Clash

  Dedication

  This one’s for Cassandra. You might not be able to read this story because you’re way too young, but you still helped brainstorm the titles for this series.

  I’d also like to thank Sue-Ellen for enjoying Ace and Ely’s story enough to give it a chance. And Kanaxa for working so hard on the awesome cover!

  Chapter One

  Well, this is different.

  Ace Abu pushed a loose strand of curly hair away from his face and looked around his cramped quarters on the Stallion II. He chose to keep the light as dim as possible, and it wasn’t just to pretend that he wasn’t uncomfortable living inside a box. He preferred the serenity of the dark. Being born on a forest moon where the sun didn’t shine made a person appreciate the absence of light. He was grateful that unlike most of his kind, he’d been able to adapt.

  Don’t think about your so-called kind.

  Getting physical rest was doing him good, but mentally it gave him too much time to think—as well as exposing him to the endless sounds of wild sex only a few doors down.

  “Oh, Colt, yeah…that’s it, that’s it—”

  Sitting on the narrow cot bolted to the wall, Ace swore it shook from Colt and Brynn’s bedroom activities. Didn’t they ever get tired? Colt’s constant groaning was shortly echoed with a moan from Brynn. Together, the sounds of their union didn’t leave much to the imagination.

  Ace couldn’t hide from the sound of their sexual escapades, no matter where he went. These two weren’t shy about coupling just about anywhere, making it hard to avoid hearing them.

  Maybe if this ship’s escape pod hadn’t been wrecked, it might have worked as a hideout to buffer the sound. Or, he could hide inside Jenks Maine’s one-man ship. They’d found the slimline vehicle just outside the mines of the planet they’d left behind, and since it was so compact, Colt had decided to take it with them. It fit perfectly in the large cargo area inside Stallion II, and would be their main tool in their quest to shut down the arena.

  Ace sighed, trying to quell the mounting lust inside him. His body felt tight, tense, and ready to uncoil. The buzz of unquenched desire chased over him, forcing beads of sweat to glisten on his skin. Not even the dimness of this room could hide the effects. He’d never felt aroused by the thought of someone else having sex. Then again, a lot of time had passed since he’d last delved into carnal pleasures, so maybe it was expected. Between his work on Marks, being caught, and taken prisoner with the intention of being dumped into a barbaric arena, time had slipped away too quickly.

  While trying to stay alive, his other, more feral needs had taken a backseat. But now, with the dust so close to being settled, he couldn’t hide his need for pleasure.

  He squeezed his fists tightly at his sides, almost tempted to stomp out into the corridor so he could interrupt the couple. Then what would he do? Demand that he be given a turn with the blonde? The cowboy would never go for it. Though the way they were carrying on, it was the least they could do.

  With a frustrated sigh, Ace sat back on the uncomfortable cot. The rectangular room was windowless, so it didn’t provide any distractions. At least the air-conditioned air helped to cool his heated skin a little. Besides, this box was better than where he’d stayed the last time he’d been onboard this ship, with chains wrapped around his ankles, stranded behind bars.

  Meeting Colt and Brynn in the main lunch room for preprocessed meals three times a day only made things harder. He’d been determined to keep his distance at first, but found that he got along with them pretty well. Brynn was especially easy to talk to, but after he retired back to this lonely room, he’d start fantasizing about her long, lithe body and what it would feel like to touch her soft skin. Or tug on that long mane of hers.

  Ace knew Colt had seen the way he looked at Brynn and didn’t like it. The cowboy happened to be a possessive brute and probably didn’t even want another man talking to her, let alone staring at her with lust burning in his eyes. Colt didn’t even like the fact she always carried the memory chip of an AI who’d saved her life and was destroyed in the process.

  Still, they had a common enemy, which led them to a common goal.

  They were all determined to do whatever it took to destroy the arena, and that shared objective kept them together, for now.

  After crashing the escape pod he’d taken from this very ship onto Brynn’s home planet of Harrow, Ace had inadvertently discovered others like him. Every single Recast had been reduced to nothing more than feral animals terrorizing the small population of the only town. He’d hidden amongst them, kept his distance while watching, and ultimately saved Colt from their desperate need to kill.

  He’d also taken many of their lives.

  Ace unclenched his fists and glared at his own hands. This time he couldn’t help but stare at the fingernail he’d lost while scratching his way out of the pod shortly after crashing on the outskirts of the planet Harrow, near the town of Wither. It was finally starting to grow back. The ugly stump had a while to go before it covered the nail bed completely.

  If he was a full-blood Recast, it would’ve grown back within days but because he was half, it would take weeks. He carried the damn claw—Colt had found it—in his pocket every single day as penance. A reminder of what he’d done on that blazing planet.

  He couldn’t forget what Maine did to his kind, tried to do to him, and was still doing even after his death. According to Brynn, the greedy businessman had also caused her a lot of pain in the past, after winning her away from her father and forcing her into a life of bondage she eventually escaped. Maine also used Colt as a tool to deliver new Recast to the arena on Fray.

  Too bad the sadistic bastard’s plans had actually caused his own demise, and ultimately helped forge an alliance between Colt, Brynn and Ace. Now, because of Maine’s evildoings, the three of them were united in this. Their hate for Jenks Maine had forged them to make this plan. They were the only ones who could stop the barbaric fights now.

  They had plenty of joint motivation to destroy whatever operations Maine had left behind.

  At last, Ace felt like he had a path. After aimlessly moving from one place to another for years, never finding anywhere to settle, it was great to finally have a goal.

  He didn’t have a home to return to, no one to miss him, or even a ship to get him around. I have nothing left but revenge. Well, at least he had acquaintances. Or were they accomplices?

  The undeniable sound of flesh striking flesh filled his ears, and the scent of sex traveled up his nose. Damn them for reminding him of another thing he was missing.

  He closed his eyes, imagining it was his palm striking Brynn’s bare ass, making her grind against his crotch. Without intending to, his right hand moved over his groin. He slowly stroked his bulging erection every time Brynn’s harsh breathing teased him.

  What the hell are you doing?

  Embarrassed, Ace opened his eyes and forced himself to think about other things. But his head was jumbled up, the haze of arousal too thick to think past. Instead, he removed his hand and glared at it. He’d been responsible for a lot of bloodshed, and no amount of washing would ever clean it away. The guilt and memory would never disappear.

  A stab of sorrow for what he’d been forced to do to so many, back in the caves near the desolate town of Wither, still haunted him. Killing his fellow Recast had been his only option—for them, as well as him. At least in death, they could find peace and move on beyond the cruelty they’d been forced to suffer in the barbaric arena, and then on an unforgiving hot planet where they’d become tormenting monsters.

  It wasn’t like they knew who they were anymore. No, by the time Ace culled them in the cave, every one of them had been long-lost to their feral nature. They might have once been a race of shape-shi
fters who changed only when they needed to—in order to hunt for food, impress a female, or claim dominance—but a stint in the arena drove them insane, completely shutting out the human side.

  How could one man have stolen so much from them?

  Ace balled his hands into fists and relished the memory of watching the bastard responsible for everything burn for what he’d done. Jenks Maine had been a sadistic son of a bitch and Ace would’ve taken great pleasure in burning him to ashes a hundred times over. But once had been enough, and now his ashes were mingled with those of the Recast he’d forced into slavery.

  But that was yet another thing he didn’t want to dwell on now.

  Sick and tired of this stupid behavior, Ace pushed to his feet and stepped out of the room. He needed to walk the stiffness away, and while he was at it, put some distance between his spiraling thoughts and the sexual frustration driving him insane.

  “Colt, oh Colt.” Brynn’s voice was getting louder.

  “Don’t hold back.”

  The undeniable sounds of climax raced up the corridor and caressed Ace’s all-too-tight skin. For a moment, as her heavy breathing continued, he was tempted to stop right there in the corridor and bring himself over the edge of satisfaction. It would at least help clear his lust-filled mind.

  As Ace pondered his next move, sweat trickled down his back.

  The decision was stripped from him when the ship rocked sideways.

  He lost his balance and smashed his shoulder against the wall. Every thought racing through his mind faded as the undeniable ripple of impact echoed inside the ship.

  Several alarms erupted around him, followed by an automated female voice announcing: “The interior of the ship has been compromised. Sector four has been damaged and will need immediate attention.”

  “Shit.” Ace recognized the voice in time to look up. He hadn’t even noticed the door opening, but there was Colt buttoning up his jeans as he turned to stare at him. Colt hadn’t bothered with a shirt or boots, and his bare feet thumped beneath him. “Come on, Ace, let’s check it out. It looks like someone’s hit us.”

  Ace swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping his voice wouldn’t shake when he spoke. “You think we’ve been spotted by the planet’s sensors?”

  “We’re not close enough to be detected by anyone yet.” Colt continued forward, disappearing around the corner.

  Ace was about to turn to race after him, but remained by the open door of their room where Brynn was facing the other way. As she lifted an arm to slip it into her outfit, he spotted the curve of her breast. He licked his lips. For just a moment he wondered what she would do if he headed inside and ran his fingertips down her bare back. Would she push him away? Assume he was Colt and allow him to get away with taking her from behind?

  This wasn’t helping his erection.

  As logic and desire battled against each other, Brynn made a move to turn around. He took off before she could spot his lustful need.

  “Ace!” Colt’s voice echoed ahead of him.

  He hoped Colt hadn’t seen what he just did. He raced toward the cockpit. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if pirates are hiding around these parts.”

  Ace didn’t agree. He knew for a fact that pirates were more likely to be found in the middle of the galaxy, nearer to the steam-technology of planets such as Seethe and Copse. Those were the places spawning pirates by the dozens because of the way their societies were structured, and because there were plenty of valuables to steal from those who traveled that particular stretch of space.

  “I don’t think it’s pirates,” Ace finally said.

  “Then what or who do you think it is?”

  “It could be a meteorite shower,” Brynn called, stepping up behind Ace. Her long blonde hair hung behind her in a curtain of silk that smelled like sweet fruit, but nothing could hide the smell of sex clinging to her body. Even covered in a one-piece lavender skintight suit outlining all of her assets, sex lingered on her skin.

  When Brynn squeezed past him, Ace lifted his eyes before they drifted to her shapely ass, as he remembered his little fantasy of slapping it until she cried out. He didn’t want Colt to see him checking out his woman and get pissed off. He needed Colt’s help. There was no way he could take down Jenks Maine’s operations on his own. The bastard might be dead, but there were others left behind to take care of the dirty business he’d ruled before dying. And screwing things up with the cowboy and the sheriff by giving away his lustful fantasies just wasn’t worth it.

  Ace wondered if anyone was missing Maine yet, and this was their retaliation.

  Colt sat in the pilot seat and cleared the visor. Colorful balls of fire traversed the protective glass, cutting across the blackness of space. One struck the top of the ship, making it sway.

  Ace wrapped his hands around Brynn’s waist before she fell, his hands lingering on her long enough for Colt to notice. He frowned and Ace let her go, lifting his palms in the air.

  “Thanks, Ace,” she whispered with a smile. “Don’t worry about the Neanderthal.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. Either Colt hadn’t heard, or he chose not to respond. Theirs wasn’t a friendship forged with mutual affection, but more a necessity. The cowboy was distracted, switching from automatic to manual pilot, slowly maneuvering the ship in reverse as more burning rocks hit the ship’s exterior.

  “Fuck. This is going to cost me,” Colt screamed.

  Brynn placed a hand on his shoulder. “Forget about what it’s going to cost and get us the hell out of here.”

  Colt nodded.

  “Sector four has been damaged and will need attention,” the mechanical voice repeated. Several of the alarms had shut off when Colt took over the ship’s controls, but most still echoed around them. Lights flashed red and orange on the dash.

  “Do you want me to take care of it?” Brynn asked.

  “A fire has broken out in sector four,” the voice droned on. “It will need to be contained.”

  “No, Brynn, I’ve got it. You stay here and keep the ship steady while the tourist and I take care of the fire.” Colt stood up, pressed his body flush against her lithe frame and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth in a possessive move Ace knew was all show. The guy loved to mark his territory.

  When Colt pulled back, he maneuvered Brynn into the pilot seat. “I’ve set it on a steady reverse course. The shower shouldn’t affect us now.” He motioned for Ace to follow. “You, come with me.”

  “Yes, sir,” he mumbled. Ace turned away from the natural but deadly storm going on outside and followed Colt the way they’d come. Instead of heading toward the living quarters, they turned left and into the large control room. He remembered this path from his last stay on this ship. Except, back then he’d been trying to get away from the cowboy.

  “I bet this brings back memories,” Colt said in a stern voice.

  “That’s all behind us.” At least, it was for him. He didn’t hold grudges. He’d never stopped to wonder if Colt held one, though.

  The cowboy hesitated for a second, peering over his shoulder. “Yeah, it’s behind us, but if we don’t clear this fire, we’re not going to make it to Fray.”

  Colt raced along the metallic bridge and Ace stayed a few steps behind. He hated dressing like Colt’s clone, but had no choice—the clothes he was wearing had belonged to the AI Brynn had called Young. They were classic cowboy gear—faded jeans, shirt and boots. He even had a leather vest and chaps, as well as a hat in his quarters to help keep him disguised once they were off-ship. He agreed with keeping his traditional Recast looks hidden but had refused to cut his hair. Still, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on more appropriate clothing.

  He jumped off the metal bridge and immediately felt the surge of heat.

  “Shit, I was hoping it wouldn’t be this bad.” Colt held an arm out in front of his face. Dark plumes of smoke bellowed out around them, making Colt cough.


  “Why didn’t the automatic sprinkler engage?”

  As if in answer, the mechanical voice said, “The automatic sprinkler system has malfunctioned. Manual override will apply. I repeat: the fire will have to be put out manually before it compromises the exterior.”

  How did Colt put up with that annoying voice? Ace had only been on the ship for a handful of days and it already made him cringe. Had the cowboy purposely programmed it to be so condescending, or was it just the system he’d had installed on the ship? Either way, at the moment, she was right. They’d have to put out the fire themselves.

  “Where’s your extinguisher?” Ace asked, taking a step forward. A blast of heat singed his eyebrows and he narrowed his eyes.

  Colt coughed again.

  “Where’s your extinguisher? I can get to it easier than you can.” The smell of burnt plastic assaulted his nasal passage, but shallow breaths helped keep it at bay.

  Colt turned and met his eyes. “What, you can walk through fire?”

  “No, but I’m very fast.” His Recast agility would help him spring from one place to another quickly enough to avoid the full brunt of the smoke and flames now visibly climbing the wall.

  “It’s on the far side, to your right.” Colt pulled out a red bandana from his back pocket and fixed it over his nose and mouth, tying it at the back of his head. His chest and back were smeared with black. “Let’s go.”

  Ace caught his slick arm. “No. I’ll go by myself—”

  “This is my ship.”

  “And you want to keep it that way, right? If we don’t put this out soon, you know the oxygen tank will be at risk too.” It had to be on this deck somewhere, and although Colt might feel he had something to prove by being stubborn, Ace knew he also wouldn’t jeopardize Brynn over pride.

  Another impact rocked the ship but they held their positions.

  Colt inclined his head. That was good enough for Ace.

  He squatted, allowing the animal within to exert just enough strength to push him off his legs, and leapt over the wall of flames. He regained total control immediately. No point in allowing the feral side to take over right now. The last thing he needed was to sprout his shaggy Recast fur with the fire so close.