Dathan eyed the nude woman who’d give the pleasure workers on Mohini a run in the curves department. “Fits.”
“Suva’s Grace.”
He followed her gaze. A small pedestal was illuminated under lights at the center of the vault. He followed her, watching the look on her face.
He smiled. He’d seen it before. When he made love to her.
I’m falling in love with you.
He couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t sure how he felt. Usually when a woman mentioned love, it was his cue to leave.
“TheMona Lisa.” She walked slowly toward the pedestal.
But as Dathan scanned the treasures in the vault, he wondered if what Eos thought she felt for him was enough to hold her to him. Would she want to live on a graveyard moon and explore the galaxy with him? He’d die cooped up in an apartment on Vedia, and he sure as hell wasn’t made for doing Institute work. He shoved his hands in his back pockets.
Focus on the treasure, Phoenix.He should be calculating the dollar value of theMona Lisaand deciding which collectors to contact.
She stepped up to the pedestal, and now he felt the same sense of awe at what was under the clear dome.
The painting fragment was contained in its own small synth-glass container three times the size of his hand. It was probably weapon proof and kept a constant temp and humidity. He looked at the painting.
Half a woman’s face. She wasn’t beautiful, but there was something about her. He could see all of her lips and her ambiguous half smile. Like she knew a secret she wasn’t letting anyone in on.
“She’s stunning.” Eos lifted the encased fragment.
He watched her face as she stroked the glass. “Stunning.”
“Well, it seems you’re one up on me again, Niklas.”
Darc’s voice had them all spinning. Eos shoved the painting behind her back. The hunter stood by the entrance to the vault, barely sparing a glance at the treasures.
Her gaze was on Nik. He stared back.
“Nowhere to go, Nera.”
“There’s always somewhere to go. If I can’t find one, I’d die trying to escape. Captivity isn’t my style.” She glanced at Eos. “Enjoy your spoils, Dr. Rai.” She looked at Dathan. “For as long as Phoenix lets you. He’d sell all this in a heartbeat, of course. Remember, trust is a stupid woman’s folly.”
Darc lifted her wrist and touched the panel on her arm. Niklas lunged at her, but she danced back.
“I owe you one, Niklas. Watch your back.” She pressed another button and her visor snapped into place, then she disappeared.
Dathan’s jaw tightened. “Spectrum camouflage.”
“By the way—” the electronic voice seemed to come from nowhere “—I just sent out a general transmission about the discovery of the New Louvre Treasures. See you next time.”
Dathan slammed a fist against the wall. Beside him, Zayn cursed.
Eos sucked in a breath and pressed theMona Lisafragment to her chest. “Everyone in the quadrant would have received the transmission.”
“We’ll be inundated with the scum of the galaxy before we can lift off,” Zayn muttered.
“Plus, the Devil’s Nebula isn’t far away,” Dathan added grimly. “They might be tempted to venture out for something like this.”
Nik stepped forward. “Darc isn’t gone. No way she’d give this up. She wantsusgone so she can help herself.”
Shit.“You think anyone will believe her transmission?” Dathan asked.
“Unfortunately, I think there are enough bottom feeders close by that a few of them would at least come and check it out.”
