Hagen, Lynn and Glenn, Stormy - End of the Line [Lady Blue Crew 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Lynn Hagen, Stormy Glenn

  Curling his fingers around the handle, Blade jerked it open to find…a human? What the fuck? The guy was fast asleep with a bag clutched to his chest. Blade stared at him for a moment before closing the cupboard. His commander had to see this.

  Blade holstered the weapon as he walked out of his quarters, going on the hunt for Remy. He hadn’t a clue what to do with the human. It’s wasn’t like he had a lot of experience with them, but he knew they were mostly harmless and fragile. At least the guy hiding in his cupboard looked like he couldn’t kick a rock’s ass, let alone the Elite Force’s.

  “Hey, Remy. I need you in my quarters,” Blade called out when he spotted Remy coming up the stairs from the lower deck.

  The commander turned his head to look in Blade’s direction. “Not even on a good day would I be that hard up.”

  “Very funny,” Blade growled as he turned on his heel and headed back toward his quarters and the stowaway.

  “Fine, I’ll bite. What is it?” Remy asked as he joined Blade.

  “You have to see this,” he said as he stepped back into his quarters and pointed to the only cupboard that remained closed.

  “Cool, now if you’ll follow me, I can show you what a neat and clean room looks like.” Remy chuckled as he began to leave.

  “No, not my mess. The cupboard,” Blade whispered. He pointed toward the cupboard. “Go look.”

  Remy didn’t look impressed, but he walked across the room and pulled it open. Blade jumped back in shock as his commander growled and suddenly shifted into his third form. He was at least a foot taller now, resembling a werewolf walking on two legs. His nails were long and black, his snout extended. Blade stared at the strange little ears on Remy’s head. He was amazed at the way they twitched as his commander sniffed the air. What in the hell was going on here?

  Chapter 2

  Remy growled as the sweetest scent imaginable filled his senses. He didn’t know what it was, but he wanted it. He wanted to roll in it, lick it up, and fill his senses with it. And then he wanted to fuck it.

  “What the hell, man?”

  Remington growled as he spun around and crouched in front of the small figure hidden away in the cupboard. He flicked his claws and bared his teeth, warning the threat away. He knew the man who stood before him with a stunned expression on his face was a friend, but right now, Blade represented a threat to Remy’s territory.

  “Dude, you’ve lost your fucking mind!” Blade snapped as he backed away.

  Remy tilted his head back and roared as loud as he could. He would warn this threat to what was his away one last time. If that didn’t work, friend or no friend, Blade would die. Every instinct in Remy’s body was telling him to protect the little man in the cupboard.

  Remy frowned when Blade suddenly darted out of the room and the door slid closed with a soft whoosh. Logically, Remy knew what he was doing wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be threatening his friend.

  But logic didn’t play a part in how Remy felt at that moment. He turned around and squatted down on the floor next to the cupboard doors. He tilted his head slightly as he tried to fathom why he felt such a need to care for and protect the man sleeping before him.

  Remy’s clawed hand trembled as he slowly reached out to stroke the back of his knuckles along one pale cheek. Oh, so soft. Remy’s breath caught in his throat at how silky smooth the man’s skin felt. He had an urge to rub himself all over the little man.

  Overwhelming need swamped Remy. His cock ached with the desire to sink into the man’s delicate body. The agony of denying himself bordered on painful. It almost stripped away the last of Remy’s control.

  But taking the man meant waking him, and that just wouldn’t do. If the man was sleeping, he must need his sleep, and caring for the man came before caring for his own needs. The little angel’s needs must come first.

  Remy grabbed a blanket from the pile in the corner. He sniffed it, wrinkling his nose when Blade’s scent filled his senses. Well, that wouldn’t do. Remy wasn’t going to let someone else’s scent cover the man. He tossed the blanket away.

  He pulled his own shirt off over his head then carefully draped it over the small human. Once he was sufficiently covered, Remy sank down to the floor and leaned against the wall. He gently stroked his hand over the man’s sandy blond hair and waited for his angel to wake.

  “Um, hey, Remy, is everything okay?”

  Remy tensed, growling low in his throat when he heard someone speak from the doorway. He turned, baring his teeth at whoever dared to intrude. Crank quickly backed away, holding his hands up in a submissive gesture.

  “Hey, calm down, Remy,” Crank said. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Blade is freaking out, yelling about some stowaway in his room and you losing your mind.”

  “Mine!” Remy growled as he placed himself between the small human in the cupboard and his crew member standing in the doorway.

  “That’s cool, man, whatever.”

  Remy knew he was acting irrational. He just couldn’t seem to stop. The only thing that made sense in his fog-filled head was protecting the man hidden behind him. At least, it made sense to him—sort of.

  Once Crank backed out of the room, Remy turned back to his angel. His features were delicate and serene as he slept. The human looked like he could use a few extra pounds and a hot bath. Something Remy would gladly take care of.

  The little human yawned as his eyes fluttered open. He could see curiosity and then abject fear in the most beautiful golden eyes he’d ever seen. Remy waited with bated breath as the human pulled his bag to his chest and tried to push further back into the small cupboard.

  Remy knew his third form must seem scary as hell to his little angel, so he made sure his moves were slow and purposeful. “My name is Remy,” he said softly, trying his best to keep the growl to a minimum.

  The guy gave a nod of acknowledgement but still didn’t say a word. It was eating Remy up not to know the little man’s name. Raw lust slammed into him, making his body shake with want, but Remy forced it down.

  “Would you like to come out of there?” he asked as he scooted back, trying to seem less intimidating. It was a tall order considering he had grown a few inches from his normal seven-foot-four height. He must seem like Goliath to this human.

  “I won’t hurt you. I promise,” he spoke with patience he never knew he possessed. Remy was the commander of his own ship, the leader of four very lethal and savvy creatures. There wasn’t a tender or patient bone in his body—until now.

  His ears twitched as the human slowly rolled over and let his legs hang from the cupboard. Remy was shocked to see how small the man truly was. At least, he hoped the little human was a man. If he wasn’t, Remy was in trouble.

  His angel’s eyes watched him warily as he climbed out of the cupboard and stood there with that ratty-looking bag in his hands.

  “Are you hungry?” Remy asked as he stood. He frowned when the man’s eyes widened. This wasn’t going well.

  “No,” the small man answered, but Remy could hear the rumbling in his stomach. He wasn’t sure why the guy was lying to him, but he knew he had to eat. Remy was going to be the one to take care of all his needs, and wants.

  “Tell me your name, angel.” Remy got down on one knee, trying his best to be at eye level.

  “G–Giovanni Gallardo,” he finally answered.

  “Such a big name for such a small man. How about I call you Gigi? Would you like that?” Remy asked as the endearment rumbled from his chest.

  Once again lust hit him like a freight train, making his cock grow in size. He hoped the human wasn’t paying attention. Remy was trying to gain his trust, not scare him back into the cupboard.

  The little human looked as though he was mulling over the idea before his gorgeous golden eyes sparkled. “I can live with that.”

  Remy chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest. Gigi’s eyes rounded again, and he clutched his bag tighter. “You’re safe here, Gigi. I promise.
No one will hurt you.”

  “O–okay.”

  “Come, angel,” Remy said as he stood and held out his hand. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”

  Gigi’s hand trembled as he hesitantly placed it in Remy’s. When Gigi flashed him a slight smile, Remy felt like the biggest man on the planet. He didn’t care that the smile wobbled a bit and that Gigi still seemed scared. His angel had smiled at him.

  Remy kept a tight, but gentle, grip on Gigi’s hand as he led him out of Blade’s room and down the hallway to the mess hall. He ached to ask questions. He wanted to know everything about his little angel. He was just afraid of scaring him. He’d have to tread carefully.

  “What do you like to eat, Gigi?”

  “Anything,” Gigi whispered.

  “What is your favorite thing to eat?” Remy tried again.

  “Anything.”

  Remy almost growled. He could see that Gigi was scared and nervous, but he needed something to work with. “Do you like steak?”

  Gigi blinked. “Real steak? Like, from a cow kinda steak?”

  Remy frowned. Was there any other kind of steak? “Yes.”

  Gigi’s eyes widened even more. “You have real cow steak?”

  “Yes.” Remy was very confused.

  “Do you have cows? Real cows?”

  “Well, not onboard the ship, but we can get you one if you want it.”

  Remy didn’t think Gigi’s eyes could get any bigger than they already were. He was wrong. He was also a little shocked when the fear faded from Gigi’s eyes and the man started bouncing on his feet.

  Pure lust streaked through Remy at the sudden knowledge that his mate was an energetic creature. Remy could only hope that Gigi’s current exuberance poured over into their sex life ’cause, damn! If Gigi got this excited over steak, Remy couldn’t wait to see how he’d react in bed.

  “Do you have real dogs and cats and horses and—”

  “Whoa, slow down.” Remy chuckled. “We don’t have any live animals onboard the ship, but I might consider getting one or two if you really want one. However, it would be your responsibility to care for it.”

  “Can I have a puppy?” Gigi whispered in awe. “I’ve never seen a real live puppy. They don’t have them back on Earth. Well, they do, but you have to have lots of credits to have one, and I don’t—” Gigi suddenly snapped his mouth shut and dropped his eyes.

  “Gigi?” Remy reached down and lifted the man’s face, trying his best to keep his long claws from scratching his angel. “You can say anything you want to me. Don’t be afraid.”

  “Can I go now?”

  “Go?” Remy frowned then waved his hand toward the porthole window. “Go where, Gigi? We’re in space.”

  The blood drained from Gigi’s face as he raced over to the window and peered out, leaving it pasty white. “We’re in space?” Gigi whispered. He looked desperate when he glanced over his shoulder. “But—I only had enough credits to get to End of the Line. I can’t pay you.”

  Remy smiled. Credits were the least of his concerns. “You don’t have to pay me anything, Gigi. You are more than welcome aboard my ship.”

  “Your ship?” Gigi’s head snapped around. “This is your ship?”

  “It is. I share it with my crew, but it is home to me.” Remy drew in a deep breath, wishing that he hadn’t when Gigi’s sweet scent invaded his senses. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

  Gigi’s head tilted slightly, and a delicious frown drew his eyebrows together. “Why?”

  “Why?” Remy gulped as he frantically searched for an answer. He knew Gigi was frightened, and he didn’t want to add to that, but he didn’t want to lie to him either. “Because we need another crew member. Five is an unlucky number. What can you do?” Remy patted himself on the back for the great save. It was true about the unlucky number, but neither he nor his crew members gave a shit about superstitions.

  Gigi shrugged as he looked out of the window again. The one thing he knew how to do well was something he wasn’t willing to do anymore. He racked his brain to think of something he could offer this big…whatever he was. He heard the large man walk up behind him and sighed as he turned to face him. What could he do?

  “I can cook,” he said as his head fell back on his shoulders, staring up into smoky grey eyes. “Do you need a cook? If you get me that cow, I can do lots of things with it. Well, if you have the right ingredients I can do lots of things with it.”

  Gigi jumped slightly when that rumbling noise came from Remy’s chest again. It was scary and fascinating all at the same time. Gigi’s eyes stole a quick glance at the large cock between the creature’s legs.

  Remy may be used to walking around naked with his bits and pieces hanging out, but Gigi wasn’t used to it. He could feel his face heat up as he hurriedly glanced at his shoes. If Remy planned on using that cock on him, Gigi was in a world of trouble.

  “We could always use a cook.” Remy smiled at him, and Gigi’s brain short-circuited. “Let’s go to the mess hall and get you fed first.”

  “Okay.”

  Gigi followed Remy into what he had called a mess hall. The place was spotless. He wasn’t sure what was so messy about it, but it looked as though he could eat off the floor. He set his bag down on one of the tables, wincing when he noticed how dirty it looked compared to the shiny stainless steel of the table.

  “What would you like with your steak, Gigi?” Remy asked as he walked over to a food replicator on the far wall.

  As poor as Gigi had been, even he could have afforded a new-looking model. He wasn’t going to complain, though. Remy was being cool about his stowaway status and not trying to chuck him out of the nearest air lock.

  “Potatoes. Do you have fresh potatoes?” he asked as his stomach growled in agreement.

  “I’m not too sure about fresh, but I’ll see what we can do here.” Remy played with the buttons, smacking the small box a few times.

  Gigi was no expert, but he was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to abuse the appliances. He took a seat on the steel bench as he waited for a meal he hadn’t had in a very long time. Steak was like gold in New Chicago. He was actually surprised this ship had it by the looks of it. He had noticed a few things along the way to the mess hall that looked like they were in bad need of repair.

  “Here you go.” Remy brought the plate over and set it down on the table.

  Gigi gulped, wondering how offended Remy would be if he refused to eat it. The steak still had blood running from it, and the potatoes looked green around the edges. Just the sight of it made Gigi’s stomach roll.

  “What’s wrong?” Remy asked as his brows pulled together in a deep frown. “It’s steak.”

  “I like mine cooked, not still mooing.” Gigi glanced up at Remy, waiting for the open-handed smack across the face that usually accompanied his flippant mouth. To his utter shock, Remy chuckled. He chuckled? Gigi wasn’t sure how to handle that.

  “It does look like it’s still grazing in the field, doesn’t it?” Remy picked the plate up and tossed it in the compact trash recycler. “Let’s try this again.”

  “Do you have a kitchen?” Gigi asked hesitantly.

  So far, the big man had yet to get angry with him. Gigi wanted to keep it that way as long as he could. He wasn’t stupid. Sooner or later, Remy would smack him around. He knew that. Every big man he had ever met liked to pick on those weaker than him. Gigi had no reason to believe Remy was any different.

  “I guess you could call it a kitchen.” Remy pointed to a door on the far wall. “We really don’t use it much. The replicator is easier since none of us know how to cook.”

  Gigi decided to venture farther. “Do you have any food not produced from a replicator?”

  “Uh…”

  “All right, I’ll see what I can do.”

  Gigi walked to the replicator and started pushing buttons. He was really hoping things would turn out okay because he had never seen a food replicating mach
ine this old before. He wasn’t sure what he’d end up with.

  After several tries and a few things that couldn’t be identified, Gigi had a collection of vegetables and two raw steaks in his hands. He felt Remy follow him as he walked into the unused kitchen and set everything down on the counter.

  The first order of business was to see what he had to work with. The cooking equipment seemed to be old but in working order. There were clean dishes in the cupboard and a shelf filled with spices.

  Gigi smiled over at Remy. “I can work with this, but if you want me to continue to cook, we’re going to have to stop for supplies. Getting food out of the replicator should only happen in emergencies. You need real food to keep your muscles strong and your body healthy.”

  Gigi chuckled when Remy nodded. The way the man’s eyebrows were drawn together in a slight frown painted an entirely different picture. Remy didn’t have a clue what Gigi was talking about. Gigi knew the man…err…creature, would figure it out when he tasted the food. Home-cooked was always better.

  It didn’t take Gigi long to get the steaks sprinkled with spices and cooking on the grill. He could see Remy’s nose twitching as he flipped them then went to cutting the vegetables up. Gigi decided to grill the vegetables and mash the potatoes. He wanted to impress Remy with his abilities, as slim as they were. He wanted this job.

  Once the cubed potatoes were boiling and the vegetables grilling, Gigi leaned against the counter and waited. His eyes wandered to the tall man leaning against the wall by the door. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it.

  The man was naked. And hot. And—sweet hell, would you look at the size of his cock? All of a sudden, Gigi felt flushed. He prayed his face wasn’t glowing with embarrassment as he turned away.

  He’d seen it once before in the other room but had quickly looked away. It wasn’t polite. Really. But it was just hanging there. Gigi once again found himself glancing over. Okay, it wasn’t just hanging there. It was actually starting to thicken and rise even as Gigi watched.