2
Aiden
Nerves swamped Aiden’s stomach.His chest rose and fell a little too fast. He felt like he was standing on a ledge overlooking a deep lake and the sensation didn’t abate until he’d reached his room and plopped on the floor with his back pressed against the door. Just replaying the enticing drag of Darren’s fingers across his face and lips elicited a bittersweet hum in his body, a reaction so in contrast with the hatred for the man that still resided within him.
He’d not shoved Darren away.He’d welcomed the contact just like he had in Nan’s shuttle on the day of their escape, his own body betraying him and yet again disregarding what his mind commanded.
It was this contradiction inside Aiden that made everything so confusing. Because as much as he hated and would continue to hate Darren Howe, he also seemed to want the man. Aiden wasdrawnto him, despite everything. He wanted to know more about that side Darren had not shown again since the night in the mess hall when Aiden had saved him from the abyss he’d been about to enter. Aiden still dreamed about it too on thenights he managed to sleep, though he sometimes wondered upon waking up if it had been the right thing to do. Every time he arrived at the same conclusion—yes and no—but he didn’t know what to do with it, because it wasn’t his place to even care.
About an hour after Aiden had sat on the floor, Darren’s deep voice announced they were heading toward Mars and the hideout. Most of the trip Aiden spent in his quarters, going through the info he had on the Valrais family tree and browsing news sites about Marcus and the search for the Horizons’ fugitives.
When the hideout’s asteroid came into view, Aiden made it up to the bridge. The others were already gathered in the cockpit with Bea. Aiden leaned against the wall across from Darren’s co-pilot’s seat and watched her maneuver through debris and rocks. She didn’t take the Maine to the same spot where the cargo shuttle he’d used had landed. Instead, she circled the asteroid and tipped the ship sideways so she could dive into a depression in the cliffs. About a minute later, they reached enormous hangar doors that slid open as soon as the ship was in proximity.
Whistling, Nyle propped his elbows on the backrest of the pilot’s chair and leaned forward. His blond bangs flopped in front of his eyes. “That lookssick.”
“Wait until you see the inside,” Bea teased as she navigated the Maine into the cavernous hangar space, flashing Nyle an ear-wide grin.
“You’ve been here before?” he asked and placed his chin on the top of her head.
It was Darren who answered. “She’s the one that helped Liu get the place up and running.”
Liu Zhihao. He was Darren’s benefactor and the head of the Huangsin Conglomerate before its dissolving. The police investigation had falsely accused Darren of murdering him due to Marcus’ influence, when in fact Marcus had been the one toassassinate the man. Liu was also the person who’d taken care of Darren after the tragedy had left him with no family or home.
“Liu… Does that meanyouhaven’t seen it yet either, Darren? And, is this, like, going to be our base of operations?” Nyle asked, his blue eyes shimmering with excitement as Bea smoothly flew the ship to its designated dock and tethered it to the platform.
“We’re all good to power her down, Kristen,” she instructed, ignoring Nyle’s curiosity.
“Roger that,” Kristen acknowledged over the Maine’s comms and soon the hum of the core engine ceased.
“I’ve only seen the blueprints and pictures. And yeah, it will be our base, for the time being,” Darren said with a nod Nyle’s way, picking up where they’d been interrupted. “There’s a war/command room, so you can set yourself up there. Bea can help you sort out whatever access you need.”
“Sweet. But before that, Bea, can you give me a tour of the place? And I want to pick sleeping quarters,” Nyle demanded, batting his eyelashes even if Aiden didn’t think it was needed based on the fond smile on the woman’s face.
The ship came to a complete stop just as the two jumped into a discussion about where to start touring, and Darren pushed himself up from the co-pilot’s seat, taking the bridge elevator to the level below where his room was. Aiden followed Nyle as they swung by their own quarters to grab their things, then the two of them met up with Bea and Kristen at the main airlock elevator. After a short ride, they disembarked the frigate, finding Darren waiting for them outside.
The vehicle bay that opened up in front of Aiden stood mostly empty in the cavernous space, with the sole exception of the sleek black spacecraft and an empty metal rack for cargo. Strips of recessed lights spanned the vaulted ceiling and lined the lower portions of the rough stone walls. To the right of themwas the inner hangar door, which Aiden assumed led to the heart of the hideout.
Once they left the hangar behind, he recognized the training space with its mats, the small shooting range and the gym section tucked in the corner.
“The living quarters are at the back of the lounge area,” Darren said. “Once Nyle is set up, we’ll hold a briefing in the war room section.” He pointed his chin at the dark middle of the cavern, then turned to Aiden as if to say something, but ultimately didn’t, simply nodding before walking away and disappearing down the hall with bedrooms.
Aiden stared after him, wondering if he’d go right to Sara’s advanced AI. Or did he plan to do that after the briefing? Aiden could imagine it wasn’t going to be easy for Darren to meet the beaming girl, but even if he delayed it until later, he had to do so eventually if they were to find out what the Valrais Legacy actually was.
“Kesley, you coming?” Bea’s question snapped Aiden out of his thoughts.
He trained his gaze on her. Something flickered in her warm brown eyes as she waved him over, though it passed too quickly for him to grasp what it was.
“Yeah, sorry.” He jogged to catch up to her and the rest, realizing just now that he must’ve remained by the hangar door staring after Darren for quite some time.
Bea led them to the hall behind the kitchenette where Darren had gone.
“Please tell me they are bigger than the ones on the Maine and come with a double bed,” Nyle said, his expressive eyes twinkling with mischief and his lips curving into a sultry smile that Aiden was sure could charm as effectively as Darren’s sexy smirks.
“If anything, I saw plenty of cushions lying about that we could use to make the mat area more comfortable,” Kristen commented, giving Nyle a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“Mm, while I appreciate your adventurous spirit, Kristen, baby, I’d much prefer to avoid being sore in places I don’t have to be sore in.”
“You didn’t seem to mind last time,” Bea chirped in, smacking Nyle’s ass as they passed Darren’s bedroom. It was the first room on the right and the only one Aiden had entered when he was here the first time around.
