Page 10

Time to go.

Dakota took a step inside…and then was yanked backward. She yelped.

“Going somewhere?”

Her blood ran cold. She turned and looked up at Dare. His face looked icy.

She didn’t think. She dropped to the ground, swiped her leg out, and hit against his ankles. The damn coat made her move awkward, tangling around her legs, but he lost his balance with a curse.

That was enough. As he fell back, she sprang up.

But she only managed a few steps before she was jerked back again. He kept tugging and Dakota wrenched the front buttons of her coat open.

She let it slip off her shoulders, glad to be free of the damn thing.

She sprinted down the corridor, took the next right, and kept running. She needed to get to another set of escape pods before Phoenix locked them down.

If she didn’t make it, then she’d try the shuttle bay. She was a terrible pilot, but she could fly a shuttle if she had to.

She approached some stairs and glanced back. Her entire chest went tight. Dare was sprinting toward her, moving silently and very fast.

Shit. She leaped up the steps two at a time, and barreled down another corridor. She reached a junction and turned right.

Ahead, she spotted a small group of crew members. Rynan Phoenix’s powerful form dominated the group.

No. Of all the bad luck. Before she could decide on her next move, strong arms wrapped around her from behind and lifted her off her feet.

Dakota kicked and jerked.

Dare’s grip tightened. “Stop fighting.”

The group approached them.

“What have you got there, Dare?” Rynan asked.

“A stowaway.”

As he spoke the words right near her left ear, she felt the warmth of his breath on her skin.

“I paid for my passage,” she said. “I’m not a stowaway.”

“All right,” Dare said darkly. “A liar, then.”

Damn. She couldn’t argue with that one. She struggled again, but he held her tight with her back pressed against his chest. She had no trouble feeling every inch of his hard, muscled body, and knew she was no match against his strength.

“Ry, take her picture.” Dare’s hand snagged in her hair and yanked her head back.

“Hey!” she cried.

Her wig came off. A small, attractive brunette standing beside Rynan stared, her eyebrows shooting up.

Rynan lifted a Sync communicator, and snapped a picture. She blinked at the flash of light.

“Run it through facial recognition,” Dare demanded. “I want to know who she is.”

“You could ask,” she suggested sourly.

He turned her enough to look at her face. His silver gaze ran over her features in a way that made her want to squirm.