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moment Nikolai thought her knees would buckle.
    She crossed her arms in front of her chest, but rather than looking strong and angry, she appeared to be pulling a protective field around herself. “What?” Her voice turned rougher. “Why?”
    “Because we need to find out what happened to the Nebokka , your crew, and the settlers you transported,” Galen said. He took Nikolai’s hand and gripped it like a 25

     
    lifeline. Staying calm and keeping his distance cost his partner. It wasn’t in Galen’s nature to let anybody suffer, let alone be the cause of it.
    Brooke made it clear she would not welcome or appreciate either of their help. She swallowed. “Who are you?”
    Nikolai clenched his fists. Brooke looked so fucking vulnerable, nothing like the proud, sexy Amazon they’d had the privilege of seducing last night. He’d expected the blast of anger, but he’d never thought he’d see fear in her eyes. It had been only for a second before she masked it with anger, but it had been enough to hit him in the chest with enough force to make his breath stop.
    He had no idea how to deal with his surprising emotions. Anxiety turned to anger.
    It bubbled under the surface, similar to the precursor stage of a solar flare getting ready to accelerate. “Sit down, Brooke,” he barked and pointed at one of the pilot chairs.
    She flinched.
    Nikolai turned away and pushed his hands through his hair. This was not going at all as he’d planned. He’d never thought she’d capture a chunk of him, a piece of his soul, and become important. She’d been part of the mission, thought to support the other side. And now there was a chance he and Galen could lose her.
    Just before his frustration and, yes, panic, got the better of him, all tension flowed from his body.
    He relaxed.
    Nikolai whirled around and looked at Galen.
    Yep, his lover was up to his old tricks.
    26
     

Chapter Three
    Brooke had no idea what was going on.
    She’d woken up in bed remembering and reliving the most amazing sex she’d had in ages—actually, ever. Stretching muscles that weren’t used to this kind of workout, she’d finally realized that the soothing vibrations meant the ship no longer docked on Teren, but was on its way to an unknown destination.
    For a second she’d felt connected, as if she belonged, thinking these amazing two men had kidnapped her because they didn’t want to let her go. She didn’t know how, but both Nikolai and Galen had taken up residency in her mind, had made her want things she hadn’t thought about in ages.
    Like an enduring partnership with a man, the knowledge he would be there to support and love her, that she didn’t have to face the world so completely alone. She hadn’t realized that she’d given up hope.
    And now she’d stumbled onto two.
    Then she’d found them on the bridge.
    Their expressions screamed guilt.
    Reality set in.
    Brooke remembered The Debacle and its consequences. Her stomach sank. Look where trusting had gotten her. She was scared, but also furious and blasted Nikolai. But when Galen told her their destination she couldn’t help herself, and wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to keep some warmth in her body.
    Don’t break down , was all she could think. Don’t let them see .
    Her eyes darted around, avoiding the two bastards before her.
    The bridge had a typical layout. The pilot chair and the connected console at the center, the copilot chair slightly off to the side. The wall to the right was completely bare, probably meant for any passengers. The wall to the left of the massive viewport was filled with computers and scanners, most likely used for any more-involved investigation, scientific or otherwise. The flashing lights on the pilot console meant the autopilot had been engaged. For a second she frowned when she found a number of oddly shaped scanners she’d never seen before. They appeared to control access to the consoles.
    She captured all this with an experienced