Pushing out into the fragrant air of the courtyard, Cato breathed deeply and shook his head. “I should’ve seen that coming.”
“Seen what?”
Swiveling around, he smiled at Cassie’s confused look. She patted him lightly on the arm. “I thought you did wonderfully, Cato. Those were excellent ideas. I’m still not sure if I should kick your ass for volunteering me and Lina, so I’m filing that away for another time. You’ve been warned.”
“Duly noted.” He chuckled. “Where’s your mate?”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “He’s over at the transport arguing with Maxim. Drusus and Lina gave up and headed to the clinic. Severus sent me to get you. Come on.”
Frowning, Cato followed her down the steps. “Why’s he arguing with Maxim?”
Cassie glanced over her shoulder. “The idiot won’t lay down. Severus thinks he’s broken his ribs, but the big guy is too damn macho to call uncle and lay the hell down. He can’t breathe when he sits up. Can’t mist either, so he’s hosed until we get him help. Maybe you can talk some damn sense into him.”
Sure enough, Maxim sat in the backseat with his beefy arms crossed and stared straight ahead as Severus shrugged and opened the door for Cassie.
“I give the hell up. Let’s just get him there. He’d rather die than admit I’m right.”
Cato hopped in the back of the transport and watched Maxim’s broad chest heaving up and down as he sucked in air. “What’s up, cuz?”
Maxim glanced over and scowled. “I’m fine. I’m not laying down like a child. If any of the other warriors saw me, I’d never hear the end of it. Just get me there so Kallon can patch me up.”
Severus engaged the engine and lit out of the docking port. Cato leaned back against the cushion and laughed. “You’re the most stubborn bastard I’ve ever met. If you can breathe, then tell us how the hell you injured yourself. You looked like shit when you drug your sorry ass in this morning.”
Maxim chuckled then winced. “Fuck!” He shifted and slid toward the window. “Okay, that’s better. If I pass out, hold me up. Okay, bro?” At Cato’s grunt, Maxim glanced over to him and grinned.
“That was the best dog fight I could’ve ever asked for. The warriors caught up with the trespassers and they were history in under ten minutes. Sorry bastards were running drugs. We obliterated everything, even the trucks. I came in and landed just before they torched the last one. Momma bird came back and started firing on us. They must’ve gone back to their home base and fitted up after we chased them off earlier. I would’ve definitely remembered seeing that rig hanging off their belly. I would’ve loved seeing their ugly mugs when the warriors disappeared right in front of them.” Maxim hesitated and reached out with his arm.
“Here, pull me up. It’s starting to feel weird again.”
Cato got him upright and held his arm as he adjusted. “That’s good. Thanks. Anyway, they hauled ass and I caught up quick. We dodged each other for over thirty minutes and I didn’t get hit once. Finally, they stopped trying to fight me since they were low on fuel. I only knew that because they had to land, or should I say crash. I thought they were toast. I called in the others to come turn the wreckage into molecules then landed to check out what was left. I was hoping to get the letters off the tail. I got surprised by a big bastard wielding a pipe as thick as my arm. I was trying to figure out how the hell he could’ve walked away from that mess, but he was wailing on me hard, so I just snapped his neck.” Cato wasn’t surprised by Cassie’s response.
“Good for you. The asshole deserved it.” Severus patted her on the knee and blew her a kiss.
Intrigued, Cato leaned forward. “So, where the hell did he come from if not from the wreckage?”
Grunting, Maxim slid back to the window. “I climbed up to the next ridge so I could flag in the squad and what do you know? I found the damn base camp. Dead dude must’ve been a scout. That was how he was able to sneak up on me. They had a pretty sweet setup. I’m talking barracks, towers, and headquarters all camouflaged like they were about to start their own Texas war, or something. They were making the stuff right there and transporting it out. Fucking squatters. They’ve been there for a while. I had to sit out the reckoning. It was quite a sight to park it on the hilltop and watch thirty pissed-off and hyped-up Insedi warriors obliterate the whole damn place. Nothing except a scorched spot now. I tagged it the Chinati Engagement so the guys can log it in the military records. Okay, I’m going to stop talking now. It feels like someone’s knifing me in the liver. We there yet?”
Severus’s calm voice drifted into the back. “Pulling up now, buddy. Hang in there.”
The transport engine hadn’t even stopped before Kallon’s face appeared at the window. He frowned at Maxim and motioned that he was about to slide the door open.
Cato pulled Maxim upright so he wouldn’t flip head over asshole to the ground. He got a few juicy curses and was surprised a fist didn’t connect with his jaw. Damn, Maxim must really be hurt.
Kallon’s voice filled the cab of the transport as soon as the door slid open. “Gods damn it, Maxim! I told you this morning to come here. Why did you wait so long? You probably punctured something, you idiot!”
Maxim’s face paled as he was lifted out of the vehicle and three assistants attempted to place him on a stretcher. He growled and pushed the hoover device away.
“Absolutely not! I’ll walk in or I’m going to punch something. Feel me?”
Kallon lowered his voice and growled back. “Fine, you prideful bastard! But after you get through those doors, you’ll listen to every gods damn instruction I give you, or I’ll knock your ass out. Feel me?
Maxim chuckled and nodded. “Oh, hey there! You hear that Cato? Doc’s a badass. I think I like him.”
Kallon snorted, slipped under Maxim’s arm, and held the big lug up while Cato slid under the other.
“I like you, too. Now shut the fuck up and save your energy. I’ll have you fixed up in no time.”
Cato shook his head when Maxim managed to get through the front doors, looked up and down the hallway to assure no one was around, then passed the hell out. Maxim at dead weight was like trying to hold up the gods damn transport. It wasn’t going to happen. Cato heard his own knees crack against the floor before he actually felt the pain. When that kicked in, he quickly decided a sideway roll was the only way to go. That, or shove Maxim the other way and crush the good doctor. Nope, he was going to need the miracle man to do some more patching. Couldn’t take out the quarterback. The last thing he heard was Drusus’s juicy “Fuck me” before everything went black.
Chapter 17
“Hey! You in there? Wake up.”
Cracking an eyelid open, Cato tried to focus on the blurry object hovering over his head. No luck. Groaning, he rolled to his side and tried to sit up. A big hand gently pushed him back to the bed.
“Whoa. Take it easy. Doc said you’d be a little woozy. He just pulled you out of stasis. Give yourself a few minutes. He’ll be right back.”
“That you, Maxim? You okay?” He opened his eyes and was happy to see everything coming back into focus.
Chuckling, Maxim drug a chair to the side of the bed and plopped down. “Hell, if I didn’t know you loved me, I do now. I broke both your kneecaps and caused you to shatter your orbital socket and you’re worried about me?”
Flopping to his back, Cato stared up at the ceiling. “Yes, you ass. Last I remembered, you were pretty messed up. I’ve never seen you pass out before. Even when you crashed your father’s transport. The gods damn bone was sticking out of your arm and you walked back home like it was no big deal. So yeah, I was a little worried this time.”
“Fair enough. I had three cracked ribs and one gradually sawing a chunk out of my lung. Doc fixed me up. I’m good. You took a little longer. Sorry. I told him to make you prettier, but I don’t think he listened.”
Cato snorted and rolled his head to the side. “Just so you know, dickhead. Next time I’m just
going to let go. You can fall on your fucked-up sense of pride. That shit’s so puffed up, you’ll have a cushy landing.”
The big lug had the decency to look embarrassed. “I hear yuh. That was stupid of me. I should’ve just crawled on the damn stretcher. I know that now. I’d gladly take the ribbing from the warriors before I’d ever hurt you again. I’m really sorry.”
Cato huffed out a breath and narrowed his eyes. “I should make you take cooking classes.”
Maxim’s booming laughter immediately cut the tension and brought everyone scurrying into the room.
After a round of gentle pats and sweet smiles from Cassie and Lina, he felt man enough to sit up. A few knuckle bumps from Drusus and Severus got him up on his feet. Kallon’s insistence on pointing a hot laser beam of a light into his eye just pissed him off. Soon, he got the all clear and was dressed and pacing like a caged beast in front of Luna’s room. He snagged the first staff that had the misfortune to walk by.
“Hey. Do me a favor. Can you tell me where Kallon…uh, Dr. Aceso is? I’ve sent out mind calls and he’s not responding.”
The guy nodded and tapped on his handheld. “He is in consultation with Dr. Tarri. They should be out soon.”
Frustrated, Cato ran his hand through his hair. “Can you tell me if Dr. Aceso has released the patient in 206 to leave? If he has, I’d like to get a hoover stretcher for transport.”
A few more taps on the handheld and the guy was nodding enthusiastically. “Yes. She has been cleared. I can assist if you like.” His eyes lit with interest and he kept glancing to Luna’s door.
Cato was sizing the guy up and trying to determine if he wanted him anywhere near his female, when he spotted Kallon pushing a hoover stretcher down the corridor. “Finally! Sorry. I’m good. Don’t need you. You’ve been very helpful.” The guy looked a little disappointed and left.
Kallon shook his head. “Losing our patience, Cato? I’d heard you were the epitome of calm. You take a mate and all of it oozes right out of your pores. I should do a study.”
Cato snorted. “Ha. Ha. Are we ready to get the hell out of here?”
Kallon pushed open the door to Luna’s room and gallantly gestured inside. “After you. I’ve turned my cases over to another doctor and will get to spend some quality time with your impatient ass. No pun intended.”
Cato barked out a laugh and felt his muscles relax. “Thanks. I needed that. I promise to slow my roll. I’m just nervous thinking about the moment she opens her eyes. I’ve got to get a grip or I’m going to freak her out.”
Kallon chuckled. “How does she get off so easy on the freaked out part? From the moment I met you, I’ve been an accomplice in a kidnapping, caught the tail end of an Occasio surge, took a rollercoaster ride in a helicopter, got shot at, witnessed a potential riot in Senate chambers, and almost got flattened by a patient. By now, I should be flapping my fingers against my lips and going, ‘buh, buh, buh.’ I think a reveal of your genetics should be a walk in the park.”
Cato laughed and clapped the physician on the back. “That’s it, doc. You continue to make me laugh and I might have to keep you around. No telling what I’ll get into next. You’ve been warned.”
Kallon shoved the stretcher next to the bed and sighed. “Ah, Cato. You got me all wrong. I never said I didn’t like it.”
* * * *
“I’m screwed up every time I step out of the vortex. It was early evening on Insedivertus when we left and the sun’s just coming up here. Doc, you want to work out with me? It’s the only thing that’ll keep you awake long enough to get yourself turned back around.”
Kallon eyeballed Maxim for a second then turned his attention back to Luna. He’d just released her from stasis and pulled the blanket up to her chin. He waved a small, thin device above her forehead and studied the screen of his handheld.
“I usually play a few rounds of chess, but I have a feeling you’d talk all the way through it, so maybe I’ll take you up on the offer.” Slipping the device in his pocket, he turned and put his hands on his hips. “Just one request and I’ll leave with you.”
Maxim’s eyebrows rose. “And that would be?”
“You can’t come near me with heavy weights or sharp objects.”
Maxim grinned. “Deal! So, how’s Luna? She good?”
Cato wanted to know the same thing. The trip back had worked out smoothly, so he was just waiting for the inevitable bad news that seemed to kick his ass immediately after the good. Could they have damaged her at any point? He’d always wondered how the vortex really handled molecule reformation. She looked so small and fragile lying in his king-sized bed. He’d hesitated for about a split second and almost took her to the guest bedroom when they arrived, yet his newly discovered barbarian side desperately wanted her to wake up in his bed.
Kallon smiled and started packing his black case. “She’s excellent. Few more hours and she should wake on her own.”
Trying to suppress the need to yell and fist-pump the air, Cato decided it would be best to sit down and act civilized. Kallon patted him on the shoulder before moving away to draw the shades.
“I’ve removed the catheter. Her bladder is empty, so no worries there. If she doesn’t wake in at least two hours or stays groggy for longer than an hour, call me and I’ll come right back. No need for us to hang around. One strange man should be enough to get her freak on.”
Cato grunted. “I hear you. Moment of truth, amici. I’ve waited so long, it doesn’t seem real.” He pulled his gaze away from Luna and glanced up at the two. “Thanks. For everything. Both of you.”
Moments later he was finally alone with his mate. Donk was fed and snoozing in the foyer. He’d walked into a beam of sunlight and fell over like he’d died. The only sound now was the humming of the air conditioner and soft tick of the wall clock.
With no worries of nursing staff catching him in her room or someone trying to kill them, he felt the tension melt from his muscles. Leaning forward, he studied her face in the dimly lit room. Her lips were slightly parted and he could hear the soft pants of her breath. She really was a sleeping beauty. Should he kiss her like the Filia’s story? Why not? It might be the only chance he got. Kneeling next to the bed, Cato gently brushed his finger down her cheek.
“Forgive me for taking the liberty, sweetness, but I would regret it to my dying day if I didn’t taste your lips at least once.” Bending, he moved closer and inhaled her sweet scent before softly touching her lips with his own. They were like soft pillows. His barbarian side wanted to linger, yet the civilized man withdrew and sat back in the chair.
Kallon was right. His patience had gone on vacation the minute he’d heard her voice. He wanted her to wake and at the same time, he wanted the luxury of her oblivion to the truth of things. Minutes dragged by and he still wasn’t sure if he was ready. Stretching out his legs, he crossed his arms over his belly and released a resigned breath. “Catch a wave. That’s all I can do.”
Glancing to the nightstand, he ran his gaze over all the items he’d set to the side to prove he wasn’t a complete nut bag. A bottle of unopened water, his driver’s license, the police report, and her hospital records—check. He’d left her suitcase in his closet. The last thing he wanted her to do was think of leaving. Later, he would try to remember the exact moment he nodded off.
* * * *
“You move an inch and this thing is going in. Nod if you understand me.”
Cato gave a brief dip of his head and tried to suppress a smile. My mate’s a badass! Her breath would blow hot on the back of his neck, disappear, and then return. She was using him as a shield while assuring no one snuck up behind her. Smart. He glanced down and saw she had a ferocious grip on his Stanley Philips-head screwdriver and the tip was definitely lined up on his jugular. He suddenly remembered flinging her weapon of choice on top of the dresser last week after he fixed the wall socket. He made a mental note to start putting his tools away.
She wasn’t clueless either. Her
other hand was clamped in his hair and he wasn’t going anywhere. Gods! If his dick got excited by all of this, he’d gladly stab himself and save her the trouble. It wasn’t helping that her intoxicating scent was playing havoc on his willpower. He couldn’t help the shiver when her husky words slid across his ear.
“Is there anyone else here besides you?”
“No.”
“Who are you and where am I?”
“Cato Telarius and you’re in my home. Austin, Texas. Just on the edge of the city.” He heard a sharp intake of breath as the screwdriver drifted down his neck then immediately back into position.
“Do I know you?”
“Not really.”
“What does that mean?”
“I know you, but we’ve never met. Formally that is. Your name is Luna.”
“How do you know me?”
“Do you remember being attacked at the phone booth?”
He couldn’t help the tingles working up his spine when she tightened the grip on his hair and the screwdriver tip dented his skin. Her husky voice deepened even further and she hissed out the next question.
“What kind of game are you playing? Of course I remember the attack. Did you have something to do with that? What the hell is going on?”
Okay, this is getting serious. “Calm down, sweetness. I’ll explain everything.”
She yanked his head back and he stared at the ceiling in quiet wonder. Shit, she thinks I kidnapped her.
“I’m not your sweetness and I’m getting god damn tired of men telling me to calm down. I’m scared shitless and have a weapon at your throat. You better be glad I’m not on my period, too. I would’ve just stabbed you and started looking for some chocolate. Unless you start explaining, the only way I’m going to calm down is if you’re the one bleeding and I’m twenty miles the fuck away from here.”
Ah hell! I am so in love with this woman. “Fair enough. I was at the hospital when they brought you in.” That’s not a lie. I was technically in the ambulance with you, but let’s not split hairs. “You’d been beaten and no one knew who you were. It pissed me off that someone would do such a thing. I took an interest and decided to watch over you. I was there when your ass of a boyfriend showed up. He said his name was Bryan Foster. I didn’t like the looks of him. He was a total dick to everyone.” The grip on his hair let up a bit.
Fueled by Lust: Cato (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 14
