No Quarter (Bounty, Book One)

by d'Abo, Christine

  Gar pressed his com-unit and waited for the connection. “It’s Stitt. I need a cell and a route cleared.”

  Faolan’s gaze narrowed, giving Gar the impression the other man was making a quick decision. Whatever it was, it didn’t take him long to come to some sort of conclusion. He licked his lips, his smile slipped back into place.

  “Before you and Jason throw away the key on me, aren’t you the least bit curious to know why a man with a bounty as large as the one I have on my head showed up on your doorstep? Because really, stupidity wasn’t in my character profile.”

  “One moment please, Jason.” Gar tapped his com-unit again and waited.

  Faolan licked his lips again. “While I might be cocky, I’m not an idiot. We raided an Earth Loyalist cruiser a month ago and came across something…interesting. Considering your boss’s reputation, I thought he might be curious to see what the new radicals were trying to smuggle home. He refused to take my calls, so this was the fastest way to get his attention.”

  Impatience wasn’t something Gar normally battled with, but Faolan seemed to have the unique ability to test his control. Pressing the barrel of the blaster into the side of the captain’s neck, Gar waited for him to continue.

  Instead of showing fear, Faolan simply seemed amused. “I’m not going to tell you unless you ask nicely.”

  Leaning his weight into the blaster, Gar shifted his face so it was only a few inches away from Faolan’s.

  “Please,” he grumbled.

  Faolan sighed, his eyes dipping shut for a moment before he returned his gaze to Gar’s.

  “Someday I’m going to make you beg just so I can hear you say that again.”

  “If you don’t start talking, you’re not going to live past the next thirty seconds.”

  Leaning forward so the tip of his nose brushed Gar’s, Faolan lowered his voice so it barely reached him even in the confines of the alley.

  “We found what I thought was nothing more than some trinkets, a bit of jewelry some Loyalist whore might miss when the ship disappeared. Turns out, there was something a bit more valuable hidden in plain sight. A precious stone the size of an energy capacitor.”

  “And why should I care?”

  Faolan’s breath tickled Gar’s neck as he shifted his face closer. The scent of musk, erotigen and hydro vodka clung to the pirate like a second skin. Gar’s cock twitched again at the scent.

  “You should care, Gar Stitt, because the stone gives its holder the ability to read another’s thoughts.”

  Everything around Gar seemed to narrow. There was nothing but the light contact between them. With his blaster pressed against Faolan’s chin and the captain’s hands locked behind his back in the electro-cuffs, the rest of their bodies were pressed firmly together.

  Being nearly the same height, their swollen cocks rocked against each other’s through the fabric of their clothing. The pressure was pleasant, more enticing because of the erotigen. Strangely, Gar knew if he were to release Faolan’s hands, he could easily relax into the other man’s embrace.

  Instead of giving in to the temptation, Gar reached up and tapped his com-unit, reestablishing communications with Jason.

  “Did you get that, sir?”

  A pause as he listened to his instructions, keeping his gaze locked on the amused expression of the pirate. He waited as Jason changed his orders, nodding despite the fact no one but Faolan could see him.

  “Of course I’m sure. I’ll report back once I have it.”

  Faolan looked surprised as Gar leaned in and disengaged the lock on the cuffs. “I assume this means your boss is interested in what I’m selling.”

  “My boss wants me to check out the stone. See if it does what you claim. If so…I’m authorized to make arrangements to obtain it.”

  “And if your boss doesn’t give me the price I want? Half the galaxy would kill for this thing.”

  “Half the galaxy can’t remove the bounty from your head and set you up with enough credits to last a lifetime.”

  Faolan nodded once. “Fair enough. I need to take you back to my ship.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Gar stepped back to let Faolan by, but the pirate had other ideas. With unexpected speed and grace Faolan grabbed Gar by the wrist and spun him around. Now his back was against the alley wall. Pinning him in place, Faolan thrust his knee between Gar’s and pressed the top of his thigh against Gar’s balls and shaft. Instead of attacking, Faolan’s mouth crushed Gar’s lips. His tongue pressed inward, the taste of vodka and the promise of pleasure invading his mouth. Large hands roamed over Gar’s chest, fingers forced their way under his overcoat and vest, only to be thwarted by his shirt. Faolan let out a low growl and broke the kiss with a gasp.

  “You wear too many clothes, Stitt.”

  “And I’m armed.”

  With a flick of his wrist, the long black knife sprang from its sheath, the handle landing smoothly into the palm of his waiting hand. Gar pressed the blade to Faolan’s throat and cocked an eyebrow in question. Good kisser or not, Gar wouldn’t hesitate to kill the captain where he stood. Faolan recognized this, but didn’t seem intimidated by Gar’s ruthlessness.

  “Definitely too many clothes. We need to work on that.”

  “Your ship?”

  Faolan brushed his lips softly over Gar’s once more before stepping away. “Well, you see, I’m going to need your help there.”

  For the love of all that’s good, why did he make things so difficult?

  “Mutiny, Captain?”

  Definitely the wrong thing to say. Faolan straightened to his full height, lowering his chin to look down his nose at Gar. His shoulder-length brown hair swept forward, framing his face and partially covering his eyes. In the blink of an eye, Faolan changed from casual pirate to deadly adversary.

  “I trust my crew with my life and they trust me with theirs. Mutiny is the last thing I’m worried about.”

  It was the first serious thing the man had said since Gar walked through the door of the bar. “Then why would you need my assistance?”

  “I didn’t want to risk the ship or my crew by landing on the station. I couldn’t trust your boss not to kill me on sight for invading his pleasure port. They dropped me off. I’m to meet them at a specified rendezvous four light jumps from here in three days.” Leaning forward, he winked at Gar. “Fancy a trip?”

  If anyone but Jason had asked him to take on this assignment, he would have walked away, wanting no part of the man in front of him or the trouble he was sure to bring. Instead, Gar tucked his knife back into its sheath and pushed his blaster back into the holster. Straightening his vest and pulling his overcoat closed so the hem brushed the top of his boots, he spun on his heel and stalked out of the alley in the direction of the landing docks and his ship.

  Faolan silently fell into step beside him. Gar was irritated to see the man was grinning. No, this wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience. Gar forced his body to relax so he would at least stop grinding his teeth long enough to lay down the law. He rarely brought anyone on board the Geilt unless it was bound, gagged and in a cage. Or as a corpse. Guests were an anomaly.

  “There are rules I expect you to follow. If you get out of line, I’ll kill you.”

  Faolan chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

  Chapter Two

  “Why am I not surprised?” Faolan fixed a smirk on his face and followed Stitt onto the ship.

  He’d often said you could tell the personality of a person from the inside of their living quarters. The Geilt was exactly what Faolan expected—sterile and cold. Sliding a hand along the side of the wall, he took in as much of the room as he could. Triple security circuits on the hatch, reinforced hull, laser rifle by the door to the cabin, compact water processor along the back wall. All practical and boring. What the hell did a man like Stitt spend his credits on if not comforts for his ship? It certainly wasn’t alcohol or whores if his reputation was anything to go by. He should ha
ve listened to Mace and brought his personal pleasure mod for entertainment. God, this was going to be duller than he’d anticipated.

  Still, he was flattered Jason sent Gar after him. Faolan had worked hard to earn the reputation of being a dangerous bastard and would have been insulted if someone with a lesser reputation had been ordered to collect him. The last thing he wanted was to be discounted as a hack or has-been, not worthy of a better hunter. Gar was the best out there.

  Too bad he was frigid.

  “So, what do you do for fun around these parts?” Faolan grinned, making a show of it as he ran a fingertip over the top of a shelf, only to inspect it for nonexistent dust.

  Gar glared at him from over his shoulder, path still intent on heading to the couch. “Deal with criminals like you.”

  The bounty hunter’s movements were fluid as he rolled his shoulders and slipped the heavy overcoat down his arms. It revealed the formfitting jacket and ass-hugging trousers, a sight Faolan was more than happy to ogle until Gar turned back around and cleared his throat, forcing Faolan’s gaze to his face. Gar’s irritation was clear by the single lift of his eyebrow. How could one man say so much with such a minimal movement?

  Faolan shrugged. “I was thinking about asses and wanted to check yours out.”

  “I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

  Touchy bastard. “I’ll take it under advisement.”

  “You want to take off your jacket?” Gar asked, mock civility oozing from him.

  “Is that an invitation for me to get naked, pretty boy? I am more than happy to oblige.” Faolan ignored the twitching of his still-hard cock at the thought of getting Gar into bed. Or against the wall…on the floor. The damn erotigen was still working overtime, short-circuiting his brain when he should be strategizing. Shit. Rookie mistake to have let Ziva use that crap.

  The hunter didn’t even crack a smile. Faolan rolled his shoulders, his jacket sliding off easily. He tossed it in the direction of the black sofa, trying not to laugh at the horrified expression on Gar’s face as it sailed through the air and landed in a heap at the edge of the couch. With a shake of his head, the bounty hunter turned and laced his hands behind his back.

  “I mentioned there were some rules,” Gar said quietly, his gaze locked on the offending clothing now littering his ship. With a sigh, he walked toward the jacket Faolan had just thrown. Bending slightly at the waist like the action would wrinkle his perfectly pressed dark suit, he picked it up. Holding it out from his body, Gar clicked his tongue. “The first is don’t mess up my ship.”

  “Can I mess you up instead?” The words flew from Faolan’s mouth before he could think to stop them. Not that he would take them back. He really did need to fuck something.

  Gar stared at him hard. Faolan noticed the change in the other man—the darkening of his eyes and the bob of his throat as he swallowed. With Gar’s overcoat gone and his jacket open it was also easier for Faolan to see the bulge in the front of his pants. It would be simple enough to blame the erotigen, but the drug would only do so much. There was something in the way Gar moved, shifting to gently drape Faolan’s coat over the back of the couch, that told him the hunter was trying to fight the effects of both Faolan’s words and the drugs. It didn’t look like Gar was winning. Unresolved lust burned through Faolan’s body, making his balls tighten and his cock leak. If he didn’t fuck something soon he really would kill someone.

  “Rule number two.” Gar’s voice shook him out of his mental musings. “While you’re on my ship, I’m in charge. No games, no deceit. I expect the total truth the entire time or else I turn around and deliver your ass to Jason.”

  Faolan snorted. “I won’t promise you that.”

  “Then this trip is over now.”

  Gar marched in the direction of his overcoat and Faolan knew he was going for the electro-cuffs. Reaching out, Faolan gripped the bounty hunter’s arm, stopping him where he stood before pulling him close. “Hey, settle down.”

  “Don’t push your luck, Captain.”

  “I’m not. I can promise you the truth, but no one is in charge of me. Understand?”

  He kept his eyes locked on Gar’s, but suddenly found it hard to concentrate. Heat radiated from the younger man in waves, enticing him, inviting him to lean in. Dammit, he needed to keep a clear head if he was going to pull this off and get his crew out of their current mess. Jason and his money was the answer to so many problems—all he had to do was keep his cock under control and win the confidence of the man in front of him.

  Gar’s blue gaze roamed over his face. Faolan barely managed to suppress a shiver. He wet his bottom lip with his tongue, doing it again when Gar’s attention slipped down to watch.

  “Any other rules I need to be aware of?” Faolan flexed his fingers on Gar’s biceps, testing the firmness of the muscle beneath the man’s shirt.

  Faolan had never found strong men to be overly attractive. He liked to be the one on top—especially if the other man was younger. Gar was an interesting mix of old-galaxy manners and youthful vibrancy, even if he hid it beneath a mask of ice. What fun he could have chipping away at the layers. Who would he find hiding under the surface?

  Gar jerked his arm free and took a step back. The distance, while not great, gave them both room to breathe. Faolan watched as the hunter pulled the hem of his jacket down, as if to straighten invisible wrinkles. Nervous tic? Didn’t seem likely, but he stored it away for further observation.

  “Rule number three,” Gar continued, clearing his throat. “Do what you want in this room, but the rest of the ship is off-limits.”

  “Have some cargo you’re scared I might want to sneak a peek at?”

  “This is my home. Respect it.” Gar turned his face away, gaze drifting in the direction of a door off to the side.

  Faolan found himself nodding. “Respect is earned, not granted on a demand.”

  The words hit home with Gar. Faolan could see by the tightening of his mouth and the briefly squinting eyes. Whatever the young man was feeling, the fleeting emotion was crushed, Gar’s impassive mask fell quickly back into place. Quite possibly, Faolan had finally met someone more fucked up than himself.

  Gar crossed his arms across his chest and huffed. “Enough of this. What are the coordinates to your ship? I’d like to get there as quickly as possible. If your crew can be trusted to do what you told them, I want to be ready early.”

  Anger flashed through him, along with the urge to punch the other man. “My crew is loyal to me. You’d do well to remember that.”

  Faolan had fought long and hard to earn the respect of every man and woman on his ship. They worked, fought and loved like a family. He’d happily die for each and every one of them if called upon to do so—and he knew the feeling was mutual. What right did this loner have to even pretend to criticize them?

  Before he could stop himself, Faolan closed the distance between them and pressed into Gar’s personal space. “We go nowhere until I’m confident they won’t be harmed. I don’t trust you not to betray me.”

  “And I don’t trust you not to shoot me in the back. So we’re on mutual ground.”

  Seconds ticked off in Faolan’s head as he memorized the expression on the other man’s face. He’d dealt with men like this hunter before, knew if there was some deeper emotion, it would be ugly. Like the men who’d chased him down, taken his wife from him and left him in his current state. A snort escaped him before he could stop it.

  Gar lifted his eyebrow. “What?”

  “You think you’re something special. Don’t you?”

  He didn’t respond, which only served to piss Faolan off more. No, he couldn’t lose control of the situation now, not with so much at stake. Twisting his anger into cocky bravado, he grinned wide enough to show all his teeth, in an attempt to turn the tables from confrontation into something else.

  “Hunter, you think because you live in Jason’s back pocket that you have control of everything and everyone in this sector. If you
were to snap your fingers you could have whatever you wanted laid out before you. But do you know what? You’re wrong. My crew will be at the coordinates. We have three days to kill in the meantime. It’s your call on how we do it.”

  Gar didn’t look away—his pale blue irises were unrelenting in their appraisal. It would have been unnerving if it wasn’t for the thinly veiled lust showing through the man’s mask.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised when Gar took a step back, visibly swallowed and shifted his gaze to the cockpit door.

  “I need to maneuver the ship into the queue for planetary takeoff. Stay here.”

  Faolan bowed deep at the waist, holding his arms out wide. “Of course.”

  “Fucker,” Gar muttered as he walked into the cockpit, the door automatically sliding closed behind him.

  The air in the room felt thin as Faolan took several breaths to calm his racing heart. Gods-damned erotigen. He’d have to play this one fast and loose, try to keep Gar off balance until he could get back to his ship. Mace would be able to pull something up on the bastard at that point. She had a way of digging out the dirt of a person’s life, no matter how deeply they thought it was buried. And if she couldn’t…well, Mace could always make something up.

  Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his pants, Faolan sauntered around the room. There had to be something on this ship he could use against Gar to ensure things went the way he wanted.

  Faolan wasn’t surprised to find the door to the cockpit locked when he tried it. It proved that despite being dosed with drugs, Gar could still think straight. Good to know. Faolan wanted a challenge, not some pushover.

  The only other door in the room was also locked, this time with a bio scanner and voiceprint identifier. Gar apparently took no chances when it came to his ship’s security. Not that it would stop Faolan from cracking it when he needed to, but it would take longer than usual. Curiosity gnawed at his insides. Gar was proving to be more of a mystery and a challenge than he’d anticipated. A grin slipped onto his face as he continued to inspect the room.

  The couch took up a large part of the area and there were very few personal effects decorating the walls. A computer terminal along the side wall was also locked down with bio access. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the cockpit door, Faolan slipped into the terminal chair and began running through several of his tried and tested hacking techniques. The screen flashed red with each failed attempt, escalating his annoyance. Bastard bounty hunter was good—pissed him off more. There had to be something else.