Liberating Lacey (Marks Mercenaries Book 3)

by N. J. Walters

  He let his hand roam freely down her slender ribcage to her hips. She whimpered and ground her mound against his shaft. He wanted to be inside her, her pussy gripping his cock as he fucked them both into oblivion.

  His questing fingers found the tie to her pants. He tugged, and they loosened enough for him to dip his hand inside. She stilled but didn’t object as he dove deeper. When he touched her damp curls, he thought he might come.

  She was wet for him. She wanted him.

  Being as gentle as he could, he slid his index finger over her clit and into her waiting warmth. Lacey’s fingernails dug into his skull. Her thighs flexed around his hips.

  Her inner muscles clenched his finger. She was so damn tight. Sweat broke out on his brow as he probed deeper. She canted her hips toward him. That tiny bit of encouragement almost pushed him past the point of no return.

  Mission, he reminded himself. Had to focus on the mission.

  But Lacey was so sweet and giving and genuine. He withdrew his finger, rubbing her clit as he did so. She shivered in his embrace.

  He had to have her.

  A noise from nearby filtered past his arousal, like an itch that needed to be scratched, allowing him to rise from the sensual haze engulfing him. He froze and listened.

  Lacey made a small sound, and he ground his mouth against hers to silence her. His tension finally got through to her, and she went still.

  “Where did that guard go?” a man asked.

  “Don’t know. He’s a slippery bastard. We need to find him.” Garth recognized that voice. It was Frank. The older man was keeping a close eye on him. “The dinner is set to begin soon.” When the voices finally faded, Garth took a deep breath and eased away.

  That was way too close for comfort.

  Lacey’s mouth was swollen, her lips moist and red. But her eyes were level. She patted his shoulder, and he slowly lowered her feet back to the ground.

  “You need to get back,” she whispered, quickly adjusting her pants and tightening the laces. She kept her gaze down, not looking at him. Her face was flushed. Whether from passion or embarrassment, he didn’t know.

  He shook his head to clear it. It didn’t help that when he dragged his fingers through his hair, he could smell her arousal. Damn him for wanting her, and damn her for wanting him back. But double damn the men who’d interrupted them.

  Garth lowered his hand, resisting the urge to lick her essence from his fingers. Flynn would kill him if he didn’t find out about their sister. “Not until you tell me what you know about Abigail.”

  Lacey shrugged, still not looking directly at him. “Not a lot more to tell. She came here, but we were in different work units. I was in the fields. Jasper kept her closer to him.”

  Garth’s stomach turned at the thought of what the man might have done to his sister. He swallowed his distaste and anger and focused on the task at hand. “What happened?”

  “I’m honestly not sure. There was a great fuss one day, about three years after she arrived. She was missing. There had been some traders through. No one knew if she’d been taken, if she’d gone voluntarily, or if she’d stowed away.”

  “What were the names of the ships?” If he could find that out, they could begin to trace their sister’s movements from here. If Lacey didn’t tell him, they were back to square one. “Please.” He couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted most, but he was still asking her to tell him everything she knew. It wasn’t a fair trade.

  She hesitated, and the bitter taste of defeat turned the taste of Lacey sour in his mouth. Then she straightened her shoulders and kept her gaze locked on a point just over his shoulder. It made him feel lower than a Vusarian cave snake that she wouldn’t look at him.

  “The Vagabond and the Gypsy.”

  “Thank you.” He’d already asked a lot of her, but was about to ask more. “Are there any escape routes in this building?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  He reached for her, wanting to touch her, to find some way to take away her obvious distress, but she took a step away, sliding off to the right. He lowered his hand back to his side and curled his fingers inward, accepting her rejection.

  She’d given him her honesty, her help, and her passion. And he was leaving her here, in a place where she was virtually a prisoner.

  “You need to get back.” She motioned toward the banquet room. “And I just need to…” She waved vaguely in the air. When she glanced at him, her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

  His gut clenched.

  “Lacey.” He had no idea what he was going to say. Then it was too late. She slipped out from behind the giant fern and scurried in the opposite direction. And there was honestly nothing he could say to make the situation better for either of them. Frustration ate at him, but it was too late to do anything other than return to his family.

  His only job was to protect them. He had the information he needed. Now they just needed to get off this planet and resume their search.

  Still, he couldn’t resist glancing down the hallway in the direction Lacey had taken. He’d actually taken a step to follow when he heard voices. Cursing under his breath, he hurried down the hallway and slipped behind one of the ostentatious pillars just as a gong sounded.

  Their host smiled at Angelina. “Let’s make our way to the banquet area. Dinner will be served shortly.”

  Garth stepped out into the open and slowly made his way toward the tables.

  Chapter Five

  Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. The mantra, repeated over and over in her mind, got Lacey down the hallway where she ducked into the kitchen. It was easy enough to hide behind a pantry door. All the cooks were busy, frantically putting the finishing touches on the feast. They knew a lot was riding on this evening.

  She swiped at her eyes, hating the tears that fell so easily. What had she expected? That he’d kiss her and magically realize he couldn’t live without her. The harsh reality was that she was of no use to Garth now that she’d given him the information he’d needed.

  She tilted her head back against the wall and took a deep breath. Her lips still tingled from his kiss. Her body throbbed with a sexual need that she’d never experienced before, except around Garth. And he would soon be gone.

  Touching her lips with her fingertips, she wished she could hold on to the memory forever. It was as close to love as she might ever get. Oh, she knew he didn’t love her. That much was obvious. But she was a creature of instinct, much like the animals she adored, and she knew what she’d experienced with Garth was special. Was it love? There was no way to find out. But it had potential.

  She scrubbed her hand over her mouth, trying to erase his touch. Best to let it go rather than hang on to something she could never have. Acceptance made her heart ache, but denial did no good—a lesson she’d learned early in her young life.

  After tugging her tunic into place, she wiped her hands against the material, once again contrasting what she had on with what their guest was wearing. It was easy to see why men would fall for a woman like Angelina Astoferus. She was beautiful and sophisticated while Lacey was a glorified farmhand.

  It was time to get to the dinner before she was missed. She’d have to sit at the same table with Garth. That would be torture, but she’d do it. There was no other choice, even though the memory of him would haunt her long after he was gone.

  Pressing a hand to her stomach, she took another calming breath. She was about to slip out of her hiding space when she heard Ian speak. What was he doing in the kitchen? This was the last place she would ever expect to find him. She was shocked he even knew where to find it. He was the type to give orders, not to actually do any of the work.

  Easing closer to the door, which was opened a crack, she listened.

  “Make sure you add the herb in larger measure to our visitors’ plates. Less on hers. I don’t want to risk Ms. Astoferus getting too ill.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise?” the head c
hef inquired.

  “Don’t question me,” Ian snapped. “She’ll have to stay longer if she’s ill. If her guards object, it will be easy enough to dispose of them before they recover from the effects of the herb and claim it was a result of some space illness. Since they’re the only ones who will get sick, they won’t suspect poisoning. She’ll be grateful to us for taking care of her. Jasper will be back late tomorrow and will handle things from there.”

  “But, sir, she has a ship circling the planet. What if they attack?”

  Ian scoffed. “A pleasure ship. One made for speed and defense, not offense. And we only need to keep her here until Jasper returns. If necessary, we can launch our own ship and take the appropriate action. Once she’s spoken with Jasper, I’m sure she’ll come around to our way of life and want to throw all her support behind it.”

  Ian had lost his mind if he thought that stupid scheme might work. All it would do was to bring unwanted attention their way. The authorities would not allow someone of Angelina’s standing to disappear and not investigate.

  It might be her way off the planet. It could mean freedom for her and countless others.

  But to get that opportunity, Garth would have to die.

  Lacey shrank back, barely daring to breathe. Heart racing and stomach in knots, she knew what she had to do. With shaky hands, she eased the door open enough to see that Ian was gone. The chef had his back turned. Her gaze tracked along the counter to the herb in question. She recognized it immediately. It was toxic and very dangerous.

  What could she do? She couldn’t just take them. The chef would raise an alarm, and that could lead to very uncomfortable questions for her. People would remember she’d been missing all this time.

  Think, Lacey, she admonished herself. She glanced back at the kitchen counter and her gaze landed on another pile of herbs. The peppery leaves were used as a garnish on most of their meals. They were also very similar in appearance to the more toxic herb the chef had been ordered to use.

  A metallic clash echoed through the room, making everyone jump. A junior chef had dropped a platter.

  Taking it as a sign, Lacey didn’t hesitate. She bolted from her hiding spot to the counter. Not giving herself time to think, she grabbed the chopped toxic herbs and dumped them into the soup pot. Then she grabbed a handful of the peppery garnish and put them back in the spot where the deadly herbs had been.

  It took seconds, but time stretched like it was hours. At any moment, she expected a hue and cry, to feel the heavy hand of a member of the kitchen staff grab her. Heart racing, legs trembling, she made it out of the kitchen without getting stopped. Nervous sweat had her tunic sticking to her, but there was no time to compose herself. She had to hurry.

  For not the first time, she was grateful for her smaller stature. It allowed her to slip unseen into the banquet room. Garth was standing beside his employer and her assistant. She made a beeline straight for Angelina.

  “Lacey, where have you been?” Ian asked. She ignored him, plastered a smile on her face and continued toward Angelina.

  “Ms. Astoferus. It occurred to me you might like a plant from our planet to take with you on your journey. A reminder of your time here. I can get you one later if you’d like.” Garth was staring at her, an unreadable expression on his face. She knew she was acting like a crazy person but didn’t care. And if Angelina was taken aback by her abrupt offer, she didn’t show it.

  Smiling, their guest of honor nodded. “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

  Ian’s frown turned into a more gloating smile. He held out his arm toward the chairs in front of them. “Please be seated.”

  Lacey knew she only had one chance. She wouldn’t be seated near their visitors. She grabbed Angelina’s hand and shook it vigorously, practically pulling the woman toward her. “Eat the salad, not the soup,” she whispered.

  She couldn’t be sure Angelina had heard her, and then it was too late. Ian was pulling her away. “What is wrong with you?” His grip on her arm was painful, and he gave it a little twist to show his displeasure. She managed not to cry out.

  “You’ll have to forgive Lacey,” he continued, all the while keeping his snake-like smile. “She’s always been an odd one, more at home in the fields than in a social setting.”

  Heat filled her face, but she refused to be ashamed of who and what she was. Ian tugged her away, practically dragging her toward the end of the table. “Sit there and don’t make any more trouble.” She stumbled, barely catching herself before she fell into the table. Her arm throbbed, and it would be heavily bruised. She was just grateful it wasn’t broken. There would be consequences for her actions. Ian was not the type to let things go. And he saw her actions as an affront to him.

  He had no idea just what he was in for. Since the poisonous herb was diluted, the soup wouldn’t kill anyone. Just make them extremely stomach sick. Garth was smart enough to realize something wasn’t right and would get his employer out of here as quickly as possible, taking Lacey’s last and best chance of escaping with him. But she couldn’t think about that now. She had more immediate worries to contend with.

  She slipped into her seat, ignoring the snickers from the men around her. The skin on the back of her neck prickled. Sure enough, when she risked a glance it was to find Garth watching her. She could only hope he followed his employer’s lead.

  His life depended on it.

  ****

  Garth had no idea what had just happened, but something had. Why had Lacey approached Angelina? “What did she want,” Amos asked under his breath. Garth leaned closer so he could hear the answer while keeping an eye on Lacey as Ian dragged her to her seat. He had the urge to rip the man’s arm off for the way he was roughly handling her.

  “She told me to eat the salad, not the soup.” Angelina sounded bewildered by the request, but Garth recognized it was a warning. What had she discovered? Was their food poisoned? Why would Ian do such a thing? Take such a risk?

  There was no time to wonder as their host returned to his seat and dinner was served. The man was all smiles. He reminded Garth of an alligator, a creature from old Earth. He’d seen a picture in a book once and never forgot the cold way the animal stared, nor its sharp teeth. This was not a man to underestimate.

  “The soup is a specialty of the planet. It’s very nourishing, and we eat it at most meals.” Ian waved to the waiters standing next to them. “But in honor of your visit, our head chef prepared a special salad.”

  “Then I must have the salad.” Angelina smiled, appearing the most gracious of guests. “Since your chef went to such trouble.”

  Ian nodded. “Excellent. I’m sure he’ll be pleased. And you’ll have more room for your main meal.”

  The plates and bowls were quickly distributed. Garth noted that Lacey chose the salad while all the men had the soup. He hesitated before trying the crisp greens, but they were deliciously flavored with some sort of tangy dressing. After months of dried and processed food, it was a real treat to have fresh.

  He paid only half-hearted attention to the dinner conversation, once again thankful for Angelina. The years she’d spent at her uncle’s side as his hostess had given her experience at these sorts of dinners. She handled it all beautifully, making conversation easily.

  That allowed him to keep an eye on Lacey. She was seated at the very end of the table, totally ignored by those around her. He sensed it wasn’t because Ian had been obviously displeased with her. It seemed … normal.

  Anger stirred on her behalf. Then he berated himself. He was worse than they were. At least they hadn’t kissed her senseless and used her for information, all while planning on leaving her behind.

  His meal was suddenly tasteless, and he was glad when they removed his plate from the table. The next course was a meat dish. Once again, he hesitated and looked to Lacey. When he saw her eating, he ate.

  With the experience of a seasoned hunter, Garth noted when the vibe in the room began to change. He sensed a gro
wing tension with his host. Ian got louder and more jovial with each passing second.

  “Are you enjoying our roast boar? The animal is native to the planet, and the meat is very tender when properly prepared. Eat up and tell me what you think?”

  What the hell was going on?

  Garth lowered his knife and fork back to the table and watched as Amos slowly did the same.

  Ian frowned, picked up his wineglass, and sipped. He suddenly didn’t look well. Garth glanced around the room, seeing similar expressions on the men seated at the table. A couple of them looked positively green.

  “Excuse me.” One man bolted from the table, barely making it halfway across the room before he fell to his knees and grasped his midsection.

  “What is going on?” Ian demanded. He pushed upright with one hand, keeping the other pressed against his stomach.

  “Move,” Garth ordered.

  Amos grabbed Angelina and bolted toward the door, keeping her between himself and the pillars to protect her as much as possible.

  “Stop them,” Ian ordered. A couple of men pulled their weapons, but Garth already had his blaster in his arms. As much as he wanted to kill them, the weapon had been set to stun. He let loose with all the pent-up anger inside him, peppering the entire room, until those that weren’t already writhing on the ground in agony over what they’d eaten, had been stunned into unconsciousness.

  Through it all, Lacey continued to eat. He was shocked by her seeming nonchalance, but as he got closer, he noted the trembling in her hand.

  It was then he knew he owed not only his life but that of his entire family to her. If he and Amos had been killed, the information he’d gained would have died with him. His remaining brothers might not have survived the blow. They’d already been through too much.