The Alien Huntress Series

by Gena Showalter

  I smiled sweetly. “Woman’s intuition.”

  Lucius stormed from Sahara Rose’s cell wearing an expression of utter violence. His eyes blazed bright blue, his cheeks glowed vivid red. His muscles were bunched and ready to spring into action. I laughed. Ren paled and blinked at me as if I were insane. Maybe I was. Who else would laugh in the face of such a man’s fury?

  He deserved it, though. He’d been so confident of his success. And he’d failed. I had the chance to show him up, to beat him. I laughed again. How fun this was going to be.

  I’m not sure how many seconds passed before Lucius stormed inside the observation room. Beside me, Ren froze in place. Lucius’s gaze locked on mine. He braced his legs apart and fisted his hands at his sides.

  I didn’t even try to hide my amusement. “You lost,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t mean you’ll win.”

  “But it means you lost.”

  He popped his jaw, but didn’t respond.

  “I’m going to enjoy this,” I said. “A lot.” I unbuttoned the first three buttons of my shirt, causing the material to gape and reveal the lacy edges of my bra. Both men watched me, Ren with fascination—it didn’t take much to douse his fear, did it?—and Lucius with fire. Lusty fire or black, angry fire? I wondered, as I pulled out my ponytail and combed my fingers through my hair. I licked my lips.

  “I’ll be back in five minutes,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed further, mere slits that completely blocked the color of his irises. “That confident?”

  “Oh, yes. If you’ll excuse me, Ren. Agent Luscious,” I said, nodding to Lucius before I sauntered past him and out of the room. Had I forgotten to mention that Sahara Rose didn’t like men? Oopsie. She might be EenLi’s lover, but she found men sexually repulsive. Little Miss Sahara Rose liked her phallus strapped on and plastic. The more delicate and sexy the woman, the more susceptible Sahara Rose became.

  Did I feel guilty or ashamed or even less of an agent for using my femininity as a weapon? Hell, no. Look at everything Lucius had tried. Look how sublimely he failed. A good agent uses whatever means necessary to win. Men could scoff at my methods if they so desired, but let’s be honest. They’d do the same thing if they could. Men never hesitate to use their strengths, so why should women?

  Two armed guards stood posted at Sahara Rose’s door, which was adjacent to the room I’d been in. Their gazes seemed to devour me. I knew it wasn’t my appeal as a woman that so entranced them. I’d learned long ago that humans were simply susceptible to anything gold.

  I arched a brow insolently, and one of the men quickly punched the code that opened the door. I swept inside without a word. There were two chairs. No bed. No table. A large, black screen comprised the far wall; that was it. This wasn’t a room meant for comfort, but for intimidation. Michael hoped that the more uncomfortable the room, the less time the suspect would want to spend inside it.

  I crouched beside the unconscious Sahara Rose, growing angry with Lucius. He hadn’t even attempted to catch her. I sighed. Her body was splayed across the floor in the exact position she’d landed in her faint. She’d fallen backward, but at least she hadn’t cracked open her skull.

  She was a young girl with too-pale skin and pretty, light-colored hair. Beautiful, yes, but her looks were already fading and showing signs of wear. Stress could do that to humans—age them before their time.

  Cradling her head in my hand, I gently brushed aside wisps of hair sticking to her temples. “Sahara Rose,” I said softly. “Wake up for me, baby.”

  She moaned and murmured something unintelligible.

  “Come on, sweetheart. Wake up.”

  Her eyelids fluttered open. When she realized where she was, absolute panic flooded her blue eyes. She struggled against my hold, but I held firm, keeping her in place. I might appear dainty because of my gold coloring and small bones, but my intense workouts kept me strong.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” I whispered against her ear, letting my breath caress her cheek.

  The moment I spoke, she stilled completely. Her desperate gaze sought me, and whatever she saw in my face made her relax. “That man. Is he—” She gulped, trembled.

  “He’s gone,” I said, stroking her jawline. “After the way he scared you, I sent him to clean the toilets. That’s all men are good for, anyway.”

  “Thank you,” she said, sinking deeper into my hold, clinging to me because I was the only lifeline she’d encountered.

  “My pleasure, sweetheart. Can you sit?”

  She bit her lip and nodded, then slowly eased to a sitting position. She wore a plain white top and matching drawstring pants. Both had been given to her courtesy of Michael. Because agents were nocturnal creatures who usually wore black, we always kept our prisoners in white.

  “I want to go home,” Sahara Rose said, her voice trembling.

  “Soon, sweetheart,” I promised, knowing it was a lie. This woman, no matter her reasons, no matter her sweetness, had aided a predatory alien. She would be punished in some way. That was the law. I experienced a twinge of guilt and regret, but brushed both aside. “First, I have some questions for you.”

  I pushed to my feet and looped my arm around her waist, helping her stand. I made sure my breasts meshed into her side. Just in case that didn’t make her notice me as a female, I let my fingers slip under her shirt and latch onto her bare midriff. When she felt the heat of my palm, she sucked in a breath. Since my desire for Lucius had yet to dissipate, my honey scent wafted to her.

  “To the chair,” I told her. She gave me more of her weight than necessary, and I helped her ease into the slatted seat. “Comfortable?”

  Gazing up at me through her lashes, she nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

  I grazed her cheeks with my knuckles and knelt in front of her, gently prying her knees apart to nestle my body between her thighs. Her eyes grew big, and she wet her lips. “I really need your help, sweetheart,” I said. “Your life depends on it.”

  “I can’t tell you what you want to know,” she said, beseeching me with her gaze to understand.

  “You can,” I insisted. My fingers traced the waist of her pants, making her stomach clench. “You want to help me; you know you do.”

  “No, I can’t,” she said, but I could see the war raging inside her mind. EenLi had probably threatened her life or her family’s life if she ever dared speak a word about his activities. But she didn’t want to get in any more trouble.

  “Please,” I said, all feminine eagerness.

  She gulped. “What do you need to know?” she asked hesitantly.

  I played a look of reluctance across my face, as if I didn’t want to involve her but had no choice. “I need to know about EenLi and his…cattle business.”

  Her lips compressed in fear, and she shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t know anything.”

  I spread my fingers over her thighs and ran them upward until I grasped her hips. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but she didn’t pull away. My eyelids dipped to half-mast, casting shadows over my cheekbones. I knew she caught a glimpse of my bra because when I glanced up at her, she flicked her eyes away guiltily. Her cheeks warmed to a rosy shade of pink.

  Good. I had her attention, and she was responding to my femininity. “Sahara Rose,” I said, pronouncing her name like it was my favorite food.

  She gulped again. “Yes?”

  “Please help me.” I returned my hands to her waist, toying with the ties on her pants. “In return, I’ll help you however I can. You’ll never have to see EenLi again.” That much was true, since I planned to kill the bastard. “Let’s start with something little. Why don’t you tell me why you helped EenLi in the first place? That’s easy enough, isn’t it?”

  She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. “I was living on the streets. He found me and took me in, made me his lover. He gave me money and food and a place to stay and he told me he would…”

  Kill her if she betraye
d or left him, I finished for her. “He trusted you enough to help with his cattle.”

  That war inside her continued to wage for several more minutes. Should she, shouldn’t she? Should she risk angering EenLi, or risk believing in my aid? Finally, she sighed, and her shoulders sagged.

  I knew then that victory was mine, and I fought to contain my grin.

  “If I didn’t help, I would have become cattle.” Tears pricked her eyes, brimming over her lids. “He would have sold me, and I would have been taken to another planet.”

  Now we were getting somewhere. “Tell me about the ones who are taken off-planet.”

  “People give him orders,” she said, taking my hands and linking our fingers. She was shaking, seeking comfort. “Like off of a restaurant menu. Red hair, brown eyes, and so on.”

  “Who buys the slaves?”

  “Humans. Other-worlders. Origins don’t matter. Some of the buyers don’t even live on Earth.”

  “Then how do they give EenLi their orders?”

  She shrugged. “They come through the portals for a visit, I guess.”

  The muscles in my back jumped in anticipation of her next words. “Do you know where the portals are located?”

  “No.”

  A wave of disappointment crashed through me. I reached up and brushed her hair aside. Her eyes closed, and she leaned into my touch.

  “He never told me,” she added. “His only job for me was to take care of the sick.”

  “If a human wanted to place an order, how would he do it?”

  She pressed her lips together for a moment. “There’s a man, Jonathan Parker. He’s old money. Oil, I think. He hosts parties at his house, and people tell him what they want. He tells EenLi.”

  I knew that the moment she spoke the name, every agent listening began searching our databases for Jonathan Parker. We’d have a printout of his entire history within minutes.

  “Do you know the type of people EenLi is looking for now?”

  She shook her head. “He never gives me those details.”

  “What about dates? When is a shipment due?”

  “I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip and gripped my hand. “Can I go home now?” A beseeching note layered her voice. “I never hurt anyone, I promise. I took care of them.”

  “I know you did. But you need to stay here a while longer in case we have any more questions. Besides that, you’re safe from EenLi here,” I added, squeezing her hand, “just like I promised.” But more than that, if we ever decided to use her as bait, she’d be readily available.

  Callous, I know, but innocent lives came before this one woman. Sometimes bad things had to be done to facilitate peace.

  “I’ll see that you’re fed and moved to a comfortable room. All right?”

  “Yes,” she said reluctantly. “All right.”

  “You did real good, Sahara. I’m proud of you.” Cupping her jaw, I inched upward and slowly brought my lips to hers. She immediately opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, but I kept it sweet, gentle, breathing in her scent and she mine. Feeling her softness, and she mine. She was a sad girl with a sad life, but she wasn’t evil. “You’ll tell me if you remember anything else, won’t you?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  I stood and stepped away, my fingers coasting over her jaw as I did. Giving her one last, lingering glance, I moved toward the door.

  “Wait,” she called. She too stood, the chair skidding behind her.

  I didn’t turn fully, but glanced over my shoulder. “Yes?”

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Eden Black.” I paused. “Alien assassin. Don’t worry. I will take care of EenLi.”

  Her “thank you” echoed in my ears as the door closed behind me.

  Chapter

  6

  Blanketing my features to reveal nothing, I sauntered into the observation room. Lucius sat alone. Ren had probably bailed the moment I’d stepped out of Interrogation. Either that or Lucius had kicked him out, not wanting an audience for what was about to happen.

  I remained in the open doorway, taking in the scene and allowing my anticipation to unfurl. Lucius occupied the only chair, his gaze locked with mine, his legs splayed out in front of him, his arms locked behind his neck. Never had a man appeared more relaxed and at ease. He pushed a button on a remote he held, and the holoscreen went blank, blocking out Sahara’s image.

  “Close the door,” he said in that rough, gravelly voice of his. I caught a hint of fury in the undertone.

  Not so relaxed, after all.

  A shiver trekked down my spine as I continued to stare over at the man, at my unwanted partner. I wanted to hear him say “Please,” but knew there was a better chance of EenLi’s head falling from the sky like manna.

  I stepped inside, causing the double doors to slide closed automatically. Lucius tossed the remote on the floor. With every second that passed, something…murderous grew in his eyes, a gleam that belied his casual pose yet fit perfectly with his tone.

  Feigning my own sense of nonchalance, I leaned one shoulder against the wall. “We’re alone now, Sparkie. Was there something you wanted to say to me? Something you needed to do?”

  His gaze slitted, blocking every hint of color from those ice-blue lasers. He remained very still.

  “Tsk, tsk. You know that’s not the required position.” I showed no mercy.

  Still he remained standing.

  “You lost.”

  “I know.”

  “Drop to your knees.”

  “Why don’t you make this interesting,” he gritted out, “and take off your pants?”

  His words supplied an image of him kneeling between my naked legs. I stopped a shiver before it could form. My brows winged up. “You reneging?”

  Very slowly, he eased to his feet, inching his big body higher and higher. I gave my cuticles my attention. I heard his teeth grind together, even thought I heard his jawbone crack. I flicked him an insouciant glance and patted my mouth to smother a fake yawn. That murderous gleam had branched from his eyes and now consumed his expression.

  His black clothes rustled as he moved to his knees.

  I studied my cuticles again, waiting, my breath suspended, the casual pretense the only thing keeping me from gaping.

  “You did a…good job,” he ground out. When the last word left his mouth, he sprang up. He wiped the dust from his knees, keeping his gaze locked with mine.

  I hadn’t thought he’d do it. What a puzzle he was. I could have nodded, said nothing, and saved him at least a hint of his stubborn pride. I could have…but I didn’t. “Don’t ever underestimate me again. You’ll end up on your knees every time.”

  He ran his tongue over his teeth, but didn’t reply.

  “Next time, research your suspect before you interrogate her. That’s where you went wrong.”

  His entire face bloomed red—in embarrassment, in renewed fury. Renewed? No. I doubted he’d ever lost the first batch of fury. He didn’t like losing, but more importantly, he didn’t like losing to me. A spoiled princess. Well, too damn bad. He’d gotten the best of me from the moment we’d met, so I intended to savor this victory.

  “You were doomed to fail before you even stepped foot into Interrogation. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. You refused to consider the possibility that I might know something you didn’t. Well, guess what? I’d followed her for days. I knew her, knew everything about her. Your silly pride cost you this war.”

  “War?” He chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. “That was only a minor skirmish, cookie.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Big talk for a loser.”

  Lucius stalked a menacing step toward me. “You did good, all right. There. That’s twice I’ve told you. I meant it then, I mean it now. But one day we’ll have a reckoning, you and I.”

  I moved toward him, closing even more of the gap, a rush of adrenaline quickening the blood flow through my veins. “I do believe we will—if one
of us doesn’t kill the other first.”

  “I’m going to fuck you, Eden.” He stepped closer. “Killing is optional. After.”

  My nostrils flared as I closed the remaining distance. I was excited, I admit it. Our noses touched, and my beaded nipples pushed into his chest. His breath fanned my lips, brushing every crevice. The scent of cinnamon and honey instantly enveloped us. Our heated exchange was playing havoc with my hormones. “You’ll never have me.”

  Lucius never turned his attention from me. “Get a new goddamn perfume!” he shouted.

  I blinked, felt a glimmer of satisfaction. “Why? Does this one bother you?”

  He ran his tongue over teeth and flatly refused to answer. “Do you even give a shit about this case? Do you want to know what we have on Jonathan Parker or not?”

  I stalked away from Lucius and to the door, opened it wide, and called for Ren. When he appeared, I said, “Make Sahara Rose comfortable. And be nice to her.”

  Ren flicked Lucius a nervous glance, then rushed off to do as he was told. I didn’t turn around but remained braced at the entrance. “What do you know about Parker?” Feigning nonchalance, I rebound my hair.

  “I’ll tell you about him over lunch,” he said, relish in his tone. He liked knowing something I didn’t. He liked choosing when and where he’d tell me.

  Since he’d gotten on his knees for me, I gave him this victory. Just barely. “I was just about to suggest that,” I said with a faux casual shrug.

  At my easy compliance, his lips dipped in a frown. He’d expected a fight, I know. “Let’s get out of here. Too many ears.”

  “We’ll need the keys to the Hummer.”

  “I pocketed them,” he said, dangling the set from his fingers.

  My hands tightened at my sides. I didn’t like that he’d thought that far ahead and I hadn’t. I strode from the room without a word, knowing he followed directly behind me. As we left the farmhouse, I had the last laugh, however. Several men whistled and waved good-bye to “Agent Luscious.”

  Lucius purchased half a dozen drive-thru burritos and tossed the sack into my lap. I held them without complaint as he drove for over an hour. Finally, he eased into a hidden thicket located in a richly treed patch of land—privately owned land that was well watered. He cut the locks off the gate and sneaked us inside.