Saved by Venom: 3 (Grabbed)

by Lopez, Lolita

  Dizzy’s eyes widened. “What happened to you?”

  “It was a family thing that got a little messy. Thankfully there was a dart—one of their superfast ships—to transport me to the Mercy. It’s basically a flying hospital. They’re really wonderful there.” Naya dismissively waved her hand. “So—I hear you’re a designer.”

  “I am.” She hesitated. “Or, I guess, I was. I’m not really sure how it works up here.”

  Hallie inhaled a noisy breath and stretched out her short legs. “It’s complicated. The men here are willing to make a lot of adjustments for us but the working thing is a sticking point for all of them.”

  Dizzy frowned and glanced at Naya. “But I understood you own a business here.”

  “I do but I’m what they consider a ‘special case’.” She made air quotes around the words. “Because I nearly died on a mission that saved a lot of lives, they gave me a sort of dispensation to do whatever the hell I want. Menace is easygoing when it comes to the working thing and doesn’t mind in the least—but he’s definitely in the minority around here. By and large, these men are extremely traditional.”

  “Not Venom,” Dizzy said confidently. “I’m sure he’ll support my decision to continue designing dresses and other clothing.”

  “I hope so,” Naya said carefully.

  “He will.” Dizzy remembered his assertion that he hadn’t Grabbed her to be his house slave. Surely he understood that she loved her work as much as he loved his.

  “If you do decide to keep designing, you come see me, okay? I’ve got plenty of space in my shop for your clothes. I can get any fabric you want.” Naya reached into her purse and withdrew her tablet. “Did Venom teach you how to share between tablets?”

  “Um…yes.” Dizzy tapped her screen until she found the little icon for sharing. “This way, right?”

  “Yeah.” Naya smiled and touched their tablets together to start a transfer. “Danny was able to get Ella to a spot where she could call in with a message for you. If you want to send her a message, you’ll have to go through official channels.”

  “There are instructions for submitting messages in the handouts from today’s meeting,” Hallie reminded her. “Venom can walk you through the process.”

  When the file finished transferring, Naya tucked her tablet back into her bag and stood. “I have to get going. Menace and I have an appointment in the medical bay.”

  “Oh right!” Hallie grinned up at her friend. “Today is the big day, huh?”

  Naya’s mouth curved in a bright smile. “Yep.”

  Confused, Dizzy asked, “The big day?”

  “Tattoos,” Naya clarified. Touching her chest, she explained, “Menace is having our new family crest applied today. I’m having his initial put on my wrists.”

  “Women are encouraged to get tattoos too?” Venom hadn’t mentioned anything about that.

  “It’s very common here,” Naya assured her. “Hallie had hers done after her wedding but I’m having mine done before we officially tie the knot Calyx style.”

  What would it be like to have Venom’s mark on her body? Dizzy discovered the idea thrilled her more than she ever could have anticipated.

  “You’re invited to the wedding tomorrow evening,” Naya added. “They don’t do pretty paper invitations up here. It’s just a message in your inbox.”

  Hallie frowned. “They’re so romantic up here.”

  “Right?” Naya laughed and patted Dizzy’s shoulder. “It was nice to meet you. Come see me sometime. Menace and I are right across the hall from you. Maybe we could get together for dinner or something?”

  “Sure. Sounds great.”

  “Fantastic.” Naya flicked Hallie’s arm. “I’ll drop by to show you the new tattoo later. I hope it meets your artistic standards.”

  Dizzy wasn’t quite sure what that inside joke meant but Hallie explained it as Naya sashayed away, her slim-fitting skirt hugging her knockout curves to perfection. “I drew their crest.”

  “Oh. You’re an artist?”

  “I do small commissions for friends and colleagues of my husband.” Hallie studied her. “Would you let me draw you?”

  “Sure. Why not? Sounds fun.” Dizzy had lived around artsy types for so many years. She had a sneaking suspicion she would bond with Hallie over art paper and charcoal.

  “Kitten?” The gravelly, rumbling voice of the general interrupted their pleasant conversation. He stood off to the side, hands clasped behind his back as he waited for his wife to acknowledge him.

  Hallie smiled at him, the warm brightness in her eyes reflecting her deep love for this man. “Vicious, have you met Dizzy yet?”

  The general’s light-colored eyes landed on her. He let the tiniest hint of a smile crack his harsh face. “Ma’am.”

  Hallie rolled her eyes and climbed to her feet. “He’s such a social butterfly.”

  His lips settled into a thin line but Dizzy didn’t miss the little twitch of amusement that played upon them. Holding out his hand, he wiggled his fingers. “I massaged my schedule a bit to make room for lunch. Unless…?”

  Dizzy caught his questioning gaze darting her way. “Oh don’t miss lunch on my account. I’m sure Venom will be here soon to pick me up.”

  Hallie gave Dizzy a quick hug. “It was so nice to meet you. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, okay? We’ll figure out a time to get together.”

  “I’d like that.” Dizzy stepped aside and watched Hallie and Vicious leave hand in hand. Alone, she gathered up the handouts and her tablet and started across the room.

  When she neared the exit Venom stepped through the doorway. His alert gaze scanned the space and finally stopped upon her. He strode toward her, his powerful legs eating up the distance between them. She thought he might swing her up in his arms but he stopped himself from indulging what he truly wanted.

  Sliding his hand to her nape, he dragged her tight to his chest and bent down to capture her mouth in a gentle, easy kiss. “I missed you.”

  She laughed. “Venom, it was two hours.”

  “It was the longest two hours of my life.”

  “I doubt that very much.”

  He tapped the point of her nose. “I’ve got a way we could kill another two hours.”

  Her belly flip-flopped wildly. “I’m intrigued.”

  He laughed and slipped his arm around her shoulders to steer her out of the room. “I bet you are.”

  They made their way to an empty elevator and stepped inside. They chatted about the meeting and the two new friends she had made. Venom seemed genuinely happy that she had hit it off with Naya and Hallie.

  “I know that no one can replace Ella but I hope you can find good friends here.”

  “I think I’m off to a promising start with those two. Naya invited me to drop by her shop whenever I’d like. She even offered me some space in her shop.”

  Venom shot her a strange look. “For what?”

  “My dresses.”

  He turned so he could peer down into her face. “What dresses?”

  She couldn’t read his expression. Was he angry? “The ones I plan to design and sell.”

  “I see.” His jaw tensed. “You didn’t think that I might want to be consulted before you made a decision like this?”

  “Well…I thought you wouldn’t care. I mean—this is my job. It’s what I do. I design, sew and sell dresses. I’m a seamstress, Venom.”

  “No,” he countered somewhat gruffly. “You were a seamstress. Now you’re my mate.”

  Her hackles rose at his insinuation that she could only do one thing or the other. “I can be both, Venom. Lots of women juggle multiple roles. Besides, it would be nice to have the extra income.”

  He stiffened. It was almost as if she had verbally slapped him. “I may not earn a salary as large as Vicious or Orion but I make damn good money sticking my neck on the line every day. It’s more than enough to support us.”

  Dizzy frowned. “Did I say anything about your sala
ry being too small? Hell—I don’t know how much money you earn. Don’t you think I need to know that?”

  He avoided answering her pointed question. “We don’t need the extra income you would receive from selling a couple of dresses.”

  “So what? I’m supposed to just sit at home and wait for you to get off work every day?”

  “Yes.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You can’t be serious. You know that’s ridiculous.”

  “So now my culture is ridiculous?”

  “Stop putting words in my mouth, Venom. I don’t know what your problem is but I’m not going to stop designing and sewing.”

  “You can design and sew for yourself but that’s it. You will not sell your dresses for money.”

  Her eyebrows arched to her hairline. “Are you forbidding me from working and earning a living?”

  “Yes.”

  Her mouth gaped at the harshness in his voice. This version of Venom was a man she hardly recognized. Had she been that badly fooled over the last five days with him? Was this the real Venom, this obstinate, uncompromising jerk?

  “Naya has a shop.”

  “You’re not Naya.” He pointed out the obvious. “She’s a war hero. She nearly died and saved thousands of lives.”

  Dizzy couldn’t even find the words to reply to that. What he said was bad enough but what he didn’t say hurt even more. He had just made it perfectly clear that he considered her less than Naya. She wasn’t brave or heroic. She was just a woman who designed frilly dresses.

  She backed away from him until the elevator wall stopped her retreat. “Is that really what you think of me?”

  His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Before she could explain how he had hurt her feelings, Venom’s watch beeped loudly. He growled with irritation and studied the screen. “Shit.” He smacked the navigation screen of the elevator and changed their destination. “This discussion will have to wait.”

  She didn’t want to wait. She wanted to hash this out now but something in his voice told her this wasn’t the time. “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s a hostage situation aboard the Arctis. My SRU team is deploying and they need me.” He rubbed his jaw. “You’ll have to wait in the office I share with Raze. There isn’t time to take you back to our quarters.”

  “Okay.” She was taken aback by the fierce glint that had suddenly overtaken his blue eyes.

  In a few short minutes, she had witnessed three different sides to Venom. There was the gentle, sweet lover she had come to know and crave. There was the harsh, traditional male who wanted her to live within the pretty little box his culture created for wives. And then there was this man—the brutal warrior who had survived so many horrific battles.

  The elevator doors opened up into a noisy hallway. She heard a man shouting orders and the sounds of boots slamming against the floor. Venom gripped her hand and dragged her down the hall. One wall was see-through and gave her a clear view of a dozen men gearing up in frightening uniforms and loading up with weapons.

  A great big bull of a man stepped into the hallway. “Ven, this isn’t a daycare.”

  “Not in the mood, Raze.” Venom’s feet didn’t slow and she had to scurry to keep up with him.

  Raze? She glanced back over her shoulder to stare at her husband’s best friend. The soldier had the broadest chest she had ever seen and was a good two or three inches taller than Venom. He didn’t seem happy to see her trespassing in this very male domain.

  Venom unlocked a door and tugged her into a nicely appointed office. He carefully steered her into a chair. “Don’t move. I’m locking the door behind me. You stay here and you’ll be safe.” His fingertips traced the front of her collar. “Don’t forget what I told you about the men who snatch brides. This isn’t the time to go exploring the ship.”

  “I understand.” The very idea of it terrified her.

  Venom’s hard expressions softened some. “I know you’re mad at me about what I said in the elevator.” He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “We’ll figure it out.”

  Not wanting him to run off into a crazy, dangerous situation with an argument between them, she grasped the front of his uniform shirt and jerked him down for a real kiss. He groaned softly against her mouth and deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue against hers before reluctantly breaking away. Dizzy stroked his cheek. “Please be careful.”

  “I will, sugar.”

  And then he was gone, rushing out of the room and locking her into the office to await his return.

  She prayed he would come back to her in one piece.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Is your head in the game or do I need to pull you off this mission?”

  Venom glanced at Raze. His question bordered on insult as far as Venom was concerned. He had never, not once, allowed his personal issues to cloud his judgment. “I’m here. My head’s right.”

  Raze’s pointed stare bored into him like a drill bit. “I realize I should be a good friend and ask you what the hell is going on between you and that blonde pixie you Grabbed—but we don’t have time. We’re hitting the deck of the Arctis in less than three minutes.”

  “I’m fine. It’s under control.” Venom didn’t try to hide his irritation with Raze’s incessant prodding. “Let it go, boss.”

  “All right.” Raze seemed reluctant but did as asked. He turned his attention to Cipher, the brilliant engineer who was as deadly with his algorithms as he was with a weapon. “Intel?”

  “The subject is a twenty-seven-year-old male named Ben from Grogan’s Mill. He appears to be the ex-boyfriend or fiancé of Kate, the woman he’s currently holding hostage at gunpoint. He faked his papers to get onto the transport ship for family day and posed as the victim’s brother. He’s shot and killed one policeman and wounded three bystanders. The medics can’t reach one of the victims. He’s critical and needs immediate transport.”

  Venom studied the intel screen strapped to his forearm. Cipher sent a live feed of the situation to their devices. He zeroed in on the injured man, another visitor from Calyx, sprawled facedown on the floor. Two small but growing blood pools framed his still body.

  Ben, the hostage-taker, clamped a sobbing, nearly hysterical woman to his front. The subject had kicked over a couple of tables to form a fortified position so Venom quickly assessed the space for areas with higher vantage points. He had a sinking feeling this call was going to end badly and wanted to narrow down the possibilities for a perch.

  “The subject is boxed in?” Venom noticed the policemen guarding the exit points and the perimeter of the Arctis food court.

  “Yes,” Cipher confirmed.

  “So let’s take some of the pressure off,” Raze ordered. “We need to give this guy some breathing room and see if we can get him to talk. Priorities are the hostage and the wounded bystander. Ven?”

  He didn’t have to ask what Raze wanted. If talking the subject down failed, they would have few choices to end the situation. “I’m on tactical options.”

  “Cipher, run intel on this guy and this woman. Find someone who knows them. I need to know the score between this couple.”

  “Working on it already, boss.”

  Venom gathered four team members and quickly laid out three tactical plans. Once they docked with the Arctis, they deployed to the food court with maximum speed. Venom quietly signaled his men to take up a perimeter around the victim and the subject, replacing the policeman who had kept the situation contained.

  Smiling broadly and projecting friendliness, Raze cautiously approached and made himself visible. “Ben, my name is Raze. I’m a member of the Special Response Unit and I’m just here to talk.”

  “Stay back!” Ben shouted as his wild-eyed gaze darted around the cavernous space. “You stay back or I swear to god I’ll put a bullet through her brain right now.”

  “Okay.” Raze moved back a few steps and held his hands up in front of him. Still smiling, he said, “We’re hangi
ng back and giving you some space but I need to get some medics in there to retrieve that wounded man.”

  “Stay back!” Ben’s shout echoed in the evacuated food court.

  “Ben,” Raze said calmly, “I hear you, man. Okay? I know that you’re feeling cornered but I need you to understand that I cannot help you out of this if more people die. Let me send three men out to grab this wounded man and then we can talk about what I can do for you.”

  Venom’s adrenaline amped up as he prepared to move forward with extricating the wounded man. Fierce and Threat sidled up next to him with two of their heavy-duty shields. The mic attached to his uniform and tied in to the earbud he wore allowed the team to communicate. “We’re in position, boss.”

  “Copy that.” Raze continued to negotiate with the hostage-taker. “Ben, this guy is badly wounded. He’s bleeding everywhere. Let me send my guys in to drag him out and then we can talk about what you want.”

  “What I want?” Ben snarled furiously. “What I fucking want you took from me!”

  Venom eyed the growing blood pool on the floor. The witness reports stated the injured man had been hit in the legs and arms. They weren’t immediately fatal wounds but that much blood loss presented a serious problem. He glanced at Fierce and Threat who nodded with understanding. This wasn’t going to be an easy extraction but it had to be done.

  “Ben, I hear you. I understand you. But Ben, I need you to look at this man you shot. He’s not one of us. He didn’t take anything from you. He’s one of your people. He’s innocent. He has family. Please let us help him.”

  Venom watched as Ben’s panicked gaze darted from Raze to the small team he headed and back again to the boss. “Yeah. Okay. They can take him.” He lifted his weapon menacingly and pressed it against the woman’s temple. “If they try anything stupid she’s dead. You understand?”

  “Yes, Ben, I understand you.” Raze tried to build rapport with the hostage-taker. “My team is going to slowly walk out, grab the injured man and retreat. Then we can talk. Okay?”