Sweet Charity

by N. J. Walters

  Instead, she sank her fingers into his hair and yanked him close, planting a short, hard kiss on his lips. “Be careful.” There was so much she wanted to say to him, but there was no time and she wasn’t even certain he’d want to hear it. There had been no talk of the future, no discussion past tonight’s battle.

  She barely had time to taste him when she was pulling back. They both had to keep their focus. She’d barely leaned away when Adrian tangled his hand in her hair and yanked her toward him. He slammed his lips down on hers, shoving his tongue into her mouth.

  Heat ripped through her. She gripped his head, not wanting to lose contract as he stroked her tongue with his. He tasted of dark passion, of sex, of male dominance. Her panties grew damp as the folds of her sex grew wet and swollen. She ached for Adrian, wanted to be with him.

  He tugged her head away from his and stared down at her, his pale eyes glittering in the moonlight. They were both breathing hard. Neither of them said anything. The atmosphere around them was charged with sexual tension, with unrequited needs.

  Suddenly, he dropped his hand and spun around. “They’re coming.”

  The jump from sexual arousal back to business made Charity’s head spin. She sucked in a breath and tried to ignore the rapid beat of her heart and the heavy pulse between her thighs. She heard it then, the rumbling sound of the garbage vehicle. It was like a slap in the face, bringing her back to reality, to the reason they were here.

  The vehicle sped by, its lights breaking the darkness. On top, a man sat behind an armor-plated shield, a gun peeking through a slit. It came to a stop at the dump. The driver quickly pulled a lever and the back part of the vehicle tilted upward so that the load inside fell to the ground in a disgusting heap. It was quickly lowered into place and the driver swung the vehicle around to head back to the inner city. The entire operation took under a minute.

  “Get ready.” Adrian’s low, toneless voice reached her. She gathered herself, coming up into a crouch, ready to move. “Go,” he commanded as the vehicle rumbled by. Adrian moved swiftly and quietly, vaulting easily into the rear of the garbage truck.

  Charity ran, her knees pumping and her stride lengthening as she strained to reach the moving vehicle. She wasn’t sure she could make it. It was much easier getting out of this thing when it was moving than it was to get in. Adrian held out his hand and she jumped, grabbing onto his hand. He yanked her into the truck, catching her in his arms so she didn’t fall.

  She couldn’t hear over the pounding of her heart and the deep growls of the vehicle as it powered them toward the Gate. They’d made it. They had a ways to go yet, but it was a start.

  She grinned at Adrian and then wrinkled her nose as she got a whiff of her surroundings. It was just as unpleasant as she remembered it. The truck jolted, throwing her against Adrian’s chest. He braced his back against the side of the vehicle and wrapped both arms around her.

  In spite of the danger facing them and their unpleasant surroundings, Charity was surprisingly content. She was doing something important and she was with the man she loved. If she died tonight, it was worth it. To have these few days of freedom, of making a difference, was worth everything.

  She suddenly understood Manuel and how he was willing to die for this cause, this man beside her. Why he’d wanted to continue to fight even as the blood drained from his body.

  Freedom. Freedom to live and love as you chose was everything.

  “This is it.” Adrian sounded calm, while she was anything but. The garbage truck was slowing down and finally came to a halt.

  Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty and her breathing was way too fast. She concentrated on trying to control her breath as she hitched her pack tighter over her shoulder.

  He tugged her down, covering her body with his as the vehicle started to move again. She peeked around Adrian’s shoulder as they passed through the Gate. She recognized the small, secure building that housed the controls to the Gate’s entrance. Men called out to one another, machinery creaked and groaned as the truck entered the inner city.

  “Be careful,” Adrian warned. “And stay close.”

  She nodded, but he wasn’t looking at her. He jumped, rolling swiftly to one side and off the road. She followed, not quite as graceful. She was just heaving a sigh of relief when a spotlight blinded her. She brought her arm up to shade her eyes.

  She heard Adrian swearing behind her and the sound of boots pounding on the ground. Lots of boots. The garbage vehicle stopped, turning so it blocked the entire road. The driver jumped out of the vehicle and took position on the far side, resting his rifle on the hood of the truck.

  “You’re surrounded. Come out with your hands up.”

  Charity swiveled her head around, unable to believe what she was hearing. It was her father. Adrian swore again, low and lurid, and she glanced at him. She flinched at the fury in his eyes. Did he believe she was part of this?

  “Come out, Charity,” the General yelled. “My men have him covered. Your job is done. It’s safe for you.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You can’t believe him,” she whispered frantically at Adrian.

  He stared at her, the fire in his eyes extinguished, his gaze flat. She’d never seen him like this and she was terrified. This was the Alpha, the cold-blooded assassin. The killer.

  It didn’t matter. The man she loved was still there inside him and she’d do whatever it took to save him. Shoving her hand into her pack, she pulled out two of the explosive devices Derrik had given her earlier and surreptitiously jammed them into her pockets.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” she warned him. She couldn’t look at his face any longer. Didn’t want to know if he thought she’d betrayed him. It didn’t matter. Not now. Maybe if they survived this, it would matter. Right now, all she wanted to do was to get Adrian out of here alive. “I’m coming out,” she yelled.

  Slowly, she stood, raising her hands above her head. She scanned the area. The control station was off to her right. Her father was directly in front of her, a smug look on his face. She could see the sadistic glee glinting in his eyes and knew he’d used her.

  He’d allowed her to find the prisoner, let her escape to the outer city. If she managed to bring some of the Resistance to him…well then, all the better. If she died out there in the dangerous world beyond the Gate, it was no big deal. Collateral damage. She could read the truth in his eyes as easily as if he told her in words.

  The General was certain of her. He thought she’d do nothing to stop him. And why would he think differently? She’d never defied him in her entire life. Not until she’d left here, and he’d orchestrated that. He wouldn’t suspect her to do anything brave or foolish.

  She didn’t think about Adrian behind her, watching her walk to his greatest enemy. She could feel his eyes boring into her back. Raising her chin, she strode toward her father. She didn’t glance to the right or the left.

  She stumbled and fell to the ground, catching herself on her hands before she ended up face first in the dirt.

  “Hurry up.” She could hear her father’s impatience. Sense the growing unease among the squadron of security police circling them. As she pushed herself up, she slipped her hand into her pocket. Flicking the switch on the explosive device, she yanked it from her pocket and tossed it toward the security station. It bounced once. Twice. Before coming to a stop by the door.

  Men yelled. Shots rang out. Charity hit the ground as the world exploded around her. Grabbing the second device from her pocket, she tossed it toward the opening the first explosive had made in the building. She had to bring it down, blow the controls. The ground around her exploded and she rolled just as another blast brought the night alive with color and sound. The shock wave tossed her back several feet. Debris scattered, raining down on her from above. Some of it peppered her back and arms.

  Confusion reigned.

  Smoke filled the air, making it difficult for her to see. The world looked odd, as though everyo
ne was moving and speaking in slow motion. Charity pushed herself up into a seated position, trying to stand, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. She was shaking, trembling from head to toe. Nothing sounded right. Everything was muffled. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision and moaned as her head began to throb.

  Suddenly the world popped back into focus and everything sped up. Gunfire punctured the night, men yelled and screamed. She glanced toward the Gate and smiled grimly when she saw the entrance was wide open and members of the Resistance were pouring through. She’d done it.

  Her arm was suddenly wrenched behind her back and she was dragged to her feet. “You little bitch.” She didn’t have time to react as a thick forearm wrapped around her neck and she was pulled backward. “Move. You’re going to be my shield while we get out of here. Don’t do anything stupid or I’ll shoot you in the head.” Her father jammed the barrel of his gun against her temple. There was no doubt in her mind he’d do exactly as he said without a moment of hesitation or regret.

  Charity didn’t resist, moving as the General directed. Her explosive devices were gone, but she had a knife strapped to her side, hidden by her coat. If she got the chance she was going to use it and end the threat to Adrian once and for all.

  She scanned the chaos unfolding before her. Fires were burning in several places. The garbage vehicle was ablaze, the flames lighting up the night. People were running and screaming, while others shouted orders. Charity caught a glimpse of Adrian with Derrik by his side, both men firing at the security squadron. They were both dirty and disheveled but wonderfully alive.

  She smiled.

  Her father dragged her farther away from the battle. Charity went without a struggle. She was looking forward to their final confrontation.

  Adrian swore as his rifle jammed. “Catch.” He heard the yell and recognized the voice a split second before another rifle came flying in his direction. He caught the weapon in his right hand, shouldered it and shot in one easy motion, dropping a man ten yards away.

  Derrik was beside him moments later, firing at the enemy as he gave a report on the fly. Their people were in and a twelve-man detail had been dispatched to take down the next entrance to the Gate. When he was finished, he yelled over the din of the battle. “What the hell happened?”

  That was what he wanted to know.

  When the General had called out to Charity telling her to come out, that her job was done, everything inside him had gone cold. He’d known this was a trap, but somehow in the short time he’d known Charity, he’d come to trust her. He hadn’t believed she’d had anything to do with the General’s plans to destroy him and the Resistance.

  He’d shut down on every emotional level, functioning purely on a physical and mental level. He was an Alpha and nothing would stop him from his mission. He could still see the pain in her brown eyes, the fear, the determination as she’d told him not to do anything stupid. Then she’d stood and walked away from him.

  He’d thought nothing could break him. But that had done it. He’d felt all the blood draining from his face, the life leaving his body.

  Then she’d stumbled and her hand had slipped into her pocket. His brain had begun to fire on all cylinders again and he realized what else he’d seen burning in her eyes.

  Love. For him.

  He knew in that split second what Charity planned to do. She was going to blow the control station and open the Gate. She was trading her life for his. Because she loved him.

  Roaring, he’d come to his feet, rifle firing, even as he’d tossed an explosive device toward a security squadron. The one he’d left in the back of the garbage vehicle went off the same time the one Charity had thrown did. The blast had knocked him onto his ass, but he’d rolled onto his stomach and kept shooting.

  He’d seen her lying on the ground, not moving. His heart had stopped. It was unthinkable that she’d die for him. He was an Alpha and she was his woman. It was his job to protect her.

  And a hell of a job he’d done. At the first test, he’d failed, believing the General’s lies instead of what he knew in his heart to be the truth. He’d been afraid to really trust Charity, to risk his heart. It was easy for him to put his life on the line. It was what he’d been bred to do. But his heart was a whole other matter.

  She’d moved then, tossing a second explosive device and blowing the Gate wide open. He’d lost her then in the smoke and the melee, only to find her just as the General was dragging her away, using her as a shield.

  He’d willed her to look at him and, miraculously, she had. She’d caught his gaze and smiled. He knew what she was going to do. Damn her brave hide, she was going to kill her father. For him.

  If they got out of this alive, he was going to put her over his knee and spank her. He shook his head before the thought was even finished. He’d never raise a hand to her. He’d damn well tie her to a bed and fuck her until she promised him she’d never risk herself like this again.

  Plan in place, he turned to Derrik. “You’re in charge. I’m heading into the city after the General.”

  Derrik nodded. “I’ll clean up here and be right behind you.

  Adrian strapped on his knapsack and began to move, running quickly, zigzagging across the ground, finding cover wherever he could. The ground was littered with men dead and dying. Adrian ignored their cries and pleas as he ran. He scooped up several rifles on the fly, hooking their straps over his shoulder.

  He fired as he raced down the streets of the inner city, heading for security headquarters. There was no doubt in Adrian’s mind that’s where the General would go. He’d feel safe there in his command post. But Adrian had spent years digging out every scrap of intel he could get. He had detailed maps of the city and its buildings. Had committed them to memory. He knew where his prey was going and he was close behind.

  He could almost smell the General’s fear. A feral grin crossed his face as he raced toward his destination. This day of reckoning had been a long time coming.

  Sweat covered his forehead and slid downward, making his eyes sting. He rubbed the back of his arm over his face, not slowing down, not stopping. He was totally focused. He was an Alpha and he had a target. The General would die and Charity would live. There was no other choice.

  The General had created a monster and now that monster had returned home to claim his maker.

  Chapter Seven

  Charity didn’t try to slow the General down as he pulled her deeper into the city. Security squadrons rolled down the streets toward the fighting on the outskirts of the inner city. The Ruling Council would all take shelter in their emergency bunkers, leaving the general populous to fend for themselves. She saw several people looking out their windows, expressions of horror on their faces as the sounds of gunfire and shouting got closer.

  She shut it all out. She had a goal and had to be ready when her opportunity arose. And she had to do it quickly. Adrian was coming. Not that she thought he was coming for her. Just the opposite, in fact. The last glimpse she’d had of him had told her nothing had changed. Adrian still wore his expressionless gaze, an Alpha with a job to do. She had no doubt he’d come for the General.

  A huge explosion lit up the night, illuminating the surrounding buildings. Relief washed over her as she realized it had to be the second gate coming down. Logan and Tienan and the rest of the Resistance would be joining the fight.

  The General was breathing hard now. She could smell his fear and sought to feed it. “He’s coming you know.”

  “Shut up.” Her father tightened his arm around her throat, tilting her neck back until she feared it might snap. He might be in his late fifties, but the General was stronger than most men half his age. “He won’t get beyond the perimeter of the city.”

  Charity tried to suck in air through her nose. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and she knew she was quickly losing consciousness. The pressure was suddenly released and the General grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her up the stairs to the security b
uilding. Men raced down the steps as they surged upward. Many of them were wide-eyed with fright.

  They were scared out of their minds. And so they should be, she thought. These were members of the inner city security. Most of them had only ever patrolled the safe confines of the city. They were about to face men and women who had been tested, who had honed their battle and survival skills every day of their lives.

  Smithson Piedmont, a member of the Ruling Council and the head of The Piedmont Corporation who’d created the Alphas, met them just inside the front door. His normally neat gray hair was standing up on end, and he was sweating profusely. The white lab coat he wore over his suit was stained. The lines around his mouth and eyes were deeper than usual, a testament to his growing concern.

  Piedmont was a man much like her father, rarely showing any emotion. The fact that he was showing strain was a testament to just how serious the attack was. “What is going on, Benson?” The man might be sweating, but his usual air of haughty superiority was firmly in place.

  “Adrian is coming,” she whispered before her father could speak.

  The General whirled around, backhanded her with a savage blow. She fell back and would have landed on the floor if not for the bruising grip he had on her wrist. “Keep your mouth shut, girl,” he instructed as he turned back to Piedmont. “It’s nothing. A slight problem at one of the entrances to the Gate.”

  Charity laughed, wincing as her jaw ached. “Slight problem. That’s an understatement. The entrance is blown and the entire Resistance is pouring in.”

  Piedmont paled. “Is that true?”

  “It’s under control,” her father growled.

  Sounds of fighting grew louder and Piedmont strode to the door and looked out. He whirled around and headed toward the back of the building. “Fix this, General,” Piedmont ordered as he hurried down the hallway.

  Charity knew there was an entrance leading to a set of tunnels that ran beneath the city. She’d told Adrian all about them. The Ruling Council would protect themselves at all cost, throwing the men of the security police and the general population in front of the Resistance if it meant they’d escape. If they thought they could hide in the tunnels, they were sorely mistaken. She didn’t tell him that, but watched him go. Piedmont was another man who deserved whatever fate he got.