Centurion: Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #3

by Hackett, Anna

  “He’s fine,” Magnus said. “He came through his treatment perfectly.”

  Sage shuddered.

  “You love him,” Magnus said.

  “I do. Like crazy.”

  “You’re good for him, Sage.”

  “And he’s good for me. Do you know where he is?”

  “The rooftop.”

  With a wave, Sage ran to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

  Her chest was heaving by the time she rushed out onto the rooftop. She spotted him instantly, and her heart settled.

  There was her cyborg.

  He was standing at the railing near the seating area, looking out across the city. His skin was all healed, his metal gleaming, and a new cybernetic arm was in place of the one that had been taken from him.

  Of course, he heard her and turned.

  He stood in the sunlight, so strong and straight, and hers.

  Sage ran. He opened his arms and she leaped into them.

  “You’re all right?” she said against his lips.

  “Yes.”

  “I woke up alone, and I was worried.”

  “I checked on you when Avarn released me from Medical, but you were sleeping deeply. I wanted you to get some more rest.”

  “Next time, wake me.”

  He inclined his head. “Very well.”

  “And I’m moving into your room. We’re making it our room.”

  A smile flirted on his lips. “As you wish.”

  “Be warned, I’m not as tidy as you.”

  “I don’t care.”

  His lips touched hers and the kiss started soft, but it soon changed. His arms banded around her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She moaned into his mouth.

  Need rocketed through her. She needed to know that he was okay, to prove they were both very much alive.

  “Sage.” Her name was a groan.

  She undulated against him, feeling the growing bulge in his trousers. “Now, Acton.” She slid a hand between them and tugged at his waistband. “I need you now.”

  “Here?”

  “Yes.”

  He took two steps and laid her down on the big pillows under the shade cloths. He knelt over her and she pressed her hands to his skin. She loved the way his breathing quickened. She stroked his chest, nails scratching at his nipples.

  She leaned up to press a kiss to his shoulder, where metal met skin.

  But he pushed her back down, nudging her legs wider. He tore at her clothes, leaving her naked, then took seconds to remove his own.

  Oh, boy, she loved looking at her cyborg.

  He cupped her breasts, molding them in his cool hands. Then his hips moved between hers, and a second later, he thrust inside her.

  “Oh.” Her back arched.

  “You feel so right,” he said. “Like home.”

  She wrapped her legs around him, moving with him. “Love me, Acton.”

  The need was building between them, but he didn’t rush. He used long, deep thrusts, like he was savoring every second.

  Sage’s release was growing inside her, a tangled ball of love and desire. “Acton!”

  “Sage.” He plunged faster.

  She came hard, pleasure swamping her. She clung to him, heard him grunt and his thrusts turned wild.

  Sage sobbed through her climax and held her man as his body shuddered. He groaned her name.

  Chapter Twenty

  Acton leaned against the wall in Magnus’s office.

  Simone sat stiffly on a chair in front of the desk, Grace in her lap. The girl was freshly washed and dressed in clean clothes. Simone held her child close, and Acton wondered if his parents had ever done that to him.

  Then Sage stroked a hand down his arm and he smiled at her. It didn’t matter what the past had held, now he had everything he’d never known he’d needed right here, wrapped up in one pretty woman from Earth.

  “Simone, anything you can tell us would help,” Magnus said. “We want to find Bari Batu, and ensure any other humans out there are rescued.”

  Simone nodded. “I was at Bari Batu. I saw parts of it.” She swallowed, stroking her hand down Grace’s shiny, black hair. “I was made to work in a huge warehouse of scrap parts for a while. And I spent some time at the battle arena.” She shuddered.

  The cyborgs sharpened.

  “Battle arena?” Magnus asked.

  The woman nodded. “It’s horrible. A huge, indoor track where they race large robots. They speed around the track fighting until one destroys the other. The crowd places bets.”

  “Drak,” Jax murmured.

  “It gets worse,” Simone said quietly. “Grace, maybe you should—”

  Grace shifted closer to her mother. “No. I’m not a baby, Mom. I saw stuff. I know the Edull are bad.”

  Simone squeezed her dark eyes closed, then opened them. “The most popular races are the bio-races.”

  Magnus leaned forward. “Can you explain them to us?”

  The woman pulled in a deep breath. “The bots that have biological enhancements.”

  “Organic parts,” Acton said.

  Simone nodded. “Stolen from unwilling donors. You saw what they were doing in that cavern.”

  Sage gasped and trembled. “Every time I think the Edull can’t get any worse, they prove me wrong.” Acton grabbed her hand and squeezed.

  Simone swallowed. “And they also race bots with living beings trapped inside, forced to pilot them.”

  The cyborgs grumbled and Acton’s fingers clenched on Sage’s.

  “They have to race, or they die.” Simone hugged Grace closer. “And the loser doesn’t leave the arena alive.”

  “Drakking sandsuckers,” Jax said.

  “Crudspawn,” Mace spat.

  Magnus rose. “We will not let this abomination continue. I’ll talk with Galen and the other imperators. They are all very unhappy with the Edull.”

  “I glimpsed another crewmember across the battle arena,” Simone added.

  Acton straightened and heard Sage gasp.

  “Bellamy Walsh. Blonde hair cut short, tattoos. I didn’t know her well, but I recognized her when I saw her.”

  Quinn frowned. “I remember her. She was a mechanic on the Helios maintenance crew.”

  Simone nodded.

  “That’s very helpful, Simone,” Magnus said. “We’ll ask around if anyone knows about the battle arena. We’ll do everything we can to find Bellamy.”

  “Whatever I can do to help…”

  Magnus nodded.

  “How’s Toren?” Simone asked. “He risked his life to save me and Grace.”

  Magnus sat down again and leaned back in his chair. Acton sensed the imperator’s disquiet. Just weeks ago, he would have missed it, but Sage had changed him.

  “Toren’s physical wounds are healing,” Magnus said.

  Simone straightened. “There’s a ‘but’ in there, somewhere.”

  For a second, Magnus didn’t answer. “His internal circuits sustained serious damage.”

  “And?” A crease formed on Simone’s brow. “What does that mean?”

  “His emotional dampeners are malfunctioning. He’s been hit with wild swings of emotion.”

  Drak. Acton pressed his lips together. He’d had time to adjust to feeling more, bit by bit, with Sage. And she’d been beside him, helping him.

  What would it feel like to experience emotion in a huge deluge?

  “I’ll visit him,” Simone said.

  “Me too,” Sage said. “We’re all here for him, the same way the House of Rone has been there for us.”

  “And we’ll find Bellamy,” Simone said. “She doesn’t deserve to be out there, alone and enslaved by the Edull.”

  Magnus nodded. “I vow that we’ll find her. The entire House of Rone is committed to this.”

  “I’d like to help with the search,” Simone said firmly. “I need to be a part of it.”

  “And you may,” Magnus said. “But first, you and Grace need to get
settled here.”

  Simone looked prepared to argue, but finally, she looked at her daughter and nodded.

  There was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal Ever, with Nemma standing by her side. The little girl rushed over to Grace.

  “Hi, Grace. I came to see if you wanted to come and play.”

  Grace grinned. “Sure.”

  “No chemicals,” Simone said quietly.

  Grace nodded and took the younger girl’s hand. The girls rushed off together.

  Two girls who’d been through a nightmare, but still saw the good in life.

  “Your daughter is very resilient,” Acton said.

  Simone looked up at him, shadows in her eyes. “I wish she didn’t have to be.” Simone rose slowly, as though her bones ached. With a nod, she left the office.

  “She needs time,” Sage said. “A wise cyborg told me that once.”

  “Sounds like a very intelligent man,” Acton replied.

  With a smile, she elbowed him. “Oh, he is. And a fast learner, and good with his hands, and his lips—”

  He wrapped an arm around her and pinched her side.

  As the others around them laughed and shook their heads, Sage smiled. Looking at her, love glowed inside him, huge and bright. Her nightmare was over. For both of them, the dark and cold were gone, leaving only light and love.

  * * *

  “I want you to fix me!”

  Sage winced at Toren’s rage-filled roar.

  They were standing in the middle of Medical, and she watched as the cyborg grabbed a stool, spun, and tossed it against the wall.

  It crashed down, hitting a cart of medical equipment. Items spilled across the floor.

  “Toren.” Avarn advanced, hands outstretched, looking resigned.

  Toren stood there, his chest heaving, his muscles strained.

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Toren,” Sage said. “Most people feel like you do.”

  His hot gaze hit her almost like a physical blow, and she fought the urge to step back.

  “All I feel is rage, pain… It’s too much.” He pressed his hands to his head.

  “Give it some time,” she said calmly. “It’ll settle down, and you’ll learn to deal with it.”

  His head jerked up. “I can’t function like this. I’m not allowed to work.”

  Avarn stepped closer. “Once your emotions are in control—”

  “I don’t want to feel!” Toren’s hands curled into fists. “I don’t want to be like this.”

  “Toren.” Acton’s cool voice cut through the tension.

  Sage felt a flood of relief at the sight of her man in the doorway.

  “What do you want?” Toren snarled.

  “I want you to calm down,” Acton said.

  “You still have dampeners,” Toren bit out the words like an accusation.

  “Which I don’t use now. If I can do it, you can.”

  Toren’s shoulders sagged. He looked broken, beaten.

  Then he dropped to his knees and let out a roar of frustration. Sage moved straight to him, wrapping her arms around him.

  “You’re not alone,” she told him. His body vibrated with emotion under her touch.

  The doors opened behind Acton, and Toren’s head snapped up.

  Simone stepped inside.

  The woman wore a fitted blue skirt and patterned white shirt. Her glossy, black hair rested over one slim shoulder.

  She stared at him, and his face twisted, different emotions crossing his features.

  Simone walked over and Sage stepped back, watching.

  What was this? She knew that Simone and Grace had been in to visit Toren a few times over the last few days since their return from the desert.

  “You’re strong, Toren,” Simone said. “You’re not just your enhancements. Use that strength now.”

  They stared at each other—Simone standing, Toren on his knees. Toren made a sound—part pain, part rage—then lunged at Simone.

  Acton took a step forward, Sage stiffened, and Avarn moved.

  But Toren just wrapped his arms around Simone’s waist and buried his face against her belly.

  Simone stroked his blond hair. “It’s going to be okay.”

  The damaged cyborg held on like the woman was a lifeline. Sage sensed the storm of emotion in the room ease a little.

  Acton took her hand and together, they quietly left Medical.

  “He’s hurting so badly,” she said.

  “He needs time to heal and adjust.”

  “Simone seems to be a calming influence.”

  He tugged on Sage’s hair. “I’m beginning to think that you women from Earth are capable of anything. He’ll be fine. We’ll make sure of it.”

  That was the House of Rone. They got on with it and did what needed to be done, no matter the obstacles in the way. Just like the way they’d rescued, protected, and helped the Helios survivors.

  The House of Rone took care of their own. They’d help Toren. And Sage suspected the cyborg would have a little extra help from a new pair of residents as well.

  Suddenly, Acton pulled Sage down an empty corridor, and nudged her against the wall. His big body pressed into hers, his mouth on her neck. He hit a sensitive spot, and she arched into him

  “You feeling a little frisky, cyborg?”

  “I can’t get enough of my mate.”

  Mate. The word made her heart skip a beat.

  Of course, he sensed it, and raised his head. “You’re mine, Sage. I don’t care what label we use. Mate, wife, partner. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Forever.”

  She could barely breathe. “Forever.”

  “You’re the most important thing in my world.”

  Her heart filled to bursting. She’d dreamed of a prince or a knight who’d want her more than anything else. But she’d never imagined in her wildest dreams that her knight would be an alien cyborg with metal arms and a part metal face.

  She reached up, stroking that metal cheek. His hands drifted lower, then gripped her skirt, sliding it up her legs.

  She licked her lips. “Acton, we can’t fool around here.”

  “We did on the rooftop.”

  “That was more private.”

  “I can assure you that this isn’t a well-used corridor. The statistical chances of someone catching us are—”

  She laughed and pulled away. “I do love it when you talk cyborg. It makes my panties wet.”

  His eyes flared with heat.

  Sage wriggled out of his arms. “I think our nice, big bed would work better for the things I want to do to you.” She turned and ran. “Catch me if you can!”

  She heard his heavy steps following her.

  “You will never get away from me,” he growled. “Wherever you run, I’ll follow.”

  Which was good, because she didn’t want to ever get away from this man.

  As his cybernetic arms lifted her off her feet, and his mouth closed over hers, Sage knew that her cyborg would be there right beside her. Always.

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed Sage and Acton’s story!

  Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone continues with PALADIN, the story of injured cyborg Toren and human scientist Simone. Coming in 2020.

  Did you miss the House of Rone novella, DARK GUARD, starring cyborg Zaden, alien survivor Calla, and a nosy cyborg cat? Available as part of the Pets in Space 4 anthology.

  If you’re interested in learning more about the House of Galen gladiators and the strong, smart women from Earth they helped rescue or Magnus and Ever’s story, then check out Galactic Gladiators.

  For more action-packed romance, read on for a preview of the first chapter of Edge of Eon, the first book in my best-selling Eon Warriors series.

  Don’t miss out! For updates about new releases, action romance info, free books, and other fun stuff, sign up for my VIP mailing list and get your free box set containing three action-packed romances.

  Visit here to get started: www.
annahackettbooks.com

  Preview: Edge of Eon

  She shifted on the chair, causing the chains binding her hands to clank together. Eve Traynor snorted. The wrist and ankle restraints were overkill. She was on a low-orbit prison circling Earth. Where the fuck did they think she was going to go?

  Eve shifted her shoulders to try to ease the tension from having her hands tied behind her back. For the millionth time, she studied her surroundings. The medium-sized room was empty, except for her chair. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was dull-gray metal. All of the Citadel Prison was drab and sparse. She’d learned every boring inch of it the last few months.

  One wide window provided the only break in the otherwise uniform space. Outside, she caught a tantalizing glimpse of the blue-green orb of Earth below.

  Her gut clenched and she drank in the sight of her home. Five months she’d been locked away in this prison. Five months since her life had imploded.

  She automatically thought of her sisters. She sucked in a deep breath. She hated everything they’d had to go through because of what had happened. Hell, she thought of her mom as well, even though their last contact had been the day after Eve had been imprisoned. Her mom had left Eve a drunken, scathing message.

  The door to the room opened, and Eve lifted her chin and braced.

  When she saw the dark-blue Space Corps uniform, she stiffened. When she saw the row of stars on the lapel, she gritted her teeth.

  Admiral Linda Barber stepped into the room, accompanied by a female prison guard. The admiral’s hair was its usual sleek bob of highlighted, ash-blonde hair. Her brown eyes were steady.

  Eve looked at the guard. “Take me back to my cell.”

  The admiral lifted a hand. “Please leave us.”

  The guard hesitated. “That’s against protocol, ma’am—”

  “It’ll be fine.” The admiral’s stern voice said she was giving an order, not making a request.

  The guard hesitated again, then ducked through the door. It clicked closed behind her.