Roman and Wilhelm were already inside, sitting at a large table, looking at a screen.
“They haven’t unlocked the data yet?” Pulling up a chair, Daniel looked at the flow of information on the screen, still encoded.
He could see the blocks of information that had begun to unravel, the code broken, revealing whole data beneath it.
“My best people have been on it, and it’s been slow going. Layers of encryption so dense and complicated it’s taken two teams working half a day each to get this far. Today was the first time we’ve seen any actual data behind the coding. We have some places, but not much more yet.”
“Esta told Carina she didn’t have the programs to untangle his security. She must have taken it directly from Ciro’s personal files. That takes guts,” Roman said.
“You can tell she’s pretty extraordinary. Look at that daughter of hers.” Wilhelm continued to look at the data. “Asphodel, Parron, Mirage.”
Daniel wished he had it within his power to get Esta Fardelle out, but he feared it was impossible. Their intelligence had indicated a heightening of security on Caelinus. So severely they couldn’t get any word at all from inside the Fardelle compound.
“The Edge is clearly the key here. We know that from our own intel and what little Esta was able to tell us before we got this chip. Other than being the buffer between us and the Imperium, what makes the ’Verses mentioned similar enough?” Daniel pulled up a map. “Not even the three closest ’Verses to the waypoint.”
“Whatever we’ve got here, it’s big. Teams are on the ready, I trust?” Roman asked.
“I’ve sent two teams out. Sera, Brandt and Ash will rendezvous with Andrei and Julian. I have another special team on the ground in Mirage.” Wilhelm turned his attention to Roman. “Sessions has given my people some trouble. It’s not going to be as clean as I like it, getting them here.”
Roman snapped his teeth shut. “Get them here. Dead or alive. Make that clear to them. I’m not having this silliness. Not for one moment more. We’re on the verge of all-out war, and Sessions played us false. They expect mercy now?”
“Sir, it’s been fairly clear in the investigation I did before I locked in directly on Henry that at the very least, the top tier of the House knew what had been happening. The credit trail is proof that this had brought way more capital into their House structure than ever before. Even the warehouse workers knew.”
“This is what mercy gives you.” Roman stood up and began to pace. Daniel didn’t envy him just then. The weight of this would rest on Roman’s shoulders above all else. He had to balance so many things, people would be hurt and there was no way around it. That sort of power wasn’t something Daniel ever craved.
“Mercy is underrated, but not in this case. We’ll get them here,” Wilhelm said. “Sit down, Roman. There’s a course here, we’re on it and we have to stay true to it as we learn more. I’ve got my people working with the code breakers, and the trackers are on the data flow between the three ’Verses in question and toward the Imperium. We’ll figure it out.
“Vincenz has been invaluable with this. Not just on the data coding, but the knowledge he has of the Imperium and the contacts he’s built up over the time he’s been with us. He’s sped this up immeasurably.”
“Perhaps you can let him come on board then.” Daniel rarely interfered with Wilhelm’s vision of Phantom Corps. While Daniel ran most of the program, Wilhelm had handled recruiting in his own unique way from the start. It had worked, bringing exactly the kind of men and women on as operatives that the program needed. Wilhelm created Phantom Corps, and he had a specific vision. Daniel had no trouble with that.
But in this case, a reminder might suit.
“Vincenz Fardelle as a Phantom Corps operative? I wasn’t aware he was interested. He’s doing quite well in his current capacity.”
Daniel scrubbed a hand over his face. “He’s wanted to be one of us since the beginning. He’s proved his loyalty and his capacity to excel in the corps.” Daniel shrugged.
“He has?”
And that’s when Daniel realized Wilhelm knew everything Daniel had told him. He knew it already and was leading him somewhere with it.
“Wilhelm, he asked us back when he came over. You told him he wasn’t right for this job, and that’s how he ended up where he is now.”
“I do remember that. He was so young then. Not just young in the way you all were when I found you, but young in his heart. He was not”—Wilhelm paused—“hard. Even with all he’d seen. You were hard. Andrei was hard. Marame was the hardest young girl I’ve ever seen. It’s what you all use to keep the kill from tasting good.”
Daniel didn’t quite know how to process it all. He was proud Wilhelm had chosen him, proud of the job he did. But being so hard that killing people became one’s living didn’t seem like something to aspire to.
“He’s received excellent training. I’ve seen him in the field. His investigatory skills are quite good. I think he would be an asset to Phantom Corps. Living on the Edge, watching one’s father decimate your home and try to do the same here? That’ll harden a man.” Daniel knew Vincenz well enough to know what motivated him.
Ah, that was it all along. Ellis was waiting for Daniel to step out from his shadow, to lead more within Phantom Corps.
“I trust your judgment on this. Why don’t you speak to him about it?” Wilhelm asked.
He appreciated the way Ellis had left the door open, but in this case, Daniel felt it would be better coming from Wilhelm. “If you’re sure it should be me.”
Wilhelm’s eyebrows shot up briefly, and Roman dropped into a chair to watch their interplay. “You don’t think so?”
“Since the beginning, you have made the choices. You have brought them on in your own way. I know he’s not your usual recruit. But he’d want it to be you. He asked. You said no. And yet, he didn’t turn tail. He could have taken Ranked status and sat around doing nothing since he arrived. But he took your rejection and made himself better, made himself invaluable, and has proven himself loyal over and over. He deserves the same honor as the rest of us.”
Wilhelm nodded. “Point taken.”
C
arina sipped her mulled wine and pretended to listen to Corrin while he played piano. Abbie sat next to her on the cozy couch, her head leaning on the pillows.
“Are you all right?” she asked quietly. “No nausea?”
Abbie blinked and sat straighter. “Yes, yes, I’m all right. I haven’t had much trouble with sickness this week. Mercy says I may be done with it now. Thank the gods.”
“Good.”
“Are
you
all right? You did a good job today, Carina.”
“I want Daniel,” she said with a smile. “I know he’s working. I know he’s coming for me. Selfishly, I wish it was now.” She shrugged.
“I’ve told you about how Roman and I fell in love. I would wait for him, we’d steal time whenever we could to see each other, even knowing it was doomed. Love works that way. And love finds a way. My brother is”—she sighed, thinking about what she was saying—“he’s intense. His focus is intense. It’s why he’s so good at his job. You’re in that focus. He’ll be back for you. Always. Other than Roman, I don’t know anyone who is more loyal and sure of his course in life. Sometimes it’ll make you . . . I don’t know.” Abbie shook her head. “It’s big. Being loved by a man like that. Sometimes I come into a room and he’ll look to me and there’s no one else there. I never imagined that’s what love would feel like.”
“Sometimes you feel as if you’ll drown in it. All that focus. Not negative, like I feel like I’m dying. But just lifted up by the tide of it, consumed by it. It’s powerful. I’ve known people in love, and other than you and Roman, I’ve never seen that sort of intensity before. I’d begun to wonder if it was just me.”
Abbie grinned. “It’s rare. I believe this sort of connection we’ve found to our men is rare. You can have love that’s less intense but no less enduring.”
“But I’d rather have this.” Carina laughed, meaning it with all her being.
“Gods above and below, me, too. I sure can’t imagine doing this baby making thing with anyone else.”
“That’s good to hear, darling.” Roman glided into the room, not looking like a man who’d had the weight of millions of lives on his shoulders. “Come up to bed. You look tired, and the doctor said you need more rest.”
Carina didn’t want to interrupt this lovely moment between them, but where was Daniel?
“I’ve been lying on the couch, listening to Corrin play piano just for me and gabbing with Carina. It’s not like I’m working hard.” But her eyes were on her husband as she moved to him and into his arms.
Carina watched them, loving that Daniel’s sister had such a connection with someone who clearly adored her.
“You’re still awake?” Daniel came in and made everything better.
“I waited for you.”
He held a hand out, and she rose without hesitation, moving to him and taking it. “For you and only you. I’ll always wait.”
“I love you, Carina.”
“I love you, Daniel.” She smiled up at him.
“In my front pocket there’s a marriage application.”
Before he could say anything else, she’d reached in and grabbed it. “You did!”
“You ordered me to.” A smile hinted at his mouth.
“Pffft. Daniel, I order you to do all sorts of things.”
“Come on upstairs with me. I’ll explain to you how I’ll obey you sometimes.”
The echo of Abbie’s laugh followed them as they escaped upstairs.
Chapter 26
S
he yanked at his clothing while he laughed. “Come on, Daniel! You’re not naked. I’ve had to wait all day for you to be naked. You should obey me right now.”
“It’s a good thing I appreciate bossy women.”
“
Woman
. Not more than one.” She tried to pinch his side, but he was all flat, tight muscle. Not that she was complaining.
“Other than the women I came with, Abbie, Nyna and Mai, you’re the only one. I’m fairly sure you’d kill me if that weren’t the case.”
“You have to sleep sometime. Just remember that.”
He tumbled her back to the soft rug, his arms around her taking her weight to soften her fall.
“I won’t forget your vicious threats.” He didn’t sound very threatened as he licked up her neck, his nimble fingers unbuttoning her pants and shoving them down her legs.
He reared up, resting on his haunches, looking down at her. “You have the most beautiful legs.”
“You’re marrying me? When?”
“Impatient, too.” Smoothing his palms up her legs from ankle to thigh, he leaned down to kiss her belly, inching her sweater up as he did.
“Don’t think you can just show me papers, and I’ll back off at this point. You’ve despoiled me, after all,” she said, ending on a squeal as he deliberately slid fingertips over her panties, pressing just hard enough to remind her she wanted him so badly.
He laughed, letting go long enough to pull his coat and shirt from his body, tossing them in the room behind them without a glance.
She took a deep breath, looking at him. “Wow.”
“Now you.” He pulled her sweater over her head, and she shook her hair from her face.
“More beauty. Every inch of you is so beautiful.” He kissed one nipple and then the other. “You’re not despoiled. You’re loved.”
“Oh, you’re so good at this.” She smirked. “I say we need about three weeks or so to plan. We’ll need to move in all that time, and then we can have the ceremony here. Abbie said you often spent time in the colored glass gardens. I love it there, the way the light dances over the flowers through all the colored panes.”
He groaned but didn’t pause as he got rid of his pants and boots, lastly tossing his underpants away.
“Come to the bed. You shouldn’t be taken here on the floor.”
She rolled over onto her hands and knees. “But you like it.”
It had been the right move. His eyes glazed over. Over her shoulder, she watched, her stomach tightening, as he licked his lips.
“I’m not going to break if you fuck me like this, Daniel. I thought we went over that before.” Feeling daring, she reached back between her legs and opened herself. A ragged groan tore from him, making her feel beautiful and desirable.
He pressed a kiss to the small of her back. Heat and gooseflesh rose from the contact, spreading outward until it consumed every part of her.
“I need this as much as you do,” she whispered. “Take me how you want. I’m yours. It’s love, no matter how you touch me. What use is this thing between us if you can’t take what you need from me? When I’m offering it freely? This is about you trusting me enough to know I love you. I accept all of you. I
like
how you are with me. Rough, soft, whatever.”
He didn’t know how she could. She was so beautiful and soft. He wasn’t. He didn’t deserve her. He breathed in deep, licking her hip. Not that he planned to be a better man and walk away.
She’d taken his hand, had accepted his offer of marriage. She had ordered him to make it happen, after all, so he’d expected her to be pleased. But she was a woman, so he half expected her to make him beg. Which he would have.
He wasn’t giving her back. He snorted and nipped one of her perfect ass cheeks. She yelped and started laughing.
“Daniel!”
“What? Sweet, have you seen your ass? It calls out to be nibbled. I’m a slave to my urges, you know. Just a mere man enraptured by his love.”
She shook, still laughing.
“You’re utterly full of it.”
“I am.” He slicked his fingers through the folds of her pussy, so wet and ready for him. She arched back, and he went to her clit.
“Thank gods.” She groaned, her laughter dying. “I’ve been waiting for that for what seems like forever. I’ve missed your hands on me. I’m quite used to being serviced by you regularly. It’s a horrible thing to get me used to that and then to just go away and deny me this pleasure.”