Read Online Dalton, Tymber - Bightmares [Deep Space Mission Corps 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Tymber Dalton - Free Book Online

evacuated, they would be brought to the DSMC’s complex on Ganymede. The population of Jupiter’s moon, smaller than the Martian bases, was comprised mostly of ISNC and DSMC employees.
    Aaron reached up and patted Emi’s hand. “We’ll go to the UP complex tomorrow. There’s regular transports all day.”
    She nervously cuddled between her men that night. Long after they’d fallen asleep, she lay awake in Ford’s arms, her mind racing. She should be beyond this, especially after the men’s reassurances that Kelsey’s family would welcome her.
    Come Martian dawn, she’d barely slept. The men acted unusually quiet throughout breakfast and during their walk through the docking sector to where they would catch a transport to another complex.
    Ford carried a small thermal bag over his shoulder, but she didn’t ask the contents and he didn’t volunteer them. She sensed from all three of them it was something they normally did when on Mars, part of their ritual, part of their healing.
    Two hours later, they stepped out of the transport into the UP complex. This part reminded her of the sim. She saw signs for the tram station where she and Ford had traveled to the agri-complex. As they walked toward a different tram station, Aaron’s thumb gently stroked her hand, his nervous gesture. One she hadn’t felt…well, since their sim time.
    She sent her mind out and felt some of his old sadness, tempered in part by his current love for her.
    They debarked from the tram at a memorial complex, a large dome encompassing several thousand acres of parkland. It was also a cemetery. A discrete and tastefully decorated booth at the entrance provided small locator beacons no larger than a thumb drive. Ford took the lead here and pressed a button to activate a display screen. Then he scrolled through a list of names and pressed another button before inserting the beacon into a small slot below the screen. The beacon briefly glowed blue, and then a low beep indicated the process was complete. He withdrew it and turned toward the path.
    As they followed, Ford in the lead, Caph laced his fingers through Emi’s free hand. Aaron still held her other.
    Caph leaned in and murmured, “They change the park all the time. Plus the plants grow, so it makes it look different.”
    She nodded but didn’t say anything as they followed Ford down the winding path. Very peaceful, it reminded her of Earth in many ways, down to the sounds of birds, the breeze, and softly bubbling water.
    A flurry of wings exploded in a tree next to them, startling her. Two cardinals took off from their perch on the branch of an oak tree and flew away.
    Okay, so the bird songs weren’t piped in.
    After fifteen minutes the beacon glowed in Ford’s hand. They spotted a corresponding glow twenty yards off the path, in a gently sloping area that overlooked a small pond.
    Ford slipped the beacon into his pocket. They followed him to the source of the glow, which disappeared as they approached. As they gathered around where it had been, Emi spotted a small, clear crystal geode nestled in the grass. The source, no doubt.
    Now that she paid attention, she noticed several of the crystal geodes scattered around. Unless you were right on top of one, they were nearly impossible to see from a distance.
    Aaron slipped his arm around her shoulders as Ford unzipped the bag and broke out a thermal carafe and four small cups. He poured the servings. “Mint tea,” he explained, handing Emi one.
    “Her favorite,” Caph whispered. When she looked, his green eyes glistened, tears rolling down his cheeks. Emi reached over and patted his large thigh. He laced his fingers through hers again and squeezed.
    His big size housed an even larger heart. More fragile than her other two men in many ways, Caph’s physique incongruously concealed his gentle and sensitive soul.
    The men held up their cups in a toast. Emi did the same.
    Ford spoke first, his blue eyes full of sadness despite the