Mercenaries

by Anne Kane

  Then he scooped her up in his arms, his mouth coming down to devour hers, and all rational thought vanished. Again. He tended to have that effect on her.

  Laying her gently on the ground, he traced her curves with reverent fingers. “I spend every night dreaming of you, of what I would do to you if you were mine.”

  He paused, running a hand over the curve of her hip. Barely above a whisper, his voice betrayed the depths of his feelings. “I never thought I stood a chance with you. You’re special. You deserve so much more than I can offer you.”

  Without waiting for a reaction, he lowered his head to taste the smooth skin of her belly, the tip of his tongue following his hand over her hips. He covered her breast with the other hand, shaping the sensitive flesh with his fingers.

  Wren closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her. Lust curled through her body, and she couldn’t hold still beneath his marauding hands. “I need you.”

  “I know.” He nipped the skin on her inner thigh, his breath hot on her skin. “Open up for me.” She spread her legs, allowing him access to the soft folds guarding the entrance to her sex. Not even the tiniest scrap of lace barred his way.

  A tiny moan escaped her lips as he used his tongue to find the little bundle of nerves at her clit. The sensation, so intense it bordered on painful, left her gasping for breath and she clung to him as heat flared through every nerve.

  “So good, so very good.” He whispered the words against her, as he tasted her most private parts, his tongue delving deep to plunder the nectar at her very center.

  Wren arched into his mouth as he thrust his tongue repeatedly into her damp heat. He slid one finger inside her, pumping it in and out, increasing the pace as her body responded to a rhythm as old as time itself.

  “You’re driving me insane.” She barely managed to gasp the words out.

  “Glad to hear it.” He lowered his face to rake his teeth across her clit, and she lost the ability to speak. She felt the orgasm begin at her toes, sweeping up through her and pushing everything but the wave of incredible pleasure out of its way. Her lips parted just as Snake surged up over her, taking the strangled scream from her lips as her orgasm peaked.

  He braced himself on one elbow and slid a condom over his shaft before guiding his hard cock to her pussy lips. She let out a second cry, one of welcome as he plunged deep inside.

  She felt incredibly full; overwhelmed by the sheer naked lust that refused to let her out of its clutches.

  Snake cupped her face with one hand, and she let her eyelids flutter open. His eyes were deep pools of desire, burning hot in his face. She could see the incredible effort it took him to stop, to give her time to adjust to his possession of her. He was so damn big, much bigger than any other man she’d ever known.

  In response to his wordless question, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.

  He began to move. Slowly at first, thrusting balls deep before withdrawing almost completely. Long powerful thrusts of his hips sent the fires burning once more through the depths of her body.

  Wren closed her eyes and gave herself up to the sheer pleasure of the moment. Wrapping her legs around Snake’s muscular waist, she locked her heels behind his back and matched him thrust for thrust.

  Within minutes she could feel the momentum building once again, pushing her toward a release that glittered, tantalizing, just beyond her reach. Darts of liquid heat pranced across every inch of naked skin.

  Snake thrust hard one last time, clutching her close and letting out a primal yell of triumph as his hot seed spurted out.

  The sound triggered Wren’s own release, flinging her off the edge of sanity and into the vast universe beyond. She caught her breath as a thousand tiny aftershocks rocked through her, leaving her panting and shell-shocked with sheer pleasure.

  As the waves of pleasure slowly subsided, Snake rolled off to his side without letting her go. They lay there, locked together, and for just a brief moment Wren got an inkling of what it would be like to be Snake’s woman, to know that these strong arms would always be there to hold and protect her.

  She kept her eyes firmly closed for the longest time, avoiding the inevitable return to reality.

  Chapter Two

  Two weeks later…

  Wren watched from deep in the shadows of the doorway as Snake slung a leg over his motorcycle and fired it up. Where the hell is he going?

  She’d finally worked up the courage to confront him about their relationship, or lack thereof and he was buggering off into the night? Without any of the other guys on the team? Well, shit.

  She felt a heavy lump of dread forming in the pit of her stomach. He was going out at night. Alone. Without his buddies. Not a lot of reasons for doing that came to mind.

  Except a woman.

  As in another woman. A woman who wasn’t her. Was that why he’d been ignoring her? She’d thought they were finally making progress, but maybe that wonderful night they’d spent together had been a huge mistake on his part. Hell, maybe he’d had another woman all along.

  Snake pulled on his helmet and dropped the bike into gear, roaring out of the compound without as much as a backward glance.

  Then again, it’s not like he knew she was lurking in the shadows spying on him.

  She took a deep, steadying breath. Only one thing to do, really. She needed some answers.

  Hurrying back inside, she grabbed the keys to the jeep.

  * * *

  He wasn’t all that hard to follow. At this time of night, the roads were almost deserted, and Snake’s motorcycle was loud. Very loud. The hardest part of the whole thing was making sure Snake didn’t realize someone was stalking him.

  Despite the lump of lead in her stomach, she felt the corner of her mouth curve upward at the thought of her being a stalker. Amazing how life could change. Less than a year ago she’d had a heavy collar around her neck, and lived in a locked cage. Now she was stalking a guy she’d made wild love to in a moonlit clearing, and she thought he might be seeing someone else. Funny how things worked out in life. If there were a deity in charge of all this, she had one hell of a sense of humor!

  In this area of town the houses were mostly brick, set on large lots with real trees and grass surrounding them. Definitely the rich side of town.

  She rounded a corner and found herself almost on top of Snake and his bike. He’d pulled off to the side of the road and was busy securing his helmet to the lock behind the seat.

  Struggling to recover her equilibrium Wren kept going, praying he was too focused on his own agenda to recognize the jeep. Circling the block, she managed to find a parking space farther up the street where she could watch him from a distance. Unfortunately by the time she managed that, all she saw was the tail end of his boot going over a rock wall.

  Odd. She couldn’t see Snake as the kind of guy to have a thing with someone else’s woman, but why else would he park his bike and jump a wall into the back of someone’s property? She felt the knot in her stomach relax a tiny bit. Maybe he wasn’t involved with another woman. There had to be something else going on here. But what?

  Only one way to find out. Checking to make sure her com-unit was firmly fastened around her wrist, she smoothed her hair back and hopped out onto the sidewalk.

  She took her time, strolling along as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She passed the spot where Snake’s feet had disappeared, but kept going. Even if she thought she could vault over such a high wall, it didn’t seem like the best of ideas. She had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side.

  She kept walking until she came to a massive set of wrought iron gates that blocked entry to some type of huge estate. A long driveway led from the locked gates to a cluster of buildings in the distance. There seemed to be a lot of people scurrying to and fro but that was one damn long driveway, and the people were too far away for Wren to see what they were doing. It looked more like a military facility than a home, and W
ren’s curiosity kicked into high gear. Where the heck did Snake fit into this picture?

  Since he hadn’t entered by the main gate, or any gate at all for that matter, she had to assume he didn’t want to be seen. Maybe this is some kind of espionage mission? Grasping the cold iron gates with both hands, she strained to see what the people at the far end of the driveway were doing.

  Within seconds, two guards materialized out of the decorative gatehouse, startling her into taking a step back. She hadn’t realized the gatehouse was manned. The younger of the two smiled at her, but the warmth didn’t extend to his eyes. His hand went to the butt of the holstered gun at his waist, caressing it in a rather disturbing fashion. “Can we help you?”

  She shook her head, survival instincts kicking into high gear now. These guys did not want to help her. She’d bet her last cred chip on it. “No. I was just out for a walk and stopped to admire the lovely stone wall.” She gestured at the towering six-foot high rock wall on either side of the gates. “It’s very beautiful. Who lives here?”

  The guard shook his head, a slight frown furrowing his brow. “Sorry, I can’t quite hear you.”

  He motioned her closer, and idiot that she was, she took that fatal step forward.

  She didn’t see it coming. The taser took her down instantly and the two guards rushed out to grab her, dragging her through the narrow walking gate and into the guard hut. With chilling efficiency they removed her com-unit and secured her arms behind her back with a cable tie, then gagged her so that she couldn’t scream for help.

  As if that were an option. The simple art of breathing was taking all her concentration right now. That taser packed one hell of a punch. She lay on the cold tile floor, unable to regain control of her limbs. One guard kept a close watch on her, while the older of the two called for instructions.

  She groaned inwardly. What had she managed to get herself mixed up in this time?

  By the time they grabbed her on either side and began to frog-march her across the open compound square toward a two-story building, she had mostly recovered from the effects of the taser, but she was still no match for two well-armed guards. No matter how much she twisted and squirmed she couldn’t free herself from the pair.

  What did Snake have to do with this place? The other woman theory had bit the dust about the same time she did.

  They marched her up a set of imposing stone stairs and into the building, ignoring the fact that her calves and feet were bruised and raw in places from the rough treatment. She’d lost one of her shoes when they dragged her through the gate, and most of her hair had escaped from its ponytail. She suspected she looked more look like a refugee from the Alliance holding tanks than a lovesick idiot trying to find out where her lover spent his nights. How did she manage to get herself into these messes?

  The doors opened into a large hall, and the two guards wasted no time in dragging her across the hall. Although there were several other people in the building, no one seemed to think it odd that a woman with a gag in her mouth was being dragged, against her will, through the entrance. The guards herded her into a smaller side room and thrust her into a metal cage in the center.

  Okay, this was definitely some kind of military facility. The smirk on the younger guard’s face as the two turned to leave left her with a nasty taste in her mouth. Where the hell was Snake and what was he up to? This didn’t make any sense at all, and while she highly doubted he had a lady friend stashed somewhere in this hellhole, it seemed equally unlikely that he was somehow mixed up with these guys.

  She gave her head a mental shake. Maybe she needed to rethink her modus operandi. After being kidnapped and held in a fighting arena last year, you’d think she’d be smart enough to avoid this kind of thing, but no. Here she was again. Jumping in with both feet before finding out what was going on didn’t seem to be working so well for her.

  She looked around the room carefully, making sure there weren’t any other nasty guys lurking in the corners before she tested her bonds. Sadly, she had more than a little bit of experience in trying to escape from bondage. Flexing her hands, she found enough slack in the ties to slip her hands free. Well at least something was going in her favor!

  For now, though, she slipped her hands back into the restraints. She was in a cage, and given the military flavor of this place it was highly possible she was being watched on a vid feed. She’d save that surprise for when it might actually help her to escape. The last thing she wanted right now was for the smiling young guard to return and do a better job of securing her.

  * * *

  From his hiding place behind a particularly fragrant flowering bush, Snake watched two burly guards drag a woman toward the main building. She wasn’t going willingly, twisting and squirming wildly between them. The scene definitely lent credence to the rumors he’d heard about this place. His gut reaction was to leap over the bush, beat the shit out of the two goons, and rescue the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, that wasn’t currently an option.

  He clenched his fist, but forced himself to remain still. The purpose of this trip was intelligence, finding out what was going on. Interfering with anything at this point would blow that right out of the water.

  He’d overheard a conversation at one of the local pubs that implied the lost children project had been resurrected again. If he saw anything that bore that premise out, he’d take it back to the rest of the guys and together they’d decide what to do about it. Several of their girlfriends had been involved in that horrific experiment, and the thought of it being restarted wouldn’t go over well with women or the rest of the group of mercenaries.

  The woman tossed her head, her long blonde hair swinging sideways in a sleek cascade and for a brief moment he got a clear look at her face, including her terrified blue eyes. An invisible fist slammed him right in the gut.

  Wren!

  What the hell was she doing here? After being abducted by a fighting ring and then rescued by Snake and his buddies less than a year ago, Wren would surely be smart enough to stay well away from guys who viewed females as little more than animals to be used and discarded. Apparently not. His little bird seemed to have a knack for getting herself into trouble.

  Suddenly, tonight’s outing became upgraded from eyes-only to a rescue mission. There was no way in hell he was leaving here without the feisty beauty who’d stolen his heart the first moment he’d seen her. He might not be good enough for her, but he was way better than the scum who ran this place.

  It had been over a decade since rumors of the lost children had been bandied about. It was said that the government had conducted experiments on street orphans, turning the unfortunate waifs into human/computer hybrids who could infiltrate a computer network or electronic installation at the touch of a hand. The cybernetic beings they created were incredibly talented; able to connect themselves to all types of electronic equipment with a mere touch and bypass the harshest security protocols to obtain classified information. The government had been ecstatic at first, picturing a whole new step in man’s evolution and their own control over the population.

  Their elation had been short-lived. The children had proved too volatile to control.

  He looked around, narrowing his eyes as he assessed the sparse cover available in the compound. Out here, there was not much chance of making a move to snatch Wren back. Low, barrack style buildings lined both sides of an open central square. To the left a high stone wall bordered the heavy iron gates, which appeared to have at least two guards in attendance at all times. To his right sat a massive two-story block building. He eyed it thoughtfully. Given the amount of traffic coming and going through the colossal front doors, it had to house the main offices and administration areas.

  His felt his heart twist helplessly in his chest as Wren disappeared through those doors, but throwing himself on two heavily-armed soldiers would be pure suicide. He hadn’t felt so helpless since he’d seen his entire family gunned down by the rebels during the provincial war
s.

  How the hell had Wren ended up being dragged through this compound by two goons? He’d deliberately avoided telling anyone about this place until he was sure of his facts so calling in backup would take time, and time was the one thing he didn’t have much of if he wanted to get Wren out of here before anything nasty happened.

  He needed to get himself a plan. He liked plans. Plans meant he had control of the situation and he was all about control.

  Rising silently to his feet, he glided along the length of the hedge, hesitating to confirm no one was looking before he drifted across the open grass toward the main building. The key to not being noticed was to look like you belonged, and in a compound full of beefy soldier types, he could blend in without any problem at all.

  He managed to cross the full width of the compound without anyone challenging him. Reaching his target building, he didn’t hesitate. Taking the stairs at a quick clip, he made it to the wide landing at the top and pulled open the towering front doors. No one batted an eye as he entered the massive main hall.

  Now all he had to do was find his girl.

  * * *

  Wren’s heartbeat jumped as the door opened and the younger of the two guards re-entered the room, followed by a tough-looking guy in military fatigues. The latter strode up to the cage, circling her with a thoughtful look on his face. He reminded her of the trainers at the fight facility she’d been held hostage in, and the thought did nothing to make her feel better about her current situation. Instinctively, she turned in the small cage so that she faced him at all times.

  Don’t ever let them see you flinch. Amazing how quickly the survival tips she’d learned at that facility came back to her.

  “Interesting.” The man folded his hands behind his back, his cold gaze moving slowly from the tips of her feet upward until he was staring her straight in the eyes. “You say she just showed up at the gate?”

  The young guard nodded. “Yes sir, Major. Said she was admiring the grounds or something. She didn’t even try to get away. Obviously had no clue.”