by Dena Christy
“I’ve had enough of sitting up here and wallowing in tears that won’t change what has happened.” The truth Rebecca had imparted to her had time to soak in, and once the shock had worn off what she’d felt now was a sadness for all the years she’d wasted and a deep anger at Serena for duping her so cruelly. “So have I missed anything while I’ve been up here?”
He hesitated for a second, and she got the feeling that something had happened and he didn’t want to tell her. He shut the door and came over to where she sat and took her hands.
“Synn did a diagnostic of Hylda’s current condition.” He licked his lips and didn’t say anymore.
“And?” What didn’t he want to tell her? A tiny sour feeling developed in the pit of her stomach, and for a second she almost told him not to tell her any more. But she wasn’t going to. She was finished hiding from things. “Cynric, tell me what’s going on.”
“Hylda is flyable. We’ve put a plan together for Rebecca to jam the military’s communication network and create a diversion in their system. She got a layout of the military compound and we have found the best route to get to Hylda without being seen. It will take another day to gather what we need to create our own diversion, but we’ll be able to leave the planet the day after tomorrow.” He gave her hands a squeeze as his eyes scanned her face for a reaction.
She could hardly believe that he would leave so soon. She knew the whole point of them being here was so they could be closer to his ship, but his leaving had always seemed much further off. Now she only had tonight, tomorrow and perhaps tomorrow night with him and then he would be out of her life for good. He was looking at her, and she wasn’t saying anything. She needed to say something.
“How risky is this plan going to be?” It wasn’t what she should say, but how could she say what she wanted? His leaving was coming too fast on the heels of what she’d learned today. Neither of them had talked about a future together beyond the moment that he found a way off the planet, and he wasn’t bringing it up. He’d already told her when they started all this that he couldn’t make any promises. It was not like she hadn’t gone into this with her eyes open. If she suggested going with him, and he rejected it, would she be able to come back from that devastating blow?
“There will be some risk involved, but we will do whatever we can to minimize it.” He tugged on her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I didn’t come in here to talk about the plan to leave. I wanted to see how you are doing and ask if you want me to sleep in the other room tonight. I wanted to know if you wanted to be alone.”
The best protection for her heart would be if she sent him away and gave herself time to put some distance between them. She wasn’t under any illusion that his leaving would not hurt because she was realizing that she was in love with him. Sending him on his way now would be the best protection she had from the hurt she knew was coming, but she would not do it. If she only had a short time left with him, she was going to spend it with him.
“I don’t want to be alone. I want you to stay in here with me tonight and I want to make love with you.” As if he’d been waiting to hear those words come out of her mouth, a look of relief came over his face and he pulled her into his arms.
She tilted her head back, and he framed her face with his palms and looked into her eyes. She swallowed as she looked back into the soft black of his eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue to confess her love for him, but she held it back. If he’d given even the slightest indication that things had changed between them, that he wanted them to have a future together beyond tonight and the next, she would tell him. But he’d said nothing of the future, and she was afraid to bring it up lest it shatter this moment between them.
He lowered his head toward her, slowly inch by inch until his mouth met hers. There was a difference to his kiss that wasn’t there in all the times he’d kissed her before. He kissed her as if he had all the time in the world. He molded his mouth to hers with a soft gentleness that brought a prickle to her throat. It was as if he was worshiping her with his lips, and she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss.
They kissed each other for what felt like to Evie as an eternity. Soon kissing wasn’t enough. They drew apart from each other, not saying a word to shatter the intimacy between them. As if they didn’t want to waste another moment away from each other, they stripped themselves until they stood naked. There was nothing between them but air, and even that was too much.
Cynric took her by the hand and drew her over to the bed. She lay down upon it, lifted her arms in welcome and he joined her, drawing her close to kiss her again. His tongue danced inside her mouth as his hand drifted down her throat, floating over her skin until he came to her breast. He stroked her flesh until he drew a sigh of pleasure from her. He pulled his mouth away from her, and his lips followed the path of his hand. Her nipple was tight and aching when he took it in his mouth. She arched her back and threaded her fingers through the silk of his hair.
“Cynric.” His name came from her lips in a sigh as he sucked on her nipple, slowly building the tension inside her. The warmth of his wide, square palm drifted down the skin of her belly, and she parted her legs so he could access her where she wanted his touch the most. He continued his attention on her other breast as he stroked the moist flesh between her thighs.
Small thrills of pleasure went through her at his touch, and she rocked her hips against his hand. She could feel the heavy weight of his erect cock against her hip, and her body felt empty without him inside her. More than anything else she wanted to be one with him. When he was a part of her she forgot the distance between them, forgot that their time together was finite.
“Cynric please, I want you inside me.” Her voice came out in a breathless whisper and he pulled his mouth away from her breast to look at her. With her eyes she tried to express to him all the love she felt for him inside her. He must have seen some of the message there because he moved so he was settled between her thighs. She reached down, took him in her hand and put him at the entrance of her body.
He slowly slid inside her, and her eyes closed as she moaned out her pleasure. He felt so right inside her as if he belonged there. How was she going to let him go?
She opened her eyes to look up at him, and he bent his face close to hers and kissed her lips as he flexed his hips. She kissed him back with all the emotion that was churning inside her. Her love for him invaded every nerve ending of her body, heightening the pleasure she found in his arms.
Her name was a sigh on his lips as he pulled back to look at her. Her eyes flared as she looked up at him, and he thrust slowly in and out of her body. Each stroke was one of pleasure, and she clung to him, not wanting this moment to end. If they made love for the rest of their lives, then she would never have to say goodbye to him. Soon though, drawing the moment out became an impossibility as her body clamored for its release. His thrusts became harder, faster, until she could no longer think, could only feel the ecstasy he was gifting her with.
She gripped him tight as what they’d been building together reached its pinnacle and she exploded in orgasm. She called his name as he wrung every last ounce of her release from her body. With a shudder he joined her in rapture, and they clung to each other as they rode out the storm of their pleasure.
His body rested on top of hers as their hearts pounded and their breath soughed in and out of their bodies like bellows. It was always like this with him, with her not knowing where she ended and he began. It was a feeling she didn’t want to end, but all too soon their breathing slowed and their heartbeats calmed. He rolled over to his side and gathered her close. She rested her head on his chest and stroked her hand over his skin. Neither of them spoke, as if they weren’t sure what to say that wouldn’t shatter what had grown between them when their bodies had become one.
Chapter Thirteen
Evie pried her eyes open, not sure what disturbed her sleep. She and Cynric had made love into
the late hours of the night, and she wanted to sleep a little longer. She looked over toward the door to the bedroom and let out a startled scream. Standing there in the doorway, with a look of disgust on her face, was Serena.
Cynric’s reaction to her scream was instantaneous. The warrior inside him sprang to life from sleep to alertness in an instant, and he was out of the bed and ready to do battle. If Serena had been a man, Evie thought he would be on her in an instant, but he looked from the woman in the doorway and back to Evie. His confusion was evident as the threat to Evie wasn’t apparent.
“We have a lot to discuss, Evangeline. I will wait for you in the office while you make yourself decent.” Serena spat out the last word with a venom that would have confused Evie if she hadn’t learned exactly what sort of person Serena was. Her former friend turned on her heel and walked out of the bedroom.
“Who was that?” Cynric sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over at her.
“Serena.” Now that she’d gotten over the shock of seeing her, Evie couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing here. How had she known that they were here and what could she possibly have to discuss with her?
“Are you going to speak to her or are you going to kick her out of the house?”
“I can’t kick her out of the house, since she owns it.” She sat up and pressed a kiss to the flesh of his shoulder. So much for her plan to leisurely wake up and make love with him again. Reality was intruding far too soon.
“I can make her leave.” He pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him close for a moment before she slid out of his arms and stood.
“Thanks for the thought, but it’s time Serena and I had a talk.” Evie went to her bag and looked through the clothing she had in there. None of it seemed appropriate for the conversation she was about to have, but then again she wasn’t usually in the habit of wearing armor. She picked out the most formal clothing she had, which comprised of a pair of slacks and a dressier blouse. She gathered her clothes to herself, scooped her hair sticks off the top of the dresser and walked into the bathroom.
She didn’t have time to shower since she wouldn’t put it past Serena to come looking for her and dragging her to the office naked. She settled for a quick wash in the sink, and she dressed. She put her hair into a bun on top her head and put her hair sticks in it to hold it in place. A few touches of makeup and she was ready. She took a moment to take a deep breath to calm the nerves in her stomach, and she left the bathroom, ready to face her adversary.
There was no sign of Cynric in the bedroom. That was good since she didn’t want to delay this confrontation with Serena. The anger that had burned inside her yesterday flared back to life. She gritted her teeth, opened the office door and walked inside.
Serena spun as soon as Evie walked in the door and launched her attack.
“Well I guess your story about only using your resources to help those aliens was a lie. Had you spread your legs for him already when you called me? How dare you use my safe house to hide in? Not only did you destroy your own compound, you will desecrate this house with those filthy aliens?” The ugliness of Serena’s words and in the look on her face would have shocked Evie only the day before. Now she was seeing Serena for what she truly was, and the only thing that shocked her was how well Serena had kept this side of herself hidden.
“I wouldn’t talk about my daring considering what you are capable of.” Perhaps it was better this way. Evie didn't know if she would have the nerve to say what she needed to if the Serena standing in front of her was the same as the one she’d called friend and mentor for so many years.
“I don't know what you’re talking about. Really Evangeline, there is little you can say that will negate what you’ve done.” Serena crossed her arms over her chest, and she looked Evie in the eyes. Evie wondered if there was an honest bone in this woman’s body, but she doubted it.
“The only thing I’ve done is helping people who needed me. The only shame I have is being so naïve as to believe a word you’ve said over the years.” Serena gave a twist of her mouth and rolled her eyes. It appeared to Evie that she was going to pretend that she didn’t know what she was talking about, but Evie was done burying her head in the sand. “I know what you’ve been doing Serena. I know what this house really is, and the last thing it is is safe for the women who come here. I know that you are trafficking in human misery, and I’m ashamed to have been a part of that, however small.”
“You should be ashamed of your own stupidity. Poor pathetic Evie, so lost after Adam’s death that you were willing to swallow any lie I chose to feed you.”
There was no shame in this woman, and Evie’s shoulders sagged as she looked at her. There was nothing left of the woman she thought was her friend and Evie found it difficult to believe that she’d seen anything there at all.
“Why Serena? Why did you involve me in this at all?” Evie suspected she knew the answer to this question, but had to ask it anyway.
“I was going to sell you like I have all the other women who’ve come to me for help, but your inheritance had more value than what I could get for you. You should be grateful for that. I don’t collect many women. You and Rebecca have proven to be my most valuable assets, and it’s a shame that you are lost to me now. I’m assuming that Rebecca knows about this too?”
“She’s the one who told me.” Evie supposed she should be grateful that Serena had spared her the horror of sexual slavery, and perhaps she would once she got past the anger burning inside her. She was under no illusion that Serena had done it out of kindness since greed appeared to be her prime motivator.
“It would be Rebecca who learned it all. Her talent as a hacker cannot be underestimated. I always suspected that if either of you learned the truth, it would be Rebecca who discovered it. It’s really too bad since it will take a long time to find someone to replace her. Still if I’ve learned anything it’s when to cut my losses.”
A whisper of dread dragged its icy finger down Evie’s spine. What was Serena planning to do now that she’d learned the truth?
“Are you going to kill us?” At least this confrontation was happening now while Cynric and his men were still here. Evie doubted very much that Serena could do anything to her with Cynric in the house. One scream from her and he would be here in a heartbeat.
“Don’t be so melodramatic, Evangeline. Of course I won't kill you. Unfortunately our association is at an end and I can no longer offer my protection to you.”
There was a commotion coming from another part of the house, with crashing and the shouts of enraged male voices, and the distressed screams of feminine ones. Evie instinctively turned toward the door, but before she could go far, Serena wrapped her hand around her arm like a vice. Her long nails dug into Evie’s flesh like talons, and Evie twisted in her grip.
“Let me go. I have to know what’s going on.”
“You’ll find out in a moment. You were stupid to think you could use this house and that I wouldn’t find out about it. What you and Rebecca failed to consider is that I have more than just you and her at my disposal. I’ve made a lot of important people money, and I’m not about to let either of you jeopardize that.”
The dread in her body blossomed into full blown panic. “Serena, what did you do?”
“I called a friend. It was fortuitous that he was already in the area on business.” Serena held her tight, her grip bruising as she jerked Evie into the middle of the room and forced her to face the door.
The door swung open, and the bile rose in her throat when she saw the friend that Serena referred to. It was Commander Roland Clancy, and the shark like smile he gave her as he stood framed in the doorway would have made Evie throw up if she’d had any food in her stomach.
“Evangeline, it’s lovely to see you again.” The pistol he raised in front of him made a lie out of his words.
The day she’d dreaded for years had finally come. Her past had caught up with her, and unfortunat
ely the man she loved was also caught in its net.
“How could you do this?” Evie turned to look at Serena as Roland stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.
“Roland and I go way back. You could say we’re business partners.” There was a bitterness in Serena’s voice, as if she wanted to be more to Roland than his business partner. What Evie already knew about Serena meshed with what she could see before her eyes, and she knew exactly what Roland was to Serena. In a moment of weakness a few years ago, Serena had told her about a man she'd grown up with and wanted to marry. She'd been in love with him but he had rejected her because she wasn't what he wanted. Roland Clancy must be that man, and the reason Serena had never married. Evie was certain he caused the deep bitterness and hatred Serena held toward men now.
“You didn’t need to do this. You didn’t need to bring him to us. Why Serena?” Had the years of what she’d thought was friendship with this woman meant nothing to her? Had she turned her over to the man who seemed intent to do Evie harm without a qualm?
Serena rolled her eyes, huffed out her breath and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “This is getting boring Evangeline. I thought you were smarter than that. You were always a means to an end. Roland took care of Adam, and once he was out of the way, you were so vulnerable that you would have done anything I asked. I wanted your money, and it was easier to keep you alive so the money kept flowing. You really were stupid, you know. I can’t believe you took this long to figure out what my organization really does. If you hadn’t brought those aliens in, none of this would have happened. It’s your own fault.”
Pain stabbed through Evie’s chest. She knew now that what she’d always suspected, that Roland Clancy was responsible for Adam’s murder. And it had been Serena who’d fed him to him. Numbness came over her as Roland grasped her by the arm and pulled her to his side. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him raise the pistol in his hand and point it at Serena. The blood drained out of Serena’s face as a look of disbelief came over her.
