Hunter: Galactic Gladiators #12

by Hackett, Anna

  The tall woman in the tiny skirt tilted her head. “There’s someone in the High Rollers Room who has a bounty on his head.” There was a lick of excitement in the woman’s voice.

  That’s when Mina saw Tannon striding toward the door to the High Rollers Room. His suit jacket flared out behind him. Beside him was a tall, muscular alien with dark-gray skin.

  “Who’s that?”

  “He’s an alien hunter.” Karla’s words dripped with hushed fear.

  Alien hunters. Mina had heard of them. Bounty hunters who tracked down their prey…but they didn’t return their captives to anybody, they executed them. She shivered.

  All of a sudden, a man rushed out of the High Rollers Room. He was holding laser blasters in both hands and started firing. People screamed and scattered.

  Oh, drak. A stray laser blast hit one of the giant chandeliers hanging overhead. In horror, Mina watched the huge light fixture come crashing down. It smashed on the floor, deadly shards flying everywhere.

  The screams rose in volume, customers panicking.

  Mina jumped onto a gaming table. “Don’t panic! Please just walk as you leave the area.”

  The crowd kept surging and from her new vantage point, she saw Tannon had pulled out a laser weapon. It was a big, deadly-looking weapon made of black metal. A line of neon green lit up the side of it. He looked very at ease holding it. He walked forward, aimed, and fired on the man.

  The crazed man was running into the middle of the casino. Mina saw one of the waitresses, Briella, trip right near the man. Drak, he was running straight at her.

  Mina leaped off the table, landed hard on her heels, then sprinted forward. As she raced past the board of Rog Sepp, she yanked two darts off it.

  She stepped between Briella and the man.

  “Mina!” Tannon’s roar.

  Mina grabbed the waitress and pulled her up.

  “Get up. Run. Now!” She shoved the green-haired woman out of the way.

  When Mina turned back, the man had reached her. His wild gaze jumped all around. He looked like he was high on something, or very, very desperate.

  Behind him, Tannon was shouldering through the crowd like a street fighter.

  “Just take it easy.” She kept her voice low and calm. “You have nowhere to go, so don’t make this hard.”

  The man’s gaze zeroed in on her and his blasters swung around. Crap. Staying calm, Mina lifted her arm, aimed, and threw her darts in quick succession.

  His body jerked. One dart hit his cheek and the other pierced his eye. But it didn’t stop him. He let out an enraged bellow and charged at her.

  Drakking hell.

  Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her from behind and lifted her off her heels. She got a glimpse of Tannon’s face as he tossed her on top of one of the farnaa tables. His face looked like it was carved from stone, but a muscle was ticking at his temple. He pushed her over to the other side of the table.

  “Stay there,” he barked.

  Then he turned to face the incoming attacker.

  The man came in like a crazed sandstorm, blood dripping down his face. Tannon coolly lifted his weapon and fired.

  Laser skated over the man’s body, making him shake and jerk.

  But he didn’t go down. Man, whatever he was hyped up on, was keeping him upright. Biting her lip, she watched him bear down on Tannon.

  Tannon didn’t even look like he was breaking a sweat. She saw him let his arms drop to his sides, his blaster falling to the floor.

  Her heart thumped against her ribs. What was he doing?

  Then she saw the veins in Tannon’s arms start to glow. She gasped, gripping the edge of the table she was hiding behind. She’d never seen anything like it. Under his skin, his veins were glowing a bright silver.

  The man got close to Tannon, lifting his blasters. Tannon pressed his palms to the man’s chest.

  Sparks exploded and silver lightning skated over the man. She could see the energy flowing from Tannon’s arms.

  The man shuddered violently, and all around them, screams filled the air. The attacker dropped to the ground, his body shriveling.

  When Tannon stepped back, the man on the ground was no more than a dried-out husk.

  * * *

  Breathing heavily, Tannon stood there, staring down at the man he’d just killed.

  All around, the casino crowd had gone silent. He felt the stares, heard the whispers. His blood—hot and scalding—churned inside him. He still wasn’t in full control of himself.

  Several members of his security team pushed through the crowd, but they hung back. The alien hunter stood nearby, and even he had a wary look on his face.

  Tannon had seen the look before. The alien hunter knew exactly what Tannon was.

  “Get rid of the body,” Tannon ordered his team. “Ensure Gallas Min gets custody of the remains.” He nodded at the alien hunter.

  Tannon’s men shook themselves, then sprang into action. Then he turned, and saw Mina staring at him.

  For the first time since he’d known her, her face was blank. Her gaze dropped and he saw her staring at his arms, at the silver glow that was slowly draining away.

  This was a reminder to Tannon that your past never stayed in the past. You couldn’t escape it, outrun it, or ignore it.

  His heartbeat thumped like a roar in his ears. He needed to get away. His control was ice thin.

  His team was well-trained and would take care of things. Turning, he strode through the crowd. People stumbled to get out of his way.

  He saw a staff door and shoved through it into an empty corridor. Lights flickered behind his eyes. Flashbacks. All the pleading faces of the people he’d captured and killed, and their desiccated, dead bodies.

  A horrible taste filled his mouth and he pressed his palms to the wall, letting his head drop forward.

  Once a killer, always a killer.

  He tried to pull in some air, find his control.

  “Tannon.”

  No. She couldn’t be here. Not when he had no drakking control.

  He ground his teeth together. “Go. Away.”

  Of course, it was Mina, so she didn’t obey him. He heard the rustle of her clothes as she moved closer. Her sweet scent hit him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to talk?” she asked.

  Tannon almost laughed. “No.”

  Hot, violent emotions ebbed and surged inside him. He still felt the electric tingle of power in his arms. His hand curled into a fist and he punched it against the wall. The plaster pulverized, a cloud of dust rising in front of his face.

  He didn’t want to turn and look at her. He didn’t want to see the fear in her eyes. He’d never, ever wanted her to fear him.

  He was breathing fast, images cascading through his head. The past that wouldn’t let him go.

  “Hey.” Cool, slim hands touched his back, sliding down his spine. One moved up to his neck, touching skin, and he shuddered.

  In a blink, he realized that she had calluses on her palms. Probably from her harsh desert childhood.

  Then she slid between him and the wall, looking up at him. Such an interesting, pretty face. Her blue eyes watched him steadily. He focused on that rich color and the rim of brown that circled it. Such rare eyes for someone of her species.

  “Hey.” She stroked his cheeks, her fingers brushing along his cheekbones.

  His chest was still rising harshly, but suddenly he could get some air into his lungs.

  “Come back,” she said. “You’re in the Dark Nebula Casino with me. Mina.”

  Tannon let out a groan. It sounded tortured even to his own ears. Then she pressed her hands to his chest.

  “You with me?” she asked.

  “Not quite,” he rasped.

  She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

  Tannon felt everything in him go still. He went from chaos to calm. From hell to Mina.

  He tasted he
r, and of course, she was sweet with an edge of tart. Sensation moved through him now that had nothing to do with killing. He wrapped an arm around her and shoved her against the wall. She made a squeak, but she didn’t let go. Her fingers curled into his shirt.

  So drakking brave. He thrust his tongue deeper into her sweet mouth.

  The kiss was hard, needy, wild. Just like Mina. Tannon tried to take control, but she kissed him back enthusiastically. Their tongues dueled, and the taste, feel, and smell of her swamped him. It pushed out everything else.

  When he managed to lift his head, clinging to the edge of his control, she was looking at him with dazed eyes.

  “Oh, well.” She was panting, her fingers kneading his chest. “Feeling better?”

  “You just took a very big risk.”

  “I knew you’d never hurt me.”

  He stilled. She’d just watched him kill a man, watched him use a dangerous power. And yet, she believed he wouldn’t hurt her.

  He just stared at her. She was the one person in his life that he couldn’t make any sense of.

  “You make me feel safe,” she murmured. “And it’s been a long, long time since I felt safe.”

  He pressed harder against her, wanting to absorb the feel of her. And he wanted to know who the drak in her past had hurt her, made her feel unsafe. He’d tear them apart limb from limb.

  “Tannon,” a deep voice drawled.

  Mina squeaked. Tannon knew she recognized that smooth tone.

  Dragging in a deep breath, Tannon stepped back, holding her arms until she was steady on those ridiculous shoes.

  “Go,” he said quietly.

  She eyed his face for a second, looking like she was going to fight to stay.

  “Go.” He touched her hair, running the silky strands through his fingers. “Thank you, Mina.”

  She nodded, looked at Rillian with dull color in her cheeks, then she walked away.

  Tannon’s gaze dropped to the swing of her hips and the way her trousers cupped her sweet ass. He blew out a breath.

  “You’re okay?” Rillian asked.

  Tannon nodded. “I am.”

  “I usually have to lock you down for a few hours after you’ve used your abilities.”

  Rillian had always known what Tannon was. His species, the Riani, was feared throughout the galaxy. They were known for going into icy killing rages, for slaughtering thousands, sucking the very life out of them.

  Tannon was one of the rare few with control, but he knew it could be a delicate thing. After years of being an alien hunter, he’d just wanted peace.

  He’d wanted to do more than kill.

  Rillian had understood that and given him a chance. Had saved Tannon’s sanity and what was left of his tattered soul.

  “I know.” Tannon met Rillian’s gaze. “But it appears you don’t have to this time.”

  Rillian smiled. “I am very happy to hear that.”

  Tannon wasn’t so certain. He wasn’t sure what the drak to do about the too-courageous Mina. She’d stepped into a dangerous fight to save a fellow waitress, and she’d touched him when everybody else had gotten out of his way.

  All he knew was that he wanted to protect her. Even if he had to protect her from himself.

  Chapter Four

  The evening was in full swing.

  There was a big show on and the main casino stage was filled with singers and dancers. Mina tried to force her way through the crowds without spilling her drinks. Fire rose into the air from the stage, and people oohed. A woman’s low, melodic wail rose with the symphony of strings and drums.

  Mina and the other servers hadn’t had a single chance to catch their breath. The customers were hungry, thirsty, and demanding. Her feet were aching and tonight after her shift, she was going to soak them, while she fantasized about setting her heels on fire. She was going to add her tiny skirt. Dayliss had asked they all wear skirts tonight.

  With a harried smile, Mina set some more drinks down in front of some raucous revelers. She spun, heading back toward the bar.

  Once again, she hadn’t seen Tannon after the incident last night. She’d gone looking for him, only to be told that he was busy. She was pretty sure the man was avoiding her. In all of the commotion, she’d forgotten to tell Tannon about the man and the woman she’d seen.

  Gossip had been running rife through the staff. She now knew Tannon was a Riani.

  And everyone appeared to have a scary story to tell about the energy-manipulating Riani.

  Mina sniffed. She judged people on their actions, not what had to be embellished, exaggerated tales. Tannon was a loyal, rock-steady man, and there was a whole lot of good that he hid under his taciturn exterior.

  She collected some more orders on her way to the bar. As she passed a crowd of noisy young men, she smiled. Then a sharp stench hit her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose. Taint. The illegal drug was popular in the back alleys and taint dens. She coughed, waving a hand in front of her face.

  Looking around, she spotted a black uniform near the edge of the crowd.

  “Taint.” She jerked a thumb in the direction of the young men.

  The security guard gave a fierce scowl. “We’ll take care of it.”

  For a second, Mina imagined Tannon giving his security team training sessions on scowling. She aimed toward the bar, trying to find a path through the bodies. Despite the soft sheets, it had taken her a long time to fall asleep. Tannon had been fighting for control last night after he’d killed that man. He’d seemed so…alone.

  Others might be giving him a wide berth and frightened looks, but he was still Tannon to her.

  She owed him, for pulling her out of that horrible apartment, but what she felt was more than gratitude. A lot more.

  She kept working, until her arms and legs ached. Wincing, she dreamed of throwing her high heels in the nearest trash receptacle. No, better yet, throwing them off the roof of the casino.

  After setting some more drinks down, she whirled. The crowd shifted and she spotted the couple from the night before.

  They were at a games table by the far wall. She quickly ducked in behind a small crowd of customers heading in that direction. More fire exploded on stage. Cheers and clapping erupted, and she glanced at the performers. Several curvy dancers were whirling burning sticks around their heads.

  Some people jostled Mina, and she sidestepped to get out of the way. When she looked back at the pair, she gasped.

  They were gone from the gaming table.

  Gaze narrowed, she scanned all around. She couldn’t see them. Then she tilted her head. There was no one at the table anymore. The dealer was gone as well.

  Moving quickly, Mina headed to the table. Then suddenly, she heard a woman’s scream before it was swallowed by more cheers from the crowd.

  Mina spun in a circle and saw someone duck through a maintenance doorway. She hurried over and right outside the door, she saw the security camera mounted on the wall was covered with a black spray.

  Prickles tickled the back of her neck. Something was wrong.

  She spotted Briella, her green hair shining under the lights. “Briella.”

  The woman swiveled. “Oh, Mina, I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to thank you for yesterday.”

  Mina shook her head. “No thanks necessary. Look, can you get security? Something’s wrong. A dealer’s missing from her table and I think some guests have taken her into a maintenance corridor.”

  The woman frowned and nodded her head. “Okay, I can—”

  Mina headed toward the door and opened it.

  Briella’s eyes widened. “Mina, wait for security—”

  “I think they might have the dealer. I’ll check it out, and you get security.”

  She needed to know what this couple were up to. Any intel she could get would help Tannon, and if there was a woman in trouble, Mina wouldn’t leave her.

  She wouldn’t leave anyone captive. The odd thought made her trip and a sharp stab of pain a
rrowed behind her eyes.

  Drak it. Stay focused, Mina. Dragging in a deep breath, she stepped into the corridor. It was utilitarian with bare walls and a tiled floor.

  She heard a woman’s scream echo down the corridor.

  Mina hurried down the hall, trying to keep her heels from clicking on the tiles. When she turned the corner, she saw the doors to a maintenance room were open. Inside the shadowed room, she heard the hum of machinery and saw several pieces of moving equipment.

  And she spotted the big man with horns. He had a female dealer pinned to the wall.

  “Give us your casino ID,” the man barked.

  The terrified woman shook her head. “I can’t. It’s embedded in my arm.”

  The non-descript woman stepped into view. She cursed as she looked at her accomplice. “We need the ID or our plan is trashed.”

  The man nodded. “Then we take her arm.”

  Mina watched in horror as the woman pulled a laser cutter out of her pocket. She flicked it on, the orange laser glowing brightly in the darkened room.

  The dealer let out a high-pitched scream.

  Mina’s blood surged through her veins. No way. She couldn’t let them hurt the woman. She glanced back down the corridor. Where the drak was security?

  There was no time to wait.

  Mina kicked off her heels and charged in.

  When she got close enough, she lowered her shoulder and charged the woman. Mina rammed the brown-haired woman out of the way and the woman yelped.

  “What the drak?”

  Mina pulled back and kicked her in the gut. The woman staggered.

  “Get her!” the man yelled.

  Shoving her brown hair out of her face, the woman straightened, scowling. She launched herself at Mina.

  Mina stopped thinking. Her focus narrowed to her opponent, watching the woman’s every move. When the woman swung out an arm, Mina ducked. She rammed her fist up, slamming into the woman’s belly. A grunt filled the air, and Mina followed through with a hit to the woman’s jaw. The woman’s head snapped back.

  “Get her!” the man shouted.

  A fist came at her and she dodged to the side. She rammed her knee into the woman’s stomach and she doubled over with a pained sound. Mina reared back and kicked the woman in the head. She slammed back into a piece of equipment.