Prime Target

by Monette Michaels

  The pain was immediate. His touch stung her so severely she couldn’t manage a full breath. Gagging, she vomited to the side, all over Roc’s boots.

  Roc jumped back and swore. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” He pulled her around the mess on the floor.

  Susa inhaled sharply and managed not to heave again, but it was close. A cool, minty sensation calmed her roiling stomach and soothed the burning sensation on her skin where Roc’s fingers gripped her cruelly. The discomfort was still there, but deadened. She sent silent thanks to Damon who’d reacted swiftly to calm her pain and distress.

  Remain calm, love. Fear isn’t good for the baby.

  If the situation hadn’t been so fraught with danger, Susa would’ve rolled her eyes. Damon would never let her out of his sight until after the baby was born, and maybe not even then.

  She glared at Roc. “Your touch sickens me.”

  “Tough.” Roc pulled her toward the main entrance. “Stop dragging your feet.”

  Celeste glanced at Susa and swore. “Shit. I’ve heard about this, Roc. She mentioned her gemat. It’s the Prime mate-bond. Any stranger’s touch will cause her pain.”

  “What? What’s this about a mate-bond?” Goldai shouted as he scurried to keep up with their longer strides. He’d obviously hadn’t been paying attention earlier. “You never mentioned a mate in your last report.”

  “Things changed,” Susa said. “My gemat will never let you take me. So leave while you still can.”

  Goldai kicked a chair. “You botched the job, Roc. She’s damaged goods.”

  Damon hissed in her mind.

  Bak, she didn’t like being called “goods,” either, but she couldn’t do much about it now.

  “If you no longer want her, your Majesty”—Celeste shoved open the main entrance doors—“after all the trouble we’ve gone through to get her, we can always sell her in the Andromeda slave auctions.”

  Goldai grumbled. “I still want her. But the rest of the money for the contract will need to be renegotiated. I paid you to kidnap an unclaimed Prime female. She is not unclaimed.”

  “You will pay us what you owe us, or there will be two slaves going up for auction,” Roc threatened. “And you’ll be in the slave labor auction.”

  Susa almost snickered at the wave of terror coming off Goldai.

  Tor was in the hallway outside the casino entrance. The Volusian who’d guarded the door lay on the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back. His chest rose and fell slightly with each breath.

  Susa sighed with relief. The guard outside the casino is down, but alive.

  Someone is on the way to aid him and collect Zoey. You’re doing fine, love. Stay strong.

  An ethereal kiss touched her cheek. His love enfolded her senses and wrapped her body up like a warm fluffy blanket. His strength bolstered hers. She was not alone; her mate had her back.

  A movement in the shadows. Black melding with black. Ragbags. While Geep wasn’t there, she could sense the little guy giving several of his posse—as Damon had named the Ragbags who’d sworn allegiance to Geep—telepathic instructions. They were her safety net. If any of the pirates or Goldai made a move to seriously harm her, the Ragbags would bite that person. Right now, Damon was concerned the pirates could possibly kill her before the Ragbags’ poison took effect. After the Sleko experience, she knew Damon was right to be cautious.

  Entering a lift, Roc ordered the freight docks. Several shadows slipped into the car before the door closed and blended with the dark metal walls.

  “Are the dock security cameras still malfunctioning?” Roc asked Tor.

  Tor checked a com-tablet. “Yes. But there’s something called a Code Amber flashing in their system. Borg didn’t tell us anything about a Code Amber.”

  Damon, Borg is the traitor.

  I heard, love. He’ll be taken care of.

  Tor looked at Susa. “What is a Code Amber?”

  Code Amber was the signal for a station and jump gate total lock-down. Only Damon had the override code.

  Susa shrugged and lied, “Don’t know.”

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” muttered Roc.

  The man had good instincts. Too bad he hadn’t consulted them before hiring on with Goldai.

  Celeste shot an angry look at Goldai. “We told you this was a bad idea. But, no, you had to come here and get her. If this goes bad, little man”—like Susa, Celeste towered over Goldai—“I will kill you myself.”

  “How dare you?” Goldai huffed with indignation. If he’d been a Ragbag, his fur would’ve been puffed out. “I am the ruler of the Umbraxi solar system—”

  Susa couldn’t let that statement pass. Wulf had shared a report from Alliance Intelligence on the Umbraxi ruler soon after he’d learned of the man’s interest in Susa.

  Dividing and conquering was the duty of every captive, right?

  Letting out a derisive snort, Susa said, “Goldai is in debt to the Galactic Alliance. The only reason he has a roof over his head is because of a deal his father negotiated with the Alliance to house the Alliance prisons on the desolate ice planets in the Umbraxi solar system to pay off the debt. The debt should be paid off in another thousand standard years.”

  She sneered at Goldai whose face had turned red with apoplexy. “As for Little Nagli, he has the reputation of buying and hiring on credit and then not paying what he owes.”

  Celeste snickered. “I like you, Susa. Too bad, we’ll have to sell you to make this trip worthwhile.”

  “I’ll pay what I owe you,” blustered Goldai. “So the bitch is mine.”

  “Only if you live,” muttered Celeste.

  “Shut up, Celeste,” Roc ordered. “He’s right. As long as he pays, he’s our client.”

  His “for now” went unsaid, but Susa sensed it. Both Roc and Tor, like Celeste, were running on fight-or-flight instincts now and had begun second-guessing their current actions.

  “You won’t make it off this station.” Susa added another shot across their proverbial bow, forcing them to think about how they might negotiate to get safe passage off the station.

  Unfortunately for them, Damon wasn’t happy—and wanted blood.

  Damon, you can’t kill them all.

  Just watch me.

  Hurt them, make them bleed, if you need to, but keep them for the Alliance to deal with.

  His silence was telling. Susa sighed. Her mate hadn’t ruled out complete annihilation.

  Wait for my signal, love. Then use the defensive moves I taught you. I will continue to boost your strength.

  I feel your power in me, lubho. I will be fine.

  Yes, you will.

  When the lift doors opened, the dock looked deserted. Only Susa knew it wasn’t. The grim, determined emotions of at least a dozen men plus Geep and more of his posse pummeled her senses, causing her pain level to rise. Damon’s unhappy growl vibrated her bones and then all pain was gone as he did something to block the other’s emotions.

  Roc held back, remaining inside the lift, along with Tor and Celeste. Goldai exited, then turned. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Something’s wrong,” hissed Tor. “Where are all the people? The docks should be crowded at this time of the day.”

  A loud rustling and several rumbling mrrfs in the shadows had the three pirates stiffening.

  “What was that?” Celeste asked, her laser pistol in one hand and a knife in the other.

  “Dock pests,” Roc replied. “Pay no attention to them. Head for the ship.”

  Ignoring the pain from his fingers digging into her upper arm, Susa let Roc pull her along.

  More, louder noises came from the edges of the dock area. Celeste swung her head from side-to-side and Tor, despite Roc’s attempt at reassurance, was also spooked.

  Susa bit her lip to keep from smiling. Geep’s posse was frightening her captors on purpose. Ragbags could move without making a sound, if they wished.

  Susa okay? Feel your pain. Geep’s mental v
oice was angry.

  I’m okay.

  Damon’s unhappy growl at her lie registered right before he said, Get ready, Angel. Move in, Geep. Take down Goldai as soon as he steps on the dock ramp to his ship.

  Take down? Susa asked.

  Geep isn’t going to kill him, love.

  Good, I’d rather see him rot in one of his own ice world’s prisons. Where she was sure he’d be very popular with the more dominant prisoners.

  Knowing where and what to look for, Susa spotted Geep as he moved along the ramp base, his fur blending in with the dark metal.

  When Goldai placed a foot on the ramp, Geep struck, a quick bite on the lower leg and then scurried into the shadows so quickly no one but her spotted him.

  “Ow!” Goldai gasped and turned toward Roc and the others. His eyes widened; the pupils constricted to pinpoints instantly. His pale skin turned a color that wasn’t quite red, wasn’t quite green, but a ghastly combination of both.

  Goldai grabbed his throat and croaked out, “What’s—” His question unfinished, he fell at the base of the ramp in a graceless heap.

  “What the fuck just happened? There’s no one here.” Roc looked around the empty, nearly silent dock area. The only noise was the hum of the huge compressors that recycled the air.

  Celeste and Tor went back-to-back, their laser pistols aimed toward the shadows which now moved with motion, black sliding over black. They fired, but still the darkness undulated like waves on a shore. The Ragbags were on the move, positioning themselves for whatever Damon had planned next.

  Stinking with a combination of dread at the unseen threat and anger, Roc pulled Susa in front of him with her back against his front, his arm around her waist. He switched out his laser pistol for a knife, held it to her neck and then made a fine slice. She hissed at the sharp, burning pain.

  He’s dead. Damon’s mental voice was flat, calm, and so frigid, she shivered in response.

  “Show yourselves, or I’ll kill the bitch,” Roc yelled, the words echoed in the cavernous dock area. “I know you’re out there.” The pirate swiveled from side-to-side, pulling her with him as he backed toward his ship’s ramp.

  The motion was making her nauseated.

  Damon calmed her churning stomach. When I tell you, break his hold. I showed you how, remember? He flooded her mind with the lessons learned in less dangerous times in the cruise sim room. I’ll help you.

  Yes. But—Geep can take him down.

  No. I won’t take the chance. He could kill you before he succumbed. Plus, he’s mine. He cut you. Damon paused, and Susa could feel him reining in the need to kill everyone who’d placed her in danger.

  Geep? Damon called.

  Yes?

  Take down the other two as you did Goldai, plus any on the ship.

  The ones on ship are already unconscious and under guard. Geep sounded smug.

  Good. Damon’s voice was a low, rattling snarl in her head.

  “Come out. Now.” Roc yelled. His anger conveyed by a tightening of his hold on her and another controlled slice of his knife over her skin.

  Her sharp inhalation sounded loud. Damon’s need to kill escalated until it vibrated over her skin. She readied herself to move, mentally going over what she had to do to get away from Roc and out of Damon’s way.

  Celeste and Tor had ceased shooting at the shadows and stepped over Goldai’s body as if he were just another pile of dock garbage and backed their way up the ramp.

  Susa spotted Geep and another Ragbag bite the two pirates and then vanish under the ramp.

  As with Goldai, the reaction to the toxin seemed to move in slow motion. Tor and Celeste were able to get off several wild shots with their lasers. Celeste uttered a scream as she fell.

  “What the fuck?” Roc kept Susa in front of him as he swiveled from side-to-side while backing toward the ramp and what he probably thought would be the safety of his ship.

  With his movements so erratic, there was no way Damon or his security people could get a clear shot at Roc without hitting her. Her captor’s movements were so abrupt, he accidentally cut her neck this time and the slice was deeper. Hot blood slid down the clammy skin of her throat onto her collar bone.

  Damon’s roar bounced off the titanium walls of the station. “Let her go. You might live to see prison with your comrades.”

  “No, you’ll kill me just as you killed them,” Roc shouted. “She’s my safe passage out of here.”

  Susa huffed. “Listen, Roc, your friends aren’t dead. Neither is Goldai. Now, they won’t feel so hot when they awaken, but they’ll still be alive. You won’t be if you don’t let me go. My gemat is very angry. He wants to kill you.”

  But her argument fell on deaf ears and a brain immune to reason. At this point, he was a cornered animal.

  His response confirmed all logic had died. “If he tries to free you, you’ll be dead. Then he has to kill me before I kill him. I’ll take my chances. Martin isn’t a Prime warrior, but just a former farmer from a pacifist world and a glorified gambler and jump station owner.”

  Signing his death warrant, Roc tightened his hold on her waist and moved the knife to nick her ear lobe. She gasped.

  Angel? Damon’s voice was calm. Too calm.

  Susa touched his mind and found a firestorm, but even as he raged, he soothed her wounds, calmed her nausea, as a warrior-gemat did for his battle-mate.

  Yes?

  Get ready. He shared energy with her and again sent her images of how he wanted her to get away from Roc’s hold.

  She and Roc had reached the ramp. The pirate kicked Goldai’s body out of the way. The self-proclaimed ruler of the Umbraxi system groaned.

  “Let my mate go.” Damon stepped out of the shadows and strode down the dock with a dozen security people emerging from the shadows.

  Behind Susa and her captor, in the entrance to the ship, she sensed Geep and a dozen Ragbags.

  A rational man would let her go at this point.

  All rationality had left the dock.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Roc looked around wildly and realized he had nowhere to go. He tightened his hold, and because he couldn’t get to his laser pistol without releasing her or his knife, he was stuck on the horns of a dilemma.

  Damon stopped several meters away. His blue eyes were so dark they appeared black. With a battle-blade in one hand and a laser pistol in the other, he looked formidable. His glare, fixed on Roc, could’ve melted titanium.

  Moving to the end of the ramp on which she and Roc stood, Damon holstered his laser pistol. “Let Susa go. I’ll give you a fighting chance to live. Harm her further, nothing will save you.”

  Geep and the Ragbags made loud growling sounds and Roc stiffened. From the emotional stew swirling in Roc’s aura, fear had taken precedence and rolled off him in waves. He obviously knew the Ragbags could’ve killed the others with their bites, but hadn’t. Knew they could just as easily disable him, but hadn’t.

  As Roc vacillated, his control over his hand evaporated. He nicked her jaw this time. The blood dripped steadily.

  Damon’s angry bellow startled Roc who almost cut her again.

  Her gemat’s gaze narrowed, and his anger radiated off him, an aura of red, orange, and yellow flames. Now, love.

  Using the strength Damon fed her, she thrust her arms straight up and pushed Roc’s knife arm away, then she elbowed him in the solar plexus before dropping to roll over the edge of the ramp, her hands protectively over her abdomen. Before she had even hit the dock, Geep and his posse were there to cushion her fall.

  While she caught her breath, they surrounded her. Her furry protectors were in full-blown defending mode. No one would be stupid or suicidal enough to try and take her from them.

  But even if Roc were foolish enough to attempt it, he had other, more immediate, problems.

  Damon rushed up the ramp even as Susa had forced the knife away from her. When she was clear, he swung his battle-blade at a shocked Roc and touched Susa’s mind
.

  Love? You hurt?

  No. Please be careful.

  I’m just gonna play with him a bit. Damon snorted. Stay with Geep.

  Roc leapt off the side of the ramp onto the dock. “I may not get off this station, Martin. But you’re going down also.”

  “Bring it on, fucker.” Damon gestured. “This former farmer doesn’t die easy.”

  Roc tossed his knife to the ground, then leaped at Damon while pulling a battle-blade from a harness across his back.

  As the two circled, testing each other with the reach of their blades, Damon kept his body between the pirate and where Susa had landed. You need to get off the dock.

  I can’t. My ankle.

  You said you weren’t injured. Damon kicked out at Roc’s knees and knocked the pirate down.

  I’m not. It’s just sprained.

  Roc had some moves and rolled away from Damon’s battle-blade before it could connect. He then sprang to his feet and counter-attacked.

  Dancing away from the pirate’s blade, which nearly missed taking out a chunk of his left side, Damon feinted, lunged, and parried. The blades’ clanging rang throughout the dock area. Sparks flew as metal struck metal.

  After several minutes of testing his skills against the pirate, Damon had no doubt he could take out Roc whenever he wished.

  Yet, he didn’t wish quite yet. The bastard had hurt his Angel, and Damon needed to toy with his prey first.

  Damon pursued and retreated, directing and pushing Roc around the dock area. He’d given the pirate several slices across the arms and one on a thigh.

  Bleeding heavily, the pirate was visibly tiring.

  A crowd had formed around the edges. Dock workers. Ship’s crews. Security personnel. His employees. And Susa, who’d gotten up with the help of one of the security guards and was now near one of the exits off the dock. There she’d stopped, surrounded by a swarm of Ragbags led by Geep and at least five of Damon’s most elite security people, who’d whisk her away at the first sign of danger or he’d beat the shit out of them.

  Momentarily distracted by the sight of Susa looking pale with blood splattered on her tunic, Damon zigged when he should’ve zagged.