Polly nodded grimly. "Go ahead. Zak, you keep your hands where I can see them. I don't believe you'll hurt Tiffany but that's about the only thing I know right now."
Tiffany grabbed her unidress from the floor and put it back on quickly, making a grimace of distaste. This whole day was one hell of a mess. Polly was with the Covert Coalition? The secret agency was known for fighting terrorism, spying on other planets, and working to keep the peace through intelligence gathering. The operatives for the CC were expertly trained and deadly. Some might sit behind a desk and some might be out undercover, but they were all put through the same training.
She was amazed to think that her goofy friend Polly, the carefree photographer who bounced from one freelance job to another was actually a spy. What next? Could this day get any stranger? Her hairdresser would probably confess to being Elvis next at this rate. As she pulled the dress into place and jerked her shoes on, anger began to replace confusion.
Tiffany looked from Zak who was now pulling his shirt over his head and standing fully dressed to one side of the room to Polly who was still holding her weapon on him. She said sharply, "For the record, I'm pissed at both of you. I mean it."
Both Polly and Zak looked at her in surprise. Tiffany sent them each a lethal look. "There are three people in this room. One of those people has been honest. Two of those people have been lying to the honest one. Guess which ones you are?"
She saw the flash of guilt on their faces but it didn't sway her. "I've been so caught up in all of this that I haven't had a chance to think it through. You've both been lying to me for years. I don't care if you had good reasons. Okay, I understand the reasons but I don't like it. I feel like an idiot. What else have you kept from me? What other secrets are lurking out there just waiting for discovery, huh?"
There was knocking at the door and everyone looked at in surprise. A low masculine voice drawled, "Zak, it's Dran. Let me in."
Tiffany arched an eyebrow at Zak. "You know, Zak. This whole plan of hiding where no one can find us was really impressive. What did you do, take out an ad?"
Zak said defensively, "It's my brother. He always knew I was in hiding. I placed the call from the transport to meet me here. He's early. I didn't think he'd get here until tomorrow."
Polly said sharply, "Tiff, don't open that door. Give me a minute." She walked until she was behind Zak with her weapon trained directly to the back of his head.
Tiffany rolled her eyes. "If you blow his head off, Polly, I'm going to be upset. Take it easy, will you? And Zak, who else did you call while at the transport? My mother? Your third grade teacher?"
She walked to the door and opened it. A large man, maybe six-two with dark brown hair and light blue eyes stood in the doorway. He gazed at her in confusion. He was gorgeous, but then he was Zak's brother so that wasn't a huge surprise. Tiffany said calmly, "Hello, Dran. Your idiot brother is inside here at our highly secret location. Come on in and join the party."
He slowly smiled. "You must be the Tiffany I am to protect. Hello, promise sister."
Tiffany couldn't help smiling in spite of her irritation when faced with his charm and friendliness. "Hi. Look, things are a little freaky at the moment. Try to stay calm when you see your brother, okay? My friend Polly is worried he's dangerous."
Dran gave her a confused look and then stepped into the room. Tiffany shut the door and saw him stop in surprise when he spotted Polly and Zak. His hand went to his side and Polly said sharply, "Try it and he's dead."
Dran eased his arm back out from his side. Without warning, he grabbed Tiffany and placed his hands around her neck. She squirmed but he murmured quietly for her ears only, "Trust in Zak if you do not trust me."
Tiffany stood quietly. The room was deadly silent. Dran said in a hard voice, "Drop the weapon or I break her neck."
Polly's smile was all teeth. "I don't think so. You're here to protect her. I heard you say it."
Dran drawled. "Ah, but you can't be sure what lengths I'll go to protect my brother, can you?"
Zak said, "This is ridiculous. Dran, let Tiff go and Polly will lower the lasgun."
Polly and Dran remained silent and unmoving. The tension was unbearable.
Finally, Tiffany said, "You know you guys are totally ruining my birthday. First Zak lies to me for six years and is running from a killer, then Polly turns out to be CC. I found out I got married on my lunch hour at a damn McDiner. Now Dran the brother- in-law from hell shows up and threatens to break my neck. For the record, this is going down as the worst birthday party in history. Merlez won't have to kill any of us. We'll do him a favor and kill each other."
There was a moment of stunned silence in the tension of the room. Finally, Polly laughed. She said, "Tiffany, I swear you have a way of cutting through to the core of things." She stared at her friend. "Tiff, are you sure Zak's the man you think he is?"
Tiffany rolled her eyes. "He's the man I love, Polly. He's no killer. Good grief, you know him, too. Think about it."
Polly sighed. "Well, hell. Okay. This whole situation seems off to me. I don't care what the bulletins are saying. I'll risk it." She lowered her weapon.
Zak turned around and stared down at her a second. Polly gave him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, Zak. I'm the careful type."
Zak smiled. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. When he pulled back he said, "You were being careful because you're her friend. I understand. Polly, did you think I wouldn't notice the safety was on the whole time?"
Polly winced. "Hey, I didn't really want to blow your head off. I just wanted to be sure my gut instincts were right."
Dran released Tiffany's neck. Tiffany shot him a look of irritation. She said, "You know, for future reference, on Earth we don't generally threaten to break someone's neck at first meeting. It's rude."
Dran laughed. He swept her into a friendly hug, catching her by surprise. When she pulled back, he said teasingly, "But it's such a lovely neck. I was protecting my brother. I would never harm you. And yes, I have the language culture chip. I knew I was being rude. Forgive me?"
Oh this one could charm the pants off of any female within twenty feet. Tiffany smiled. "Oh, okay."
She watched as Dran's face changed. He looked at his brother fully for the first time. Both brothers stared at each other for a long, intense moment. Finally, Dran cleared his throat. He asked huskily, "You are well, Zak?"
Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Men! Zak, hug your brother for heaven's sake."
Zak flashed her a grin and then stepped forward. The two men hugged each other hard. They spoke haltingly in their language and then began to talk so fast that they were talking over each other. Tiffany smiled, feeling touched. Their joy was obvious. They were talking animatedly, grinning and gesturing. She looked at Polly. Polly was regarding the two of them with a bemused expression as if to say, "Who will ever understand men?"
Tiffany finally said, "Dran, let me introduce you to Polly. Don't forget her hug." She watched with an inward smile of amusement as both Polly and Dran flashed her duel looks of disbelief. Tiffany kept her face quite innocent. "What? We're all friends now. No hug?"
Polly snorted. "Tiff, don't push your luck."
Dran drawled, "Why not?"
He gathered Polly into his arms with lightning fast precision. Polly froze, caught completely off-guard. She felt Dran's mouth come down on hers with stunned shock. It was the kiss of a conqueror. She kept her lips firmly together and tried to remember her training. She'd wait for her moment of opportunity and then he'd pay. When she felt his hand massage her ass, she fought the rising heat. Okay, so he was a great kisser. And his hands were skillful. And she was aroused. Still, if she just kept her head, she'd be fine. He broke the kiss and gazed down at her with hard dark eyes. He said loudly, "Hello, Polly." Leaning down until he was close, he murmured for her ears only, "In the words of your culture – fair warning. Next time we kiss, I'll fuck you senseless."
Polly used every ounce of her traini
ng to appear completely unaffected. She murmured back in a low voice, "Fine. Fair warning. Only you'll be the one fucked senseless." She flashed him her best shark-like smile. "I'm particular, I'll have you know. In the meantime, back off before I decide to kill you instead." Raising her voice so the others could hear, she widened her smile until it looked overly innocent and said, "Nice to meet you, Drain."
Dran flashed her a look promising retribution. She merely kept her smile in place and walked carefully over to where Tiffany and Zak were staring at the two of them in amazement. Tiffany arched an eyebrow at her, but Polly shrugged and said calmly, "Now that we've all decided to be friends, let's talk about this mess."
Chapter Six
It took a while but explanations were finally finished and everyone was left staring grimly at each other. Zak and Dran were both pacing the room restlessly, while Polly was sitting on the edge of the red chair. Tiffany had been surprised when Polly offered the chair to Dran, wondering if Polly knew what the chair would do. When the chair had trapped Dran, much to his chagrin, Polly had looked directly at Tiffany and winked. Tiffany was left fighting back a smile as Zak helped his brother. Zak shook his head at Polly with obvious amusement as he freed Dran. He had then pushed the button disarming the chair permanently until it was reset.
Polly perched in it now, although she looked like she was frustrated and ready to start pacing, too. They were fighting over a good plan to stay alive at the meeting and even how to get rid of the airtranspo.
Tiffany was sitting on the bed, feeling tired and not very optimistic at the moment. She had listened to the others arguing until she felt her head would explode. It was time to cut through all this alpha crap and do something. She said quietly, "That's it."
Zak and Dran continued speaking and pacing, arguing, as Polly interjected with pithy disagreements from the sideline. Polly jumped up from the chair and faced the two men. The three voices were rising in volume and frustration.
Tiffany stood up and put her fingers to her mouth. She let out a short, loud whistle. Everyone froze in surprise and looked at her. She rolled her eyes. She might be known for her somewhat absurd sense of humor and easygoing personality, but she was an accountant for goodness sake. Practical and methodical should have been stamped on her forehead at birth. They were getting nowhere. It was time to change things. She said calmly, "Now that I have your attention, you will listen as I make an important observation crucial to our survival. The problem with you alpha types is that each one of you thinks you know best and that you're the only one who can save the day."
She gave each of them a glare in turn. "The only way to get through this is teamwork. I don't care about heroes or being brave, I care about staying alive. Zak you want to get rid of the airtranspo before law enforcement finds it, but you're worried about leaving me here, so you want the others to stay. Here's what is going to happen. Polly you don't trust Dran or Zak to get rid of the transpo properly, so you do it. Dran, you don't trust Polly, so you're going with her to make sure she does it right. Then, Polly, you'll work on getting the Gorden mess straightened out with law enforcement for Zak without revealing exactly where we are to anyone. Dran, afterward, you get a room and get some sleep. Interplanetary jetlag has got to be a bitch."
She looked at Zak and frowned. "Zak and I are going to eat and then we're going to bed. Big day tomorrow with the whole meet-with-Rojda-possibly-get-killed plan. So, we need to rest and relax and not kill each other prior to the meeting. If this is my last night on Earth, I'm spending it doing something other than listening to you three argue. We'll iron out the rest of the details in the morning over breakfast when all of us are thinking more clearly."
The three of them started to object and Tiffany said loudly, "End…of…discussion. This is unproductive and annoying. I'm done. The birthday girl has spoken. Don't make me wish for quiet. What I'm saying makes sense and you know it."
They regarded her with a mix of frustration and amusement. Finally, Polly said, "Fine, Drain, let's go. Try to keep up."
Dran shot a look at Polly that would have another woman quaking in her shoes. He nodded in agreement and said, "Let's go."
The two of them left, shutting the door quietly. Tiffany turned to see Zak staring at her thoughtfully with his eyebrow raised.
She asked sharply, "What?"
He smiled and said, "Tiff, I'm wondering how the military missed you. You may be fluffy and fun, but under that exterior beats the heart of a general."
Tiffany laughed. She couldn't help it. "I only resort to a group coup when my sense of efficiency is invoked. I'm an accountant."
Zak grinned. "Oh, no, you can't fool me. That was alpha. I saw it. Of course, only you would invoke weird birthday wish karma as a threat." He shook his head and laughed. His shoulders shook and his eyes were warm. "I love you, Tiffany. I really do."
Tiffany grinned. "Well, in that case…I love you, too."
Zak took a step forward and said, "So, how hungry are you?" His eyes swept her body.
Tiffany looked at the man in front of her. His hair was still in its ponytail, although strands had escaped and he looked a little wild. His eyes were hungry and dark as they stared into hers. His big body was within a few steps of touching her. Her pulse rate climbed and she said huskily, "I'm starved. Screw dinner."
Zak's eyebrows shot up and she watched as he struggled to keep from smiling. She felt a sense of confusion until she realized what she had said. She laughed. "I mean, forget dinner."
Zak's face changed and he took two more steps toward her. He asked huskily, "How about a shower?"
Tiffany had an image from one of her dreams of Zak stroking into her from behind, his body wrapped around hers in the shower. She closed her eyes at the memory and then opened them. She smiled and flirted playfully, "Well, if you insist…but Zak, won't a shower get me all wet?"
He smiled the smile of a predator and closed the distance between them. He scooped her into his arms and strode to the bathroom. Pausing in the doorway, he looked down at her and said, "Baby, count on it."
Chapter Seven
Polly wiped the last of the prints, shut the door of the airtranspo quietly, and slipped into the shadows. It was at a public mall and should be discovered soon as the mall closed down for the night. She had contacted her assistant and given him the details to get Zak out from legal trouble fairly quickly. As she walked toward the closest underground transport station, she thought about Zak's brother Dran.
He was gorgeous. There was no doubt of that fact. He was also arrogant, overconfident, and annoying. If only he weren't so sexy, she could dismiss him without a qualm. But it had been a long time since her last sexual encounter with a live human being. Hell, her batteries were low on her vibrator anyway.
One-night stands weren't typically her style, but if he would be gone to some distant planet soon, he might be worth an exception. It was just sex and sex was a healthy need. She walked a little faster.
Okay, let's face it. She was hot for the guy and he was available. Wasn't everyone allowed one night of insanity? Who would know or care? She wasn't committed to anyone. Her lifestyle and personality didn't exactly generate a lot of long term relationships. What was the harm in taking a night of pleasure just this once? He would be out of her life in days and everything would be back to normal with no one the wiser.
She saw the shape of a well-built man leaning in the shadows of the entrance to the underground transport. As he stepped into the light, she felt her system jolt. She said coolly, "I thought I lost you about two blocks from the motel."
He nodded and said equally coolly, "Yes, I know."
She took a step closer. "Why are you waiting for me? Don't you need to get a room?"
He smiled an infuriatingly confident smile that had her heart racing. She took another step closer and stopped. "What?"
He took her arm and began to walk. "If you don't want me to take you here, you need to show me how to get to your place."
She
rolled her eyes, but walked beside him. "That confidence is annoying. If I weren't feeling horny and in the mood tonight, I'd tell you to go to hell."
They reached the payment machine and she slapped her palm against it a little forcefully. The machine's mechanical voice said smoothly, "Hello, Ms. Hill. How many traveling?"
Polly answered, "Two."
Dran reached out and placed his palm across the machine. The machine spoke, "Thank you. Destination?"
She said, "Grove Street Station."
The machine buzzed and then a door opened in the wall in front of them. The machine said, "Your account has been adjusted. Vehicle 28 in Section 3 is departing within 5 minutes. Thank you for traveling Subveh Systems. Please remember to lock securely after strapping in and be considerate of other passengers by turning off all audible devices. Enjoy your trip."
Polly and Dran stepped through the door and walked toward their section, dodging other passengers streaming out from an arriving vehicle. Dran's hold on her arm never slipped and he moved beside her with easy grace. When they were strapped into their seats, Polly turned her head to look at him. The vehicle would be leaving any minute. She said, "I can't believe I'm going to do this. I'm having a moment of pure insanity. You have an arm-pc implant with syscheck, right? Sheesh, I'm nuts. I'm not sure I even like you."
Dran's eyes grew heavy lidded as he stared at her silently for a moment. As the vehicle began to move, he said, "I have the implant and syscheck because I knew Zak was here and wanted to be ready if he needed me. I don't leave things to chance. And liking me or not liking me doesn't matter tonight…because you're going to love what I do to you."
The vehicle picked up speed with a jerk. Polly wasn't sure if it was the lousy public transportation or Dran's words but she felt as if her heart was in her throat and her stomach had been left a mile back. When he smiled at her slowly and her nipples hardened in a rush, she sighed. It was Dran. Dammit. And he was right. Either way, her body was already sure it liked him plenty. She checked her straps again to make sure they were secure and give herself a distraction. She muttered, "I've made the leap from horny to crazy. I knew it. It was only a matter of time."
Wicked Wishes Page 14