Free Carnevale and Subterfuge by Selena Illyria Page A

area.
    “Nice look.”
    Diego nodded. “It’ll do. So the plan is I present myself as the ambassador and be his decoy until we reach Veritas 10. Once there he takes over and I get a billion credits for my trouble. Nice deal. I suppose I can retire with that.”
    “You could retire now. You’ve got enough money,” Roberto pointed out.
    “True but some habits are hard to break.”
    “Is that what the con was? A habit?”
    Diego struggled with the idea and then nodded slowly. “Yes. Things had become tedious. Anarrae showed me that. I want more, even if I can’t have her.”
    Roberto raised an eyebrow. “Why not with her? You two can start over. You’ve changed your appearance. Why not your name and everything else?”
    “What am I supposed to do? Enter the military and become an officer? Even if I did, chances are we wouldn’t be assigned to the same ship. And besides, it takes years to train in the core. I don’t have that kind of time. She could find someone else and move on.” Diego let his vulnerability show through. His confidence was ebbing and he was treading deep water. Never in his life had he ever found himself not knowing what to do.
    “Maybe she won’t,” Roberto said.
    Diego shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by his brother. “You obviously care for this woman. You can’t just walk away from her. You have to fight for her.”
    “I’m a criminal.” That title haunted him and he knew that no matter what he did his past would always follow him.
    “So? People can change. The ambassador assured us that your record will also be wiped clean after this job. You’ll be an upstanding, wealthy citizen. Why can’t you use that to your advantage? Besides, you know where the bodies are buried with some of the ton. You could use that,” Roberto suggested.
    “I’ll consider it.”
    “In other words, you’ll move on, just like always.” Roberto sighed. “I have a few things I need to deal with before we go. I’ll meet you at the docking pad. Before I go, I should say this: you are a good man, Diego, regardless of what you’ve had to do in this life. Don’t forget that.”
    Diego choked up with emotion. He didn’t know what to say, so all he did was nod and embrace his brother. That small comment had meant much to him. The years between them had not been kind. Diego had always felt that if he had been someone else, done something else, Roberto would have respected him and they’d be closer. He vowed not to waste this opportunity to get closer to his brother. As for Anarrae, he doubted he’d be able to do what Roberto suggested. Despite being given a clean slate at the end of this job, nothing would change. Questions swirled in his head as he lay in bed.
    In the morning he found his brother at the docking pad ready to board. Roberto looked calm, cool, and collected. Diego tried to do the same. When the transport ship arrived, he took his seat. Just as he buckled in, he saw Anarrae step into the hold wearing her ship uniform, every curve on display. His calm, cool persona slipped as heat spread through his body. Hunger rose up, demanding he take her somewhere private, strip her out of her uniform and make love to her until she screamed and every man on the small vessel knew who she belonged to. Instead, with clenched fists, he ignored the throbbing of his cock and tried to control himself.
    She took a seat directly across from him and strapped in, looking nervous. Her gaze darted this way and that—everywhere but out the small porthole next to her head. She licked her lips and closed her eyes.
    Diego wanted to go to her, take her hand, and reassure her everything would be all right. Instead, he found himself calling out to her. “You OK?”
    Ana opened her eyes and blinked a few times before her gaze focused on him. Fear quivered in her dark brown depths. She swallowed hard. “Fine. I’m fine.”
    A fine sheen of sweat formed on her brow and upper