Enemy Mine

by Karin Harlow

  “Cruz didn’t tell you we would be available in whatever capacity you require after the auction?”

  Selena looked at Nikko.

  Nikko’s cheeks reddened. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, we were busy and I didn’t get a chance.”

  Cassidy snorted. “I bet you were busy.”

  Selena grinned, enjoying Nikko’s discomfort. Little by little, she was glimpsing the man she’d fallen in love with in the amazing man he’d become. “I would accept any help you could spare.”

  “Let’s get Noslov in here, and once we can confirm the location of the cask, we’ll discuss the details of the auction.”

  A few minutes later, Nikko brought the Russian in and sat him down. The blindfold remained. “Comrade Noslov, my name is Mr. Black. I work for the United States government. It is my understanding you have knowledge of the location of a hijacked cask of reprocessed enriched uranium. Is that true?”

  “Yes.”

  “I would like you to give me the location. Specifically, the coordinates.”

  Noslov’s body tensed. “The cask is on an abandoned barge in the Aral Sea. For the exact coordinates, I want my son, alive, in my arms, tonight.”

  “If I give you what you ask for, I have another request of you.”

  “Request or demand?” the Russian sneered.

  “Perhaps a little of both.”

  “Vlad, Yuri is safe. I just spoke to the man, a friend of mine, who has him,” Selena reassured him.

  “I want him here!” Noslov shouted, emotion straining his voice. He was about to crack. They needed him focused.

  Selena looked at the blue screen, then touched Noslov’s knee. He flinched. “We want the man who kidnapped little Yuri. The man who would have cut him up and delivered him piece by piece to your wife. We need your help to get him.”

  “The same man you work for?” Noslov accused. “Why should I trust you now?”

  Selena exhaled. Why indeed. “I believed I was part of a righteous cause, comrade. I know now the man I trusted and followed blindly used me for his own personal agenda, not that of the greater good. With your help, we can put him out of business. Permanently.”

  “What do you want?”

  “We want the auction to go ahead as planned tonight,” Mr. Black said.

  “Why?” Noslov said, shaking his head, wanting none of it.

  “Because Balderama has reserved a seat at the auction. We want him and every other terrorist who sits down at that table.”

  The Russian paled, perspiration beading on his forehead. “If I refuse?”

  “Then I would have to insist,” Mr. Black said.

  Noslov deflated in the chair.

  “I will guarantee the safety of your family, comrade,” Mr. Black said. “A new life anywhere in the world you choose.”

  Noslov nodded, then straightened. He faced the blue screen. “I will do it. But only if I hold my son in my arms first.”

  Selena smiled. “I can have him here within the hour.”

  “Then arrange it, but not here,” Mr. Black said.

  Nikko led Noslov back to the media room. When Nikko returned, they got down to business.

  It was simple. The auction would go down as it had originally been planned. Upon arrival, each bidder would be led into the same specially rigged conference room. A room that once they entered they could not exit. They would be given instructions. As they made their bids and the monies transferred into a US government account, Nikko’s team would move in and, bada-bing-bada-boom, the terrorists would be taken into custody.

  “De la Roja, you need to touch base with Balderama and let him know you’re still with him on this. Don’t say you’re having second thoughts about Cruz. Perhaps apologize for even suggesting Los Cuatro deviate from the plan. We cannot have him back out of this now. He’s too dangerous to let slip through our fingers.”

  “I don’t have any reason to contact him,” Selena stated. “If I call to reassure him, he’ll know something’s up. I think we should allow him to proceed as he would normally. My only concern is the kidnapping of Yuri. He may suspect I had something to do with it.”

  “You’re going to have to convince him you didn’t.” Selena nodded. It wasn’t as if she had much of a choice.

  “There’s a Hilton a few miles from here. There’s a keycard to room 3071 in the middle desk drawer in the next room. Take Noslov there to meet his son,” Mr. Black instructed. “When you return, get some sleep. You’re going to need it. We’ll reconvene at twelve hundred hours.”

  Selena made the call to Joran. He was not amused. The sun would be up in a few hours. They didn’t have much time.

  Less than an hour later, Selena stood silently by while father and son reunited. Joran was not in attendance, which royally pissed her off. Instead he had sent his bulldog, Ramos. Selena made the decision to take Yuri back to the hacienda. He would be safe there and could spend more time with his father. Nikko agreed.

  It was heartbreaking to watch Yuri cling to his father and Noslov assure him he was safe. No one understood better than Selena the heartache a parent felt at such a moment. She looked up at Nikko, who watched her watch father and son. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. He brought it to his lips and kissed her. “We’ll be with Marisol soon,” he softly said.

  On their way back to the house, Noslov, still blindfolded, held little Yuri curled in his lap and gave them the coordinates. Nikko called them in to Mr. Black, along with the news they were bringing the boy back with them.

  Hours later, once everyone was settled, Nikko led Selena to the bedroom and bathroom assigned to him. He had not slept one night in the big bed, but was looking forward to sharing it with Selena. He turned on the showerheads in the shower and pulled her in, clothes and all. He did not undress her. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her. He knew she was hurting over losing her friend. He knew she missed Marisol, and he knew she was emotionally exhausted. He felt the same way. Part of him could not wait for the next few days to come and go, but a part of him feared one or both of them would not survive Paymon. Even with the stones, and he and Selena working together, Vetis had proven formidable. Paymon would be a completely different animal.

  Nikko smoothed back the hair plastered to her face and forehead and smiled down at her. His heart swelled with love. She was fearless, fierce, loving, and—his hands slid down the small of her back to the top swell of her righteous ass—sexy as hell.

  His body tightened. He wanted to make love to her, but he did not want to push. He grinned as he felt the devil between his legs rear against her belly. That part of him had no sensitivity to her fragile emotions.

  Droplets of water dotted her long lashes like tiny, sparkling diamonds. A mischievous smile twitched along her full, pouty lips. She pressed closer into him and ran her hands down his back to his ass. “We’re over-dressed,” she said, lifting up on her toes to kiss him.

  “Selena,” he said against her lips. “You don’t have to.

  Her eyes flashed. Pushing him back against the tile, she pulled her clothes from her body. Nikko’s cock lengthened. He would never get his fill of her magnificent body. Her skin was alabaster smooth with just a hint of cinnamon for spice. Long, lean, and curvy in all the right places, she could be the Playmate of the Month or Time’s Woman of the Year.

  He pulled his torn shirt off, then peeled his soaked trousers off, kicking them to the side. The best part about Selena’s body was, it was all his. He’d kill any man or woman who tried to take it from him.

  Three feet separated them. Neither one moved; they just stared at each other in anticipation. Nikko was literally salivating. He reached out to her. She reached out to him. Their fingers entwined. Slowly, Nikko pulled her into his arms. His lips lowered to hers. In a slow, sanguine kiss, he took her lips captive.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The stones around Selena’s neck flared against Nikko’s chest. He reached up and traced his fingers across them. Pulling his
lips from hers, he asked, “What do they want?”

  She wrapped her hand around his so that his hand held them. They pulsed with warmth. He looked at her in wonder. She smiled. “They are eager for a fight.”

  He felt the powerful thud of her heart against his palm. Her skin there flared with the same heat as the stones. “Is your heart like these?”

  “In a sense, yes. While not a true nanorian, our hearts heat with the power of a Prince of Hell. Singularly, Paymon’s heart has the power to control any nanorian, but not the combined power of all of them. One day, Marisol will understand the power she holds.”

  “I won’t stand a chance,” Nikko teased.

  Selena grinned a flirty grin. His heart melted. “As if you ever had a chance.”

  He shook his head and pushed her up against the tile. “You had me at hello, baby.”

  Selena’s eyes darkened. She reached up behind her neck and unclasped the necklace.

  “What are you doing?” he said, afraid she would be vulnerable to attack.

  “So long as I possess the necklace, their power is mine to command.” She pulled him closer and wrapped it around his neck, then hers, and fastened it. It flared. “Now, shut up and make love to me.”

  His blood blazed with such intensity it burned. His cock stiffened to the consistency of steel. He pushed her legs apart and, with no preamble, filled her to his root. Selena closed her eyes, pressing her head back against the wall, bringing him with her. “I love that,” she moaned.

  Nikko swelled more, if that was possible. Lightning bolts of desire shot through him. “God, Selena,” he hoarsely groaned, his rod throbbing inside her. Her liquid muscles clamped around him. He could feel every part of her. Slick, tight, demanding. Pulling him deeper. The intensity of the feelings nearly brought him to his knees. He pushed higher into her and she responded by arching into him. He pulled back, her muscles reluctant to release him. The erotic drag inside her pushed him to the edge. He thrust back into her. Every part of him sparked with fire, every cell of him pulsed, raw, aching. He thrust again. And again. The wild sensual whirlwind of bonding with his woman, the mother of his child, the woman he loved so intensely, caused a mist of heat to sting his eyes.

  She hung on to him, meeting his fervor with equal fervor. He came in a high, searing explosion of lightning strikes. Her body imprinted every inch of him. Her cries of passion stormed through him, pushing him higher, so high he became dizzy with sensation. Her body voraciously accepted his heavy burst of seed, milking him for more.

  Still inside her, Nikko carried her to the bed and laid her down on it. He wanted more. Could never get enough. He ground into her. Selena writhed beneath him, her nails digging into his back, her rushed cries for more fueling his insatiable need. He came again.

  Their bodies slick with sweat, their hearts pounded against each other’s while the stones flared red-hot, searing into their skins.

  Nikko collapsed on top of her, his chest heaving so furiously he could not breathe. Selena roused herself to unclasp the necklace so that he could move. He did not go far. He rolled onto his back and pulled her into his arms.

  His head spun. His nerve endings pulsed. His limbs felt as if they were filled with lead. Sliding her fingers into his hair, Selena slid against his slick body and kissed him. Her lips were tender, loving, grateful. She pulled back and smiled at him. He brushed the waves of damp hair from her face and his heart stumbled. Her dark eyes radiated love, and his eyes stung with tears for a second time. “What did I do to deserve you?” he whispered.

  “Hmm, just luck, I guess.” She kissed him again. “I love you, Nikko Cruz.”

  “I love you, Selena de la Roja.”

  Selena awoke to soft kisses traveling down her back. She smiled and moaned.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Nikko said against her right butt cheek.

  A sharp knock on the door jerked them both out of their lazy haze. “You two need to get out here,” Cassidy urgently said.

  Two minutes later, Selena and Nikko emerged dressed and hurried toward the great room.

  “A Joran is on the phone for you,” Cassidy said, looking at Selena, hitting the speaker button.

  Nervous tension skittered along Selena’s back. It was daylight. Joran calling now could bring nothing but bad news.

  “What’s wrong, Joran?” she asked, looking at Nikko and the assembled team.

  “Paymon asked me to give you a message.” Joran’s voice sounded forced.

  Selena gasped and looked at Nikko, who had paled a few shades.

  “He came to you?”

  There was a long pause. “He wants the necklace. He said if it is not delivered to the convent on St. Michael’s by this time tomorrow, he will take your sunshine away.”

  Nikko caught Selena in his arms as she crumpled to the floor.

  “Selena?” Joran said, his voice unsteady. “He told me he will take her apart inch by inch if you so much as think about defying him.”

  “I—did he say anything else?”

  “No, but—fuck it all to Hell. He—he’s going to kill me if I—”

  “What?” Selena cried. “Tell me.”

  “He’s possessed Balderama. Get that piece of shit and you’ll get Pay—”

  The line went dead. “Joran!” she screamed, coming to her feet. “Joran!” Silence. Selena looked up at Nikko and the team in shock. “I think Paymon just killed Joran!”

  “We’ll do a reverse on the number,” Cassidy said, “and get a location on him. I’m calling Marcus.”

  Nikko took Selena’s shaking body into his arms. “Listen to me, Selena. For now, Marisol is safe. The nun confirmed it.”

  Selena shook her head. “We have to go to her now!”

  He took her face into his hands and forced her to look at him. “Listen to me! He hasn’t done anything yet. And he won’t, not if we get him first.”

  “But he’s—” Selena shot to her feet. “Paymon has possessed Balderama to get the cask! He’ll be at the auction tonight!”

  “And we’ll get them both.”

  “You’re damn right we will!” She grabbed the phone. “I need to call Father Ken and make sure Marisol is all right.”

  Father Ken answered the phone on the first ring, his voice strained.

  “Father, it’s Selena.”

  “I was told to expect your call,” the affable priest said flatly.

  Her heart stopped. It was all she could do to ask the next question. Who’d told him? Paymon. “Tell me, is Marisol safe?”

  “She is unharmed.”

  “Is there someone there?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  Selena grabbed Nikko’s hand and squeezed so hard she thought she would break his fingers. “Listen to me. Keep her in the sanctuary, on the altar. Douse her with holy water and pray like you have never prayed before. And, Father? Do not let her out of your sight for one minute. I’m going to make everything right. Okay?”

  “I will do all that I can.”

  “Keep Marisol safe!”

  The line disconnected.

  Selena inhaled deeply, then looked at the assembled team. “When I’m done with Daddy dearest, he’s going to wish he never had a daughter.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The stage was set.

  Selena stood at the third-floor railing looking down onto the empty dance floor. Lost Souls was shut down to host the event of all events: the final showdown between the Prince of Hell and his daughter.

  Low lights glowed behind the bar and along the perimeter of the dance floor, giving the illusion of anonymity to those who entered. The tables stood empty, the chairs stacked on top, the low leather ottomans pushed against the wall. The place looked lost. Vacant. A shell of a once vibrant life. A dead host. And so it would remain. She would not open the doors again. Not as Lost Souls. When she walked out of this club later tonight, this chapter of her life would be closed. Forever.

  The stones around her throat vibrated power
fully. She smiled and fingered the empty setting she had fashioned just an hour earlier. It was larger than the others, a worthy seat for the crown jewel of all nanorians. Paymon’s black heart.

  Selena glided down the winding stairway, her hand sliding lightly along the metal railing down to the ground floor. Power and confidence infused her. Tonight she was untouchable.

  The place was wired for sound and video. Outside, a three-block radius was crawling with undercover operatives. All of Nikko’s team were wired with earpieces, as was Selena. In a room somewhere close by, Mr. Black was dialed in via video and audio feeds.

  Not only was Paymon going down tonight, but so were the five unfortunate bidders who were no doubt salivating in anticipation. Enriched uranium, the king of mass destruction, was within reach—for a price.

  Selena smiled and nodded to Nikko’s team, lined up in front of the bar. Cassidy looked hot in the black-andred Lost Souls cocktail uniform. Satch, Stone, and the vampire Cross, who’d showed at the last minute, looked every bit her security detail. Her gaze drifted past them to the double brass doors and the man dressed in a slick black-on-black suit who stood sentry at the entrance. Nikko. Her heart fluttered and her belly softly tumbled. It was game on, winner take all.

  I love you.

  He turned his cobalt-blue eyes on her and smiled. I love you.

  Selena inhaled deeply and nodded.

  The first limousine would arrive shortly. Then in twenty-minute intervals, the others would arrive, with Balderama coming in last. He had insisted on it. It served her purposes beautifully. As each bidder arrived, he would be escorted to a specially equipped conference room on the second floor, where Noslov would entertain them until they were all assembled, and then? At exactly midnight, the action would appear to commence, and, poof, their lives would forever be changed. Good riddance!

  Selena smiled inwardly. All except Señor. For him she had a very special surprise in her kill room.