Dead World 1, page 15
He arched a brow but said nothing.
She helped guide the bio bag, as she and Jim started to climb up the hill.
Wind whirled around them, blowing sand and dust. Morgan tried to catch Gina’s scent as she climbed the hill. He needed to get the smell of death out of his lungs. The aroma of fresh clean skin teased his senses, then faded to something darker. Something that shouldn’t be there.
He inhaled again, thinking that he might’ve caught decomp by accident. The wind blew harder. Morgan sifted through the scents, seeking only Gina. What he found was ...blood.
Moira’s blood.
Morgan’s heart punched his ribs. He had to be mistaken. There was no logical reason for Moira’s blood to be on Gina unless...
His veins filled with ice, leaving him shaken. “No!” Morgan hissed under his breath. She wouldn’t. Couldn’t have. Yes, she was capable, but why would she? Morgan refused to accept what his senses were telling him. It would mean she wasn’t who he thought she was. It would mean her presence in Nuria was no accident.
The wind came again, but the scent remained. Strong. Brutal. Unforgiving.
He’d been in her room last night. Other than pleasuring herself, she hadn’t done anything or gone anywhere. He wondered what time Moira had been killed. What if the times didn’t match? What if they did?
Anguish nearly brought him to his knees. Why? Why would she do something like this? Why would she endanger her career? Her life? It just didn’t make sense.
Gina had no obvious motive to commit murder. He’d read her file. There’d been no disciplinary actions or reports on excessive use of force. Had her grandfather covered them up? Somehow she’d managed to get blood trace on her body. The only time that could’ve happened was sometime last night.
There was only one way that he could think of that she could’ve gotten Moira’s blood on her. Morgan’s stomach turned as he looked up at her. Gina stopped at the top of the hill and gave him a small tentative smile. Her betrayal lashed his soul and something inside of him died.
Red followed Jim Thornton back to the dissecting lab. She hadn’t been lying when she said that she was interested in the inner workings of his job, but she hadn’t told the whole truth.
She considered various ways to approach him about her bloody clothes, but in the end decided to be direct. Jim drove his vehicle around the side of the building and backed it up until its rear nudged a small ramp. He stopped and killed the engine.
Red positioned her hydrogen car beside him and did the same. She grabbed the sack containing her shirt, then climbed out of her vehicle. The heat from the sun hit her like a blast furnace.
Jim guided Moira’s body up the ramp until he reached the top, stopping at the door. He pressed several numbers on a keypad and a second later a panel opened with a hiss. Cool antiseptic air rushed out to battle the desert’s warmth, causing waves of heat to flutter before Red’s eyes.
She followed Moira’s body into the building as it glided on a cushion of air. The room was more spacious than what Red had expected. When she’d looked at it through the small window in the waiting area, it had seemed cramped.
Steel tables spaced approximately five feet apart dotted the area. Lights hung above each dissecting station, illuminating dismembered remains. Mulch gathering drains lined the floor, waiting for human waste.
The fresh corpse came to rest on the bare table closest to the door as if her destination had been predetermined. On contact, the bag encasing Moira disintegrated with a gasp, leaving her tattered remains behind.
Bone protruded from her wounds like white twigs jutting out of a branch on a dead tree.
The stench of fear and animal feces lingered on her sparse flesh, accentuating her horrified toothless expression. The malodorous odor effectively annihilated the sharp scent of the cleaning fluid.
An eerie silence swept the room, hushing everything in its wake. Whatever had occurred out in the desert remained etched on Moira’s corpse. Something told Red that death had not come quickly.
Moira’s shredded face branded her mind’s eye until she was convinced she’d never be able to extract it from her memory.
She’d always prided herself on her recall ability, but not anymore. Red couldn’t remember what happened last night. It was like someone had come in and removed select images from her mind. Bitterness filled her.
What was happening to her?
Was she physically capable of ripping a woman apart with her bare hands? Red glanced down at her fingers. Her jagged nails had something dark trapped beneath them. She flipped her hands over to examine her knuckles. They held a few scrapes that she couldn’t immediately account for.
The thud of flesh hitting a scale brought her attention back, but not before she recalled her time in the waste dispenser this morning, vomiting chunks of meat.
Was she becoming a monster? Had she somehow ripped a woman apart with her bare hands?
If she could do that to Moira and not remember, then what else was she capable of? No one around her would be safe, until she found out the truth. Red pictured Morgan and her stomach plummeted to her knees. It was now or never.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, when she stepped forward. “Mr. Thornton, could you do me a favor before you finish the rest of your examination?”
He looked up and smiled, until he noted her condition. Concern immediately replaced his jovial expression. “Are you okay?” Jim removed the gloves he’d worn on the scene and dropped them into an evidence bag, then donned a new pair with a smack.
“I’m fine just cold.” Her teeth chattered as if on cue. The sound was followed by another tremor wracking her body.
“It takes a while to get used to the temperature change from outside to in here. I don’t even notice it anymore.” He pointed to a cabinet on the other side of the room. “I have extra lab coats in there, if you want one.”
“That won’t be necessary, but thanks.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“About the favor,” Red said, reminding him.
“Yes, of course, what did you need?” He shoved a finger between each digit to ensure the gloves were in place.
“I have something I’d like you to take a look at.” She clenched the clear bag one last time, then held it out for him to inspect. “Actually, I need you to examine these.”
“What’s this?” He frowned, bushy brows enveloping the tops of his glasses. “Is that blood?” he asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“Yes.”
Jim’s face paled. “Where did you get it?”
Red took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s not important where it came from. I just need to know whose blood this is.”
He frowned. “I need to know where you found those. It wasn’t at the scene, was it? Morgan didn’t mention finding any extra clothing.” His voice rose with the level of his concern.
“No, they weren’t found with Moira’s body.” Red’s throat closed, nearly choking off her words. She’d never remove evidence from a crime scene. Why would he think such a thing?
Because you’re acting suspicious, the little voice in her head said.
“Then where did you get them? I’ll need to know for my reports.” He reached for the bag.
Red drew it away from his grasp, suddenly unsure of her decision. She knew she was being ridiculous. She needed to know if it was Moira’s blood, but for the first time in her life she was actually scared. The feeling was alien and decidedly unwelcome.
“You’re no coward,” she murmured under her breath. She’d face the truth head on like she faced life. Red forced her fingers to release the bag, leaving the contents safely in his care.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this out of the official reports for the time being. In fact, I’d prefer that it remain between us,” she said.
He grimaced. “I’d need to know why you’re asking me to do this, before I complied. It would also help to know who you’re after. I don’t want to get in trouble with the tactical team for suppressing evidence. They could pull my license and imprison me.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with IPTT. I’m not after anyone specific. I’ll take full responsibility for your actions. You have my word.”
“Why would you do that?” Jim shifted, looking uneasy.
She sighed. “Because I don’t expect anyone to lie on my behalf.”
His red brow arched. “Have you told Morgan about these?”
“No.”
His expression said that he didn’t believe her. He probably suspected a set up. Red couldn’t fault his reasoning. The tactical team hadn’t always been a respected law enforcement agency. There was a time when they’d behaved more like a dictatorship, than a law-upholding agency. Many people had died for little to no reason.
That had been years ago, long before her grandfather had taken over leadership. He hadn’t even been born when the massacres occurred, but some people never forgot the team’s sordid past. And it looked like Jim was one of them.
“I’m asking for your help,” she said quietly. “I rarely, if ever, do that, but I’ve found myself doing it more and more since I arrived in Nuria.”
Compassion filled his face, but the resolve in his voice remained steady. “I’ll do it, if you’ll answer one final question,” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“Whose clothes are these?” He lifted the bag to take another look at the contents.
“Mine,” Red said softly. “They’re mine.”
19
It’s good that they found Moira’s body quickly. With her sacrifice out of the way, I can now concentrate on my wants and needs, instead of worrying about Roark Montgomery. I have it on good authority that Red spent several hours at the dissecting lab.
She should be back at the share space by now, scrubbing the scent of death off her skin. Red won’t stay for long. She’ll need to get something to eat. My eagerness grows at the same rate as the shadows.
I’ve picked up a soft cloth hood to slip over her head. I won’t tie it too tight. I want Red alive when we mate, so she’ll know what it feels like to have a real man between her thighs.
I can’t wait to have her long legs clasped behind my back. No doubt her lush lips will be parted in passion, when she bares her neck for my mark.
I wait for an opportune moment to take my leave. It comes during shift change. The warm desert air welcomes me like an old friend as I leave the building and jog down the side streets. I’ve left my vehicle parked a block away from the share space. It wouldn’t do to have anyone spot it.
The moon is nearly full. Soon Red and I will share the night together, worshipping the bright globe, while sating our bodies on the flesh of the weak.
The streets are empty, but I still look around once more to ensure no one has noticed my presence. My senses are heightened as I enter the water trader building. It isn’t hard to bypass the security system. After all, I helped Jesse Lindley set it up.
Insulated water barrels line the bare wall ready for purchase. Each drum is numbered in the order that it was received, not that water ever has a chance to go stale on a parched earth.
The odor of chemical purifiers saturates the tiny room. I wiggle my nose to clear it. It wouldn’t do to sneeze and give away my position. There are no sounds beyond the steady hum of the air filtration system.
I listen for heartbeats, but the bar area is empty. Perfect for what I have planned. I settle into the darkness, fully prepared to wait for as long as it takes.
I’m nothing, if not patient.
An hour passes and I begin to pace. Where could she be? Why hasn’t Red come down from her room yet? Glancing at my watch, I calculate how much time I have left before someone notices that I’m gone. Not much. I must return soon. The walls seem to close in around me. I gasp in an attempt to breathe, then tug at my shirt, loosening the collar.
A more excruciating few minutes tick by. I must face the facts. Somehow I’ve missed her. My hands curl into fists. I have an inkling of who Red’s with. It doesn’t bode well for his future.
The front door opens as I’m about to leave, then bangs shut. Red’s delicious aroma greets me as she strides into the room. Her long black hair has slipped carelessly out of its bindings. The urge to run my fingers through its silken mass is strong.
My canines begin to grow without calling the change. Strange that, but it’s another sign that she’s the one. I welcome the pain for it reassures me that this moment is real. I have waited a lifetime for a woman like her. I will not let this opportunity slip past me.
Slipping behind a thick pillar, I get into position before she can see me. Her senses are keen, but mine are better. My breaths are silent as I wait for her to pass. She’s getting closer. I can almost taste her now. I lick my incisors in anticipation.
Her body is tense. I can see it in her shoulders. She practically thrums. I know how to make her relax. My shaft twitches at the thought.
Instead of caressing it, I caress the cloth bag in my hands, loosening its ties so it’ll easily slide over her head. Timing is everything. Goodness knows I don’t want to ruin the surprise.
I’ll be disappointed if Red does not fight back. A true mating can’t take place without a bit of violence and blood to seal the union. Will her nails rake my flesh? Will she bite? I certainly hope so. It’ll add to my excitement.
I feel like a pup when it first catches whiff of a female in heat. It doesn’t really know what to do, but it never forgets the aroma or the need to act that follows.
Red’s hips sway as she walks toward the bar, drawing my attention to her bottom, which plumps her pants enticingly. Drool floods my mouth. The urge to take her from behind is strong.
Too strong for me to resist any longer.
We’re so close that I can almost reach out and touch her. I force my hands down and fist the corners of the bag. Just a few more inches and it’ll slip over her head. The ropes will do the rest. I’m surprised she cannot sense my presence. She must be distracted by Moira’s death.
With blinding speed, I strike.
We collide. No one hears her muffled cries. My body weight carries us forward, throwing her into the bar. Red’s breath escapes on a pained gasp and she crumbles beneath me. The sensation is exquisite. So soft. So sweet. So wonderful. I follow her down, allowing my length to blanket her and secure the bag.
She’s mine now.
20
Red heard a creak. Her skin prickled. The small sound was the only warning she had of the impending attack. Something hard slammed into her.
She hit the bar with enough force to make her think she’d been playing chicken with a hydrogen bus and lost.
The air whooshed out of her lungs and her ribs strained to keep from cracking. She gasped repeatedly, but couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her knees crumpled beneath the weight behind her, taking her to the floor.
Red couldn’t see who had hit her, but she could feel him. His cock was erect and nestled against her ass. He shifted, deliberately allowing his hard ridge to caress her. This could not be happening.
Didn’t this idiot know rape was punishable by death?
She strained to look over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of dark wavy hair, before he pressed her face down, grinding it into the floor. There were a lot of dark-haired men in town. It could be anyone, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity.
He pushed harder. Red cried out. Her cheek and nose scraped and her eyes began to water. She tried to hit her navcom’s distress button, but he held her arm, preventing her from calling for help.
She should never have placed Rita on standby. Red had been so worried about what her navcom would find or say that she forgot there was a possibility that she would really need her.
“Release me now and I’ll let you live.” She struggled wildly, her fists pounding the floor as she tried to squirm out from under him.
He didn’t answer, only rocked his hips once more to let her know what he had planned.
“Fine! Have it your way,” she ground out between clenched teeth. “I am going to kill you, when I get out of here. Do you hear me? You’re as good as dead.”
Something soft slipped over her head cutting off her threat. A second later the lights winked out.
“No!” She screamed, but the material absorbed her cries. Red reached for her pistol, fingertips straining to find the gunstock, but her attacker was one step ahead of her, knocking it out of her grasp.
“Shh…” he soothed as if that would get her to relax. His lips and teeth brushed the side of her neck at the slope of her shoulder.
Alarm bells went off in Red’s head. For some unknown reason, she didn’t want him anywhere near that spot on her body. Panicked, she fought harder, her fingernails curling into the floor as she tried to rise.
The strings around her neck tightened, choking her. Red gasped. She didn’t know exactly what this bastard’s game was, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Lungs burning from lack of oxygen, she struggled to stay conscious.
Whoever had her was stronger than anyone she’d ever encountered. Her head swam and she kicked back, connecting with the man’s shin.
She heard a grunt, but he didn’t say anything to betray his identity. Smart. That realization sent fear trickling down her spine, its icy fingers stroking each vertebra.
“Get off me you son-of-a-bitch!” She coughed, attempting to break his grasp, but it only made him squeeze harder. Red gurgled.
“Mine,” he whispered, but the sound was so muffled that she couldn’t make out his voice.
Stars burst behind her eyes and her limbs began to tingle. Red felt herself being lifted into the air like a bludgeoned cloud floating on a sea of scarlet. The fight left her body. She couldn’t seem to focus her thoughts. Was this what death felt like?
It wasn’t so bad.
“What in the hell is going on here?” Jesse Lindley’s voice boomed, shattering the tranquility.
Red opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She felt herself falling a second before her shoulder collided with the ground. Pain splintered through her body, dampening the sound of the struggle happening around her.
She helped guide the bio bag, as she and Jim started to climb up the hill.
Wind whirled around them, blowing sand and dust. Morgan tried to catch Gina’s scent as she climbed the hill. He needed to get the smell of death out of his lungs. The aroma of fresh clean skin teased his senses, then faded to something darker. Something that shouldn’t be there.
He inhaled again, thinking that he might’ve caught decomp by accident. The wind blew harder. Morgan sifted through the scents, seeking only Gina. What he found was ...blood.
Moira’s blood.
Morgan’s heart punched his ribs. He had to be mistaken. There was no logical reason for Moira’s blood to be on Gina unless...
His veins filled with ice, leaving him shaken. “No!” Morgan hissed under his breath. She wouldn’t. Couldn’t have. Yes, she was capable, but why would she? Morgan refused to accept what his senses were telling him. It would mean she wasn’t who he thought she was. It would mean her presence in Nuria was no accident.
The wind came again, but the scent remained. Strong. Brutal. Unforgiving.
He’d been in her room last night. Other than pleasuring herself, she hadn’t done anything or gone anywhere. He wondered what time Moira had been killed. What if the times didn’t match? What if they did?
Anguish nearly brought him to his knees. Why? Why would she do something like this? Why would she endanger her career? Her life? It just didn’t make sense.
Gina had no obvious motive to commit murder. He’d read her file. There’d been no disciplinary actions or reports on excessive use of force. Had her grandfather covered them up? Somehow she’d managed to get blood trace on her body. The only time that could’ve happened was sometime last night.
There was only one way that he could think of that she could’ve gotten Moira’s blood on her. Morgan’s stomach turned as he looked up at her. Gina stopped at the top of the hill and gave him a small tentative smile. Her betrayal lashed his soul and something inside of him died.
Red followed Jim Thornton back to the dissecting lab. She hadn’t been lying when she said that she was interested in the inner workings of his job, but she hadn’t told the whole truth.
She considered various ways to approach him about her bloody clothes, but in the end decided to be direct. Jim drove his vehicle around the side of the building and backed it up until its rear nudged a small ramp. He stopped and killed the engine.
Red positioned her hydrogen car beside him and did the same. She grabbed the sack containing her shirt, then climbed out of her vehicle. The heat from the sun hit her like a blast furnace.
Jim guided Moira’s body up the ramp until he reached the top, stopping at the door. He pressed several numbers on a keypad and a second later a panel opened with a hiss. Cool antiseptic air rushed out to battle the desert’s warmth, causing waves of heat to flutter before Red’s eyes.
She followed Moira’s body into the building as it glided on a cushion of air. The room was more spacious than what Red had expected. When she’d looked at it through the small window in the waiting area, it had seemed cramped.
Steel tables spaced approximately five feet apart dotted the area. Lights hung above each dissecting station, illuminating dismembered remains. Mulch gathering drains lined the floor, waiting for human waste.
The fresh corpse came to rest on the bare table closest to the door as if her destination had been predetermined. On contact, the bag encasing Moira disintegrated with a gasp, leaving her tattered remains behind.
Bone protruded from her wounds like white twigs jutting out of a branch on a dead tree.
The stench of fear and animal feces lingered on her sparse flesh, accentuating her horrified toothless expression. The malodorous odor effectively annihilated the sharp scent of the cleaning fluid.
An eerie silence swept the room, hushing everything in its wake. Whatever had occurred out in the desert remained etched on Moira’s corpse. Something told Red that death had not come quickly.
Moira’s shredded face branded her mind’s eye until she was convinced she’d never be able to extract it from her memory.
She’d always prided herself on her recall ability, but not anymore. Red couldn’t remember what happened last night. It was like someone had come in and removed select images from her mind. Bitterness filled her.
What was happening to her?
Was she physically capable of ripping a woman apart with her bare hands? Red glanced down at her fingers. Her jagged nails had something dark trapped beneath them. She flipped her hands over to examine her knuckles. They held a few scrapes that she couldn’t immediately account for.
The thud of flesh hitting a scale brought her attention back, but not before she recalled her time in the waste dispenser this morning, vomiting chunks of meat.
Was she becoming a monster? Had she somehow ripped a woman apart with her bare hands?
If she could do that to Moira and not remember, then what else was she capable of? No one around her would be safe, until she found out the truth. Red pictured Morgan and her stomach plummeted to her knees. It was now or never.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, when she stepped forward. “Mr. Thornton, could you do me a favor before you finish the rest of your examination?”
He looked up and smiled, until he noted her condition. Concern immediately replaced his jovial expression. “Are you okay?” Jim removed the gloves he’d worn on the scene and dropped them into an evidence bag, then donned a new pair with a smack.
“I’m fine just cold.” Her teeth chattered as if on cue. The sound was followed by another tremor wracking her body.
“It takes a while to get used to the temperature change from outside to in here. I don’t even notice it anymore.” He pointed to a cabinet on the other side of the room. “I have extra lab coats in there, if you want one.”
“That won’t be necessary, but thanks.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“About the favor,” Red said, reminding him.
“Yes, of course, what did you need?” He shoved a finger between each digit to ensure the gloves were in place.
“I have something I’d like you to take a look at.” She clenched the clear bag one last time, then held it out for him to inspect. “Actually, I need you to examine these.”
“What’s this?” He frowned, bushy brows enveloping the tops of his glasses. “Is that blood?” he asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“Yes.”
Jim’s face paled. “Where did you get it?”
Red took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s not important where it came from. I just need to know whose blood this is.”
He frowned. “I need to know where you found those. It wasn’t at the scene, was it? Morgan didn’t mention finding any extra clothing.” His voice rose with the level of his concern.
“No, they weren’t found with Moira’s body.” Red’s throat closed, nearly choking off her words. She’d never remove evidence from a crime scene. Why would he think such a thing?
Because you’re acting suspicious, the little voice in her head said.
“Then where did you get them? I’ll need to know for my reports.” He reached for the bag.
Red drew it away from his grasp, suddenly unsure of her decision. She knew she was being ridiculous. She needed to know if it was Moira’s blood, but for the first time in her life she was actually scared. The feeling was alien and decidedly unwelcome.
“You’re no coward,” she murmured under her breath. She’d face the truth head on like she faced life. Red forced her fingers to release the bag, leaving the contents safely in his care.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this out of the official reports for the time being. In fact, I’d prefer that it remain between us,” she said.
He grimaced. “I’d need to know why you’re asking me to do this, before I complied. It would also help to know who you’re after. I don’t want to get in trouble with the tactical team for suppressing evidence. They could pull my license and imprison me.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with IPTT. I’m not after anyone specific. I’ll take full responsibility for your actions. You have my word.”
“Why would you do that?” Jim shifted, looking uneasy.
She sighed. “Because I don’t expect anyone to lie on my behalf.”
His red brow arched. “Have you told Morgan about these?”
“No.”
His expression said that he didn’t believe her. He probably suspected a set up. Red couldn’t fault his reasoning. The tactical team hadn’t always been a respected law enforcement agency. There was a time when they’d behaved more like a dictatorship, than a law-upholding agency. Many people had died for little to no reason.
That had been years ago, long before her grandfather had taken over leadership. He hadn’t even been born when the massacres occurred, but some people never forgot the team’s sordid past. And it looked like Jim was one of them.
“I’m asking for your help,” she said quietly. “I rarely, if ever, do that, but I’ve found myself doing it more and more since I arrived in Nuria.”
Compassion filled his face, but the resolve in his voice remained steady. “I’ll do it, if you’ll answer one final question,” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“Whose clothes are these?” He lifted the bag to take another look at the contents.
“Mine,” Red said softly. “They’re mine.”
19
It’s good that they found Moira’s body quickly. With her sacrifice out of the way, I can now concentrate on my wants and needs, instead of worrying about Roark Montgomery. I have it on good authority that Red spent several hours at the dissecting lab.
She should be back at the share space by now, scrubbing the scent of death off her skin. Red won’t stay for long. She’ll need to get something to eat. My eagerness grows at the same rate as the shadows.
I’ve picked up a soft cloth hood to slip over her head. I won’t tie it too tight. I want Red alive when we mate, so she’ll know what it feels like to have a real man between her thighs.
I can’t wait to have her long legs clasped behind my back. No doubt her lush lips will be parted in passion, when she bares her neck for my mark.
I wait for an opportune moment to take my leave. It comes during shift change. The warm desert air welcomes me like an old friend as I leave the building and jog down the side streets. I’ve left my vehicle parked a block away from the share space. It wouldn’t do to have anyone spot it.
The moon is nearly full. Soon Red and I will share the night together, worshipping the bright globe, while sating our bodies on the flesh of the weak.
The streets are empty, but I still look around once more to ensure no one has noticed my presence. My senses are heightened as I enter the water trader building. It isn’t hard to bypass the security system. After all, I helped Jesse Lindley set it up.
Insulated water barrels line the bare wall ready for purchase. Each drum is numbered in the order that it was received, not that water ever has a chance to go stale on a parched earth.
The odor of chemical purifiers saturates the tiny room. I wiggle my nose to clear it. It wouldn’t do to sneeze and give away my position. There are no sounds beyond the steady hum of the air filtration system.
I listen for heartbeats, but the bar area is empty. Perfect for what I have planned. I settle into the darkness, fully prepared to wait for as long as it takes.
I’m nothing, if not patient.
An hour passes and I begin to pace. Where could she be? Why hasn’t Red come down from her room yet? Glancing at my watch, I calculate how much time I have left before someone notices that I’m gone. Not much. I must return soon. The walls seem to close in around me. I gasp in an attempt to breathe, then tug at my shirt, loosening the collar.
A more excruciating few minutes tick by. I must face the facts. Somehow I’ve missed her. My hands curl into fists. I have an inkling of who Red’s with. It doesn’t bode well for his future.
The front door opens as I’m about to leave, then bangs shut. Red’s delicious aroma greets me as she strides into the room. Her long black hair has slipped carelessly out of its bindings. The urge to run my fingers through its silken mass is strong.
My canines begin to grow without calling the change. Strange that, but it’s another sign that she’s the one. I welcome the pain for it reassures me that this moment is real. I have waited a lifetime for a woman like her. I will not let this opportunity slip past me.
Slipping behind a thick pillar, I get into position before she can see me. Her senses are keen, but mine are better. My breaths are silent as I wait for her to pass. She’s getting closer. I can almost taste her now. I lick my incisors in anticipation.
Her body is tense. I can see it in her shoulders. She practically thrums. I know how to make her relax. My shaft twitches at the thought.
Instead of caressing it, I caress the cloth bag in my hands, loosening its ties so it’ll easily slide over her head. Timing is everything. Goodness knows I don’t want to ruin the surprise.
I’ll be disappointed if Red does not fight back. A true mating can’t take place without a bit of violence and blood to seal the union. Will her nails rake my flesh? Will she bite? I certainly hope so. It’ll add to my excitement.
I feel like a pup when it first catches whiff of a female in heat. It doesn’t really know what to do, but it never forgets the aroma or the need to act that follows.
Red’s hips sway as she walks toward the bar, drawing my attention to her bottom, which plumps her pants enticingly. Drool floods my mouth. The urge to take her from behind is strong.
Too strong for me to resist any longer.
We’re so close that I can almost reach out and touch her. I force my hands down and fist the corners of the bag. Just a few more inches and it’ll slip over her head. The ropes will do the rest. I’m surprised she cannot sense my presence. She must be distracted by Moira’s death.
With blinding speed, I strike.
We collide. No one hears her muffled cries. My body weight carries us forward, throwing her into the bar. Red’s breath escapes on a pained gasp and she crumbles beneath me. The sensation is exquisite. So soft. So sweet. So wonderful. I follow her down, allowing my length to blanket her and secure the bag.
She’s mine now.
20
Red heard a creak. Her skin prickled. The small sound was the only warning she had of the impending attack. Something hard slammed into her.
She hit the bar with enough force to make her think she’d been playing chicken with a hydrogen bus and lost.
The air whooshed out of her lungs and her ribs strained to keep from cracking. She gasped repeatedly, but couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her knees crumpled beneath the weight behind her, taking her to the floor.
Red couldn’t see who had hit her, but she could feel him. His cock was erect and nestled against her ass. He shifted, deliberately allowing his hard ridge to caress her. This could not be happening.
Didn’t this idiot know rape was punishable by death?
She strained to look over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of dark wavy hair, before he pressed her face down, grinding it into the floor. There were a lot of dark-haired men in town. It could be anyone, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity.
He pushed harder. Red cried out. Her cheek and nose scraped and her eyes began to water. She tried to hit her navcom’s distress button, but he held her arm, preventing her from calling for help.
She should never have placed Rita on standby. Red had been so worried about what her navcom would find or say that she forgot there was a possibility that she would really need her.
“Release me now and I’ll let you live.” She struggled wildly, her fists pounding the floor as she tried to squirm out from under him.
He didn’t answer, only rocked his hips once more to let her know what he had planned.
“Fine! Have it your way,” she ground out between clenched teeth. “I am going to kill you, when I get out of here. Do you hear me? You’re as good as dead.”
Something soft slipped over her head cutting off her threat. A second later the lights winked out.
“No!” She screamed, but the material absorbed her cries. Red reached for her pistol, fingertips straining to find the gunstock, but her attacker was one step ahead of her, knocking it out of her grasp.
“Shh…” he soothed as if that would get her to relax. His lips and teeth brushed the side of her neck at the slope of her shoulder.
Alarm bells went off in Red’s head. For some unknown reason, she didn’t want him anywhere near that spot on her body. Panicked, she fought harder, her fingernails curling into the floor as she tried to rise.
The strings around her neck tightened, choking her. Red gasped. She didn’t know exactly what this bastard’s game was, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Lungs burning from lack of oxygen, she struggled to stay conscious.
Whoever had her was stronger than anyone she’d ever encountered. Her head swam and she kicked back, connecting with the man’s shin.
She heard a grunt, but he didn’t say anything to betray his identity. Smart. That realization sent fear trickling down her spine, its icy fingers stroking each vertebra.
“Get off me you son-of-a-bitch!” She coughed, attempting to break his grasp, but it only made him squeeze harder. Red gurgled.
“Mine,” he whispered, but the sound was so muffled that she couldn’t make out his voice.
Stars burst behind her eyes and her limbs began to tingle. Red felt herself being lifted into the air like a bludgeoned cloud floating on a sea of scarlet. The fight left her body. She couldn’t seem to focus her thoughts. Was this what death felt like?
It wasn’t so bad.
“What in the hell is going on here?” Jesse Lindley’s voice boomed, shattering the tranquility.
Red opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She felt herself falling a second before her shoulder collided with the ground. Pain splintered through her body, dampening the sound of the struggle happening around her.
