“This is the Fuller Center shuttle?” He waved a tablet at her. “Double checking orders. Are you Jordan?”
“Yes, on both accounts.” She pushed to her feet and met him halfway.
“If I can get your confirmation there, and there, please?”
“How soon before I can take off?” Because staying around longer would mean she ran the risk of going to find Cai. She accepted the tablet and blinked at the blank screen. “Um, I think your tablet malfunctioned.”
A hand wrapped around her face, pinching her nose and covering her mouth. “You aren’t leaving for a while, baby cakes. Daddy needs a new pair of shoes, and your momma’s buying.” His other arm clamped her arms to her sides before she could react.
The blood rushed in her ears. She tried kicking, but the deckhand shoved her against the wall. Fear paralyzed her. She felt dizzy. He wanted her dead. Whoever this man was, he would kill her, because her parents weren’t the bargaining type.
* * * *
Cai sipped the syrupy coffee and watched the second hand on the clock hanging across from him. It was time to stop playing nice. Jordan might think they were finished, but they weren’t. Even if she didn’t want to be married to him now, it was still his job to protect her. She’d set him free, but it was up to him where he went. His transport back to the Fuller Center wouldn’t leave for another hour, which was fine because in the end, he still got Jordan.
He knew her unspoken desires and her regrets, because he more than felt them–he experienced them as she did.
Another minute ticked by.
Their bond was that strong, just from their brief time together. He couldn’t imagine how closely their souls would be interwoven once she got over her martyr act.
Panic erupted in his chest and he reeled back in his seat. Bile filled his mouth. The emotion had all the sense and feel of Jordan’s, but she was supposed to be on her way back to the Center. Gripping the table in front of him, he fought down the feedback he shouldn’t be getting. All around him, pieces of her flew in a halo only he could sense.
Awestruck, he sat in the flimsy café chair, experiencing the ultimate myth. They didn’t just click. She was his other half, the one who meshed so completely that if she weren’t human, they would become a single entity.
Despite the gravity of the moment, something wasn’t right. No matter the strength of their budding bond, he shouldn’t be able to sense Jordan at great lengths. Or was she nearer than he thought?
Tamping down on his own reaction, Cai dipped mental fingers into the feedback. The overwhelming terror had him squeezing the table so hard he bent the edge of it. It threatened to drown him. Adrenaline coursed through his body, responding to the emotions that threatened to overwhelm his own.
This was why true mates were so dangerous. They could twine together so that one was lost in the other. Compartmentalizing Jordan’s fear taxed him. The muscles in his arm clenched as he strained against the overpowering tide. He slammed a mental lid on it, and dropped back into his chair, heaving. The sights, sounds and smells slapped him back into reality.
Standing, Cai focused on walking as calmly as he could to the nearest public terminal. He locked down the part of him that raged to find Jordan. Finding people, protecting them–he was a professional at that. It was time to channel his ability, so he could have a chance at wooing the woman who completed him. His bones felt like jelly, and a few people gave him suspicious looks, but he ignored them. Leaning a hip against the terminal kept him upright. He could still sense Jordan’s fear battering at him. Tapping the screen, he brought up the general search. It didn’t matter if the ship logs were public or not, it didn’t take him long to pull up the entries for her shuttle. Instead of having left a half hour ago, the shuttle was moved to another dock for repairs. Which meant Jordan was still on the station.
Cursing himself, her parents and anyone else he could think of, Cai headed back to the docking bay, the maelstrom of fear following behind him as an invisible cloud only he could sense. Abduction had always been a possibility. It was surprising from a professional stance that she only had him to protect her. With her parents important political position, he’d have expected a small army to be charged with her security. But Jordan’s current lifestyle was safe, cocooned in her research facility, with people around her who knew to watch out for her because she wouldn’t think to do it herself. He’d known all of that, and he’d left her alone.
The stink of fear was thick in the docking bay, different and older from that which accosted him at the cafe. He paced up and down, peering into the hatches of what ships were there, but it was Christmas Eve and few people were around. If the same people who approached him about taking part in Jordan’s abduction were behind this one, he didn’t know how he would identify them, but he’d make them pay.
Leaning up against the wall across from where they’d docked, Cai tipped his head back and closed his eyes. It was easiest to catch the lingering trail of Jordan’s initial alarm, but it faded, probably because she was either rendered unconscious or went willingly. His hands closed into fists. If she’d been hurt, he’d be hard-pressed to not return the favor. His people were peaceful, but she was his mate, whether she’d realized it or not, and her life was the most important things to him.
* * * *
Jordan rocked forward on her knees and tried again to twist her arms around another way, but she couldn’t. The cuffs bit into her wrists, and the gag made it hard to breathe. How had she been this stupid? How many times did she need to be lectured and warned about safety?
Her fear was wearing off, only to be replaced by anger. She couldn’t blame anyone but herself for making herself easy prey. But, that didn’t mean she went willingly. Rage focused her.
Already she’d learned her lesson about making noise. That earned her the gag and cuffs. If her assessment of her location was correct from the brief glance she’d gotten of her surroundings while being restrained, she was in some kind of office. She’d glimpsed four walls and a desk before the door slammed shut. That didn’t give her much to work with. Eyeing the bottled products in the closet with her, she was disappointed to see they were predominantly used to clean.
Wedging her face between the door and shelf next to her, she squinted to make sense of the labels. Her recent dabbling with Cai’s serum had honed her rusty chemistry knowledge. Most common cleaning products, when combined, could be dangerous. She couldn’t make a bomb or a sedative gas, but she could do something.
Contorting her body, she twisted around to put her back to the shelves and reach her bound hands into the cubby. The drain cleaner for the shuttle bay would have to do for an acid. Looking over her shoulder, she wedged the bottle between her feet and used her fingertips to twist the top off the bottle.
Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against the back of the closet and sucked in a deep breath around the damp gag. Her heart was pounding and she was already nauseous. If it weren’t for her own stubbornness, she wouldn’t be here. She could be curled up in bed, with Cai, but instead she was crammed into a dusty closet.
She repeated the process of unscrewing the tops of two jugs of bleach and the industrial strength glass cleaners. She did her best to line them up at one end of the closet while she faced the opposite side. Leaning against the door forced it to unseal at the bottom. If she contorted her arms just right, she could pour most of the liquid out of the crack.
A little bleach, pour in some ammonia and she would have chloramine vapor. If she messed up she could do some permanent damage, but if she were dead, they couldn’t use her. She held her breath when she added the acidic cleaning products to the mixture pooling outside of the closet. Her eyes watered almost instantly as the chemicals reacted on contact. She doubled over and coughed into her gag after she’d poured out all the bottles.
Shifting her weight, she let the closet door seal back, but the fumes still filtered in. Her head hurt and her stomach rolled.
Concentrating on what s
he could hear, she listened for the telltale deep sound of a man coughing. She prayed they opened a door or the fumes irritated them so much they moved her.
On the other side of the door, she could hear voices, more than two men snapping back and forth at one another.
Sweat trickled down her forehead and into her eyes. Blinking only made the irritation worse. It seemed as if the only person she’d hurt with her little chemical spill was herself.
A loud pounding silenced the voices. She took a deep breath and pressed her ear against the door. There was a murmured exchange and the scrape of a chair across the floor.
This was her chance. Maybe her only one.
Using her knee, she nudged the closet door open a hair, and pushed again. Fumes billowed up in her face, causing her eyes to water. Gasping for breath she rested her forehead against the wall. She’d managed to slide the door open a few inches. She could see out, but most importantly, someone could see in.
“What do you want?” The voice was familiar. Squinting through her tears, she recognized the dockhand blocking the entrance.
“I’m looking for my pilot. You wouldn’t have happened to have seen him, would you?”
That voice. She knew that voice. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she bit down on the gag.
“No, check the public areas, this is employee only.”
The dockhand tried to push the manual door shut, but Cai shoved him, sending the man stumbling back. The other man behind the desk jumped to his feet. They were both big, hulking men, of a similar build to Cai. Jordan drove her nails into her palms as the deckhand recovered and swung a fist at him.
Cai sidestepped the blow and landed a punch to the man’s neck. The deckhand stumbled back, clutching his throat as his eyes bulged and he gulped down breath.
The second kidnapper swung a metal stool at Cai. It hit him across the shoulders and sent him staggering into the desk. The deckhand recovered and threw his body on top of Cai’s. The other man grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed Cai’s face into the desk.
Jordan pushed on the door, but it wouldn’t budge anymore. She sobbed into the gag choking on her own tears and the gas.
The men pulled Cai up. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead.
“Who the fuck are you?” one of her kidnappers spat.
Cai wavered on his feet, his arms coming up shakily to push both men back. It appeared as if his bell were rung.
“Doesn’t matter,” Cai growled out and fisted both men’s clothing, one in each hand. “Repule voihle.” His eyes snapped wide open and he shoved both men. He drove them backward across the office, his hands sliding up to their necks.
The kidnappers’ bodies shook as if they’d been electrocuted, their eyes rolling up into their heads and their mouths lax. Cai gritted out more words in a low, guttural voice she didn’t understand.
Whatever was happening to the two men, Cai was causing it. Her peaceful, fun-loving man was immobilizing two guys as big as he was, with a touch.
He released them and stepped back. The two would-be kidnappers sank to the floor and didn’t move.
Hitting the door with her shoulder rattled it in the casing. Cai wheeled around, hands up. His gaze landed on hers.
“Jordan.”
He crossed the office and pushed the closet door open. It screeched on rusted hinges.
“Shit, Jor.” Cai knelt and steadied her. He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. “What is that? Let me get you out of here.” He tugged the gag out of her mouth and helped her out of the closet. Her legs wobbled from cramps. Cai picked her up halfway through her efforts and sat her on the desk. “Let me see the cuffs.”
“Chloramine gas. Not my best plan ever.” Her head swam, and she was grateful she hadn’t eaten because she would have already vomited. Her gaze landed on the two prone men. “What did you do?”
Cai didn’t look at them. His lips were compressed into a tight line. The blood on his forehead was matted with his hair and smeared down one side of his face. “I fed into them. They’ll be out for a while.”
“What?” She squinted at him. The feedback jumped from person to person. Could he feed, or force into someone else? “How does that work?” The cuffs released her and she sagged in relief.
Cai cupped her face. “You were just kidnapped, and you want to figure out how I tick?”
“Um, yes?”
He shook his head. “Jor.” He kissed her, treating her tenderly. “Let’s get you out of here, and somewhere safe. Then you can ask me all the questions you want, okay?”
Chapter 11
Cai wanted to pace, he wanted to hit something, or someone.
Instead, he sat on the bench that ran the length of the cell, his hands on his knees and stared through the clear panel across from him. Uniformed security moved to and fro, occasionally casting him a glance. There was nothing friendly about the way people stared at him now.
He’d been prepared for this part of leaving his home world, but experiencing it was another matter. He had yet to see any sign of Jordan, but he didn’t expect to. She’d been in bad shape from whatever drug she’d been given to keep her quiet, and the gas further irritated her condition. He’d left her with the medical team and turned himself in. It was better this way.
“Detainee Cai,” a voice said through the intercom. His gaze darted around what he could see, searching for the source of it. “This is Captain Miller. Please lie down on the ground and extend your arms above your head. We are entering your cell.”
Gritting his teeth, he pushed to his feet and obeyed the request. The metal panels were cold, even through his clothing. The raised pattern pressed into his cheek, and the gash across his temple throbbed.
The cell door chimed before opening. He refused to crane his neck to see how many men they thought it would take to handle him. Ridiculous since he surrendered willingly.
“Cai, why are you on the ground?” Jordan’s voice was unexpected. Lifting his face, he watched as she pushed past a guard, who grabbed her arm before she could get by.
“Ma’am, that’s not a good idea.” He had the same voice as Captain Miller.
Slowly she turned to face the man. The expression on her face was so cold and haughty. “If you are going to address me, you will do so as either Doctor or Lady, and you will not touch me again.”
He mumbled his apologies and snatched his hand away. She turned her back on the guards and kneeled at Cai’s side. She’d changed into different clothes. The suit she wore now molded to her body in a shimmering fabric that screamed expensive. With her back to the guards, her expression softened. Her fingers touched his temple, and she winced.
The lid he’d put on their bond shattered. Nerves and anxiety lapped at him, more encompassing when she touched him. But beneath that was an underlying emotion, one he wanted to wrap them both in like a blanket and steal away from this mess.
“Come on, get up.” Her hand wrapped around his arm and urged him to stand.
The guards shifted their weight uneasily. He was more than likely the only Galairian they’d ever seen, so all they could go on were rumors.
Getting to his feet slowly, Cai made sure to keep his hands where they could be seen and his expression blank.
“You’re going to release my husband.” Jordan twined their fingers together.
She’d just called him her husband?
“Ma’am–lady,” the Captain stammered. “We can’t. He’s admitted to using his ability to harm two men.”
Jordan arched a brow. She’d never reminded him of her mother until this moment. “So let me see if I understand your reasoning for imprisoning my husband. While our shuttle was rerouted from a secure to a public area, two of your deckhands attempted to kidnap my person. My husband, fearing for my safety and with good reason, attempts and succeeds in rescuing me. When he notifies the proper authorities, he is the one placed into custody? Do I understand this correctly?”
The guards were finding other pla
ces to stare.
“Lady, it’s not that he protected you that is the issue. It’s–”
“Would you like to explain to my mother, Duchess Amelia Richardson, why her daughter and son-in-law will be spending Christmas in a holding cell?” She sneered, her gaze raking over the guards. “Or perhaps you’d prefer to explain it to my father? The Marquess Yondel?”
The guard’s faces paled even more. If one name didn’t inspire a decent sense of respect, the other inspired fear.
“We’re just following protocol,” another guard said, jumping in to salvage the situation.
“He’s Galairian,” the Captain darted a glare at his fellow officer. “The law says clearly that they get a onetime shot. If they use their abilities to hurt anyone, they’re sent back to their people to deal with.”
“And this is what you think is fair, given the circumstances?”
Cai squeezed her hands. “It’s the law.” He didn’t like it, but he’d known the score when he walked into that office.
“Fine.” Jordan released his hand and lowered herself to sit on the bench. “Leave us, and don’t forget to notify my parents that their daughter has been incarcerated for her own abduction.”
“Lady, we can’t leave you in here.” The Captain glanced from Cai to her.
“You think leaving me alone with my husband puts me at risk?” Jordan laughed and folded her arms across her chest. “That’s rich.”
“He’s Galairian. What if he’s twisted your mind?”
“If he has, it’s already been done and there’s nothing you can say or do to change it. Leave now.” She flicked her fingers at them. “You’re giving me a headache.”
The guards filed out, appearing none too happy about it as the door sealed behind them.
Jordan held out her hand to him. He examined her elegant fingers, studying the way each curved, and remembering the way they felt against his skin. He could practically taste her emotions on his tongue without touching her. It was strange and wonderful. He put his hand in hers and hid how his knees wanted to buckle at the contact by sinking down onto the bench next to her.
A Kiss For a Cure Page 10
