She hoped Dakota had done a thorough job of releasing as many of the girls and innocent staff as she could, because right now Ely wasn’t up to meeting them at the safe house. Not yet.
Ely needed some time alone. Or at least, time with the one man she confided in about everything that was good and bad in her life.
Mike had become more than a father figure to her. He was a friend, a confidante, and he never let her down. He was her savior.
When she finally cleared the harsh arena exterior and weaved her way around the alleys leading into the market, she headed for her vehicle. She always kept it parked in a private shed she purchased years ago.
Ely couldn’t help but wonder why Mike hadn’t told her about Ace’s intentions. Mike had to have known.
She was so pissed off, distraught and confused at the moment, that if she had to, she’d whack Mike as well.
She was through with lies. One way or another, she was going to completely break away from Jenks. And since the pain inside her head seemed to have stopped, she might be able to do it sooner than later. But she wouldn’t get too excited just yet.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure you can get on the horse?” Brynn asked, staring down at his injured leg. “And stay on?” Her blue eyes seemed fixated on his many wounds.
Ace couldn’t blame her. If he looked as battered and torn as he felt, she had good reason to be concerned. He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” Even if his shoulder was numb from the intense pain, and it felt like his leg was pretty much lost already.
Maybe his little dance/fight with Ely had delayed the real pain for a while, because now it felt as if his very skin was being eaten alive from the inside.
“Ace, that doesn’t look so good. Is there something we can do to help the healing process?” Colt led both horses out of the stables. He seemed to have a way with animals that he didn’t with humans. The two horses moved with calm grace, shaking their manes as they gallantly strolled out. One was brown and the other white, but both were beautiful. Colt’s face darkened with a frown and the bandana he’d worn over his mouth inside the tunnels was now hanging loose around his neck. “Why’d you dump your transmitter anyway? We would’ve gotten to you sooner if you hadn’t.”
Ace wasn’t thinking straight because if he had, he’d have known the only way to help heal his damaged body was to shift. “Look, I didn’t realize I’d lost it until you mentioned it.” It was the truth. After the confrontations in the arena, as well as the physical and emotional punches from Ely, he could’ve dropped it anywhere and hadn’t had the time to ponder it. “I need to shift.”
“But we’ve got the horses,” Brynn said, heading for the brown male. “Maybe we can buy some salve from the market. I noticed an aisle catering to that type of thing.”
He held up a hand. “No, trust me…you don’t want to commit to getting anything from there. The price is too high.”
“We’ve still got plenty of gold.”
“Gold isn’t the payment they’d ask for.”
Brynn frowned, and Colt squeezed her shoulder. “That’s fine, Ace. We can ride the horses if you can keep up beside us. Do whatever you need to do.”
“I can definitely do that. Although the healing process will take a while, shifting will at least help speed it up enough for me to walk straight.” Even now, as he stood with his lower back pressed against yet another wall, his thigh throbbed. A hot sensation spilled out with the globs of blood dripping over his skin, and the pus burned like acid.
“Can you change here?” Brynn seemed concerned, biting down on her bottom lip.
Ace wanted to ask her so many questions. Where had she gone, where was the AI? Did she help the girls she’d been so concerned about? But his mouth had dried up, and he wasn’t sure if Brynn wanted Colt to know about what had happened down in the tunnels yet.
He nodded. “I can shift here. You two go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
“Are you sure?” Colt mounted his horse and patted the animal’s neck. “We can wait with you.”
“No, go on. It won’t take me long to catch up.” He was finding it hard to breathe. Sweat dripped off the ends of his hair and cooled down his back.
Colt’s horse shuffled backward, his hoofed feet making tapping sounds against the stone pavement as Colt kept him steady. “Okay. I’ll go out first. I’ll whistle when it’s safe to come out. Okay, Brynn? The last thing we need right now is officials stepping in. We’re almost done.”
“I don’t think there are any officials,” Brynn said. “By the looks of things, Jenks ruled this place with an iron fist and anyone with any official capacity would have been inside the arena.”
“Either way, I want to be sure.”
She dipped her chin in a curt nod, and Colt took off into the narrow alleyway. The horse’s tail swished from side to side with the motion before he disappeared at a bend.
Brynn turned to Ace. “Thank you for not mentioning the AI to Colt.”
“Sure, no problem.” Sweat oozed from his body, made it feel as if a fever was creeping over him.
“Ace, are you sure you’re okay to do this on your own? You don’t look so good. Whoa.” She wrapped a hand around his upper arm to help him stay upright and he winced as pain flooded his shoulder. “I’ll get Walsh to watch you after I’m gone.”
He coughed and it made every single ache and wound stretch his damaged skin. “Who the hell’s Walsh?”
“The AI,” she whispered moving closer to his ear. “But don’t tell Colt, it’s going to be a surprise.”
“Brynn, do you know what you’re doing because that doesn’t sound like such a good idea to me.” Especially since Colt hated the other robot and will probably only see the one you lost every time you look at this new one.
“Don’t worry about it. I know exactly what I’m doing.” When she dropped her hand and took a step back, he looked up to meet her eyes. She winked at him. “He’s just in the shadows. You won’t even know he’s there.”
“And what’s he going to do then—stowaway on the Stallion II?”
“Of course not. I know Colt did everything he could to salvage Young”—her fingers were once again fiddling with the memory chip dangling from around her neck—“but he didn’t really want him with us. He just did it for me. I’ll always appreciate how hard he tried, even though he obviously felt betrayed by Young. The last thing I want to do now is hurt Colt by reinstating Young into another shell. I wasn’t lying when I said no one could replace him, but these AI are very rare. If someone in the business of trading finds him, he’ll be sold in the black market or taken to a wrecking yard for destruction. I just want to make sure he’s safe. Besides, I couldn’t leave him down in the pit. Walsh has his own personality, you know. It’s why these models are so disliked, because they can infiltrate with humans a little too easily.”
Ace winced as another stab of pain struck his shoulder.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
He nodded, and his stomach dropped when he remembered what Ely had said to him. “Because the whacko stuck something inside my brain and I have to do what he says.” The thought of her being forced into such a position made his blood boil. It explained what she was doing in the arena, but not why she moonlighted as a jazz singer in a tiny club bordering the desert. She almost seemed like two different personalities inside the one shell.
“You’re looking worse by the second.” Brynn pointed toward the alley, and a shadow extended on the ground, just as Colt’s whistle echoed off the walls around them.
Good, at least she’d get moving now. He needed to shift before he passed out. Something was really wrong. The Thropod’s pincer had left behind some sort of poison, which was slowly oozing out of his body, as well as spreading internally.
Brynn touched his back gently. “Don’t be long.”
“I won’t. Listen,” Ace began, pausing to lick his dry lips, “how did you manage to stay in contact without your transmitter?”
The blonde climbed up onto her horse and smiled. “I stole the extra one you bought.”
“What, when?”
She shrugged and said, “When you weren’t looking.”
If he’d had the energy, Ace would’ve laughed. Instead, he closed his eyes for a second and then stared at her. “How’d you know there was a fourth one?”
“No one likes odd numbers.”
“Yeah, right, of course.”
“Besides, there are some things you never unlearn.” She winked, encouraging the horse to trot forward. She looked over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I hit her but it was the only way to get her to focus. She’ll cool down…eventually.” And with that, the blonde and her horse were gone.
Ace collapsed to his knees and the shadow on the ground drifted closer. He held up a shaky hand. “I’m fine. This is part of the shifting.” That was a damn lie. He didn’t need to be on his hands or knees to shift, but the AI didn’t need to know.
He leaned over, spread his palms over the stones, curling his fingers as the liquid feel of the beast seeped over his skin and out through his pores. Fur sprouted along his body in a warm rush, soothing his burning body. Every bone shifted beneath his skin, extending, rearranging itself around his internal organs and muscles. It took every ounce of strength he had left to morph from a weakened man into a strong animal willing to take the lead.
The transformation never hurt and took seconds. He lifted his snout into the air, trying to scent the AI, but he didn’t smell like anything organic.
Ace growled into the night to mentally settle his nerves.
He had a lot to think about but didn’t want to focus on the tomb they’d left behind to burn. Setting off the last of their chippies as they’d approached the exit had sealed off the main entrance. No one gets in, and no one gets out. It’s finished.
What he mostly wanted to think about was Ely. He had to track her down but couldn’t scent or sense her here. It shouldn’t be too hard once he left Clash. He still held her sweet scent in his memory. In Recast form, he’d know exactly where she was as soon as he passed anywhere she’d been.
The AI took a tentative step back when Ace turned and rushed down the cobblestone path. His claws scraped and slipped on the smooth stones, but the pain of his injuries had dimmed to a small drone in the back of his mind.
When he eventually swooped out and onto the market, people scattered out of his way and he relished the fear in their eyes.
It’s the time of the beast. Ace was happy to hand over the reins so he could sit back, watch, and figure out how he was going to get Ely back on side.
Knowing a little more about her helped him understand the differences in her demeanor out in Grit and then in Clash. But Ace didn’t care. He wanted her so much, nothing else mattered.
She belongs to us. We’re not going to let her slip away.
Chapter Eleven
As Ely hobbled toward Mike, she assumed he’d received her psychic message. He was waiting at the back door of their club.
He unfolded his arms and took a step closer. “What the hell happened to you?” His face contorted into a mix of concern and fear.
Just how bad did she look? With her outfit deeply scratched and even balding in some places, Ace’s blood all over her, the sweat and dirt clinging to her, as well as her hobbling, she probably looked pretty bad. Maybe even a little scary.
“It’s okay, I’m fine. None of this gunk is mine.” She paused to lean forward and pressed both hands against her thighs, trying to steady her breathing. Running—or at least trying to—from her vehicle on a swollen ankle was hell.
Mike paused to sniff the air between them. “You smell like smoke. I noticed a thin line of it on the horizon and heard some frantic calls for help inside my head, but couldn’t hold on to any for long. What the hell happened in the fucking arena tonight?”
“Terrorists struck,” she answered, taking a heaving deep breath and straightening as tall as she could. The cool night air filled her lungs and seemed to cleanse the burn of everything she’d suffered. Her vehicle was haphazardly parked behind her with lights still on, but she didn’t care. She was glad to be there. She threw herself against Mike, no longer wanting to hold her own weight.
“What terrorists, Ely?” he asked after catching her.
She ignored his question. “I ran off like a damn coward because he pissed me off…”
Mike didn’t say anything for a while, just held her in a comforting embrace. He patted her back softly, as if she were a child who’d just suffered through a nightmare, or a teenager who’d been dumped by her latest crush. In a way, she felt a little like both at the moment.
The realization of what had happened between her and the man she’d shared her body with still haunted her. He wasn’t who she’d thought he was. Had it really been only hours since she’d had sex with him? It seemed like a hundred years ago since he’d held her close and whispered a promise of coming back for her.
All those lustful emotions had turned into romantic notions afterward. Yet now, knowing the truth meant Ely wasn’t sure how she felt about anything.
A chill raced down her spine. Oh Goddess. She didn’t know what to feel anymore. She should hate him, but didn’t. Most of his explanation had made sense.
So much of what she knew now made her feel as if she had a lot in common with Ace. He’d also been taken by Jenks. They’d both been prisoners at one time during their lives, and she couldn’t help but feel some insane kindred connection to Ace because of that. At least he was free—vengeful, but able to carry out his free will. Not like her. She still belonged to someone.
And where the hell was Jenks anyway?
Mike stepped out of the embrace but kept an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. “Okay, Ely, I need you to take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
“I’m surprised you don’t know already,” she said against the harsh fabric of his shirt.
His silence made her pull back, slip from his hold. She took a short step but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me what he was really here for?”
Mike crossed his arms and peered out into the still night.
Out there, the array of buildings serving as part of the outskirts community of Grit shone like little beacons in the middle of nowhere. Darkness wrapped them tight in obscurity. Not even the moon was out tonight. Was it mourning, or celebrating the fall of corruption?
“Mike, you must have read something from him the other night. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I read a little from his friend, but the chap you’re interested in wasn’t thinking about much but you.” His light blue eyes finally met hers. “It was a little sickening, I must admit. As soon as he saw you, something wild stirred inside him but I’m not sure what it was.”
“He’s a Recast,” she whispered. “That’s probably what you detected, his animal.”
“Huh, really? I never would’ve pinned him as a Recast, he looked so neat and tidy. Although, they only look so feral here because the arena breaks them.” Mike seemed surprised. “He must hide his animal very well. I couldn’t even detect it.”
“What do you know about the Recast, Mike?” Did she really want to know? She’d seen enough of their vicious ways whenever they fought in the arena.
He shrugged. “Not much more than you probably. They come from a forest moon in the farthest region of the galaxy. It’s called Sullen and orbits around the planet Shea.” After the revelation, his eyes narrowed. Was he waiting for her reaction?
Her heart raced. “What?”
“I thought you might be surprised to hear the chap happens to come from your neck of the woods.”
Damn it. She’d had no idea. While she lived on her home planet, her parents had sheltered her. For most of her life she’d been hidden inside their home with tutors and instructors of different arts. Her parents were politicians and had many enemies, so they always feared one of their many children would be taken, kill
ed or used against them. She’d hardly spent any time with her own siblings. It wasn’t until she’d perfected her singing and they were approached by Jenks Maine with an offer to perform in what he’d called his stadium that her parents agreed to let her venture out.
Jenks compensated them well for their daughter and took her away, introducing her to a sexual awakening she’d never expected. Then he dumped her into his own institution and carved her into a chameleon—spy, killer, seductress, whatever was required to get the job done. And all the time, he forced her to send communications to her parents and lie about why she couldn’t visit home. She kept the charade because of the thing he’d implanted inside her head, and had hated every second of it.
“I didn’t know,” she finally said. “I didn’t know much about the world—any of them—until the prick took me away.”
Mike lifted an eyebrow. “That’s interesting.”
“What?”
“Call him something else.”
“Ah…Jenks Maine is a fucking asshole.” Her heart was racing now. Had Mike picked up on what she’d suspected since chaos broke out inside the arena?
“More.”
“He’s a lowlife, and should rot in hell for his disgusting ways and habits.”
“Give me your hand and open up your mind for me.”
She hesitated. With so much inside her head, the last thing she wanted was for Mike to read her like an open book. He especially didn’t need to see what had happened inside her dressing room backstage earlier in the evening, or how she hadn’t been able to resist kissing Ace even while the arena blew up around them, and she beat him with her fists. “I don’t think that’s a good—”
“I just want to check something. You know better than to assume I’ll read you completely.” Mike’s eyes darkened. Had she hurt his feelings?
“It’s not that. It’s just…I’ve been through a lot today and I don’t think I can block it all out. I don’t want you to overload. That’s all.” It was as close to the truth as she could get.
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