by Sadie Carter
“Toriq! Toriq!”
“Come. Come with me, my mate. Come now!”
She screamed as she clenched down around him, her pussy pulsing as she fell over into bliss. He roared as he joined her.
He tucked her into his chest holding her close as her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. Even he was slightly breathless. She snuggled closer, loving the feel of his arms around her.
“I am all sweaty.”
“I don’t care,” she told him. “I like it. I enjoy being held by you.”
“Good.” He rested his chin on her head.
Now, this was coming home.
Chapter Fifteen
Sophie opened the door, unsurprised to see Rich standing on the other side. She’d been putting off talking to him, knowing she was going to have to let him down. There was no chance Toriq would let her go to Earth. She’d broached the idea of him coming with her, but he’d refused to even consider it. He didn’t want her traveling such a large distance while she was pregnant.
The truth was, she was glad he’d said no because she really didn’t want to return either. Once she returned, Maxwell would know about the baby. He’d have a claim to this child, and he might even be able to force her to remain on Earth. She wasn’t sure how that worked.
So she’d nodded and said she’d tell Rich at some stage.
Seemed the time had come.
Five days had passed since she and Toriq had made up. And boy, had those make-up sessions been intense. She’d barely come up for breath, although Toriq had been diligent in making certain that she ate and got plenty of rest.
No one had ever taken care of her like he had. Not even her sister.
“Saffron is here,” she warned Rich.
He grimaced but nodded, and she bit back a grin. Her sister seemed to have that effect on people, especially men, although Sophie had caught Moroco looking at her a few times when she wasn’t paying attention. She wouldn’t be surprised if the grouchy healer had a thing for her sister.
That would be an interesting match.
Maybe Saffron could get him to do something about those disgusting vitamin drinks he insisted she take.
“Don’t suppose she was just leaving?” Rich asked hopefully.
“I was not,” Saffron told him as they walked into the living area. “And if you think my sister is going back with you to Earth then you’re fucking insane.”
“Saffron.” Sophie frowned at her sister.
“What? He is insane, why would you go back there when that’s where the asshole is. He’d find out about the baby, he’d try something, you know he would.”
Yeah, she did. Still, she felt like she owed Rich something for everything he’d done for her.
“I would protect her,” Rich told Saffron with a frown. “I wouldn’t allow Maxwell close to her, and if everything goes according to my plans, he’ll soon be locked away for a long, long time.”
“As long as it goes to plan. Most things don’t in my experience. And you’d get so wrapped up in your own crusade, you wouldn’t even notice if a ten-eyed monster stole her for his harem.”
“You have got to stop watching horror movies,” Sophie told her.
Saffron just shrugged.
“I’m sorry, Rich, but Saffron is right. I can’t return to earth with you.”
“The big guy put his foot down, huh?”
Irritation stirred. She could make her own decisions. But Toriq’s refusal did make things easier on her. Her feelings of obligation towards Rich might have led her to say yes.
“I can’t go back. I can’t risk the baby. But I’ll do whatever I can to help you from here. I can testify via vid, right?”
Rich nodded and took a seat. “Yeah, it won’t have the same impact, but we can do it that way. It’s still legal. To be honest, I never really thought you would come. It will be safer for you to remain here.”
Well, that surprised her. Rich had been pretty single-minded in his quest to prove that High-Councillor Duncan was hiding something.
He looked tired for a moment, and she wondered what was going on. “Rich? Everything okay?”
He straightened. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be? My people have found what we need to take this bastard down. As soon as I get back to Earth, I’m going to get everything I ever wanted.”
“That’s great.”
“So when do you leave?” Saffron asked rudely.
Sophie glared at her.
“Tomorrow, I think.”
“Tomorrow?” Sophie was startled. “The Zerconians can arrange to leave that quickly?”
“I’m not waiting for them.” Rich stood. “That will take too long. Besides, this isn’t their fight.”
“But you’re family.”
He snorted. “We all know they barely tolerate me. If it wasn’t for my relationship with Annabel and Alice, I’d have been kicked off this planet a long time ago. No, this is something I have to do on my own. For my father.”
“You still think that Maxwell and his grandfather had him killed?” Sophie asked.
He nodded. “I may not be able to prove it, but if I can get them discredited and thrown in jail for other charges, then that will be satisfaction enough.”
Would it? She wasn’t so sure.
“I’ve already purchased a small ship.”
She stood when he did. “Rich?”
“Yes.”
“Be safe. And thank you for everything. If it wasn’t for you, I’d never have come here. And I’d never have met Toriq.”
He smiled, but there was a slightly bitter look to it. “You deserve to be happy, Sophie. If he doesn’t treat you well, you tell me.”
“Sure.” She was a little puzzled by his intensity but waved to him as he left.
As she turned back, she found Saffron right behind her. “I’ve got to go.”
“Um, okay.”
“He likes you, you know that right?”
“Who, Rich? We don’t know each other well, but I consider him a friend.”
“No, not like. Like like.”
What? “Saffron, you’re making no sense.”
“He wants to fuck you,” she said bluntly. “Anyway, Toriq is on his way, so I am out of here. I do not need to see the two of you getting all lovey-dovey. Makes me feel ill.”
Sophie rolled her eyes as her sister rushed past her. Toriq nodded to her as they passed. Then he moved up to the doorway and reached for Sophie, pulling her into his embrace.
“How are you, my mate?” he asked after kissing her.
“Pretty good now.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Saffron upset you?”
“Oh no. Rich was here. I told him I’m not going with him to Earth.”
“How did he take it?” He picked her up and carried her inside.
“All right. I don’t think he expected me to go. I hope he’ll be okay.”
“Rich can take care of himself.”
“I know. He just seemed a bit, I don’t know, sad.”
Toriq moved into the living area and sat on the couch and arranged her on his lap. “I have something to speak to you about.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“They found Maria.”
“What? Where? What did she have to say? Did she tell you why she did it? And why she framed me?”
“She can’t tell us anything. Her neck was broken.”
Holy shit. Sophie didn’t know how to feel about that. She was so angry at the other woman for trying to frame her and yet she hadn’t wanted her to die.
“Where was she found? How did she hide this whole time?”
“She washed up on some rocks on the beach.”
“You think someone killed her and threw her into the ocean? But who? Do you think she had help? Is there another spy?”
“I do not know. But Moroco thinks she was murdered recently. It looks like she may have been hiding somewhere, maybe someone was helping her, and they had a fight.”
“Wouldn’t it take
a lot of strength to snap someone’s neck?”
“It would be pretty difficult for another female to snap her neck like that.”
“But if it is someone who was helping her then they’d be human, and the only human male here is Rich. It wasn’t Rich.”
He was silent.
“Toriq, it wouldn’t be Rich. I know it wasn’t.”
Toriq nodded. “I believe so as well. And at the time Moroco estimates she was killed, Rich was in a meeting with Dex.”
Whew, why didn’t he just tell her that in first place?
“So who is it?”
“I do not know, my mate. But until we discover who it is, I do not want you going anywhere alone, understand me?”
“But I wouldn’t be in danger.” Would she? She placed her hand protectively over her stomach.
“I do not like that it was you who was targeted and we do not know why. So you will do as I order, understood?”
The commander was in full swing, and she nodded, feeling a shiver of fear cross her skin. She didn’t like this. Not at all.
***
“This is craziness. It’s like you’re under house arrest again!” Saffron raged, pacing back and forth across the living area.
Sophie watched her patiently. “It’s all right, Saff. Toriq is just protective. He’s worried about me.”
“We don’t know that Maria’s death had anything to do with you.”
“You think she just picked my name out of a hat to frame?”
“Maybe. She had three easy choices. Me, you, and Angela. She had access to all of our belongings to plant that recording device. Doesn’t mean that whoever killed her is coming after you.”
“But someone murdered her, Saffron. And we have no idea who.”
“I don’t get it. Did one of the Zerconians kill her?” Saffron sat, looking confused.
“I can’t see any of them killing a woman.”
“One of the Joyadans then?”
She shrugged. “How did you get here anyway?”
“Ah, I walked.” Saffron gave her a funny look. “That baby frying your brain?”
Sophie stuck her tongue out at her. “He moved last night.” Toriq had been so thrilled. Well, at first he’d been horrified because the first movement came when he was in the middle of fucking her. After she’d reassured him that what they’d been doing hadn’t disturbed the baby, he’d been overjoyed. She’d had to lie still until the baby moved again so he could feel it. She would never forget the look of wonder on his face. He might appear a stern, unfeeling warrior to the rest of the world. But in here, with her, he was her protector, her lover.
Her commander.
“Ick, you’ve got that look on your face.” Saffron made a face like she’d tasted something bad.
“What look?” Sophie asked, startled.
“That lovey-dovey look that means you’re thinking about Toriq. This is my cue to leave.”
“Did Moroco walk you here?” she asked her sister as she pushed herself off the chair.
“No. Why would he?”
“Because he’s your minder.”
“A minder? Like I’m a damn child. I don’t need a frickin’ minder.”
“Saffron, all the women have a minder until we figure out who murdered Maria. You were assigned Moroco, and you know you’re not supposed to go anywhere without him.”
“This is ridiculous. There were murders all the time where we lived on Earth, and I walked around on my own just fine.”
“You know there is hardly any crime here. The Zerconians are freaking out, and they’re just trying to protect us.”
Saffron crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not calling him.”
“Fine. Then I’ll walk you back.”
Saffron’s eyes narrowed. “Like you’re much protection.”
“Thanks very much, that’s what I get for being a caring sister?”
Her sister sighed, running her hand over her face. “Sorry. Just feeling stressed. And I don’t like that quack of a doctor. He’s a smart ass, he’s bossy, and he always thinks he’s right. He thinks he can lecture me about safety and taking care of myself. Gah, so annoying.”
Hmm, Sophie thought that sounded like someone else she knew.
“I’ll walk you back then Toriq can pick me up on his way home.” She would wait until she was at Saffron’s house to contact them. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
“You should just stay here, Soph. I’ll be fine.”
Sophie shook her head. “To be honest, I could really use the fresh air. Toriq has been so busy looking into this murder that he hasn’t been home much. The satellite going down the other day didn’t help much either; he didn’t come home that night until well after I was asleep.” Although he checked in with her constantly. Their mating bond was growing stronger each day, and she was figuring out how to control their link so she could communicate with him without him having access to her every thought.
“I’m surprised he doesn’t have anyone guarding you.”
“He wanted to. But they don’t know that I’m in any danger and everyone’s so busy keeping all the women protected, he couldn’t really spare anyone.”
“So he’s taken the commander role?”
“Yep.” Pride filled her. “He’ll make a good commander.” He still worried about turning into his father, but she knew he wasn’t his father. Toriq took every care with her, sometimes too much. It was only in the bedroom when he truly let go.
And boy, was she thankful for that.
“There is some state of the art alarm system installed here. Anyone tries to break in here, and this whole place goes into shutdown mode. Something about metal shutters and lasers, I lost track. All I know is if the alarm goes, I need to get into the bathroom. Apparently, it doubles as a panic room.”
“At least you’ll be able to pee during your panic,” Saffron told her with a grin.
“And that’s very important at the moment,” Sophie told her, rubbing her stomach as they walked down the path towards Saffron’s place. It was much quieter than usual; many of the women were staying inside, too scared to walk around or their minders were too busy to escort them.
Suddenly, uneasiness filled Sophie. “You know, I’m not sure this was a good idea. I think we should go back. I—”
Something grabbed her from behind, pulling her back into the shrubbery behind her. She didn’t have time to fight back. Panic filled her, making it difficult to breathe.
“Sophie!” Saffron screamed.
Something covered her mouth and then she felt a small prick on her neck.
Toriq!
Everything went black.
***
Toriq paused in the middle of his briefing, his body filling with terror.
Sophie!
“Toriq? Is all well?” Safan asked.
He raced out of the room. He was aware of the other warriors following him as he headed towards his house.
“Toriq! What is it?” Safan yelled.
“Sophie!” he screamed back, too filled with terror to say anything more. The fear in her voice when she’d yelled his name told him something was horribly wrong.
Sophie! Speak to me.
Nothing.
He increased his speed.
***
Saffron stared in horror at Maxwell who held a slumped Sophie against him. “What are you doing here, Maxwell? What did you do to her?”
“No time to chat,” he told her, raising the blaster he held.
Saffron gulped, taking a step back. No. No. “Don’t do this. I’ll go with you. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just don’t harm us.”
“But I have what I want. My wife and my baby.”
“She’s not your wife, and that’s not your baby,” she lied. “It’s Toriq’s.”
Maxwell’s eyes narrowed, his face going red and blotchy. Damn, how had she never noticed how ugly he was before?
“Lie! It’s mine. The timing is right. This baby is m
ine.”
“You won’t get away with this, her mate will find her.” She’d never been so thankful that Sophie was mated to Toriq. He wouldn’t stop until he found her.
“If he comes after her, then I’ll kill him too.”
She dived to the side just as he shot at her. Fiery pain engulfed her, robbing her of her breath. The agony was overwhelming, and just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, she slipped away into darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
“She’s not here. The alarm is not activated. There are no signs she was taken.” Safan turned to Toriq.
Toriq stared around his house. Where had she gone? Her scent still lingered, surrounding him in her warmth.
“Could she have gone to visit her sister?” Argus asked.
Toriq nodded. “I will head there. Safan and Largan with me. The rest of you spread out, work in pairs to search for her. Argus inform Dex and Koran what is going on and put everyone on lockdown.”
Sophie, I’m coming for you.
Still nothing.
He set out towards Saffron’s house, moving at a fast pace. Something up ahead caught his gaze. Was that feet?
He raced forward.
“Stars! It’s a woman!” Safan said.
Saffron.
His heart started beating again. Then he noticed how pale she was.
“Is she dead? Injured?” Safan asked, crouching beside him.
“She’s still breathing. Call Moroco.” Toriq ran his hands down her sides, concerned as he encountered blood. He ripped her clothing away. “She’s been shot.”
Had Sophie been with her when she’d been shot? Where was Sophie now then?
Sophie, can you hear me?
The silence that greeted him had terror gripping his insides. Where was she?
Saffron moaned, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Saffron? Saffron, can you hear me? It’s Toriq.”
“I do not think she is fully conscious,” Safan offered.
“Moroco is on his way,” Largan stated.
“No. Not that quack. Tell him to piss off,” Saffron muttered as Toriq pulled off his vest and balled it up to place it on her side.
“Saffron, it’s Toriq. Saffron, where is Sophie?”
“Sophie? Sophie?” Her eyes widened, horror filling them. “Maxwell. He was waiting for us. He grabbed her and injected her with something. Shot me. Where is she?” She reached up and grabbed his hand, her grip surprisingly strong. “You must find her.”
