Defender: Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #2

by Hackett, Anna

  “It was an Edull attack. My guess is that Vron planned it. It was more robots similar to the ones in the factory.”

  Her belly clenched. “Oh, God.”

  “Seven dead. All women.”

  Jayna pressed a hand to her mouth. “It was a message.”

  Mace nodded. “A warning.”

  “Screw them,” she bit out. “We won’t let them scare us.”

  A faint smile appeared on Mace’s face.

  But Jayna tried to find some control. He didn’t need anger right now. He was so tense and tired. She got up on her knees on the bed and moved in behind him. She put her hands on his head and started massaging his scalp.

  He groaned, his head falling forward.

  Jayna loved touching him. Her parents were always touching each other, and she’d never really understood.

  “Never liked anyone touching me.”

  Her hands stilled.

  “Before you,” he added. “In the fight rings…people usually only touched me to beat the drak out of me.”

  She wanted to wrap her arms around him and make that pain go away. She swallowed. But she knew it didn’t go away. They’d both been through their own versions of hell, and that didn’t disappear in a puff of smoke, no matter if you were safe and happy. But you dealt with it, coped, and moved on the best you could.

  “I’m glad you got out.” She kneaded his skin.

  “Me too.” He paused. “I want you, Jayna.”

  Her hands spasmed. “I want you, too.”

  He looked back at her over his shoulder. “I could hurt you.”

  “No, you never would.” Not physically.

  She leaned down and kissed the nape of his neck. He shuddered.

  This big, powerful cyborg shuddered under her touch. How amazing was that?

  “Jayna—”

  “I know you’re tired, Mace. Just relax.”

  She made him lie down and then lay beside him. The sheets and pillows smelled of him.

  “Rory from the House of Galen is going to come tomorrow and try to crack open Vron’s head,” Mace said.

  Jayna nodded. “She’s a good engineer, and she’s determined. Let’s hope she has better luck.” Jayna prayed that Rory could get some information out of the bot.

  The Edull had hurt too many people. It had to stop.

  She curled around Mace and he made a soft rumble. She smiled. She liked taking care of him.

  “Sleep,” she murmured.

  “I don’t need much sleep.” But his voice was a little slurred. She smiled again. He had to be tough to the end.

  “Sleep,” she said firmly.

  He rested his hand on her thigh. “You’ll stay?”

  “I’ll stay.”

  She heard his breathing slow, and she pressed herself against his back. Her cyborg had never had someone who cared for him before.

  But he did now.

  * * *

  Mace stayed close to Jayna as he led her into Ever’s lab.

  When they stepped through the doorway, Jayna jerked to a stop. Vron was lying on a bench, held down by metal straps.

  Rory raised her head, her red hair bright in the sunlight.

  “Hey.” Rory raised her hand and waved. “Nice to see you guys again. That hunky gladiator over there is mine.” She jerked a thumb. “My baby daddy, Kace.”

  Mace lifted his chin at the House of Galen gladiator. Kace was military trained, and it showed in his straight bearing.

  “You have the cutest toddler,” Jayna said.

  Kace smiled and Rory beamed. “Our little bundle of joy, crossed with oh-my-God-he’s-going-to-turn-my-hair-gray. Sam and Galen are babysitting him for us.”

  Mace paused. He tried to imagine the imperator and his warrior mate caring for a small child, but the image refused to form.

  “Okay, let’s get to work.” Rory cracked her knuckles, then rubbed her hands together.

  “You will regret these actions,” Vron intoned.

  “Yeah, yeah, yadda, yadda.” Rory didn’t look the least bit concerned as she opened Vron’s head.

  Mace followed Jayna closer to the bench. There were lights and wires inside the robot’s skull. Rory took out several tools, digging around and pulling wires out. She looked at the comp screen resting on the bench beside Vron, making adjustments and humming quietly.

  Jayna grabbed Mace’s hand. He ran his hand down her hair. Drak, he loved her hair. There was just so much of it.

  “You will fail.” Vron’s voice slowed and started to slur.

  “There.” Rory smiled. “No one wants to hear your crap. We want to know about Bari Batu.”

  “You are from Earth,” Vron said. “You’re not advanced enough to deal with Edull tech.”

  “Ooh,” Rory said. “Hear that, babe? I’m too dumb.”

  Kace scowled and crossed his arms over his bare chest.

  “I’ve learned a thing or two since I ended up here,” Rory said. “I was dragged here by the fucking Thraxians, who are buddies with your Edull, so I’m pretty motivated to pick you apart.”

  She fiddled inside Vron’s head and the robot made a squawking sound.

  Rory grinned. “Didn’t like that, huh?”

  Suddenly, the robot stiffened. “What are you doing?”

  “Just using that puny human brain of mine.”

  Lights projected out of Vron’s head and Jayna gasped.

  “What the—?” Mace stared at the symbols and lines projected into the air.

  “It’s pretty,” Jayna murmured.

  Mace stared at bright spots and lines of color, trying to make sense of the image.

  “What is it?” Magnus’ voice.

  Mace looked over and saw the imperator and Jax standing in the doorway. They were frowning at the projection.

  “I’ll never tell,” Vron said.

  Mace turned to stare at the image again, but he couldn’t detect a pattern.

  “This was in a well-protected part of his system,” Rory said. “I’m guessing it means something.”

  Jayna wandered closer, her face set in concentration.

  “Jayna?” Mace said.

  She stared at the light projection, thoroughly absorbed. “These look like astrometric charts. Star charts.”

  “What?” Rory said.

  Magnus nodded. “Jayna’s right.”

  “They’re sky maps.” Jayna smiled, her face alight. “They show the stars in Carthago’s skies.”

  Rory tapped on her comp screen. “I’m copying it now.”

  Jayna turned to Magnus. “Do you have a database of star maps?”

  The imperator nodded. “I don’t know how extensive they are, but I can get the data, if required.”

  Jax nodded, moving over to another comp. He started tapping.

  Jayna turned. “Rory, there must be times and dates on these maps somewhere.”

  The redhead’s fingers danced over her screen. “And if we can match a star map to a date and time…”

  “It’ll give us a location,” Jayna said.

  Rory continued to dig around inside Vron’s head. More data, in an alien text, projected into the air.

  Jayna beamed at Mace and he smiled back. This was it. Now, they could finally find Bari Batu and Sage, and any others left behind.

  “Dammit!” Rory bit out.

  Mace tensed and Kace straightened.

  “He’s created some sort of virus.” Rory yanked on some wires. “It’s replicating in his system.”

  Vron started shaking. “Even if you get close to Bari Batu, you’ll never get in. Access is coded into the residents’ skin.”

  Jayna shot the robot a grim smile. “I’ve been there before. It must be coded in me.”

  Mace fought back a growl at the thought of the Edull leaving anything in Jayna.

  Vron jerked. “You’ll fail.”

  “No, we won’t.” Jayna leaned closer, no fear on her face. “We’ll save the other humans.”

  “But not the other one w
ho was with you,” Vron said.

  Jayna froze. “Sage?”

  Vron remained silent.

  Jayna stepped to the side of the bench. She banged her fist against the robot’s chest. “What about Sage?”

  “The virus is growing too fast,” Rory cried. “I can’t stop it.”

  “Get the data,” Magnus ordered.

  “I’m trying, big guy.”

  Mace reached past Jayna and gripped Vron’s throat. He squeezed, metal denting under his fingers. “Tell her what she wants to know.”

  Vron stayed silent.

  Mace gripped Vron’s arm…and ripped it off.

  Jayna jerked, blinked, then turned back to Vron. “Talk, asshole.”

  “The woman is to be executed.” The bot sounded almost smug. “Two days from now.”

  “No.” Jayna’s voice was a harsh whisper.

  Suddenly, Vron’s intact hand touched Jayna’s wrist. There was a pulse of energy.

  She cried out and stumbled back. Magnus shoved himself between her and Vron. Mace grabbed her before she tripped.

  “Sage.” Jayna’s eyelids flickered fast. “Memories…”

  Mace dropped to the stool, pulling her into his lap. “Shh.”

  “Smiling, even in the darkness. Red hair…more coppery than Rory’s.” A tear tracked down Jayna’s cheek.

  “I can’t stop the virus.” Rory circled around the bench. “I think—”

  There was a puff of smoke from Vron’s head, and he fell silent, the lights in his head going dark.

  “Shit.” Rory kicked the bench, making everything rattle. “He’s fried.”

  “Rory, did you get a date and time?” Magnus asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Jayna made a small sound and Mace clutched her tighter.

  “They’re going to execute her,” Jayna murmured.

  “We’ll find her.” Mace hoped he wasn’t making a promise he couldn’t keep.

  Rory picked up her comp screen, scrolling through the data. Then she went still, and a beaming smile broke out on her face. “We got it!”

  Jayna turned in Mace’s arms. “Mace.”

  “We got it.” He was proud of her. Facing down Vron and standing strong.

  Jax looked up from his comp, frowning. “I’m no expert on these star charts.”

  “Here.” Jayna moved closer, her gaze narrowing on the screen. “Rory, that data?”

  “Sent,” the engineer replied.

  Mace watched Jayna as she flicked through the charts. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she worked. Drak, she was something to watch. This was Jayna, completely in her element.

  “Come on,” she muttered. Her fingers danced over the screen. “Wait a second.” She looked up, a beaming smile on her face. “We have a location.”

  Pride filled Mace.

  Magnus leaned over Jayna’s shoulder, studying the data. “It’s deep in the desert, on the far side of Kor Magna.”

  “I don’t care where it is,” Jayna said.

  Mace met Magnus’ gaze. “How far?”

  “Far.”

  Jayna gasped, her hands gripping Mace’s chest. “What are you saying?”

  “Getting there and finding her in under two days…” They’d cut it very close.

  “Mace—” Fear in Jayna’s voice.

  He gripped her chin. “We’re going to find Sage and get her out.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jayna knew there was no way she’d be able to sleep knowing that the clock was ticking for Sage.

  Mace was silent behind her and she turned, anger molten in her veins. “When do we leave?”

  “Tomorrow. We need to arrange a ship that can make the journey, and plan. That takes time.”

  With a small scream, Jayna tugged on her hair. “Sage doesn’t have time!”

  Jayna started pacing his bedroom. No way she could sit still, let alone lie down.

  “I don’t want you anywhere near Bari Batu,” Mace said.

  Her head whipped up. “I know, but I have to.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I know.”

  Air shuddered out of her. “Thank you.”

  He strode across the room and lifted something off a small side table. He held it out to her.

  Jayna just stared.

  “It’s called a diola.” He pressed the instrument into her hands. “Ever said it’s the closest thing we have here to a guitar.”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jayna stroked the wood. It was shaped a little like a guitar, but was smaller. The strings were made of a substance she didn’t recognize. She gave them a light strum, listening to the sound.

  “Mace—”

  “Play it, Jayna.” He dropped onto the bed, his gaze on her.

  After taking a few steps, she dropped onto a chair, settling the instrument in her lap. The need to play rose in her, filling her chest. Taking a few minutes, she plucked the strings, finding what was the same and what was different. Her cybernetic fingers felt strange at first on the strings as she tuned the instrument.

  Then she started to play. The music filled her, swelling inside her belly. Closing her eyes, she lost herself in it.

  She moved from one song to the next. Her fingers moved over the strings and she forgot everything. The world around her melted away.

  Finally, she finished, the last note fading. She lifted her head and her belly tightened.

  Mace was watching her, his intense gaze glued to her.

  She pulled in a breath and set the instrument down. The hunger in his eyes took her breath away. So sexy, strong, and dangerous, this cyborg.

  This man who’d been there for her from the first moment she’d seen him.

  And now they were about to head into a deadly mission.

  Jayna rose and walked across the room. Mace didn’t take his eyes off her. She tugged him to his feet, then pressed a hand to his hard stomach, and heard him suck in a breath.

  “Tonight, I want to be with you.”

  “Jayna—”

  She started undoing his harness. “Tonight, I want to touch you, and have you touch me.”

  He sighed. “I can’t say no to you.”

  She smiled, sliding the leather off. She stroked his chest. “You said you’ve had sex before.”

  “Yes.” He paused. “When I was in the fight rings. It was…rough, fast.”

  “We aren’t going to rush this.” She kissed him.

  He made a hungry sound, his hands sliding around her. His tongue stroked hers, and her sound of pleasure vibrated through them both. His hard cock pressed against her belly.

  She started unbuttoning his leather trousers and he grabbed her wrist.

  “I want to see you too. Touch you.”

  “I want that, too, Mace. We have all night. First, let me pleasure you.”

  He pulled in a harsh breath. “No one’s ever cared about my pleasure.”

  Jayna’s heart cracked. She was going to love this man—her strong, tough cyborg. She unfastened his trousers and his cock sprang out like the hardest steel. Oh, boy. He was in proportion and his cock was as big as the rest of him. She wrapped her fingers around him, and stroked. He groaned.

  “So soft and hard at the same time,” she murmured.

  He groaned again.

  She ran her fingers over the mushroom head of him, spreading the wetness she found there. She spread it down his length.

  “Jayna…harder.”

  His hands moved over hers, and together they stroked him faster, harder. His big body was rigid, and he made a rumbling sound in his chest.

  “I love how you feel.” She leaned forward and sank her teeth into his chest.

  He threw his head back, pumped into her hand.

  “I’m going to—”

  “Come, Mace. Show me.”

  A second later, he let out a harsh, tortured sound. His release was sticky on her fingers. His chest was working like a set of bellows.

  She smiled. “Sit down. I’ll be right ba
ck.”

  He slid a hand in her hair and kissed her, then dropped heavily to the bed. She slipped into the bathroom and cleaned up.

  When she walked back to him, she started unfastening her shirt. His gaze locked on her hands. With a shrug of her shoulders, she let the shirt drop to the floor.

  Then she shimmied out of her trousers. His gaze was hot, glued on her like a laser beam. Next, she discarded her underwear and kicked it away.

  Naked, Jayna stepped between his strong legs. God, his thighs were huge and thick with muscle. His big cock was already hard again. His hands circled her waist, his callused fingers stroking her skin.

  Tingles sprang to life all over her, fire spreading through her veins. As those fingers brushed her hip bones, she felt a rush of wetness between her thighs.

  Mace leaned forward and put his mouth on her breast. She gasped, and he sucked on the nipple, tugging. Her thoughts turned to a chaotic jumble.

  Then he lifted her off the ground.

  She gave a startled cry. He pulled her closer, wrapping one of her legs over his shoulder. His hands slid under her bottom, holding her in place with the most intimate part of her right in his face.

  “Mace—” God. “You can’t hold me like this.”

  “With ease.”

  He looked at her, right between her legs, and her cheeks stung. She knew she was blushing.

  “So pretty and wet.” The green ring in his eyes was glowing. “Is this for me?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was a breathy whisper.

  He moved his head and licked her. She bucked in his hold, but he pulled her closer, his tongue delving into her folds.

  Husky cries came from her throat. He held her up, only his hands and tongue touching her. Then his tongue found her clit and she cried out, jerking hard.

  He made a rumbling sound, then rolled the small nub under his tongue.

  “Oh, Mace—”

  He sucked her clit into his mouth.

  Jayna splintered apart. Pleasure crashed over her and she screamed his name. He switched to long, slow, tormenting licks as she continued to shudder and shake.

  Afterward, she was barely conscious. He laid her on the bed, his hands stroking her twitching thighs.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said.

  As he rose and shoved down his trousers, Jayna thought he was the beautiful one. Hard and tough, yes, but beautiful as well.