Beyond Galaxy's Edge Read Free

systems. It was a stopping-off point for explorers, smugglers, and anyone else looking to make their fortune out in uncharted space. Only the very courageous, the very desperate, or the very crazy, filled its halls.
    As he strode down the corridor, his brothersfell into step with him. Justyn noted the docks were busy today—filled with the bustle of ships’ crews, a group of robed missionaries, a young bunch of rowdy explorers and a lone cleaning droid fighting a losing battle against the rust and grit on the metal floor.
    A young woman escorted by a security team—no doubt some wealthy merchant’s daughter off to an arranged marriage—glanced Justyn’sway. He shot her wide smile and winked. A charming blush swept over her cheeks and she coyly dipped her head.
    “You know, if you tried a bit of your charm on Nissa, you might actually get somewhere,” Rynan said.
    Justyn swallowed a snort. “Nissa Sander is a Patrol captain, career GSS. She’d never lower herself to consort with a smuggler.” And damn it, he wanted more than an illicit roll in thehay that would be regretted the next morning. “Besides, what makes you think I’d take advice on my love life from you? You never share your bed with the same woman twice.”
    Rynan shrugged. “At least I have women in my bed. The action in yours has been sadly lacking of late.”
    Justyn shot him the finger—an ancient custom that had never lost its popularity.
    “Justyn.” Dare’s tone was deep andcommanding. And it made people listen. Perfect for a convoy master. Out in uncharted space, he held the lives of those on his convoy in his hands. He expected swift obedience and knew how to get it. “Are you ever going to act on the fact that you’re in love with Nissa Sander?”
    Justyn’s hands curled into tight fists. He hadn’t admitted his feelings to anyone. But he should have known his brotherswould read him like an open holo-doc. They’d grown up together in hell, knew each other better than anyone could. “I’d ruin her life. Her career. Everything she wants. She doesn’t need a smuggler with his name on every anti-smuggling list from here to the Frontier quadrant.”
    “You’re selling yourself short.”
    No. He was in love with Nissa and that meant he wanted the best for her. And he wasn’tthe best. He scraped a hand through his hair. Damn, he needed a haircut. But he needed something else more. “I need a drink. First round is on me at Moonrakers.” Maybe if he got nice and drunk he’d forget about caramel-colored skin that he wanted to lick. And a wide, generous mouth he wanted to see wrapped around—
    “Actually, we have a possible job…if you’re interested,” Dare said.
    Justyn glancedat his older brother out of the corner of his eye, interest piqued. He knew their next convoy out of the quadrant wasn’t for another week, so it had to be something else. A job would be a good distraction…and it would feel better than suffering a hangover and having to visit a medbooth to get rid of it. “Something need smuggling?”
    “Nope. This is a retrieval.”
    Retrieval? Now he was really curious.“What?”
    “I think I’ll let our cousins do the honors.”
    “Cousins?” Justyn groaned. “Don’t tell me those glory-hound, treasure-hunting rogues are here.”
    “They aren’t,” Dare said.
    “They’re on the holo-com,” Rynan added, a faint smile on his lips.
    Justin groaned again. “And they’re trying to suck us into some treasure hunt? Ever since we helped Malin and her cyborg steal that treasure a fewmonths back, they think we’re their own private treasure hunters.”
    “Let’s just hear what they have to say,” Dare said.
    They headed for the apartments they’d rented for their stay on the Edge. They didn’t keep a permanent base on the space station but Justyn had wondered if it would be a good idea to get a place. A place where he could actually keep a comfortable bed to fall into, maybe storesome of his things. Not