Dangerous Lovers

by Becca Vincenza

  She knew she had to move quickly. She did something distasteful; she searched the one closest to her for his weapon. She could make good use of an annihilator. It would come in handy, especially if she needed to stun someone to get away.

  When she found it she got the hell out of there. She ran several blocks, until she felt she was a safe enough distance away from the pile of dead. Quickly ducking into a sheltered doorway, she checked her clothing for blood and the only thing she found was blood from where that cretin had bitten her. In her bag she found the healing wand that Shandro had given her. She quickly waved it over the wound and it disappeared, leaving only a faint mark behind.

  Standing there, gathering her wits about her, she forced herself to calm down. Her heart was thumping so loud in her throat, she swore the whole town would hear it if she didn’t calm down soon. After taking several deep breaths, eventually she felt her raw nerves begin to back down.

  The last thing she wanted to do was to go back to another club, but she didn’t have anywhere else to go, and honest to God, she could use an ice cold drink about now.

  Back to her original plan. The next nightclub she entered wasn’t quite as bad as the first. It was called Cosmic. It was still disgusting, but there weren’t as many Xanthians. She quickly nabbed the only empty seat at the bar.

  “What can I get you lovely lady?”

  “I’ll have a beer please.”

  “Earth or Xanthian?

  “Earth please.”

  The bartender placed the bottle on the bar. “You’re new here.”

  “Yeah, it’s my first visit.”

  “What brings you here then?”

  “Something different.”

  He nodded. Attractive, curly blonde hair, soft grey eyes, friendly smile.

  “Have you worked here long?” Liasare asked.

  “A couple of years.”

  “Have you ever seen him?” she asked, handing him the picture of Tommy.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Really? Do you remember when?”

  “Now that I can’t say. I see so many people. I don’t think I’ve seen him in a while though. I think I would recall if it had been fairly recent. Are you from around here then?”

  “Well, kind of. I just got back from being away for quite a long time. We left after the big small pox pandemic. What about you?”

  “Born and bred. What’s your name lovely lady?”

  “Liasare, yours?”

  “Gerard.”

  “Nice to meet you Gerard. Hey if you remember anything at all about this guy, will you let me know the next time I’m here?”

  “Sure. Is that your boyfriend or something?”

  “No! He’s my brother.”

  “Oh, okay. In that case, would you like to get a drink sometime?”

  “Maybe. Ask me again in a few weeks, okay?”

  “You got it Liasare,” he smiled.

  She finished off her beer and headed out the door. It was getting late and she wished so badly she could find that damn blonde girl. She’d like to go back to the first club, Raunch, but she didn’t think the girl would take a chance and go back there. Besides, that really was a loathsome place.

  Chapter Four

  Liasare checked out two more bars before she decided that the next would be her last for the night. She plopped down on the first available seat with an oomph and ordered yet another beer.

  What an interesting night. Met a blonde girl who obviously knew Tommy, got bitten by a Xanthian, stabbed and killed a Xanthian, almost got myself killed by a Xanthian, was rescued by some awesomeness that then spoke into my mind, snagged an annihilator, got asked out on a date...what next?

  The hairs on the back of her neck promptly stood at attention, followed by the rest of her body hair. The room seemed to take on an intense heated electrical charge. She wondered if it was just her, or did everyone else feel it? Her eyes gazed around the room, trying to locate the source of her discomfort. No one else appeared to be affected by this strange phenomenon. She gave her head a firm shake and turned her focus back to her beer. While beer had never been one of her favorite beverages, the iciness of it as it slid down her throat seemed to ease the discomfort caused by the strange sensations she was experiencing. The bottle was quickly emptied as she sought to put out the fire that had erupted within her.

  The bartender raised his brows and she nodded, indicating her desire for another. Seconds later, another bottle was in her hands and its liquid contents were making their way down her parched throat.

  Liasare began inspecting the patrons of the nightclub, hunting for whatever could possibly be making her feel so uncomfortable. As her eyes scanned the room, they came to rest on a man who was intently staring at her. He stood still as a marble statue, not so much as blinking an eye. Dressed in snug black leather pants that sat low on his hips, his chest was bare, with the exception of an unbuttoned black leather vest. He wore no shirt, nor did he need one; his sculpted muscles seemed to defy the presence of something so offensive. His arms bore a myriad of black tattoos, which were perfectly symmetrical in their swirling yet angular beauty. They looked perfectly delicious against his smooth tawny skin and Liasare had an irrepressible urge to touch and inspect them. His face wasn’t beautiful in the classical sense, though from her vantage point, she could see he was compellingly attractive, so much so that she found herself craning her neck to get a better look at him.

  What the hell am I thinking? He could be a serial killer or something.

  Jerking her gaze away from him, she forced herself to focus on drinking the rest of her beer.

  As Liasare sat there, she couldn’t stop thinking about the strange man. Turning her bar stool to get another look at him, she was disappointed to see he had left his place against the wall. Her instincts and body told her he was still there. It was in the air...hot, electrifying. It wasn’t painful, yet it wasn’t comfortable either as she found herself squirming on her perch at the bar. She took another long pull off her beer.

  “Looking for me?” his warm breath cascaded over her ear and down her neck, sending currents of heat throughout every molecule, centering on that very spot at the pinnacle of her thighs she didn’t want to think about. She choked on her beer and spit it out on the bar as she felt his lips leave of trail of molten kisses down the side of her neck.

  The bartender, noticing her distress, immediately came to her aid with a towel. He mopped up the mess and handed her a bunch of napkins.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, thanks,” she squeaked.

  Her face was most likely the color of a tomato; it felt like it had gone up in flames when that husky voice whispered in her ear. She knew he was gone for her nerve endings told her so. She swiped her hand across her sweaty brow. In her twenty-seven years of life, never had a man affected her like this. It would be her luck, she thought, that something like this would happen on a night like tonight.

  ***

  Jurek Herdekian leaned against the wall and eyed the chestnut haired human as she drank her beer. His mere presence affected her, which surprised him since he was always careful to mute his powers. The human’s extreme sensitivity to him was an aberration. He was also disturbed by the fact that he had felt her distress when she had been surrounded by the Xanthians earlier in the night. He had no doubt that they had planned to kill her. That she had managed to kill one of them, impressed him beyond measure. He must find out who she worked for and what she was after.

  As she drank, she turned to examine the crowd. When her gaze landed on him, it wasn’t a quick look, but a thorough inspection. She liked what she saw and wanted to get a closer look. Had Jurek been in a different setting, he might have thrown his head back and laughed at her audacity. He opted for the next best thing.

  Jurek moved stealthily through the crowd until he was directly behind her, whispered something, kissed her, and then left. He would keep her in his sights now that he knew her scent as well as her thou
ghts.

  He waited outside the bar and watched as the sky lightened with the morning sun. The chestnut haired human left the bar and headed south toward the old Dillsworth area. Jurek followed her at a safe distance. When he found out where she was going, he would assign a man to her. She was fairly smart, this one. She took all kinds of turns and cut through yards, to lose anyone following her. She kept a constant check behind her; of course it would have been impossible to notice him, for he was traveling in his energy form which was undetectable to the human eye, or any eye for that matter.

  She arrived at a garage and made her way inside. He followed her and saw where she was staying. Satisfied that she would be safe for the near future, he departed and headed back to Lare-Stell Base.

  Chapter Five

  Lare-Stell Base

  “Did you follow Brownie?” Tak asked. Tak was Jurek’s second in command. Although he could be the biggest pain in the ass, he was loyal and had been a member of his team as long as he could remember.

  “I did. I found her in one of the bars. She appeared to be fine.”

  “Who’s she working for?”

  “I don’t know, but I know where she’s hiding out during the day, so I want someone assigned to her. I want her every move followed. I don’t know anyone bold enough to kill a Xanthian outright. Well, besides us that is. In front of five of his comrades no less.”

  “No shit. That was a damn ballsy move, wasn’t it? So who do you think it could be? The Guardians of Vesturon?”

  “The Guardians of Vesturon? Come on Tak. Have you been flashing too close to a solar flare? Your brain seems a bit fried.”

  “Yeah,” Tak snorted. “What the hell was I thinking? They would never put a female up to doing something like that.”

  “Damn right. They’re too straight for that.”

  “Those bloody fools drive me bat shit crazy.”

  “Yeah, I know. Well, everyone except for Xarrid Yarrister. At least he doesn’t walk around with his head up his ass all the time, like his brother Rykerian. It still puzzles me over how January could have fallen for a male such as him.”

  Jurek thought about January Yarrister for a moment. It had been awhile since he had seen her. He missed their conversations. He was closer to her than he’d ever been to anybody other than Larensa. He loved January like a sister, but he still questioned her choice of Rykerian for a mate. Jurek loved to start fights with Rykerian and he knew exactly how to do it. He had eased up for January’s sake, but it still gave him a good laugh every now and then.

  Now Xarrid...he was a different story. Xarrid and Jurek were a team. They had worked together on a number of cases, ever since Jurek had assisted Xarrid in rescuing his mate from the hands of the Xanthians. They saw eye-to-eye on nearly everything and were so much alike. Jurek would be proud to call him “brother.”

  “So Jurek, what do you think about Brownie Girl?”

  Jurek rubbed his jaw and sighed. “There’s something there, but I’m not sure what it is. Keep someone on her Tak, day and night.”

  Tak informed Jurek of some business issues with LS Enterprises. They had smuggling operations all over the universe. Lare-Stell Base was a space station that served as the headquarters for LSE, who supplied weapons to many of the smaller planets that had been taken over by the Unified SuperPower. The USP were tyrannical rulers (that included the Xanthians) who wanted to control the universe. Their goal was to get as many rebels armed as possible so that one day soon, they could all rise up as one and battle the USP. LSE was known for hijacking USP freighters filled with supplies headed for colonies where they were trying to establish strongholds. LSE’s goals were to undermine these operations and confiscate weapons and anything else that could hinder the USP.

  “Anything else to report?”

  “Yeah, and you won’t like it. There’ve been more disappearances in Center City, Atlantic Central and East Coast Mid.”

  “How many?” Jurek wanted to know. “Be specific before you answer. I want names if you have them, places of residence, sex and age.”

  “Don’t have any of that yet. Just the number twenty-seven.”

  “Damn. Populate the data stream as soon as you have the specifics. Make sure Naroo has all the information she needs. What’s the number up to now?”

  “It’s well over fifteen thousand.”

  “Where the hell are these people disappearing to? They aren’t just vanishing into thin air. Something evil is happening out there,” Jurek shouted as he slammed his hand into the wall. “I can feel it in the energy flow when I travel.”

  “We all do. I don’t have an answer for you Jurek. It’s rampant now with reports streaming in with disappearances from everywhere. Does Xarrid know anything?”

  “If he does, he isn’t saying. I’m going to bed,” Jurek growled as he rubbed his eyes. “When I awaken, I’m going back to Center City. I know damn well that’s where we’ll find the answer. I’ll be down there in the warehouse if you need me. Keep your eyes and ears open. Meet me at ten tomorrow night.” Jurek turned and headed to his quarters.

  ***

  Liasare awoke with a start. Her ears were tuned in to the noises around her. Not sure of what may have interrupted her sleep, she did a quick search of her surroundings until she was satisfied she wasn’t in any danger. She reached for her pack just as her stomach let out a rumble and she realized how hungry she really was. Biting into a bar, her thoughts went back to the strange man she had seen at the club last night.

  Who was he, she wondered? She had been disappointed when she felt him leave. And why did he have that effect on her? How could his presence make her body respond like that? She pushed those uncomfortable thoughts to the back of her mind.

  Liasare began to devise some kind of plan in her mind. If only she could find the blonde girl again, she thought. Liasare was sure this girl had known Tommy, or in the very least had some information about him. Why else would she have scurried off so fast?

  Liasare’s first order of business would be to locate all of Tommy’s hangouts. Since Shandro said he had been so popular with the ladies, he had to have left some kind of trail. Liasare had an old address he had given her that she planned to investigate today during daylight hours. Looking at her watch, she was surprised to find it was already five in the afternoon. She’d best get a move on for it would be getting dark soon and she didn’t need to be caught leaving Dillsworth at night.

  When she arrived at the address, her heart plummeted. It looked like some kind of warehouse and she wondered why Tommy had chosen to live in a place like this. Liasare pulled the annihilator out of her coat and set it to stun. Wiping her sweaty palm on her pants, she inched the door open, cringing as it made a loud creak. When the opening was large enough, she slipped inside and silently moved forward.

  The warehouse was dingy with a few small windows that allowed only a meager bit of light to eke its way through. Boxes and crates were scattered everywhere and pallets were tossed here and there, making it obvious that people still slept here. Liasare wondered who these individuals were that Tommy had associated with and whether she could be so bold as to approach them with questions.

  Her instincts told her it wasn’t a good idea to be here. When she moved to leave, she heard the sound of a door creaking, followed by several voices. She darted behind the closest stack of crates and prayed she wouldn’t be discovered. Several men walked in the warehouse. They were talking in low tones, making it difficult for her to pick up anything they said. She could hear words such as “Leader,” “Recruits,” and “Orders,” but nothing more than that. As she watched, she noticed something odd about the behavior of two of the men. Their eyes looked glazed, as if they had been drugged, and they were only speaking in monosyllabic responses.

  Minutes later, the two odd men lay down on the pallets and the other men left. Liasare waited a few minutes and decided to leave too. She tiptoed out to make her escape and was rounding the corner of the building when she felt that fa
miliar heated electric response surge within her body.

  “Going somewhere?” that husky voice asked.

  Crapitty crap!

  She sucked in her breath and dropped her annihilator, as his voice startled her. Before her brain could comprehend what was happening, she felt her body swirling through a vortex. She finally came to rest in another place.

  Disoriented and dizzy, she tried to focus on her surroundings, but everything seemed to tilt sideways. She reached out her hand to stop herself from falling, but only succeeded in grabbing a fistful of air. Not knowing which way was up or down, she tried, unsuccessfully, to break her fall. Instead, she felt her breath leave her body in a whoosh as she slammed into the ground.

  Fighting for oxygen, her diaphragm wouldn’t cooperate with her brain’s commands. Worse yet, she felt a pair of hands latch onto her waist, drag her to her feet and ram her back into a wall. Her head hung down as she fought to draw in precious oxygen, yet found she was still unable to do so. Then the asshole had the nerve to jam his arm straight into her diaphragm and start demanding things of her.

  “Tell me who you work for!”

  Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a poor fish that had been hauled out of the water, desperate to be thrown back in.

  “I’ll ask you this time. Who do you work for?” he bit out each word with precision.

  Things began to turn grey and hazy as the lack of air finally took its toll on her brain. She knew she was going to pass out.

  Double crapitty crap!

  Her head lolled to the side and ... Blink, lights out.

  Jurek looked at her and cursed, “What the fuck?”

  He hadn’t realized she was so close to losing it. He laid her out on the floor and looked at her for a moment. She wasn’t beautiful in that traditional, cookie-cutter sense, but there was something about her that enticed him. Her chestnut mane for one, and Jurek had always been a sucker for women with beautiful hair, but those hazel eyes of hers were something else. Her full lips were kissably soft, he thought, as he ran his thumb along her mouth. He finally placed his hand on her forehead and in seconds, she came to, moaning.