by Chandra Ryan
Shared Objectives
Chandra Ryan
Universal Defiance, Book Two
When Lisa and her son are rescued from a military prison, one look at the genetically altered mercenary who carries her to freedom puts some racy ideas into her head. Dixie is strong, handsome and kind, an unfamiliar combination. Her job as a government geneticist usually sends men running, not rushing to her aid.
Unfortunately Dixie isn’t alone. Lisa’s ex, Ben, is another member of the Coalition, the band of rebels fighting against the government that locked up Lisa. After their split two years ago, she never thought she’d have to face his scorn again. But now she has to work with him without giving in to old temptations. Or so she thinks.
The men need her for her genetics skills. When they discover they’re both attracted to her, they have to find a way to share or risk destroying their friendship. And Lisa finds that two sets of sexy hands all over her body are hotter than one.
Inside Scoop: This ménage features a kiss between two men that sparks a plan to steal a woman’s heart.
A Romantica® futuristic erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Shared Objectives
Chandra Ryan
Chapter One
The booming noise pulled Lisa from the sedated sleep but it wasn’t close enough for her to feel threatened. She’d been at the high-security prison long enough that she kept constantly aware of her situation though. And explosions, no matter how far away, were noteworthy.
She tried to sit up but couldn’t. At first she thought she’d been bound to the bed but as she managed to force one of her arms to move, she discovered it was her own weight that kept her immobilized. Her body was simply too heavy.
Rapid gunfire in the hall tore her attention away from her personal dilemma to the situation developing around her. The conflict had moved closer. And the closer it got, the more of a problem it became. No one could find her here. If they did, the consequences would be swift and beyond terrifying.
Her brain froze on the thought. She knew it was the truth as surely as she knew her own name, but she couldn’t remember why. Why couldn’t she be found?
The door to her room exploded in front of her and the sound and flash of the blast threw her into a black world of silence. Raw panic consumed her. She was going to die in this room. But that wasn’t even her biggest concern. If she could just die and be done with it, she would’ve ended this weeks ago. Lord knows she had the expertise to do so.
Strong hands grabbed her, pulling her from the bed. Her body was too weak to be a real threat to her captor but she still fought against him. She had to. She couldn’t leave this room. Everything depended on her staying here. But he only pulled her tighter to his body.
This was all wrong. Her throat burned and her ears were now ringing painfully as her stomach cramped so hard she thought she might vomit. She was being kidnapped—again—and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Panic descended on her in earnest as the events of the most terrifying night in her life replayed around her. Only this time she couldn’t even see the people taking her, nor could she figure out why anyone else would even want her.
“Fuck, man! Can’t you quiet her down?” The rough voice filtered through the ringing in her ears. It belonged to a man, but not the one carrying her.
“Yeah, because if she stopped screaming they’d forget all about us and stop fucking firing.” The warmth of the man’s breath breezed over her ear as the words were spoken. “She’s had a rough night. If anyone’s earned a breakdown it’s her.”
She was so grateful to have her hearing back that she stopped screaming for a second. But when her sight began to return and she realized they were already in the parking garage of the compound, her momentary relief dissipated. “No, no, no. Please. Take me back.”
Her body didn’t seem as heavy and her thoughts weren’t as muddled as they had been a few minutes ago. She was finally able to not only lift her arm but pummel the man carrying her a few times before he regained control.
“Calm down, sweetheart, we’re the goddamn cavalry.”
She had a hard time believing that. “No. I can’t leave.” Anguish filled her as she turned to face the man who held her. His eyes were cold and he wore the face paint and uniform of a mercenary. She’d seen enough men of his trade while working for the government to know what they looked like. And even if he were just a regular mercenary, she couldn’t possibly get away from him. But nothing about this man could be considered regular. He was so much more. His height, muscle bulk and speed all screamed genetic manipulation.
Still, she couldn’t let him take her out of this compound. And as the drugs that’d been pumped through her started to dissipate she remembered why. “They have him. They’ll kill him if I leave. Please.”
The man didn’t take his eyes from the concrete structure they were moving through, but he raised one hand to his ear. “Team Bravo, how’s your package?”
“Still out. Not sure what they were giving him but his pulse is weak and his breathing is raspy. If we don’t get him to medical, he’s not going to make it.”
“He most likely would’ve died had you stayed any longer.” The mercenary’s attention shifted to her as he spoke. “But we have him now. As long as we get out of this, your son has a shot.”
She relaxed against him as the adrenaline started to fade from her system. As long as Nate was okay, she’d be okay. She found it amazing how that one little slip-up had come to define her life. Nate. He was the baby who shouldn’t exist. Yet not only had he found a way to be born, he’d also somehow managed to change how she viewed the world around her.
Gunfire followed them as they ran through the night but she couldn’t find the energy to care. They’d made it out of the compound. She didn’t know who had her but she was no longer at the mercy of the government and that had to be enough.
A helicopter waited for them as they reached the grassy field that surrounded the prison. When they got to it, he passed her to one of the men sitting in the bird. She hated helicopters. Hated how fragile and exposed she would be in one. But as she took her seat next to the man and a small bundle was passed into her arms, nothing else mattered.
She quickly checked Nate’s vitals and found he was alive, but just barely. The track marks that bruised his delicate skin were the only proof she needed that the bastards had been experimenting on him. The helicopter started up and someone thrust a helmet on her head as they started to climb. Now wasn’t the time to make requests, but if she waited, Nate wouldn’t survive the flight.
“I need NB-7 and I need it now,” she said into the helmet mike.
The man sitting directly in front of her shook his head firmly. “With all due respect, scientific research is not the priority here, ma’am. You will have to wait until we reach base to secure a sample.”
“My son doesn’t have that long. He needs an injection now.”
Silence hung heavily around them for a second before the comm broke into chaos. She got it. Only those genetically engineered needed the chemical compound. It would be confusing to Lisa if a woman told her that a child needed it, too. But Nate did. He needed it now. And she didn’t have time to explain why.
She glanced around at the men, trying to figure out who was in charge. The chopper had two rows of bench seating that faced each other with a narrow passageway between them and two computer terminals against the wall that divided the cargo hold from the cockpit. Everybody except the man at the computer bank seemed to be either focused on her or the man sitting to her right—the man who’d carried her out of the prison. She obviously wasn’t in charge here so that left the man to her right. It might not be conclusive evidence, but it was all she had to go on righ
t now.
“Please.” She turned to face him. “I don’t know when they gave him his last injection.”
His attention focused on Nate for a moment before he gave a stiff nod. “Of course. Someone get her that shot.”
“Thank you.”
The man sitting at the computer terminals turned to face her for the first time and Lisa’s blood went cold. At least now she knew who had her. She’d been taken by the Coalition. She’d never be able to forget his face or who he worked for.
Her grip on Nate tightened as she fought back a wave of fear. This was the one man who had a claim on Nate. He could take her baby from her and she couldn’t do anything to stop him. Laws didn’t apply to those who fought to bring down the lawmakers. “Hello, Ben.” Her voice was soft as she said his name. “Long time no see.”
Ben smirked at her. “So you managed to get knocked up by one of us, then?”
His voice held condescension even over the static of the microphone. But his arrogance actually helped her relax. If he didn’t know Nate belonged to him, he wouldn’t fight her for their child. “What can I say? Looks as though I was just a whore for the government after all.” She managed to glare at him as she repeated the final words he’d yelled at her the last time they’d been together. Two years was a long time, but it felt as if mere seconds had passed as she stared at him.
He just shrugged and then reached into one of his cargo pant pockets to pull out a sealed syringe package. “I tried to warn you about their retirement plan.” He passed her the medicine and then returned to his station.
“Thank you.” The words had to be forced through gritted teeth but she still managed to get them out.
“I’m not doing it for you.”
His words hurt almost as much as watching her son waste away in her arms. She’d loved him once. And she’d been naïve enough to believe the words he’d whispered against her skin. Once he’d found out who she worked for, though, his words hadn’t been nearly so nice or inviting. “Yeah, you made your feelings about me clear the last time we spoke.” She used the excuse of taking the injection out of the package to not have to look at him. Thankfully, as she injected the chemical into her baby, she could almost see his health improve. “I’m trying to be gracious for the sake of my son.”
“No need. He’s one of us and we take care of our own.”
The syringe retracted into the vial as soon as the medicine had been administered, allowing her to hold it out to the man sitting across from her. He stared at her with an open look of disgust. “Even if his mother is a government geneticist.” He took the syringe as he said the words.
Looked as if he liked her just about as much as Ben did. Yep. She wasn’t anyone’s favorite person on this chopper. Though she did prefer geneticist to whore. Even if the tone implied they were the same. “If you had such a problem with me and my moral character, you could’ve left me to rot in the prison.” Two hours ago she would’ve sworn anyplace was better than the prison she’d been placed in. Now she wasn’t so sure. “I didn’t ask for your help. Or whatever the hell this is.” With Nate’s crisis over and her terror fading, she decided she’d had enough of their disdain and hatred. She couldn’t be blamed for their fate any more than she could blame them for hers. And it pissed her off that almost two years after her parting fight with Ben she was still defending herself just because of her job title.
“That’s enough, men. Dr. Colt is an honored guest and will be treated as such.” The man who’d rescued her and helped Nate silenced the group with the authoritative words before turning to her. “I’m sorry, Dr. Colt. I’m afraid my team might have gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m Steven Dixie.” He held out a hand in greeting. She stared at it for a second, debating his intent, but then decided that if he could act civil she could as well. Taking his hand in hers, she couldn’t help but notice how huge it was. It swallowed hers almost completely. “Your identity was kept need-to-know for the mission. And since time was of the essence, I didn’t have a chance to brief my team on appropriate decorum. My sincerest apologies.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” She glanced over Nate’s father to see him glaring between her and Dixie. “I don’t know about the rest of your men, but I’m afraid Ben and I have a history that no amount of briefing would’ve overcome.” She sighed heavily before snuggling Nate closer to her. “I do have to ask for a clarification though. Have I been rescued or taken hostage?”
His rich, deep laughter boomed over the helmet comm. “Would it matter?”
She thought about it for a moment before answering. “Probably not.” If she were a hostage she couldn’t exactly fight them for her freedom. They had the advantage over her in every way. And if they’d rescued her she’d have her freedom, but to what end? The military would find her regardless of where she went. They were already looking for her. No doubt about that one. She was equally screwed either way.
Dixie ran a finger over Nate’s arm gently. “It was a rescue. When we land you’ll be free to go. We can’t guarantee your safety if you choose to leave though. The government seems pretty invested in finding and keeping you under lock and key.”
So they were all on the same page. “And if I choose to…” She paused as she tried to figure out how to phrase it. He hadn’t invited her to stay with them once they landed. He’d only said she could choose to leave. “Not leave?”
“As much as I’d love to say we rescued you for altruistic reasons—”
She interrupted him before he could go any further. “I’m pretty sure I know why you rescued me.” As soon as she realized who had her, she’d figured it out. She’d have to be daft not to and the government didn’t hire daft scientists. “You’re Coalition. Ex-military fighting against the government.”
“I hadn’t realized Ben had been so forthcoming with you.”
She chanced a glance at Ben only to find him watching her with open contempt. “We left little unsaid before we parted ways,” she said with a grimace. “If you’ll protect Nate and me, I’ll share my research with your people.” The surprised look on Ben’s face was enough to bring her some measure of happiness. As petty as it was, she liked that she got to be the bigger person. She shifted her attention to Dixie before she continued, “But it’s been a rather traumatic evening and I’m still fighting off the effects of whatever the hell they gave me. Yelling over the static and flight noise isn’t ideal. Would you mind if we left the conversation where it is until we land?”
“Not at all. If you’re tired, I’d be happy to hold the child while you sleep.”
She didn’t think he’d keep Nate from her, but she didn’t want to let her child go again. Not so soon after just getting him back. “Thank you for the offer, but I haven’t been able to hold him for a while.” She hated that she didn’t even know how long it’d been. The days she’d been in captivity had started running together early on. “I miss him more than I miss sleep.”
“Understood. Try to relax. We’ll be at the camp in two hours.”
Nate picked that moment to start waking up and squirming. Much to her amazement, though, when he opened his beautiful blue eyes and saw her, he smiled and held out his pudgy arms to her. Her baby remembered her. Maybe they hadn’t been there as long as she feared.
She cradled Nate against her chest, hugging him tightly to her, and did exactly what Dixie suggested. For the next two hours, she relaxed and enjoyed the feel of her son in her arms.
By the time the helicopter landed, she’d almost drifted off to sleep several times. Still, as soon as she stepped onto the solid ground she felt a jolt of energy. She was free. And Nate was okay. Nothing else mattered. She held her son out in front of her so she could look into his beautiful face for a second before she brought him to her so she could cover him with kisses. He was the only important thing in her life. If these people could keep him safe, she would give them anything they wanted. Hell, she would even do it with a smile on her face.
“Dixie told me I wa
s to show you to your quarters.” Ben’s surly voice interrupted her thoughts, reminding her how hard keeping a smile might be under the circumstances.
She took a deep breath and looked at Nate again. Hard but not impossible, she reminded herself. “Thank you.”
“Again, not doing it for you.” His voice held even more disdain when it wasn’t competing with static and flight noise.
She wished she had the energy to be pissy back but she was just too worn out. Besides, if she could prove to herself that she could be nice to him, being nice to everyone else would be cake. “I don’t care why you’re doing it. I’m grateful that you are.”
Her gaze lifted until she stared into the gentle blue eyes she saw every day when she looked at Nate. Yeah, she was still hurt and angry with Ben but she couldn’t hate him. Not when he’d given her Nate. It might have been a devastating realization if she had the energy left to care at that moment.
“I’m just following orders.”
Her laugh was hollow but it was the best she could manage. “Aren’t we all?” She shook her head sadly and then nodded in the general direction everyone else had gone. “The sooner you show me to my quarters, the sooner you can be free of me.”
He murmured something that sounded suspiciously like, “If only it were that easy,” but then started off at a brisk pace. After having to practically jog to keep up with him, though, she quickly decided she’d misheard him. The man obviously wanted nothing more than to ditch her. And, if his pace was any judge, the sooner the better for him.
They came to an abrupt stop in front of a heavy metal door. “This is where you’ll be staying. Dixie says you’re free to move about the camp but I wouldn’t if I were you. The others aren’t very trusting.”
So she’d traded one prison for another. She rearranged Nate so she could take the magnetic keycard from Ben. Well, if she got to keep her son with her this time, she’d happily stay confined to her quarters. “I take it everything I need to replicate my research will be provided?”