“What is it, Jaron?”
She heard his sigh over the sound of guards trampling in their direction. Trying to be quiet at this point was a wasted effort. “I don’t want to touch you if it’s going to bring you pain.”
Rocks and sharp thorns tore at the soles of her bare feet, but it was nothing compared to the jab to the heart his words gave. “No pain.”
He stroked a hand down her cheek and Sasha caught her moan in time. He glared. It was such a Jaron gesture and the memory of the man in the cell beside her was at the forefront of her mind. “You came back for me.”
This time when he reached for her, his hand slid down her arm in a silken caress. She didn’t mind the prickles of desire left behind. “I came back for you.”
Words stalled and a thick knot formed in her throat. Mouth dry, she swallowed, but needed to get it out. “You keep your promises.”
He huffed a laugh. “Yes.”
Shouting followed them as the last of what remained of The Collector’s force gave chase. She wondered if they’d give up once they discovered his destroyed body or continue to pursue.
Jaron exchanged hand signals with his friends then turned toward her. “Five minutes, Sasha. We’ll be on the shuttle and leaving this place far behind.”
Leaving. At last. When this was all over she would return to Argora, back to her job as a Bounty Retriever. Jaron would return to Enotia and his job with the Jutak warriors. Pangs of loneliness struck. He’d be with his teammates, men who cared about him and she’d be back to her solitary lifestyle with no one to count on but herself.
“Sasha?” Concern darkened his eyes so Sasha forced a smile to her lips.
“Keep up,” she teased and increased her speed.
Jaron laughed. It fizzled through every inch of her pores. His laugh was among the many things about him she’d remember and hold close to her heart.
The new scent ruined the moment.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
An unavoidable incident that if given the chance Sasha would have done the same thing again no matter the outcome.
A lone guard popped from behind a tree. His matte helmet hid his face, but she didn’t need to see his face. All that mattered was the laser he aimed at Jaron, his eyes lit with humor as he attempted to catch up because of her taunt. Arak or Kyele called out a warning. Too late. Far too late.
Light glowed from the muzzle of the weapon as it fired. Sasha spun on her heels, turned into Jaron’s path and jumped. Her arms wrapped around him as the force of her weight and leap carried them both to the ground.
Burning, fiery agony shredded her back. Sasha muffled the instinct to scream and surged to her feet, claws extended. Jaron rolled away. More lasers blasted around them, the stench overpowering.
Sasha swayed on her feet and blinked in a daze. The sky tipped sideways.
“Are you hit?” Jaron yelled, catching her in his arms. His eyes glinted with worry.
Sasha swallowed back nausea. Move. Move. Only she couldn’t. “I don’t…I don’t think so.”
Searing pain lanced through her. She’d never been struck by laser before. Knives, teeth, claws. This felt different. It burned. More agonizing. Slowly Sasha fell to her knees. The jolt sent another ripping sensation up her side.
Hands caught at her and soon the ground comforted her. They needed to keep going. Get away from Dr. Kirkem’s men. Sasha refused to hold them up this time. She struggled to get to her feet, but nothing happened.
“Sasha, kitten stay still.”
Sasha tried to agree, but her lips didn’t move, her mouth numb for some odd reason.
“How is she?”
“Bad.” Jaron’s voice trembled as he answered Arak. He reached for her hand entwining their fingers. Sasha tried to turn to her side, wanting to see his face and hissed at the pain burning across her back.
“No, no. Don’t move,” Jaron begged.
“Can’t see you.” Her words slurred. Sasha inhaled and exhaled past the hurt. She wanted to see him to ease the panic starting to fill her. What was wrong? Why couldn’t she move?
Jaron’s face appeared in front of her heavy-lidded gaze. He’d removed his face mask. It took a moment to realize he lay flat on the ground beside her. Lips she’d kissed curved in a tremulous smile. His fingers tightened on hers to a brutal extent. “Right here, kitten.”
“Full grown. Not a kitten.” She glared or tried to. Something kept her from succeeding. “Hurt.”
All humor faded and his blue eyes grew serious. “I know. We’re going to get you help. Hold on for me. Please.”
Didn’t he know she’d do anything for him? Hadn’t she proven it? “I didn’t stay alive in that place waiting for you to rescue me so I could end up dead.”
As far as jokes went it fell flat. She could hear Arak and Kyele talking, not the specific words. Sasha listened to their soothing cadence and closed her eyes.
Jaron groaned. “Keep your eyes open for me. I need to see your pretty eyes.”
She squeezed his hand because it hurt to talk and she no longer had the energy.
“Kyele? Tell me you got him.”
“The threat has been eliminated.”
Jaron lifted her into his arms, jostling her. Sasha winced at the renewed burn. His lips skimmed her temple. “Sorry. So sorry.”
Arak spoke but it was too much work to look for him. “I’ve contacted Dr. Maku. Kyele’s gone ahead. He’ll get the shuttle for immediate take off.”
“I don’t hurt anymore.” She didn’t. The pain tearing through Sasha faded. As well as the awful forced desire to have sex. Jaron should be pleased at her disclosure.
He pulled her in tight to his chest and groaned, burying his face in her hair. “Don’t you dare let go, Sasha.”
“J-jar…” Sasha tried to hold him, to loop her arms about his neck but her arm flopped down. Maybe because he ran at breakneck speed.
“No, no, no.”
“We’re here, Jaron. Strap her in.”
Doors swished opened and closed. Warm body beneath hers. “I’m holding her. I’m not letting her go. Do up my harness.”
Straps and firm hands touched her and the click of the belt tightening filtered through her dwindling senses.
“Kyele, grab a booster,” Arak instructed.
Bodies moved around her, a sharp prick in her arm and cold heat flowed through her veins, but the pain didn’t come back. Nothing except dark clouds and Sasha didn’t have the strength to open her eyes.
“Sasha.” Jaron’s lips touched her ear. “Sasha, please. Hold on for me. Can you do that, kitten?”
“Mmm.”
“I want to hear y-your voice,” he begged, the words breaking. “Promise me, Sasha.”
Sasha hated liars. She hated people who broke promises even more. She refused to do that to him. “Can’t.” Her stomach rolled. “Don’t feel good, Jaron.”
Wet drops splashed her cheeks as he pressed his face to hers. “Promise me. Promise me, damn you.”
He sounded miserable. She wanted to. Her lips parted. But the words never came.
Chapter 19
Sasha woke in a room eerily similar to the one where Dr. Kirkem conducted his experiments. White walls, medical equipment and the distant beep beep of a machine. Had she and Jaron been captured again? She sat up with a jerk.
“Right here, kitten.”
Sasha snarled, claws out and almost slashed Jaron who leaped away in time. He was dressed in black from head to toe, gaze intent. She’d never seen him look so stern. It gave her stomach swirls. “Jaron?”
Humor popped in his blue eyes and all at once he was familiar to her. He came back to her bedside and pressed a palm to her arm. “How are you feeling?”
Sasha took note of her condition. She seemed fine. Better than fine. Glancing down, revealed a white flimsy gown and a matching sheet tucked about her hips. “Where am I?”
Jaron rubbed her arm, his smile broad and welcome. “Enotia.”
&nbs
p; “We made it.” Giddy, she fell back against the pillows.
“We made it.” His gaze grew serious. “You scared me for a moment out there, kitten.”
Sasha touched a hand to her temple. The memory was there yet distant. They ran. Dr. Kirkem died. But then? Then Sasha drew a blank. “What happened?”
Jaron leaned a hip on the bed and slid close, his hand going up to cup her jaw as he leaned down. “You jumped in front of me, took multiple laser strikes to your back.”
Sasha winced. It was coming back in vivid color. “Guess it all worked out.”
Jaron’s fingers flexed on her face, a deep crease forming between his blond brows. “You almost died trying to protect me. Don’t ever do that again.”
Shivers coursed down Sasha’s spine. She tried to look away from Jaron’s piercing stare, but he held her caught in the depths of his blue gaze. There was honest fear there which he made no attempt to hide. Plucking at the sheet with her fingers, Sasha went for casual. “Um…well, run faster.”
Jaron’s mouth dropped open. For a moment, she thought he’d lose it and reiterate his point. She should have known better. Jaron was exactly who he appeared to be. His rich laughter poured out as his thumb caressed her bottom lip in admonishment. Then he moved his hand and sat back on the bed.
Questions bubbled to the surface, but the door to the room swished open behind Jaron and a blond man strode in carrying a data pad. “I see she’s awake, Jaron.”
Jaron stroked her sheet covered thigh. “Only a moment ago.”
The male nodded and glanced own at Sasha. “Your blood work and test came back fine. All traces of the sexual enhancement you experienced are also gone.”
“Who are you?” Sasha brushed at the hair tumbling about her forehead, tension edging into the easy camaraderie she shared with Jaron. She trusted Jaron, felt comfortable with him after all they’d been through. This male she didn’t know despite his congenial manner.
“I am the medic for the Jutak Unit here. Dr. Maku. Jaron wanted your presence kept secret in case threats existed beyond your time with The Collector. This was the best place for that.”
The only threat Sasha planned to address was Orland. She snuck a quick look at Jaron who continued to watch her. It was admittedly generous of him to let her stay at this military base, if that’s what this was, to recover.
Clearing her throat, Sasha directed her question to Jaron while keeping the medic in her line of sight. “Is it possible to get cleaned and something to wear?”
The last few weeks of nudity had given her a distinct need to be fully clothed in public.
“Anything you want can be ordered. It may take time.” Jaron rose slowly and stretched, his arms going above his head as he tipped his head from side to side before dropping his arms on an exhale.
On closer inspection, he looked worn out. There were dark circles beneath his eyes. Yes, he was clean and she scented cleanser but Sasha wondered if he’d gotten any sleep. Or had he stayed beside her the entire time? The possibility left her jumpy and she had to squash the sensation. She might be in love with the sexy soldier but she didn’t have to get carried away with the new emotion.
“A few of the Chosens, however, offered a selection of items for you to look through,” he continued, meeting her eyes once more.
Chosens. Sasha understood the Enotian title given to couples committed to one another. She also knew Argorans could never participate in the ceremony due to an incident years ago. Her stomach pitched. Not that she was thinking in that direction. Jaron and she were temporary.
Sighing, Sasha pushed the covers from her hips and swung he legs to the side of the bed. “Point me in the right direction, handsome.”
***
Jaron waited outside the cleansing room while the water ran, unwilling to be far from Sasha. Every time he closed his eyes, he flashed back to the lasers hitting her and holding her in his arms as her bright blue blood spilled over his hands. Things went bad fast on the shuttle, but Kyele and Arak worked in tandem to stabilize her.
“She is lucky to be alive,” Dr. Maku absently commented.
Drugs and Argorans didn’t mix, which would have doomed Sasha, but Dr. Maku was used to dealing with Arak’s similar genetics. After he fixed the major injuries, her natural healing ability did the rest.
That didn’t mean the hours he sat near her sleeping form weren’t torture. Jaron worried the entire time only stepping away to shower and change then report to Torkel. His Unit Leader agreed with Jaron’s request to have her stay at the Jutak facility where they lived instead of the military base and for now her presence was a secret from everyone including their Commander.
“I will leave you. She is freed from my care if you wish to take her to another room.” Dr. Maku bowed and Jaron thanked him again.
If not for the medic Sasha might have suffered more. The Collector had put her life at risk each time he subjected her to his drugs and testing. Jaron was glad he was dead or he would have sought to eliminate the danger he represented to Sasha. He understood more than ever now how Kyele must have felt.
The latch to the cleansing room clicked. When Sasha walked out, Jaron almost swallowed his tongue as he stood. She wore a red top in some slinky material that clung to her breasts, the loose neckline revealing the dip of her cleavage and the upper swells. Her black pants were thigh hugging and fitted to her ankles. A pair of small black shoes completing the visual.
Jaron recognized Joni’s style. “Beautiful.”
He got a bronzed blush then a snarl. She’d fussed with her hair and the short waves were smoothed back, hugging her head like a sleek cap, tiny curls already springing up at the back.
Jaron went to her and grasped her narrow waist. He lowered his head and kissed her like he’d been dying to from the moment she woke. She moaned and slid a foot up the back of his calf. Their tongues teased and danced, their mouths parting long enough to gasp broken pleas.
“You—”
“Glad—”
“Right now,” Sasha growled, pushing at Jaron’s shoulders in her eagerness to take them both where they wanted.
Jaron stumbled backward but the wall saved him from falling. He secured his hold on Sasha, her hands all over him. “Wait. We…Can’t.”
It took an act of will yet Jaron managed to catch her hands and lock them between their straining torsos. She froze. “Sasha, my Unit Leader will want to speak with you.”
Startled green eyes met his gaze. “What? Why?”
She tugged at her wrists and Jaron cautiously released her. “It is a formality. You have done nothing wrong, but he has questions about The Collector.”
The shiver he caught wasn’t feigned. She straightened her shoulders and stepped back from him, causing Jaron to mourn the loss of her closeness. Tight nipples budded up against her shirt, the sway of her breasts drew his eyes as she ran fingers through her hair, mussing the strands.
“I see.”
She blanked her expression and Jaron hated the look that crossed her face. “Sasha, you are safe here.”
She tipped her head to the side, the corner of her mouth curling upward. “Not a problem, Jaron. The sooner I meet with him, the sooner I can go.”
Not what he had in mind. For the moment, he let the matter drop. There was a lot he wanted to discuss with her. They just didn’t have time right now. “Once Torkel is free he will join us. In the mean time, I’d like to introduce you to the others.”
Although Jaron wanted to cup her elbow and lead her from the medic room, Sasha’s stiff demeanor no longer encouraged his touch. They walked down the corridor together with a sliver of space separating them. The ride in the shaft was made in silence Jaron wasn’t sure how to breech. He escorted her to the rec room where he knew most of the guys would be relaxing.
Glassware and conversation greeted them as they entered. A few heads turned in their direction.
“Jutak Aches, thank you for saving us.” Luna, the blonde from Earth, rushed over and hug
ged Jaron.
Sasha came to a full stop in the doorway, a low growl rumbling from the deep recesses of her chest. Jaron muffled a curse and tried to untangle himself. Luna planted a hand on his chest and leaned forward. A cloud of scented enhancement engulfed him.
“I’m so grateful,” Luna continued.
He sought to reassure Sasha when her growl cut off and she grew even colder. Over Luna’s shoulder, Sasha shot him a dark glare and strode forward, unaware of the attention she created by her confident presence and strut alone.
Jaron reached for Luna’s arms and slid them from his body. “It is our job.”
Dr. Maku had given care to all three of the rescues. The Jutak commander, himself, was currently in talks to return them to their rightful worlds. Except Luna who was a part of Earth’s Singles Program which matched their women with men from other planets. By their regulations, she was ineligible to return.
Jaron knew Luna contemplated staying on Enotia. Her blonde hair and blue eyes fit perfectly with the homogenous looks of his home world. For selfish reasons, he hoped she didn’t stay.
Jaron escaped further conversation by stepping around her, his frantic gaze seeking Sasha. The members of his teammates on Team One and Team Two nodded and smiled in welcome. Team Three was out on a mission.
In the corner of the room, sitting on a squat brown chair, he found Sasha in conversation with Arak and his Chosen, Sylvie, who listened avidly to what was being said. Unwilling to cause a scene by disturbing them, Jaron knotted his hands at his side in frustration.
“Jaron, we worried about you.”
The new voice from behind him was welcome. Jaron spun around to greet Faye, Torkel’s Chosen, from Earth. “Hello, Faith.”
She hugged him warmly, her cheek to his chest and Jaron returned the embrace, closing his eyes and squeezing. When they parted, he sensed Sasha watching but did not turn around.
“I can’t believe you. Don’t ever disappear again.”
Jaron rolled his eyes, grinning. “I will try not to let it happen again.”
Faye put her hand on her hips, brown eyes twinkling. “It looks like you came with a visitor.”
Jaron's Promise (A World Beyond Book 6) Page 17
