For two years, Ares Gallo has been ransacking the galaxy for the woman who meant everything to him. They trained together, killed together, loved together, but now, Anicka Dekker doesn't even know who he is. All she knows every time she meets the enigmatic, scarred stranger is that a part of her trusts him. An even larger part desires him. In any and every way she can have him. Ares wants his wife back. Despite the scars that have changed his appearance and the chronic pain that destroyed his career, he follows Anicka from planet to planet, finding her in seedy bars, stately palaces, and everywhere in between. Every time they have a few moments of pure bliss, his hope blooms that this time…things will be different. Then, STRIKE, the organization that wanted them dead, tears them apart, erasing Anicka's memories, and Ares has to start all over again. But even if she can't remember him, he's certain she'll recognize their bond. Sooner or later.

Across the Universe

Dr. Iara made a humming sound in the back of her throat, contemplative and curious, though she didn’t utter another word. She pushed some of Anicka’s hair away from her left ear, then crouched down to eye level with it. Anicka waited for the cold probe that usually came from ear exams, but Dr. Iara seemed more intent on inspecting her scalp, pushing aside strand after strand with a thin, sharp nail before letting it fall again and straightening.


“I was looking for any type of microsuturing. This pain. Where is it located?”


“And it only occurs in conjunction with specific brain activity?”


“Did you have them before your accident?”


“No,” Ares offered. “The headaches are new.”


“What about treatment? How do you ease them? How long do they last?”


Chapter 41