by S. E. Smith
Yup, Tansy thought as black spots began appearing before her eyes, getting shot really sucked.
*.*.*
“You already said that,” Tansy groaned again. “I know you are mad at me. Enough already! I haven't had my ass chewed this bad since...ever! Even my mom and dad don't harp as much as you do,” Tansy complained as she shifted in the seat of the SUV trying to get comfortable.
“Harp! Harp!” Mak sputtered in aggravation. “You are impossible! How do you expect me to protect you if you do not listen to me? You are small, delicate, fragile, and need to learn how to be more obedient!”
“Like that is ever likely to happen,” Tansy muttered under her breath as she looked out the passenger side window.
After she was shot Mak had done his Mojo with the little MED kit he had. She was definitely going to have to invest in a couple of cases of the medical kits before she closed down the gateway Cosmos opened. The pain patch was some wickedly powerful shit. She didn't feel him pulling the bullet out at all and the HM mist and sealant patch...they were pure magic as far as Tansy was concerned. A quick trip into the house afterwards for a new shirt and jacket, another one to ask Pasha a few more questions and they were on the back road heading for the cave and the other vehicle Natasha and Helene had stashed.
The pain patch was a blessing as the road wasn't the smoothest. Neither was Mak's driving but Tansy didn't think it was in her best interest to say anything. For the last hour, Mak had driven at a brutal pace over the rough road, taking his anger and frustration out of the poor SUV's suspension. Thirty minutes into the journey, he had started in on her. She was forced to listen to him chew her out for doing such a dangerous job, not being careful, not listening, not taking care of herself, not...blah, blah, blah. After about five minutes she tuned him out. It was either that or jump out of the rapidly moving SUV. The only thing that stopped her from doing that was it would prove him right because she would probably end up with a broken neck at the rate he was driving.
“Are you even listening to me?” Mak demanded.
Tansy flushed when she realized he had asked her the same question three times. “No,” she replied with a pout as she wiggled in her seat again.
Mak glanced at her briefly before drawing in a deep breath and releasing it. “Is that no, you are not in pain or no, you are not listening to me?” He asked in a quieter voice.
Tansy smiled sheepishly. “No, I wasn't listening to you. But, if it helps, I'm not in any pain either.”
Mak couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped at her answer. At least he didn't have to worry about whether she would be truthful with him. He had finally worked through the anger and fear that had held him in its grip since she was hurt. He was angry at not doing a better job of protecting her. He knew there was another threat but all thought had deserted him when he saw her walking toward him with the bloody knife. He needed to know the blood was not hers. His fear when she stepped in front of him had been indescribable. His heart actually stopped for the briefest moment when he felt her jerk back against him and he smelled her rich blood. He feared, at first, the injury had been a wound he could not heal. That was one reason he had been less than gentle when he tore her jacket and shirt from her body.
“You will tell me if you feel any pain,” Mak said gruffly.
“I will,” Tansy replied softly. She leaned forward when she saw the fork in the road. “There's the fork. Helene said the cave was to the north.”
Mak slowed down taking the left branch of the fork. A short ways down there was a small logging road off to the side. He pulled into it. The Land Rover would be hidden from the air and not easily seen unless someone drove down the road. Pulling to a stop, he shut off the engine and turned toward Tansy. He wrapped his huge hand around the back of her neck and pulled her forward until he could crush her lips with his in a hard, fierce kiss.
“Do not ever put yourself in front of me again,” Mak said before he released her and opened the door.
Tansy watched as he unfolded his huge body from the SUV. Shaking her head to clear it, she opened the passenger side door and jumped out. She bit back a grimace of discomfort at the sudden movement. She glanced over at Mak to see if he noticed. The dark scowl on his face said he had. Tansy rolled her eyes and moved to the back passenger door to get her backpack. She needed to call Cosmos.
Dammit, Tansy thought crossly, you are getting careless, girl. Get your act together before you get yourself killed.
Getting killed is not an option, Mak growled out in her mind.
It's not like I have it marked on my calendar, damn it! And, get out of my head. You aren't allowed into it unless I invite you and I'm still pissed at you for shutting me out earlier so get lost! Tansy growled back in annoyance.
Tansy pulled the satellite phone out of her backpack and powered it on. After entering the passcode, she waited impatiently for RITA to pick up as she began following Mak up the logging road to the base of the mountain. She needed to warn him to expect company.
“Tansy?” Cosmos voice came on over the phone anxiously.
“Hey, Cosmos,” Tansy said quietly.
“Are you okay? Have you met up with Helene and Natasha yet? What is going on?” Cosmos fired quickly.
“Take a breath, Cosmos, so I can tell you,” Tansy chuckled. “Yes, I'm okay,” she replied ignoring Mak's snort of disagreement. “Yes and no, we met up with Helene and Natasha yesterday but they were called back to work. Seems the local Politisa doesn't like the fact me and the 'huge, ugly ass alien' you sent left behind a warehouse full of dead bodies. By the way, I need to talk to you about that. This is one of your bad ideas, Cosmos. I don't know what the fuck you created but I don't think the Earth is ready for it,” Tansy said with reproof. “Anyway, we are on our way to meet up with Helene and Natasha. As for what is going on, it is bigger than I thought. You are in danger. I need for you to find someplace safe to hide until this is over. Avilov, the guy I was after, is involved in something big. Whatever information I stole has a lot of people pissed off right now. They have put a hit out for you and my family, not to mention, Helene and Natasha,” Tansy said soberly.
“Don't worry about us. Natasha already called to warn me I might be in danger. I guess someone already tried to kill them. She and Helene are being careful. I've set up a bogus corporation and chartered a jet. RITA is taking care of spreading a ton of false trails that should keep them busy,” Cosmos reassured her.
“What about Hannah? Is she with you?” Tansy asked as she nodded to let Mak know she saw the dark space in the rock face up ahead.
“Uh, no. She is safe though,” Cosmos said hesitantly.
“What are you not telling me? I know my mom and dad went to this world you opened a door to. Mak told me,” Tansy said impatiently.
“Oh. Well, Hannah and your parents went to help Tink,” Cosmos replied in relief thinking Tansy wouldn't mind.
“Are you telling me my whole family is on another planet?” Tansy asked through gritted teeth.
“Well, yeah. You have to admit they are safe there!” Cosmos responded with a positive tone.
“Cosmos,” Tansy gritted out clenching her fist around the strap of her backpack.
“Yes?” Cosmos voice replied in uncertainty.
“You better be right. Once I get done untangling this mess, I am getting them back here and shutting whatever in the hell you made down. Just understand, if anything happens to them I am not going to be happy with you. I have to go. Get your ass to a safe place until I can get there,” Tansy muttered before hanging up.
Chapter 13
It was after nine that night before they entered the city limits of Ramenskoe. Mak slowed the old Volvo they had picked up in the cave to a crawl as they looked for the pub Helene had mentioned. Neither one of them had talked much on the trip, lost in their own separate thoughts for once. Tansy spent almost as much time fighting the urge to connect with Mak as she did with trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together on what wa
s going on. The fact that Craig Knapp was involved in something shady was a no-brainer. She just wasn't sure the extent of ‘the what’ and ‘why’ of his involvement. She needed to look at the information she stole. There hadn't been time to decipher it before. Avilov had gotten the notion he wanted to take their relationship to the next level right in the middle of her stealing it.
“Who is Branson?” Mak asked suddenly breaking her concentration.
Tansy jerked as if she had been shot… again. She sat up straighter in her seat and scowled out the window. Branson was the last person she wanted to talk about with Mak. It was none of his damn business anyway.
“No one,” Tansy replied shortly.
Mak didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He slowed and pulled into the darkened parking lot of the pub. Only a small sign lit the night with the pub’s name above it. Tansy stared at the sign determined to not give in.
“Then, explained to me why you were still untouched until I claimed you as mine,” Mak said shutting off the engine before turning in his seat to look closely at Tansy’s closed face.
Tansy turned her head and glared at Mak with a hostile expression. “I wasn’t a virgin,” she retorted defensively.
“You have not been with a man before,” Mak said confidently. “You did not bleed as I was told you might but I could still tell you were untouched. I could feel how tight you were and I know I caused you more pain than you would have had if you had already been claimed before.”
When Tansy didn’t say anything, Mak continued. “I talked with your sister Tink and J’kar. He explained what happens with human women who have not been with a man before,” Mak said calmly.
“You did what?! I can’t believe we are having this conversation!” Tansy growled out in a low voice. “You actually talked to my baby sister about sex?” Tansy asked in disbelief.
“Of course,” Mak said with a small teasing smile. “She has many interesting ideas. She explained about oral sex. I found it very arousing. I will do it to you often,” he continued ignoring her open-mouthed stare.
Tansy gaped at Mak in disbelief before shaking her head as a hot blush burned her face. She covered her face with her hands and groaned. Her baby sister was giving sex education classes to aliens. She knew Tink was a lot like their mom but she would have never thought she was just as bad.
“I can’t believe you talked to my baby sister about sex, let alone oral sex,” Tansy ground out hotly. “Why on Earth would you do that?”
“I needed to know how I could please you so you would not be afraid of me,” Mak responded honestly.
Tansy’s scowl turned even darker. “You were planning on having sex with me before you even came here?” She asked stunned.
“Yes. I knew you were my bond mate the moment I saw your image. I came to your world so I could take you back with me,” Mak explained.
Tansy let out the breath she was holding and slowly counted to ten. She stared straight ahead trying to understand everything he was telling her. Raising a hand to rub at her aching temple, she fought the overwhelming fatigue that seemed to be a constant part of her life anymore. She really needed a vacation. Somewhere with white sand, blue skies, even bluer water, and not another living soul around, including delicious, sex-talking alien hunks.
“Why will you not tell me, je talli? Is he the one who put the shadows in your eyes?” Mak asked gently as he ran the back of his fingers down along the curve of her cheek. “Tell me,” he whispered.
Tansy jerked away, unbuckling her seat belt and turning to face him defiantly. “I loved him and I killed him. Are you satisfied?” She bit out bitterly.
Tansy turned and fumbled for the door handle. She pushed the door open and climbed out. The air was frigid and bit through the leather of her jacket. She was so damn tired of being cold. She wanted to go to a place that was never cold again. She turned to pull her backpack off the floorboard. She vaguely heard the driver’s door open and close. She straightened only to find herself wrapped in Mak’s power arms. For being so big, he sure could move fast and was unbelievably quiet. She thought briefly about struggling but the warmth of his body was like the sun and she stepped into his embrace seeking the soothing warmth.
“I do not believe you could kill the man you loved,” Mak said gently. “I will not press you further but know this… you will tell me soon about him.”
Tansy buried her nose into his chest and breathed in his soothing scent. “Why?” She asked in a muffled voice before pulling back so she could look up into his face. It was too dark for her to see him clearly but she needed to try. “Why is it so important to tell you?” she asked quietly.
“Because the shadows in your eyes have torn at my heart since the first moment I saw your image,” Mak murmured brushing his hand along Tansy’s cheek before he cupped it gently with one hand. He ran his other hand down her back, pulling her closer into the shelter of his arms. “I want to take them from your eyes and replace them with the brightest stars in the universe,” he whispered before he pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
*.*.*
Five minutes later, Tansy found herself sitting in a dark corner of the pub pressed up close against Mak’s huge body. The inside of the pub was filled with smoke, smelled of stale alcohol and sweat, and was so dimly lit Tansy could barely see three feet in front of her. None of that seemed to bother Mak who leaned back against the wall drinking from a bottle of vodka.
“You know that stuff will eat a hole through your stomach,” Tansy murmured.
“It is not as strong as what we have at home,” Mak grinned.
Tansy frowned, watching as a group of men at a table not far from them shifted a little. Her hand wrapped tighter around the pistol she had drawn the moment they sat down. She felt Mak’s hand as it closed around hers. Looking up, she saw the silver flames in his eyes ignite in warning.
“They will not harm you,” he said quietly setting the bottle of vodka down on the scarred surface of the table. “They would be dead before they had the chance.”
“I don’t…,” her voice faded and she just nodded.
She was too damn tired to fight with him right now. If he wanted to take out the bad guys for a little while, she would let him. All she wanted to do was eat, get warm, and sleep for the next twenty years and not necessarily in that order. Unfortunately, life got in the way so those plans would have to wait.
At least the sleeping and eating part, she thought as she snuggled closer to Mak in an effort to get warm.
*.*.*
Mak let out a sigh of contentment as he pulled Tansy’s smaller figure closer to his. He let his eyes scan the bar taking in every detail. It was small, consisting of less than a dozen tables. Only three of the tables were currently occupied not counting the one where they were sitting. Mak let his eyes linger a little longer on the three males sitting at the far table near the hallway that lead to the bathroom. He did not like the way they kept turning their eyes on his mate. He continued to let his gaze move to the others. There were a total of ten men in the room and one woman. The blonde-haired woman was sitting at the bar talking quietly to a man sitting next to her. There was another man sitting on the other side of her talking to the barkeeper. Two other men sat at a second table near the door and one older man, who appeared to be sleeping off too much alcohol, sat at the table closest to them.
“I need to visit the little girl’s room. Keep an eye out for Natasha and Helene,” Tansy murmured rising up out of her seat. She looked down when Mak gripped her forearm lightly.
“Something does not feel right. Be careful,” Mak responded lightly rubbing his thumb back and forth over the soft leather of her jacket.
Tansy bent over and brushed a quick kiss across his lips. “I’ve been doing this long enough to know when things are not what they seem,” she reminded him before moving away with a slight sway to her hips and a small smile curving her lips.
Mak tensed when she walked by the group of men near the hallway to the ba
throoms. Except for one male shooting her an inviting smile, none of the men moved. He slowly relaxed back into his seat, watching and waiting. He didn’t have long to wait. Tansy hadn’t been gone more than a minute when the blonde at the bar stood up and headed in the direction of the bathroom. It could have been a coincidence but he doubted it. He felt the rage begin to build at the threat to his mate. He was about to rise when a surge of frigid air burst into the room as the door opened. All eyes turned to the new figures coming inside. Mak’s eyes swept to the entrance to see what new threat might have entered. His shoulders relaxed slightly when he saw the slight figure of Natasha and Helene’s spiky blue-blonde hair.
Natasha touched Helene’s arm and nodded to Mak. Both women walked toward him, scanning the room as they did. Helene’s lip twisted into a small snarl at the three men sitting near the hallway. The movement was so slight and the room too dark for the human eye to catch but Mak did not have any problems recognizing the fact Helene knew who the men were.
“Things are about to get nasty,” Helene said coldly. “Where is Tansy?”
“She went to the cleansing room,” Mak replied.
“Cleansing… you let her go to the bathroom alone?” Helene practically snarled at Mak before turning on her heel and heading in the direction Tansy had taken only moments ago.
“A female followed her,” Mak said to Natasha. “I was about to make sure she was safe.”
Natasha sat down in the chair next to Mak, making sure to keep her back to the wall. She calmly removed her gloves and tucked them into the pocket of her thick coat. She nodded to the barkeeper who nodded in return.
“Your female will handle the threat,” Natasha replied in a calm, low voice. “The barkeeper is a friend as is the man who looks like he is sleeping. Do not kill them. You may kill any of the others, including the woman. If you are opposed to killing a female Helene, Tansy or I will take care of her.”