Sunday Snippet: Fyre's Masquerade (a Specter Station novella)

Had a busy week with a new work project landing in my inbox. It's a holiday novel and I'm so excited because I love editing holiday stories! I'm also working on a proofread, which is a nice complement to a copy edit.

Had a slow week of viewing due to another loss of a relative. 2023 has been a rough year for the older generation in my family. I hope the final months are loss free.

I did watch the premiere episode of Cannes Confidential and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's got intrigue and charm and the cast is stellar. Looking forward to the next episode.

Also caught another episode of the Madame Blanc Mysteries. I'm slightly disappointed in the angst factor between the main characters but I'll roll through and see what happens. Very excited Gloria has a new guy even if he's competition for Dom.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice and found it kind of interesting. I liked getting some additional screen time for the deaf characters introduced earlier. Also kind of liked Andrew figuring out what he doesn't want.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness and, wow, this one had some twists and a heartbreaking scene that I almost couldn't watch. Kind of looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Caught another Death in Paradise. Enjoyed the guys trying to avoid bringing Richard in on the case while he was down with a tropical fever but loved that they ended up doing it anyway.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fyre's Masquerade, a Specter Station novella.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Balek Fyre made his fortune mining asteroids and just became a principal owner of Specter Station. He's ready to enjoy a new stage in his life—until the Yuli family descends on his base of operations for the galactic midyear celebration with only one thing on their minds … getting him to marry their oldest daughter, Serena. The only problem? Balek would rather spend time with her sister, Scout.

And a sneaky peek…

"Mother, couldn't you get Scout to wear something other than those horrid black pants?" Serena Yuli shuddered.

Scout tore her gaze from the porthole and made a rude gesture. "Considering I've been dressing myself since the age of three, I'd have liked to see her try." She went back watching the stars go by.

Serena made a nasty comment under her breath about Scout's inability to look like more than an urchin. Scout didn't care what covered her body. Unlike Serena who always consulted their mother Zara before putting on clothes—even her underwear. How her sister made it to twenty-seven, Scout would never know.

Serena snarled. "You could have tried to look decent. We're hoping to make a good impression." She folded her hands in her lap and raised her nose in the air.

Scout snorted. "We've been on this ship for five days. None of us look our best. At least I'm comfortable." Her black canvas pants were soft with wear and her shirt and jacket were made of breathable fabric in the highest quality they could afford.

She could've swapped her rugged boots—broken in to a perfect fit—for her favorite pair of leather moccasins, but the heavier footwear drove her sister crazy and Scout needed something fun to do if she had to be part of this insane plot to trap a perfectly nice man into hellish matrimony with Serena.

Serena snapped. "No one cares about your comfort." She huffed out an angry breath.

Scout smirked. "Exactly. I'm not the one who needs to be impressive. You are." After five days with only two clothing changes, her sister definitely fell short. "What I'm wearing doesn't matter."

Niam Yuli snapped his fingers. "Enough, both of you. We're docking soon and everyone can freshen up." He shot Scout a hard look. "You're to be on your best behavior."

Scout rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad." She'd play nice when she had to and not a moment before.

This stupid scheme to hold Balek Fyre to a promise his parents made decades ago reeked of desperation—and if he didn't see right through it, he deserved wedded hell with her sister. Scout had no doubt Balek didn't have a clue who they were. Why would he? His parents died not long after their ill-fated agreement with the Yulis. And the horrible thing? Her parents didn't care. They needed an influx of cash to save their asses. A series of bad investments had her parents teetering on the brink of financial ruin.

Scout rolled her eyes. "Maybe if they told Serena no every time she wanted a new outfit, they'd have some savings." Not that her parents ever would—they only said no to Scout.

The captain's voice came over the intercom. "We've started the docking sequence. Prepare to disembark in fifteen minutes." A garbled crackle ended the communication.

A tiny jolt of excitement coursed through Scout. While she hated the reason they'd come to Spector Station, she loved an adventure. And the idea of Serena falling flat on her face gave Scout something to look forward to also.

She smoothed down her hands down her thighs, straightening some of the wrinkles from her pants. "Let the games begin…"

I'm having a lot of fun writing this series and Balek's book is a treat. It's the last in the four-book series and all the previous couples make an appearance.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Founder's Day Flames (Capital City Seasons)

Well, it's been a week. I hit a slump even though I got a lot accomplished. Not sure why I ended up being so distracted, but I struggled to stay focused on anything.

Had a very slow viewing week, probably due to being randomly distracted by everything.

I watched another episode of Strangest Things and enjoyed the artifacts featured. This show makes interesting connections when they're trying to figure out what something is.

Caught a Death in Paradise marathon, which ended up being fun to watch. I'm still doing a full watch in chronological order, but fun to have a whole day of great episodes.

Enjoyed another episode of Battlestar Galactica. We finished up the first half of season two and during our discussion we remembered how long we had to wait for the next half, especially because the episode kind of ends on something of a cliffhanger. And there were so many great moments in this episode!

I planned to start Cannes Confidential this week but ended up being too distracted. I'll be watching it in the very near future and will post my reaction next week.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Founder's Day Flames, a Capital City Seasons sexy short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

An arsonist strikes Capital City, setting blazes, each more devastating than the last, on the lead up to the Founder's Day holiday, which falls on Beltane. Graham McClain is called on to analyze the firebug's actions and help get a handle on his next move. Fire captain Prima Alton reluctantly works closely with Graham and together they discover she plays a role in the culprit's twisted fantasies.

And a sneaky peek…

Captain Prima Alton pushed her way into her chief's office. "What's this I hear about bringing in some talker for our firebug?" What is there to negotiate? "We don't even know who the asshat is. Only that they're setting fires all over the quad." She dropped her cover, bill side down, onto the desk of the fire marshal.

Wade Digbee gave her a level look. "Are you questioning my decision?" He settled back, folding his arms over his chest.

Prima didn't back down even though common sense warned against her making this a bitch fest. "I discovered the pattern. This is my forte. The whole reason you brought me on board in this office." And she didn't want to share the job until she had a handle on the situation. "Why bring someone who makes compromises for a living in when we don't have anything for them to compromise on?" This shouldn't be difficult to understand.

A throat cleared behind her and a sublimely gorgeous man with dark wavy hair and lovely golden eyes moved into her line of sight. He wore a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, a pair of dark dungarees, and suede lace-up shoes with soft soles. His lips quirked into a brief disarming smile.

Which threw her a little.

Prima slid her gaze back to Wade. "I've interrupted a meeting. I'm sorry." She reached for her cover. "I'll just step out—"

Wade lifted a hand. "Don't leave, Captain. This is Graham McClain, the talker." Digbee rose and motioned for Graham to join them. "McClain isn't just a skilled negotiator, he's also a data analyst." His mouth curved into a satisfied smirk.

Because, of course, the chief would hit her with something she lived for—crunching information and details to find commonalities. Prima shot a quick look toward Graham. Looks aside, Prima stood ready to discount anything the negotiator had to say. Seriously, did he succeed by bowling people over with those incredible genes?

Wade rocked back on his heels. "We brought him in because data tends to talk to him." He managed to keep the smarmy smile to a brief flash.

Prima raised her eyebrows. "Data talks to you? I'd like to see that." She met Graham's gaze.

His lips quirked again. "The bits and bytes tend to be a little shy. You'll have to let me interpret for you." Humor filled his eyes.

She laughed, almost hating to admit she liked him. "Well, there's no time like the present." She nodded toward Wade. "Mind if we get started?"

Wade spread his hands outward. "Not at all. We need to nail this down sooner rather than later. And I'm confident you two will get the job done."

Prima motioned toward the door. "If you're ready, we can head to the situation room. I've got everything set up in there." She'd play nice and give this guy a shot.

If for no other reason than to possibly catch the firebug before anyone else got hurt … or worse.

I love this series. Graham took a while to get a handle on, but Prima started talking right away. This is a fun book to write!

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Fortune's Dawn

Welcome July! The month that my doggos hate with the intensity of a thousand suns. And we actually got an early start on the fireworks this year … about mid-June or at least the last two weekends. Personally, I love a good fireworks show. The dogs really don't. They get antsy and want to go outside but hate it outside because of the loud crackle and booms. It's exhausting.

Had a good week with work. Finished up two projects and made way to get started on a new one. I'm hoping to slide in some extra freelance work this month because I'm in between two developmental edits at the moment and could use something to keep my busy.

Also had a bit of a scare with my dad. He ended up in the hospital for a few days but he's doing well.

Not a bad week for television. I'm really angry I didn't get to watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies before Paramount yanked it. It angers me that studios can pull whatever they want to write off for tax purposes. I'd love to be able to do that on a personal level.

I finished up the ninth season of Brokenwood Mysteries. Actually loved the episode. This is such a comfort watch for me. Looking forward to starting Cannes Confidential this week, especially since one of my favorite actors is involved.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries and enjoyed the mystery. Not sure I'm excited about having the creepy woman back but I'll reserve judgment on that one. I love the cast of characters in this show.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness and the episode definitely took a turn I didn't expect. I like it when that happens!

Enjoyed another episode of Death in Paradise. I'd seen most of this one before and I'm glad I got to watch the whole episode. I'm loving this show.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Flight of the Phoenix." This one had so much going on and it was all spectacular. The pilot interaction ended up being my favorite thing, as usual. But lots of good stuff overall.

Started the second season of Fantasy Island. I'm about halfway through the episode and enjoying it so far. I'm definitely here for Raphael and Elena interactions!

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fortune's Dawn, a concluding novella in a three-part series I haven't named yet.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Quillan and Jeb answered fate's call, discovered an ancient prophecy that led them to dance with destiny, and now they're setting out to find their lost colony before the cyborgs do.

And a sneaky peek…

Jeb rolled to his side and smoothed the hair back from her head. "You know I don't believe in this mystical stuff." His fingers trailed along her jawline.

Quillan arched her brows. "The scribes predicted this. You, the scholar, and me, the guide. How can you not believe?" She leaned into his palm.

Jeb lifted a shoulder. "Okay, it's an odd coincidence, I'll grant you. But that's all it is. You're trying to make us fit the roles." He gave her a level stare.

Quillan snorted. "Bah. You're so damned stubborn. Are you willing to keep reading the texts or not?" Because she couldn't make heads or tails of the ancient language.

Even being a true telepath, one of a very few left in society, being a magic translator didn't count as one of skills. And they needed to reunite with their original colony, lost eons ago. Her destiny wouldn't let her do anything else. And Jeb had become part of it … at least she thought he had.

Jeb nuzzled her throat. "I'm in. If only to keep close to you. We've been apart for way too long." His mouth covered hers and translating texts didn't matter anymore.

They had been apart way too long. She twisted around and nudged him back then straddled his thighs. Her head lowered and she scooted downward, pressing open-mouthed kisses along his chest. Easing further down, she grasped his heavy erection and sank her mouth over the length.

Jeb groaned. "I'll never get tired of this. Of you." His fingers threaded through her hair.

Quillan pulled back a little. "I feel the same." They'd taken a long time to get where they were.

Jeb reached down and hooked his hands under her shoulders. "As much as I enjoy the wicked wonder your lips create, I need something more from you right now." He hauled her upward settling her over his cock.

Quillan gave him a slow smile. "It's good to be home." She shifted forward then pushed back, taking Jeb's shaft deep.

And even though they had long road ahead to find a place for their people, Quillan would always consider Jeb's arms her true place of residence.

This trilogy is kind of all over the map, but the basic threads are in place. I'm having fun filling in all the blanks.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Follow Me (Scorched Galaxy)

Can't believe June is almost over. This year is flying by so quickly. Or maybe it's just so much is out of control it seems that way.

Great week of work. I'm finishing up two big projects and hopefully setting up the groundwork for more. I'd love to find some balance between big jobs and smaller ones.

Had a decent week for viewing. We had some weather roll through, and I took the precaution of not starting anything when we might lose power.

I started a new two-parter of Silent Witness. Kind of an interesting premise and I'm not completely sure where this one is going. I like that.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise, and it's one I hadn't seen yet. I do love watching the series in chronological order.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Final Cut," which is one of my very favorite episodes. There's a lot going on in this one and it's all amazing.

Finished the second season of Only Murders in the Building and, holy hell, I loved how it ended! Can't wait for season three!

Also managed to catch another episode of Classic Rugrats. It brought back some memories because my kiddos wanted to try flan because of this one.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Follow Me, the opening book of an epic space saga trilogy. I hope.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A will they or won't they wager spurs Molly and Sloan to see how long they can without getting caught.

And a sneaky peek…

Molly pondered Sloan's prediction. With their history with MacNeill, he might begin with the should've known betters, but he wouldn't end there. Her mind ticked off several follow-up scenarios, each one worse than the last.

She'd caught a glimpse of the disappointment on the commander's face just before he'd slammed the hatch shut. Damn. She hated letting him down.

Her head snapped up. "You don't think we'll end up in hack, do you?" Wouldn't be anything new for her—between her temper and her mouth, a first-name basis had been established with the marine guard.

Sloan on the other hand? Usually so squeaky clean he farts bubbles.

He shrugged again. "Who knows?"

The night's events were catching up with him. He looked so weary.

She put her feet up on an adjacent chair. "Yeah. Let's just deal with whatever happens, when it happens." She could almost feel the dull throb he must've had behind his eyes … the one where the buzz wore off and the hangover kicked in.

He closed his eyes a moment. "My head hurts too much to think about it right now." He leaned forward, elbows on the table and steepled his fingers to put pressure against his forehead, gently rubbing in a circular motion.

He continued to massage his head and she let the comparative silence draw out. Watching his fingers work, she flashed to having them on her … and in her … in the commander's quarters. Who knew it would be like that with us? They'd been friends for a long time … hell, she'd been engaged to his best friend before he'd been lost on the recon mission.

As different as night and day, Sloan and Lachlan were opposite sides of the same coin. She couldn't really make a comparison between them, and, in her mind, that probably counted as a good thing. Things are weird enough without adding my former fiancé to the mix.

Gods, how long had it been since she'd thought of Lachlan? Such a big part of her life. The first man she remotely considered as more than a great lay. The first to break through and reach her on a personal level. Then meeting Sloan and finding another friend for life? Molly counted herself lucky to be the recipient of such blessings.

She shook herself out of that train of thought. She couldn't think about Lachlan right now. Picking back up on Sloan's fingers, she got warm pondering all the things she'd love him to use them for. Long and lean, they shouldn't fit with the rest of his body. But they did. Compact, solid, and certainly built, Sloan stayed in shape. Always. Much to the hatred of the other pilots.

Molly grinned. One of the first directives Sloan sent through as CAG, a new fitness program, still made them grumble. Sloan turned a deaf ear to the complaints. In his mind, as long as they were on the run from an enemy that outpaced them in every way except the physical, his men would be as fit as possible.

That directive counted as the only thing he continued to have significant trouble with since assuming the position of lead pilot. The former CAG, well-seasoned major that he'd been, let the pilots skate on the physical side as long as they could fly planes. Molly supported Sloan's efforts wholeheartedly and agreed with his reasoning completely.

It slayed her that the one thing that set off Sloan's usually calm demeanor was a group of pilots bitching about keeping fit for duty.

Talk about a match to powder.

A riled-up Sloan? Whew. Something to behold. The man elevated a scathing set down to an art form. Using a few well-chosen words to get his point across, he left no doubt how unpleasant the repercussions would be for anyone not on board with the regimen. The pilots might not like it, but he'd earned their grudging respect for not folding under the initial barrage of very vocal feedback.

Molly had the advantage of knowing Sloan prior to the attacks. She knew what lay beneath the surface. How difficult being thrust into a position he wasn't ready for made things. She'd had firsthand experience with the slow burn of Sloan's temper. He rarely reached a hard boil but watch out if he did. And once he reached meltdown, his anger ebbed as slowly as it built. Giving him some distance for a few days tended to be a good idea.

In contrast, push her buttons and she lashed out fast and her temper faded quickly. Opposite of Sloan. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Which turned out to be a good thing. If she'd known how explosive they'd be together, she would have plotted a way to set up a good hard screw a hell of a lot sooner.

Even wigged out, she couldn't deny the sex had been damn good.

Speaking of … Sloan mentioned about that, didn't he? And, well, they had some time to kill.

She snapped her fingers in front of his far-away gaze. "Sloan?" Waited until he focused blue eyes on her. "Didn't you say something about mind-blowing sex?" Kind of weird to talk about it but reliving it in her head had her blood heating again, which made her uncomfortable.

Sloan glanced away, coloring slightly. "Fuck, Molly. I should have known you wouldn't let that one slide." His voice went a little sheepish like he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

But he had and they might as well talk about it.

Molly picked up on the humor, used it as the ice breaker. "Let it slide?" She shook her head back and forth. "No way. Sloan MacNeill mentions mind-blowing sex and I'm going to let it slide. I don't think so." They usually teased each other mercilessly when one of them got laid.

Except … it'd never been quite like this.

"The fact you were referencing me is the kicker. Never would have thought that possible." Molly chuckled awkwardly, desperately trying to keep things light.

Then she braced herself.

Whatever Sloan said next would set the tone between them from this point forward. She honestly didn't know what she hoped for.

This story is so close to my heart, and I've been working on the three books to iron out all the intricacies. Here's hoping I get it all right.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: First Time Ever Laid Eyes on You

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there, including fur dads and mentors. We've got beautiful weather after a very soggy week.

My work projects are bringing me so much joy right now. The books are so amazing! Also heard from one of my authors on two new stories he's got percolating right now. And I got a text message from one of my current authors that completely made my weekend. So … work is awesome right now.

Had a very good viewing week. I ended up doubling up on a couple of shows because the mood struck.

Ended up catching two episodes of the Brokenwood Mysteries. Both were pretty great. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting another one of Mike's ex-wives. And my heart kind of broke for him by the end of that episode. I'll probably finish out season nine this week.

Finished the complete run of available Classic Who episodes. Have to say in retrospect, it's weird how there have been seven doctors and only one master. That said, I'm actually kind of happy with how Seven's tenure ended. Not sure if I'll watch the movie with Eight or just skip over to New Who. It might be a few weeks before I start that.

Caught the second part of Silent Witness. This two-parter ended up being very twisty and I liked it. Looking forward to starting a new one this week.

Watched two episodes of Death in Paradise. I'm enjoying watching from the beginning in chronological order. It's nice to see how the original group came together.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Only Murders in the Building. What a cool twist or three. Can't wait to watch the finale this week.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. This is my nostalgia show. I have so many great memories of watching this when my kiddos were little.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice. Joanna breaks my heart sometimes. And we're nearing the end of season nine when things don't go so well for her.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with a double-header of "Home Part I and II." These are two of my favorite episodes of season two. The fleet is brought back together, and the acting is stellar.

Enjoyed another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Very interesting development at the end. I have a feeling I'll either love or hate the twist.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from First Time Ever Laid Eyes on You, a novella that brings two polar opposites together.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Blunt takes one look at Bart Uppermark and decides they'll make a great team in the air and on the ground. But when Bart shows zero interest in working together—she takes too many risks for his comfort zone—Nadia pulls out all the stops and proves him wrong.

And a sneaky peek…

Bart stood toe-to-toe with Nadia. "I haven't dismissed you yet, lieutenant." She didn't get to leave just yet.

No matter how pissed off she might be.

Nadia snapped to attention but remained silent. Rigid shoulders. Back ramrod straight. All taut anger and coiled tension.

What a woman! Just a little on the insane side, but the best natural pilot I've ever flown with.

And he wanted her. The unbidden idea popped into his brain and took up residence. Wanting her as his wingman oddly became almost an afterthought.

Bart made a slow circle around Nadia, trying to formulate a response to her outburst. "Am I to understand you're taking yourself out of contention to be reassigned with me?" He wouldn't stand for that at all.

She kept her eyes straight ahead. "Fairly sure I made myself clear … sir." She all but spit the sign of respect for his higher rank out.

Bart bit the inside of his cheek. Her smart mouth amused the hell out of him. Which shouldn't happen but he enjoyed her open candor.

He came to a stop in front of her. "I see." He sighed. "Unfortunately, that doesn't work for me." He couldn't accept her decision.

Her gaze shifted, finally landing on him. "Excuse me? Why the hell not?" She shook her head. "You were out there with me. I sucked. Worst I've flown in well … ever." She glanced away then back again, refusing to do anything but own her horrible test flight.

He cracked a smile. "And yet, you're still the best pilot I've flown with in…" He twisted her words back on her. "Well … ever." Including Mallet who'd been a kick-ass pilot.

She blinked. "I'm sorry. What?" She shook her head, clearly confused.

He pointed to the chair at the desk. "You heard me. At ease, Lieutenant. We've got some issues to work through here." He moved around the desk and sat down.

This story is finally coming together, and I hope to have it ready to launch soon!

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Fireworks

Getting a later than usual start on my blog post today. We lost power for about four hours. Finally got some rain after about ten days and the power blips. It's not even storming. Go figure.

Still moving along on my work projects. I'm so excited about the two manuscripts I'm editing. Both are part of a series with two different authors. Can't wait for the rest of the world to see them!

Had a pretty good week of viewing television. I'm still in the midst of the great clean out so not a huge amount, but a few extra hours.

Started the premiere episode of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. So far, I'm loving it. I paused mid-episode mainly because I want to be able to watch uninterrupted.

Caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Quite a good mystery for this one. Thoroughly enjoyed the episode.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. This one had some action, which doesn't happen often.

Enjoyed the penultimate episode of Classic Who's season twenty-six and I'm looking forward to the finale. Then I have to decide if I'm jumping into New Who or taking a break.

Caught the first half of a Silent Witness two-parter. Intriguing episode with some odd little twists. Looking forward to seeing how it ends.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "The Farm". I have mixed feelings about this episode. Loved the creeptastic look into what the cylons are up to on Caprica. Hated the deeper dive into my most disliked character in the entire series. So, enjoyed watching with my co-watcher but tempered that with knowing what will come later with the most disliked character. Should be doing a double-header next week!

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm very happy to be starting this series from the beginning and working my way through in the established order. This is such a fun watch.

Enjoyed another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Such a great episode! Things are moving into place, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Caught the first episode of Madam Blanc Mysteries' second season. It's a holiday themed episode and actually quite terrific. I'm kind of wondering if Dom and Caron will be vying for Jean's affections, which I hope won't be the case.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fireworks, a novella that throws a sibling rivalry into a new romance and that sets off a chain of events putting one of the characters in danger.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Adelle Lizt and Zander McKibbet are a volatile mix—neither gives quarter when they know they're right. But with two sides to every situation, they find some common ground in a very interesting place—the guest quarters on base.

And a sneaky peek…

Zander came to with a groan. "What the hell?" Why did his head feel like a battering ram wanted to escape from the inside of his skull?

Pieces shifted into place in his brain, and he jerked upright. Drugged. We were drugged. A quick search showed Adelle missing. And no Samantha. But his idiot brother remained at the table with Zander. Keith stirred and Zander kicked out at the chair across from him.

Keith's eyes blinked open, and his brows drew together. "Why'd you do that?" Reality crashed over him. "Dammit!" He snapped upright and glanced around. "Where's Sam? Adelle?"

Zander growled. "Obviously not here. That's some special woman you got yourself hooked up to." He slowly got to his feet and wavered a little.

The room spun around him then righted itself and Zander clumsily made his way to the sink and filled two glasses with water. He trudged back to the table and set one in front of his brother. Keith gave Zander a guilty look but drank the clear fluid down. Zander did the same.

When Keith finished, he set the glass aside. "So, you're thinking kidnapping, right?" He shook his head. "Why the hell would Sam do that? Adelle is just a flight instructor." His lips twisted in a sneer.

Zander slammed his hand on the table. "Think about it, asshole. Your girlfriend is probably an enemy agent or working for one. The new Starwing fighters are in production right now. And who gets the first look at any new spacecraft?" He waited a beat and answered his own question. "Flight instructors." He ran a hand through his hair.

 With Adelle being in the top-three teacher status, she would be one of the first to get the specs. Not to mention she'd also be a top candidate for flying one as soon as they were off the assembly line. Shit. If anything happened to her, Zander would cheerfully throttle his brother.

Another horrible thought hit hard. "Fuck. You're not only an asshole, you're a stupid one." He pinned Keith with a harsh gaze. "Guess what else your charming woman sees in you?" Hell, in both of them.

Keith's head dropped back. "Aw, dammit." He shoved away from the table, his fists balled up. "You think she used me to get to Dad." He whirled away, a hand swiping over his head. "I can't believe this."

Zander huffed out a breath. "Well, you'd better get your head around it." He headed for the living area and started going through Samantha's desk. "She's got us by the balls. Because if Adelle doesn't cooperate, I'd bet my next pay grade, that's exactly what Samantha's backup plan is. Trading Adelle for access to our old man." After all, he held a top rank in the military.

Keith pulled a cupboard door open. "We don't know anything for sure…" He removed a stack of notebooks and flipped the top one open. "Aw, fuck." He handed the book to Zander.

A series of encoded messages lined the pages. Keith went to the sofa and shoved everything off the coffee table then spread the tablets out. Zander shook his head. The communiques were gobbledygook and probably wouldn't help. But they were also damning information.

And Zander got angry all over again. "You sure know how to pick them, bro." He stomped over to the couch and added the notebook to the pile. "Seriously. If anything happens to Adelle because of your girlfriend, there'll be hell to pay—"

Keith jerked his head. "Shut up."

Zander reached out and thwapped Keith's head. "No. This is bullshit—"

Keith shoved Zander. "No, shut up. I'm trying to think." He flipped through the pages and then went back to the front of the booklet.

Zander's eyes narrowed but he held silent. Keith picked up the notebook Zander set down and fished around for a pen on the floor. He snagged one and started writing on a clean page, going back and forth between the two notebooks.

He glanced up. "Pretty sure I've cracked their code." He turned the book around. "Look…" He pointed to his writing then explained how he found the key. "If you'll help with this, we can possibly get an idea of where they went."

Zander blinked. "Geez. You should think about military intelligence. I can't believe how quickly you cracked the key for these messages." His brother would be wasted as a pilot.

Keith snorted. "Let's find Adelle first, yeah?" He crumpled the printed pages in his fist. "I'm so pissed. It's pretty clear she's an enemy agent. And I really liked her, dammit."

Zander lifted his chin. "The heart wants what the heart wants." He'd cut Keith a break because he really did like Samantha.

Keith sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I get it now. I shouldn't have been such an ass about Adelle." He gathered up the notebooks. "I can't do this here. Besides, we should get on the road. We might need to gear up for this."

Zander didn't argue. He headed for the door.

Keith stopped Zander on the way out. "I'm sorry about this. When we find them, leave Samantha to me."

Zander gave a nod then followed his brother to Zander's truck almost feeling sorry for Samantha when Keith caught up to her.

This story is finally coming together the way I hoped it would. Zander and Adelle are fun to write and Keith gets to learn a valuable lesson about not messing with his sibling's life.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Finding Calm

The first week of June is in the books and I got a big chunk of my garage cleaned out, which makes me very happy.

Work projects are moving along and I'm hoping to line up another project or two in the near future. I love a full calendar!

I had a decent week of television even with the great garage cleanout. I'm not up to my regular schedule yet and I'm actually okay with that.

I finished up the second half of Silent Witness and actually liked the kind of twisty ending it had. Lots of red herrings in this episode.

Started a watch of Death in Paradise. I've never seen this series from the actual beginning and I'm excited to dive in.

Caught another episode of Only Murders in the Building and I loved having some Mabel backstory. The fact she loved The X-Files as a kid makes me so happy.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. "Resistance" is such a great episode … with the exception of introducing a character I absolutely disliked with intense passion.

Watched an episode of Classic Rugrats. The two segments were ones I had forgotten and I'm always happy to watch those.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Finding Calm, a novella that brings a couple together after a rough journey apart.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hank and Sunny have danced around finding happiness together so many times. Sunny botches it and learns a hard lesson at the hands of a crazed kidnapper. She finally wants to meet Hank on equal footing but the timing never seems right. Surely her cosmic bad luck has to take an upswing sooner or later.

And a sneaky peek…

Sunny flipped down through the pages, skimming the information and got very angry. "Apparently I have almost perfect genes and they want to splice them with different matches to see if a superior human can be made." The sinister reason made bile rise in her throat and she covered her mouth to keep it from escaping.

No way would she allow the insane enemy to get their hands on anything that could help them turn the tide in their favor. Sickened, she slowly and quietly made her way out of the room and edged along the corridor wall toward the doors marked Laboratory. The journey took longer than she wanted, but it hurt to move. More than she'd ever admit to anyone.

She eased the lab door open and found the area empty and eerily silent. A small row of ambient lights cast just enough brightness for her to find her way around. She discovered cloning notes, harvesting charts, and finally, ovaries, lots of samples. One with her name on the label. She destroyed hers with a test tube clamp and, for good measure, took out all the others also. The noise set off an alarm and she had to get out, crunching over broken glass in her bare feet to make her exit. Once outside the lab, she grabbed an extinguisher, the only thing close to a weapon she could find and fought her way out of the building.

Stumbling halfway to the empty field behind the makeshift hospital, she crawled, skinning up her knees and ravaging her hands. She made it to the edge and found cover in the tall brush but snagged her arms in the process. Bruised and bleeding, she stopped to rest, and pray the stitch in her side didn't mean her wound had opened up again. A hand grabbed her from behind and she bit down hard and spun around, ready to take on her attacker.

"Sunny, calm down. It's Josh. I can get you out of here. Come on."

She didn't hesitate. She looped her arm around his neck and let him pick her up. He melted back into the shadows and managed to avoid the flood lights streaming in intervals all over the back field. Once they made it to the far edge, he sat her down and caught his breath.

Sunny fought the wave of nausea the pain from her injuries brought. "Thanks, Josh. Now what?" If they didn't move soon, they'd be caught.

And she would not go back to that creeptastic hospital—at least not alive.

Josh's gaze scanned the surrounding area. "I found a ship that can get us off the planet … but I can't fly." He blew out a frustrated breath. "And the crew doesn't have a captain, which means they're arguing with each other to figure out what to do next."

Sunny closed her eyes, relief filling her. "No worries. I'm a pilot. I can fly pretty much anything." As long as she stayed conscious anyway.

Josh crouched down. "Come on then." He turned and put his back to her. "Up you go."

Sunny draped her arms over his shoulders and wrapped her thighs around his waist. Her body ached and throbbed with pain but with escape imminent she'd endure for as long as she had to.

Sunny has some issues that need to be worked through and Josh ends up being part of those issues because he's not Hank.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye