“Do you think she was distracted or detained by someone?” Ada frowned. She’d thought that they’d have found Lauren by now.
“She does have a tendency to be drawn into conversations with anyone at any time. So someone might have started talking to her.” Keegan shrugged. “If we don’t run into her soon, we can always leave her a message to meet us there.”
Ada shrugged. Lauren had only gone to talk to Captain Thomas. It shouldn’t have taken long. He was already in communication with the authorities and the insurers of the Setona and would want to focus on that. Keegan hadn’t said why Lauren had left to talk to the captain. The only guess Ada had was perhaps she wanted to get a message to her family. Lauren had family that would worry about her if she was out of contact for too long. On top of that, they’d probably been informed when the ship was reported missing. She’d want to reassure them. Ada had left a message for her own family but hadn’t been able to connect with them yet.
As they passed the door where Lucan had entered, Ada kept her eyes on it, just in case Lucan decided to lunge at them. They passed it without incident. She kept checking behind her to make certain he didn’t come out of the room, but when they turned the corner she was relatively sure they were safe. They walked down the hallway toward the lift to take them to the level where the dining hall was located.
As they neared the lift, Ada felt something cold and metal against her neck. A hand gripped her arm. She froze and then her heartbeat raced as fear surged through her. Her mouth dried and every muscle in her body corded with tension.
“Be quiet and both of you come with me.” A harsh male voice whispered behind her. It scared her, but even as her mind spun, she realized that it didn’t sound like Lucan. “You run. I’ll kill her.”
Ada’s mouth worked. She wanted to tell Keegan to run and get away while she could, but no words would come out of her mouth. She couldn’t make a sound. He wouldn’t kill her. Not until he had what he wanted. This was Keegan’s chance to get away. The hand pushed and urged her down a side hall.
She heard footsteps on the carpeted hall. She glanced to the side and saw Keegan running. A little relief poured through her, but the feel of the metal against her skin sent a cold wash of fear through her. Whoever was holding it wouldn’t let her walk away from this to tell what had happened.
“Well, she doesn’t care what happens to you.” The voice said.
Hearing it again, Ada was almost sure that it was Rogan, the other man who’d been suspected of being one of the two known attackers. She felt a little stupid for immediately jumping to the conclusion that Lucan was planning something simply because she’d seen him.
Ada didn’t blame Keegan for running. She wanted her friend to go. It might be the one chance of getting someone here to help before it was too late. Rogan wasn’t going to believe her when she told him that there was nothing on the Setona other than the cargo they’d already taken. Jeff hadn’t given the idea any credit at all. The truth didn’t seem to matter to these pirates, only the idea they had stuck in their minds. She wanted to scream with frustration. The Setona crew weren’t smuggling information or secret weapons.
The knife pulled away from her neck. She knew it wasn’t on her skin, but she didn’t know where it was. Her instincts screamed for her to get away from him somehow, but that uncertainty held her still when she wanted to jerk away and run.
Panic gnawed at her. She couldn’t seem to draw enough breath into her lungs and her chest hurt. How am I going to get out of this? Her field of vision narrowed. His hand tightened on her shoulder, spinning and pushing her back against a wall.
She gasped and her hand flew to her neck. Part of her wondered if he’d decided to kill her instead of asking his questions. She hadn’t felt any pain, but the unexpected move startled her. The wall pressed against her back as she ran her fingers over her skin. She didn’t feel a cut or the warmth of blood. As she took in the man behind her, she confirmed her suspicions. She recognized the blond man. Rogan. Stockily built, he was only a little taller than her.
“I’ll have to find Keegan later and take care of her, but this might be better altogether. One of you is easier to handle than two.” Rogan looked her over, but his eyes held no emotion.
She was glad Keegan had gotten away from him. He could have used one of them as leverage against the other. The tip of the knife hovered over her chest. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. She knew she should watch his facial expressions or body language, but the thought of that knife cutting into her made her tremble and sweat bead on her skin.
“Where is it?” Rogan asked.
“If the it you’re referring to is the same thing Jeff asked about, a weapon we were supposedly delivering to the base, there’s nothing. We took them supplies and that’s it. There was no secret cargo, no weapon,” Ada said slowly. Not that she thought it would get through to him slow, fast or loud. She simply didn’t want to startle him.
“Yes, there is something. The captain wouldn’t have met with the base commander if there wasn’t. Where is it hidden?” Rogan pressed the tip of the blade against her shoulder. She could feel the sharp point through her shirt. “Do you think I want to be doing this? I have to get them the information.”
“No, you idiot, they’re friends. There’s nothing on the Setona. No secret weapon. Whoever decided they’d send it on a trade ship was an idiot.” Although she wanted to shout it at him, the sharp prod of the blade quelled the urge. She didn’t want to be stabbed accidentally or in a fit of rage. She’d try to delay that as long as possible. Maybe someone would rush to the rescue before he killed her.
She hoped someone would get there. Sadness washed over her at the thought of losing Jagger. She wanted that time with him and to learn if they could make it work. Before this, she’d been willing to give the relationship a try, but now, she would grab the chance and Jagger if she managed to survive.
“You lie.” He shoved her back against the wall, holding her there with his arm tensed to drive the blade deep in her chest. “If you lie to me again, I’ll kill you.”
Her mind centered on the knife. What should she tell him? How could she calm him down or make him believe the truth when he hadn’t seen it yet? He was so focused on his belief he was blind to everything else. He jerked but then pulled at her. She didn’t know what was happening. His hand gripped her arm, yanking hard toward him, as he slipped behind her. Did he intend to kill her without getting his information?
He tugged her to his chest and put the knife across her throat. “Let me go or I’ll slit her throat.”
She found herself staring at a group of men wearing the gray uniform of the Zarain. All had weapons drawn and they were pointing right at her. She’d never been more relieved to see weapons pointing at her than she was now, although actually looking at the muzzles of laser pistols, rusu stunners and traser rifles did cause a jolt of nervousness to tighten her stomach. She saw Jagger near the back. He had a stunner aimed toward her, but there were two men near him, watching him.
“Let her go. There’s nowhere for you to go. You’re on a Zarain ship in the middle of Shifter-Protected space. There’s nowhere you can run to that you won’t be caught.” Achan Caseain’s calm voice carried in the hallway.
“You’ll let me go. You don’t want her hurt. I don’t want to hurt her.” Rogan pulled the knife a little tighter to her neck. “I just need that information.”
Be calm. We’ll get you out of this.
Ada heard the voice in her head. It wasn’t Jagger though. It sounded like Achan Caseain. She stiffened and looked at him. He nodded. That was still strange and even more so because it was someone she’d barely met. Did these people just go around talking into each other’s minds?
Focus your thoughts. I need to know you understand. Jagger is barely holding on to his control. I need you to stay as calm as possible. Rav Caseain’s voice once again filled her mind.
I understand. I won’t panic. Ada hoped he heard her. That communi
cation was still new to her and she could never tell if Jagger heard her, much less someone she’d never spoken to that way before.
“Why do you need the information? The pirates aren’t here to rescue you. You can’t get them any word from this ship. I’m sure you’ll go straight to the brig on any ship that picks you up,” Rav said slowly. His head tilted and he watched the man.
Good. Now, stay still and trust us. Rav’s attention now turned to the man holding her.
We were looking for Lauren before he found us. Did he get her? She asked.
There was a long pause. If he’d heard her he was probably waiting for a reply from one of his men. Her hand clenched and her stomach churned. She hoped Lauren was safe.
“They have reach everywhere. Do you think I want to ruin my life?” Rogan’s grip tightened, and she felt a shiver run through her.
Your friend was delayed as she returned and is currently arguing with one of my men on the level below this one, Rav answered.
Ada felt a little relief flow through her. Her mind immediately centered on her own situation again now that she was assured her friend was safe. She stayed quiet and tried not to let her mind go crazy with worry and fear. He said to trust them. Hard to do when she had no idea what they planned.
“So did they use money or another means to persuade you to do as they wanted?” Rav’s eyes narrowed.
“It wasn’t money. You don’t know what’s at stake here. Just give me the information.” Rogan’s voice cracked.
She did not want to feel any sympathy for Rogan or Jeff, but the desperation she heard in his words tugged at her emotions. What were the pirates holding over his head?
“There is nothing to tell you, but you have to face some facts. Regardless of how this ends, she won’t be hurt too much. The man behind you will stun you before you can do more than scratch her. The question is what your condition will be. If so much as a drop of blood hits the air, he’ll tear you apart.” Rav gestured back to Jagger. “It won’t be a quick death, and my only objection is that it would be incredibly messy. The cleanup won’t be easy. So do you want to live or do you want to die?”
Jagger bared his teeth at the man, exposing elongated canines.
The man behind her trembled. She felt it and smelled an acrid scent that she couldn’t identify. The tip of the knife lowered away from her neck. She remained absolutely frozen. She couldn’t quite see where the knife was. Her instincts told her to get away from him as fast as she could, but she didn’t want to scare him into grabbing at her again.
“Lower the knife the rest of the way and drop it to the floor,” Rav instructed.
She felt the man’s hand lower and drop away from her. Her muscles tensed and she wanted to bolt away from him, but he still had the knife. She kept her eyes forward. She heard a thud beside her, glanced down and saw the knife on the floor. She didn’t wait any longer. He wasn’t holding her or the knife. She wasn’t staying around for him to change his mind.
She bolted forward. She half expected him to grab at her again, but three steps later, she believed. She was free. The men in front of her moved out of her way. Jagger grabbed her when she was near him. His arms swept around her and held her close. Tremors shook his body. She felt the butt of the gun digging into her back but didn’t care about the small irritation as long as he kept on holding her.
“Take her to your rooms, Jagger. We’ll schedule some self-defense classes to get her adjusted to her new strengths at a later time.” Rav’s voice cut into the comfort she sought.
Ada didn’t understand what he meant about her new strengths. At the moment, she didn’t care. Jagger picked her up and carried her down the hall. Ada wrapped her arms around him, relaxed and let him take her away from the crowd. She needed to be alone with him.
She pressed her face against his neck and simply breathed. Her heartbeat slowed, but the memory and the fear still floated through her mind. She’d feared dying yes, but even more than that, she’d been afraid of losing her chance with Jagger. She’d known her attraction to him was strong and that her feelings for him were deep, but that showed her she’d vastly underestimated it.
Jagger carried her into his room and quickly set the locks behind them. He held her to him for a long moment. His muscles felt as hard as metal beneath her hands. Clinging to him, she savored the heat of his body. She wanted to stay like this until she couldn’t even think about that knife anymore. She felt his arms loosening and tried to hold on to him. He released her and stepped back.
“Get out of your clothes or I’ll get you out of them.” His eyes swept down her body.
She pulled off the shirt and tried to toe off her shoes at the same time as she worked at the seal of her pants. She didn’t want these clothes shredded when they were some of the only things she had that fit decently. The intense look in his eyes told her that was exactly what would happen if she didn’t do it herself.
She had her pants around her hips and one shoe off when his pants hit the floor. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. Placing her on the bed, he finished taking off her pants and the remaining shoe.
He came down over her. His body pressed against hers. His thighs trapped hers between them and his arms braced near her shoulders. Most of the weight of his upper body rested on his elbows as he stared at her.
Wriggling her arms up from her side, she slipped them around him, hugging him as tight as she could. She had no idea what was going through his mind, but she needed him close as much as he seemed to want to be close to her.
“I almost went out of my mind.” His voice sounded rough and his head lowered just a little.
“I was so relieved to see someone come. I thought…” She let the words die. She didn’t want to say them and he probably didn’t need to hear them as tense as his body was.
“I was afraid we’d be too late when the man in security notified us. We’d been watching that section just in case something happened.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek.
“I need you.” She drew her hand up and down his back. The skin-to-skin contact was great, but she wanted to feel more than his weight pressing against her.
“I’m going to lick and taste you until I know that you’re all right.” He drew back and knelt over her. His tongue swiped across her cheek.
She laughed and pulled at him. He knew she was fine. She’d been scared, yes, and there would probably be times when she had nightmares about it, but Rogan hadn’t had a chance to hurt her. She didn’t need to be teased or coaxed. Her body was revved and ready. As ready as he was. She felt the prod of his cock against her leg.
“Now, Jagger.” She wasn’t averse to weighting the odds in her favor. Lifting up, she nipped at his shoulder. She knew he’d react to the aggressive move.
He growled and his body stiffened. “Don’t you realize how close I am to taking you now?”
She reached up and grabbed one of his hands. She tugged at it until he shifted balance and let her tug it between their bodies. She guided his hand to her pussy. His fingers curled, finding her hot and slick.
“I need you just as much. I want to feel you wild, because that’s what I crave now. Don’t try to protect me from what our bodies are demanding. Are you going to make me bite you again?” She bared her teeth at him.
His body shook and he exhaled slowly. She didn’t know if he was gathering control so he could do it his way or if he’d decided to give her what she wished. She couldn’t take slow. She needed his cock stroking deep and hard and to hold him as tight as she could. If he didn’t make a move soon, she was going to push him into doing it or push him to his back and take him.
He nudged her legs wider with one of his feet. She eagerly parted her thighs, bending her knees and making a spot for him. He knelt between her thighs. One of his hands slid under her buttocks, lifting her hips as he moved between her legs. His cock nudged against her pussy. Her inner muscles clenched, and she ached to feel that shaft deep inside.
“Caress your brea
sts. I want you to excite yourself.” He watched as she lifted her hands to her breasts.
She trailed her fingers across the tips. Keeping her touch light, she circled the nipples. She didn’t want to get too excited but knew he was stubborn. He’d hold back if he thought she wasn’t ready. She wanted him inside her.
He reached between them, guiding the head of his cock to her entrance. She lifted into his downward stroke as his cock slid into her pussy. Her hands left her chest and slid over his and around to his back. His chest brushed against hers as he braced his weight on his arms. She moved restlessly, needing him to move. He growled, and she ran her hands down to his hips to give him an urging sting with her nails.
He pulled back until only the head of his dick remained inside her. His hips drove hers against the bed. She dug her nails into his back to urge him on. She met each descent of his hips. Lifting her head, she kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth in a mimic of the way his cock drove into her. He kissed her back hungrily.
His fingers clasped her hip. His thrusts became harder and faster. She welcomed the forceful drive of his hips against hers. The knot of need in her spiraled so tight that she knew it would only be moments before she found her release. She arched upward, pressing her breasts against his chest and lifting into the fierce strokes. She tore her lips away from his, desperately gasping in air. Her entire focus centered on reaching that peak and feeling that flood of pleasure.
Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him tight with each downward thrust. The sensations combined within her and burst. Streaks of heat sizzled over her. She moaned and trembled with the pleasure as it washed over her, lingering with each thrust of his dick into her gripping pussy. She held on to him as he continued to drive into her. He came on a shout. She stiffened and arched against him as a wave of pleasure pulled her back into its grip. She reveled in the ecstasy, holding on to it for as long as she could.
When Jagger pulled out of her, she wanted to clutch him back to her. She didn’t want to give up the closeness. It felt so right to have his warm, hard body pressing against her. He sprawled beside her and then slipped an arm under her to pull her against him. She turned onto her side to snuggle a little closer.
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