by DJ Michaels
Stepping in close on legs that were almost too shaky to hold her up, Sorcha slid her hands under his frock-coat and eased it off his shoulders.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
“I’ve got four brothers.” She began undoing the buttons on his vest. “I’ve overheard enough conversations to know what men really want. What they like.” The vest joined the jacket on the floor and she began on his shirt buttons. “I’ve heard about the kinds of things a woman can do to make amends to a man who is angry with her.”
She had him stripped to the waist and while his body was nothing compared to an Enforcer’s there was still plenty of lean muscle. Plenty of masculine strength to put behind a strike should he choose to raise a hand to her.
He grabbed her by the wrist, twisting her hand hard and high behind her back. “If you wish to begin your penance now get on your knees. You can show these other whores how well you suck my cock.”
She allowed him to push her to her knees. Tengale, you need to hurry.
Almost there, pet, just hang on.
“What about the cameras in here?” She tried to make a tease out of unbuttoning his pants slowly. “Do you really want the guards to see you with your cock hanging out?”
He arched an eyebrow. “I’ve taken care of that. Nobody’s going to see your little performance but your friends here. And that will be the last disrespectful sentence out of your mouth. If you can’t control your language I will gag you. After I’ve come down your throat.”
Sorcha’s whole body was trembling now. She wasn’t sure she could bring herself to actually touch Medalyn skin to skin, let alone put his cock in her mouth. Her stomach rolled in revolt and she clenched her teeth against the growing wave of nausea.
A crash sounded and she was showered with dirt and debris. Medalyn crumpled in front of her like a stringless puppet. Sorcha lurched to her feet, looking around for the Enforcers, but there were still only five women in the room. Then she saw Tansy, standing in a pool of potting mix right behind where Medalyn laid, her fists clenched and her breathing going a mile a minute. The remnants of a large potted plant were scattered all over the floor.
“Tansy—”
“No, don’t move.” Mac hurried over with an arm full of cushions. “Walk on these. There are pottery shards everywhere and we can’t afford to cut our feet.”
Sara carefully gathered up an angry Tansy and took her to the other side of the room. Mac yanked off the belt of her robe and pulled Medalyn’s hands behind his back. “You okay, Sorcha?”
“Um, I think so.” She wasn’t physically hurt, but she felt a little spacey. She’d been on the roller coaster from hell and just when she was about to take the horrible, final descent she’d been plucked to safety. It left her a little disoriented.
“If you’re okay, get your thumb out of your ass and move.”
Apparently Mac was all about the tough love but it was good advice. Snatching up her robe, she used the cushions as stepping stones, gingerly making her way over to where Mac and Kate had trussed Medalyn like the pig he was.
Tengale, Medalyn is under control. Tansy smashed him on the head with a potted plant and the other girls have tied him up. You should also know that the cameras on this floor are switched off.
Good. Are you harmed?
No, I’m fine. Physically, at least. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get the image of Medalyn standing over her out of her head. Then she thought about what the other women must have gone through in the last two months and what kind of nightmares they would have on their road to recovery. And recover they would. Tansy, Kate, Mac and Sara were all strong, kick-ass women. They might have to fight to get their lives back but they’d get there eventually.
“Sorcha. Sorcha! I told you to get your thumb out of your ass.” Wow, if Jax thought she was a ball-breaker she couldn’t wait for him to meet Mackenzie.
“What do you need, Mac?”
“Something to gag him with. We don’t want him coming to and yelling for help.”
Sara came over with a small hand towel and the belt from her robe. “You better tie his hands separately. Davetscore has a palm device that actives my control bracelet and it has a panic button on it as well.” She gestured to Medalyn. “If he has one you’re going to have to keep his hands immobile.”
“Why don’t we just take it off?” Sorcha asked.
“Because if it’s the same as Davetscore’s it has a failsafe. We’ll trigger an alarm if we try to remove it.”
Jesus. What a world these women were living in. Control bracelets, alarms, panic buttons, constant surveillance—all of which paled into nothingness when compared to being raped. Sorcha rubbed her head, trying to ease her tension headache. These women were so fucking heroic and most people would never see them as anything more than victims. But soon they’d be free victims and right now that was all any of them could focus on.
Sorcha and the other women dragged the unconscious Medalyn to a bench that was bolted against the wall. They spread his arms wide and tied him to the legs of the seat and then Tansy made short work of the gag.
His head was still bleeding and Sorcha wondered what kind of culpability they would have if he died. “What if he doesn’t wake up?”
Kate stood and cupped Sorcha’s face. “Seriously?”
Sorcha knew her guilt was misplaced but she wasn’t sure how to squash it. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Kate grasped Sorcha’s control bracelet. “Have you seen one of these in action?”
“Yes, once.”
“Have you had one used on you?”
“No.”
“It is agony. The pain is so intense, so excruciating you will do anything to make it stop, promise anything. Within two days that bastard would have you performing sex acts better left to porn stars. Within a week you’d be debasing yourself in ways that made you wish he’d just kill you and get it over with.” She nodded at Tansy who was glaring down at Medalyn with fire in her eyes. “They couldn’t break her with pain so they used something else. And Mac’s owner didn’t bother with the bracelet too much because he likes the sound of his whip on her skin.” Kate’s eyes burned so blue they were like the heart of a flame. “Medalyn can take his chances. He’s more likely to make it than not. I can assure you if Mac, Tansy, Sara or I had our owners here they’d be lying at the bottom of the pool right now and we’d be dancing a jig.”
Sorcha was saved from a response by Jaysada. We’re here, pet. Gather your friends and be ready.
“The cavalry’s arrived. Grab your stuff and let’s get ready to fly.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jax felt as though his heart was being wrapped in wire and the closer he got to Allsgate the tighter it squeezed. His pulse was uneven and he was sweating heavily despite the chill of the night and Tengale’s air speed. Staring straight ahead, he watched his personal version of hell loom closer and did his best not to give in to the panic that clawed at his insides. He could feel Kae watching him, keeping a close eye on his imminent breakdown, though what his lover could do to help him at this altitude was anyone’s guess.
At least nobody had suggested he stay home, not that he would have. As far as he was concerned his decision to claim Sorcha meant she belonged to him, with or without a mating contract. If anyone was going to ride to her rescue it would be him and Kae. He wouldn’t permit it to be anyone else.
And he wouldn’t allow himself to be a liability on this mission either. That’s why he’d hand-selected the Enforcers on this raid. Just him and Kae, the four den captains and their partners. Ari was officially his second-in-command but Dev, Nash and Finn were also capable of taking charge should the need arise. And their respective den-mates, Tarkan, Rye, Rowen and Behr were all proficient and experienced fighters. Every one of them had skills for the battlefield as well as those required on covert missions.
For once in his long career as an Enforcer, Jax was the weak link in the chain. The knowledge tore at him with ev
ery beat of Tengale’s wings.
Then he got the message that Medalyn had found Sorcha. Fear and anger welled up inside him, burning with an urgency that consumed everything but the need to get to his mate. Tengale picked up speed and Jax crouched low, willing the lights of Allsgate to come closer. His own demons silenced by his desire not to fail Sorcha again.
As they approached the building Jax pulled on his helmet. They all wore battle armor molded from treated plas-leather. Flexible at joints and pivot points, the black suit was laser resistant and designed to intimidate. Curved spikes ran from wrist to shoulder, ending in long barbs that were a weapon in and of themselves. Elongated helmets had ridges at jawline, cheekbone and eyebrows that also fanned out in long, curved thorns. The spikes that ran from thigh to ankle were shorter and broader but no less deadly. Once in his battle armor, an Enforcer could lose all his weapons and still be armed and lethal.
Jax unstrapped his crossbow and clicked a bolt into the firing mechanism. Stealth was their only advantage on this mission so all their weapons had been treated with a paralytic and a poison. One arrow, one sword or knife wound would be all it took to instantly silence anyone they met. Death would follow not long after.
There were four guards on the roof, one on each corner in standard blue-solider formation. As soon as they drew within range Jax gave the signal and eight arrows sliced through the darkness, silent and deadly. The guards crumpled without a sound.
The rooftop came up fast and Tengale hit the landing in a scramble of too much speed and not enough traction. Jax tore at his harness, flinging off straps and buckles with one hand while holding the crossbow ready with the other. As soon as Jax cleared Tengale, the dragon pumped his wings and took to the air again, rising up above the cloud layer.
Once all the Enforcers were on the rooftop they remained on high alert as they made their way into the building. Tarkan and Kaelum ran lead, one covering the other as they disabled the cameras in a leapfrog of smash and run. They hustled down two flights of stairs and after a quick visual check Kae signaled the immediate area was clear. Slipping through the heavy door, they moved into formation on the run. Four facing forward, four facing the rear, and Jax in the center to hold them together and moving.
They turned a second corner and four guards went down before they even had a chance to lift their weapons. Opening the door that led to the pool chamber, they dragged the soon-to-be-dead bodies inside and bolted the door behind them. Maintaining their stack formation, they moved up the stairs.
The humidity in the air and the sound of rushing water reassured Jax they were in the right place. The directions Sorcha had supplied to Tengale and Jaysada were detailed but she’d never been to the roof so there was always the possibility of a navigational error.
The Enforcers spilled over the top of the staircase. Nash and Rowen stood back to back and took guard while the others fanned out into the room. It’s what Jax should have done too, but then he saw Sorcha, her bright-green eyes wide with fear and something else he couldn’t name. Everything but her just fell away. The room, the danger, his responsibilities—it all just melted into insignificance. Jerking his helmet off, he ran over to her, dropping to his knees at her feet and laying down his crossbow.
“Put your hands on my neck,” he commanded. He was desperate to touch her and he didn’t want to risk her getting caught on the spikes of his armor. He didn’t consider the fact she might refuse. Couldn’t.
The whole world seemed to stop as she looked down at him and then it slowly picked up speed as she slid her soft, small hands under his hair so she could touch him skin to skin. Pressing his hands to her lower back, he eased her forward until he was cradled against her body, his cheek resting between the soft pillows of her breasts.
“I’m so sorry.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“For what?”
“Everything. For being an ass. For being a coward. For not being there to protect you when you needed us.”
She threaded her fingers through his hair, letting the strands slide over and over in a touch so soothing Jax’s eyes slid closed. He breathed deep, the warm scent of his woman carrying all the way down to his soul.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Jax.” She curved over him, sheltering him with her body. “What went on between you and Kae and me was regular relationship road bumps. It happens. I’d like to think we would have sorted ourselves eventually. But what happened with Medalyn, the drugging and the kidnapping, that’s all on him.” She grabbed a fistful of hair and tugged his head up to meet her eyes. “Not. Your. Fault.”
Maybe, maybe not, but he’d spend the rest of his life making sure he never let her down again.
A warm, masculine hand stroked the back of his head. “Making amends, Jax?”
“Yes.”
Kae snorted. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Sorcha moved slightly, cupping his cheek with one hand while reaching up to Kae with the other. “Do you think we could continue this conversation when we get home? Right now I just want to get out of here.”
Feeling better than he had in days, Jax pressed a long, firm kiss to her sternum. Picking up his crossbow and helmet, he rolled to his feet and got his head back in the game. The women were in a tight little group surrounded by Enforcers and they looked ready to go.
“Ari. We all set?” Jax asked his second-in-command.
“Almost.” Ari nodded to the side wall. “What do you want to do with that?”
Medalyn Consbaregh, member of the Sapphire Council and Head of the Consbaregh Family, was flat on his back. He had a substantial, bloody head wound and his hands were bound high and wide to the legs of a bench seat. Jax turned to Sorcha. “Your doing?”
She shook her head. “Not entirely. I distracted him, Tansy bashed him on the head and we all pitched in to drag him over there and tie him up.”
Kae pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good girl. What do you want us to do with him?”
“We figured we’d just leave him and let the fates decide if he lives or dies.”
Jax blinked. Obviously they did things very differently on Sorcha’s home planet. “Why don’t you go with Kae and start heading for the roof. I’ll check on Medalyn and then follow you.”
Sorcha looked at him, narrowed her eyes and then bit her lip. “You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”
He debated whether to lie but if she was going to be their mate she should understand what it was to be an Enforcer. “Yes, I’m going to kill him. For two reasons. One, because he dared to lay a hand on you. And two, because if he dies from those wounds Tansy will carry that around for the rest of her life. Killing a man takes a heavy toll, even if he deserves death. I will spare Tansy that pain if I can.”
“But you won’t spare yourself. Are you sure you’re willing to carry that burden?” She kept her gaze passive and Jax couldn’t decide out how she felt about his revelations.
“Yes. It’s not something I enjoy or look forward to, but I’m prepared to do what I must to protect the people under my care. It’s the same for all Enforcers. It’s who we are.”
Sorcha stepped in close, hooked a careful arm around his neck and pulled him down for a soft kiss. “Then I thank you for taking this burden for Tansy.” Jax breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he rubbed his cheek against hers.
She slipped out of his arms and took Kae by the hand, heading toward the other women. Jax waited until they’d begun moving down the stairs before he turned his attention to the councilor.
Medalyn was still unconscious, which was bad news for Jax. He had a lot he wanted to say to the piece of shit lying at his feet but in this case his knife would have to do the talking for him. Taking the blade out of his thigh scabbard, Jax rested the point right over Medalyn’s heart.
“You don’t deserve for this to be so quick and clean.” And with that Jax leaned into the blade, feeling the glide of metal through flesh, keeping the pressure on until the knife was hilt deep. He’d kil
led a lot of men, both at a distance and up close, but he’d never felt such a strange combination of fury and satisfaction. He watched as the blood seeped out of the wound in sluggish pulses. Medalyn’s heart had been failing even before the Enforcers arrived and Jax knew he wouldn’t have survived the night. But that didn’t absolve Jax from the knowledge that he’d made the killing stroke. A stroke he would make as many times as he had to in order to protect his family.
Withdrawing the blade, Jax cleaned it on Medalyn’s finely woven shirt and got to his feet. Jax retrieved his crossbow, slammed on his helmet and hustled down the stairs to catch up with his men and their precious cargo.
Chapter Fifteen
The roof wasn’t big enough to cope with more than two dragons at a time so they had to move quickly. Kae bundled each woman in a warm blanket and then handed her off to whichever Enforcer pair would be caring for her on the flight home. Behr and Finn had already taken to the night sky and Nash and Rowan were almost done when Kae noticed, with relief, that Jax had rejoined the rescue party. Dev and Rye were the next to go but when it came to the last two women they split the dragon pairs for added safety.
Jaysada landed beside Benmonth and Kae handed a blanket-wrapped Sorcha to Jax to hold while Ari stood guard at the top of the stairs. Kae climbed up on Jaysada, secured his helmet to the tack and buckled himself in. Then he opened his arms for his woman and Jax relinquished his burden with a smile. Kae wrapped his arms around Sorcha and as she snuggled in like she was born to be there he couldn’t resist the urge to squeeze her close. He sat quietly while Jax strapped Sorcha into her harness and then waited for him to help Tarkan with the woman he had in his arms. As soon as Jax hit the ground, Kae tightened his arms around his mate and Jaysada heaved, lifting them from the rooftop.
The dragons gained enough altitude to be safe then they circled around until Annlyss and Tengale were in the air with Ari and Jax securely on their backs. They flew just above the cloud layer, high enough to be invisible to human eyes but low enough not to trigger the alarms set for airborne attacks. At this level the dragons were flying too low and too slow to trigger the satellite warnings but that didn’t mean they were out of danger just yet.