The Satellite

by Storm Savage

  In a world where women rule and men are used for breeding, one warrior rises to the challenge of saving a sisterhood at risk for extinction. When Flame goes up against The Satellite, a no-holds-barred battle ensues and there can be but one winner…or can there?

  When Flame is duped into a dangerous scheme by her fiancé’s best friend, she agrees to take on the task and kill the man who took Ian’s wife years ago. According to the information obtained, she is the only one with enough power to defeat such an evil beast.

  Ian discovered Flame’s secret during a chance encounter. An elite sisterhood warrior who fights with Sai Daggers is what he’s been waiting for. He utilizes his friendship with her lover in order to enlist her help. The Satellite stole his first wife and now his pregnant girlfriend is in the line of fire.

  Flame is chosen as bait to trap and destroy an incubus—a man who seeks to mate with select females to retain his powers. Will her skills as a warrior be enough when The Satellite seduces her into his lair?

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The Satellite

  Copyright © 2013 Storm Savage

  ISBN: 978-1-77111-509-4

  Cover art by Scott Carpenter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books

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  www.eXtasybooks.com

  The Satellite

  Burning Hearts One

  By

  Storm Savage

  For my readers, thank you for choosing my books. My wish is that you escape reality for a while and enjoy the experience I have created for you.

  For Jay, thank you for helping me get back on track. Your support and patience have saved me many times. Never was there a better EIC.

  For my cover artist, thank you for the awesome covers in this series, for caring about my preferences and your passion in capturing the feel of the story. You rock!

  For my editor Kate, thank you for your honesty, your talent and your fast and professional editing. You are awesome!

  And always for Austin, the love of my life. Never was there a braver boy, a brighter spirit or a more loyal friend. I think of you every day, miss you every minute and feel your spirit still lighting my way. Thank you, my puppy angel.

  Chapter One

  She sat cross-legged on the cool grass beside Sacred Pond with her blades laid before her. Silvery light from a rising full October moon glinted off the gold of her Sai Daggers—her most prized possessions. She’d returned to Celestial Village, the hidden colony of the sisterhood, to seek an audience with the Supreme Lioness. Lately her heart had been troubled over her feelings toward two men. Her fiancé Hatch and his bandmate Raef Jackson were both strikingly handsome men.

  Hatch was harder in appearance while Raef could be considered almost pretty.

  The last thing she wanted was to create conflict between them, but Raef’s continual flirting made it hard to resist his sweet charm. Recently the three of them had shared an intense few days together following a very traumatic event in her life. She felt close to both men but more drawn to the one she wasn’t supposed to feel for.

  While waiting in silent meditation for the Lioness to appear, Flame thought back to recent events involving her and the two gorgeous musicians she’d taken off with a few months after her divorce.

  The one secret Flame thought her ex-husband had never known about was her connection to the sisterhood. She’d secretly continued her training as a Sai warrior while Aiden spent his spare time hunting and going off to car shows. When she left him, she had no idea he’d somehow discovered her private life, as she’d been very careful to never leave evidence around that could’ve led him to catch on.

  Even Hatch did not discover her hidden skills until she killed a man backstage at the band’s last concert of the year in New York City. While waiting for Hatch to finish the show, Flame heard the cries of a girl in trouble. Upon investigating, she found the bodyguard’s daughter Jacci in imminent danger. The girl’s ex-boyfriend was about to kill her. Flame intervened and saved Jacci’s life, resulting in the death of the assailant. That was the first time Hatch and his friends discovered that she fought with Sai daggers. Up to that point she kept the daggers cleverly concealed in a guitar case.

  She managed to gracefully dodge their inquisitions on that occasion. The band and crew hailed her a heroine, but she’d taken it all in stride. Killing a predator was what she’d been trained to do, a calling she embraced with her soul—delivering justice when criminals slipped past the law.

  Her trouble didn’t end there. It was as if hooking up with Hatch had incurred bad luck.

  A few days after that event, two imposters hired by Aiden tried to abduct Flame right from Hatch’s New York City penthouse suite. After brutally defeating the men, she wanted to kill them, but Hatch held her back to avoid unnecessary attention. At that point, the band members wanted explanations.

  She then revealed to them that she was connected to a warrior sisterhood colony—but gave only information enough to satisfy their curiosity. Her sisterhood was an extremely covert organization located in a remote village. Members were sworn to secrecy and bound by loyalty to their cause. In that hidden society, they were able to offer asylum to victims of abuse.

  Aiden did not give up.

  During her shopping trip while the band was in a recording session, he and his friend, a man who went by the name of Von Calder, grabbed her from behind and the daggers were jarred from her grasp. Without her powerful weapons she’d failed to single-handedly fight off two men.

  In all the ten years of marriage to Aiden, she’d never known about his association with a road bike group called the Black Pythons. When he appeared out of nowhere wearing a Black Python biker jacket, she’d been stunned beyond belief.

  Apparently they’d both carried deep secrets during their marriage. Aiden was a member of a motorcycle gang, and she—a Sai Warrior.

  She’d laugh over the parallel deceptions had the situation not become so serious. But what he and his accomplice put her through would never be forgotten or forgiven. Aiden’s retaliation for the divorce went beyond revenge into the level of sadism. Though the man riding with him had been somewhat compassionate, she’d still not forget that his bike was the one she’d been forced upon for the ride back to her past.

  Night had fallen by the time a seven-hour ride brought the mismatched group to their destination in western PA. Flame felt sick when she saw where they had taken her. Her hope grew dim as she read the name Kaminski painted on the mailbox outside the yellow brick ranch. Why did Aiden bring me to his parents’ house?

  “Why are we here?” Flame asked him.

  “We need supplies and money before heading out,” Aiden replied.

  He ordered his comrade Von to tie her hands. Flame squirmed and fussed in an attempt to resist.

  “Please…don’t bind my hands or leave me here.” She loo
ked up into his midnight eyes, silently pleading for mercy.

  Nonetheless, Von overpowered her with ease. His hands were strong and he stood tall over her. Long dark hair tumbled past his shoulders and framed his ruggedly handsome face as he stared back at her. Despite the fact he was helping her ex, she couldn’t deny his mysterious allure. Yet he didn’t yield to her pleas and tied her hands anyway.

  “I’m sorry, babe,” he told her. His shadowy eyes revealed a hint of something she couldn’t quite discern. “Aiden told me what a fighter you can be, that you’re some kind of secret warrior. Those daggers you were carrying didn’t scream passive housewife.”

  Flame sighed in momentary defeat, hoping for a break. “Why can’t I come with you guys? I don’t want to be here alone with these people.”

  Aiden shot her an angry glance. “Because we can’t shop for supplies and keep an eye on you. I know how clever you are. Just stay put. I’ve instructed Sandra to keep you under control.”

  “Who the hell is Sandra?” she snapped.

  “My girlfriend,” Aiden replied in a cocky tone of voice. “This ain’t no pleasure cruise, darling.”

  “Oh, like I’d ever want to be with you again? Get over yourself!”

  A petite little blonde came bouncing down the concrete steps to greet them. Once the men were out of sight, Sandra grabbed Flame’s long hair and pulled her into the country abode. With her hands bound, her daggers lost, and no transportation, she relented to the bitch and went inside. Flame fumed at the cowardly act and vowed that this new addition to the family would pay.

  The familiar odor of cabbage assaulted her senses as they entered the one story house. Nothing had changed. Aiden’s parents Karl and Carlene sat in the same chairs, as if they had not moved since Flame last visited the place. Karl stared at the television and Carlene tapped away at her laptop. Flame looked around to see the same rust colored drapes, green carpet, and dreary Victorian decor still prominent throughout the cluttered home.

  Then she caught sight of Aiden’s brother in-law Chuck coming out of the bathroom. He’d always hated her and the feeling was mutual. His presence felt disturbing. Before her departure, he and Aiden had a scuffle with Hatch and his bodyguard when she’d gone back to the house for a few final belongings. Her ex and his sidekick suffered an unexpected beating when they mistakenly thought that her new companions would be easy marks.

  She assumed the fight had possibly contributed to Aiden’s unusual act of revenge.

  Carlene stood up to greet Sandra. “I see you welcomed our guest,” she said while hugging Aiden’s new girlfriend.

  Flame gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, burning to strike.

  Even Karl pushed his bulky frame from the recliner to give Sandra a hug. They looked straight through Flame as if she were invisible. Flame watched her ex brother in-law come around the corner. He’d had put on a few more pounds and fit right into the family.

  “Well, well.” Chuck said when he saw her. “Not so fierce now are ya? Where are your rock star boyfriend and his bodyguard this time?”

  Flame glared at him. “Fiancé,” she clarified.

  Carlene and Karl retreated to the kitchen.

  Aiden’s sister Cathy waddled from the back room. Flame felt very uneasy being alone with them. Cathy appeared to have put on more weight as well, making the already large woman huge with fluffy bleached hair. In fact, all the women in Aiden’s family were massive, with sturdy bone structure. Chuck, Cathy, and Sandra circled Flame.

  “Lost some more hair, eh, Chuck?” Flame bravely taunted, noticing the lack of his once black hair. His dark brown eyes filled with hate.

  “Payback time, Flame.” Chuck stated as he moved behind her and gripped her arms.

  She knew he was referring to the fight between him and Hatch, in which he’d lost.

  “You should have stayed home instead of going with Aiden to interfere. Neither of you had any business coming after me. I had every right to take what belonged to me. You picked your own fight with the wrong men.”

  Cathy moved closer and unexpectedly belted her across the face. Flame frantically struggled with the ties on her hands while landing a high kick to Cathy’s chest. She stomped on Chuck’s foot with the heel of her boot in attempt to break his hold, but he had a death grip on her and he did not flinch. She had lost some strength from lack of food and rest during the long road trip, but didn’t stop struggling.

  “This will teach you for kicking me,” Cathy spat after catching her breath.

  Flame glared at her. “That’s nothing compared to what you’ll get when I am free…bitch!”

  Flame’s defiant spirit would not let her cry out as Cathy, Chuck, and Sandra beat her. Tears welled in her eyes but she refused to make a sound as her ex-sister-in-law struck her repeatedly. Spiteful Sandra delivered an occasional kick and held tight to Flame’s hair. Chuck gripped her arms so tightly she felt them burn. Flame lost track of time as they continued battering her. Eventually she slipped into a numb state and slumped to the floor. After what felt like an eternity, the assault stopped.

  When they had finished, Cathy and Sandra dragged her to a spare bedroom, laughing and ridiculing her. The two malicious women locked the door and left Flame alone in the dark. She finally let herself cry.

  * * * *

  Von straddled his parked Harley just outside the wood line of where the stunning and feisty warrior woman had suddenly vanished. He’d been trailing her since she parted company with her rock star boyfriend and his buddies. Now the trail was simply gone without a trace. A peculiar aura surrounded her and she’d intrigued him since the day they met. He regretted his part in helping Aiden take her from New York back to his parents’ house.

  She was fiery and without a doubt the sexiest woman that he’d ever seen.

  Once Hatch and his friends rescued her, Von had disappeared until the dust settled. Then he picked up her trail again when she showed up on the road riding with her boyfriend. Why she’d left her companions to come here baffled him. In fact, the entire group she rode with had split up after the road fight. Most of them headed west while Hatch hung back and traveled a slower pace with her.

  Either way, he had two goals in mind. Deliver just retribution to Aiden for involving him in such a dirty scheme, and make this elusive beautiful female his. Her musician friends did not appear to be a major obstacle in his plans. He would scope out the situation from a distance and make his move at the right time.

  Von allowed his thoughts to drift and pull her lovely image to mind. The way she’d stared up at him with those deep blue eyes when he’d bound her hands stirred the fire in his soul. He’d wanted her right then, but denied his feelings and gone ahead with Aiden’s foolhardy plan. What he saw when they’d returned from the market had sickened him.

  Von had opened the door to find Flame curled up in a ball on the floor, sobbing. Sandra peeked around him and Aiden from behind them.

  “Get her the hell out of here.” Flame snarled when she saw the young woman.

  Aiden then ordered Sandra to go join his family for dinner.

  Flame’s appearance stunned him—he had no idea they would do this to her. Von looked at her sadly. Bruises and cuts covered her beautiful face, blood oozed from her mouth. Her long blonde hair had lost its luster and had become matted and streaked with dried blood.

  “What the hell is wrong with your family, man?” He pushed past Aiden and went to Flame’s side.

  Though he led a fierce road bike gang, hurting women was not acceptable to him. “You’re out of the group, man. We don’t beat up on women under any circumstance. I’ll help you get her away from here, but if I see your ass again after tonight you’re a dead man.”

  Aiden stormed back to the kitchen.

  Von could hear them arguing through the closed door.

  “Why the hell did you have to beat her up?” Aiden shouted at Chuck.

  “Payback, for what her boyfriend and his thug did to us,” Chuck replied in a s
mug tone of voice. “And because she left you. We were helping you out, man.”

  “All I asked for is a place to hide out for the night,” Aiden fired back. “You’ve only made things worse. She’s barely fit to ride.”

  “We don’t really care,” Cathy snapped. “You’re the one who came up with the plan to kidnap her. We don’t care what her new boyfriend has in mind. I don’t understand your obsession with the bitch. Why can’t you just let her go?”

  “Because I still love her. She divorced me because of my crazy family who never could mind their own damn business. I thought just once…just one time you people could put your petty judgments aside and be a family to me.”

  “Just forget about Flame like we always wanted you to and we will be family again.”

  “It’s bad enough you ruined my marriage and now she is engaged to someone else. I’m not gonna let you run the rest of my life,” Aiden barked back. “None of you care about anyone except yourselves. I should’ve listened to Flame in the first place. She was right about all of you!”

  He and his sister argued bitterly for nearly a half hour.

  Flame muttered in open disbelief, “I don’t understand his actions…” Her voice trailed off as the pain from her injuries seemed to weaken her. “But I was right about Chuck’s.”

  Von stayed with her. “I’m going to check you over for broken bones. I’m not getting fresh so relax, okay?”

  She stared with fiery eyes but gave a slight nod.

  He had no desire to be part of Aiden’s family scene. He had agreed to help bring Flame back home only because Aiden had claimed she was in danger and also Von had been intrigued by the warrior skills Aiden mentioned. But he had not bargained for the drama and never expected this. Now he worried about what Hatch would do when he saw his lady in such poor condition. He didn’t need him breathing down his neck. Von began to devise a plan of his own.