He’d heard the whispers in the mess hall. One man had singlehandedly dispatched seven armed men. Unthinkable. The whole incident left him shaken and wishing for an end to this voyage. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
Marley started when the door chime rang. He wasn’t sure what it was at first, having never heard it before. Fear ripped through his chest at the thought of who could be outside.
The com flared to life. “Mr. Keyes. This is Captain Danverse. I would like a word with you, please.”
Marley froze. The trembling in his hands became stronger as he crept away from the door until the bed stopped his progress. Where did he think he was going? All he knew for sure was that he was not letting one of them into his room.
“Mrs. Claus, unlock the door to Beta deck, room two-two-seven. Captain’s override alpha-eight-zero-six-beta-five.”
The door hissed open as Captain Danverse, Mac Smith, and two armed men stormed into the room. In spite of having nowhere to go, Marley bolted for the door, trying to plow through the men at the entrance. A stiff arm battered his chest and slammed him to the floor. A guard’s foot on his neck held his head still as Marley looked up at the gun in the guard’s outstretched hand. Preservation got the better of him and he stopped resisting.
The unfamiliar guard hissed. “Please, give me a reason.”
DANVERSE LOOKED AT Marley Keyes with disdain. Convinced Keyes was now harmless, he allowed Mac to move from behind him. With a small scanner in hand, Mac began combing through the small room.
In spite of being restrained, Keyes believed he had rights. “You can’t do this!”
“Shut up, you piece of shit.” Mac turned to the guard holding Keyes to the floor. “If he yells like that again, you have my permission to shoot him in the head.”
Keyes yipped in submission.
The guard training his weapon on him turned to Danverse, his brow hiked up in question.
Danverse couldn’t help but roll his eyes before shaking his head no.
Mac quickly ran his scanner over the deck, bed, and storage panels in Keyes’s quarters. Finally, he came to the worn satchel Keyes never seemed to be without. Keyes’s eyes grew wide as moons when Mac reached inside and drew an object out of the bag.
“Here we are.” Mac stepped back over to the group with a piece of homemade tech. Parts had been soldered together along with the small viewscreen. The buttons on the front were mismatched, looking to have been scrounged from multiple sources. The device powered up, and Mac fixated on the lines of code scrolling over the screen.
Danverse nodded at the device. “That’s what you were looking for?”
“Yep. This little baby overrides Mrs. Claus’s privacy systems. Looks like it’s set up to block out the long-range sensors and bypass bioscans, among other things. Basically it puts the selected area into tech blackout.” Mac continued to press buttons and manipulate the device.
Danverse stared at the man subdued on the ground before him. Keyes had broken out in an uncontrollable sweat that only became worse as Danverse stooped down and stared him in the eye.
“You’re saying that this is the device he used to allow those seven raiders to slip onto my ship and shoot my security chief?”
Keyes lay unmoving.
“Was your cut of the Luxorian jewelry on board really going to be worth it? Was it worth the lives of your buddies who are lying in the morgue?”
Controlling his rage at the man under him was a supreme test of will. His fury was shared by Mac and the two guards, which was why he made a point to keep it in check. With the tension so high, it would take little effort to add another corpse to the body count.
“Why?” Danverse asked a question, but the tone was more of a command.
Keyes was on the verge of stammering. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be quick and easy.”
“Who were they?”
“I didn’t know them. They contacted me when word got out I was heading to Alpha Centauri. They had me build the scrambler and were going to pay me so I’d have some credits to work with planetside. The ride was cheaper than anywhere else, but it still broke me. It was all supposed to be easy. No one was supposed to get hurt. They said you’d all back down because you were a bunch of…” Keyes looked away. His guilt was too easy to read.
Mac finished Keyes’s sentence with a snarl. “Fags.”
With all the menace he could muster, Danverse glowered at Keyes. “I ought to order this guard to shoot you between the eyes and end you for all the trouble you’ve caused.” He was sorely tempted. This man was responsible for the near murder of his best friend, and possibly others, if the reckless band had left the confines of the cargo bay.
Marley barked out in desperation, “You can’t!” The dirty man was one second away from wetting himself.
Danverse knelt down, their faces a finger’s width apart. “Tell me why not.”
“Those jewels were made with the labor of my people to enrich the lives of the decadent wealthy.” Keyes was sad to listen to. Filled with violent shakes, he contained all the conviction of a parrot.
“I don’t give a shit about your politics. You helped a group of raiders board my vessel, raiders who had no qualms about killing any witnesses. All over a bunch of fucking rocks. But you still haven’t answered my question. Tell me why I don’t execute you right here and blow your stupid ass out the airlock.”
“Because I surrender!” Keyes’s eyes were wide with a sudden revelation. “That makes me your prisoner, and by Interstellar Convention you can’t abuse me. The security feeds are watching, and if you’re found out, you’ll lose your license and your ship. If I don’t show up on Alpha Centauri, there’ll be an inquest.”
How fucking annoying. Keyes was right. No matter how tempting, he had worked too hard to get to this point and he’d be damned if he was going to lose it all over a moment of revenge. Even if he had crossed the line when he thought Hadrian had killed Liam. He stood, never taking his focus off Marley Keyes, while letting loose an angered sigh. The urge to punish this man was nearly overwhelming.
“Pick him up. He’ll spend the rest of the trip in the brig.”
Reluctantly, the guard lifted his foot and dragged the prisoner to his feet. Keyes continued to tremble as the second guard took his other side and patted him down for weapons and similar tech.
“Hold on to this for a minute.” Mac handed Danverse the homemade scrambler. The screen glowed. The item was still on. Mac turned on Keyes. “You boarded our ship and nearly got us killed. Then you have the nerve to threaten the captain over Interstellar Convention guidelines? Did you honestly think I wouldn’t figure out that elementary-school piece of crap in about five seconds?
“You know what really pisses me off? You blackout the cargo hold but leave the security vid on so you can watch, you worthless piece of shit.” Mac turned to face the captain. “By the way, I turned that on when I found it, but unlike this asshole, I didn’t leave the security vid feed on. There’s no record of his surrender. You can pretty much do whatever you want with him. We’ve been in full privacy mode since this started.”
Mac spun and threw a brutal knee into Keyes’s groin. His anguished scream was cut short by three quick punches to the face and stomach. The guards stood in shock as the unconscious prisoner slumped like a broken doll in their arms.
“How’s that for a bunch of fags.” Mac was breathing heavily as he took Keyes’s tech back. “I told you I was smarter than these assholes.”
Before he did something stupid, Danverse spat an order to the guards. “Get him the fuck out of here.”
With little effort, the two men walked out the door, Keyes’s feet dragging behind him.
Shifting beside Mac, Danverse placed a commanding hand on the back of Mac’s neck, his thumb stroking the base of his skull. A satisfied grin spread across Danverse’s face.
“Good boy.”
LIAM HOVERED HIS hand above the keypad outside Cargo Bay Two. He
was having difficulty willing his fingers to travel the last few centimeters to type in his security code. It was his first set of evening rounds since the attack, and he hadn’t expected to need to convince himself everything was fine. Danverse had offered to cover the cargo hold on his rounds, but Liam had refused. No one was going to treat him like a frightened child. He was fine.
It had been two days since he was released from sick bay, and he had grown tired of the crew fawning over him. The first day, he’d walked like an old man while his body worked out the kinks from being confined in a stasis field for almost a week. That didn’t last long, but everyone was still trying to do things for him. Mac carried his meal tray. Danverse wanted to take over his responsibilities as security chief. James, the supply officer, was even “helpful” enough to offer to give him a hand in the shower. Liam wasn’t amused. Two days had passed and he was already pacing. He just wanted it all back to normal.
Closing his eyes, he drew a slow, deep inhale and exhaled over an even longer span. Steeling himself, he pressed his finger to the touch pad and typed in the proper sequence. The door opened like a dragon’s maw and Liam braced, waiting for the scalding heat to burn his skin. However, all he felt was the soft rush of air-conditioned atmosphere escaping the room. He stepped forward when the light came on, banishing the darkness. His eyes were wide as he scanned the bay filled with high stacks of cargo, expecting something to leap out of the shadows. He stopped for a moment to calm his nerves.
In an effort to distract himself, he reached into the pocket along his thigh and pulled forth his trusty scanner. With a few quick touches, the item came to life.
Walking slowly through the quiet aisles, he moved his hand back and forth, all but ignoring the images on the small screen. Rounding a corner, he came to a halt at the path running along the hull less than a hundred meters from the airlock.
This was where it had happened.
There was no blood. The walls and floor had been scrubbed clean. It was so spotless Mac had to have been involved. Liam couldn’t even tell anything had occurred there.
Until he turned around and found the bullet holes.
A tight series of hollows riddled the crate where Liam had been standing before he’d been shot. He could still feel his body slamming against the unyielding metal as the round punched through his torso. His breathing quickened as his gaze drifted down, replaying the moment he slid to the floor with a gaping wound in his chest. No. Not in his chest. Through his chest. Liam’s pulse began to drown out his thoughts. The scanner slipped out of his hand and bounced on the floor. When he leaned over to pick it up, his hands shook. Gripping the device was awkward, so he returned it to his pocket.
A light, cold sweat had broken out over his body, and Liam realized he should have taken Danverse up on his offer. Fuck this. This job can wait. Liam turned and strode back to the entrance and out into the hallway. Seconds later, the door was locked, and he pressed his forehead to it as he gulped air to center himself.
“Liam. Are you all right?”
He started at the soft, accented voice.
Liam turned to find Hadrian watching him with concern.
“I’m fine, Hadrian. I can walk on my own two feet and everything.” The words came out harshly. Liam hadn’t seen Hadrian since he was released, and his ego bristled.
“I do not think you are weak, Liam.”
“I’m fine. Thanks for caring.”
“I can feel how agitated you are. I cannot ignore it.”
“Really? You sat by my bedside for days, but when it’s time for me to wake up, you’re nowhere to be found.”
Hadrian frowned and averted his eyes.
“I’ve been out for two days now, and I haven’t seen a hint of you on board. I’d say you’ve been ignoring me just fine.”
Liam wasn’t shaking anymore. Frustration had turned into rancor over the last few days. When Danverse told him of Hadrian watching over him, he’d allowed himself to hope that the mysterious man might be moving past whatever bullshit he was holding onto, and Liam might actually get to know him. But as everyone else on board looked in on him, one person was absent.
And now here he was trying to convince Liam he gave a shit.
A furrowed brow and twitching grimace spoiled Hadrian’s expression. The regal poise Liam had associated with him was melting as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Hadrian seemed unaccustomed to this level of clumsiness, the words somehow frozen on his tongue. His mouth opened and closed as the explanation Liam was waiting for never emerged.
“Have a good night, Mr. Jamison.” Liam shouldered past, using his larger size to voice his resentment.
It probably wasn’t the smartest move to bully the man who’d killed seven men with his bare hands. No matter how much bigger Liam was, there was no doubt as to who would win in a fight. Hadrian snapped out a tattooed arm to grip Liam’s wrist. The hallway spun as Liam was shoved into a shallow maintenance service alcove. Hadrian pinned Liam’s arms with shocking strength.
“I am trying to apologize, damn it!” The tension and remorse were written in Hadrian’s eyes. If Liam weren’t so annoyed, he might have taken it better. Hadrian had his hands in the perfect spot to negate any leverage Liam could use to free himself, but it didn’t stop him from struggling.
“Why the fuck are you here?”
“Because I cannot stay away from you no matter how bad an idea it is. I could feel your desire the moment we met. Like nearly everyone else’s on board. I was content to travel to Alpha Centauri in peace, but no. You had to be a decent human being. You had to show me that you genuinely wanted to help me. I do not know what to do with that.” Hadrian’s usual composure was eroding as his voice rose, an audible blend of anger and predatory heat.
“I should keep to myself and move along. I should be minding my own business and not involving you in the disaster that my life may yet become. But the longer I stay on this ship, the more I find myself wanting to know you.” Hadrian took a deep breath as his eyes began to smolder. “Personally and biblically.”
A long pause followed. Hadrian continued to hold Liam against the wall, but Liam was no longer resisting. Hypnotized by ice-blue eyes, he swallowed involuntarily.
“You could have just said so.” Liam’s anger began to soften and become something altogether needier.
“I wanted to. I was so frightened when you were shot. I had my doubts you would survive, even though I had seen it.” Hadrian’s voice began to shrink. “I know I said we would have to know each other in another lifetime, but watching you struggle to survive was agony. I want to know you in this one. I have been denied so much. I need you.”
Liam whispered back. “I’ve tried so hard to give you space, Hadrian, even though it’s exactly the opposite of what I want. Do you mean it? It’s not only me falling for you, is it?”
Hadrian shook his head, his gaze never leaving Liam’s. “It was never only you.”
“See? You can say it. Was that so hard?” Liam couldn’t help but tease.
Hadrian’s reply was uncharacteristically shy. “You have no idea. I have never done this before.”
“You can’t expect me to believe you’re a virgin.”
“Hardly, Liam.” His voice rose back up with confidence. “I know how to seduce a man. I have never courted one before.”
Hadrian’s grip softened, but neither man moved, except to lean closer. Liam could pick up Hadrian’s heated scent at this distance, and it was making his lingering indignation wane. Hadrian was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt with three buttons undone at the chest. The valley between the planes of his chest was easily visible from this vantage point. Liam’s gaze traced the intricately inked dragon winding its way around Hadrian’s rippling arm.
“You can court me later.” Liam shifted his hazy sight to Hadrian’s lips and then pressed forward to taste them.
The kiss rose to a feverish heat as their arms snaked around each other’s bodies in a desperate effort
to get closer. Liam melted as Hadrian’s tongue caressed and dominated his own. Breaths slid into soft moans as both men lost themselves.
Hadrian separated them, pressing Liam against the wall. Panting hard, Liam couldn’t tear himself away from the glassy, needy stare of the man holding his arms. His lips felt swollen and puffy as Hadrian held him down with one hand and explored his body with the other. The possessive strokes massaging Liam’s head and neck made him nuzzle into Hadrian’s firm touch. Rushes of lust surged deeply through Liam as Hadrian’s kneading fingertips worked down over his shoulder and chest, examining the mass of muscle under the shirt. Hadrian found a hardened nipple and rubbed a firm circle over and around it, making Liam shudder.
Liam’s eyes rolled back in pleasure as Hadrian’s hand worked its way down, massaging his abdomen and hip. When Hadrian palmed his rigid cock through his pants, he thought he would die right there. His eyes snapped open when Hadrian unbuttoned his fly and brought his erection into the air.
“Hadrian…what are you doing?” Liam’s question was a throaty pant. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be this exposed in a public corridor, no matter what time of night it was. However, Hadrian’s talented grip was making such thoughts start to bleed into ineffectual whispers.
Hadrian bit the muscle at Liam’s neck and spoke into the skin. “What I should have done the other night, instead of leaving you to the mechanic’s skills.”
When Hadrian went to his knees and slid his wet tongue along Liam’s aching length, Liam almost came. He gripped Hadrian’s shoulders to keep from falling.
Hadrian nuzzled into the heated flesh, taking in long breaths, as thin, sticky lines of arousal were drawn along his face. The warmth of Hadrian’s skin against Liam’s cock raised an unbearable fire as he tasted his way down to Liam’s balls and beneath.
Liam made needy whimpers as Hadrian continued his assault. Having never believed this would happen, Liam knew he wouldn’t last long, and given his noise level, Hadrian had to be aware of this. Clear lines of fluid flowed down his shaft, the head already glossy and swollen. In one strong lick, Hadrian spread the slick juices, coating every centimeter of Liam’s exposed genitals. Apparently, it made swallowing the entire length easier.
The Luxorian Fugitive Page 9
