by Fall, Carly
“No, Liberty. You can’t go.”
“Jovan,” she said, “Do not test me on this. You are making me very, very angry with your words.”
“Liberty, as your future mate, it is my job to protect you. I forbid you to go. You will do as I say, and it’s for your own good.”
“And you are who to stop me?” she yelled at him. “I do not remember that when I agreed to mate you that it meant you could control me!”
“I’m not controlling you! I’m looking out for your best interest. San Francisco can be a dangerous place!”
“The world is a dangerous place, Jovan! I will be going to San Francisco, and I will enjoy my time there with my friends!”
His panic of what could happen reached epic proportions. Rape. Murder. Run over by a trolley. His heart pounded, and he broke out into a sweat. She simply couldn’t go.
“Liberty!” he yelled into the phone. “You will do no such thing! I forbid you from going! Do you understand me? I forbid it!”
There was a long stretch of silence, and he wondered if she had hung up on him. “Liberty?”
“Jovan,” she said in a quiet voice, “I will be going to San Francisco. There will be no debating that.”
No. No. No. No!
“Liberty—”
“And I will not mate a male who forbids me from doing anything. I am terminating our future mating ceremony, and our future together.”
“Liberty—”
There was a soft click.
Jovan stared at the phone in his hand. For a long time, he couldn’t move. What had she said? She was terminating their mating ceremony? And their future together? Oh, no. What had he done? Where had all that come from? Had he actually said he forbade her from going? Was there anything worse he could have said to a female born into servitude?
“Fuck!” he yelled, throwing his phone into the wall.
“What the hell’s going on?” Blake said as he came into the room.
“Give me your phone!” Jovan said and began to dial desperately.
Chapter 54
The rumble from the Harley under him lulled Jovan into a quiet place. He glanced in his mirror and saw that Blake was still behind him, which was good. At least the guy hadn’t been lying when he said he had ridden in the past. Jovan thought for sure that he would end up with a nasty road rash within the first five miles, but he had been wrong. The weather had been so beautiful he and Blake decided to rent some bikes for their few remaining days in Phoenix.
Man, he had gone and fucked things up with Liberty.
Bad.
When she had told him that she was going to San Francisco with the girls, he’d lost it. His overly protective SR44 male came front and center and took over all logical thinking. He’d flat out told her that she couldn’t go
Man, he was such a jackass.
He knew the other males of the house wouldn’t be happy about their females going on a trip together, but they would relent. The females of the house didn’t take well to being told what they could and couldn’t do. Rayner would find solace in the fact that Faith was proficient in martial arts and knew how to use a gun. Hell, he’d probably send her with one tucked into her boot. Noah and Hudson knew that Abby and Beverly were very smart and wouldn’t get themselves into any bad situations. And there were cell phones—and the females would call a few times a day.
And the females would go, spend a bunch of money, and come home happy.
But Jovan hadn’t seen it like that. The female he loved, very innocent female, would be going out into the world without him. And that made him certifiably crazy.
He knew the ugliness that was in the world, and the thought of having the one person on this planet who understood him out there without him scared the living shit out of him.
And that fear had come out as total domination.
He hadn’t talked to Liberty in three days, and she had turned off her phone. He had tried everyone else’s cell phone as well, but they all told him she didn’t want to talk to him.
His head and heart hurt, and he was angry with her, and at himself. But mainly her. Why wouldn’t she talk to him? He needed to apologize, and he had to find a way to make it up to her.
He checked his rearview again and saw that Blake was still upright. Go Blake.
There wasn’t a helmet law in Arizona, so the wind whipped Jovan’s hair around, and he remembered Liberty’s fingers slipping through it.
She would be at the silo when he returned, and he needed to make things work. He just couldn’t image living the rest of his life without his mate.
He and Blake were on their way back to Phoenix after visiting the site where Liberty’s vessel had crashed. It was amazing how except for a few burnt cacti, it looked as though nothing had happened in the area.
One thing was for certain: the FBI was excellent housekeepers.
They had hiked a couple of miles around the site, but didn’t see anything or anyone.
Now, just a few miles outside Phoenix, Jovan pulled over. Blake stopped next to him.
“You want to head back to the mansion?”
Blake looked around and pushed his sunglasses up his nose. “Yeah, but let’s hit downtown tonight. Never know who we may run into, and I could use a little action.”
Jovan nodded. He remembered being an SR44 male on Earth for the first time, and his mind traveled back to the man and woman in the back of the saloon. Back then, most people had been pretty conservative. Now, it seemed everything was sexualized, and if he had been in The Platoon’s shoes, he would definitely be exploring that and taking advantage of it.
And he knew just where to look for them. “We’ll hit the Black Cuff, and then a couple of strip joints.”
Blake smiled. “It’s going to be a good night, my friend.”
Chapter 55
As the plane guided through the air, Liberty recalled Thanksgiving two days ago. She had looked around the large oak table. There were two huge golden-brown turkeys in the middle of the table and many other dishes containing potatoes, green beans, rolls, something red that she was told was cranberries, and boats of gravy.
It was a feast of the likes she had never seen, and the food had disappeared at a shocking pace. However, when there were five large males at the table, she supposed it was to be expected. She was particularly touched when Hudson winked and set down a bowl of macaroni and cheese next to her plate.
The room was decorated in bows of deep browns, rusty reds, and autumn yellows. The tablecloth was a light brown, and the light scent of mulled cider filled the air from the candles that flickered around the room.
She watched as everyone’s eyes turned from the dark pools to their SR44 colors, adding more color to the already beautiful room.
The chatter at the table was loud, and the laughter grew louder as Noah and Hudson traded funny stories. Liberty had giggled along with everyone else.
She was sandwiched between Talin and Annis, and Cohen was sitting next to Beverly directly across the table from Annis. Cohen seemed as though he was angry with Annis and kept glaring at her. When Annis would meet his eyes, he dropped his gaze to his plate and pushed his food around, then after a few minutes he would look up at her again.
Goodness, he looked as if he wanted to hurt her.
Annis glared right back.
Liberty ate her macaroni and cheese, loving the smooth texture and flavor of the dish.
As she watched the clouds and sipped her whiskey, oh, how the anger within her rattled. How dare Jovan tell her where she could and could not go?
She understood that he was a very protective SR44 male, and she had tried to reason with him. When he flat-out forbade her from taking this trip with the girls, her anger grew to proportions she had never known before.
He had never been in servitude, so he didn’t fully understand what it meant to have someone forbid him from doing anything.
When she was in servitude, it was always about those she served, and it was never about h
er. Her basic needs had been met, but she didn’t dare dream of a life beyond what she had. And now she was free to make her own choices, and she wasn’t going to let anyone else make them for her.
Especially the one person who was supposed to love her.
She had been so furious, she had broken off their mating, and frankly, she had no regrets.
Yet.
Maybe she would have those regrets and maybe she wouldn’t. However, she was going to enjoy their shopping trip in San Francisco. Abby had shown her how to work the computer, and she had spent hours looking at pictures of the magnificent city.
She couldn’t wait to see it all in person.
Chapter 56
Jovan looked over the crowd in the Black Cuff from his booth. His eyes felt like they had sand in them because of the special contacts that muted the glow of his eyes. The black lights around the bar pulsed on and off to the beat of the music, revealing walls with fluorescent paints of all colors. It actually looked like they had just tossed up can after can of paint and where it landed was where it stayed.
The crowd was an interesting one tonight. It looked as though there was a Goth convention in town. He didn’t think he had ever seen so much black eyeliner in one place.
How the Black Cuff remained off the Phoenix Police Department’s radar, he would never know. It seemed that this place was a hotbed of illegal activity. Drugs were being done in plain sight, and he had seen a couple having sex in a corner when they had arrived.
Blake slid into the booth with two beers and two shots of whiskey.
“If things don’t work out with us, you’ve got a bright future as a waitress,” Jovan said.
Blake didn’t say anything, just flipped him the bird.
They sat in silence, and Jovan downed his first shot, looking for the calming buzz whiskey gave him. The first was quickly followed by the second.
“You better slow down there, J-man,” Blake said. “You keep going at that pace, and I’ll have to scrape you off the floor.”
Jovan ignored him and began pounding his beer and looking for the waitress. He needed more.
An hour later, Jovan could declare himself pretty much shitfaced. His thoughts and feelings were all over the place. He missed Liberty; he hated her. He wanted her back; he hoped he never laid eyes on her again. Hell, he thought it was bad when others’ thoughts invaded his head, and he was now wondering how to get rid of his own. He needed a distraction. He needed . . .
Jovan saw four girls at a table across the dance floor checking them out. All of them were in their mid-twenties, and all were pretty in a Goth sort of way.
Maybe he was staring at exactly what he needed.
He sipped his whiskey and decided he was done pining for Liberty. In fact, his feelings landed on being pissed at the whole situation. He had wanted to apologize, and she wouldn’t even take a fucking phone call from him. And he had decided that he would go back to Fernley, grab his stuff, and move back down here. He didn’t need to see her, he didn’t need the cold temperatures of the north, and right now he just needed to forget about her for a while.
Screw her.
Throwing back the rest of the whiskey, all rational thought gone, he decided he was going balls to the wall tonight. He had already accomplished his main objective, which was getting piss-ass drunk, and now he was going to get laid.
Multiple times.
And he would forget about Liberty.
Forgetting about Liberty would be so much easier now that he had control of his gift. He didn’t need to feel emotions or hear anyone’s thoughts; he could simply just screw someone. A feeling of freedom swept over him.
When the crowd broke for the next song, he pointed at the table and crooked his finger, motioning them over. They all started giggling and whispering to each other. Jovan guessed they were discussing his invitation.
“Four of them?” Blake asked.
Jovan was actually seeing eight, but whatever. “Yep. Two for you, two for me.”
Blake was quiet a minute, then said, “And what about Liberty?”
“What about her? I messed up; she broke off our mating. I tried to apologize, and she won’t even take my call. It seems as though she doesn’t give a shit about me, or us as a couple. For all I know she’s in San Francisco fucking some scarf-wearing, latte-loving asshole as we speak.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I don’t know what I believe, Blake. But I know I’m tired of feeling like a sack of shit, and if getting laid makes me feel better then I’m going to do it.”
“Whatever you think, man, but you’re wrong about Liberty. You’ve had too much to drink, and I think you’re going to regret this.”
Jovan motioned the girls over again, and this time all four got up and came over.
“Which two do you want?” Jovan slurred.
“I’m kind of partial to the two blondes.”
“Good. I’ll take the brunette and the one with black hair.”
The girls arrived at the table.
“Hey, ladies.”
“Hi,” said the girl with black hair.
“We’d love it if you’d join us for a while.”
Blake got up and the girls slid into the booth. Jovan called over the waitress. “These lovelies need another drink.”
The waitress took their orders and left.
“Oh, wow, I just love leather pants,” the girl with the black hair said as she ran her hand over his thigh. He almost flinched at the contact, but then made sure his shield was up and felt nothing from her.
Right on. High fives.
He hadn’t bothered changing after their motorcycle ride, so he was still in his leathers. “Well, then I’m so happy I’m wearing some.”
Her finger traced up his thigh again and came dangerously close to connecting with his crotch. The brunette’s hand went into his hair, and he turned to her.
“I love long hair,” she said. Her blue eyes glittered, and she sucked on her bottom lip. She would be really pretty without all the eyeliner.
He looked over at Blake, who was talking to the two blondes and seemed to like the attention he was getting.
Turning back to the brunette and the black-haired girl, Jovan said, “Well, I’ve got leather for you, and long hair for you. It looks like the three of us are going to have a great time tonight.”
The girls exchanged glances. “Are you sure there’s . . . enough of you to go around?”
Jovan threw his head back and laughed. “Honey, trust me. There’s more than enough.”
Yes, it was going to be a fantastic night.
Chapter 57
Blake came to consciousness slowly. Something beside him moved, and he realized he wasn’t in his own bed.
He tried to roll over, but there was something on his other side. Opening his eyes, he saw a head of blonde hair, and then felt a hand slide around his waist. Turning, he looked over his shoulder to see more blonde hair, and a pretty face streaked with black eyeliner.
Oh, hell.
He was sandwiched so tight between these two, there was no way he was getting out, so he just shut his eyes and waited for them to wake.
It had been a few years since he’d been with two women at once. And unfortunately, he felt the exact same way he did last time he had found himself in this predicament: like a dirty whore.
He had stopped his really hard partying ways a few years back for this exact reason. He always seemed to find himself in compromising positions when women were around. If he was drinking with the guys, all was cool, but get some whiskey in him and put him in the vicinity of willing women, and he was a goner.
Damn Jovan. Damn him to hell and back.
If he hadn’t been so hell bent on forgetting Liberty for a while, Blake wouldn’t have ended up in this sandwich.
He focused on the previous night and realized that he at least had the sanity to wear a condom.
Go him.
His eyes flew open as he realized what else
had gone down last night. When they had left the Black Cuff at closing, Jovan and the two women were getting into one cab, while he and the blondes were getting into the other. About a block up, he saw a group of five very large men walking in the other direction. The biggest stood a few inches above the rest, and he recognized him as Micah.
Blake turned to say something to Jovan, but he was already in the cab being manhandled by the two women. He debated whether to cut his party short, but decided against it. What would he do anyway? It wasn’t like he could take them all on, sober or not. At least they had the Intel that The Platoon was indeed in Phoenix. And it might be a good idea to go hunting instead of being the hunted. Well, at least that’s what he would do if he were in charge.
He had gotten in the cab, and the rest was nothing but an erotic blur of mouths, bodies, and finally, sleep.
What time was it, anyway? And Jesus, he had to pee. He was going to have to break this little fiesta up sooner than later.
Slowly he rose to his elbow and both girls let out a groan of disapproval.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Um . . . home.” No use trying to make his exit pretty.
“I don’t think so,” said the other girl, grabbing his shaft.
With a few strokes, his morning wood turned to stone.
He lay back down on the bed.
“You haven’t said good morning yet,” she said, disappearing under the sheet.
Chapter 58
Jovan sat in the kitchen of the mansion drinking coffee.
He had just come back from a four-mile run, and he was a sweaty mess, but feeling good, despite the massive amount of whiskey he had consumed. He wondered when Blake would make his way back to the mansion, and checked his cell phone again to see if he had called.
Nothing.
For all he knew, Blake could have been fucked to death.
He debated what to have for breakfast and decided on a box of macaroni and cheese, which made him smile as he remembered Liberty’s love for the crap, and his heart hurt as he also recalled how he had screwed everything up with her.