Justin let her rattle on, happy to sit back and listen to her. Sybellie asked about him, and he gave her a truncated version of his life on Sirius, but he quickly switched the topic back to her.
All too soon, the safe siren sounded and the shelter’s doors slid back, revealing the street coated with sand, the sunshine as strong and clear as ever.
“I guess I’ll have to go to class after all,” Sybellie said. “They don’t cancel for sandstorms—they just push back the schedule for the rest of the day.”
Justin made no move to start the car and drive out. He feasted his gaze on his daughter’s sun-streaked hair, her fresh, round face, her smile.
He couldn’t let this be the last time he talked to her. He wanted to know more and more, to talk away the empty years.
“Sybellie, when—”
Sybellie gasped, her face paling as she looked at something behind him. Justin jumped around to see five patrollers in front of the car, pointing guns at him.
What the fuck? Justin popped the door to ask the question.
Five stun pistols trained on his face, and two pairs of hands hauled him out of the car. He found himself shoved face-first against its side, a stun gun digging into his ribs.
“What, sheltering from sandstorms is illegal now?” he ground out against the car.
“What are you doing?” Sybellie cried, having climbed out the other side.
The patrollers ignored her, which made Justin relax a little. They hadn’t come for her.
“Three witnesses watched you abduct this woman,” one of the patrollers said. “And I know we’ve had trouble with you before. You’re finished, Shareem.”
Cuffs bit into Justin’s wrists, but he clamped his mouth shut. Let them think what they wanted, let no one mention Sybellie’s name.
But Sybellie wasn’t a girl who sat quietly with folded hands. “What are you doing?” she repeated. “He was helping me.”
“He’s a Shareem, and a nuisance, ma’am,” a patroller said.
“He got me to safety. You leave him alone.”
“If he brought you in here, it wasn’t for safety. Did he touch you, ma’am? If so I can terminate him right here.”
“Terminate him?”
“It’s the death penalty for a Shareem to touch a woman without permission,” the patroller said. She was a big, muscular woman, with none of Deanna’s softness. “This one’s already wanted for violating restrictions. You can file your report against him down at the station, or from home. It’s up to you.”
“File my report . . .”
Justin lifted his head and glared at Sybellie. “Get out of here. Go. Get away from me—”
The patrollers banged his face into the car. Justin grunted, tasting blood.
“Stop that!” Sybellie shouted. “Do you know who my mother is?”
They didn’t care. Patrollers were ruled by the whims of the rich, but not when they were arresting someone who so obviously—to them—deserved to be arrested.
“Get the hell out of here!” Justin yelled at her. She couldn’t let her name be associated with his, not for a second.
He heard the thrum of stun guns, then heat sliced through his side. As blackness swam at him, he heard his own voice still begging Sybellie to go. He saw her reach for him, and he smiled at her, his daughter, so beautiful.
“Good-bye,” he said softly before he felt the bite of a second stun burst.
*** *** ***
Deanna gazed through the thick plasti-glass of the cell at Justin, who was sprawled facedown on the floor. They’d taken his clothes, and only a thin cloth around his waist protected his privates. It had fallen forward as he lay, baring his firm, smooth ass.
“Oh, Justin.”
Deanna put her hand on the glass, as she’d done when she’d first seen him in a cell, when he’d regarded her with Shareem-blue eyes full of anger.
He’d been worried sick that she’d find out about his daughter. She understood that now. From the look of things, he’d been worried sick about Sybellie this time too, which was why they’d kicked and stunned him.
“I can’t believe you’re vouching for him, Deanna.”
One of the arresting patrollers, a large woman called Vrina, stopped outside the cell, folding her muscular arms.
Deanna and Vrina had never had any conflict, but they’d never been friends, either. Vrina liked to walk around the docks harassing off-worlders in her spare time, while Deanna preferred to go home and read books to her mother.
Deanna shrugged, not explaining. Keeping Justin from termination had been tricky, and had needed Deanna’s official word that the Shareem worked exclusively for her now, with a backup statement from Brianne verifying this.
Katarina, the medic, told the patrollers that she’d shot Justin full of so many neutralizing drugs—at Deanna’s request—that he couldn’t possibly have gotten his cock up to do anything to the young woman in the car. Katarina had even provided documentation.
The three women were careful to not mention Sybellie’s name, and Deanna had forbidden her to come down to the patrol station.
Deanna had wanted to kiss Katarina and Brianne. Katarina had dummied up documents on the fly, and Brianne had serenely explained to the judge that she’d sent Justin to the Vistara on an errand, thinking that since Justin had been released last time at her request, she had the right to do that.
Justin had been granted a stay of execution, but for the last time, the judge had said severely to the three women. “Keep your pet Shareem at home where he belongs,” she’d finished and thrown them out of the courtroom in disgust.
Vrina looked at Justin on the floor and shrugged. “I don’t know what you see in him. He’s too hefty. I like my men to be smaller than me.”
So she could bully them, she meant. Deanna kept herself from rolling her eyes and said, “I like him the way he is.”
“Whatever.” Vrina pushed some buttons on her handheld. “Take him out of here. If someone finds him on the Vistara again, though, he’ll be terminated on sight.”
A square in the cell wall slid back, and Deanna walked in and fell to her knees beside Justin.
Justin woke from a wonderful dream of being wrapped around Deanna to find her here, next to him, her pheromones touching him. He was on the floor, mostly naked, and she had her arms around him.
Nice.
He jumped all the way awake, and groaned. Waking brought pain.
“Deanna? What the fuck are you doing here?”
“It’s nice to see you too. I came back when Brianne sent word you were in trouble again. Now I’m taking you home.”
“Shit.”
“You can stay in here if you want,” she said.
“Bite me.” Justin couldn’t help grinning at her, despite his fears. “But in a good place.” She looked beautiful in whatever complicated silk garment she was wearing, her lovely face framed by gauzy veils.
“Shut up, Justin. Can you walk?”
“Out of this place? I damn well can.”
He had to lean on her, though, as Deanna took him out through the door and down the cell block.
They’d confiscated his clothes, but Deanna had brought a tunic and sun-blocking robe for him, sweet thing. He pulled them on, groaning at his sore muscles, but sore muscles would be a small price to pay. He was leaving the detention block with Deanna, instead of being marched to the termination chamber.
Not until they were checked out of the facility and back on the scalding street did Justin voice his worry.
“Sybellie?” he asked softly.
“Is fine.” Deanna squeezed his arm. “You idiot. We kept her out of it, but she wants to see you.”
“Where is she?” Justin asked.
“She’s waiting at my house.”
Justin stopped. “No. Shit. I don’t want her to see me like this, not when I’ve been in a cage for three days like some animal.”
“We can stop at your place and let you clean up.” Deanna squeezed his
arm again. “Gods, Justin, I was so scared. Why did you—?”
“Long story.”
“I want to hear every word of it.”
Justin smiled down at her. He was exhausted, hurting, and still worried, but his happiness at seeing Deanna was rendering all that irrelevant.
“Your mom?”
“Is fine.” Deanna stopped on the street, a quiet turning that would take them to Justin’s apartment. “She’s really fine. She’s still on Ariel with Reda, but she’s going shopping and out to dinner . . .” Deanna trailed off, tears wetting her cheeks.
Justin wiped away one of the tears, kissing it from his fingertip. “I’m glad.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Justin.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.” Justin gathered Deanna to him, despite them being in the street, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’d do anything for you, Deanna. Anything. And then I’d do it all over again.”
*** *** ***
Sybellie looked horrified when Justin walked into Deanna’s apartment, Justin with his face bruised and lined with weariness. But, Deanna saw with satisfaction, Sybellie’s horror was concern for Justin, not disgust that her father had been taken in like a criminal.
The three of them talked for a long time, Deanna telling them about her mother’s treatment on Ariel, Sybellie and Justin filling her in on how Justin had finally approached Sybellie on the campus.
“I’m glad he did,” Sybellie said, resting an affectionate hand on Justin’s arm. “I feel silly now that I was afraid to meet him.”
“It was a big step,” Deanna said.
“It was.” Sybellie drew a breath. “But I’ve taken it. Now I want to meet my mother.”
Deanna nodded. “I’ll arrange it.”
Justin shot her a look of surprise, then nodded in understanding. Lillian had stated that she didn’t want to see her daughter, but Deanna had the feeling that if Lillian met Sybellie, she’d fall in love with the girl and be glad she’d met her. It was worth a shot.
They talked more, Deanna’s heart growing warmer as time wore on. The three of them were getting to know each other, sharing lives. When Deanna’s mother got back, they’d share more. Kayla would like Justin—she already did.
Deanna’s only fear now was that Justin, having found Lillian and met Sybellie, would want to leave Bor Narga. There was nothing to keep him here, and he had enough money to pay a transport captain to sneak him off planet without anyone being the wiser. Sybellie could travel to see him anytime she wished—there were no off-planet restrictions on her.
When Sybellie decided she’d better go home, Justin stood with her and pulled her into his arms.
“You are so beautiful, Syb. Thank you.”
“For what? Deanna got you out of jail.”
“For wanting to see me.”
Sybellie hugged him in return. “Why shouldn’t I want to see you? You’re my dad.” And she was gone, off in her private transport back to her cushy home on the Vistara.
Justin watched her hovercar disappear into the streets, a strange, intense look on his face. He swung around to face Deanna, hands curling to fists. “Deanna . . .”
“Justin?”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and propelled her back inside, pushing her through the apartment block and into her empty flat.
As the door closed on them, Deanna swung around. “Justin? Are you all right?”
He growled and came at her. The silks she’d bought on Ariel tore from her body, and then Justin’s mouth was on her skin. He kissed her throat, neck, breasts—frantically, as though fearing he’d never have the chance again. Then he raised his head, his eyes as blue as Ariel’s shimmering lakes.
Justin swept her, naked, into his arms and nearly ran with her into her bedroom. It took him less than ten seconds to rip off his tunic and leggings, and then he came down to the bed with her, ready for her as soon as they both hit the mattress.
“I missed you,” he said. No whispering, no teasing, just a clear statement in a plain voice. “I’ll never let you leave without me again, Deanna. Never.”
“I’ll stay,” she said breathlessly. “I’ll stay. I missed you so much.”
“Deanna . . .”
Justin closed his eyes, his body taking over. No level-two games, no laughing play—only Justin and Deanna, man and woman, meeting body to body.
Deanna opened herself to him, Justin’s large cock finding all the spaces inside her and filling them up. But her orgasm was coming, too soon, too soon.
“I love you, Justin!” Her vision narrowed to nothing but Justin’s face, his hot blue eyes, his sun-dark skin, his beautiful mouth. “I love you.”
“Deanna.” Justin skimmed his fingers over her face, his gaze fixed on her and her alone. “I love you. I love you, my beautiful, sweet, wicked little patroller. I looovvve . . .”
The word dragged out then was lost in the sounds of his coming.
“I love you,” he whispered as he wound down, then he was kissing her, the warm kisses of after-loving. “I love you.”
Deanna touched his face, her heart full, and pulled him down for a long and wonderful kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“So,” Rees said to Justin in Judith’s bar the next day. “Ready to start again?”
“I’m not in a big hurry.” Justin looked across the room to where Deanna and Katarina were discussing in detail with Brianne, Talan, and Elisa everything they’d done on Ariel. “But yeah. As long as I can take Deanna with me, as long as Sybellie can visit, I’m good with wherever you want to go.”
“Good.” Rees sipped ale with an air of relief. “I’m glad for you, actually. You were messed up. Now all we need is Mitch.”
“Who is where?”
Rees shrugged. “Who the hell knows? He comes and goes. Judith doesn’t know where he went, which is pissing her off.”
They both glanced at Judith, who was wiping the top of her bar and scowling at it. When Braden thunked his elbows on the counter and gave her a wink, she swatted him with the cloth and snapped at him to get his damn arms off her clean bar.
“Hope she doesn’t implode,” Justin said.
“Used to be, she’d relieve her loneliness and horniness with Shareem,” Rees said. “Now she’s promised to be exclusive to Mitch, and he doesn’t keep her in the loop. That’s going to be interesting.”
“One way of putting it.” Justin’s body relaxed of its own accord, which told him that Deanna was coming to him. He could always sense her now.
“Walk me home?” Deanna asked. “I want to fix up the place before my mom gets back. I bought some new pictures and a couple pieces of furniture on Ariel. That is, Katarina bought them for me and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She’s very generous.”
“All the Shareem’s ladies are generous,” Rees said, opening his arm to scoop in Talan, who’d walked over with Deanna.
“We have to be,” Talan said. “To put up with you.”
Rees rumbled something and then ceased to be interested in Justin.
Justin got out of his seat and took Deanna’s hand, steering her away from the table. “I have something to show you before we go to your apartment. To celebrate us becoming lifemates.”
Deanna blinked. “Lifemates? When did you ask me to be your lifemate?”
Justin looked around at his friends, who’d heard, and who were now watching with interest. “I’m asking you now. Will you be?”
Deanna’s lips were parted, pink moisture behind them. Justin could lean down and take that open mouth, but he wanted her answer.
She smiled suddenly, and the cold inside him fled. “Yes.”
“Hot damn!” Braden said from the bar, and the others cheered or applauded. “Better get more beer, Judith.”
“Sure thing.” Judith grinned, her sour look gone. “I’ll put it on your tab, Braden. Congratulations, Justin. Your beer and Deanna’s are on me.”
“Can’t stop. Have something we need to do.” Justin laced hi
s arm around Deanna, pulling her to his side. “See you all.”
“What?” Deanna asked as Justin half-dragged her out the door with him. “Why can’t we stop?”
“I have to show you my surprise.”
Justin wanted to run down the street, maybe with a few back flips to show his happiness, but he made himself walk calmly. They didn’t need the attention of the patrollers right now.
But he wanted to shout to the world that he was in love, that the woman by his side had agreed to be his lifemate. The roasting Bor Nargan sun had never seemed so gentle, the dusty streets never so dazzling with color.
Deanna was a little dizzy with happiness herself. The sun glaring down didn’t help, so she felt lightheaded by the time they stopped on a back street in front of a dingy warehouse door.
“What are we doing here?” she asked.
Justin took out a keycard, opened the door, and guided Deanna inside. The door shut behind them, and he led her down a dim, sand-gritty hall to a door at the far end, which opened at his command.
“Oh,” Deanna said as she walked through.
Another world opened before her. She found herself inside a lush green maze filled with heady-smelling flowers, fountains, and hidden waterfalls, the plants stirred by breezes under the mist-disguised ceiling.
“What is this place?” she asked in wonder.
“Calder’s dungeon.”
Dungeon? Justin led her through too quickly for Deanna to pause for the beauty she found around every corner, but this didn’t look like a dungeon to her. Calder had created a garden paradise.
At the end of the maze, another door led into a huge, darkened room, in the middle of which reposed a bed on a platform. The bed was dressed in scarlet satin, and a single red rose waited in its exact center.
“Justin, this is lovely. You’d never know all this was in here.”
“Calder is the master of the secretive. I convinced him to let us use it to enjoy ourselves a while. I thought it would be more comfortable than my pint-sized bedroom.”
“Or mine.” Deanna opened her arms and spun around. The walls were dark, the air freshly scented, the ceiling shimmering with pinprick lights like stars. “It’s gorgeous.”
Tales of the Shareem, Volume 2 Page 52
