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over to Charlotte. “If only Samantha and Charlotte weren’t so closely linked. I was afraid this

would happen when Charlotte came to rendezvous with us.”

“Did this used to happen often when they were younger?” Devlin asked.

Johanna looked uncomfortable. “Why don’t you save that question for Samantha? It isn’t

my place to tell you. Let’s just say that Charlotte and Samantha share a bond that none of us will

ever understand. They are linked so closely that they always know when one of them is in danger

or if one of them has been hurt.”

Tyler cleared his throat and spoke up. “What would ever happen if say…Charlotte were

fatally wounded?”

“TYLER! Whatever would make you ask such a morbid question?” Johanna shuddered.

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“I don’t even want to contemplate that. I’d like to keep both of my sisters alive for a very long

time!”

“Okay, sorry. It was a thoughtless, selfish question.”

“It sure was.” Johanna gave him an irritated glare. “Why obsess over that? Samantha’s on

the mend, and knowing Samantha, she’ll be up and about in half the normal recovery time. So,

let’s just wait for both of them to get back on to their feet. I don’t want to even think of anything

negative. Our thoughts have to be with Rory. She’s the one in her hour of need right now. Don’t

worry, Tyler. Samantha’s a fighter. She might be down, but she’ll never be out.”

Tyler rested his eyes back on Samantha’s face. Then, his eyes flickered over to Charlotte.

Both of them were so alike. But what would happen if Samantha died? Would she take Charlotte

along with her? Then, he thought to Samantha’s favorite saying. Samantha often said that no one

would die on her watch. So in all probability Tyler had nothing to worry about. Or did he?

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Blood spattered across the floor. Her father’s lifeless body caused Samantha to go rigid

with fear. She began shaking. The white haired man placed the gun back into the folds of his

long coat. Samantha looked to the side when something brushed against her elbow. “Charlotte?

How can you be in my nightmare?” Charlotte placed her finger to her lips.

“Just watch, Samantha. Watch, closely.”

Samantha didn’t understand Charlotte’s cryptic warning but she followed her orders by

shutting her mouth. The overwhelming smell of Jasmine flew up Samantha’s nostrils. A heady

sensation passed over her and she fought the urge to throw up. For some reason, Samantha’s

eyes were drawn to her father’s killer’s gloved hands. Her sight focused in on the hand. A

dragon crouching beneath a bonsai tree met her eyes. Samantha doubled over. “No.” Her moan

progressed into a full out scream.

Charlotte stared at her once again. “Watch out for the image in the mirror, dear sister.”

“What do you mean, Charlotte?”

“When you figure it out, I know you will save me from myself. Just please try to embrace

the power that resides within you, Samantha, and know that no matter what I would never betray

you. Appearances sometimes are not what they seem to be.”

A howl followed Charlotte’s words. Charlotte looked frightened. A whirling void opened

up, and like a vacuum it started to suck Charlotte backwards.

“Charlotte!” Samantha reached out for her but she was too late.

Her twin was gone.

Bathed in sweat, Samantha sat up and met Devlin’s worried gaze. Someone’s scream had

startled her awake. Her scream. She dragged in a long shuddering breath.

“Devlin.” Her voice wobbled and croaked. She glanced to her side. Charlotte was sitting

up and staring at her.

“You okay?” Devlin gazed intently at her. Tyler sat by Charlotte’s bed. Somehow Tyler

being by Charlotte’s side didn’t seem right. “Something is troubling you. What is it?”

Charlotte made a weird noise and flung her feet over the side of the med bed.

“Tyler, please help me back to my quarters on the
Excalibur
. I don’t think I want to stay

on this ship much longer. I’m feeling much better so don’t worry about me, Samantha. You and

Devlin just enjoy your alone time.” Charlotte smiled at her, making Samantha frown. She didn’t

really want any alone time with Devlin at the moment, but Tyler had erected a barrier between

the two of them and even though it was invisible she could still feel it right down to her bones.

“If you want to discuss what you saw in your nightmare with me, you know where to find me.”

Leaning on Tyler, the two of them left the med bay.

“What nightmare?” Deep groves furrowed Devlin’s brow. She did not want to go into the

details of her disturbing and mysterious nightmare with Devlin. Why did she feel like Charlotte

was screaming out to her in need? Charlotte was fine. She was safe and apparently none the

worse for wear health wise.

Samantha smoothed the covers down over her stomach.

“The usual nightmare, except you don’t know about the usual nightmare. If you’re going

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to continue sitting there, I’ll tell you.”

“I am not going anywhere,” Devlin stated. “Not like your ne’er do well husband over

there. He seemed more than happy to go off with Charlotte—there’s something funny about that

if you ask me. Unless, of course you don’t mind your husband coveting your twin.”

She shook her head wearily. “I don’t like it. But to be honest, Tyler and I have not been

exactly the perfect couple over the last few months. He changed right after our vacation on Earth.

Anyway, you don’t want to listen to my sad story about my marriage caving in....”

“Don’t be so sure,” he mused, his eyes blazing with love.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Devlin looked at her in apparent adoration and

it was a little exhilarating.

“I don’t want to talk about it with you, I feel like I have been plopped smack dab in the

middle of my own bloody space soap opera,” she snorted. “Back to my nightmare. I regularly

have the same nightmare recalling how I witnessed my father’s assassination. It was the same

bloody dream, except this time, one aspect of it was different. I saw a clue. Something useful.

The man that killed my father was a member of The Anasazi Triad. I’m going to find him. And

when I do I’m going to kill him. Then,” she motioned for Devlin to lean in closer. She didn’t

know why but she felt she could trust him with this latest revelation. He’d saved her life, he

looked at her like he would protect her with his own life—no man had ever looked at her like

Devlin did, not even the Tyler of old. “I saw Charlotte. She told me that I should watch out for

the figure in the mirror. It’s all so hazy to me now. Maybe it was just a figment of my

imagination.”

“Maybe not,” Devlin said wisely. “You’re a psychic Samantha. I know you have the

same powers as Charlotte though you live in fear of using them, your dreams might not just be

dreams, your dreams could be a warning. Maybe someone is trying to tell you something.”

“If someone is trying to tell me something then Charlotte is trying to tell me she needs

me to help her. Do you think that Charlotte needs me? I don’t think so, she might need Tyler but

not me!” She groaned.

“I do know one thing, Samantha. You must proceed with caution. Do not do something

until you are fully prepared. That man that murdered your father sounds dangerous—he’s deadly.

Remember that.”

“Devlin, thanks for the advice, but don’t worry, I know how to deal with people who are

deadly. I am a bounty hunter. I am not some little woman who needs to be shielded from the

horrors of life. I’m in control of the situation now. At least I know where to find the killer. And

since we’ll be catching up with The Triad soon, I’ll have more than enough time to hunt that

bastard down!”

“Bloody hell, Samantha, I know exactly what sort of a woman you are. I know you better

than your honey Tyler does. Do not ever think I would try to coddle you but I see the anguish in

your eyes. This is personal for you—when you go after your bounties it’s not personal, you have

a job to do, a mission to accomplish and you seal the deal—this scenario is totally different and

you know it. When things become personal they get complicated. When your heart is at stake,

it’s a whole different battle.”

Samantha’s heart softened. When she had awakened from her nightmare the taste of

revenge had been in her mouth. But Devlin was right. She had to go into the situation with both

of her eyes opened. This wasn’t a situation for her to rush headlong into.

“Can we at least rescue Rory before you go rushing to track down your father’s killer?”

“Of course. What sort of a woman do you think I am? We get Rory out first. I can’t help

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but wonder if maybe my father’s murder ties into Rory’s abduction. It’s a long shot, but you

never know.”

“Yeah, a long shot.” Devlin squeezed her hand. She let him hold her hand long after he’d

given it an affectionate squeeze. If she didn’t put some gravity boots on soon Devlin was going

to sweep her right off her feet.

For the first time since she’d been startled awake, Samantha realized that she wasn’t on

the
Excalibur.
She looked around. “Where are we?” she asked.

“We’re on my daughter’s ship. It’s called the
Snow Queen
,” Devlin said.

“You have a daughter?” Suddenly, Samantha felt as if she were short of breath. She

couldn’t breathe. She could almost imagine him as a father…her heart was almost mushy toward

him. She was supposed to hate the man not lust after him! The Red Falcon never seemed like he

was actually Devlin’s son. He seemed more like a brother than a son when she saw them

together.

“Yes. And Winter is the Captain of the
Snow Queen.
It’s a
Star Speeder: Warrior Class.
”

“Whoa.” Samantha’s widened her eyes. “No wonder this med bay is so fancy. It almost

rivals the Red Falcon’s. Dylan must be dancing down in engineering.”

“Indeed, this ship makes the
Excalibur
look like it’s seen it’s day in space.”

“The
Excalibur
is a pretty cool ship, but even I have to admit that it has nothing on a
Star

Speeder
. Those ships are so fast they make my head spin round.” Samantha swung her legs over

the side of the med bed and had to hold in her cry of pain. “Wow. That wound is still smarting.”

“You should lay back down, then.” Devlin tried unsuccessfully to ease her back down

onto the fluffed pillows.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “I don’t think I am in any hurry to return to the
Excalibur
. And

you seem to be the only one not too busy. I guess that’s what you get when you live the high life

of a mob boss.”

Devlin smiled at her. “I have people I delegate my tasks to. Right now, I am all yours. Of

course I am a little sad that you look so pale, I wanted to show you a good time on this ship.” He

laughed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I doubt I look as bad as you say… I can always trust you

to give me the worst case scenario.” Sighing, she closed her eyes. He leaned toward her.

“What is it?”

Startled, she stared at him silently for a few minutes. “You’re beginning to spook me out,

Dev. You seem to almost be able to read my mind.”

His eyes hardened. “Maybe that’s because you’ve been a bit weakened in the last few

hours and it’s made you drop the wall you had between us. Maybe it’s because you’re finally

coming to terms with what you and I are supposed to mean to each other.”

She closed her eyes again as pain flared through her body.

He noticed her grimace. “Do you want me to get a doctor?”

She pulled him back. “No doctor can possibly cure what ails me now. I admit it, I have

made some choices in the past that I am not proud of now, some I even regret.”

His eyes softened toward her, she smiled at his reaction. No matter how hard she battled

against it, seeing him so mad at her over what she’d done to them both made her feel miserable.

She liked their sparring but she didn’t like to see him hurt right down to his core.

“Maybe the future…our future will make up for my decisions in the past. I made some

pretty rash ones. I screwed up big time, and I am not afraid to admit that, Devlin. If we have a

hope of righting the wrongs of the past, I am open to it, but I have a lot coming at me right now

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and though I want to explore what’s going on between us....”

“I understand.” His eyes surged with renewed hope. “Samantha, I have waited years for

you, I think I can wait a little longer as long as I know you’re not going to keep pushing me

away.”

She smiled at him, and reveled in the positive energy flowing between them.

She knew she was still married to Tyler but her heart would soon belong to Devlin, and

so would her body.

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