"Where is he going? Shouldn't he help your friend?" He had momentarily forgotten Chayle but quickly shook off his worries.
"He went to cool off." Bending down, Kayne felt for a pulse, knowing before touching Merc that he was alive but thankful it was strong and steady. Rafe was one of the strongest warriors they had and he could easily kill an opponent with that particular technique, and had when necessary.
"Is he alright? Do we need to call a doctor?" Chayle bent down next to him, filling him with her scent. Kayne immediately felt it all the way to his cock. He looked up at her and grinned before answering, a dark simmer in those beautiful eyes of his, causing Chayle's stomach to clench.
"He's good, but out cold. Rafe has taught that particular maneuver to many of the men and some of the women who have the strength to pull it off. Mercury just forgot to duck." Walking over to a corner she hadn’t seen before, Kayne pulled a small bottle of water from a cooler, twisting the cap off as he came back.
Chayle watched in amazement as he slowly and deliberately poured the entire contents over the injured man's head. Mercury instantly rolled over and came up sputtering, ready to fight.
"Have a nice nap?" Kayne teased, watching the murderous glare in Mercury's dark eyes.
"Your brother is a…" he suddenly stopped, realizing the two of them were not alone.
"You were saying?" Kayne goaded him, knowing exactly what he was going to say, since he had called his brother many such names after a particularly hard work out.
"Where is he?" Mercury growled, shaking his wet hair.
"He went to cool off and calm down." Chayle said, watching the huge man standing in front of her. Without realizing it, she had automatically moved closer to Kayne as soon as Mercury came awake and stood up. His size and the look in those angry eyes terrified her.
Mercury closed his eyes for a few moments, then shook his head. "He won't answer," he whispered.
"Leave it, Merc." Kayne handed the huge man a towel that Chayle had not seen him retrieve earlier with the water. "Let him cool off and then talk to him."
"What do you mean, he won't answer? You haven't talked to him yet." Chayle watched the two men pass a silent look between them before she realized they were not going to answer her. "Well, at least tell me if I'm in the crazy house or not?"
Mercury's grin was instantaneous and infectious. "Of course you are, didn't Kayne explain all of it to you yet?"
With a hard slap on Kayne's back and another growl as Mercury moved toward the doors of the shower room, Chayle could have sworn she heard her lover growl back at Merc.
"Stop the growly thing!" she whispered, gently slapping his huge arm.
"You need to stop ordering me around, woman!" Before Chayle knew what was happening Kayne picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, head hanging down his back. She had a perfect view of his tight ass and long legs. Damn, it was a long way down to the ground from where she was.
"Put me down, you moron! You cannot just decide to cart me around anytime you get the urge!" she screamed, slapping those tight buns.
"Wanna bet?" he laughed as he took off out the doors.
"But I want to see the rest of this place. You promised!" she continued screaming, hoping someone would stop them, but of course, there was not a soul in sight. She did hear male chuckles from somewhere but no a soul stepped in to help as he stomped off toward the house.
"I'll show you the rest of it later. Right now I want you under me!" There was what sounded like another growl and she tried to bite him on his ass.
"You bite me, woman and I'll bite back. You may not like where I bite you!" he promised.
"Tyrant!" she screamed, slapping his tight ass.
"You have no idea," His laugh echoed in the empty foyer of the house as he quickly climbed the stairs.
Chapter 11
Kayne dropped her in the middle of their bed after taking the stairs two at a time. He stared down at her as Chaley huffed and puffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. Her color was high, giving her cheekbones a beautiful flush and her breasts rose at the rise and fall of her chest as she tried to calm her temper but Kayne didn't care. To him, she was the most beautiful thing in his world.
Slowly, like a huge cat stalking its prey, he crawled onto the foot of the bed, his dark blue eyes never leaving Chayle's face. She crab crawled backward away from him toward the head of the bed but the look in his eyes stopped her when he growled again.
"Stop the growly thing," she hissed.
"You leave this bed and I will redden your ass," he purred, moving toward her again.
"You wouldn't dare!" Chayle screamed, appalled that he would even threaten such a thing.
"Yes, I would dare, woman!" he growled again. "You need to learn that when I say drop, you drop. When I say run, you run. If I say stay, you will damn well stay!"
"I am NOT a dog, and I will not STAY!" she screamed, scrambling off the side of the bed toward the French doors.
Kayne grabbed a slim ankle just as she made to slip off the bed, dragging her back under him. In one move he covered her slight body with his heavier one, making sure to keep his bulk off of her. He could feel the tremors and anger vibrate from head to toe no matter how Chayle tried to hide them.
"I want to keep you safe, mate," he whispered in her ear, licking behind at the tender spot he had discovered the night before. "I cannot breathe when you are in danger, can you not understand that?"
"There was no danger, Kayne." She shoved at his shoulders, trying to move the mountain of muscle holding her down, knowing it was impossible to do so. "You can't wrap me in cotton and lace and expect me to stay there now. I have to fight this my way."
He felt wetness on his shoulder and looked down. Silent tears streamed down her face and Kayne's heart melted.
"Ah my heart," he crooned. "I do not want to coddle you, just protect you." He kissed each tear, licking them away and feeling his heart break with each one that slipped down. Chayle shuddered in his arms and he pulled her close.
"I want you to use the training facilities. Train, but go slowly. I want you strong, and I know you think you can usually defend yourself but I just need to make sure you are safe." He pushed back the bangs hanging her in eyes and forced her to look at him. When she finally, did he smiled. "I cannot live without you, Chayle. You may not realize it and I know you do not understand yet, but you are my heart and I will not give you up. Not to any monster out there. Not to anyone!"
"Oh Kayne," she whispered. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Let me love you," he growled, and began to show her just what he meant.
Their loving was slow and tender. Kayne took his time stripping their clothes, licking and touching every inch and spot as it was bared, making a slow game of pulling each piece away from her body. He kissed the inside of her knees, licking and pulling the taste deep into his pores like it was like the very air he breathed. He shuddered, working to get himself under control as he discovered new treasures all along her skin continued to investigate every inch, memorizing and mapping it with his fingertips and tongue.
When Chayle was insane with need, begging for him to take her, he finally spread her thighs and entered her in one swift arch. Kayne's earlier revelation that he and his men could not transmit any kind of STDs, and were immune to most human diseases because of all of the genetic experimentation that had been done had been an interesting discussion, to say the least.
Basically, they were a new species of homo sapiens, created by Chayle's own government in a misguided attempt to create the super solider that could be ordered to follow any commands once they were reprogramed. Faster and heartier, deadlier. Totally alienated from the population they were created to protect and follow orders but the experiment failed. They weren’t mindless soldiers or robots that could be ordered to kill on a whim. They were just wonderfully enhanced men and women with the same wants and needs as anyone else. Now, she was just thankful, because she could feel him skin to skin and
it was glorious.
Kayne sank into the warmth of this woman who now held his heart, mentally reached for his lover, hoping she was ready to experience all that they would have together. There was no way he could hold back, not now, not anymore. He mentally reached out for Chaley, and the connection snapped into place like an umbilical cord between them. Kayne could feel every emotion, every rise and fall of Chayle's chemical makeup and love as she stared into his eyes, and it was glorious. He knew the exact instant she realized he was there, inside her emotions and she inside of his.
"Kayne?" she whispered softly, her mind-voice quivering with need and shock.
"Yes baby, feel me!" He pushed deeply inside of her, holding still as he watched her eyes round and her breath catch as his emotions twined deeply with hers. He wove an intricate web around them that looped their emotions and sexual desires back and forth until neither of them could feel where one began and the other ended.
"Oh God, Kayne, so good…" she managed to say just before her world exploded into a thousand stars with Kayne's arms holding her safe and warm as she fell deeper under his spell.
"I've got you, baby," she heard just before her world went dark.
Kayne lay in the dark, listening to his mate sleep while going over the last details in his mind for the short mission he was taking the next day. Merc and Rafe had agreed to shadow Chayle while he was away, but with so many others onsite, Kayne had doubts that anyone would be stupid enough to try to get to her on their home base.
"Kayne, did you confirm the location of the drop today? Is the mission green?" Merc silently asked him, a touch of annoyance coming through their link.
"Of course. What's wrong?" Kayne waited but his friend refused to answer. "Merc, what has you so riled?"
"I went to check on the other female and she's not doing well. The doctors' cannot get her to talk. It’s just…" the annoyance and frustration that filled Merc bordered on rage. "She’s terrified of me so I cannot get anything from her but doe-eyed terror and curling into a ball."
Kayne knew what most people saw on the outside was the first impression, and with Merc that was a hardened giant with dark eyes and scary profile. Few got close enough to see the softness that actually filled the man with tenderness inside that hardened shell.
"Send Rafe to talk to her. Maybe his special gifts can reach across and calm her enough to get her to talk. It will also give him something to do to keep him occupied," Kayne chuckled, knowing his brother's temperament.
"Not a bad idea." Merc's agreement eased Kayne's anxiety for his twin. "Just keep your head down, bring the team home in one piece tomorrow, and don't do anything stupid! We'll keep your mate safe."
"My thanks, brother," was all Kayne could say, emotions filling him as he pulled Chayle close to his chest.
Chapter 12
The Master stood before the Saint Andrew's Cross with the custom-made whip much like the age-old cat-of-nine tails easily held in his left hand. Cold black eyes watched as two minions strap Davis onto the Cross, naked and facing him instead of presenting his back, as was the usual custom. This wasn't a simple exhibition or a lesson. He couldn't allow failure from his followers because that would make him look weak and weakness was NOT allowed.
Davis finally groaned, waking from the drug it had taken to knock him out so he could be stripped and hung from his arms, chained by wrists and ankles. Once he realized where he was and what was happening fear filled his eyes instead of anger.
"What the hell?" he yelled. "Master, why? I've done everything you asked." Davis' whine grated on the Master's nerves, sealing the man's fate like nothing else could.
"You of all people know I do not tolerate failure," he whispered, but everyone in the room heard him and it raised the hairs on the arms and neck of all standing around the room. Some made a move to leave, but the Master stopped them with a raised hand and one phrase.
"Leave and you take his place when this is done!"
Everyone froze in place.
"I did as you asked, Master," Davis begged. "There was no way to follow them, no way to find where they went."
"Your failure to complete your mission is unacceptable, no matter the reason. I cannot allow that to continue." He raised the whip, slapping the space between Davis and where he stood like the professional he was. The hiss and snap caused everyone in the room to jump. A small, thin line of blood began to trickle down from across Davis' taunt stomach.
"No Master - please, just kill me," Davis continued to beg, his eyes now wild as the full reality of the situation settled on the room. This man would only leave after the Master had stripped ribbons of flesh from him. It wouldn't matter where the flesh was taken, only that it caused as much pain and prolonged his agony as long as possible.
"Your death will show the others what is expected. Now either take it like a man or scream like a child. I care not!" the Master growled, bringing the whip down across the other man's groin and upper thighs in a viscous strike that ripped all the way to the bone.
The screams and torments of the damned were only part of the hell that the Master visited upon Davis as he reminded his followers what he expected of all of them the next time he sent someone out on a mission. Failure was NOT an option.
Each strip of flesh pealed from the man's body fed the Master's need for revenge, the need to reclaim that which had been taken from him. The women belonged to him, he had allowed them to survive only because of the need to test the waters of his opponents, never expecting them to actually escape the traps he had set for them each time.
The whip sang through the air once more, satisfying his need for a taste of blood and pain against animals no better than those who served him now. Those who should not be allowed to roam free instead of caged and tested, taught to serve their Masters as was their design.
Silence finally filled the room nearly an hour later except for the whip, and the Master slowed the whip, focusing on what was left of the man hanging on the rack.
"Take that thing down and dispose of it, and clean this mess up." He turned, handing the whip to the naked servant standing behind him without notice.
"Yes, Master." The automatic answer was whispered, barely audible in the hushed room.
He would find his Treasures and bring them back, and he would teach the animals that they were still nothing more than that - just animals. If it was the last thing he ever did. No one escaped his control and those twins had to learn a lesson or die. This world could not be tolerated with any other outcome.
Chapter 13
Chayle stretched, her eyes still closed as she felt her muscles ache but moving easier than they had a week ago. Reaching toward the other side of the super-king-size bed she felt the empty warmth where Kayne must have been not long ago. The man could move like a ghost when he wanted to, and she was beginning to think it was a natural thing for him rather than learned.
Closing her eyes, she moved her body like a contented cat, remembering the night before after Kayne had dumped her on the bed. By now the entire complex must know that she and Kayne were sleeping together but that was not what bothered her. His autocratic, tyrannical attitude was something she just could not tolerate, her independence fighting it at every turn. With a sigh, she pushed from the warmth of the bed and headed for the massive shower, determined to find the training facilities for some serious workout time before Kayne returned from wherever he had disappeared.
When she finally walked into the training facilities an hour later the first thing Chayle did was let her curiosity loose and investigate. It held the standard weight training and running equipment, but the rooms off to the left caught her attention. She knew from their previous visit that the showers and dressing rooms were to the right so her curiosity took over as she started opening doors. A Janitors' closets, a small kitchenette, and storage room were the first doors she found.
It was the last one that had her mouthwatering, dropping open in awe.
A state-of-the-art holographic
cave sat silently beckoning her to enter and explore. A console displayed various screens, easy enough for her to figure out once she was sure what she was looking at, and Chayle found the system complete with pre-programmed workouts that had her drooling. The blackout walls inside the room were cavernous, giving the perception of going on indefinitely so that many of the programs were interactive, learning and intuitive. She scanned the huge selection of programs to find everything from laser targets to hand-to-hand combat opponents. Finally, she made a selection, took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave, and another world.
So lost in the program, it was a couple of hours later Chayle felt the hairs along the back of her neck prickle, awareness seeping into her consciousness at being watched. Sweat stung her eyes and wisps of hair had sprung loose from where she had braided it to keep the long tresses out of the way. Her trainer had once told her the long braid could be used as a tool against her in a true fight and the smart thing would be to cut it short, keep it that way. However, Chayle was vain enough about her hair that she refused to cut the length that fell just below her shoulder blades. Now she brushed the moisture from her damp face, reaching over to push a pause button on the wall next to her. The action figure she had been sparring with instantly froze in the middle of throwing a punch that would have killed most unsuspecting victims.
Breathing hard, Chayle cocked one hip and propped a fist on it, turning to look back over her shoulder at the blackout screens where the control room sat. For some reason she knew it was not Kayne who was watching her, and it pissed her off that someone had interrupted her workout.
"If you're going to stand there and act like a voyeur then you can leave!" she spat, eyes flashing with annoyance. A deep voice came over the intercom, vibrating through the room.
"You're pretty good." She did not recognize it, but refused to show anything other than distain for the interruptions.
Promises (Blood Brothers #1) Page 8