by Aubrey Ross
“Why are you doing this? You threw me away like a worn out toy.”
He stood in the doorway, keeping the door open. “I temporarily exiled you when you became a hindrance to my career. I never stopped wanting you.”
“Well, I got over you a long time ago.” She glanced around the dismal cabin with growing dread. A tiny bunk and a combination toilet and washstand, no shower, not even a viewport. How long did he intend to keep her locked up in here? “If you rape me you’ll lose your commission. So this is a waste of time. We both know the Federation has no tolerance for this sort of abuse.”
“I have no intention of touching you until you’re begging for my cock. Fortunately for me, I know just what it takes to make you beg.” Without further explanation, he stepped back into the corridor and the door slid shut, leaving her in darkness.
Chapter Eight
Bluz paced the bridge of the Chrysalis, too anxious to sit down. “Anything?”
Lenstat shook his head, his gaze fixed on his scanner screen. “They have to be using some sort of shielding mechanism. Are you sure of their trajectory?”
“We’re not sure of anything,” Jazz admitted with a muttered curse. A moment passed in silence; then he let out an audible sigh. “Thank the Goddess! Traborn just hailed us.”
“Put him on screen.”
Traborn’s swarthy image materialized, amusement gleaming in his dark eyes. “I told you not to pick a fight with this guy.”
Bluz bristled at his nonchalance. “This isn’t funny. We have to get her back before he hurts her and I didn’t get the impression he was going to wait long to get reacquainted.”
“She isn’t just an amusement, Traborn,” Jazz said. “She’s our testadermal mate.”
“Congratulations. I know how rare it is to find one.”
“You know how this bastard thinks.” Bluz grabbed the back of his chair, his fingers clutching the cool material. “How do we get her back?”
Traborn crossed his brawny arms over his chest and smiled. “The only way to deal with a bully is to kick the shit out of him.”
“The Chrysalis is no match for his ship.”
“That’s why I’m en route to assist you. There’s nothing I like better than kicking the shit out of bullies.”
Bluz glanced away from the screen, frustrated by his helplessness. “We have to find him first.”
“Why do you think I hailed you? Ivy just got a sensor lock on him.”
* * *
The door slid open and Treena squinted against the light. How long had she been encased in darkness, tormented by every shudder of the ship, every unfamiliar sound? She’d always been afraid of the dark and the Bastard knew it.
“Are you ready to be reasonable?”
“You’re wasting your time. I’d rather endure the darkness.”
“And the hunger? And the stench? Did you happen to notice that there isn’t a shower in this cabin?”
“I figure after four or five days I’ll get used to the smell.”
“Four or five days without food or water? Well, I guess you could drink out of the toilet if you get desperate enough, but why put yourself through that?”
“I don’t want to be here. You intentionally left me on an outpost where I wouldn’t be able to register the termination of our contract.”
“You needed time to contemplate the error of your ways.”
She closed her eyes, disgusted by the sight of him.
“I thought you were terrified by the idea of fucking two men. Why did you refuse my commander? You accepted the exact same thing to get a ride off Ceallon. One night with him and my future would have been secure. Was that so much to expect?”
“Yes.” She didn’t raise her voice, barely changed her expression. She just opened her eyes and met his gaze. “If you ever loved me, you wouldn’t have been willing to let him touch me, much less insist I go through with it after I refused.”
“You agreed to allow me to use your body in any way that pleased me. It pleased me to have my own ship to command. Fucking one fat old man for one night was not a high price to pay.”
“Then why didn’t you fuck him?”
“What makes you think I didn’t?”
The mental image was so disturbing, Treena shook her head. “Leave me alone.”
The ship rocked violently to the side, throwing Treena off the bunk. She landed on the floor with a grunt as a second impact closely followed the first. The sudden motion tossed Arrik across the corridor. He caught his balance against the wall as muted explosions echoed through his ship.
Without explanation, he headed down the hallway. Treena scooted across the floor and blocked the threshold with her foot. The door hissed a protest and slid back into the wall. She scrambled to her feet and tightened the belt on her robe.
The corridor was empty, but crewmen jogged past in the adjacent passageway. She crept toward the intersection and pressed herself against the wall. Had her rescue party arrived or was someone else shooting at the Bastard? She didn’t know her way around the ship and she had no weapon. She was not going to die in that airless cell if this ship went up in flames!
Treena, can you hear me? Jazz’s voice sounded in her mind.
She pressed her lips together as relief made her tremble. Yes. Please tell me that’s you knocking on the door.
Battering it down is more like it, but yes, that’s us. I told you we’d come after you.
I’ll hold you to it as soon as you get me back on your ship.
Tingling warmth passed along the telepathic link, soothing her and calming her. She smiled. Her psychic abilities had always made her feel like an outsider, different and odd. Knowing her lovers had unusual abilities as well made it all the more wonderful.
“Halt!” She turned around to find one of the crewmen pointing his pistol at her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Arrik told me to stay in his cabin, but I wanted to see what was going on.” She used a casual tone, doing her best to ignore the ongoing shudders as the ships exchanged fire.
“If the commander told you to stay in his cabin, get your ass back to his cabin.”
She moved toward him with a slow smile, glancing at his face then looking away. “If you’ll hide me until this is over, I’ll see that you’re --” She kneed him in the groin and ripped his weapon out of his hand as he collapsed to his knees.
Gripping the gun tightly in one hand, she sorted through her limited options. She could try and find an airlock or an escape pod.
Shots echoed in the distance, not the booming blasts of laser cannons, but close range weapons, like the one in her hand. She crept along the wall and peeked around the corner. Two uniformed soldiers crouched with their backs to her as they fired on Jazz and a man she didn’t recognize.
After a moment’s hesitation, she blasted Arrik’s soldiers in quick succession, then ducked back around the corner.
“Nicely done, my warrior elf,” Jazz called out. “Let’s get the hell out of here!”
She ran into his arms. He kissed her quickly, then hurried her down the corridor. They made it to the airlock without incident, but another team arrived before they were able to secure the hatch.
Jazz pushed her behind him, but she knelt and fired, careful to keep her pistol well below his. The pilot dove into the shuttle and Treena followed suit. After a final volley, Jazz drove back the Bastard’s crew far enough to activate the airlock.
The pilot launched the shuttle and Treena held her breath, waiting for the massive warship to open fire.
Silence.
“Why are they letting us go?” Treena was almost afraid to speak the question.
“I don’t know.” Jazz pulled her onto his lap and kissed her soundly. “I’m sure as hell not complaining, but it is odd.”
The shuttle glided smoothly toward the Chrysalis. Treena glanced back at Arrik’s ship and gasped. “What the fuck is that?” She pointed to the third ship hovering above the warship.
“That is Traborn Morel,” Jazz informed her, “or at least his ship. Thank the Goddess for good friends with bad reputations.”
The pilot opened the hatch moments after they docked. Jazz escorted her to the command center, where Bluz was thanking the gorgeous dark-haired man on the vidscreen for his assistance.
“That’s Traborn?” she whispered.
“Let me introduce you.” Jazz stepped forward. “Commander Morel, I’d like to introduce you to the cause of all this excitement.” Treena glanced down at her bathrobe and wanted to sink into the deck. “This is Treena, our bonded mate.”
The privateer captain inclined his dark head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you for assisting my Masters.” Her cheeks flushed as she said it out loud for the first time.
“Why didn’t they shoot at the shuttle?” Jazz asked no one in particular. “I thought for sure the Bastard would go down in flames.”
“He had a transmission from the commandant ordering him to cease and desist,” Traborn explained. “He’s been called back to headquarters to answer for his misappropriating of Sabrotine resources.”
Treena tucked her hair behind her ear. “Why would the commandant care about what was happening here?”
“I sent him a detailed message pointing out the poor decisions of his newest commander. I included the audio log of your contract with Jazz. You wouldn’t contract yourself to someone else if you had any interest in continuing your arrangement with McGuire. Even the commandant couldn’t argue with that.”
“It would have taken the commandant months to get around to responding to us,” Bluz put in. “We owe you big time for this.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Traborn turned his sparkling gaze on Treena and offered her another smile. “Try and keep them out of trouble. I have a mate of my own to entertain.”
Another hour passed as they put distance between the warship and the Chrysalis. Treena stood to one side of the command center watching the men work. She had to find a way of making herself useful if she was going to remain on the Chrysalis. This was a no-frills, working ship and she refused to be a fixture.
The kind-eyed science officer shooed them all away once they determined their next destination and were safely underway.
“You realize if you hadn’t insisted on that silly contract, Traborn would have had no legal means of defending you to the commandant,” Bluz told her as they walked toward the captain’s cabin. “He was a valuable asset in resolving this quickly, but so were you.”
She smiled, pleased by the praise. “I know how the Federation works. What I don’t know is what I can do to be an active member of this crew.” She raised a hand, stemming his objections. “Officer’s pet doesn’t count. You each are bound to me and you both have other responsibilities. I want something to do while you two are… doing whatever it is you do.”
Bluz scanned open the door and ushered her inside. “The galley is automated. I can’t make you ship’s cook.”
She smacked him on the arm. “As if I’d let you! What kind of a chauvinistic crack is that?”
He laughed. “We’ll have to give it some thought. We can cross-train you to pitch in wherever there’s a need. I plan on having you around for a very long time.”
She rewarded his answer with a beaming smile.
“I still owe you some new clothes, don’t I?” Jazz asked as Bluz unfastened her robe.
“The bubble bath was interrupted too.”
“So it was.” He moved up behind her and slipped the garment down her arms.
“How is your shoulder?” She unfastened Bluz’s shirt and found his shoulder bandaged. “When he blasted you the second time, I was terrified he’d killed you.”
“I’m too mean to die that easily. The shoulder will be sore for a while. We’ll just have to be creative.”
She looked at the bed and licked her lips. “I remember what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted. I’m pretty sure that won’t strain your shoulder.”
“I’ll never turn down the pleasure of your mouth.”
“Do I get to be where I was too?” Jazz asked hopefully.
“Why?” she teased him. “You didn’t get shot.”
He stripped off his shirt and promptly showed her several scrapes and bruises.
Bluz just shook his head and grabbed her wrist. “One of these days you’ll figure out how this works. There is only one way to win an argument with a woman.” He swatted her on the butt and pulled her with obvious purpose toward the bed.
Playfully tugging against his hold, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at Jazz. “You can come too.”
“Glad to hear it.” He chuckled and hurried after them.
Aubrey Ross
When my parents realized I had an aptitude for storytelling--okay, even at an early age I was a consummate liar--they encouraged me to find constructive ways to put all that "creativity" to use. I wrote my first novel when I was in junior high school. It was a typical teenage girl's fantasy about being kidnapped by a rock star, finding out he was really misunderstood, a millionaire's son, and living happily ever after with the reformed rebel. Erotic romance just seemed like an inevitable destination for someone with my naughty muse.
Now I spend my days, and many of my nights, trying to keep up with the characters springing to life within my mind. I find creative ways of avoiding errands and housework because I can't drag myself away from the dramas unfolding in my latest story. And every day I thank God I was able to quit my day job and actively pursue my dream!
I also write paranormal romance as Cyndi Friberg. So if you're in the mood for something a little less...in your face, give one of my other books a try:
http://cyndifriberg.com
Other Books by Aubrey Ross
Self-Published:
Station X (3-in-1 Collection)
Price of Passion (3-in1 Collection)
Ellora’s Cave:
Undercover Embassy (Futuristic)
1) Codename Autumn
2) Codename Winter
3) Codename Spring
4) Codename Summer
Sworn Protectors (Vampire/Sci-fi)
Onset of Darkness
Onset of Danger
Mystic Keepers (Elemental Magic)
1) Refugee
2) Cayenne
3) Krystle
4) Lorran
5) Rammi
6) Minuette
7) Elita
8) Felise
Enemy Embrace (Sci-fi)
1) Rebel
2) Toymaker
3) Replicant
4) Mystic
5) Madam
Enslaved Hearts (Gladiators in space)
1) Captives
2) Pleasures
3) Secrets
Sensual Captivity ( Sci-fi)
1) Seducer (Available in print)
2) Shifter(Available in print)
3) Sorcerer (Available in print)
4) Specter (Available in print)
5) Seer (Available in print)
Intimate Invasion (Futuristic)
1) Forgotten Hope
2) Forsaken Desire
3) Forced Alliance
Crimson Carousel (Vampire)
1) A Taste of Twilight
2) A Taste of Midnight
3) A Taste of Oblivion
4) A Taste of Dawn
Crimson Pleasures (Vampire)
1) Crimson Thrall
2) Crimson Prey
3) Crimson Awakening
Invasion Earth (Sci-fi)
1) Forgotten Hope
2) Forsaken Desire
3) Forced Alliance
Single Titles
Dream Warriors (paranormal) also in print
Velvet Deception (Suspense) also in print
Silent Abandon (Anthology) also in print
Soul Kisses (Anthology) also in print
e of Passion (3-in-1 Collection)