His fingers dug into her hips, and he feasted on her flesh. When he sucked her erect nub, she splintered and screamed his name.
“That’s right, Fallon,” he murmured between decadent licks from her slit to her throbbing button of need. “Again. And again.”
He drove her to the brink and over it with his persistent tongue. Then, he thrust two fingers inside her wet channel. She convulsed, bathing his fingers with her cum. He hummed in approval and slid his fingers out of her pussy, but rimmed the tight hole of her ass. She squirmed, pleasure and pain mixed up.
One finger in her ass, then two, he stretched her, all the while lashing her clit with his tongue. Her body belonged to him, and she choked out yet another release. Exhausted, she was sure couldn’t do anymore.
Now, he loomed over her, two fingers in her ass. He thrust two fingers from his other hand in her needy pussy. He knelt between her legs and stared into her eyes. “Don’t look away, baby. I want to see you.”
It seemed impossible, but she exploded, her pussy walls and her tight ass squeezing his fingers.
“Stars, Fallon, you are so fucking beautiful,” he said, his voice harsh and grating. He removed his fingers and licked the cum from his hand.
Limp and sore, she shuddered and trembled. He gripped her hips and yanked her closer. She opened her legs and welcomed his hard length. One deep thrust claimed her and the next claimed him. In an age old rhythm, he drove her higher, his cock filling her, owning her.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her action slipped him deeper inside, and when her mouth brushed his, he flattened her on the floor. His hips were frantic, uncontrolled, and he called out her name over and over as he stroked her pussy.
“Come for me, Fallon. Do it,” he ordered.
As if she’d waited for his command, she bathed his cock with her wet release, every muscle strained, every nerve stretched. His answering shout lengthened her convulsions, and she thought she’d die. Her vision blurred, and her body careened out of control. She thrashed underneath him, her keening cry filling her ears and probably deafening him.
When the waves of pleasure subsided, she opened her eyes and found Matthew had collapsed on her chest panting. She stroked his hair and held him close. Hers. He belonged to her.
And she belonged to him.
She sighed. “I love you,” she told him.
He lifted his head and stretched up to kiss her. “I love you, too.”
“Are you still going to share me with Trista?” she asked him. Funny thing. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. One thing she knew about Matthew. The sexual adventure had only just begun.
“I would love to see you submit to her, on your knees, letting her fuck you in the ass with a dildo while I fucked your pussy.” He held her gaze, but it wasn’t her eyes that told him what she thought.
Helplessly, her pussy clenched at the word pictures he painted. Buried inside her, Matthew could feel her response to his suggestions. He chuckled. “I see you like the idea.”
“I didn’t think I would,” she admitted. “As long as you’re there.”
“I’ll always be there.”
She wrapped around him like a vine. “You’d better be.”
Chapter Eighteen
When Michael called on them later, Matthew still marveled at how easy it was to love Fallon. As a single man, he’d believed love only caused trouble. Even his parents had been an example of that. Love had caused his father to resign from Earth Central’s tribunal. Love had caused Adonis Pasquel to accept help from the Ang in which his DNA was altered, forever changing the future of Asberek.
Yet, loving Fallon had added so much. Now, he understood why his father had left the Tribunal, why Pasquel had accepted such a far-reaching mutation. For Fallon, he would do anything, risk anything.
Anything.
What Michael had to tell him made his blood run cold.
“We found an abandoned shuttle deep in the forest near the temple.” Michael’s dark gaze watched Fallon. “Apparently, The Star Gazer left behind at least four men.”
“Who? Do we know who?” Fallon gripped Matthew’s arm.
Michael shook his head. “Whoever it is, I think Todd Aster and Simon Boular were a distraction. We need to prepare for a bomb that could destroy the entire colony.”
“No,” Fallon whispered and collapsed in a chair. “Why? Why would they do that?”
“Because they believe your father, baby,” Matthew said gently. He turned his attention to Michael. “We’ve got a search started?”
Michael nodded. “The trail led to Old City and petered out.”
“Shit,” Matthew muttered. “They could be anywhere.”
“It’s worse than you think,” Michael told him.
Fallon’s head snapped up. “What?”
“We think they may have a Star Bomb on board.”
Matthew froze. A Star Bomb. Ang technology. It was an explosion so powerful that it ripped through the fabric of space. The three that he knew of had detonated and left a gravitational hole in space, sucking anything, any matter, into it. If it exploded on Asberek, it would decimate every iota of matter within a light year. The colony, Skybase, and the surrounding ships would all be crushed.
Fallon made a noise of distress and gripped Matthew’s hand. “We’ll stop it. I swear, Matthew. I’ll stop it somehow.”
He squeezed her hand. There was no way she was going anywhere near these maniacs.
“I want a manifest of the diplomatic entourage. Someone will stand out.”
“If we have the real manifest,” Michael said.
“Don’t be negative. Let’s get moving. They’re going to try and blackmail us first.”
Matthew was sure they’d want Pasquel. They seemed to believe that killing Pasquel would cripple the colony. They were wrong.
Michael was the new voice on the council. He and other Second Generationers were the real power now. But Earth Central continued to believe the one man who stood in their way was Adonis Pasquel. Matthew shook his head. Of course, if they destroyed all human beings, the planet would be free for new Earthlings, but a Star Bomb? Why would Earth Central want all of Asberek destroyed?
Matthew strapped on his blaster and shouldered his laser rifle. “House to house?” he asked Michael.
“Let’s go,” Michael nodded to Fallon. “Stay low and stay hidden.”
Matthew stared at her for a moment and then jerked her into his arms, his mouth plundering hers desperately. She sagged against him, and he was filled with satisfaction. He lifted his head and reveled in her swollen lips. “Please stay here, Fallon,” he said softly. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“But—”
He shook his head. “Promise.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m trained. I can help. I know these men—“
“Promise,” he insisted.
Expressions of reluctance, frustration and, finally, acceptance flitted across her face. “I promise.”
“It’s because you know them, Fallon. They’ll use you.” He stroked her cheek. “I love you too much to lose you.”
“And what about me?” she said hotly. “I don’t love you too much to lose you?”
“She’s got a point there,” Michael said with a grin.
“You shut up,” Matthew snapped. “Damn it, Fallon. I need you here, safe, out of the line of fire. I can’t do my job and protect you at the same time.”
“Why is it your job?” she said bitterly.
He shook his head. “If I have to explain it, you won’t understand.”
He sensed her complete withdrawal, and she said, “I see.”
“We have to go,” Michael stated.
Matthew didn’t want to leave it like this, but what else could he do? Despite her cool demeanor, Fallon still melted when he kissed her one more time. The bleak pinch of her eyes made his heart clench when he walked out the door.
The wide avenue down the center of the colony was line
d with soldiers from Skybase, and Michael strode over to a tall, broad shouldered man. “General Keanan, what’s the status?”
“We found two of the men dead,” the man told them. A cold fist closed over Matthew’s heart. What the hell was going on?
“What killed them?” Michael asked.
“Blaster fire. Close range. In the back,” the general snapped, his lip curled in disgust. “The men had their orders on them. They were hired by Earth Central to protect Fallon Denny. Now, they’re dead.”
Michael’s lips tightened. “We’re dealing with some infighting. Do we have ID on the other two?”
The general met Matthew’s gaze. “One is a Tribunal soldier. Adam Feckler. The other man is an older man. Zebediah Piller.”
“I know that name,” Matthew said.
“You should,” the general said. “He’s one of the men who stood with Fallon against her father when Mars was decimated.”
Matthew curled his hands into fists. This was all about revenge. Harbold Denny was exacting his revenge on anyone who betrayed him. Fallon, Zebediah, Todd Aster, they were all pawns in a high stakes game of war. The bastard had manipulated everyone. “So, why is the old man still alive? It’s pretty clear this Feckler is Harbold’s man.”
Michael gripped Matthew’s arm. “How close do you think Fallon is to this Zebediah?”
The vision of Fallon’s expression when she spoke to Zebediah when Matthew first met her came back to him. Yes, the old man was important to her. “You think they’ll try and reach her?”
“I think Harbold Denny wants his daughter dead.” Michael glanced at the general. “Keep up the search. We’ll get Fallon into protective custody.”
Matthew was already sprinting down the road toward his house. He had a horrible feeling that it was already too late.
He burst through the front door and found his worst nightmare. The computer chair was upended, and one of the lamps smashed. Fallon was gone.
His stomach twisted. Where the hell was she?
Chapter Nineteen
When Matthew left, Fallon paced the room. Of all the people on this planet, she understood her father the most. What was his strategy here? Disruption, certainly. Destruction, more than likely. But how?
She’d thought Simon’s stand was the threat. The encryption code hadn’t been easy to decipher. The threat had been real. But her father was far from simple, and his plans were often layered.
On Mars, he’d employed thugs hidden within the ranks of the diplomatic entourage. With these men, he created fear within the population. But that violence hadn’t been his only plan. When it didn’t suppress the Mars rebellion, he convinced Earth Central to use biological weapons. The devastation brought the colony to heel.
But her father had discovered that wasn’t going to work here. Randy’s death had shown him that the colonists were immune to the effects of biological warfare. Fallon had thought the bomb Simon armed, with its wide array for destruction, was the ultimate plan, but now, she wasn’t sure.
Clearly, the forgiveness and understanding her father had shown her after she’d spoken quietly against the Mars deaths was all a lie. He’d used her as a distraction, as a target. What would he use her for now?
The vid bell rang. Who could it be? When she checked the vid, she had to blink twice. “Zebediah?” Was he one of the men who obtained a shuttle and landed in secret on Asberek?
Obviously he was one of them.
“Fallon, darlin’, you’re in danger.” His watery blue eyes were bloodshot, and lines criss-crossed his face. “You need to come with me so we can get you off this planet.”
Her fingers hovered over the door panel. It could be a trick. But this was Zebediah! She might be able to accept the Simon Boular was a fanatical killer, but not Zebediah. When she pushed the button, she knew she’d made a mistake.
Zebediah wasn’t alone. Behind him was a blond man with a blaster in each hand and cold, gray eyes. “Don’t move, Ms. Denny,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “You have a little job to do. And you’d better do it, or the old man dies.”
She met Zebediah’s hopeless gaze. “Don’t worry, my old friend. Matthew will save us.”
Casually, and before she could protect herself, the man with the cold gaze pistol whipped her. The shock of it, followed by the pain, made her head spin. But she met his stare steadily. “How typical. It’s easy to hit someone with a blaster on them, isn’t it? It’s not like I can fight back.”
“You’re a traitor,” he spat.
She glared at him. “And you’re a killer.”
His smile was razor thin. “Keep that in mind. If your lover comes after you, I’ll cut you to ribbons and then make him kneel in your blood when I kill him.”
There was only one response to that. Even though it hurt her sore face, she grinned. “You’ll never get him to kneel for you, asshole.”
He raised the blaster again, and she tipped her chin. If he hit her again, she’d be unconscious, but it would be worth it. Instead, he stepped behind her and shoved her out the door. She stumbled, but Zebediah caught her arm.
The old man whispered, “Do what he says, Fallon. He murdered two other men in front of me when I refused to cooperate.” His fingers tightened on her skin. “He’s crazy. He didn’t just kill them. He mutilated them.”
“Trust my father to pick the psycho,” she said bitterly.
“Move.” The man prodded her with one of the blaster.
“Where are we going?” She glanced down the wide lane, but the man shoved her into a side alley.
“The Capitol, of course.”
Fallon tried to think while the man pushed her down the side streets and passed deserted buildings. Where the hell was everyone? Her head pounded from the strike she’d taken to the side of her face.
They reached the Capitol, and she noted no guards outside the door. A first. Something was up. The man didn’t know it, but Asberek had already anticipated him. He didn’t even hesitate, but jammed the blaster into her back and urged her through the doors.
The wide atrium seemed deserted, and the man stopped. “Here’s where we do a little play acting,” he said.
She glanced back at him. His gaze glittered and narrowed. “And you’d better play your part, Fallon Denny, or the old man will be sliced one limb at a time.” The whine of the blaster charge vibrated through the air. “I can keep him alive a long time.”
Her nostrils flared. “What do you want?”
He tossed her a small box. “You’re going to walk into the council chamber with that. Pasquel is in there with several other members. You’re going to be a vid star.”
“No bomb is going to stop them.” Fallon quickly searched the outside of the box for an encryption keyboard, anything.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” The man’s face was contorted and twisted. “It’s just a regular high impact bomb. Enough to destroy most of this traitorous colony and its human garbage.” He grinned, but it didn’t resemble anything like a humorous smile. “And everything will be transmitted by digital satellite.” He held up a remote.
Immediately, she realized her father’s ultimate plan. Destroy the council and use Fallon to do it. With Fallon as the bomber, all arguments for peace would be decimated. There was no program, no encrypted code. If she opened it, the bomb would go off. If she didn’t, it would go off on a scheduled time she couldn’t see.
Think, Fallon, think. Part of her realized there would be no saving Zebediah. The old man seemed to know it too. She met his gaze. “I’m sorry, Zeb.”
“Me, too, baby girl,” the old man said sadly.
“Get moving, Fallon,” the other man said.
Her mind replayed the second floor where the council chambers resided. What was there? Offices, a VFR, and a small infirmary specifically used by, and for, the council members.
A plan began to come together. The infirmary was directly connected to the chambers, so she could slip in there. It had a window that opened to
the outside and dropped two stories into a garden. How far did the bomb spread? Somehow, she knew it was going to be bad. There was no stopping this explosion.
The question was who was going down with her?
She broke into a run, ignoring the sounds of blaster fire behind her as the man who held her friend hostage realized she wasn’t going to play her part. Goodbye, Zebediah.
When she burst into the council chambers, Pasquel drew his weapon. She didn’t stop. “Get down,” she shouted. When she reached the infirmary, she threw herself through the window. Glass sliced through her skin, and she almost dropped the box when she landed on the stone walkway beneath the window.
Pain tore through her, and blood dripped down her face and arms. One of her legs had to be broken, but she pushed through the pain toward the one thing she knew would contain the damage. There was no way she’d be able to get away, but that had never been the plan. She was dead, no question, but no one else was going to die. Not if she could help it.
She headed for the small well in the center of the garden. It should be deep enough to dampen the effects of the bomb. For a second, her heart clenched. Matthew had shown her this well.
How she got to the edge, she didn’t know. With the last of her strength, she tossed the box into the well, praying the box would fall deep enough before it exploded. The two miles should be enough to stop the bomb from killing people. It seemed like silence had blanketed the garden, and she sobbed as she waited for the box to hit the bottom. It wouldn’t be long now.
Arms yanked her up, and she was tossed over Matthew’s shoulder. “No, Matthew,” she cried. He was going to die with her.
He sprinted, somehow able to put tremendous distance between them and the well. When the bomb went off, water, debris and rocks spewed everywhere. Glass exploded from the windows in the Capitol. Matthew stumbled, and they hit the ground.
When he covered her with his body, she screamed. “No, please,” she begged. He grunted when a pile of rocks and debris slammed into his back. “Matthew, no,” she whispered.
Deafening quiet filled the air. Fallon couldn’t see, because her eyes were crusted with dirt. Dust filled her nostrils, and shouts sounded. Matthew was lifted from her, and she tried to hang on. She wiped away the dirt from her eyes to see him, to make sure he was okay.
Commanded to Yield Page 13
