders who worked for him and working their way up the food chain to eventually deal with the man himself. And they’d succeeded. Unfortunately, they hadn’t expected their first major contact with him to end with the man getting shot and them picking up a delectable little piece of “baggage.” Carlos would never do business with them again, and all their efforts to get close to him had been wasted. Spencer clenched his hands into fists, vowing that they’d bring that bastard down. Someday. But Carlos wasn’t the barrier standing between the partners at that moment. Callie Seebré was. One of them had to be the first to be honest—they’d always been honest with each other before. From the moment they’d become partners and started on this…mission of theirs, Spencer had known there was something special between him and Hammond. They depended on each other to survive and spent days alone on the Ecstasy. While sharing their time, they also began to share their thoughts…and eventually their feelings. Both men had always leaned toward being bisexual, but neither had ever taken the leap into having sex with another man. Spencer had always feared his attraction to both sexes made him…wrong somehow—a fear his religiously zealous family had done little to relieve with their prejudice and bigotry toward homosexuals. So his whole life, he’d been forced to keep his desires a secret. Until he’d met Hammond.

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Although they’d shared a couple of heated kisses, both had been hesitant to become lovers—as if once they crossed that bridge, they’d be forever burning it behind them. Not that either was a virgin, although neither had slept with another man, only with women. In Spencer’s case, lots of women as a way to try to fight against what he’d been told was a sinful desire. But the desire was still there, as was a growing affection for his partner. Having his life depend on Hammond was a quick way to forge a close bond between them. Spencer had assumed it was simply a matter of time. Then Callie had slammed her way into their world and changed those dynamics considerably. Spencer felt like a man torn in two—wanting Hammond but also feeling a desire for Callie that he could barely contain. “It’s okay, Spence. I want her too.” The lopsided smile his partner tossed his way revealed a handsome dimple on his right cheek. “You know me too well. I was about to say the same thing.” He stared out at the stars that seemed so close and yet so very far away. “I know it seems…odd, but…I think she wants us too. Both of us.” “Yeah,” Hammond drawled. “I got that vibe too. She is Belusian, after all.” Spencer nodded. “High sex drive, but I think it’s more than that. It’s like she reacts to us and it scares her.” Hammond’s grin broadened. “But I bet it won’t stop her.” “We probably shouldn’t take advantage of that.” “What if it’s not taking advantage?” “What do you mean?” Hammond finally turned to face him, swiveling his chair and leaning forward. “Look, what if there’s something…more there. What if Callie’s a chance for something good in this world, something real? What if she’s our chance to get out of this…work that we do and find something that doesn’t put a bull’s-eye in the center of our chests and make every slimeball want to blast us to pieces? What if she’s our chance to have a family? Isn’t that what we want? A normal life?” Spencer rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a three-way relationship is so

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normal.” Hammond frowned. “It’s about as normal as either of us will ever know.” He was throwing Spencer’s words back at him, bringing up all the same arguments Spencer had used when he’d first admitted to Hammond that he was falling for him, that he not only wanted him as a friend but as something…more. A little bit of jealousy flared that Hammond felt that for Callie until he realized he felt the same way about her. “You feel that much for her already?” “Yeah, I do. Strange, I know, but…I just…do.” “That’s interesting, because so do I.” “So what do we do?” Figuring someone had to say it first, Spencer voiced what he knew was spinning through Hammond’s thoughts as well. “What we do is share her.” Shifting to face the com again, Hammond smiled. “Then it’s time to simply let nature take its course.” **** “Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Hammond said as Callie wandered into the galley. The smell of food had awakened her, and her stomach growled loud enough that he smiled in response. “Do you like steak?” “Steak? You’ve got steak? What kind?” She sat down at the table when he nodded at the chair closest to her. “Beats me,” he replied. “Whatever I dragged out of the deep freeze.” He held the casserole dish close to his nose and sniffed. “Prolobeast, maybe? Beef?” A chuckle slipped out. “Who the hell knows? It’s protein. I mixed in some vegetables and gravy, so it’s edible.” Callie shrugged. “I’m not a picky eater.” Hell, back on Bromond, she was lucky if she got a full meal a day. She started to worry she was too thin, then wondered why she was concerned about what the

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men would think if they saw her naked. Damn, but these men were too handsome for her peace of mind— two luscious distractions she didn’t need right now. “Neither am I,” Spencer announced as he came strolling into the room. “Good thing since neither Hammond nor I cook worth a shit.” He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, making her jaw drop in surprise. Then, with a smug grin, he sat down next to her. “How you feeling, baby?” He had to be doing it on purpose—calling her baby no matter how many times she corrected him. She didn’t know him well enough to figure out if he was trying to push her buttons or simply thought of her as his baby. And why she hoped it was the latter was beyond her. “Better.” Raising and lowering her arm, she tried to show the men she wasn’t injured and could take care of herself now. “Good.” Hammond set the casserole on the table and handed Callie a plate. “Ladies first.” A chuckle slipped out. “No one’s ever accused me of being a lady. Not even when I was little. I’m nothing but an overgrown tomboy.” She grabbed her fork and started scooping food onto her plate. “Smells almost good enough to eat.” Hammond’s emerald eyes settled on her chest and stayed fixed there until she narrowed her eyes and growled. He actually blushed before serving himself some food and muttering something that sounded like a halfhearted apology. The three ate in silence, passing furtive glances across the table, passionate and sexual enough to make the temperature in the galley rise. Her empathic skills kicked in, telling her that they were all trapped in some kind of web, feeling a draw that affected all three of them. She was almost powerless to fight it, and she knew they were having the same problem. Callie realized that she not only wanted them—both of them—but they wanted her, and perhaps each other, every bit as much. The wave of heat spreading through her was so overpowering, she almost looked around for something to fan herself

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with. This was going to be a long flight. After the three of them worked together, surprisingly easily, at cleaning up the aftermath of the meal, Spencer took her hand. “We need to talk.” “About?” “It’s time for bed,” Hammond replied, coming to stand next to her and taking her other hand. “You want to talk about bed?” She sounded like an idiot. Didn’t they realize the effect they were having on her by standing so close? Didn’t they know that when their skin brushed against hers, she was able to get an empathic read on them and felt the lust flowing through both of them? Didn’t they realize that combination of her own sexual desire and theirs was impossible to resist? Callie tried to act nonchalant, failing miserably as her voice took on a husky tone. “So? What exactly are we going to talk about?” They never replied, simply led her to the bedroom. She dug in her heels, refusing to even consider ending up in bed until they’d talked. As the men went across the room, she leaned back against the door right after it slid shut. Then she fired the first shot in the battle for control. “We have to go back to Bromond.” Both men shook their heads. “We’re heading to Rozale,” Hammond said. “What about the girls in my hospital?” Callie tried to use an intimidating stare, but Hammond and Spencer didn’t appear to be the type of men who intimidated easily. If at all. “I can’t just abandon them. Can’t you spare some of that Ampirica? Please? I mean, can’t you just…steal more?” “It’s not that easy,” Spencer replied, raking his fingers through his hair before putting his hands on his hips. “Look, Callie. We need to be honest with you.” She decided to save him the trouble of a confession. “I already know you smuggle drugs. That’s why I tried to rob you. I figured

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those drugs would be put to better use for my girls. I really wouldn’t have hurt you. My pistol was set on stun.” “So you’ve made up your mind,” Spencer said, the irritation plain in his voice, “that all we are is a couple of drug smugglers. No more, no less. Just a couple of criminals.” “Well…yeah.” Realizing from their fierce frowns that she’d insulted them with that quick judgment, she tried to soften not only her words but her judgmental nature. “I don’t condemn you for it— my sister works with lots of black market people on Rozale. It’s a profitable…um…business.” Their frowns didn’t ease. “Look, it’s not like you’re shipping heroin or meth or patrile or nasty stuff like that. You’re just smuggling things like Ampirica that are impossible to anywhere get except on the black market.” “We’re really not drug smugglers.” Hammond cast a furtive glance at Spencer. She caught the quick shake of Spencer’s head. “More like…middlemen.” “Middlemen?” Spencer was the one to clarify. “We don’t steal the medicines. We fence them. The people who obtain the drugs get them to us. We get them to the guys who’ll pay the most for ’em.” Like she’d ever point out to them that bringing the drugs on the planet was smuggling, even if you hadn’t stolen them. If it made them feel better to think of themselves as middlemen, fine with her. Then she focused a little more on what he’d really said, remembering the exchange back on the docking platform. At the time, her pain had been so intense, everything was sort of hazy. “Back on Bromond, you got the money, but you didn’t give Carlos the drugs. That means you’ve still got the antibiotics, don’t you?” Spencer chuckled. “Like we’d hand him that Ampirica after he had his goons try to kill us.” Callie waited for the men to see the same golden opportunity she did. Since neither said anything, she decided to spell it out for them. “So you can give the money to your source—”

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“After we take our cut,” Spencer added. “—but you don’t have to give Carlos the Ampirica now. Right?” A frown crossed Hammond’s face, and she wasn’t sure what to make of that reaction. “Technically, no. Although Carlos will want us both dead since we let you shoot off his nose and then left without dumping the boxes on the tarmac. Why?” Rolling her eyes, she tried not to sigh in frustration. They were clearly too dense to follow her train of thought. “Turn around and go back to Bromond. Give the medicine to my hospital. We’ll put it to good use.” When both men started shaking their heads, Callie’s temper erupted like a volcano. Didn’t they realize what was at stake? “Why the hell not?” “That’s not how it’s done, baby.” Spencer’s grin was so male and so fucking arrogant, she grabbed the first thing she saw and threw it at him. He easily dodged the hairbrush, letting it bounce off the wall to land on the floor. “Those children will die without that Ampirica! How can you be so unfeeling?” Then she thought she understood. “Are you afraid to go back to Bromond? Is that the problem?” “This isn’t about us being afraid to go to Bromond,” Spencer countered. “It’s about you. If you go back to Bromond, you’ll die.” “Die? How?” “Carlos Pontierri is one of the biggest mob leaders in the sector. He takes a contract out on you, and you’re as good as dead. He’s well known for getting rid of all witnesses.” “You shot him, wildcat,” Hammond added. “In the face. He’ll want you gutted. Slowly.” Spencer cocked his head, clearly confused by her lack of reaction. “Doesn’t that worry you at all?” Callie shrugged. Being a nurse wasn’t supposed to be a dangerous profession. She’d chosen that job because she wanted to help people, especially those who needed her the most. But here she was, zooming

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around the cosmos on a ship with two drug smugglers, and she had some criminal kingpin wanting her head on a platter simply because she knew what he looked like and had gotten off a lucky shot. His nose could be fixed without too much trouble. Hell, ugly as he was, he might look better now. None of it mattered if she could save the lives of those little girls. Hammond and Spencer had no idea the lengths she would go to for those innocents if it meant they could be saved from the plague. Shit, she’d already tried robbery, although she’d justified that action by telling herself she was technically robbing criminals. Two negatives made a positive in the end. Right? Hammond strode to stand in front of her and grabbed her hands, holding them firm when she tried to pull them out of his grasp. Towering over her, he stared down into her eyes. All the thoughts she’d held in her mind scattered like pieces of litter in a gusty wind. Hammond wanted her. What was even worse…she wanted him every bit as badly. Needing to know if this was a trap set for two or three, she dragged her gaze away to find Spencer’s eyes. The lust she found there washed over her like a tsunami. Already blinded with the desire she felt from Hammond and her own sexual need, Callie knew she was powerless to fight this kind of attraction. The number would be three. “Are you two lovers?” she blurted out, trying to keep grasp of at least some logical thought. Hammond tugged her hard, forcing her to press against him as he back stepped to the middle of the room. Wrapping his arms around her, he flattened her breasts against his chest. Her nipples hardened through her thin tank top, and she whimpered, wishing she had more self-control. If only she could act aloof or uninterested. If only she could pretend that these men didn’t make her blood run hot. If only she could make them believe she was cold to them. Spencer was suddenly behind her, his warm—and now bare—

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chest rubbing against her back as his big hands settled on her shoulders. His palms stroked her skin, sending shivers racing down her spine and heat pooling between her thighs. “Would it matter to you if we were?” he whispered. His tongue traced the lines of her ear, and she began to tremble. Quite a question—did it matter? Callie tried to think, searching her mind for a reason not to fall into bed with these men. Knowing they might be lovers should have cooled her ardor. Shouldn’t it? She’d known of couples who became trios and were deliriously happy. Her sister’s best friend was married to two men who’d been a couple years before they met her. And they were living a perfect life together. An image flashed through Callie’s hormone-addled mind. Spencer and Hammond in an embrace, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss, tongues mating as hands caressed hard, muscular bodies. She closed her eyes and whimpered again, squirming her hips first forward against Hammond’s cock, then back against the hard length of Spencer’s erection. “No,” she finally admitted when she was able to banish the image and open her eyes. “No what?” Hammond asked before he kissed her forehead, her nose, and each cheek. She could barely form a coherent thought. “No, it doesn’t matter if you’re lovers.” “Does that no also mean yes?” Spencer asked as he lifted her hair, draped it across her shoulder, and then nibbled a sensitive spot on her neck. Her pussy clenched before fluid rushed out. Tilting her head to give him a better angle, she hummed her approval, ready to abandon the last of her sanity. How far she’d fallen from what she’d always been! A talented nurse who’d devoted her life to helping others. Someone people seemed to respect. A law-abiding citizen. Now, she was someone who’d tried to hijack stolen drugs, albeit

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for a good reason. She was someone who was in the company of drug smugglers. And worse, she was about to take those two criminals as lovers. Tears spilled over her lashes when Callie finally admitted to herself what bothered her the most. The men had to assume that she was receptive to their sexual advances because of the Ampirica, that she was trading herself for the medicine. “You think I’m a whore,” she whispered. Hammond’s spine straightened so fast, she was amazed she didn’t hear it snap. “What did you say?” She sniffled and shook her head as more tears streamed down her cheeks. He smoothed them away with his thumbs, making her shake her head harder to get away from his touch. Trapping her face in his hands, he held her still and stared into her eyes. “What did you just say?” he demanded. “You think I’m a whore,” she whispered again. “Why would you say something like that?” Spencer said against her ear, the touch of his warm breath sending more moisture to her cunt. “Because I want to sleep with you—with both of you—and I want you to take that Ampirica to my hospital.” She didn’t want to look either of them in the eye. “I’m not bartering my body for that…I…” “Oh, baby…” Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly against his hard body. “You think that’s why we want you?” Callie pressed her forehead against Hammond’s chest, nodding. “We’d never ask that of you.” Hammond’s voice made his chest rumble. “This…attraction the three of us feel for each other has nothing to do with those medicines.” “Nothing whatsoever,” Spencer added. “Besides, we didn’t promise to take that Ampirica to Bromond. We didn’t promise you anything. This is something entirely different.” Although she knew she was taking a coward’s approach, Callie

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kept her face pressed against Hammond’s chest and gave her head a shake. “It’s not…different.” Cupping her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “Listen, wildcat, and listen well.” His voice was gruff with emotion. “I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.” “You did?” She searched his eyes, hoping to see the sincerity she so desperately needed. “But I had a gun aimed at your back.” His chuckle filled the air. “I meant after I pulled the veil from your face.” Hammond tangled his fingers through her hair. “When I saw how incredibly beautiful you are.” Spencer took the hem of her shirt and began to ease it up. She couldn’t dredge up the will to stop him. “You wanted us too, didn’t you, baby?” Since her whole body was reacting, trying to get closer to them, so close she could smell their wonderful scents and let their skin touch hers, they’d know if she tried to lie. “Yes.” Hammond’s lips brushed over hers. Once. Twice. “Yes what, wildcat?” “Yes, I wanted you. Both of you.” Callie’s cheeks flushed hot, but she refused to look away. Shyness and embarrassment had no place in this kind of union. These men were being honest about their feelings. She owed them no less. “I want you now.” Scooping her into his arms, Hammond carried her to the bed, Spencer right on his heels. “Then we’re yours,” Hammond said before he set her on the bed.

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Chapter 4 Spencer couldn’t believe how easily Callie had agreed, but he wasn’t one to question good luck. He’d had a hard-on from the moment he’d first touched her, but he’d barely dared to hope she might consider making love with them. She was such an enigma, and he found himself a bit in awe of her. What type of woman would have the balls to try to steal smuggled medicines from him and Hammond? Perhaps Callie simply hadn’t heard of their reputation for being a couple of ruthless bastards, a status the pair had forged quickly in their attempts to work their way up the ranks to be able to deal with men like Carlos Pontierri. Or perhaps she was just so desperate to save some suffering children that she hadn’t thought through the consequences or worried about all the atrocious things that might have happened to her. Thank God she’d decided to rob him and Hammond and not some of their less palatable associates. Everything inside Spencer wanted this woman, yet he was also overwhelmed with the need to protect her—even from her own reckless nature. His hands trembled as he peeled her shirt up her body, baring those gorgeous tits he hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away from. “Lift your arms, baby,” he said, unable to keep his voice from cracking like some stupid adolescent. When she obeyed, he whipped the shirt over her head. Her red lace bra, the same worn one he’d removed when he worked on her shoulder, looked damned sexy on her. Spencer wondered if he should check his chin for drool. He couldn’t keep his thoughts inside. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”

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Callie glanced away as a blush rose on her cheeks. Since Hammond seemed to be so rattled that he was having trouble getting his clothes off, Spencer sat down next to her and took her chin between his thumb and finger. He gently turned her face back to his. “You. Are. Beautiful.” Her smile was so sweet, he couldn’t wait a moment longer to taste her. Leaning in, he approached her with care, afraid she’d suddenly change her mind. Instead, she shocked the hell out of him when she threaded her hands around his neck and beat him to the punch. Damn, her lips were impossibly soft, and she tasted like the sugar she’d used in her tea. Trained from the time he was young to be the aggressor, that men were supposed to run the show, he couldn’t let her make the next move, so he swept his tongue against her lips until she parted them. With a growl, he claimed her mouth, stroking the roof with his tongue and savoring how she gave him a soft moan in response. The mattress shifted as Hammond moved to Callie’s other side. Spencer eased away from her so he could remove the rest of his clothes, figuring Hammond would finish stripping her. Jumping off the bed, Spencer toed off his shoes, unzipped his pants, and pushed them over his hips. His cock sprang forward, bobbing toward Callie like some kind of compass seeking north. He’d never felt such blinding desire for a woman and knew Hammond wanted her just as badly. That passion coupled with what he felt for Hammond, and he was nearly lost in need. His eyes wandered to his partner’s groin, and Spencer’s desire swelled more as he imagined touching the thick, hard cock rising from the nest of crisp, dark curls. Crawling onto the mattress, stalking the couple like a panther after his prey, Spencer felt a yearning he’d never known before. Two people tempted him, making him experience a kind of passion he’d only heard about, never felt. He watched Hammond toss aside the red bra and place his palms against Callie’s beautiful breasts as she brushed her fingers through the patch of brown hair on his chest.

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Seeing the two of them touching made his balls tighten and sent a burst of pre-cum spewing from his dick. Figuring this was going to be one of those situations where nothing would really be considered wrong, Spencer reached for the waistband of her shorts, popped the button, and started to drag them over her hips. Callie wiggled to help him but kept right on stroking Hammond, knocking his hands away from her breasts so she could become the aggressor. Her hands smoothed down his arms and back up again before her fingers traced his collarbone. Then without warning, she gave his nipples a tweak that made Hammond suck in a hard breath. Kissing his way up her spine, Spencer reached around to put his hands on her gorgeous tits. Her nipples rubbed against his palms, turning into hard pebbles that made him groan with desire. Just as she’d caught Hammond by surprise, she made Spencer gasp when her hand reached around to cup his scrotum. “Fuck, Callie…that feels so good.” Callie didn’t reply, simply gave him a coy smile over her shoulder as she took one of his hands away from her breast and led it to her pussy. Brushing his fingertips over the blonde hair covering her mound, he slid one finger down her slit between her lips. The warm, wet welcome he found there made him growl, the sound growing louder as her cool fingers wrapped around his erection. If she kept being this aggressive, he was going to end up coming on the sheets like some damned kid. Hammond tried to take a few deep breaths to slow down his response, but after seeing Callie stroke Spencer’s cock and watching his fingers slip into her pussy, he feared he’d come before he even got the chance to fuck one of his partners. The two of them—especially as they touched each other in such a blatantly sexual manner—were the hottest things he’d ever seen. If he could have found his voice, he would have told them so. Most of his life, he’d been drawn more to women than men. Yet

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fantasies of touching a man’s body, stroking a hard cock, or running his tongue around an engorged head as fluid leaked from the tip had haunted him from about the time he’d hit sixteen. Hammond had never acted on those fantasies because the guys he called “friends” would have ostracized him. Called him a fag. A queer. So he tried to tuck his desires away and fucked women as often as he could indulge himself simply to show his buddies he was all man. The day he met Spencer, he realized those fantasies might have been swept aside, buried in a parade of women whose faces he could barely remember, but they hadn’t disappeared. The first time his hand touched Spencer’s skin, Hammond’s cock had hardened so quickly, he’d grown a little dizzy. Once they’d become partners, they’d spent so much time alone, a solid friendship grew before the day Spencer had the balls to admit he was attracted to Hammond. The only response he could give to that brave declaration was to grab Spencer and kiss him stupid. But that was as far as it had gone, even though it was clear both wanted more. Much more. Thank God, Callie had become their catalyst, innocently using her inherent sensuality to force both men to act on their attraction to her—and to each other. Hammond wasn’t sure who to touch first. All he knew was he needed a connection with his two new lovers, and he needed it right fucking now. Lacing his fingers in Callie’s long hair, he tugged her closer until his mouth was so close to hers, he could taste her breath. “Kiss me,” he said, somehow needing her to make that first move the same way she had when she’d kissed Spencer. Her smile was brighter than the Bromondi sun, but she didn’t move closer. Instead, her tongue extended to tickle his lips, teasing with little touches before she dragged it across the seam. She wrapped her free hand around his cock and squeezed. A sound that was part growl and part groan rose from deep inside him as he thrust his hips forward, trying to get more of her touch. Her

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thumb brushed across the pre-cum pooled at the tip at the same time she thrust her tongue inside his mouth. He grasped it between his teeth and sucked, capturing her groan. His palm covered one of her breasts again, and he loved how perfectly she fit his big hands. Giving her tit a quick squeeze, he eased his hand back to pinch her hardened nipple between his fingers and thumb, tugging gently. When she didn’t react, Hammond pulled his mouth away. “Tell me what you like, wildcat. Tell me what pleases you.” “You please me,” she replied, her voice a sultry whisper. “You please me too,” she added, turning to Spencer. “Now…I want you to please each other.” The shocked look on both men’s faces made Callie smile. She’d sensed the connection between the men from the moment she met them, which had initially confused her because they also seemed to want her. Somehow, she’d become a…connection between them, and when they’d sidestepped answering her question about whether they were lovers, she’d known they hadn’t taken that step. Yet. But her empathic abilities told her they wanted to. Knowing she could be the one to help them take that leap, she let the desire she felt for them and the lust they held for her and each other take control, just like she was taking control of this situation. Stroking each of their cocks, she smiled at the shocked expressions still on their faces when she’d announced she wanted them to please each other. Keeping them drugged with caresses and squeezes, Callie gave them her next order. “Spencer, kiss Hammond.” “I…shouldn’t…um…” Spencer stammered as his eyes locked with Hammond’s. “Do you want to kiss him?” Callie asked, inclining her head toward Hammond. “Um…yeah, but—” “Hammond, do you want Spencer to kiss you?” He quickly nodded.

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“Do it!” she ordered again as she released her grip on their erections. “Now. Or I’m getting out of this bed.” Hammond made the first move, grabbing Spencer’s neck and pulling him closer. The men stared at each other with so much intensity, Callie shivered in response, feeling their emotions flowing through her, blending with her own until the passion threatened to drown her. Spencer ended the torture, pressing his lips to Hammond’s. As both men growled and the kiss deepened, Callie smiled. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” The men got so lost in the kiss, she decided to remind them that she was still there. Leaning down, she licked the head of Hammond’s cock, lapping up the fluid glistening on the purple head. His hands wove through her hair as he tore his mouth away from Spencer. “Callie…shit…suck me.” She did, drawing him deep into her mouth and sucking hard. He tasted wonderful, the salty flavor of his fluid spreading over her tongue as he spurted some more pre-cum. The grip he had on her hair was almost painful, but she loved knowing how much she could get to him. Without any warning, Callie released Hammond and turned to take Spencer’s cock into her mouth, deep-throating him as he groaned and fell back against the pillows. She followed him down, pulling her mouth back just enough that she could swirl her tongue around the engorged head. The excitement she felt flowing from her men infected her, making her feel brazen and decidedly sexy for the first time in her life. Just as abruptly as she’d pounced on him, she sat back, grinning down at Spencer as she took in his flushed face. She’d pleased him. Now she needed to please herself as well, and what she wanted was to feel one of her lovers deep inside her body. “Who wants to get fucked first?” “Oh, hell, no. Not yet,” Hammond replied. He grabbed her

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shoulders to turn her to face him, and then his mouth covered hers in a possessive kiss that set her toes to tingling. As he kissed her, he lowered her to the soft sheets, the coolness hitting the heated skin of her back and her buttocks. His tongue mated with hers, sliding over and around her mouth, forcing Callie’s response. She framed his face in her hands, loving the feel of his whisker stubble against her palms. So masculine. So rough. So sexy. When he finally tore his lips away, he smiled down at her. “It’s time we returned the favor.” Before she knew his intent, he moved down her body, spread her legs with his hands, and buried his face against her pussy. A surprised squeak slipped out as Callie drew her knees up, thrilled Hammond was such a giving lover. About to draw Spencer into the mix, she gasped when he rolled over and licked her nipple before pulling it deep into his mouth and sucking. Fire exploded inside her as her heart slammed a rough rhythm. She’d never had a man bring her so close to orgasm so quickly. Perhaps it was her reading of their lust. Perhaps she’d gone far too long without a lover. Or perhaps she’d simply needed two men. Callie didn’t question her incredible luck and simply settled in to enjoy it. Hammond separated the folds of her pussy while he slipped a long finger deep inside her. Her hips bucked in response. He chuckled, adding a second finger as he drew her clitoris between his lips and rubbed the little nub with his tongue. “I’m gonna…Oh, my God…” The tight, hot knot inside her was ready to uncoil, and when Spencer shifted to her other breast and sucked hard, everything inside Callie shattered. Arching up, she gave in, letting the heat fan through her limbs as spasms rocked her pussy. The release seemed to go on forever as Hammond kept torturing her clit and Spencer teased her nipple with his velvet tongue. By the time the sexual haze cleared, Callie stared up into a pair of green and a pair of blue eyes that twinkled with arrogant satisfaction. The time had come to take charge again. “I’ll ask again. Who wants to

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get fucked first?” Then something occurred to her. “Or do you want to fuck each other?” “I’ve got an idea,” Hammond said as he traced a finger between the valley of her breasts and ended as he circled her navel. “How about we both fuck you? Then no one’s left out.” She knew what he meant, and a jolt of thrill raced through her, stirring her pussy to release more fluid. “All right,” she replied before the apprehension set in. Having wrapped her mouth around both of their cocks, she’d realized just how big the men were. Hell, they’d probably tear her cunt apart, let alone her ass. No, she’d be better off— Spencer stopped her anxious train of thought with a tonguedueling kiss, as if he sensed her desire rapidly cooling and wanted to stoke the fire inside her. His fingers pinched her nipple until it peaked again, and when he finally pulled away, he gave her a tender smile that all but melted her heart. “We’ll be gentle, baby. We won’t hurt you. I promise.” Her concern might have been silly, although as she stared at Hammond’s huge cock bouncing as he walked over to a drawer and opened it, she again wondered if they’d be too big for her. He retrieved a bottle of liquid and crawled back onto the bed. “Lube,” he said, his blush as bright as a supernova. “You’ve got lube?” Spencer asked. “Um…yeah. I guess I was hoping…we might…need it.” Callie smiled at his hesitation because it was so in contrast with the strength she’d sensed and seen in Hammond from the moment she’d pressed that gun against his back. “Very considerate,” she finally said to break the tense silence. Spencer’s hand reached down to squeeze Hammond’s testicles. “I’d hoped so too.” If nothing else came from her relationship with these two men, Callie would walk away satisfied, knowing she’d helped bring Hammond and Spencer together. But at that moment, her body was

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begging for another release, especially as she watched Spencer touching Hammond so intimately. Reaching over, she wrapped her fingers around Spencer’s cock and stroked, loving how he growled in response. Although not as thick as Hammond’s, his penis was long—long enough to appear a bit…intimidating when she thought about feeling it inside her ass. This time, Hammond kissed her. Damn, but her guys were in tune with her emotions, a quality she knew was rare and wonderful. She made her decision, pushing against Hammond’s shoulders to make him lie back against the sheets. He obeyed with a smile as Spencer released his sac. Callie moved her hand to grab the bottle and hand it to Spencer. He took it with a brusque nod, opened it, and began to smear the clear liquid over his erection while she straddled Hammond’s hips. “I wanna be inside you, wildcat,” Hammond said, holding his enormous dick and rubbing it against her pussy. “Good thing,” she replied easing the head to her channel. “Because that’s right where I want you.” Slowly, she slid down until his cock was firmly planted inside her. Nothing had ever felt half as wonderful as that thick penis filling her completely. She moaned, leaning forward and then pushing back to let the shaft brush against her clit. Warm hands covered the globes of her ass as Spencer settled behind her. Hammond cupped her neck and pulled her down to kiss her, thankfully keeping her so drugged with his lips and tongue that when Spencer’s wet finger circled her most private place, Callie didn’t even flinch. The finger slipped past the first tight ring of muscles, and she moaned again. The pleasure took her by surprise. No one had ever told her how wonderful it would feel to have someone stroke the inside of her that way. When he added a second finger, lights started flashing behind her eyes. Just when she feared she might climax again before Spencer was inside her, he pulled his fingers back, making her whimper in

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displeasure. The blunt, wet head of his cock pushed against her as his hands settled on her hips. “Ready, Callie?” Since she was too busy kissing Hammond, all she could do was push her hips back to let him know how much she needed to feel that cock inside her. With gentle thrusts, he eased into her anus until the head slid inside. A few more pushes, and he went deep enough, his balls slapped against her. “Shit, baby…Your body’s like heaven.” Both men moved together as if of one mind and one body, setting an easy rhythm that quickly increased, their thrusts going from measured to wild until Callie thought she’d lose her mind. Her orgasm slammed through her, making her heartbeat roar in her ears as her body spasmed around their two cocks as if milking them. She tore her lips away to scream at the pleasure washing over her, a pleasure that increased when first Spencer and then Hammond shot their semen inside her. Aftershocks rocked her, forcing more moans that blended with the men’s cries of release.

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Chapter 5 Hammond walked into the galley, and despite the grim message he needed to deliver, he smiled when he saw Callie fussing over their dinner. On the five-day trip to Rozale, they’d fallen into an easy routine that seemed to suit them all. They shared the one big bed with Hammond and Spencer taking turns checking the autopilot and keeping an eye out for incoming messages, which were infrequent considering the covert nature of their jobs. Callie seemed to enjoy cooking, and she was a hell of a lot better at it than the men. So she was often in the galley, digging through whatever she could find in the freezer or pantry, and trying to come up with something tasty. And the trio made love to each other every night with an urgency that bordered on frantic—as if they all feared this time they shared would come to an end as soon as they reached Rozale, and that they could never re-create paradise. Callie was a giving lover, offering herself to Hammond and Spencer freely with a passion that left Hammond feeling dizzy, almost drunk. She urged the men to take small steps toward intimacy with each other and encouraged them to explore their own feelings— almost as if she wanted them to have each other if she left. What she didn’t seem to realize was that in drawing them closer to each other, she was also drawing them closer to her. In what little time Hammond and Spencer found alone, their connection seemed…weak without Callie there to act as the glue holding them together. It was as if they were only complete when they were three acting as one. To him, she represented everything beautiful in a woman—so different from the ones he’d known in the military. The ones who

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always wanted to prove their balls were just as big as the men’s. They buzzed their hair short. They muscled up, even using smuggled steroids to help if they had to. And they never let their femininity show. Callie was the embodiment of the word. Her movements were graceful, her voice melodious. Her skin was impossibly soft. All he wanted to do was hold her forever. Her and Spencer. Damn, but his feelings for both his partners had developed so fast, he had to stop himself from questioning whether it was real or simply an infatuation. He’d never been in love before, and although he wasn’t sure that was the name for what he felt for Spencer and Callie, Hammond admitted—even if only to himself—that those feelings were going to stick with him the rest of his life. Callie’s role as hostage had quickly faded away as she’d settled into life on the Ecstasy, and she no longer demanded they take her back to Bromond. The only thing she’d asked from them was that they use their connections with the underworld to help find her sister Lyrianna. Since the woman was supposed to be living on Rozale—at least she had been the last time Callie contacted her four months ago—he’d figured it would be an easy task. Far from it. Lyrianna’s trail, which had been stone cold from the beginning, had warmed considerably until today. Now, Hammond had to explain to Callie why the hunt had come to an abrupt end. “Hey,” he said, coming up behind Callie to brush a kiss against her slender neck. Her blonde hair was braided into one long plait, and he had to resist the urge to take it down and spread it over her shoulders. She always looked so beautiful when it laid like a blanket over her tanned skin. Setting the bowl on the counter, she turned in his arms and pressed her hands against his chest. Rising on tiptoe, she brushed a quick kiss over his lips. “Hey. Any news?” The same question she’d asked several times a day since he’d

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begun the hunt for Lyrianna. Unfortunately, he couldn’t give her his usual answer. “Um…yeah. There’s…news.” Her slender fingers clenched in the material of his shirt as her gray eyes searched his, probably using that empathic ability that always made him feel emotionally naked around her. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” He nodded. “You should probably sit down.” “I don’t want to sit down.” She pulled her hands away and turned back to the counter. She picked up the bowl, grabbed a spoon, and started stirring the mixture with a vigor that he could only think of as an attack on the food. “Tell me. Now.” A weighty sigh slipped out. “She’s…missing.” Callie kept stirring. “Missing?” “Yeah. She was rounded up in a raid, and—” “Raid? What kind of raid?” “A drug sweep. A few years ago the Rozale High Counsel put together a task force of a bunch of different agencies to try to curb trading of black market meds. They have a lot of people working undercover, getting into the organizations that deal the meds. When they’ve got word someone important can be caught, they set up a sweep to arrest anyone and everyone caught in their nets. Lyrianna was arrested in one of those sweeps when she was trying to get some vaccines. She evidently got them to a missionary ship which took off right before they took her into custody.” Callie’s chuckle seemed sad. “That’s my Lyri. She always gets the job done. Why in hell did they arrest her if she was obviously helping missionaries save lives?” “She was dealing in black market drugs, even if it was for a good cause. The judge sentenced her to the women’s prison on Delta moon.” She turned to face him, still whirling the spoon around the mixture. “So she’s in prison? I thought you said she was missing. I don’t understand.” “That’s what’s weird. She was checked in on the shuttle of

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prisoners heading to the moon, but she never arrived. It’s like she simply…disappeared. No one’s been able to find out what happened to her. There’s some kind of hush-hush investigation going on, something about…um…” Shit, he didn’t want to tell her. But he owed her the truth. “Something about judges and prison employees trafficking women.” The color drained from her face so rapidly, he feared she might faint. “You okay, Callie?” She looked up at him with such a devastated expression, he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. “Not my sister… Please, not Lyri…” The bowl slipped out of Callie’s hands, and only Hammond’s quick reflexes kept it from hitting the floor. He set it aside and tried to pull her into his arms. She fought against him, muttering a string of curses as tears started rolling down her cheeks. He wasn’t surprised at that reaction, knowing she would need to vent her hurt and frustration before letting him comfort her. But he couldn’t force himself to turn her loose for fear she’d hurt herself, so he let her pound his chest with her small fists until she finally let out a broken sob and pressed her face against his shirt. “Shh…” Hammond stroked her soft hair, feeling inadequate to ease her pain. None of his connections had been able to find out anything that might help them find Lyrianna Seebré, although a few of their less savory contacts still had feelers out. “We’ll find her, wildcat. Spence and I won’t give up until we find her for you.” Spencer strode into the galley, gave a quick glance to the couple, and then locked eyes with Hammond. “She knows?” “She knows,” he replied. Coming to stand behind her, Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist the same way Hammond held her shoulders. “It’ll be okay, baby. We’ll find her.” Callie sniffled as she nodded against Hammond’s chest. “Thank you. Both of you. I just…need her.” Leading her over to the table, he had her sit, taking a chair on one

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side while Spencer took the other. “Someone has to know where she is. She was on a government shuttle to Delta moon, for God’s sake. She couldn’t simply…disappear without someone knowing what happened. I’ve got more people checking into it.” She managed a wan smile. “I imagine you know lots of people who have interesting ways to find out—people who know things.” Spencer laughed at that. “You have no idea.” “Lyrianna’s my sister—the only family I have. She practically raised me after we lost our parents. I should’ve kept in touch more. But Bromond is such a hellhole. Their technology is stuck in the twenty-second century. And guys there aren’t willing to help women, especially women like me.” “Rozale’s a hellhole too,” Hammond countered. “She didn’t keep in touch, either, did she?” With a shake of her head, Callie said, “We both…just took each other for granted, I guess. I always knew she’d be there.” Her hands gripped her braid, stroking the length of her long hair, a nervous trait Hammond had noticed the first time she wore her hair plaited. “Why didn’t she contact me when she was arrested?” “Rozale has a very strict court system,” Spencer replied. “Their prisoners are given very few privileges. No way they’d let her send a message to a place like Bromond. She’d be lucky if they let her contact someone on Rozale. I doubt she even had a chance to talk to a defense attorney.” “I’ll look into who she talked to while on trial,” Hammond offered. “Maybe that will help us.” Callie reached over to grasp the men’s hands. “Thank you.” As she tried to stand up, Hammond tugged the hand she’d offered him, pulling her closer as she released Spencer. He turned her so he could drag her onto his lap. Loving the smile she gave him in response, he smiled back. Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re welcome. You know I’d do anything for you, Callie.” Her grin turned coy. “I should probably thank you properly.”

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His cock reacted to the sensual huskiness of her voice and the erotic promise held in her statement. “Oh? And what would be a proper show of appreciation?” Framing his face with her hands, she kissed him, her tongue tickling his lips until he gave in and opened his mouth to her. She gave him a proper kiss then, her tongue stroking across his, sending all his blood rushing to his groin. Her upper thigh rubbed against his erection. She gave his tongue a gentle suck, and all he could do was groan in response. When she ended the kiss, she pulled back to grin at him, clearly enjoying how quickly she could get him to lose control. Since she’d earned the right to an arrogant smile, he could only smile back. Spencer gave her braid a gentle tug. “I don’t get any appreciation?” “Did you help Hammond?” Callie asked as she settled her beautiful eyes on him. Hammond knew the effect she had on Spencer because she always got to him the same way when she fixed her gaze on him. A man could forget every logical thought when those hypnotic eyes held his attention. “Damn right, I did.” Spencer gestured with his hand for her to come to him before patting his lap. Callie loved how open the men were with their desire for her, and how they were getting more free with admitting their desire for each other as well. The days she’d spent with them on the Ecstasy had been…ecstasy. Although she’d been anxious to get to Rozale so she could see Lyrianna, now that she knew her sister wasn’t waiting at the end of the journey, she never wanted the trip to end. Reaching Rozale surely meant the conclusion of her time with Spencer and Hammond. They’d go back to their lives, to their…profession. She’d have to find a ride back to Bromond so she could go back to her hospital and do what she could for the children who’d been in her care. The men were clearly overestimating how much Carlos would care about getting revenge on her. For fuck’s

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sake, fixing a nose was as easy as getting a haircut. Maybe, just maybe, she’d be able to get her guys to help her find some Ampirica on Rozale she could take back with her, although she had no idea how she’d pay for it. The news that her sister was missing, that she might have met a horrible fate such as being sold as a slave, made Callie’s heart ache so much she could barely contain her pain. Empathically reading the desire flowing through the men, she decided to drown her sorrows in that desire, to let Spencer and Hammond help her forget. Even if it was only for some precious, loving moments she could tuck away to hold close to her heart when they left her. God, why did it hurt so much just to think about the guys going on with their lives without her? It felt like a knife to the heart. Callie almost gasped at the revelation of why it hurt so much. Because I love them! Both of them! Fuck! That wasn’t good. Not good at all. It was too soon—far too soon. But the feeling refused to be denied. Now what was she supposed to do? Spencer put his big hands on her waist and dragged her closer, disrupting her troubled thoughts when he stood to press her to his strong body. She gladly gave in, needing to feel his heat, his passion. Instead of letting him make the first move, she flattened her breasts against his chest, loving how her nipples hardened through her thin shirt. Touching Spencer, touching Hammond, made her so hot so quickly, she seemed to lose all her control. Threading her arms around his neck, she kissed him, forcing her tongue in his mouth and swallowing his responding groan. His palms slipped to her ass, jerking her against his hard cock. She wiggled her hips, letting him know she not only felt his desire, she returned it. The sound of dishes shattering made Callie whip her head around. Hammond had cleared the table with one quick sweep of his arm.

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When her gaze caught his, the heat there threatened to burn her. She didn’t care if the fire consumed her. She threw him a sultry smile and said, “I take it we’re not heading to the bed.” Instead of answering her, Hammond snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her away from Spencer. Lifting her to fit his front to her back, he ground his pelvis against her, the length of his erection rubbing her backside. “I can’t wait that long, Callie.” “Fine with me.” Even though she was entirely at Hammond’s mercy, her toes dangling off the floor, she crooked her finger at Spencer. “C’mon, honey. Join us.” Hammond put her back on her feet and started unbuttoning her shorts at the same time Spencer whipped her shirt over her head. Since she hadn’t bothered to put on her tattered bra, the cool air made her already stiff nipples harden into tight pebbles. Spencer’s stare was so appreciative, she felt her cheeks flush with color. “You’ve got the best tits, baby.” Before she could reply to that statement, Hammond pushed her shorts and panties over her hips. When they puddled at her feet, she kicked them aside. “Your turn,” she said as she reached for Spencer’s waistband. He didn’t even give her a chance to help. Both men stripped faster than she thought possible. Callie looked from one hard cock to the next, absolutely amazed at how two men that well-endowed and that handsome were so attracted to a skinny girl like her. Instead of questioning that miracle, she chose to indulge in it. She wrapped her fingers around both their erections, loving how her guys responded to her with soft moans. “How exactly are the three of us supposed to have sex on a table?” she asked as she stroked them. Hammond smiled. “One of us fucks you while you suck the other.” “I see. How do we decide who gets fucked and who gets sucked?” He shrugged. “Rock, paper, scissors?” “Doesn’t matter to me,” Spencer replied. “Either way, we all

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win.” “Good point,” Hammond said, sitting on the table and scooting to the middle. “Come on, wildcat. Ride me.” “Gladly.” Callie squeaked in surprise when Spencer lifted her up onto the table. She gave him a murmured thank you, then straddled Hammond’s hips. Her fingers encircled his cock. Damn, but she loved how silky his skin felt and how thick he could grow, thick enough her fingers and thumb couldn’t meet around him. She stroked his length, rubbing the drops of fluid emerging from the slit with her thumb around the swollen head and savoring the hot stare coming from his handsome eyes. “I want you,” he said, his voice so full of desire, she shuddered in response. “I want you too.” Callie settled over him and guided him to her entrance. With a powerful thrust, he pushed up into her, filling her completely and drawing a cry as her pussy stretched to accommodate his size. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Before she could even reply, he rattled on. “I’m sorry, Callie. I just go a little…crazy with you.” She leaned down and kissed him, letting their tongues mate lazily before pushing herself back up. “You didn’t hurt me, honey. You feel wonderful inside me.” Squeezing him tightly with her internal muscles, she tried to show him just how amazing he made her feel, loving the snug fit of his cock deep inside her and the feel of him sliding in and out. Spencer was on the table, kneeling next to Hammond’s shoulder. His hard dick seemed to be reaching out to her, so Callie wrapped her fingers around it, stroking from tip to root and then cradling his firm balls in her hand. His smile and the way his breath deepened made her grin, and when pre-cum seeped from the tip, she leaned down to taste him. The salty flavor raced over her tongue, making Callie suck hard to try to pull more from Spencer. His groan and another spurt of hot

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fluid were her rewards. Using her tongue and suction, she tried to drive him mad, a task she realized she was succeeding at when his hands settled on the back of her head as if to hold her there. Hammond’s hands gripped her hips, and he rocked up to meet her. Being able to love both her men at the same time was wonderful, but she always enjoyed it more when they felt a connection as well. Pulling back, she took Hammond’s hand and led it to Spencer’s cock. After the briefest moment of hesitation, his fingers closed around the shaft and began to stroke. With a smile, Callie took the crown in her mouth and tried to drive him to climax with her teeth and tongue. Hammond’s surrender came first as he arched up, pounding deep inside Callie again and again without releasing the hold he had on Spencer. With a near shout, he flooded her womb with heat, setting off Callie’s own release. Her heartbeat roaring in her ears, she let the orgasm consume her as she sucked hard on Spencer’s cock. She reached for his sac to give it a gentle squeeze, hoping to make him come with her and Hammond. With a low growl, Spencer pushed into her mouth, tangled his fingers in her hair, and filled her mouth with his semen. She continued to lick and suck until she was sure he was done, then pushed up to smile at her men. “Damn, wildcat,” Hammond said, his hands settling back on her hips to caress her skin. “Gets better every time.” “Fuck, yeah,” Spencer added, still looking a little dazed, which made Callie smile even broader. “Next time,” she said, hoping to give them something to look forward to, “we’re going to try something…different.” The men’s eyes widened. She’d clearly gained their attention and had to keep herself from laughing at their eagerness. “What’s different?” Spencer asked. “It’ll have to be a surprise,” she replied, wanting to keep them on the edge and loving how Hammond’s cock began to harden inside her again. She lifted herself off him, crawled off the table, and threw them

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what she hoped was an enigmatic smile. “Just be patient, and I promise you’ll be well rewarded.”

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Chapter 6 “But I don’t want to stay on the ship,” Callie said, trying hard not to sound like a pouty child being left behind by her parents when they went on an outing. She flopped into the pilot’s seat, mostly because she knew it irritated Hammond to see her in “his” chair. The man was very possessive of his ship, often mentioning that he didn’t even like Spencer doing the flying. Why were men always so damned territorial? “We told you, baby,” Spencer replied. “These guys are bad news. Let us protect you.” Hammond put a hand on her shoulder, a move she found condescending enough when paired with Spencer’s remark to slap that hand away. “Aw, c’mon, Callie. Trust us on this one. You’re better off not knowing what’s going on here. Ignorance really can be bliss sometimes.” “What’s there to protect me from? You’re bringing them the money,” she insisted. “They should be happy with you.” Maybe happy enough to help my kids… From their stern frowns, she knew that both Spencer and Hammond saw right through her. She wanted to beg their contacts to let her keep the Ampirica to take back to Bromond, and they simply weren’t going to allow it. Guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders as she thought about how she’d abandoned the children who needed her. Instead of doing everything she could to help them, she was drowning in the happiness she’d found in the arms of the men she loved—men who were probably going to be leaving her. Soon. She did have to admit that they didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get

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her off the Ecstasy. Even though they’d docked and contacted their…associates—what else could she call criminal conspirators?— neither Hammond nor Spencer had mentioned her leaving. Not once. When she said something about going out and trying to find Lyrianna’s place to see if she could discover any clues to her whereabouts or retrieve any of her sister’s things, they’d all but grounded her to the ship like some kind of teenager who’d broken curfew. At least they weren’t in a hurry to part ways with her, which made Callie hold onto some hope that they’d developed some feelings for her—perhaps not as strong as the feelings she held for them. But maybe some tender emotions were hiding behind all the macho bravado. Hammond reached into a cubby on the com, popped it open, and plucked out two receivers. He wiggled one in his ear and handed the other to Spencer, who pushed it in his own ear. Tapping a few controls, Hammond said, “Test. One. Two.” Then he smiled. “Recording’s on.” An incoming hail set a light blinking on the copilot’s com, and Spencer opened the link. “We’re here, boys! Ready when you are,” a singsong feminine voice called. Callie bristled, her temper rising suddenly at the notion they were going to meet a woman. Jealousy flared hard and hot despite the fact she knew why they’d arranged this meeting. No way should her heart be that tangled up with these men in such a hurry. But she’d lost that organ to them already—the amount of time it had taken was irrelevant. “Who’s that?” she asked before she could stop herself. The fact she was drumming her fingers on the com had to be telling as well, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Izabella Szabo,” Spencer replied before a haughty grin spread over his face. “Why, Callie…Are you jealous our contact is a woman?” She folded her arms over her breasts and scowled. Of course she

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was jealous! She had feelings at stake here! The men, on the other hand, obviously didn’t. She swallowed her hurt. “No. Not at all. Go on. Have fun.” Shit, her pouty tone only added to her humiliation. Hammond’s knowing smile made her narrow her eyes. “Izzie’s really nice, super smart, and damned pretty. But she’s nothing but a business contact. Honest.” “You’re the one we want,” Spencer added, his voice washing over her like a warm caress. She fought the urge to let them comfort her. All she could think about was the Ampirica and her suffering children. And Izabella Szabo. Fuck! She really was jealous. “Whatever…” Whirling the seat to face forward, she saw two people waiting next to the pile of boxes on the loading dock. A Dracorian man and an equally tall woman stood there, their eyes constantly scanning the area as if they feared being discovered. In their line of work, she couldn’t blame them. The woman was exquisite, dressed in a snug black leather jacket and denims that hugged her body so tightly, it was amazing she could move at all. Lightly muscled, she was sleek as a cat. Her long, red hair had been pulled into a high ponytail. She was so pretty, with her flawless skin and big, green eyes, she probably had to beat men off with a stick. With Callie’s luck, that beautiful redhead had to be Izabella Szabo. “We’ve got company,” she said. “Are those your contacts?” Glancing at the pair, Hammond picked up the bag full of unicredits they’d gotten from Carlos Pontierri on Bromond. “Yep. That’s Izzie. I think the guy with her is her new partner. Let’s go, Spence.” The men left the cockpit, and Callie decided to stay put and watch the transaction. Lying to herself that she just wanted to keep an eye on Hammond and Spencer in case they ran into trouble, she tapped a few buttons on the com, wondering if she’d be able to pick up any audio from their earpieces. They were supposed to be recording, so that

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input had to be going…somewhere. Unfortunately, technology wasn’t her forte. If one of them needed intravenous fluids, a wound stitched, or a hypo-spray, she could handle that. But technology? She snorted a small, sarcastic laugh. Punching the buttons she’d seen Hammond fiddling with while they fine-tuned the receivers, Callie finally narrowed her choices down to three switches. “It’s gotta be…one of…these.” The first two produced no sound, but the third time was a charm as Spencer’s voice boomed through the tiny room. She quickly found a way to reduce the volume and then settled in to find out what she could discover. “You’re alone?” the woman asked. Spencer and Hammond both nodded. “Good thing you two ditched that chick. Carlos took a contract out on her, just like you thought,” the woman they’d called Izzie said in a lightly accented voice, rubbing her hand on her forehead as if trying to work out a dull ache. “Shit, there are contracts out on both of you, too. The heat should die down now that you’ve washed your hands of her. But you’re gonna have to do a ton of ass-smooching in the future.” She turned to the alien who’d accompanied her. “Think you can call off the dogs, Achchim?” So the Dracorian’s name was Achchim… “Fuckin’ bastard,” Callie whispered. Dracorians never worked with anyone who wasn’t scum too, and the thought of her guys being mixed up in business with one of them made her gut churn. Not only were their morals reprehensible, their looks were off-putting. Red eyes. Six fingers. Mottled yellow skin. “A choice, I don’t have,” he replied with the typical Dracorian muddled English, leveling a hard stare at the men. “The money to me, that shipment back to Bromond, and Carlos I’ll tell back in his good graces you want to be.” “And the girl?” Spencer asked. “Not that I care or anything…” Achchim shook his head. “Dead she’ll be. Today. Tomorrow. Next week. Dead she’ll be. Good money Carlos is paying to be sure.”

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A flash of anger crossed Hammond’s face, but it disappeared so quickly, Callie would have missed it if she hadn’t known him better. The Dracorian clearly failed to see it, looking bored as his red eyes continued to scan the docking area. “All Carlos knows is that she’s a nurse,” Izzie stated, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “Can’t seem to get much more information. You guys know her name?” “Just knew her as Callie,” Hammond replied, making Callie grateful he wasn’t going to give them any more facts about her to make it easier for bounty hunters or reward seekers to find her. She knew it was foolish to wish she’d hear some kind of emotion in his voice, especially when he was trying to protect her. “Knew? Don’t you know where she is now?” Izzie asked. “Could you find her if you had to? “Why care you?” Achchim gave her a hard shove on the shoulder that made her stumble a step and then glare at him in return. “Time to claim that money, we don’t have. Business, we must do.” Rubbing her shoulder, Izzie replied, “Fuck you, Achchim. Carlos has a helluva bounty on her head. I mean, the chick had the balls to shoot his nose off! For that alone, I’d like to meet her. Plus, I could use the unis.” She grinned at Hammond and Spencer. “If I didn’t like you clowns as much as I do, I’d claim the bounty on you, too.” Achchim laughed, snorting through all four of his nostrils. “We don’t know where she is now, anyway,” Spencer finally said. “We had some fun with her, then we ditched her.” “Oh?” Izzie settled an inquisitive stare at Spencer. “Just fucked her brains out and dropped her off on the next moon you passed? Then why shoot up that docking platform on Bromond for her? Shit, guys. Neither of you has ever had trouble getting laid.” “We didn’t fire back because of her,” Spencer replied, the irritation plain in his curt tone. “Carlos had those assholes shoot at us, too. Of course we fired back.” “You could’ve just left her there and let ’em have her,” Izzie

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pressed like a hungry prolobeast seeking a meaty groundling cub. “You didn’t have to drag her onto the Ecstasy.” Spencer shrugged, as did Hammond, making Callie start to worry. No way could they appear that nonchalant without actually feeling that way. Not unless they were the universe’s greatest actors. No. No, her guys cared for her. She was sure of it. They were just protecting her. That’s all. “She was pretty,” Hammond finally said. “A damn good lay. Nothing more.” A damn good lay. Nothing more. Callie’s heart dropped to her feet, and she swallowed hard. He couldn’t mean it. He was just trying to throw the pair off their tails. Wasn’t he? “What moon did you drop her on?” Izzie asked. “Did you at least leave her with some money for her…services, or did you just skip out?” “She’s not a whore,” Spencer said, gritting his teeth. Izzie laughter rang out loud and strong. “So you did just skip out. Geez…fuck her and then don’t even pay her? Cheap bastards.” A low growl rumbled from Hammond. “Let it go, Izzie.” He gave a slight incline of his head to Achchim, whose gaze was otherwise occupied. Although she didn’t seem placated, she finally gave the guys a nod. “Where’s the Ampirica? Graveland wants it back.” “Why? He got his damn money.” Hammond nodded at the duffle he’d dropped at Izzie’s side. “That greedy bastard?” Izzie shook her head. “He’ll want to sell it again.” “I’ll get it in a minute,” Spencer replied. “Tell us what’s next.” “You need to get Carlos off your ass. You can do that by getting Markus Graveland on your side.” “Markus?” Hammond asked. “Thought his name was Syrus Graveland?”

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Achchim shook his head. “Prison he’s now in. Brother the business runs.” Although both Hammond and Spencer looked shocked, it was Spencer who voiced the question in their eyes. “Prison? Who would have the balls to catch Syrus Graveland?” Izzie chuckled. “Some chick—a Belusian named Lorianne Seabreeze. Or something like that. Word is she set him up for a drug sting.” Callie’s heart skipped a beat before it started pounding a rough gait in her chest. “Lyrianna,” she whispered. Did her men recognize the name? From the stoic expression on both their faces, they didn’t. She sat up, watching intently. Her thoughts were already running a million kilometers an hour over the awful things Spencer and Hammond had said about her, but she’d assumed they simply didn’t want their associates to know she was still with them, figuring they were protecting her. Now, it took all of her control not to rush out to the tarmac and demand answers. She needed to know about her sister. And she also needed to know they didn’t really think of her like some whore. “Word is you’re lookin’ for someone,” Izzie added. “A Belusian,” Achchim added. “Woman the same as brought down Graveland, perhaps?” Spencer shook his head. “Nah. Just a lady we heard about. Supposed to be very…talented. Likes threesomes. You know what I’m talkin’ about.” He elbowed Achchim hard enough the Dracorian grunted in response. “Didn’t your little Callie chick like threesomes?” Izzie had the balls to ask. “Ask about Lyri,” Callie said, wanting to scream it at the top of her lungs. Somehow she knew this Izzie was holding cards she wasn’t showing. “Ask her. Ask about Lyri.” “As a matter of fact,” Hammond said, settling his hands on his hips, “she was awesome. Liked all sorts of kinky shit. Jealous we

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didn’t invite you instead, Izzie?” “Fuck you, Hammond,” she replied. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you and Spencer had her holed up somewhere.” “You know, Hammond, we can go back and get her now,” Spencer suggested. “We could claim that reward and get back in Carlos’s good graces in one punch. I mean she was fun and everything, but business is business.” A wave of nausea hit Callie when Hammond rubbed his chin as if considering the idea. “How much did you say the reward was?” His question made her hold her breath. “More than enough to make it worth your while,” Izzie replied. The responding grin on Hammond’s face forced a shocked gasp to slip from her lips. “Should we hand her over to Carlos? I sure wanna make it worth our while.” Callie hit the button to end the link. She’d heard more than enough, panic sizzling through her. There was too much danger to stay. Danger to her. Danger to them. The time had come to run. She hurried out of the cockpit, knowing that no matter how much she loved Hammond and Spencer, she couldn’t trust them now, not after what they’d said. She didn’t want to believe they’d betray her, but she simply couldn’t shake the fear. That’s what you get for falling in love with drug smugglers, dipshit! She had no choice now. Carlos wanted her, and he only wanted them because of her. If she left, she’d be sure that not only was she out of the gangster’s reach, but the guys wouldn’t be hunted any longer. They’d find a way to get back into his favor and get their lives back. Grabbing a black shirt from the drawer, she yanked it over her head and shoved her arms in the sleeves. A pair of drawstring pants— thankfully black as well—completed the dark ensemble. She had to roll up the sleeves and the pant legs, but at least she’d be able to blend into the shadows.

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Sneaking out would be easy since she’d discovered the escape hatch on the side of the ship—a bolt hole almost every smuggler had as a way to dump cargo or slip out if the ship was boarded. Callie popped open the door, peered around, and then lowered herself to the tarmac. With her heart breaking, she hurried away into the night. **** Spencer tried to hold his temper, feeling an almost overwhelming need to wash his mouth out like a child who’d used a dirty word because of the horrible things he’d had to say about his beautiful Callie. He kept reminding himself it was for her own good, that they were trying to protect her. But the lies were bitter on his tongue. Hammond clearly felt the same, although he was better at hiding his emotions. Spencer was sure he was the only one who noticed his partner’s discomfort every time either of them had made a deplorable remark about Callie. It took all of Spencer’s well-trained discipline not to clench his hands and to keep his expression as bland as possible. Achchim turned to Izzie. “Leave now, we must.” He picked up the duffle then inclined his head at Spencer and Hammond. “They soon leave?” Izzie nodded. “Yeah. Look, you go on ahead with the unis, Achchim. I need to talk to my friends about that vaccine shipment for Markus. We need to figure out how to get it aboard the Ecstasy.” Although his red eyes held suspicion, Achchim finally nodded and walked away without another word. The trio remained quiet for a long time—long enough Spencer was sure the Dracorian was gone before he spoke. “Fuckin’ bastard. It must be killing you to play nice with him, Izzie.” “You have no idea,” she replied, rolling her shoulders as if her muscles were tense. “Makes my skin crawl every time I see him. If he wasn’t such a suspicious prick by nature, I’d be more worried he’d

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figure out I wasn’t really a scumbag like him. Tends to poke his ugly nose in places he’d better off staying out of.” Hammond folded his arms over his chest. “We need to talk about Callie.” “Damn straight.” Izzie mimicked his actions. “You’ve been asking far too many questions, and Markus thinks it’s not because of Carlos trying to plug you two.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Spencer asked. “Lyrianna Seebré. She’s the one you’re asking about, right?” The men nodded. “Well, she’s also conveniently the one who got Syrus Graveland caught. Didn’t take too much on Markus’s part to figure out your Callie is Lyrianna’s sister when you started asking everyone and their brother what happened to her.” “It couldn’t be that easy!” Spencer insisted. “No one knows who Callie is!” “They damn well do,” Izzie replied. “She crossed some of Carlos’s guys more than once on Bromond. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out she’s Belusian, either. Put that together with you guys sending out inquiries as to where Lyrianna went and…” “Fuck.” Spencer hit his thigh with his fist. “Bingo.” Her grin could only be described as smug. “One good thing is, Markus wants Carlos’s territory. He doesn’t care how the guy gets brought down, even by some nurse. She’s your key to ending this whole charade with a win, boys.” “Not happening,” Hammond said. Spencer nodded. “You might not have a choice. Carlos wants her. You don’t produce her, then your whole cover might be blown.” Izzie nodded at the Ecstasy. “She’s still on your ship, isn’t she?” Like Spencer could ever hide anything from someone who’d been his friend from the time they’d both worked their way through the Interplanetary Drug Enforcement Agency training together. He drew his lips into a thin line and nodded. Izzie’s hand shot out to smack the side of his head, the same thing

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she always did when she thought he was being particularly dense. “You’re thinking with your dick, Spence. Falling head over heels for some slut—” “She’s not like that!” he insisted. “That shit we told the Dracorian wasn’t true. None of it.” Hammond shook his head. “It’s not true. Callie’s wonderful. And we’re not letting her go, Izzie.” Her eyes rolled. “Let me guess…true love for three. Right? Are you nuts? Don’t you guys realize what it means to protect her? You’ll be on Carlos’s shit list—numbers one and two with a bullet. We need to bring that bastard down, and we can only do that from the inside. You know that! Both of you! What woman is worth risking two years of undercover work and your lives for?” “Callie,” both replied. Izzie rolled her eyes again. “Fine. You win. Or perhaps your dicks do… I guess we’ll find a safe house for her. She can go to Remiza or Earth. Or maybe—” Both men were already shaking their heads. From the moment Spencer had been paired with Hammond as I.D.E.A. agents, they’d been in sync. Now that they’d found Callie, now that she’d taught them how to connect, they were even more so. “She’s safer with us, and you know it,” he finally replied. “If he wants her, there’s no house safe enough in this sector. Someone could find a way to get to her. I can’t let that happen.” “She stays with us,” Hammond added. “We’re the only ones who can protect her.” “Can I at least meet Miss Wonderful?” Izzie asked. “I need to see the one and only woman in the universe who could make you two forget about each other.” “Forget about each other? What are you talking about?” Spencer blurted out. Her laughter filled the air. “C’mon, Spence. Who do you think you’re fooling? I know how much you two like each other. I guess I

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always figured you’d find a way to make it work together. At least I did until this chick came along.” “She’s not a chick.” “Whatever. So now it’s two guys, one girl. Does that mean you two have given up on each other?” “That’s none of your damn business, Izzie,” Hammond grumbled. “Probably not, but I’m dying of curiosity.” She chuckled. “And maybe feeling a little envy. Never thought about being part of a threesome before. Don’t you guys get…I don’t know…jealous of each other? Or do you get off on watching while the other fucks her?” “Let. It. Go.” Hammond’s voice was so icy, Spencer was amazed frost didn’t follow the words. Izzie held out her palms. “Fine. Fine. Can I please meet her? At least that way I can help with misinformation. You know, pass on some bad descriptions to throw people off her tail?” Her suggestion made sense, but if they introduced Callie to Izzie, he and Hammond would have to finally lay all their cards on the table and tell her about their real jobs. They’d talked about revealing the whole truth when they could snatch a few moments of privacy, both wanting to be entirely honest with Callie now that she’d come to mean so much to them. Plus, he hated the idea that she thought they were nothing but lowlife smugglers. Would she be pleased that they were truly undercover I.D.E.A. agents? Would she be happy that they had noble motives to help people rather than base desires to make money? He wanted her to be proud of her men. Her men. And they were. No way would he or Hammond ever let Callinda Seebré go. Not when she’d come to be the love of their lives. Spencer nodded at Izzie, then looked to Hammond. “We need to talk to her anyway. Time to tell her the truth.” He nodded in response. Spencer led the way back up the ramp. Once inside the Ecstasy, he called, “Callie! Hey, baby! We need to talk.” When she didn’t

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reply, he walked over to the bedroom. The door opened with a swish, and he stuck his head inside. “Callie? Baby?” He turned back to Hammond, his instincts suddenly screaming that something was wrong—very wrong. “Check the cockpit.” Hammond hurried down the corridor. Izzie pointed at an open drawer that had clothes haphazardly hanging out. “Someone was in a hurry to get dressed.” “Fuck!” Hammond’s shout sounded from the helm. Spencer hurried to him, Izzie hot on his heels. “What’s wrong?” He was punching buttons on the com. “She was listening to us.” “You’re sure?” Hammond nodded before the fear registered in his eyes. “She left, didn’t she? She heard the lies and left.” “But we didn’t see her go,” Izzie insisted. “We would’ve seen her on the ramp, even if she was trying to be sneaky.” Spencer was already moving to their bolt hole. Just as he feared, it was wide open. “Fuck,” he whispered. The second time, he shouted it. “We have to find her,” Hammond insisted as he came to stand at Spencer’s side. “Where would she go?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “But we’re damned well going to find out.”

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Chapter 7 The building looked secure. Callie approached it from the back entrance, remembering the code Lyrianna had made her memorize so her sister could get inside whenever she needed to. After one more glance around, Callie entered the digits and held her breath as she waited to see if the door opened. With a loud click, the lock unlatched. She grabbed the handle, pulled it open, and slipped inside. Shit! Is it the third door on the left or the fourth? Her memory was failing her, probably because her thoughts were in so much turmoil. All she could seem to do was fight back tears as images of the guys she loved haunted her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit something. She wanted to sit down someplace private and cry her eyes out. Never in her life had she felt so lost and so alone. How could she have given her heart so completely to two drug smugglers? They made money in a way that turned her stomach, but things were rough all over the galaxy. Even she and Lyrianna had been forced to work with people they’d normally never even consider talking to. And some of those people were now their friends. So Callie could forgive them working on the black market. The biggest problem was not being sure enough of their feelings for her to trust them. She didn’t want to believe that they’d turn her in for the bounty Carlos Pontierri was offering, and her empathic skill had never sensed anything duplicitous about either Hammond or Spencer. But the fact she’d been drowning in desire—hers and theirs—might have compromised her newfound ability. She had to get

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away from them, to clear her head so she could think instead of just react. And by leaving them, she was helping them. She’d done the right thing running away. She had to protect herself, and she had to protect them. Carlos would leave her guys alone now. Stopping by the third door, Callie punched in the code, hoping against hope she’d found her sister’s place. Thankfully, the door slid open. Here, she’d be safe. Lyrianna always sublet any apartment she’d lived at, being wise enough to never use her own name, so no way could anyone trace her here. Not even Carlos. Now, she could let her guard down, rest, and make some plans for the future—especially figuring out some way to locate more Ampirica to take back to her girls on Bromond. Somehow. The interior was dark, the only light seeping from around the blinds covering the apartment’s single window. Moonlight created a dim rectangle that barely offered enough illumination for her to fumble for a light. When she finally felt a lamp, she tapped the control, showering the small room with brightness. In typical Lyrianna fashion, the place was furnished as sparsely as a military barrack with only a desk, an ancient computer, and a small viewer sitting in front of an overstuffed chair. On the wall with the window was a kitchenette, which was nothing more than a couple of cabinets, a miniature refrigerator, and a microwave oven. Callie opened the fridge, finding exactly what she expected. Nothing. The cabinet yielded a box of cookies—thankfully unopened—and a few cans of soup and vegetables that were still within their expiration dates. At that moment, her stomach was still in such nervous knots, she didn’t even care about the fact she didn’t have a single uni to use to buy anything else to eat. Dinner would be soup and cookies, if she could find the will to even bother opening the box or a can. The walls were bare with the exception of several images printed from holopictures that her sister had arranged in a collage and tacked

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up. Callie stepped closer to look at them and had to choke back more tears when she saw most of them were of her and Lyrianna from the few times they’d managed to find a day or two to spend together in the last couple of years. Moving to the bedroom, she clicked on the lamp and took in the rumpled bed and single dresser. A brush and several hair ties sat on the dresser’s surface next to a small wooden box. Callie couldn’t stop herself from flipping open the lid. Inside was a gold necklace exactly like the one Callie owned—the one she’d left back on Bromond. They’d bought the identical serpentine chains on their vacation together on Remiza, the last time she’d seen Lyrianna. A tear slipped down her cheek as she slipped the chain around her neck. The bathroom still had a few of Lyrianna’s favorite toiletries, but it was clear no one had been in the place for quite a while, especially since a layer of dust had covered the sparse furniture and the sink and shower were as dry as Bromond’s deserts. “Where are you?” she whispered, not sure why she didn’t shout the question instead. The frustration and hurt threatened to drag her under like some relentless undertow. Figuring she at least now had a place to stop, rest, and regroup, Callie went about getting the small apartment in order. She found a fresh set of sheets in the dresser, stripped the bed, and remade it, using the dirty pillowcases to dust the furniture. Then she fished some of Lyri’s clothes out of a drawer, popped in the shower, and scrubbed her skin until it pinkened and her hair until her scalp tingled. After dressing, she braided her hair. Grabbing the box of cookies, she tore them open and settled herself at her sister’s desk. She turned on the computer, waiting as it booted up. A male voice as smooth as velvet announced that Lyrianna had— “A hundred and twelve messages?” With a sigh, Callie settled in to try to find out what she could about her sister’s life, hoping some important information might lead

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to finding Lyrianna and praying that search would keep her mind off her broken heart. **** Hammond had to resist the urge to put his fist right through the informant’s face. He and Spencer were taking far too many chances and risking having their covers blown, but both were frantic to find Callie. She’d left a trail that ended abruptly in Rozale’s biggest marketplace. Considering there were more than three million people calling the buildings surrounding the open areas home, finding an apartment that Lyrianna Seebré might have used as home base wasn’t going to be easy. But it was the only place that they could think of where Callie would try to hide. “I’m gonna ask one more time. Have you seen the Belusian woman we’re looking for anywhere near here?” The Fraiquan male was chewing on his blue lip so hard, Hammond was amazed he didn’t draw blood. The guy knew more than he was telling, and he and Spencer weren’t turning him loose until he spilled his guts. “I suppose…I mean…I might have seen her.” “I knew it!” Spencer glared down at the blue-skinned man. Not that Hammond was surprised. Fraiquans who lived on Rozale were known to be able to ferret out strangers with some kind of sixth sense the males had for being able to spot the scent of a new female in the area. Since the best information they’d been able to find put Callie in the marketplace, they figured finding the closest Fraiquan would at least help narrow the search. “Where did you see her?” Spencer asked. “She went in the back of one of the apartment houses on Orion Boulevard,” the Fraiquan replied, his indigo eyes wide with fear. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this!” “Why the hell not?” Hammond asked, resisting the urge to simply grab the guy by the shoulders and shake the information out of him. “Word is some goon’s on his way. Wants to…talk to her.”

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Hammond’s heart slammed in his chest. “Which building?” “They’ll kill me if I tell!” “We’ll kill you if you don’t.” **** Absentmindedly chewing a cookie, Callie reached in the box again. This time, her hand came up empty. Shifting her gaze from the computer, she picked up the box and peered inside. Empty. “Fuck that.” She tossed the box at the kitchenette, thinking about how she wouldn’t get to eat the stew she’d made for all of them to have for supper. Damn, but she missed Hammond and Spencer. If she was back on the Ecstasy, she’d demand they hold her in their embrace, and she’d draw strength from them. How ridiculous that they’d come to mean so much to her so quickly. Callie didn’t fight it. She simply acknowledged that she loved them. Irrevocably. But she’d always been a realist, and a future with them just wasn’t possible. With the back of her hand, she brushed away an errant tear that traced a wet path down her cheek and focused on her sister. After reading all the messages, she didn’t know anything more about Lyrianna’s disappearance than she did before she’d started checking them. Whatever had gone down that got Lyri sent to the Delta moon obviously hadn’t been planned. Not a shred of information existed about what had happened when she was arrested, while she was on trial, or after she’d boarded that shuttle. But Callie vowed to find out, promising herself she’d never give up until she was reunited with Lyrianna. Callie rubbed her bleary eyes before flipping off the computer. Sleepiness was rapidly overtaking her, a kind of weariness she knew was as much emotional as physical. She’d probably feel better if she could cry, but her whole life, she’d learned to control her emotions, even in private. What good would crying do? Crying wouldn’t bring

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back the men she loved, it wouldn’t help those poor girls on Bromond, nor would it help her find her sister. She wanted her guys. She needed Hammond to take her into his strong arms or Spencer to hold her close. The three of them had come so far so quickly, and she’d been ready to help them take that last, huge step toward intimacy—to finally make love to each other as well as to her. Now, they’d probably cross that bridge without her and burn it behind them. They didn’t need her anymore. Just as she pushed her chair back, the chime of the doorbell signaled a visitor. Callie froze, her heart suddenly kicking into a faster beat. No way could her men have found her that quickly. She let out her held breath. Spencer and Hammond couldn’t have located her, which also meant there was no way any of her enemies could have hunted her down, either. It had to be someone looking for Lyrianna or simply at the wrong apartment. The chime rang again. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door. She hit the speaker. “Who’s there?” “Hey, Lyrianna! How you doin’, girl?” a jovial male voice called. “Why…why didn’t you tell me you were back? Let me in!” She didn’t recognize the voice, but that didn’t come as a surprise. Lyri led a life independent of her sister. There was no way that Callie could possibly know all her friends. “Um…how did you know I was here?” “C’mon! Half the building saw you come in! Open up! Please!” Now, he sounded frantic. The fear in his voice got through to the nurse inside her. Punching the code, she stepped back as the door slid open. A short man—probably a Vehiblion, judging from his height and the third eye—stood there, all three of his eyes wide with fear. The moment Achchim stepped from the shadows, his pulse pistol pointed at the man, she realized why. The Dracorian quickly shoved his patsy out of the way. He scurried down the hall like a frightened rodent as

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Achchim stepped into the apartment before Callie could get the door closed. It swished shut behind him. “Hide well you don’t,” he said, chuckling in that grating wheezing noise that served as Dracorian laughter. God, but she hated the entire fucking species. This one was no different. Mustering up the courage that helped her face down many a badass, she folded her arms over her breasts and leveled a harsh stare. “What the fuck do you want from me?” His red eyes held contempt, an emotion she was surprised she could read from a race well known for being stoic. “Carlos the bounty for you to give me.” “Carlos who?” Not that she didn’t recognize the name. Far from it—simply hearing it sent a shiver of fear racing down her spine. She wasn’t about to let Achchim know just how much she’d overheard of his conversation with Hammond, Spencer, and Izzie or how much the thought of being turned over to her enemy scared the shit out of her. “Ah, aware you’re not. Carlos Pontierri respects to you wishes to make. Bounty collect I shall.” He motioned toward the bedroom with the pistol he still held on her. For a quick moment she feared rape until she remembered that the male Dracorians could only respond to females of their own species and only during certain times of the year. Thank you, God. She couldn’t even stomach the notion of seeing what a Dracorian dick looked like. “Dress. Now,” he ordered. “Leave we must.” “Fuck you. I don’t know who this Carlos idiot is, but I’m sure he’s not my kind of people.” Achchim snorted through all four nostrils. “Choice you haven’t. Dress. Now.” About to push a little to see just how far the Dracorian would go to get her to cooperate, Callie jumped when he suddenly shot the viewer. It blew into bits of plastic and wires that pounded against the wall and ceiling like hail in a Bromond razor lightning storm. Her

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heart starting slamming in her chest. Without another word, she went to the bedroom and shut the door. Searching through Lyrianna’s clothes, she yanked out some denims and a long-sleeved pink shirt. At least she’d had a shower and some clean clothes to wear to meet someone who either wanted her dead or didn’t give a didley damn if she ended up that way. Shoving her feet into running shoes, she opened the door, ready to face her new captor. “Where’s this Carlos guy?” “Bromond.” Achchim motioned to the door. “Go we now.” As she turned to lead the way, Achchim pulled a stun-stick from his belt, flicked it on, and pressed it to her shoulder. Jolts of electricity raced through her, forcing her knees to buckle. Right before the pain turned her world black, she heard his disgusting laugh. **** “Fuck!” Hammond shouted when he saw the door to Lyrianna’s apartment was open. Callie was too smart to leave herself that vulnerable. “We’re too late.” Stepping inside, he took in the remains of what had probably been a viewer. A big, black pulse burn marked the wall behind where the debris rested. Nothing else appeared too out of place, although there wasn’t much more in that apartment than Hammond had owned when he was training with I.D.E.A. A box rested on the countertop in the tiny kitchen. He marched over to grab it, looking inside. The cookie box was empty, and the sweet smell seemed fresh. “She hasn’t been gone long.” Spencer nodded as he walked into the other room. A few moments later, he came out holding black clothes and a tattered red bra Hammond recognized. “At least we know for sure she was here,” Spencer said. His gaze shifted to the open front door as his hand settled on the pistol holstered at his side. “Who the hell are you?” A Vehiblion male stood on the threshold, his three green eyes

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darting around the apartment. “Is the Dracorian gone?” “Dracorian?” Hammond marched across the room, trying to fight his growing fear for Callie at the thought of her being captured by a bounty hunter. “Yeah,” the little guy replied. “I thought I saw Lyrianna slipping back into her apartment. She’s been gone just about forever. But when I realized it wasn’t Lyrianna, I saw a Dracorian tailing her. He got the drop on me. Made me get the blonde to open the door.” “Tailing her?” Spencer had come to Hammond’s side. “Yeah…watching her like he was terrified he’d lose her.” “Achchim,” both men said together. The Vehiblion shrugged. “Didn’t ask his name. Threatened to stun me if I didn’t ring the buzzer.” “Did you see them leave?” Hammond asked. The whole thing made sense now. Callie had run, although he hoped it was for selfprotection and not to escape him and Spencer. She’d found her sister’s apartment, but that bastard Achchim had followed her from the Ecstasy while they’d been talking to Izzie, probably to collect the bounty on Callie’s head. “No. Sorry. I kinda…ran away.” “Thanks for the information,” Spencer said before turning to Hammond. “We might be in luck. If it was Achchim, maybe Izzie can help now.”

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Chapter 8 Callie was just coming around when she felt herself being unceremoniously dropped on a mattress. She bounced once before settling, trying to control the pounding in her head. Her vision was bleary and her body ached, but she tried to focus on her surroundings as the last few moments before she’d blacked out came tumbling back. That fucking Dracorian had hit her with one of those damn stunsticks they all loved so much. He’d probably taken her back to his ship, or else she was now in the clutches of the drug lord who seemed to want her dead. Either way, she was in a shitload of trouble. “Awake are you?” Achchim’s voice filled the room, making her head hurt some more. “Good. Your new home we’ll send you to.” His laughter made her want to find the strength to punch him in his big nose—or blow the damned thing off like she had Carlos Pontierri’s. About to scramble off the bed and try to put up a good fight despite her weakened condition, she froze when a new voice sounded. “Shit, Achchim!” Izzie’s shout was loud enough to make Callie wince. “What in the fuck were you thinking to snatch her? Where in the hell did you even find her?” Was Izzie being here a good or a bad thing? Callie still hadn’t decided if Izzie was all she appeared to be. Intuition said there was more to the redhead than met the eye. The two partners in crime stared at each other with an intensity that sent a shiver of worry through Callie. Izzie was clearly furious. Her cheeks had reddened, and she stood with legs braced apart and hands fisted against her hips. The Dracorian was no less angry.

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Achchim’s red eyes were narrowed to slits, and he breathed so hard, Callie could hear all four nostrils whistling. Perhaps if she sat and watched the approaching confrontation, she could figure a way out of this mess. They seemed so occupied with each other, she might as well have disappeared. Sure, she was the topic of conversation, but these two obviously had more conflict than Achchim taking a hostage without telling Izzie. Maybe she could use that to her benefit. Somehow. “Reward, I think! Followed her I did from the ship.” Achchim folded his heavy arms over his chest. “The good graces of Carlos Pontierri we’ll be.” “Are you fucking crazy? You really think a guy like Carlos Pontierri will just let us walk in, drop her off, grab a shitload of unis, and then leave?” He tossed her a curt nod. “Then you’re dumber than I thought. The guy’s got a reputation for welshing on any promise he makes, you dumbass! I don’t want to deal with him—except to move cargo.” She gave her head a shake. “No, we can’t give her to Carlos.” “Fine! The reward I could claim without you. Not a part you must be.” His six-fingered hand started inching toward his pistol, making Callie ease a little closer, looking for a chance to help Izzie if things got ugly. If nothing else, she could hang on to the Dracorian’s arm while Izzie had a chance to get to her weapon. “We’re supposed to be partners, Achchim. You’d collect a reward like that and leave me out of it?” Her hand also began to move, drifting closer and closer to the pistol holstered on her slim hip. Great. A showdown. Two pissed-off people, both ready to pull their guns to see who could kill the other first. Her hopes were pinned on Izzie. The surprising part was that the feisty redhead obviously intimidated the Dracorian because he slowly backed away from her until his thighs pressed against the bunk Callie now knelt on. “Partners no more we be?” Achchim asked. “Fine! Like you not,

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anyway. Pain in the ass you are.” “Yeah? Well, you’re a dick. Know what? I’ll just go find Spencer and partner with him and Hammond. They’ve got more connections than you anyway.” Achchim made a noise much like a hiss. “They dead be when hands on them Carlos gets. Tell him where they be, will I. What think you of that?” “I think you’re not only ugly, but you’re stupid, too.” Callie watched the heightening exchange, her head moving back and forth often enough to make her a bit dizzy. When Spencer and Hammond’s names came into the conversation, she knew this could end badly, not just for her but for the men she loved. Not only would Achchim turn her in for the reward, he’d probably find the men to cash in on them as well. And that, she couldn’t allow. Achchim shifted as he put his hand on his pistol, leaving the butt of his stun-stick pointing right at Callie. Seizing the golden opportunity, she snatched the weapon, switched it on, and zapped Achchim between the shoulder blades. He let out a pitiful wail before his knees buckled and he sank to the floor in a heap. “Well, well.” Izzie walked over to stare down at the unconscious Dracorian, nudging him with the toe of her boot. She leaned down to snatch his pistol. “The little lady has some guts after all. Should’ve known. No way Spence would settle for a weakling.” “Achchim’s lucky I couldn’t reach his pistol.” Callie threw the stun-stick on the bed. It would need several minutes to recharge. Besides, Izzie was smart enough that she’d never allow enough time for Callie to use it against her. Callie stood on shaky legs and skirted her way around the Dracorian to face the shorter woman. “Now what happens?” Tilting her head, Izzie looked confused. “Excuse me?” “Stop playing dumb. Are you planning turn me in to Carlos Pontierri?” Izzie’s green eyes flashed fire. “You don’t think much of me, do

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you?” Callie shrugged. “I don’t even know you—but I heard what all of you had planned for me.” “Heard what who had planned?” “You, Hammond, and Spencer. I heard your conversation back on the docking platform. Didn’t know I could hear you all talking about giving me over for the bounty, did you?” Izzie didn’t immediately reply, seeming to turn things over in her mind. Then a knowing grin bowed her lips. “You obviously didn’t hear anything we said after Achchim left. Did you?” “Well, no…but trust me, I heard more than enough to know the score.” “You heard what Spence, Hammond, and I wanted Achchim to hear. Nothing more.” Callie had no idea what the redhead was talking about, but she decided to play along. “So what didn’t I hear? How the three of you could split the bounty if you cut Achchim out of the process? Divide it three ways instead of four?” “If you hadn’t run away, you wouldn’t be asking me something stupid like that.” That statement made no sense. “Why? Because the three of you would’ve already cashed in if I hadn’t escaped? I heard what Hammond and Spencer said to you, that they were thinking about giving me over for the unis. I’m not letting that happen.” “You really think they’d give you up?” Callie didn’t want to believe it, not in her heart. But she wasn’t willing to tell Izzie just how much she loved Hammond and Spencer. Instead, she shrugged, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes at the thought of her guys never loving her half as much as she loved them. Izzie’s laughter rang through the room. “Man, oh man, chickie. Are you in for a helluva surprise!” She took the communicator off her belt and punched some buttons. “We were just about to call you.” Spencer’s voice flowed through

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the tiny speaker. “Did you hear something, Izzie?” “You could say that,” Izzie replied, giving Callie a crooked smile. “Is Achchim back with you?” he asked. The redhead glanced down at the stunned Dracorian, her grin growing. “Um…you could say that, too.” “Quit fencing with me. I don’t have a sense of humor today.” “Today?” Izzie snorted a laugh. “You’ve never had a sense of humor.” “Izzie…” he said with a growl. “We thought we’d found Callie. We finally located her sister’s place, but Achchim must’ve followed her when she left the Ecstasy. He got to her first. We need to come to your ship, ’cause he’ll be heading there with her to give her to Carlos Pontierri.” “He won’t give her to Carlos now,” Izzie insisted. “Damn it, Izzie.” This time Hammond’s voice buzzed through the air as if he’d grabbed Spencer’s communicator. “What in the fuck are you talking about? We’re worried sick! If Achchim hurts one hair on her head—” Izzie was clearly enjoying this, but Callie’s stomach was churning with anticipation as she took in the concern in both men’s voices. “You know,” Izzie said, “for a couple of guys who were only with her a few days, sounds like your feelings run awfully deep. Why do you care what happens to her anyway?” “Izzie! So help me God, if you know anything about where Callie is and don’t tell us, I’ll—” His tirade was cut short when she said, “I’ll make you a deal, Hammond.” “Fine. What?” Her green eyes twinkled with devilment. “You be honest with me about how you and Spence feel about Callie, and I’ll tell you what I know about her. Deal?” A few seconds ticked by, making Callie fear Izzie had been wrong when she said the guys had deep feelings. Then Hammond bellowed,

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“Fine! We love her! We both love her! Happy now? God, we’re wasting precious time! Where in the fuck is she?” “I’m right here,” Callie replied, her voice a whisper as his words still made her head spin. They loved her! She could hear it in the fear in their voices every bit as much as in Hammond’s words. It wasn’t a romantic declaration of feelings, but she believed his angry words more than any offered with flattery or poetry. They really loved her. “Callie?” Hammond’s voice had turned hoarse. He cleared his throat a few times, making her believe he’d become emotional about her safety. Her heart soared out of the atmosphere to reach the stars. “Jesus Christ!” he shouted. “You’re really there? But…but where’s Achchim?” With an I-told-you-so smile, Izzie handed Callie the communicator. “I’m tying Achchim up. You make arrangements for when and where we meet your guys.” Your guys. Damn, but Callie loved the sound of that. **** Spencer couldn’t get out of the Ecstasy fast enough. Seemed like the ramp was taking forever to lower, so he finally ducked, shoved his way through the half-opened hatch, and jumped to the ground. Hammond was hot on his heels. Callie waited on the tarmac just outside the Dracorian ship. She was wearing a loose T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. They might as well have been made of spun gold because she looked beautiful in them. As they ran to her, she held her arms wide, her face lit by a smile that made his heart skip a beat before it started slamming in his chest. He had to keep reminding himself she was safe, that she wasn’t lost to them. By the time he gathered her into his arms, he was laughing aloud. Spencer lifted her off her feet, swinging her in a circle that almost

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made her kick Hammond as her legs flew out behind her. As he set her back down, the men cocooned her between their taller bodies, squeezing her tight as their eyes locked over her head. The happiness he saw in Hammond’s eyes was vivid enough for Spencer to feel as if his partner had reached out to caress him. “God, Callie,” Spencer said, holding her against him and vowing to never let go, “I was so scared we’d lost you.” He placed his palms against her cheeks and brushed his lips over hers. “Did you miss us?” Tears filled her eyes, and she swallowed hard as she nodded. Hammond brushed her long braid over her shoulder to let rest on her breasts, and then he pressed his lips against the back of her neck before murmuring, “We missed you, wildcat. You okay?” She nodded again before she reached up to frame Spencer’s face in her slender hands. Her soft lips covered his again before she pulled away. Then she looked over her shoulder at Hammond and smiled. He leaned in to kiss her, and she practically purred in response. Callie finally turned back to Spencer. “Can we go to the Ecstasy now? I…I need you two. Please.” Her honesty pleased him so much, he didn’t even bother to answer, simply lifted her into his arms and started marching toward their ship. Izzie must have just been coming down the ramp, because her chuckle echoed behind them. “How about I see you all for supper later tonight?” she called. “Maybe in two hours?” “Whatever,” Hammond replied. Although Spencer had Callie cradled in his arms, Hammond couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her—stroking her arm, touching her braid, placing a palm on her shoulder. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Izzie shouted, her voice full of laughter, as Spencer hurried up the ramp into the Ecstasy with his precious cargo. He didn’t even break stride to close the hatch since he heard Hammond entering the code. By the time he got to the bed, all he could think about was getting skin to skin with the woman he loved.

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While she’d yet to tell the men she loved them in return, that love was in her every caress, her every glance. The whole way to the ship, she’d brushed soft kisses over his face and neck while she threw inviting smiles over his shoulder at Hammond or put her hand over his where he’d reached out to touch her. No, she hadn’t given them the words. Yet. But she would. Spencer vowed that Callie wasn’t leaving that bed until she’d told him and Hammond what was in her heart. She reached for the waistband of his pants as he tried to drag her shirt up her body. All they ended up doing was getting in each other’s way. With exchanged smiles, all three saw to undressing themselves. Hammond won the race, so while Spencer finished tugging off his pants, Hammond turned Callie to face him and pulled her into a hot kiss that made Spencer’s hard cock twitch. He quickly joined them by wrapping his arms around Callie’s waist and pulling her back against his chest. Her soft ass rubbed against his erection, making him groan. “Fuck, I want you, baby.” Wiggling her bottom against him, she reached around to palm his ass and pull him closer. “I want you too.” She smiled up at Hammond. “Both of you.” When Hammond reached for her, she sidestepped them both. “But I promised you both a surprise. Right?” Since the blood sure wasn’t anywhere near his brain, it took Spencer a moment to remember exactly what she was talking about. “Surprise? Oh, yeah. I remember. But, baby, I want you. Now.” “I want you too. But I want something that includes all three of us this time.” Hammond grinned. “Fine! I’ll take back door! Spence, you get up on the bed and—” Callie’s chuckle stopped him. “That’s not a surprise. We do that all the time. No, I want you two to make love to each other this time.” “What about you?” Spencer asked, still not understanding what she wanted. “Oh, trust me. I’ll be in the mix too.”

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Hammond grabbed her shoulders and pulled her hard against him. He dropped his mouth to hers, his tongue pushing between her lips. Then he put his hands on her hips and lifted her off her feet. Callie wrapped her legs around his waist. Not wanting to be left out, Spencer strode over to run a hand down her ass, sliding his fingers to move deeper, stroking her pussy. Her juices coated his fingertips as he found her warm welcome. Damn, but she was already wet for them. His cock swelled even more, and he ached to thrust inside her. He almost asked if they should take her right there—all Hammond had to do was slip inside her tight cunt, and Spencer could lube up and join them. Before he could ask, she kissed Hammond one more time then put her feet back on the floor. She turned to wrap her fingers around Spencer’s cock as she stroked him from crown to root and back again, brushing her fingertips over the fluid leaking from the slit. Leaning down, she licked the pre-cum, humming as if she enjoyed tasting him. He groaned and closed his eyes when she took him in her mouth and sucked. All too quickly, Callie released him. With an enigmatic smile, she took his hand and led him to the bed. Patting the mattress, she said, “Bend over for me, Spencer. Let me show you guys something.” Since she’d always been the one to lead the way in their sexual liaisons, he obeyed without question. Bending at the waist, he rested his arms on the mattress. “Now what?” Popping open the small compartment on the side of the bed, Callie grabbed the lube they always left there. Flipping open the top, she squeezed some of the clear liquid on her fingers before tossing the bottle to Hammond. “Get ready.” “Ready?” Hammond sounded confused until he suddenly seemed to figure it out. “Oh, ready…” He popped the top with his thumb, squirted a liberal amount on his hand, and then started smearing it on his erect dick. When Spencer realized that Callie meant to play with his ass and

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that Hammond was probably going to fuck him, his blood turned to liquid fire. His balls pulled up tight against his body as a spurt of precum hit the sheets. He let out a ragged moan at the images flashing through his mind. Although he still didn’t know exactly how Callie would fit into their coupling, he trusted her. Completely. Her slick fingers slid between the cheeks of his ass until she found his anus. She circled it, making him suck in his breath, partly in anticipation but mostly because he hadn’t realized how sensitive he would be to her touch there. Her finger slowly pushed past the tight ring of muscles, and he tried hard not to clench in response. “I won’t hurt you, honey,” she cooed, rubbing his back with her other hand and sending shivers racing the length of his spine. “Relax.” “I’m trying…but…” Her finger slipped inside him. “Oh, fuck, baby.” When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw her tender smile. He also saw Hammond behind her, his hand stroking her breasts, tweaking her pink nipples into tight buds as he licked and kissed her neck and ear. Then Callie eased her finger deeper into his ass. Her smile turned knowing when she slid her finger all the way inside him and started stroking, that clever digit of hers quickly finding a sweet spot. He almost came then and there. Whatever she was rubbing felt so fucking good, he was afraid he’d shoot his wad all over the bed. Clenching his hands into the sheet, he tried thinking of anything else, like calibrating the deflector dish or replacing the stabilizing coil, anything to keep from climaxing. He took deep breaths. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” she asked as she added a second finger and continued to rub whatever it was that made him finally rise on tiptoe. “Callie! Stop! I’m gonna come if you don’t…” She pulled her fingers away. “Come here, Hammond.” Her voice was low and husky. Spencer was ready to take this important step, but he glanced over

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his shoulder, his gaze locked with the man he loved every bit as much as he loved Callie. Hammond had drawn his lips tight, but the passion was in his eyes. Was he as excited about them finally making love to each other as Spencer was? When Callie took Hammond’s hand to drag him closer, Spencer worried that his partner wasn’t ready. He decided to let the man know that his attention would be well received. “C’mon, Hammond. I’m ready.” He wiggled his ass, pleased when Hammond grinned in response. “Okay…” Big, slippery hands settled on his butt cheeks, gently separating them. Callie led one of those hands to Spencer’s anus. “Let me show you the best place to touch.” She took his long index finger and pushed it against the opening. Spencer was having a hard time not squirming in need. He wanted a connection between him and Hammond, and he wanted it right fucking now. “C’mon, buddy. Just do it!” The finger slid inside, all the way to the knuckle. “Feel that little knot under your fingertip,” Callie said. Hammond nodded. “Rub it. Hard.” The bliss that hit Spencer made more fluid pump from his cock. “Oh, my God…” Callie’s beautiful laughter filled the air. “I think you’ve found it.” She crawled up on the bed. “Now, let’s make this a threesome.” She wiggled under Spencer as he moved his arms to allow her beneath him. Then she wrapped her legs around his hips. “I want you inside me, Spencer. Now.” Two seconds in her tight, wet pussy, and he’d probably explode into nothing but atoms. But, damn, he’d die happy. “Anything the lady—” Spencer choked on his words as Hammond pushed a second finger into his rectum. Callie’s hand reached between their bodies to grasp his cock and guide Spencer to her pussy. He plunged inside her, amazed that she

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was so hot and wet just from helping the men learn to love each other. Easing out, he thrust back into her just as Hammond pulled his fingers out. As Spencer rested with his erection deep inside the woman he loved, he felt the blunt head of a cock between his ass cheeks. “Ready, Spence?” “Fuck, yeah. Do it!” “I don’t wanna hurt you…” “Damn it, Hammond. Fuck me!” In slow strokes, he entered Spencer’s body until he was buried balls deep. Judging from Hammond’s ragged breath and how tightly he gripped Spencer’s hips, he loved it every bit as much as Spencer. The three began to move. Hammond pulled back, so Spencer followed suit until his cock was almost free of Callie’s body. She retaliated by whimpering in need and squeezing her thighs to draw him back. Just as he slammed back into her, Hammond drove into Spencer. Soon, they found a rhythm that worked until three sweaty bodies were desperately reaching for release. Spencer knew he’d reached the end of his rope. Lights were flashing behind his closed eyes, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears. “Shit, I’m gonna…” Everything inside of him seemed to burst, pouring from him into Callie. At the same time, the warmth of Hammond’s semen filled Spencer’s body. Callie’s fingernails scored his shoulders as she shouted in release, her internal muscles milking his cock. **** Hammond crawled back into bed with his lovers as soon as he’d had a chance to clean up. Callie patted the mattress beside her, so he stretched out on her right while Spencer cuddled up to her left side. There weren’t words adequate enough to describe everything he was feeling, so he went with the simple approach. “I love you, Callie.” Finding his bravery, he added, “I love you, too, Spence.” A

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small sob broke from Callie, and he gently turned her to face him. Tears were spilling over her lashes. “That makes you cry?” She sniffled and nodded. Spencer pushed up on an elbow to stare at her. “I love you too, Callie.” She choked out another sob. “What’s wrong, baby?” Spencer asked, rubbing his hand up and down her bare stomach. “I never thought…” She shook her head. “Tell us,” Hammond insisted, a little afraid that he and Spencer had been wrong, that they’d believed she loved them when she only wanted to romp in the sack. No. That made no sense. Callie had lovingly given herself to them, but she’d also cared enough about both of them to teach him and Spencer how to love each other. “We both love you, Callie. Please tell us why you’re crying.” She sniffed back a few more tears and then smiled. “I never thought you two could love me the way I love you both.” His heart swelled with love as he leaned in to kiss her. Unfortunately, Spencer must have had the same thought because they bumped heads. With a laugh, Hammond rubbed his abused forehead and said, “You kiss her first.” “Fine,” Spencer replied before doing just that. Hammond was chuckling when he took his turn, pressing his lips to hers. Callie smiled up at them, her hands cupping each man’s face. “So where do we go from here?” Hammond didn’t even hesitate when he gave her the answer. “We find a way to get a happily ever after for three.”

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Chapter 9 Callie followed her guys up the ramp into Izzie’s ship. So much needed to be decided about the future, and Hammond and Spencer told her Izzie should be included in all their plans. This was confusing, but Callie didn’t question that choice. After Achchim had double-crossed Izzie, she probably needed the support of her friends. After all, the Dracorian had been her partner. These black market smugglers obviously had loyalty. “Izzie?” Hammond shouted when they reached the central part of the ship. “Where are you?” A shout came from below them. “I’m in the cargo hold! C’mon down here!” Spencer pulled open the trap door and helped Callie climb down into the cavernous cargo area. With the exception of a few boxes piled against one wall, the place was empty. Achchim was sitting in the middle of the room, tied to a chair. His red eyes tossed daggers at Callie, but she wouldn’t let the Dracorian intimidate her. Izzie stood next to Achchim and slapped him hard on the back, making him turn to glare at her. “Aren’t you gonna say hello to our friends, Achchim?” “You fuck!” he replied with a snarl. Izzie burst out laughing. “Not nearly as often as I’d like to.” “Hey, Izzie!” a feminine voice called from above the cargo hold. “Where in the hell are you?” “Down here, Alayna!” she shouted back. “Who’s that?” Callie asked, her eyes finding Hammond’s. “No one should know I’m here. There’s a bounty—”

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“It’s okay, wildcat,” he replied. “That’s Izzie’s partner—her real partner.” Real partner? What the hell was that supposed to mean? A tall brunette came walking up to them. She towered over Callie, but was only a few centimeters shorter than Izzie. Damn, but they made Callie feel as short as a child. This Alayna was every bit as beautiful as Izzie, even though their coloring was nearly opposite. Alayna’s short, spiky hair was a rich, deep brown, and her skin was as darkly tanned as Izzie’s was alabaster white. The opposites ended with her amber eyes, which showed the same intelligence and curiosity as Izzie’s green ones did. “Is that her?” Alayna asked Izzie, nodding at Callie. “Yep,” Izzie replied. “The one and only Callinda Seebré.” Callie kept blinking, trying to make sense of everything she was hearing. There were so many questions flying through her mind she couldn’t seem to settle on which one to ask first. Since Alayna obviously knew her, someone—probably Izzie—had shared that she was close. But why? To capture her for the reward? No. Hammond and Spencer would never allow that. How in the hell did Izzie even know her full name? Callie had never told her. And what reason would the guys have to even mention something so trivial to Izzie? Even weirder—why would Izzie tell Alayna? Alayna nodded at Achchim. “Did you call for transport for our prisoner yet?” Izzie nodded and she put a hand on Achchim’s shoulder. “He’s been advised of his rights, and he’s definitely not talking to us.” “Touch don’t!” Achchim looked ready to take a bite out of Izzie’s hand. Izzie pulled back her hand. “You’ve got no sense of humor today.” “Doesn’t matter if he talks or not,” Alayna replied. “The arrest warrant for Carlos Pontierri came out this morning. All we’ve gotta

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do now is pull the net closed, and we’ve got him.” She looked over at Callie again before shifting her gaze to Spencer. “Has she agreed yet? I mean, her sister did help bring down Syrus Graveland. Will she help with Carlos?” Her eyes fixed on Callie. “We’re still trying to find out about Lyrianna for you. I promise we’ll keep looking. Everyone in I.D.E.A. is pitching in to find out why in the hell she disappeared from that prison shuttle.” Before Callie could even ask what in the fuck was going on, Spencer fisted his hands against his hips and glared at Alayna. “I told you already. We’re not putting Callie in the line of fire. There’s gotta be another way to get Carlos to crawl out from whatever rock he’s hiding under.” Callie’s mouth kept opening and closing like some fish gasping for water. What was I.D.E.A? What did Lyrianna have to do with all this? Hammond nodded. “We’ll flush him out without Callie as bait.” She finally found her voice. “What in the hell’s going on here? I…I don’t know what any of you are talking about!” Izzie threw an exasperated gasp at the men. “You didn’t tell her yet? What in the hell were you doing over there all afternoon?” Hammond rolled his eyes. “What do you think we were doing?” She laughed. “What I wish I was doing. But somewhere in that fuck fest, couldn’t you have found enough time to say, ‘Callie, we’re not drug smugglers. We’re I.D.E.A. agents?’” The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment, as all movement in the cargo hold stilled in Callie’s thoughts. She stared at Hammond and Spencer as if she’d never met them before, her mind trying to comprehend what Izzie had just said. Words flew threw her mind like shooting stars, each one bursting into a painful light that illuminated her worries. I.D.E.A. Now, she remembered. Bromond and Rozale had been all abuzz about the war on drugs. I.D.E.A. was the Interplanetary Drug Enforcement Agency. Agents. Her lovers were I.D.E.A. agents?

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Spencer came to stand in front of her and set his hands on her shoulders. “Callie… We were going to tell you. I promise, we were going to tell you.” She looked up into his eyes, still not sure she understood. “Tell me what? That I have no idea who you really are?” “We don’t smuggle drugs. We never did.” He stroked his palms down her arms. “But I was there! You had the Ampirica! You took the money from that horrible man! You said you and Hammond were partners!” She felt as if she was caught in some weird vortex that was altering time and space. None of this made a lick of sense. Hammond joined him, standing at Spencer’s side. He reached out to take one of her hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Spencer and I are partners. We’ve been trying to stop some of the black market drug trade between Rozale and several other planets. We were setting up a sting to get to Carlos Pontierri. You stumbled across it and got caught in the crossfire.” Callie felt as if someone had punched her in the face and she just didn’t have enough sense to fall down. Part of her was elated. The men she loved weren’t criminals—they were heroes. But her heart was heavy with knowing they’d been lying to her for so long—as long as she’d known them. Why couldn’t they have been honest with her about something so important? Spencer’s warm hand caressed her cheek as he smiled down at her. “Aren’t you happy about the news?” A tear spilled over her lashes. “You lied to me. You both lied to me.” “We had to,” Hammond replied. He brushed her tear away with the back of his knuckle. “We didn’t know anything about you. Hell, Callie. The first time I saw you, you were pointing a pistol at my back. Remember?” She nibbled on her lower lip and nodded, glad he was helping her figure the whole mess out.

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“We were going to tell you, baby,” Spencer said, stroking her cheek with his calloused fingers. “Once we got you back from Achchim, we were going to tell you.” “We just got too…busy today,” Hammond added with a wink. “Good busy, but…busy.” Callie couldn’t stop a smile at that remark and the fact that a light blush tinted Hammond’s cheeks. Her mind might not be able to sort out the strange turn of events, but her heart certainly could. Had Spencer and Hammond been black market smugglers, she would still love them. Now, she had a reason not only to love them, but to love their line of work. Her men really were heroes. “Okay.” “That’s it? It’s that easy?” Spencer asked, his eyes searching hers. “Just…okay?” She nodded, not sure what else to say. Her guys were right—they really hadn’t had a chance to talk to her, and when they first captured her, they’d known nothing about her. It was clear they’d been protecting her from the moment back on Bromond when Hammond threw himself on top of her body to shield her from Carlos Pontierri’s henchmen. They’d spirited her away from that desert planet to save her life, and when Achchim took her, they’d come searching for her. “I understand now. It all makes sense. Why you dragged me onto the Ecstasy. Why you didn’t want me to hear your conversation with Izzie and Achchim. I just wish…you’d have trusted me more. But I can see why you protected the secret.” She turned to Izzie. “I take it you were undercover when you were pretending to work with him, right?” Izzie smiled and nodded. “Alayna and I were trying to get into Markus Graveland’s good graces the same way Spence and Hammond were after Carlos Pontierri.” “Problem now,” Alayna said, “is getting a chance to grab up Carlos. He’s lying low, and there’s not too much that’ll bring him slithering out into the sunlight.”

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Thinking about Carlos Pontierri wasn’t on Callie’s radar at that moment. She wanted to focus on her guys. “I get it now. And I’m…happy.” Hammond grinned. “It’s a lot better to love a couple of I.D.E.A. agents than drug smugglers, isn’t it?” She grinned back. “Yeah, it is. And I do love you. Both of you.” Izzie’s snorted laugh broke the moment. “Now that we’ve got that settled, what are we gonna do about Carlos?” “We’ll find a way to catch him,” Spencer said, his voice solemn, “without using Callie as bait.” “Why would I be bait?” Since she didn’t even know the man, she couldn’t understand why her name kept coming up whenever they talked about capturing him. “You,” Alayna said, “will bring him out of hiding. He wants you. Bad.” “I didn’t mean to shoot him!” “But you did,” Izzie countered. “Shot his damn nose off. He hates you enough to come out of hiding just to grab you up.” “We’re not making Callie a part of this,” Hammond insisted. With a nod, Spencer added, “We can get him without her.” Callie’s mind was whirling as she thought about the consequences. “What if I do it?” The men gaped at her. Izzie and Alayna, on the other hand, were grinning. “Seriously,” Callie pressed on. “What if I do this for you? What do I get in return?” A growl rose from Hammond’s chest. “You better not be thinking what I think you’re thinking.” She tried to feign innocence. He couldn’t possibly know what ideas were tumbling through her mind. “I have no idea what—” “Oh, come off it, wildcat. Who do you think you’re talking to? You want them to promise you the Ampirica.” He was right, of course. Not that she’d let him know that. “No. I

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don’t.” A snorted laugh slipped out of Spencer, making Callie frown. “Sure you do,” he said. “I want more than that. I want drugs for my kids whenever they need them. Forever.” “Are you crazy?” Alayna asked. Callie shrugged. “Probably. But I’ve watched little girls who are nothing but innocents suffer and die from lack of a simple medicine just because they had the audacity to be born with vaginas on a planet where women are treated worse than trash. So if I’m gonna put my life on the line to catch this bad guy, I want something in return.” “I.D.E.A. will never agree to that,” Izzie said, folding her arms over her breasts. “Then you’ll have to convince them,” Hammond said. Callie’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You’d let me do this?” His nod was another surprise. “But only if Spencer and I are with you to protect you.” His hands settled on her shoulder. “You’ll do it whether we want you to or not, so we might as well make sure we’ve got your back.” She couldn’t help but smile. Hammond knew her—better than she’d ever thought he could. “Think you can get I.D.E.A. to agree?” she asked Izzie. “Look, all they have to do is direct captured shipments to me. That’s it. Don’t they usually destroy stuff when they capture it?” “Well, yeah, but—” Hammond interrupted her. “We can sell the proposal as a way to cultivate public support. You know, look how great our organization is. We take things from crooks and give them to needy kids.” Callie favored him with a smile and a quick kiss. “Exactly.” She leveled a stare at Izzie, letting her know she refused to budge on her demand. The redhead took a long time thinking it over. “Let me see what I can do.”

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Chapter 10 “No matter what, you stay close to me. Understand?” Alyana’s voice was chillingly calm from behind the veil concealing the lower half of her face. Her short, dark hair was under a scarf, just as Callie’s braid was hidden. Callie could hardly hear Alayna’s words over the noise of her pounding heart. “I understand.” As if she needed to be warned. She was dangling herself in the souk as bait—standing in the open marketplace and waiting for Carlos Pontierri. Visions of a snake, poised and ready to strike, raced through her mind. She could remember every detail of his bloated face, and her gaze scanned every man she saw, searching for him. The oppressive Bromondi heat bore down on her, making sweat trickle between her breasts and run down her back. She longed to throw off the heavy robe and just be out in public in her tank top and shorts like the men moving around the vendors’ booths. Bromond sucks. Then a familiar face came into view, although it certainly wasn’t the one she was expecting. Cassie gasped when she saw the tall, thin man with the buzzed black hair. Mikel. Damn, but she hadn’t even thought about him from the moment she’d met Hammond and Spencer. And once they’d dragged her along on this wonderful adventure, she’d almost forgotten her old boyfriend even existed. He was looking over some merchandise being offered at a small tobacco stand. Surprise, surprise.

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Callie shook her head, remembering how she’d begged him to quit smoking time and time again because it bothered her enough she was sure she was allergic. Not only did it make her eyes water and her nose run, but the smell always clung to his hair and his clothing. Yet Mikel never even tried to give up the nasty habit. In fact, Mikel never really cared much about what Callie wanted, regardless of the topic. They ate what he wanted to eat. They went where he wanted to go. They did what he wanted to do. He was nothing but a control freak. So why in the hell had she even thought of him as a boyfriend? Loneliness. That was the only real answer. Her life had been so full of the children she cared for, but she’d been lonely for adult company—adult male company. She’d been looking for love, and she’d mistakenly thought Mikel fit that bill. Now that she knew what love really was, she looked back on what she’d had with Mikel as nothing more than a bad dream. God willing, he’d quickly finish whatever he was doing and wouldn’t even notice her. Hell, if he recognized her, he could fuck up the whole plan! She reached up with her lightly bound hands to touch the veil covering her face again to be sure it was in place. Izzie had tied her wrists with a knot that Callie could easily loosen as part of the ruse to convince Carlos she was being presented by Izzie and Alayna as their prisoner. The veil acted as a disguise. Sure, she had distinctive Belusian gray eyes, but a man like Mikel would be too inattentive to notice something like that. At least she sure hoped so, but better to be prepared. She couldn’t let her guys or Izzie and Alayna face danger and not even warn them. “Um…we might have a problem.” “Problem?” Spencer’s voice buzzed in her ear through her tiny communicator. “What kind of problem? I don’t see Carlos yet.” Since her mouth was hidden by the veil, Callie felt as if she could talk softly and no one would think she was having conversations with imaginary people. “My…um…my…” Shit, she didn’t want to tell her guys about Mikel this way. They’d surely be jealous and angry that

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she hadn’t let them know she’d been “attached” when they’d spirited her away from Bromond. “What is it, Callie?” Hammond asked. “What’s wrong?” “My boyfriend’s standing a few meters away from my position.” “Boyfriend?” two enraged male voices shouted so loudly, Callie flinched, resisting the urge to rub her abused ear. “Relax, guys,” she replied, keeping her voice calm and hoping to soothe their tempers. “I love you. I just…forgot about Mikel.” Izzie’s snorted laugh sounded behind her. How awkward to have this conversation with the redhead and Alayna listening in. “Forgot?” Spencer said with a growl. “How in the fuck do you forget a boyfriend?” His temper was clearly in full flight. “I’m sorry, honey. I really am. Once I met you and Hammond, I totally forgot about Mikel.” “Damn right you did.” It was Hammond’s turn to scold her. “And you can tie that loose end up as soon as we grab Carlos.” All she could do was let them know what was in her heart and hope they’d quickly forgive and forget. “I love you both. We can talk about this later. Okay?” “Don’t let him see you,” Alayna warned. Callie hoped the comment would bring them all back to the task at hand. “He can’t let anyone know you’re here until we’re ready to approach Carlos,” she added. Easier said than done. Callie was trying hard to search out Carlos in the crowd, but since Mikel moved one merchant stand closer, she’d have had to turn away from him so he wouldn’t notice her. She resisted because if she did, she might have missed the fat man arriving in the souk. “I’ll try not to.” Just as she finally turned to her left, she suddenly saw their target, but he hadn’t just arrived to meet them as planned when Izzie had let him know she’d “captured” Callie. The man was dressed as a merchant and was standing behind a kiosk that held an array of pastries. Quite a disguise, and it might have worked better if it wasn’t

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for his nose. He’d obviously had it surgically repaired, but both his eyes were still ringed in black and yellow bruises, and a white bandage stretched over the bridge of his new nose. Callie couldn’t even dredge up guilt for having shot his first nose off. “Shit. He’s here.” “Where?” Hammond asked. “Look at the stand with the sign that says ‘sweets’ in Bromondi. He’s standing behind it, wearing the brown robe and the green turban.” The man was actually conducting a transaction, wrapping up a treat and taking some coins in payment. When Carlos went for a disguise, he truly took it all the way toward authenticity. “Fuck!” Spencer said. “How could we have missed him?” “We were looking for him to arrive,” Izzie commented. “We assumed he’d show up at the time we gave him, not that he’d be disguised and already here.” “Waiting like a spider in a web,” Spencer added. “So are we all ready?” Alayna asked. “We might as well take back some control and make the first move by taking Callie to him. Hammond? Spencer? You know your job.” “We’ll take out his bodyguards,” Hammond replied. “I promise.” Since they were both positioned on rooftops so they could keep watch over the marketplace and perhaps put their sniper skills to good use, Callie was comforted. Hammond and Spencer would protect her. She was ready to play hostage, so she took a few steps closer to Izzie and Alayna so they could “turn her in” to Carlos. On her second step, a strong hand settled on her shoulder. “Callinda? Is that you?” She whirled around and came face-to-face with Mikel. His brown eyes caught hers. For a long second, they simply stared at each other. He hadn’t changed one bit. Still a little too thin. Still smelling of tobacco. Still giving her an irritated look like he desperately wanted to throttle her. Why was it all the men she’d ever known before Spencer and Hammond always had that expression around her?

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Callie’s common sense kicked back in. “You’ve got to leave, Mikel. Now. I’ll come find you later so we can talk.” “Leave?” he shouted. “Are you fucking kidding me? Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick!” Alayna stepped up to Mikel. She was taller and seemed to use her height to her advantage, going toe-to-toe with him. Even though her features were concealed by blue lace, her unwavering stare could have melted a glacier. “You heard Callie. Get out of here. She’ll come find you later.” “Who in the fuck are you?” he demanded, putting his hands on his hips and glaring right back at her. People in the souk were beginning to stare. Callie shot a quick glance to the pastry stand where Carlos had been hiding in plain sight. He’d vanished. “Fuck. Carlos is—” “I know,” Spencer buzzed in her ear. “He slipped out when the boyfriend showed up. Hammond and I are on it. We’ll find him, baby.” Izzie had pulled her veil aside and come to flank Callie. She wasn’t as kind to Mikel as Callie and Alayna. “Get your ass outta here. Now. You’re going to get someone hurt.” Mikel tilted his head like a curious child. “Hurt? What are you talking about, lady?” When he didn’t get an answer, he turned back to Callie and grabbed her upper arm. “C’mon. We need to find someplace private to talk. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” More people stared as his voice grew louder and louder. “I’m sorry I worried you, Mikel.” Callie didn’t know what else to say to get him to leave. “It couldn’t be helped.” He gave her a contemptuous snort. “Sure it couldn’t. Last time I saw you, you were heading out to grab up some meds for your kids. Next thing I know, you’re gone over a week. Vanished. And no one’s seen hide nor hair of you. Now you want me to just walk away?” His question was a near screech. Izzie’s pistol was suddenly in her hand, and it was pointed at

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Mikel. “We’re done playing nice with you, asshole.” She glanced over at Alayna. “Why don’t you take him outta here and keep him occupied? I’ll take Callie and complete the mission. Hear that, guys?” Mikel had an incredulous frown on his face. “Guys? What guys? Who are you talking to? God, you people are all insane!” A quick green blast came from Izzie’s pistol, hitting Mikel in the chest. He let out a hissing breath as his legs collapsed. Callie didn’t worry, instinctively knowing Izzie had set the weapon to stun. Alayna caught him before he hit the ground, grunting as she tossed him over her shoulder and left the souk so quickly, it took Callie a moment to realize that neither of her lovers had responded to Izzie’s question. About to ask if they were okay, she froze when a familiar voice sounded behind her just as something firm was pressed between her shoulder blades. “Now I won’t even have to pay a reward for you.” “Carlos,” she whispered, afraid to turn around and face him. A frightened shiver raced the length of her body. Izzie whirled to point her weapon, but Carlos remained well concealed behind Callie—especially when his beefy arm wrapped around her chest and he pulled her hard against his bloated body. His heavy body odor made her fight back a gag. “Hey! Carlos!” Izzie said, her expression calm. “So glad to find you.” She nodded at Callie and smiled, although Callie could tell the smile was forced. “Told you I’d bring her to you.” “You didn’t bring her,” Carlos sneered. “I got her myself. So piss off, lady. You’re not gettin’ a single uni outta me.” Izzie kept her pistol at ready. “Piss off? Are you fucking kidding me? After all the trouble I went to so I could get her here? Shit, Carlos! Who do you think you’re talking to?” He chuckled and squeezed Callie a little tighter as he started to back away. “I’m talking to a woman who’s walking away emptyhanded while I take this little bitch here and leave. You try to stop me, and you’re done in this business.” “Why, Carlos,” Izzie replied with a genuine smile. “You’re gonna

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welsh on this deal? Why am I not surpri—” Izzie’s word froze as a green light burst just to Callie’s left. A Dracorian fell to the ground. The pulse pistol he’d been holding bounced against the pavement to rest next to Izzie. She kicked it well out of the Dracorian’s reach. “One down,” Spencer said. A second green light burst behind Izzie, and a humanoid male yelped as he dropped a laser pistol. Blood pouring from his hand, he left the weapon and started running away. A second shot felled him, and he crumpled behind Izzie. “No more bodyguards,” Hammond declared. Most of the people in the souk were now gaping at them, but all Callie could think about was getting away from Carlos. “I can take him,” Hammond buzzed in Callie’s ear. “Just give me the signal, Izzie. I can drop him in one shot.” She gave her head an almost imperceptible shake. Not a surprise, because the I.D.E.A. agents had all agreed they wanted to try and take Carlos alive. Callie held her breath, waiting for the perfect moment to carry out what she, Alayna, and Izzie had planned. “I’ve got news for you, Carlos,” Izzie said with a sly smile. “I’m not the one who’s done in this business. You are.” “You’re demented,” Carlos said, seemingly unaffected by the loss of his henchmen. He took another step back and dragged Callie with him. Callie seized the opportunity. “Now!” she shouted as she slammed her head back against Carlos’s face, dropped to her knees, and scrambled away from him. Unfortunately, the bulk of her robes and the difficulty she had getting her hands free made it tricky to put too much distance between her and the man who obviously wanted her to die. One shot erupted from Izzie’s pistol, hitting Carlos in the chest right as he lunged for Callie. For a moment, the anger in his eyes and the fact he still advanced as she awkwardly retreated made her fear

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that he was immune to a stun setting. Then he suddenly stopped as his eyes rolled back in his head. He pitched forward and landed rather unceremoniously on his face, planting it against the brick street. An audible crunch made Callie wince. That nose was surely broken again. He’d probably be cursing her the rest of his life, which would thankfully be spent on some penal moon. “You okay, Callie?” Spencer asked through her earpiece. He sounded a bit breathless, so she assumed he and Hammond were probably coming down from their snipers’ nests. “I’m fine.” She stood up, trying to get her robes straight and put her face veil back in place since it had fallen away in her escape. Men were staring and scowling, probably more from her and Izzie’s audacity to show their faces in public rather than the shots fired or the three people lying in a heap at their feet. “We need to get out of here before the local police arrive.” Hammond and Spencer drew her attention as they jogged toward the little spectacle. Hammond got to her first, wrapped his arms around her, and lifted her off her feet. He squeezed her so tightly, she could hardly draw a breath. But she didn’t mind, hugging him back just as hard. Spencer took Callie the moment Hammond released her, giving her a bear hug. “I thought we had to hurry,” Callie said when Spencer put her back on her feet. “Shouldn’t we get Carlos out of here now?” Izzie nodded at the men. “Since you guys are ready to out yourselves, you can take it from here with the local yokels. I’m gonna take Callie, find Alayna, and keep our cover. We’ll catch up with you later.” She hurried Callie away before she could ask her what Izzie meant. ****

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Hammond watched Callie talking quietly with Mikel, trying to hold off the irrational jealousy he felt to see them together. They stood on the tarmac just outside the Ecstasy, sharing a private moment. Spencer came walking up to stand at his side, cuffing him hard on the shoulder. “She’ll be done soon, Hammond.” “I know that,” he snapped. The knowing smile on Spencer’s face only bristled him more. “She loves us, you know. No need to be jealous.” “Who said I was jealous?” Spencer chuckled. “No one. I just figured it out from the fact your face is bright red and you’ve got your hands clenched into fists.” Hammond immediately relaxed his hands and realized his stance was every bit as rigid. Just as he sighed in resignation, he could only gape at his partner when Spencer turned Hammond to face him and kissed him. A little shocked at first to be a part of a public display of affection, he almost resisted. Then he decided he didn’t give a flying fuck who saw them. He loved Spencer just as much as he loved Callie. If people wanted to give them shit because they were two guys kissing in public, he and Spencer could easily set them straight or simply bloody their noses. So he grabbed the front of Spencer’s shirt, pulled him forward, and thrust his tongue past his lips. The growl Spencer gave him in response hit Hammond hard—key word being hard as his cock rose in response. In the aftermath of the scene back at the marketplace, Hammond’s blood was running hot. That intensity coupled with Spencer’s uninhibited response to the kiss was so overwhelming, all Hammond could think about was dragging Spencer and Callie back to the ship and making love to them until none of them could lift a finger. Spencer’s hands settled on Hammond’s ass as he pressed him up against his groin, and the erection rubbing against his hardened cock made Hammond give Spencer a needy groan. He wrenched his mouth away and said, “God, I want you. Let’s get Callie and go fuck our

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brains out.” “A perfect idea,” Callie said. Both men turned to stare at her. “Mikel’s gone. With good riddance. Let’s go back on your ship and make love.” Her words were a purr that made Hammond’s dick twitch in desire. Spencer pulled out of Hammond’s embrace, grabbed Callie’s arm, and tugged her closer. Then with a sexy grin, he quickly lifted her up, tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of grain, and started striding toward the Ecstasy. Callie’s giggles brought a smile to Hammond’s face, and he followed the two people he loved with all his heart like a happy puppy trailed its owner. Since Spencer went right for the bedroom with his precious cargo, Hammond made sure the hatch was closed and hurried to join them. When he opened the bedroom door, Callie was on her knees, taking Spencer’s dick into her sweet mouth. His pants were puddled around his ankles, and he had such a look of sheer ecstasy on his face, Hammond had to choke back a rush of envy. He jerked his shirt over his head, kicked off his shoes, and dropped his khaki shorts to the floor. “You started without me.” Callie didn’t stop what she was doing, but as Hammond came to stand next to the couple, her hand reached out to stroke his cock, making him close his eyes to savor her touch. Fisting his hands against his sides, he tried to hold on to some control so they could make this interlude last. For some reason, this coming together seemed more important to him than any of the other times they’d made love—it was as if this somehow…sealed the deal. The three of them would be together the rest of their lives. When a warm tongue stroked his erection, Hammond’s eyes flew open. He looked down, surprised to see it was Spencer who was now taking him into his mouth rather than Callie. “Oh, my God…” A groan slipped out as he tangled his fingers through Spencer’s hair while Callie stripped, tossing her clothes haphazardly aside. Spencer’s tongue and mouth were driving Hammond past the

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point of no return. But he wanted this to last, so he was relieved when Callie interrupted. “I want you boys. Now.” She crawled onto the bed, knelt in the middle, and crooked her finger at them. The men scrambled up to join her, Hammond ending up on his back, and Callie forced his shoulders to the mattress and straddled his hips. “Fuck me, baby,” she said as she leaned down to press hot kisses against his neck. He threaded his fingers through her beautiful hair and dragged her up until he could look her in the eye. “I love you, Callie.” “I love you too, Hammond.” And then she kissed him, heightening the exchange by tickling his lips with her tongue before sliding it in his mouth. He grasped her tongue between his teeth and then gently sucked, savoring her purr in response. Spencer had retrieved the lube and was now settling behind Callie. “You know, I could just watch you two fuck. Damn, but it’s hot to see you together.” Callie broke away from the kiss and glanced over her shoulder. “No way, honey. It’s all of us. I need you both. I love you, Spencer.” “I love you, Callie.” His gaze caught Hammond’s. “And you, partner—I love you, too.” “You know I love you both,” Hammond replied. He couldn’t wait another moment to claim Callie’s sweet pussy. Forcing her thighs further apart with his own, he slipped his hands over her blonde curls and between her folds, letting her excited juices coat his fingers. “Damn, wildcat. Your pussy is so sweet.” She wrapped her fingers around his cock, gave him a sultry smile, and then lowered herself onto him, letting her hot, wet cunt encase him. He moaned in sheer pleasure. She whimpered, the sound hitting his gut, making him thrust hard inside her. Cupping his hand behind her neck, he pulled her forward when he saw Spencer smearing lube over his rock-hard dick. “You ready for Spence, Callie?” he whispered. She smiled. “Oh, yes.” She tensed for a moment and then

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whimpered again. Spencer’s cock was suddenly there inside her, rubbing against Hammond’s. The feeling of being with both of the people he loved was so incredible, Hammond couldn’t even form the proper words in his thoughts to express the moment’s significance. Instead, he gave himself over to the bond between the three of them, savoring how Spencer’s hardness stroked his own as the two men matched a rhythm that had Callie writhing and moaning until her body began to tighten around Hammond’s cock. He thrust into her once. Twice. And on the third push, he felt everything inside him spill into her with a rush of ecstasy. Spencer gave a ragged moan and closed his eyes, clearly reaching his own orgasm. All Hammond could think was that if the universe ended at that moment, he’d die happier than he’d ever been in his whole life. **** “Remiza?” Callie asked, turning to stare at Hammond as he lay to her left, snuggled up against her. His heavy thigh covered hers, and his hand rested on her belly, fingers tickling her from time to time. “Why do you two want to go to Remiza? Don’t you have to stay on this job for I.D.E.A.?” “We’re out,” Spencer said, making her turn to her right to find his grinning face. He was on his side, facing her, his big palm still covering her breast. “Out?” she asked. “What does that mean?” “We’re coming out from working undercover,” he replied. “Since we’ve taken down Pontierri, we have our choice of assignments.” “It’s true,” Hammond added. “And we get some time off, so we figured Remiza sounded like fun. White sand beaches. Clear water. And…maybe…um…while we’re there…um…” For the first time since she’d met him, Hammond was showing her his vulnerability. His green eyes were so tender. “What, baby?

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What do you want to do when we go to Remiza?” “Maybe…get married… Maybe we can get married.” “The three of us,” Spencer added. “Remiza allows multiple partner marriages.” “Are you serious?” Callie blurted out before she realized how much those words could sound hurtful to her guys. She hurried to repair the damage. “I’d love that!” “Really?” Spencer asked. “You’d like to be married to a couple of former undercovers? We were thinking about taking an assignment working on Earth’s moon to help Atmospheric Administration with stopping drug smuggling. They need some experienced officers, and they’ve got two openings. Wanna live on Earth?” Married. The three of them would get married. While her heart swelled with joy, a part of her ached for what she’d leave behind. “What about my girls?” “You know,” Hammond said, “there are lots of couples on Earth who are looking for healthy babies…Maybe…I don’t know…maybe we could help. Maybe buy a big house to keep some of the girls there ’til we can help them find good homes?” “You’d do that? For me?” Spencer was the one to reply. “Don’t you realize, Callie? We love you. We’d do anything to make you happy.”

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Epilogue Eight months later… Callie waved at Izzie when she stepped off the transport. “Hi!” Izzie smiled and hurried across the way to give Callie a hug. When Callie’s growing belly got in the way, Izzie set her palm against the baby bump and grinned. “You’re big as a whale!” Now that she was accustomed to Izzie’s blunt sense of humor, Callie laughed. “You’d be huge too if you were going to have a baby in less than a month.” Since Izzie had been so enigmatic in their conversations, insisting she wanted to discuss her news in person, Callie decided she’d waited long enough. As they walked toward the hover car, she asked, “So will you finally tell me what you found out about my sister?” Izzie crawled in the passenger side, tossing her bag into the backseat. “We know where she is. In fact…” She fished a communicator out of her pocket before her fingers worked fast and furious on the touch screen. “I have something to show you.” She held the communicator up for Callie to see. Izzie had pulled up a picture of Lyrianna standing on a beautiful beach. Two very handsome men flanked her—both grinning. Lyrianna’s smile told Callie everything she needed to know. Her sister was happy. What it didn’t tell her was why Lyri was with two men. It seemed highly unlikely her sister had been as fortunate as Callie was to have found two perfect men to make a part of her life. “Those are her husbands,” Izzie said as if reading her mind. “She married both of them not too long ago.”

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“Married? Both of them?” “They allow multiple marriages on Pagonna.” “Pagonna? I have no idea where that even is.” “A long way away. It’s not even in this sector and takes four months to get to on a government ship. And why do you sound so shocked she married both of ’em? Didn’t you do the same thing when you fell in love with two guys?” All Callie could do was shrug. As she drove back to her home, she peppered Izzie with questions about her sister, wishing there was some way they could speak. But with Lyrianna living so far away—practically on the other side of the universe—they’d have to be content with sending messages a couple of times a year. I.D.E.A. offered assistance in getting those messages, just as they still supplied the hospital back on Bromond with medications as promised. At least for now, Callie would be content. Technology always seemed to have a way of catching up, so who knew what the future held? Pulling up next to the home, she wasn’t surprised when six of the girls jumped up from where they were playing on the porch and came running to the hover car, shouting her name. Spencer followed right behind, diligently watching the children. As usual. Her husbands would make fantastic fathers. Both treated the girls in their care as if those children were their own. Callie gave each child a hug and introduced them to Izzie before the girls happily skipped off to get into more mischief. “Geez, Callie. How many kids do you have here?” She smiled. “Only ten right now. Our number is down considerably. The adoptions are getting easier and easier, so most of the girls only stay a few weeks. Some of the infants are only here a couple of days.” Spencer reached them, brushed a quick kiss on her lips, and then turned to Izzie. “How’s it going?” “Good. Got a couple weeks off before Alayna and I go back to

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Bromond. We’re cleaning up Carlos Pontierri’s mess and rounding up what’s left of his underlings. Callie was telling me about you being foster parents to all the Bromondi girls.” “Not just Bromondi,” Callie corrected. “Human girls, too. Some boys from time to time as well. But all the babies leave so quickly, I barely get to know them.” “There are that many people wanting babies?” Izzie asked. “Oh, yes. Healthy babies go to permanent homes quickly. There are more than enough families here on Earth and on a couple of other planets the agency is helping us work with.” Izzie patted her stomach. “This one won’t be going anywhere. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” “A boy,” Callie replied with another smile, remembering how thrilled Hammond and Spencer were to find out their baby’s gender. “I suppose he’s going to have to get used to having a ton of temporary sisters as he grows up.” Izzie looked at Spencer with a grin. “Do you know which guy was the lucky farmer who planted the seed?” Callie shook her head, as did Spencer when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “We don’t want to know,” Callie replied. “The guys both say they’re happy without ever knowing.” Izzie simply nodded, but Callie doubted she really understood. Only a woman with two husbands could ever truly comprehend what a sharing relationship was like. Perhaps Izzie would one day be lucky enough to be loved by two men, and then she’d know why Hammond and Spencer were content to both call themselves “fathers” despite not knowing who contributed the sperm to create their son. “Where’s Hammond? Didn’t see him when I cleared Atmospheric Administration,” Izzie said as she followed Callie inside the enormous house that now served as not only her family’s home but as a foster home for the children they took in. “He was off today too,” Spencer replied. “He left about an hour ago, but my husbands are being secretive.

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They said they had some kind of surprise.” As if on cue, Hammond pulled the family hover van up next to the hover car they used for quick errands. Opening the back hatch, he pulled a box out, balanced it against his hip, and pushed the door shut. When his eyes caught hers, he grinned and strode toward them, toting the big box. “Hey, Izzie,” Hammond said when they finally reached the women. “Have a good flight?” The redhead nodded. “Smooth. And your buddies at A.A. didn’t give us a lick of trouble.” “Well, we aim to please,” Hammond replied. Callie was about to ask what was in the box when it suddenly moved. She took a quick step back as Izzie just stared at it. “Hammond,” Callie asked, “what’s in the box?” He simply grinned as he set the box down and jerked open the lid. Reaching inside, he pulled out a small, brown puppy. “This is for you, Callie.” “A puppy? You got me a puppy?” Tears brimmed in her eyes. In the time she’d spent with her husbands, she’d finally opened up about her childhood, telling them about the vagabond lives she and Lyrianna had lived as children. Her men had clearly listened to every word, especially when she talked about how she’d never had a pet of her own. “Of course we did,” Spencer replied, reaching out for her hand and raising it to his lips. He pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “Anything for the mother of our son.” Hammond set the puppy in her arms. Callie looked down to see the dog’s big, brown eyes staring up at her. A pink tongue darted out to lick her face. “I love him! What’s his name?” “You get to name him, baby,” Spencer said. “He’s your pet,” Hammond added. “What do you want to call him, Callie?” Izzie asked. Callie didn’t even have to think about it. “I’m going to call him

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Letza.” “Letza?” Hammond asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “What’s it mean?” Spencer rubbed the dog behind its furry ears. “It’s the Belusian word for happiness,” she replied. “I can’t think of a more appropriate name considering how much happiness you two have brought into my life.”

THE END WWW.ELIZABETHRAINES.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Elizabeth Raines makes her home in the Midwest. A fan of all genres of fiction, she enjoys blending her love of science fiction with romance in the books she writes exclusively for Siren Publishing. Her favorite movies are Pride and Prejudice and Love, Actually, and she spends far too much time watching shows like The Tudors and Mad Men. Elizabeth has been happily married for almost thirty years and tries to express that kind of enduring love in all her stories, hoping to help all her heroes and heroines have their own happily ever afters.

Also by Elizabeth Raines Ménage Everlasting: Wicked Missions 1: Locked In Ménage Everlasting: Wicked Missions 2: Marooned Ménage Everlasting: Wicked Missions 3: Bounty Ménage Everlasting: Wicked Missions 4: Sold

Also by The Sextet Ménage Everlasting: The Sextet Anthology, Volume 1: Sharing Ménage Everlasting: The Sextet Anthology, Volume 2: Dirty Dancing

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com