Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
Changeling Press LLC
www.changelingpress.com
Copyright ©2011 by Marteeka Karland
First published in 2011, 2011
NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others.
This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.
2
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
CONTENTS
White Russian
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
Marteeka Karland
* * * *
3
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
White Russian
Marteeka Karland
All rights reserved.
Copyright (C)2011 Marteeka Karland ISBN: 978-1-60521-600-3
Formats Available:
HTML, Adobe PDF, EPub
MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader
Publisher:
Changeling Press LLC
PO Box 1046
Martinsburg, WV 25402-1046
www.ChangelingPress.com
Editor: Katriena Knights
Cover Artist: Marteeka Karland
4
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
Adult Sexual Content
This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience.
Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Legal File Usage—Your Rights
Payment of the download fee for this book grants the purchaser the right to download and read this file, and to maintain private backup copies of the file for the purchaser's personal use ONLY.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this or any copyrighted work is illegal. Authors are paid on a per-purchase basis. Any use of this file beyond the rights stated above constitutes theft of the author's earnings. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by seizure of computers, up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 per reported instance.
5
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
White Russian
Marteeka Karland
Tiressa just wants a drink. After weeks of lonely space, one breakdown after another, and delays of every kind, she just wants to relax for a few hours while the nebula storm passes. When she orders a White Russian, straight up, she doesn't get what she expects.
As a spy undercover so deep only the Supreme Commander of the military knows his mission, Yuri Dubnikov is pleasantly surprised to land in the hands of such a luscious woman. His situation is still bad, but at least he has someone interesting to pass the time with.
Convincing her he isn't the villain the press paints him to be will definitely take work.
Fortunately, she's as drawn to him as he is to her.
Their chemistry, when they collide, will be explosive.
[Back to Table of Contents]
6
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
Chapter One
Tiressa stumbled into the dimly lit holo bar and collapsed into a booth. What a fucking day! Nothing had gone right.
Absolutely nothing. Her ship had been grounded at Patmar Station because of a busted beacon lamp. When she finally did get clearance to leave, her power coil blew a ring. Now, the nebula storms had forced her to this back-space junk station with no end in sight. What the fuck else could go wrong? She just wanted to get back to Earth and civilization.
She flagged down the dark-haired waiter, who tried to ignore her. "Look, I'm tired, and all I want to do is get back to Earth. I'm seriously PMSing, and I've had absolutely no chocolate or caffeine for the last twenty solar days. Do not make me ask you twice to get your ass over here and get me a drink."
That changed the little man's mind. In a hurry.
Tiressa wasn't a small woman by any means. She stood five-nine and, though lean, carried a fair amount of muscle.
She looked like a space marine and had the temper to match, but in reality, she was a glorified delivery girl. Suited her fine.
She was the only cargo tech in the whole damned company who hadn't been jacked at least four or five times. Hell, she hadn't been jacked even once. The only pirate who'd tried got to sample his own balls.
Literally.
After that, word got around, and everyone pretty much left her alone.
7
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
"What'll it be?" The lanky waiter might have finally stopped at her table, but it was far from a willing gesture.
"White Russian. Straight up."
The man stopped in mid-movement as he tapped her order into his tablet. "Did you say, 'White Russian, straight up'?"
Tiressa had to clench her fists to keep from scratching the poor bastard's eyes out. "Did I stutter or something, or are you hard of hearing?"
"No, ma'am." His tone was suddenly respectful, and his body language screamed fear. Finally, something in her tone had made him take her seriously. Maybe this day was getting better. "I just didn't expect a woman to... err... order... such a... err... drink." He stammered all over himself, but Tiressa didn't care. Something in the back of her mind prickled, but she ignored it. If he brought her alcohol, she didn't really give a fuck.
Instead of replying, she just gave him her best icy stare, and he scurried off. Sitting back with a satisfied smirk, Tiressa crossed her legs and looked around her. The place was practically deserted save for a couple of human attendants and several bots to clean tables. The latest news feeds scrolled along the top of the bar, and holo images of fugitives and criminals danced across the banner. Including the announcement of the capture of Yuri Dubnikov.
Tiressa was never one to be intimidated by anyone, but she had to admit, knowing Dubnikov was behind bars was a relief. His reputation made her hair curl. He was wanted for so many crimes, the list ran the length of the ticker several times. Rape and murder were only minor infractions, if the 8
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
news could be believed. Crimes against humanity, genocide, and the destruction of vital trade routes using deadly means were just a few of the capital crimes he was charged with.
How much was actually true was anybody's guess, but Tiressa felt safer knowing she wouldn't run up against him on one of those sabotaged trade routes.
Everything about the man sent shivers down her spine.
Looking at his image on the news, she wondered how he'd managed to stay in hiding as long as he had. Nothing about the man was mundane. He stood out in a crowd like a beat dick. Exceedingly tall and muscular, he stood at least head and
shoulders above everyone around him, no matter where he went. His skin was pale, but not so much that his dark blond hair gave him a washed out appearance. Angular features made his face seem chiseled out of stone. One couldn't call him handsome by any means, but he definitely wasn't someone who blended in with his surroundings. Nor did he seem like a man who'd want to sneak around wherever he went.
No. Dubnikov would blatantly flaunt himself out in public just to prove he couldn't be caught. Tiressa could tell by the defiant way he boldly looked directly at the camera, not bothering to try and shield himself as so many do when caught. The smirk made Tiressa feel as if he were playing a joke on everyone, that they hadn't so much caught him as he'd let himself be caught.
Not a pleasant line of thinking as far as Tiressa was concerned.
She needed that drink. Yesterday.
9
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
She was about to get up and go get the damned thing herself when she spotted five men approaching her, one of them in chains, the others heavily armed with wicked looking blasters pointed directly at the chained man. The prisoner was eerily familiar.
"If you'll be so kind as to tell me where your ship is docked, we'll see to it the prisoner is secured before leaving you with him." The lead man looked around the bar, a little sneer on his face. "You didn't happen to bring help with you, did you? I'm not certain you can handle the big guy by yourself."
"What the fuck are you talking about? And who the hell is..." She trailed off as her attention focused on the prisoner in question.
By the gods! There was no way in hell her luck could be this bad.
"Your white Russian, ma'am." If she hadn't been so stunned, Tiressa would probably have kicked the lead guard in the nuts. As it was, all she could do was stare. Thank the gods she managed to keep her mouth closed and not gape at him.
Yuri Dubnikov. In the rock hard flesh. And his ice-blue gaze was focused squarely on her. His skin wasn't nearly as pale as the news holo made it out to be, but his hair was almost stark white and flowed down to his shoulders. He had it pulled back and tied at his neck. All that muscle and sinew was exactly like she'd seen in the holos. The man was massive.
10
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
"No fucking way." She'd started to shake, and sweat beaded her upper lip. "You can just take the big guy back where you got him. All I want is a drink. You know? White Russian? Coffee liqueur? Vodka? Cream? Alcohol! Not a man!"
"Sorry. My orders said there would be someone here to take him off my hands. The code phrase was 'White Russian, straight up.' No one would order such an Earth concoction in this part of space. You knew the code phrase. The bastard's yours, sweetheart."
"You're going to just turn him over to anyone ordering that particular drink? That's absurd! This is the most wanted killer in eight galaxies! You can't hand him over to just anyone!"
Tiressa was starting to panic. Unless she missed her guess, the authorities on this particular station would just be happy the huge man was out of their hands. They didn't care who took him as long as he was gone.
"Not my problem." His hand darted out to the security badge hanging from her vest. He scanned the thing and gave her a satisfied grin. "Docking bay ninety-four, men. Take him to her ship, secure him, and we'll all be on our merry way."
He looked at her then, and Tiressa wished to hell and back she had kicked the bastard in the nuts when he'd first approached her. He was just a little too smug for her liking. "I don't advise any liquor on your part, miss. You're likely to need all your wits about you if you plan on making it with him to High Command alive. You should leave now anyway. No time for drinking."
"I can't leave now. The nebula storms..."
11
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
"Are not my problem," the guard interrupted her with a slash of his hand. "I want this prisoner off my station, and I don't mean in a day or two. Get him away from here now."
Knowing this wasn't a battle she was going to win, Tiressa stood and stalked out of the bar without a word, not even bothering with a tip. She knew they'd follow her. Even if they didn't, they knew where she'd docked and wouldn't release the docking clamps until they had Dubnikov aboard her ship.
On the way there, Tiressa tried to think of a way out of this, but she had very few—if any—options. Her cargo hold was full, she had no escape pods, and there was no way in hell she was getting off this station unless the station guard let her.
She couldn't simply space him. No matter what he'd done, she wasn't a killer. She couldn't have them secure him in the cargo hold—there simply wasn't a nook or cranny to be found.
That left either her personal quarters or the cockpit. She definitely wasn't having him tied to her bed, so, when they reached her ship, she had the guards secure him to the back bulkhead. It was the best of a bad situation.
"All secure, sweetheart. Cybernetic enhancements or not, he's not breaking those titanium chains."
Tiressa closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before replying. "I'm not your sweetheart." There was a moment when she was sure the guard started to give her a snide reply, so she turned in her chair to face him. Slowly, she stood to her full five foot, nine inch height. She wasn't much shorter than the guard and stood nose to nose with him, bringing all the intimidation of her size and height to bear.
12
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
"Now, get the fuck off my ship." She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't have to. She might have only been a cargo transport engineer, but she knew how to use her size to intimidate. Even if the one in question was bigger than she was.
"I'd be careful, if I were you," one of the guards muttered as he left the ship.
"Yeah. You think?" She spat her reply as he headed down the landing ramp before it slowly raised and sealed.
Swearing under her breath in seven different languages, Tiressa fired up the ship's engines and began a pre-launch checklist. There was no way in hell the day could get any worse. She just hoped Dubnikov had been lashed down securely. She sure as hell wasn't getting close enough to check. Like it or not, the guard was right. Tiressa had to keep her wits about her and watch her unwanted passenger like a hawk. The only problem was, the reason she'd landed on this gods forsaken station to begin with was because of the nebula storms. Now, she was flying right into them.
This was definitely not her day.
Things were definitely going well today. The miserable bastards on this station who passed for security had played right into his hands. It would have been bad enough they were giving one of the worst hardened criminals in seven galaxies to a non-sanctioned, non-military transport, but to force him on a single woman with no genetic or cybernetic enhancements to defend herself was unforgivable.
Not only that, but the transfer had been signed by the head commander in the area. This didn't bode well for High 13
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
Command. Yuri had been planted so deep it was likely that, had this station actually handed him over to the proper authorities, he would have been executed before word could reach them he was undercover. Only the Supreme Commander himself knew of Yuri's operation. It was the first rule of running black ops. If you have a secret, keep it to yourself. Tell one other person only if absolutely necessary.
There wasn't another option. It was a code Yuri had lived by since he'd first been chosen for the Imperial Special Forces.
Now, he looked at the woman who would be his captor for the next few days. True, she looked like she could hold her own in a fight, but it didn't take long for Yuri to realize she had absolutely no military or combat training whatsoever. He could tell by the way she held herself, and her weapon. She was carrying it out of obligation, not like it was an extension of her body. As he watched her st
alk around the tiny cockpit, the twist of her luscious ass encased in black leather made him grin.
"Nice ass, baby. Gives me something to look forward to when we're all alone in the blackness of space." His voice was husky with lust, and he didn't try to disguise it. "I can't wait to sink my teeth into one of those plump cheeks." He put as much crass contempt in his voice as he could. Her ass might have grabbed his attention, but her response stole his heart in a way he never expected a woman to do.
She stopped her work, but she didn't turn around. Not at first, anyway. But when she did, flames practically shot from her eyes straight into his gut. Slowly, ever so slowly, she approached him, never taking her eyes from his.
14
Wanted: White Russian
by Marteeka Karland
"You like my ass?" Her voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent of deadly anger.
He knew he should just smirk at her and refuse to answer.
It would have been the wisest thing to do, but he had never really been one to play it safe. "Looks good enough to eat."
He snapped his teeth at her for added effect, leaning forward to strain his chains, causing them to rattle with the movement. Her reaction was almost instantaneous.
In two long strides, she was on him. There was a flash of steel and a sharp sting underneath his chin as her blade found its mark. For a split second, Yuri thought she had him, thought her knife would go straight through his neck and find his brain stem. A quick death to be sure, but she stopped with only a couple of millimeters of her blade into his flesh.
"Let's get one thing straight, flyboy. I'm not here to be your personal fuck toy. I got drafted to bring your ass to the Justice Warriors. If your public rap sheet is to be believed, my killing you would only save the taxpayers a lengthy trial and an execution. I may not be a combat soldier, but I have absolutely no problem gutting you like a Travarian sloth. Do we understand each other?"
Yuri was honestly afraid to move, but in that one instant, he knew he was in love. Instead of making a smart-assed comment, as he normally would, he simply replied with,
Wanted: White Russian Page 1