and studied the man on the ground, who whimpered and rolled into a ball on his side. Ava nudged him with the toe of her boot. “Get out of here before they decide to come back.”
The buzz addict grabbed her ankle and wept against it. “Thank you, thank you. I….”
“Save it for someone who cares.” Ava jerked her leg free. “I didn’t do it for you.” She turned to Seth, her composure like stone, her expression as cold as her name. She didn’t have to tell him who she’d done it for. He’d seen. If the orphans killed the man in front of the Regulator, he would have had to report it. The authorities would raid the neighborhood, and any child identified as being involved in the attack, would be arrested—and either expelled from New Xiera, or worse.
Ava spun on her heel and walked past Seth. “We need to leave.”
He frowned and stared after her. Who was Brodie’s Duchess, and why did the children back off when the name was mentioned? He’d never heard of her. Someone that powerful in the Underground would certainly be a name he’d know. He knew them all. Warlords, smugglers, black market dealers, slavers, gangsters, and pirates, but nowhere on his list was Brodie’s Duchess. And what was on the medallion she’d tucked between her breasts?
Another thing he planned to clarify before he and Captain Frost parted ways. He started after her, his stride eating the distance between them quickly. He snagged her arm, stopping her. The chain glittered around her neck, tempting him to pluck it from her cleavage. Seth reached for it.
Ava pushed his hand away. “Don’t. It was a birthday present.”
“Who is…?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She spun and walked away.
***
New Xiera Port docks, ten years before ….
“Come with me, Duchess.”
Ava snapped awake and stared into the lapis depths of Brodie Mark’s eyes.
“We’ll make history today.” He straddled her hips with his hands pressed into her bunk on each side of her head, leaning in with his lips inches from hers.
“I’m not dressed and if that was a pass, it was really bad.” The New Xieran summer had been hotter than usual and the scorching afternoon baked the air in her cabin, forcing her to strip to the thin T-shirt and her skivvies. Sometime during her nap, the sheet had worked down to her knees, exposing the naked flesh of her thighs and her belly, where her shirt had bunched up.
“Not a pass.” His smile started as a twitch in the corners of his mouth and quickly spread to his whole face. Jewels twinkled from around her hips and navel, reflecting in Brodie’s gaze. “And it’s more than obvious you’re not dressed, Duchess.”
“Brodie,” Ava gasped and grabbed the sheets. She yanked as hard as she could in an attempt to cover her body. Best friend or not, he didn’t need to see her nearly naked. “You’re not supposed to be here—when I’m alone.” She shoved his shoulder, pushing him back. “Uncle Theo will kill you if he finds you in here.”
Brodie shrugged, knowing there was little chance of that. Her uncle had left for a meeting and told Ava to stay put. She’d soon grown bored and dropped into sleep only to be woken by the twenty-year-old heartthrob.
“I’m serious. You shouldn’t be in here.”
“I know,” he said. “But you’re always safe with me. And when you’re not with me….” He pulled a medallion on a long chain from his pocket and dangled it before her. It spun around, glinting in the light pouring through her cabin’s portal window. “I have a surprise.” He dropped it on her chest between her breasts and leaned back in, pressing closer, until Ava’s breath caught in her throat. “Today is special—monumental.”
“It is, is it?”
His tangled hair hung in a mass of dreadlocks around his face and dirt smudged his left jaw. It didn’t temper his devastating looks. Many an innocent girl lost her virginity to Brodie at the crook of a finger, and Ava was determined
The buzz addict grabbed her ankle and wept against it. “Thank you, thank you. I….”
“Save it for someone who cares.” Ava jerked her leg free. “I didn’t do it for you.” She turned to Seth, her composure like stone, her expression as cold as her name. She didn’t have to tell him who she’d done it for. He’d seen. If the orphans killed the man in front of the Regulator, he would have had to report it. The authorities would raid the neighborhood, and any child identified as being involved in the attack, would be arrested—and either expelled from New Xiera, or worse.
Ava spun on her heel and walked past Seth. “We need to leave.”
He frowned and stared after her. Who was Brodie’s Duchess, and why did the children back off when the name was mentioned? He’d never heard of her. Someone that powerful in the Underground would certainly be a name he’d know. He knew them all. Warlords, smugglers, black market dealers, slavers, gangsters, and pirates, but nowhere on his list was Brodie’s Duchess. And what was on the medallion she’d tucked between her breasts?
Another thing he planned to clarify before he and Captain Frost parted ways. He started after her, his stride eating the distance between them quickly. He snagged her arm, stopping her. The chain glittered around her neck, tempting him to pluck it from her cleavage. Seth reached for it.
Ava pushed his hand away. “Don’t. It was a birthday present.”
“Who is…?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She spun and walked away.
***
New Xiera Port docks, ten years before ….
“Come with me, Duchess.”
Ava snapped awake and stared into the lapis depths of Brodie Mark’s eyes.
“We’ll make history today.” He straddled her hips with his hands pressed into her bunk on each side of her head, leaning in with his lips inches from hers.
“I’m not dressed and if that was a pass, it was really bad.” The New Xieran summer had been hotter than usual and the scorching afternoon baked the air in her cabin, forcing her to strip to the thin T-shirt and her skivvies. Sometime during her nap, the sheet had worked down to her knees, exposing the naked flesh of her thighs and her belly, where her shirt had bunched up.
“Not a pass.” His smile started as a twitch in the corners of his mouth and quickly spread to his whole face. Jewels twinkled from around her hips and navel, reflecting in Brodie’s gaze. “And it’s more than obvious you’re not dressed, Duchess.”
“Brodie,” Ava gasped and grabbed the sheets. She yanked as hard as she could in an attempt to cover her body. Best friend or not, he didn’t need to see her nearly naked. “You’re not supposed to be here—when I’m alone.” She shoved his shoulder, pushing him back. “Uncle Theo will kill you if he finds you in here.”
Brodie shrugged, knowing there was little chance of that. Her uncle had left for a meeting and told Ava to stay put. She’d soon grown bored and dropped into sleep only to be woken by the twenty-year-old heartthrob.
“I’m serious. You shouldn’t be in here.”
“I know,” he said. “But you’re always safe with me. And when you’re not with me….” He pulled a medallion on a long chain from his pocket and dangled it before her. It spun around, glinting in the light pouring through her cabin’s portal window. “I have a surprise.” He dropped it on her chest between her breasts and leaned back in, pressing closer, until Ava’s breath caught in her throat. “Today is special—monumental.”
“It is, is it?”
His tangled hair hung in a mass of dreadlocks around his face and dirt smudged his left jaw. It didn’t temper his devastating looks. Many an innocent girl lost her virginity to Brodie at the crook of a finger, and Ava was determined
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