Beyond Galaxy's Edge Read Free Page A

on the space station. It was too busy and the security issues would make Rynan’s head explode. Maybe something on a planet or moon nearby.
    What the hell? Justyn pressed his fingers to his eyes. Him settling down in one place? Not likely. He liked picking up and taking off when the mood struck him. He hated being locked in one spot.
    The apartments were…rough. Bare andspare. The gray walls were serviceable at best, down-right ugly at worst. The furniture had been new when the central systems were unexplored space.
    Justyn strode over to an armchair and dropped into it. The chair adjusted to his height and weight. Or tried to. As the gears ground noisily, obviously in need of maintenance, he gave the armrest a thump. The chair finished its adjustment, and hethankfully leaned back in it.
    Rynan strode to the holo-screen set on the wall and pressed the controls. Dare leaned a hip against the battered table in the center of the room and waited.
    It took a few seconds for the transmission to connect. The screen flared to life and the three-dimensional image of a downright beautiful female appeared. Justyn arched a brow and leaned forward. She was mediumheight and from what he could see of her, she had a curvy little body. Dark curls cascaded over her shoulders and golden eyes glowed in a lovely face.
    “Hello, gorgeous,” he drawled.
    The woman smiled. “You must be Justyn.”
    “At your service.”
    Her lips twitched. “Glad to hear that.”
    A man muscled in front of the woman, a dark scowl on his face. “Can it, Phoenix. She’s mine.”
    Dathan Phoenix—infamousgalactic treasure hunter—was all lean muscle and dark hair. His blue eyes were hot.
    Justyn smiled. Nothing he liked more than pissing off his formerly estranged cousin. “Scared she’ll take up with a better Phoenix?”
    Dathan crossed his arm. “Nope. And she’s a Phoenix, too.” His scowl turned into a smile. “Justyn, Dare and Rynan, this is Dr. Eos Rai-Phoenix.” The smile turned smug. “My wife.”

    Justyn slapped a hand to his forehead. “Eos, what the hell made you do something as stupid as marry this rogue?”
    Eos’s smile radiated happiness. “Oh, just a pesky thing called love.”
    Love. Justyn tried to imagine Nissa smiling as she talked about him. All his teasing feelings evaporated, leaving him with a sharp pain under his ribs.
    “A pleasure to meet you, Eos.” Dare’s gaze switched fromEos to Dathan. “How’s Malin?”
    “Sickeningly happy living on Centax with her cyborg. She’s helping run the salvage yard there and Xander spoils her. Constantly.”
    Justyn smiled at the thought of their tiny, salvage-mechanic cousin taming the deadly Centax Security cyborg she’d come to the Edge with on a treasure hunt. “And Zayn and Niklas?”
    “Fine. Zayn’s happy being a married man.”
    “And Nik?”Justyn noted the omission. “He’s recovered from his…run-in with Darc?” Justyn had been there in the nightclub right here on the station when the rival treasure hunter had left Nik unconscious.
    “He’s…okay.”
    Justyn heard the hesitation but let it go. He knew he wouldn’t want to tangle with Nera Darc. The woman was deadly.
    “You mentioned a job?” Dare asked.
    Dathan nodded. “An artifact hasbeen stolen from the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation.”
    “So?” Rynan rested his steepled hands on the console.
    “A thief stole the US Constitution from the New Metropolitan Museum on Davyn V during a gala dinner.”
    Justyn blinked. Holy space dust. “ The US Constitution.”
    “Is there another one?” Dathan asked dryly.
    “I assume there’s a finder’s fee?” Dare asked, one eyebrow raised.

    “Yep,” Dathan replied. “A big one.”
    “The news hasn’t been made public yet,” Eos added. “I only just found out from an old colleague at the Institute. I’m sure the GSS has been activated to search for the thief, but once the word gets out, every treasure hunter, collector and thief will