Unique Ink

by Cyndi Friberg

  “So we’re stuck transporting them to Ontariese?” This was not what she’d wanted to hear. Each time they opened an interdimensional portal they risked discovery and triggered a mountain of paperwork for her.

  “Perhaps not. King Indric sent over the prototype of a mobile containment field generator. When I asked for assistance six weeks ago, this prototype was still in development. He can’t guarantee it will work, but it’s definitely worth a try.”

  “How is it used?”

  Thank you, Bentar. She’d been just about to pose the question herself.

  “It creates a field large enough to encase an entire house. As long as it’s turned on before the hunters realize we’re there, no one will be able to flash out. Theoretically, anyway.”

  “How long can it be sustained onsite?” Morgan asked, beating Bentar to the punchline.

  “Not long. Here’s the tricky part. Each hunter will need to be incapacitated and then moved to the safe house. With a steady source of energy, we should be able to use the prototype to augment the holding cells. Even Nazerel shouldn’t be able to escape.”

  “Shoulds and shouldn’ts make me uncomfortable,” Bentar grumbled. “Are there no better options?”

  “If there were, we would have used them long ago,” Lor concluded. “We have two primary objectives. We must be prepared at any moment to respond to Roxie’s capture. Following her to the lab is our only hope of rescuing the captives and recovering the details of Sevrin’s research.”

  “And two?” Bentar asked.

  “We raid the Team South house, trapping as many hunters inside as possible. If we can accomplish those two objectives—and it will likely happen simultaneously—it will provide us with what we need to locate the Team East house and finally conclude this mission.”

  “Are you sure?” Morgan didn’t want to rain on his parade, but she wasn’t willing to ignore a hole in his strategy. “Flynn indicated that the teams operate autonomously. Team South members aren’t going to be able to tell you how to find Team East. And it was my understanding that Sevrin has been conditioned to resist Mystic interrogation.”

  “She has.” Lor paused dramatically. “But her guards have not. Flynn’s report indicated that Sevrin is always accompanied by one or more of her guards. One of them will know the location of the Team East house.”

  She couldn’t argue with his logic, but it sounded like a lot to take on all at once. Unfortunately, they’d run out of alternatives. The time for action was now and their move had to be all or nothing.

  “In the meantime, we start searching for the other brides. We know Pern contracted with fifteen families, but we don’t know how many hybrids he created. It could be considerably more than fifteen. Sevrin is alone in her search. She can’t involve others without admitting that her father didn’t trust her with the location of the females. At the moment, this is our only advantage and we must exploit it to the fullest. Assimilate the background information. Speak with anyone who might have known the war brides. Someone had to have delivered the babies. Learn the identity of the physicians or healers and find out what became of the infants. Were they adopted or did they become wards of the state?”

  “I think we should contact the Symposium,” Bentar suggested. “Surely the Wisdom of the Ages contains some of this information.”

  “It’s worth a try, though the Symposium’s information on humans is not nearly as extensive as it is on the life forms in our star system.”

  Bentar nodded then said, “I will contact them anyway.”

  “Are there any other questions?” Lor asked, looking pointedly at the other new arrivals.

  “How is Roxie being monitored?” Bentar asked.

  “She was injected with a radioactive isotope,” Morgan told him. “This form of radiation is harmless, but it’s so light it lingers in the air long after the person has left the area.”

  “And you are able to track this radiation with human technology?” Bentar sounded skeptical.

  “I didn’t say that.” She smiled at the argumentative Mystic. “The system didn’t originate on Earth. But don’t bother asking. Where we acquired the technology is irrelevant.”

  “Does everyone understand their assignments?” When no one indicated otherwise, Lor said, “Dismissed.”

  * * * * *

  Elias looked around Unique Ink with new interest. Now that he knew Roxie better, he easily picked out aspects of her personality reflected in the decorating and arrangement of the tattoo shop. It was organized with a natural flow that maximized the limited space. Though at a glance the shop was rebellious and edgy, an underlying practicality was evident as well.

  Roxie had timed their arrival for the late-afternoon lull, hoping to find her employees between customers. Her instincts had served them well. Jett and Tess sat on the sofa in the front of the shop, enjoying chai lattes.

  “Roxie!” Tess set down her paper cup and ran to Roxie, hugging her tightly. “We have been worried sick about you.” She pushed Roxie to arm’s length and looked her over. “No bumps and bruises? You’re really okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She laughed and gave Tess another quick hug before stepping back. “And relieved to see my shop is still standing.”

  “You’ll never have to worry about that,” Tess assured. “We love this place as much as you do.”

  Jett set his drink aside with more deliberation then sauntered toward them. “Welcome back, Special Agent Bertram.” His tone was anything but respectful. “Odd that the regional office of the FBI has no record of you.”

  Doing his best to hide his amusement, Elias glanced at Roxie’s indignant employee. “My home office is in Virginia. I gave you a business card when we first met. Did you call that number?”

  “As if that would prove anything.” He cocked his head and narrowed his liner-accented eyes. His lips parted as if he’d say more, but Roxie cut him off.

  “Give it up, Jett. As you can see, no harm was done.” Her expression remained bland, but Elias didn’t miss the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Special Agent Bertram took good care of me.”

  “But where have you been for the past three days?” Tess looked at Elias, uncertainty widening her eyes. “We were starting to wonder if someone else had your phone.”

  “That’s why I called last night, or at least tried to. I know the connection was really bad.”

  “You didn’t answer her question,” Jett pointed out.

  “My reaction to the experimental weapon was more serious than they originally thought. It took a bit longer to stabilize my condition than anyone expected, but I’m back now. Everything’s okay.”

  “What about Nazerel and that woman?” Jett slipped his hands into his back pockets, puffing out his narrow chest. “What if they come back?”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Elias met Jett’s gaze but kept his tone conversational. Jett needed to understand that he wouldn’t back down, yet he didn’t want to provoke a fight either. A pissing contest at this point was counterproductive and pointless. “It’s doubtful that either will return, but we aren’t willing to take chances with any of you. Until all of the culprits are in custody, I’m Roxie’s shadow.”

  “But no one can know who he is,” Roxie stressed. “As far as the rest of the world knows, Elias and I have been talking online for the past few months. I was upset by the bizarre attack and asked if he’d fly in for a few days.”

  “He’s staying at your apartment?” Disapproval sharpened Jett’s already hostile tone. Was this friendly protectiveness or did his feelings run deeper for his lovely employer? It was easy to understand why Jett would be attracted to Roxie, but Elias had originally thought Jett was gay. “Why is that necessary?”

  “It’s hard to protect her if I’m not with her.” Elias took a step toward Jett and let his tone growl. He’d tried being civil and Jett had grown more belligerent. The fastest way to shut down a yapper was to establish dominance. “Relax. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

>   A tense moment passed as they stared each other down, then Jett’s shoulders lowered and he looked at Roxie. “Are you okay with this?”

  Tess rolled her eyes. “Any straight woman on the planet would be okay with having him as a bodyguard.” She moved closer to Elias and motioned toward the tattoo peeking out from the bottom of his sleeve. “Can I see the rest? It’s unusual.”

  Happy for the distraction, Elias pulled up his T-shirt sleeve, revealing the majority of the geometric design.

  “Nice and clean,” Tess muttered. “Really unique.”

  “I’ve seen similar designs before,” Jett grumbled, earning a reproachful chuckle from both of the women. Then he moved in for a closer look. “But this is really well done.”

  Tess walked her fingers up Elias’ chest and smiled flirtatiously. “Have any more ink hidden under there?”

  “He’s not taking his shirt off,” Roxie snapped, though laughter quivered through her voice.

  “But you already know the answer, don’t you?” Jett moved back and folded his arms, looking petulant rather than mean.

  “That’s none of our business,” Tess insisted, then she looked at Roxie and amended, “But you’ll tell me all the details later, right?”

  Roxie laughed at their antics. “You’re both impossible.” Then, before the conversation could spiral completely out of control, Roxie casually changed the subject. “How does the rest of the day look?” She crossed to the display case and opened the appointment book, which lay near the cash register.

  “I’m booked solid,” Tess told Roxie as she moved up beside her. “But Jett only has one appointment. Walk-ins have been sort of slow. We’ll be fine if you want to be somewhere else.” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Elias. “I know I would.”

  “I think she’s trying to get rid of us,” Elias said in a stage whisper.

  “Not Roxie. Just you.” Jett went to the other side of the display case so he faced the other three. His demeanor was still faintly adversarial. “Your cover story is irrelevant to our customers. Anyone can tell at a glance that you’re law enforcement. You’ll make people nervous. Drive customers away.”

  “But I didn’t even wear my bulletproof vest.” He clasped both hands to his chest. “I’m hurt.”

  Tess turned around and leaned back against the display case. “If this was really an online romance and you’d just met for the first time, she’d want to be anywhere but here.”

  Roxie turned as well, smiling at Elias. “It’s an ambush.”

  “We’re thrilled that our fears were unfounded,” Tess told Roxie, “but you should go play tourist for a couple of days. After all, Elias just got here. Right?”

  “And he can’t stay indefinitely.” Now Jett sounded hopeful.

  “I’ve never been to Las Vegas before,” Elias played along. “I’d love to see the Strip.” He had no objection to spending more time with Roxie. But was it safe for them to stroll around town? Would they be protected by the crowds or was it needlessly reckless? He was honestly not sure. Conventional wisdom said that the risk of discovery would decrease the chances that they would harm or attempt to kidnap Roxie, but nothing about these people was conventional.

  “You win.” Roxie held up her hands. “I’ll entertain Elias. You two get back to work.”

  “Yes, boss.” Jett finally smiled, but a hint of longing shadowed his gaze. “We’ll see you in a couple of days.”

  Elias led Roxie back out into the Nevada sunshine. Dusk had yet to cast its cooling haze across the barren vista so the air was oppressive. They hurried to Roxie’s car and she set the vehicle in motion, hoping to aid the air conditioner in its never-ending battle against the heat.

  “Where to?” she asked as she maneuvered the car into the flow of traffic.

  “I’ve seen the Strip a million times,” he confessed. “Let’s just go for a ride.”

  She kept her gaze focused straight ahead but her lips parted in a gentle smile. “I thought we already did that. Twice.”

  He’d meant a leisurely time spent in her car, but more of what they’d done that morning sounded even more appealing. “Doesn’t mean we can’t do it again. And Again.”

  “We need to stay in character, reinforce our roles.” Color blossomed across her cheeks as she glanced at him. “Do you think I’m shameless?”

  He laughed softly and reached over to touch her bare thigh. “You’ll never be as shameless as me.” She’d worn a short, flirty skirt today, making the game even more fun. He pushed his hand between her thighs as he freed himself from the seat belt so he could kiss her neck. She squirmed and laughed, trying to push his hand away while still maintaining control of the car. “Both hands on the wheel.”

  “You unfastened your seat belt,” she objected with another laugh, but obeyed the throaty command.

  His fingers brushed against her panties, which were already damp. “Don’t mind me. Just keep driving.”

  “Elias.” The word was part warning, part plea.

  He pushed her left leg over, not wanting to disturb the foot responsible for acceleration—and braking. The insides of her thighs were smooth and warm. He teased the sensitive skin with the tips of his fingers, fascinated by the silky texture. “Can you come without closing your eyes?”

  “No.” She wiggled as his touch grew bolder, skimming over her mound before returning to her thighs. “You need to stop.”

  “You need to relax and accept the pleasure.”

  She shivered, her hands shifting on the steering wheel. “We’re almost there. Just wait until we…”

  As if to mock her assertion, the traffic light she approached turned red. He laughed and eased his fingers beneath the edge of her panties. He’d only intended to tease her, fuel their anticipation. But there was no one on either side of them and she was so warm.

  “You’re wicked.” His finger gently parted her folds and she moaned, arching back against the headrest.

  “And you love it.” Aided by her slick moisture, he easily found her clit. Each circular stroke of his finger drew the tension in her body tighter. He could see it in her face and feel the intensity pulse across their telepathic connection. Her lips parted and her hips rocked, increasing the pressure of his touch. She was close, so—

  A horn blast behind them shattered the mood and she shoved his hand away. “I can’t believe you did that.” She laughed as she drove through the intersection and hurried on toward their destination.

  “You started it.” He straightened in his seat and refastened his seat belt. “I’m glad your apartment is nearby.”

  They arrived a few minutes later but didn’t make it to her apartment. Elias pushed her up against the wall on the railed walkway and kissed her with all the hunger she unleashed in him. She wrapped her leg around his thigh and clutched his shoulders, returning the kiss with equal urgency. They were both breathless and frantic by the time he pulled away.

  “I want you inside me.” She whispered the words then ducked under his arm and ran for her door.

  He was half a second behind her, hands flattened on the door as she fumbled with the key. “Let me.” He took the key out of her shaking hand and slipped it into the lock. She turned the knob and the door swung inward, drawing him off balance.

  His weight nearly toppled her as they stumbled across the landing. He grabbed her keys, kicked the door closed, then rotated the lock before pouncing on her. “Thank God you wore a skirt.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as he urged her to the floor on her back. Their mouths met and locked, breaths mingling. And the bedroom was simply too far away. She tugged his shirt up around his armpits, but could go no higher because he wouldn’t raise his arms. Her skirt bunched around her hips as he reached beneath and pulled off her panties. He didn’t bother with her boots or any of his clothes. He frantically unzipped his pants and filled her snug core with one desperate thrust. Then he froze over her, eyes open wide.

  “We didn’t stop f
or condoms.” His heart was beating so fast he could hardly speak. He hadn’t meant for this to happen, figured she would need some time to process the rapid-fire changes. But her thoughts immediately turned to sex and he’d been more than happy to follow along.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed him inside and out. “Look into my eyes and tell me we don’t need them. I’ll be able to feel the deception if you’re lying to me.”

  He moved one hand to the side of her face and met her gaze. “You don’t need a Mystic link for that, darlin’. I’ll never lie to you.” He pulled his hips back then pushed deep again, never loosing contact with her eyes. “We don’t need protection.” He thrust again and she arched to meet him. “I want nothing between us. I need to feel all of you.”

  Her inner muscles rippled and he was lost. He rocked back onto his knees and grasped her hips, taking her with deep, forceful strokes. Bending her knees even tighter, she drew her legs up along his sides. He watched her flushed face, amazed by the trust he saw in her gaze. She was open and welcoming, eager, yet surrendered to sensations she didn’t fully understand.

  He could feel her pleasure as well as his own and the combination was exhilarating. He draped her legs over his arms and rolled her hips up, giving him even deeper access. Her heat surrounded him, desire and affection swirling through his mind. Unable to resist the intensity, even though he knew it would end much too soon, he threw back his head and arched, making each drive longer and harder.

  She gasped suddenly, her body bucking beneath him. Pleasure barreled across their link, punching into him with staggering force. He groaned and drove deep as her core rippled around his entire length. The rhythmic tightening snapped what little remained of his control. He let go, shuddering violently as he came in deep, pulsing spasms.

  Humiliated by his lack of control, he separated their bodies and helped her up from the living room floor. “Well, that was a pathetic attempt on my part. You probably have rug burns on your ass.”

  She laughed merrily as she retrieved her discarded panties. “I started it, remember? And you weren’t the only one in a hurry.”