Four minutes into the mission, he discovered first-hand that Piper was a fantastic sidekick, but a lousy stakeout partner.
“I have to pee,” she said, her voice whiny.
“The alley’s right behind you. Have at it.”
“You’re going to make me go out there all by myself?” Her lips pouted. “What if a Gorinna cat tries to eat me?”
“Good gods.” Grumbling, he hitched his door open. There was barely enough room for him to squeeze from the vehicle. “Come on.”
Piper flitted out. She sent him a censorious look. “No peeking.”
“Don’t worry. You’re not my type.” Shuffling sideways, he reached the rear of the Cloud Chaser and parked his ass on the tail end. An oily puddle filled a pothole near his foot, reflecting the overhead security light.
“Now I can’t go.”
“Then get back in the vehicle.”
“I said I can’t go. Doesn’t mean I don’t still have to go. Maybe if you hummed real loud.”
He ground his fingers into his temples. “Why?”
“So you won’t hear me tinkle.”
“Good gods, would you just bloody do it?”
The Cloud Chaser rocked beneath Dash, jostling him and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Jumping from the tail, he whipped around. Four burly thugs fronted the hood of the vehicle. A lecherous grin stretched the mouth of the tallest. “We’ve got ourselves a pretty one.”
Dash suddenly remembered the blonde wig. He snatched it off. “Hate to disappoint you, but none of you are my type either.”
“He’s a fucking transgender.”
Perhaps taking the wig off hadn’t been the smoothest move. Wings brushed by Dash’s cheek and he caught a brief glimpse of Piper streaking past. “Hold on,” she shrieked. “I’ll bring backup.”
“Backup? We have no bloody backup!”
She sailed over the heads of the thugs and darted from the alley. When Dash realized she was heading in the direction of Zupellos—to Jerrick—his heart lurched. He’d handle the thugs. Jerrick needed to stay put and keep watch on Mara. Protect her.
“Get your tiny ass back here,” he bellowed.
Piper either didn’t hear his shout or chose to ignore it. The thugs paid the sprite no heed as their leader reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bat.
Dash grimaced. He’d envisioned all sorts of scenarios where this mission could go horribly wrong. None of them had included getting clubbed to death for wearing a fur-trimmed jumpsuit.
The leader’s mouth twisted in a menacing smile. “Get him, boys.”
~ * ~
“You’re not from around here.”
Mara resisted the temptation to shiver in revulsion when Ortis Baggins stroked his fat thumb down her arm. Instead, she picked up the Fairy Fire Ball he’d insisted on purchasing for her and took the barest of sips. She couldn’t afford to let any alcohol go to her head. Like Dash stated, people were less likely to do stupid things when their guard remained in the upright position. “I recently moved to the area.”
“Aren’t I the lucky bastard?” Baggins’ leer dipped to her breasts.
Ugh. Where’s a wire scrub brush when you need one? Feeling dirty, and not in a good Dash sort of way, Mara gulped and forced herself to take advantage of the perfect opening he’d provided. “Not yet. But the night’s still young.”
Baggins lifted his head and revealed a lewd grin. “My business is finished here. No reason we have to stay.”
Mara’s pulse drummed. Get a grip. She couldn’t let her nerves get the better of her this close to the finish line. Besides, Jerrick would be right behind her. Looking to reassure herself, she peeked towards the bar. He wasn’t there.
Panic squeezed Mara’s chest. She darted a desperate glance around the restaurant and spied a flash of black leather near the front entrance. A second later, Jerrick’s broad back disappeared from sight.
Where the hell is he going?
“Well, what do you say?”
Frowning, she returned her attention to Baggins. “Pardon?”
His fleshy lips parted as he leaned closer, and it took all her willpower not to jump away from him and his stale breath. “Care to join me for a cocktail back at my place?”
Oh crap. She couldn’t go anywhere until Jerrick returned. Damn it, what possessed him to go outside in the first place? Didn’t he know they were in the middle of a mission?
“Would you excuse me a sec?” Grabbing her coin purse, she gave Baggins an apologetic grin. Because she knew the bounty hunter’s eyes were trained on her, she sashayed towards the bathroom facilities with a seductive shimmy. It made her ill having to perform for the disgusting cretin, but she had to keep up the pretense. Once she reached the privacy of the bathroom, she locked the door and slumped against it.
“Oh gods.” She didn’t know what she’d do if Jerrick didn’t return within the next few minutes. Baggins wouldn’t wait forever.
Stalling for time, she walked to the sink and splattered water on her hands and arms. It didn’t completely remove the taint of Baggins’ touch, but it was better than nothing.
One minute stretched into two. She couldn’t put it off any longer or her quarry would lose interest. Wrestling her anxiety into submission, Mara opened the door. Baggins stood on the other side. She gaped at him, trying to find her tongue.
He pulled something from his pocket. The strange metallic object glinted as he palmed it. “Should have said yes. Less complicated and messy.”
She stared at him. “What?”
Rather than answer, he jammed the strange object against her shoulder. Excruciating pain ripped through Mara, right before her world went black.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dash watched two of the thugs climb on top of the Cloud Chaser’s hood. The other pair took the more logical approach and simply squeezed between the vehicle and the brick walls of the buildings on either side of it. He prided himself on being damn good with his fists, but he wasn’t a fool. The odds definitely didn’t favor him being the victor in this fight.
Backing up, he splashed through the oil-slicked puddle, scouting for a potential weapon. Nothing. “Oh bloody hell.”
Left with no alternative, Dash turned and loped towards the back intersection of the alley. The stupid platform boots were weights dragging beneath his feet. He hurtled over another puddle and almost lost his balance when he made jarring contact with the ground. The thugs sounded close—too close—behind him. Up ahead, the cross street taunted him with possible escape.
Something struck Dash between his shoulder blades and he went down hard. He didn’t know which hurt worse—the searing pain in his back, or his blasted kneecap. A foot landed on his side and kicked him over. Growling, he swung his leg up and slammed the platform boot into the gang leader’s groin. The man dropped to his knees, screaming.
One down, three to go.
Unfortunately, all three of them swooped on him at once. Jabs came from everywhere. He’d have to be a Mer’dacian octopus to fend them all off.
“Sonofabitch. I can’t leave you alone forty minutes without you getting pounded on.”
Dash caught a glimpse of Jerrick’s livid face when his brother yanked the nearest bruiser off him and crunched the heel of his hand into the man’s nose.
The addition of a new combatant caught the remaining two thugs off guard, giving Dash an edge. He swung his leg, introducing one of them to his boot in the same manner he’d given their leader. His eyes rolling back to reveal their corneas, the man grabbed his crotch and fell with a mute scream.
The final thug hurtled towards Dash. Jerrick scooped up the bat that lay discarded near the wall and practiced his swing on the man’s head. He crumpled, landing face first in the puddle of water.
Jerrick tossed the bat aside. “Mind explaining what you’re doing here?”
Wincing, Dash heaved himself up. “I could ask you the same thing.” Holding his side, he glared at his brother. �
�You’re supposed to be in there watching Mara.”
“She’s fine. Baggins is wrapped around her pinky.”
Dash’s aching jaw tightened. Hearing the news made him want to kill the bastard more. “Get your ass back in there. Now.”
“For someone who just got his balls out of the wringer, you’re sure damn ungrateful.”
“I’ll send you a bouquet of thank-you flowers later.”
Jerrick ignored his sarcasm and stalked down the alley. Probing his jaw, Dash determined it was still functional. He returned to the Cloud Chaser and found Piper waiting in the backseat.
“That was so cool.”
He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “Next time I tell you something, you damn well better listen.”
Piper’s expression turned sheepish. “Does this mean I’m not the bestest sidekick anymore?”
“No.” Starting up the ignition, Dash sped out of the alley. He pulled into the lot across the street and stopped next to the Air Racer.
“If you’d parked here to begin with, none of this would have—” Piper broke off with a squeak when Dash reached back and caged her in his fist.
Wings bristling against his palm, he tossed her outside and rolled up the window. She tapped on the glass, her voice muffled. Good, the last thing he wanted to hear was any more of her complaints.
Jerrick rounded the corner of Zupellos, his stride brisk as he headed towards the lot. A red haze of fury settled over Dash. Throwing his door open, he jumped out and met his brother halfway across the lot. “What the hell are you doing? Get back in there!”
The streetlamps suspended over the lot revealed the ashen pallor of Jerrick’s face. “Mara’s gone. And so is Baggins.”
Dash staggered like the ground had tilted beneath his feet. “What?”
“I looked everywhere for them. Even the kitchen and the back supply closet.”
A sour ball of fear congealed in Dash’s throat. “She wouldn’t leave with him without first ensuring you were right behind her.”
Jerrick remained quiet.
“Fuck.” Heart thudding, Dash raced back to the Cloud Chaser and jumped behind the wheel. Without waiting for his brother, he careened out of the lot.
~ * ~
Pain, dull and shadowy, dragged Mara from the dark void of unconsciousness. Moaning, she pried her eyes open and tried to make sense of her environment. Something hard pressed against her back, digging into her spine. She wiggled in an effort to ease the discomfort and discovered the bound state of her upper body.
Panic set in and she blinked, trying to chase away the fog clouding her vision. Images began shifting into focus. The rough, grainy texture of a seat back. A dome-shaped light. Baggins’ sneering face.
Baggins.
Mara’s mind raced back to Zupellos’ rear hallway and the agonizing burst of pain that had spread through her shoulder. “What did you do to me?”
He held up the metallic object he’d used on her earlier. Terror seized Mara and she jerked against her bindings. She realized her upper body wasn’t the only part of her trapped. Something secured her ankles to the bar beneath her feet. Escape seemed impossible, but she instinctually whipped her head around anyway, looking for any means that would get her far from Baggins. The fear escalated when she realized they were in the back end of a large vehicle.
“Relax, I’m not going to use the taser on you this time. I’m keeping you wide awake for what comes next.” Baggins’ voice was ripe with evil intent.
Mara stared into the cold depths of his eyes and knew with all certainty that he planned to rape her. Or worse. She needed to come up with a plan—fast. “Whatever happened to that cocktail you promised?” She licked her lips, stalling for time. “I sure could go for a stiff one right now.” The minute the words escaped her mouth, she bit back a groan. Ugh, I would have to say stiff one.
Anger hardened the harsh planes of Baggins’ face. “Stop the playacting, you stupid bitch.”
Taken aback by both his words and his fury, Mara blinked.
“Do you think fools make it far in my line of business?” Apparently the question was merely rhetorical, because he didn’t wait for her answer. “Finian Artronté tipped me off about Rhyder having a female with him. The second you accepted my offer of a drink, I put two and two together.” His gaze kindled with animosity. “Hot chicks like you usually don’t give me the time of day.”
Dread compressed Mara’s lungs in a painful squeeze. This wasn’t about rape—it was about Dash. And she had a bad feeling she’d suddenly gone from being the enticer to the worm dangling on the hook.
As if to verify her suspicion, Baggins reached out and tightened the bindings around her chest with a vicious yank. “Still, I’ll have to thank Rhyder for dropping such a luscious piece of tail into my lap.” Spittle fell from Baggins’ mouth and landed on Mara’s arm. “Maybe I’ll even give him a front-row seat when I fuck you. It’ll give him a nice memory once he’s rotting in hell.”
The image Baggins painted induced a wave of queasiness inside Mara. While she fought off the nausea, the bounty hunter hunkered to his knees and reached for a large steel container wedged against the vehicle’s wall. Flipping the lid up, he pulled out a small, oval-shaped wooden box and a micro-imaging processor.
What is it with this guy and taking pictures? Mara got her answer seconds later, when he trained the imager on her face and snapped off a couple shots.
“For my personal collection.” His chuckle made her skin crawl. He popped open the wooden box, revealing its contents.
Mara gaped at the white stone nestled against its tiny bed of velvet. Her pulse stuttered.
The Rhyann rune. She stared at Baggins when he stooped over her and nestled the rune box between her breasts.
He focused the imager on her again. “Rhyder thinks he can best me? This photo ought to convince him who’s the real master of the game.”
The imager emitted another pop of luminescence and Mara blinked.
“Damn, but you’ve got the sexiest mouth.” Baggins returned the device to the steel container before running his pudgy hands up her thigh. She jerked, but the bindings didn’t allow her to move far.
“Gets me to thinking of all the uses I can put it to.” Hot breath beat against Mara’s cheek when Baggins straddled her lap and reached for the fly of his trousers. “Don’t worry, this will be quick and painless. I’ll save the good stuff for when Rhyder has a prime view.”
This can’t be happening. Please gods, don’t let this be happening. Panting with fear, Mara squirmed against the bindings. She noticed the bulge in the bounty hunter’s jacket pocket, where the heavy weight of the taser rested. Damn it, I just wish I could get my hands on it.
Streams of light erupted around them, nearly blinding Mara. For a second, she thought the imager had accidentally gone off. Baggins jerked back, his head whipping around.
The absence of his weight canted Mara away from the seat and one of her hands dropped to her lap. Blinking, she stared at the freed hand. And the taser gripped inside it. “What the hell?”
Baggins turned back to her. When he spied the taser, his eyes went huge. He quickly recovered and lunged at her. Screeching, she jabbed the taser forward and it hit Baggins right in the groin. The look on his face was priceless. She might have laughed if she weren’t so damn scared and shocked. He fell backwards with a thunk, dead to the world.
Mara stared at his crotch. “Man, that’s going to hurt like a mother when he wakes up.” Not exactly certain how much time it would be before that happened, she freed her ankles and kicked off the bindings. The rune box tumbled to her lap and she stared at it. For the first time, she really paid attention to the red symbol carved into the stone’s surface. Wings—exactly like the ones that graced the horse the goddess Rhyann rode in the illustration.
Rhyann—the bestower of wishes.
The déjà vu she experienced in Avily’s shop came racing back with furious speed. One by one, the pieces started taking shape. �
��The crazy woman on the Sea Surfer, what did she say?” The words came to her through the murky depths of her conscious. Choose wisely, and the deepest wish you carry will come true. “Holy crap!”
Mara’s hands fumbled for the rune, nearly knocking it off her lap. She clutched it tight, her heart pounding. “I wish all this were done with and Gideon, Dash and I were forever free.”
Nothing. She tried again, uttering the words a little louder, just in case Rhyann hadn’t heard her so good the first time. Still nothing. Feeling slightly dejected, she tucked the rune back into its box. “Guess it only grants the single wish.” Not that she would complain. It’d certainly gotten her out of a close scrape with death.
She eyed Baggins’ inert body and shivered. “Thank you, Rhyann.” She lifted from the seat and hunkered over Baggins, dragging him towards the vehicle’s doors. After pressing the button to open the hatch, she hopped outside.
The vehicle was parked behind a screen of pines. Her heel sank into the spongy ground and she reached for the bounty hunter’s dangling arms. Anchoring her butt against a tree trunk, she heaved Baggins through the doorframe, twisting her body to give him room to land on the ground. His head banged into the rough bark of the tree. The sound gave her a certain satisfaction. Brushing off her hands, she surveyed his sprawled form. An idea came to her, making her smile, and she leaned over him.
“Don’t worry—this part will be quick and painless.”
~ * ~
Fear was a caged beast inside Dash’s chest. If anything happened to Mara, he’d never forgive himself.
He careened around the corner of the freeway, heading towards the country road leading to Baggins’ estate. Bright headlights shimmered in the rear viewing panel. Jerrick. His brother could flash him all he wanted. Nothing would deter him from getting to Mara.
Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Page 24
