The Power of Three (18 page)

“
Thank you.” Soreya hesitated. “Are all
your family involved in your business?”

“
Yes, they are.”

“
My mother worked at the space port in
Etrusca. I’m sure she mentioned dealing with some Pavlovans at one
point. I wonder if she encountered any of your family?”

Meljan looked interested. “I can certainly
look up the records and see whether we’ve had any direct contact
with Etrusca over the past thirty years or so.”

“
I don’t want to cause you any bother.”
Soreya hastened to add.

“
It’s no bother. I enjoy researching
our family’s past. Sometimes it’s quite fascinating.” Meljan
paused. “Senator Ash is out at the reception desk asking for you,
Private Lang. I hope nothing’s wrong.”

“
Ash, what are you doing
here?”

“
I thought you might need
backup.”

So he was no better than Esca after all and
far too keen to involve himself in her business.

He sighed
, “I’m
sorry, Soreya, it’s just that the Meljans aren’t the easiest people
to deal with. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t be here. I’m
worried about you.”

Soreya became aware that everyone was staring
at her expectantly. She rose to her feet. “I do apologize. It’s not
like Senator Ash to demand my presence. If you don’t mind, perhaps
I’d better go and speak to him.”

She excused herself and headed for the
reception area. Ash was pacing the small space, his gaze
distracted.

“
What’s up, Senator?”

He swung around to study her. “Is everything
all right?”

“
Yes, why shouldn’t it be?
Bev was just introducing me to one of our project’s sponsors. Is
something wrong with Esca?”
She held his gaze.
“
I don’t need this, Ash. I’ve got
it.”

“
You don’t know what they’re
like.”

“
I’m a big girl.”

“
On a planet you’ve never
visited before.”
He hesitated
.
“Did you get a sense of something familiar from Meljan?”

“
Yes. It felt as if I
already knew her.”

“
Then the DNA results are
probably correct.”
He slowly exhaled.
“
What do you want to do about
it?”

“
You’re asking me
now?”

“
I’m trying to. If it were
up to me I’d have you out that door in a millisecond.”

“
Why?”

“
Because sometimes it’s
better not to know about the past.”

“
You think she’ll repudiate
me?”

“
She might.”

“
Do you think I care? I’ve
never been wanted by anyone in my family except my mom. One more
set of relatives who wish I didn’t exist isn’t going to destroy me,
Ash.”

He smiled slowly and kissed her hand.
“
Then do you want me to come in with you or
not?
”

“
When I do
what
?”

“
Ask Meljan senior if she is
your grandmother
.”

She stared at him for a long moment.
“
I’d like you to be
there
.”

“
Then I will
be.
”

* * *

Ash opened the door into the conference room
and ushered Soreya in before him. Turning on his most charming
smile, he advanced toward Meljan senior.

“
I must apologize for breaking up your
meeting, Meljan. I had a piece of information for Soreya that was
vital for this visit.”

“
You
did?”

Ash nodded at Bev. “I wonder if I might
prevail upon you to step into the reception area for a moment,
Professor, while Private Lang discusses something of a rather
personal nature with Meljan senior?”

Bev gave him her best daggers glare, but
complied, her curious gaze moving between him and Soreya as he
firmly shut the door behind her.

Meljan had reclaimed her seat. “What exactly
do you have to say to me, Senator Ash?”

“
It’s not for me to say anything. I’m
merely here as an observer and to offer my support to Private
Lang.” He gestured at Soreya. “Private Lang is the one with the
questions.”

“
I see.” Meljan redirected her stare at
Soreya.

“
I asked whether your family had any
contacts with Etrusca because I believe that one of your sons knew
my mother.”

“
The female who worked at the space
port.”

“
Yes. She claimed to have met my father
there.”

“
And what exactly does that have to do
with the Meljan Company? Do you think your father worked for
us?”

“
I think it’s a little bit more direct
than that.” She handed Meljan the letter from the university.
“According to this, half my DNA is from your family.”

Silence filled the conference room. Ash
braced himself as Meljan slowly read the letter and then handed it
back to Soreya.

“
And what exactly do you propose to do
about that?”

“
Nothing.” Soreya shrugged. “If I stay
here, I just wanted you to know that we might be related. Sometimes
people dig these things up and use them against the families
concerned.”

“
I thought your posting was for a
year.”

“
It is, but I’d rather stay here. If
I’m sent back to Etrusca I will be interrogated and then executed.
Telepaths are not allowed to associate with other telepaths from
off world. They’ll consider me too great a risk.”

Her matter-of-fact acceptance of her fate
made Ash want to wrap her in his arms and kill every Etruscan who’d
ever threatened her. Hell, with the increase in his powers he could
do it too; he could kick them out of the alliance with Pavlovan so
fast their teeth would rattle.

“
Is that why you’ve apparently allied
yourself with Senator Ash and his Second Male?”

“
That’s a bonus.” Soreya hesitated. “I
don’t need anything from you except one small piece of
information.”

“
And what might that be?”

“
Some idea which member of the Meljan
family
is
my
father.”

“
And if I don’t choose to share that
information?”

“
Then I’ll accept your decision. If
he’s still alive there’s always the possibility that I might meet
him one day anyway.” She glanced at Ash. “I’d probably pick up
something from him, right?”

He nodded. “Yes.” He rose to his feet.
“Perhaps we should give Meljan senior the chance to think about
this matter.”

“
Totally.” Soreya stood up. “Thanks so
much for seeing me. I apologize that you had to deal with a lot
more than you bargained for.”

Meljan didn’t rise, but she nodded, her
expression closed, her shields impenetrable. “Good afternoon,
Senator Ash, Private Lang.”

Soreya’s shoulders slumped as they reached
the reception area.

Ash patted her arm. “That went very
well.”

“
You’re kidding. She looked absolutely
horrified.” She sighed. “Well, at least I tried.”

“
Don’t underestimate yourself. You did
a fine job. She needs time to think about this, and she’ll probably
have to consult with the rest of the Meljan clan. I’m fairly
certain she’ll get back to you.”

Bev rose from one of the low chairs. “Hey,
you guys.”

Ash walked over to her and took her hands in
his. “Thank you for helping Soreya, Professor. I appreciate
it.”

A delicate pink color suffused her cheeks.
“Well, duh, it was nothing.”

“
It was remarkably kind of you.” He
looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll understand if I ask
you to keep this visit to yourself—for Soreya’s sake?”

“
Sure. I’m not a fool. I don’t want
this lot coming after me any time soon.” Bev shuddered.

“
Exactly.” Ash released her hands and
turned back to Soreya, who was waiting for them by the door of the
elevator. “Don’t worry about Soreya. Esca and I will keep her
safe.”

“
I know, otherwise I wouldn’t be
keeping my mouth shut.”

Ash smiled down at his companion.
“Smart
and
beautiful. I can’t
wait to see the male who makes up your trio.”

“
Neither can I.” Bev winked at him
before raising her voice. “Hey, Soreya, why don’t you go home with
Senator Ash? It’s already way past lunch, so there’s no point
coming all the way back to the lab.”

“
Are you sure?” Soreya looked from Bev
to him. “Ash hasn’t been bullying you, has he?”

“
Senator Ash?” Bev fluttered her
eyelashes. “You’d better watch out, Soreya, he’s a terrible
flirt.”

“
Only when he wants
something.”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped
inside. Ash instinctively moved closer to his mate. For the first
time in his life he wished he’d gone along with the Senate’s demand
for him to employ a full-time bodyguard. Without Esca’s reassuring
presence on the other side of their mate, he felt a little
vulnerable in Meljan territory.

“
I’m a soldier, Ash. I can
defend myself you know
.”

Damn, he’d forgotten how easily she
could read him now. “
I’m not worried about
you. Who’s going to defend me in a Meljan
ambush?
”

She smiled up at him.
“
Don’t worry, I’ll protect
you
.”

“
I’m counting on
it
.”

His driver opened the door into his vehicle
and he made sure Bev and Soreya got in first. At least inside they
were safer than out on the streets…

“
Ash, what the hell’s going
on?”

Frek it. Now he’d alerted Esca to his
unease. “
Are you home?”

“
I will be in about five
minutes, why?”

“
Just be there. We might
have a situation.”

“
Do you want me to meet you
in the lobby?”

“
No, I think we’ll be
fine.”

“
Got it.”

Thank the Gods for Esca’s ability to not ask
questions. They dropped Bev off close to the university and turned
for home.

* * * * *

“
So at the moment, we have no idea how
the Meljan family will react.”

Ash sat cross-legged on the bed dressed in
his silk robe, his hair loose around his shoulders. Esca was
opposite him listening intently. Soreya sat between them watching
as Ash related the story of their meeting with Meljan senior.

Esca scowled at her. “You were stupid to go
in there by yourself.”

“
I was
fine
!”

“
They’re a bunch of crooks and space
pirates.”

“
Hardly that,” Ash said mildly.
“They’ve spent the last couple of generations legitimizing their
businesses and cleaning up their act.”

“
Still,” Esca continued.

“
I
knew
you’d overreact, Esca. I’m not a baby. I’ve been in the
military for ten years.” Soreya tried to match Ash’s tone but she’d
never sound so calm in a millennia.

“
I’ve got this.” Esca looked over her
head at Ash. “I’ll apply for some leave so I can be here full-time
and guard her.”

Soreya slapped his knee. “I’m
quite
capable!”

“
But—”

She climbed off the bed. “I understand
that you want to protect me but I’m not your possession, and I
don’t appreciate being talked about as if I’m not here!” She went
toward the door. “I’ll be in my room. If you want to have a
reasonable
discussion about this,
then come and find me.”

* * *

Esca winced as the door slammed behind Soreya
with a resounding crash.

Ash sighed. “Nice job at making her feel
smothered, Second Male.”

“
You can shut the frek up.” Esca glared
at his mate. “You won’t be looking so serene when they’ve abducted
her and sold her into slavery.”

“
They won’t.” Ash reached over and
stroked Esca’s foot. “Just calm down for a moment.”

He tried some deep breathing. “Frek it, Ash!
I can’t! We’ve just found her. If she gets hurt, I’ll—”

“
I understand, I feel the same way, but
you’ve got to give her space. She isn’t helpless. You of all people
know that. She saved your life.”

He thought about her hidden strength, the way
she’d gotten them out of the security wing of the enemy
compound…

“
Then what are we going to
do?”

Ash smiled at him. “We’re going to do exactly
what she said. Go and find her and have a reasonable discussion
about what we can all do to ensure her safety.”

“
She’s still blocking us.”

“
She’s still mad.”

He wanted to tear her door down, take her in
his arms and bring her right back into Ash’s bed. No wonder she
thought he was acting like an asshole.

He was.

“
Perhaps we’d better let her cool off
for a while.” Esca said reluctantly.