Marked for Danger [Marked 3]

by Jennifer Leeland

  The liquor was warm, burning his throat as he tossed it back. He hadn't always been a mercenary. Ugly memories skirted the edges of his mind, and he shoved them away impatiently. Focus. He needed to focus.

  Maybe it was the sexual encounter with that Nyral female that had started him thinking about his life on his home planet before he'd become an “acquisitions expert.” He remembered how he'd tried to fit in by desperately trying to be “normal.” It was all an act and didn't work anyway, all because of his last name. No amount of success in school, none of the misguided bids for popularity blotted out the fact that his father was Anton Ivanovich. He'd tried to join the military but was rejected because of his father. When he'd been turned down by the military, he'd signed on as a tracker for Teran Five and changed his last name.

  Like a stack of dominoes, he saw how that had herded him down a dark and dangerous path. Yet in the midst of the horror that had followed him as a tracker, he'd held on to an ideal that had a human face. He shook his head. He didn't think about those times too much. But all of it led him to this bar, this moment.

  It could be another dead end. There'd been several in the weeks since Shaun had contacted him. But the trail led to the same person every time. Aron Kirkland and Finn Black had talked to one person just before they were taken, before they disappeared. A female assassin named Rina.

  The woman was like smoke, coming and going, leaving no trace of her presence. Descriptions of her were wildly varied. Some said she was blonde. Some said she had jet-black hair. Some noted her braids twisted in a particular fashion. Some said her hair was a long curtain. He couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone.

  One thing was certain: she was fucking dangerous. In her wake were murders, suicides, and destroyed lives. It was like she was the bringer of death to everyone she had contact with. He'd noted she didn't waste time killing for no reason. All her victims had victims of their own.

  Her calling card was only the absence of ego in her assassinations. Most Brotherhood assassins were caught because they grew greedy for attention, overconfident in their abilities. Rina never let down for a second.

  But Xandros was good at what he did, and he had discovered she would be in this bar tonight. Her team would meet and receive orders. The other nine were here, in the corner, an isolated group no one approached. They exuded their profession.

  Xandros was convinced Rina wouldn't be so heavy-handed.

  The doors opened, and a couple came in. The man headed for the bar. The woman, a slender brunette with perky curls, slid into one of the booths. When the man raised his hand for the bartender, Xandros said, “Your wife has a beautiful appau fur coat."

  The man blinked and stared at him. “My wife?” He glanced around. “I'm not married."

  "My mistake,” Xandros murmured and zeroed in on the brunette. Now there was a great disguise. A heart-shaped face framed by sweet brown curls, and most of her body hidden by a white animal fur coat. Unique.

  When her gaze met his, dark brown fawn's eyes stared back at him. The same eyes that had glazed over in pleasure when he took her at the club. Beneath that damn coat, he bet she had a burn, the beginnings of a mark he'd never intended to brand her with. Just as he had one on the inside of his thigh. A herwalk, a predator bird. Well, well, well. The great Rina was his little machinka.

  Two men stood, materializing from the corner of the bar, and Xandros's attention shifted to them. Shit! Teran Five goons. They were easy to recognize. Black suits? Check. Ridiculous sunglasses? Check. Nondescript features intended to be forgotten? Check. If they were this far out, then they were members of the Teran Interstellar Force, Teran Five's little project to police the universe. Swiftly, he tossed the remains of his drink on a large burly Graote sitting at the table in front of him.

  Graotes weren't fluent in Universal. They usually just charged. This one was no different. After flicking fluid from his huge, flat nose, the Graote turned its ugly bug eyes on him. Xandros, of course, pointed to the man next to him and the big, bad brute ran the poor man into the bar.

  Fights broke out, and in the melee, Xandros broke a bottle over the head of a Teran Five asshole before he managed to make his way to Rina. “Better come with me, machinka."

  She ducked a flying table and took his hand. The remaining Teran Five goon shoved patrons aside trying to reach them, but Xandros yanked her out the door and into the alley before he had a chance. His new prisoner tried to break free, but he wasn't going to allow that. “No, no. None of that. And you won't be kicking me in the balls again either."

  He dragged her into the alley away from the door and studied his captive. Her perky curls were in disarray, and the coat clearly impeded her ability to escape. He smiled and jerked her into his arms. In the darkness, he couldn't see the expression on her face, but he felt the pounding of her heart. It gave him fierce satisfaction that she was rattled, that her pulse pounded at his touch.

  "Did you wash my cum off right away? I'd like to think you left it there, the smell of me permeating your senses.” He loved the way her pulse leaped. Yes, she had waited to wash it off.

  They weren't going to get far with those TIF bastards on their tail. He stopped, flattening against the outside wall, and watched. She was still, waiting, watching, as he did. The two men blundered down the alley, and Xandros attacked.

  The black suit, the smug sunglasses, the perfect tie all enraged him, as they always did. Whenever he dealt with men like this, his detachment went out the window. The reasons were hidden in the dark recesses of his mind, but the results were satisfactory. The first man went down fast, and Xandros used the shockstick every one of these assholes carried. He jammed it into the man's belly and watched him twitch without feeling any mercy.

  Rina had dispatched the other one without too much trouble. Her hand gripped his arm, and he yanked the shockstick away. The man was still breathing. Unfortunately.

  She started to slip away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him.

  "Let me go, you fool,” she whispered fiercely. “My team—"

  "Your team disappeared as soon as those Teran Five spooks stood up. You saw them. Wake up, Rina. You're mine now.” The streak of possessiveness shocked him a bit. After all, she was a deadly assassin, probably wanted on a dozen or more planets. Not exactly the kind of girl he could take home to mother. If he had a mother. He glanced down at the two men on the ground.

  Sounds echoed in the alleyway, and Xandros strained to hear. No. No one was after them yet. He hustled her through the alley and down two more, putting distance between them and the incapacitated men.

  Silently, she struggled against his hold, but he was implacable. They reached a dark side street beside a busy factory, the muted sound of loud machinery vibrating from inside the building. Another reason to dislike this planet. The industrial businesses ran twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fouling the air and poisoning its workers. The noise covered any sounds of his struggle with Rina, though, so he was thankful. He should have cuffed her, demanded information from her. But when he turned to face her, he was struck by the soft curves of her face, the hot blast of her breath, and the scent of her arousal.

  He really couldn't help it when he slammed her against the wall of the factory and took possession of her sweet, deadly lips.

  Stars, she couldn't do this. Her team, regardless of what Xandros believed, would find and kill him. She had to get him away from this planet, from her. But his mouth felt so good, and the bruises he'd leave on her upper arms were badges of honor she wanted to bear.

  Lost for a moment, she let herself indulge, deepening the kiss, softening against him. Hadn't she always been this way for him?

  In that dark alley, when he tore his lips from hers, she sensed a battle within him. Hell, she remembered that battle. She'd seen it before. When she was sixteen...

  "How do you know whether I'm a virgin or not?” Carina raised her eyebrows at the handsome man on her porch. He'd caught her sneaking back
into her sister's house, and he had threatened to blow her quiet entrance.

  Being typically male though, he'd been easy to distract from his goal with a few flutters of Carina's lashes. But when she slipped closer to him, he had the nerve to say he didn't mess with virgins. The bastard.

  "Honey, it's written all over you,” he said. He had long, dark hair that splayed over his shoulders, and his blue eyes were clear, focused. Carina had thought her brother-in-law, Leo, was big, but Xandros was bigger. And meaner. “You're playing with dynamite, little girl. I think you need a lesson."

  She sidled closer, inhaling his male scent, reveling in the tension in his muscles. “I'd love to learn whatever you want to teach me."

  No one had affected her the way he did. His swagger, his grin, his huge hands combined to charm her and overwhelm her. Desire was a new thing, an experience she didn't want to pass up.

  His gaze fired with lust. For a moment, she thought she had him in the palm of her hand. But then, he gripped her arm and yanked her toward the picnic bench on the porch. In the darkness, he dropped her over his knees and walloped her ass. Fire of a different kind scorched her skin. Tears squeezed from her eyes, ruining her makeup. She stayed quiet, so only the sound of his hand striking her flesh cracked the silence.

  After two whacks, a throb worked its way over her butt, and a burning need began to scream between her legs. She shifted, trying to find relief. On the tenth strike, she came, an embarrassing wetness she hoped and prayed he couldn't feel or smell.

  He shoved her back on her feet and stood up to loom over her. “That's what little girls get when they're naughty."

  His expression said it all. He saw her as a child, a little sixteen-year-old brat without a brain. Heat flooded her cheeks, and she tightened her lips. “I hope you enjoyed yourself.” Her sneer didn't even faze him.

  He grinned. “I did.” The smile dropped away, and his large fingers lifted her chin. “Don't throw yourself at trash like me, Carina Tao. I'm not worth it."

  Then he melted into the night...

  With his harsh breath blowing against her forehead, she wondered if he still thought of himself as trash. Could he be any worse than a professional killer?

  That thought reminded her that to protect his sorry ass, she had to get away from him. But when her knee came up to incapacitate him, he was ready for her this time. He pinned her leg with his, and his body draped across her torso. “Tsk tsk. I told you. None of that. I'll have to punish you."

  She shivered, remembering his punishments. For a moment, he backed away, giving her an opening, and she took it. She turned to sprint, heedless of direction. Xandros gripped her coat, a stupid choice for a disguise since he used the collar to yank her back toward him. All she managed to do was free her arms from the coat before he caught her now bare arm with his implacable grip.

  He started to drag her into the darkness, unaffected by any of her efforts to free herself. Where the hell was he taking her?

  "Let me go."

  "Afraid I'll kiss you again?” He didn't slow down, but his hand tightened on her arm.

  Panic drove her insane, and she lashed out, all her training rising to assist her. But he countered every move. Though she forced him to release her arm, he trapped her against the building. His hands gripped her wrists, and he pressed his body against hers, his breath hot on her cheeks.

  "Fuck you.” She struggled to free herself and only succeeded in arousing her body. She'd heard rumors that the mate mark, even incomplete, changed a person's chemistry. It led the two Nyrals to want each other desperately. Proximity made it worse. She had to get away from him.

  He pinned her wrists with one large fist as his other hand ripped away her wig. “Oh, I intend to."

  Stunned, she froze and stared into his face. Did he mean that? So cold, so impersonal? He'd just insert tab A into slot B and call it fucking? “I didn't think rape was in your line."

  His lips thinned, and his eyes narrowed. “You want me. You wanted me before I partially marked you.” He pressed his lips against the red marks on her inner arm. She longed for her coat, discarded in the alley, to protect her from his erotic touch. His voice was low and gritty. “Completely unintentional but not regretted."

  "Get. Off. Me.” She heaved and tensed, trying to free herself.

  He pressed his lips to her ear and said in a sexy whisper, “Let me give you what you've always wanted."

  Tears gathered in her eyes, and she was terrified they'd fall. When he bent his head to slide his tongue along the burned flesh of her arm, she shuddered. Her nipples hardened, and she gritted her teeth, trying to resist the intense pleasure of his mouth on that mark. His hips pressed into hers, his cock hard against her clit.

  Suddenly she knew exactly what she wanted, what she'd wanted since she was sixteen. This might be the only time she'd be able to have Xandros. It would never happen again, and she was probably going to be killed. Why not give into the temptation she'd felt the first time he'd touched her on Shanie's porch?

  Deliberately, she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pressing her hips against his. His head jerked up, and he met her gaze. For a breathless moment, they were both still. A dull throb of the machinery's repetitive sounds vibrated the wall.

  Xandros didn't rush, even though he had her permission. His hands still gripped her wrists, and he nudged her head aside so he could bite her neck with an erotic sting. She whimpered and trembled, wondering if she could remain still beneath his touch.

  Slowly, he released her wrists, but when she started to move, he put them back over her head. His stern gaze told her to leave them there without his restraint. With firm insistence, he pressed down on her thighs, a silent order that she followed, instantly lowering her legs until her toes touched the concrete. She shuddered as their bodies met chest to chest and their breaths mingled. For a full minute, he stared into her face, both of them still.

  He ripped open his pants and undid hers, sliding them down her thighs, slowly, inexorably. His hands cupped her ass and squeezed her flesh so hard she knew there'd be marks there. When he lifted her legs, guiding them back around his waist, she had a moment of anxiety, but then his lips pounded hers, and she was lost in sensation. His tongue plundered her mouth, demanding, seeking.

  With one twist, he thrust his cock deep inside her, her back scraping the wall from the force. He growled against her lips, his frantic movements revealing how much he wanted her. She couldn't help it. Her hands twined in his hair, pressing him closer, reveling in his desire.

  The consequences were huge, but she didn't stop. She sought some sense of connection, something she hoped for, longed for in those lonely nights she'd spent numb and aching. With desperate hands, she reached for it, wanting something more than life had given her thus far.

  When she orgasmed, she shattered, the overwhelming thought only of him, his touch, his body. The consequences didn't even register, didn't matter. There, in that dark alley, she gave something she'd resisted ever since her sister's murder and the beginning of her undercover work in the Brotherhood.

  Her heart.

  Did it matter that Xandros was a shady pilot with a past? Did it matter that he was marking her for his own reasons, none of which had a fucking thing to do with feelings? No. All that mattered was her pulse pounded for a different reason than fear. All that mattered was that, for a moment at least, she belonged to someone.

  She angled her hips, taking him deeper, savoring him, needing him. He swore, a vicious sound of frustration and gripped her hair to yank her head back. He kissed her, not the cool, calculated dominance he'd begun with, but with a wild, feral intensity that sent her senses spinning.

  His tongue thrust inside her mouth as his cock slid back and forth inside her slick channel. The sound he made when he came was muffled by her mouth. The burning that followed was painful, excruciating. Just as she thought it would rob her of her pleasure, Xandros shifted his hips, and she tumbled over the edge. Her second clima
x rippled along her nerves, chasing the pain away.

  Heat, need, lust. She tasted them all. When she blinked her eyes open and raised her arm, she didn't know if she felt regret or not. Too late for it anyway. Reality crashed over her head. Marked. She should be appalled, terrified, something. Instead, the knots in her belly uncoiled, and a feeling of relief swamped her. Now she belonged to Xandros. Part of her rejoiced that she had connected to him in this deeply intimate way. The conflicting fear had very little power in this moment.

  Instead, she noted the details of her mark, the way the wings of the herwalk seemed poised for flight, its eyes mysterious and dangerous, the noble tilt of its head. It was beautiful.

  Xandros stared at her forearm, a satisfied gleam on his shadowed features. “Mine,” he whispered and ran his thumb along the fresh scar on her arm.

  He'd marked her. Made her his. Yet, everything she knew about him contradicted his action. It seemed...reckless. “Why?” she asked.

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  Chapter Four

  Xandros didn't want to answer her question any more than he wanted to pull away from her body and leave her alone. He didn't believe in the mark. It was just hormones, something in a Nyral's anatomy. There was no destiny or fate involved. He fucked her and marked her to trace her. Nothing more. The fact that he'd wanted her the minute he'd walked into that damn club was incidental. There was no ultimate universal plan.

  And that's how he answered her question. “Because now I can find you when I want you."

  She moved so fast he didn't have time to stop her. When she spun away, her demeanor was in disarray, her natural hair mussed from the wig, and her jaw clenched. “I should have known."

  He stepped toward her and handed her clothes to her. She took them cautiously, ready to lash out. Her gaze never left his while she yanked her clothes on.

  "Why did you let me mark you?” She could have stopped him. There had been that moment, the split second that he'd been vulnerable, when he'd released her arms. She could have killed him and ended his sexual hold over her. But she hadn't. Maybe she didn't believe in the mystical shit about mate marks either.