She yanked his head down and kissed him. When Ian had mentioned her looks, intimating that Flynn wouldn’t see her as a woman, she’d reverted back to the needy teenage girl she’d been. Now she was remembering the woman she was. There was no doubt in her mind that Flynn wanted her.
Flynn lifted her right off her feet, even as he devoured her mouth. “You’re what I want for dessert,” he informed her between kisses. Her breasts swelled, her panties were damp, and her core ached.
“I wouldn’t mind some dessert myself.” She was positively giddy, her thoughts scrambled. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “Shouldn’t we make a plan first?”
“After.” With her held tight in his arms, he left the galley behind and headed toward his sleeping chamber.
“Vessel approaching, Captain,” the computer announced.
Flynn came to an abrupt halt. Cerena unwound her legs and dropped to the floor.
“Whoever they are, I’m going to kill them,” he announced.
“Ah, don’t you think you’d better see who it is first.” She brushed her hair out of her face and tried to ignore the desire coursing through her veins, when all she really wanted to do was jump him again.
“Computer, what kind of vessel is approaching?”
“Gravasian in origin. Unknown type of vessel.”
“I will fucking kill him.” Flynn stalked toward the control room, his boots echoing as they thumped across the metal floor.
“Who?” She hurried to keep up, not about to be left behind.
“Vaden. That bastard brought them here.”
“Who?” The door to the control room slid open.
“My family.” Flynn dropped into his chair. “Open communications.”
“Communications open,” the computer announced.
“Vaden, I don’t know how you got here so quickly, but I know it’s you, you bastard.”
Vaden’s face came onto the viewing screen. “What can I say? I missed your smiling face and happy countenance.”
“If my sister is on that ship, I’m going to fucking kill you,” Flynn warned. Cerena stood behind him, put a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed.
“You really have to stop threatening a royal prince of Gravas, Flynn. I can only bail you out so many times.” Vaden’s face hardened. “And Abby would not stay on Gravas knowing you were in danger. You are her family. My family.”
Flynn sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “Yeah, yeah. Okay. The rest are with you, aren’t they?”
A smile teased the corners of Vaden’s mouth. He really was a handsome man. While she could appreciate that, in reality he did nothing for her. “Do you really think any of them would be left behind?”
Flynn gave a rough laugh. “I suppose you’d like to come aboard.”
“Amos informs me that your landing bay is large enough to accommodate my ship.”
“Then come aboard.” Rather than give commands to the computer, Flynn went to the navigations console and began to manually key in instructions. “Opening outer hatch.”
“We see it. Amos is bringing us in.”
Flynn turned and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go meet them.” He frowned when she took his hand. “Your fingers are cold.”
“Your family knows I tried to kill you.” While she might trust Flynn, his family were an unknown. She knew how she’d feel if someone tried to harm Nix. She’d kill them.
Yup, she wasn’t quite expecting the happy reunion Flynn was. If his brothers were like him, they’d likely shoot first and ask questions later.
“Maybe it would be better if you met them alone.” She tugged on his hand, but he wasn’t letting go. Even though it was his human hand, there was no escaping. Not unless she shot or stabbed him.
Resigning herself to the inevitable, she squared her shoulders and increased her pace. “Promise me you’ll rescue Nix.” If she had that assurance, she could face anything.
His frown would have made the strongest man’s heart tremble in fear. Fortunately for her, she wasn’t a strong man but a woman in love. Flynn had smashed his way into her heart, holding it securely in his big, strong hands.
“Of course I’ll rescue Nix. Nothing is going to happen to him, or you,” he added. She wished she shared his optimism.
“Hatch fully open. Ship beginning docking procedure,” the computer informed them.
“Come on. We don’t want to be late.”
She wouldn’t have minded, but Flynn was eager to see his family. She couldn’t fault him for that. It didn’t take them nearly long enough to reach the docking area. With their long legs, they ate up the distance quickly. The interior doors were shut to protect gravity and oxygen levels, but she could see the ship settling on the deck through the thick viewing windows.
“Outer hatch closing.” The computer kept them apprised as the air pressure and content was brought back up to normal. As soon as the green light went on inside the docking area, the door slid open and the ship’s ramp came down.”
A huge man in a battlesuit, including full helmet, stomped down the metal incline. He was as big as Flynn. Not being able to see his face made him even more intimidating.
“Not taking any chances?” Flynn asked.
The face panel slid up. She recognized his dark eyes and trimmed beard. This was Vaden. “Figured it was best to be prepared,” he told them.
“This is ridiculous,” a woman muttered as she shoved past Vaden. This was Abby, Flynn’s sister. And from her frown, she was not happy to see Cerena. “What is she doing here?” Abby demanded.
Flynn snaked his arm out and brought Cerena close to his side. “What are you doing?” Cerena protested, keeping her voice low as she tried to push away.
Abby’s gaze went from her brother to Cerena and back to Flynn. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Cerena is with me,” Flynn announced as though that was the beginning and end of the conversation.
“Is it safe to come out?” A white rag was shoved through the opening and waved in the air. Then a man appeared. He was younger, with the same black and white hair, but he had a jagged scar on his left cheek. Beside him was a woman with short red hair and laser blue eyes.
“Get out here, you idiots,” Flynn ordered.
They all trooped down the ramp, two at a time. The men all shared a similar look. No one would mistake them for anything but brothers. They all had their arms around women.
Cerena took advantage of the confusion to back away. This was his family. She wasn’t welcome here.
One man caught the movement and leveled a huge blaster at her. She froze and slowly raised her hands in the air.
“What the fuck are you doing, Garth?” Flynn stepped in front of her, glowering at his brother.
“He’s protecting you, as he should.” She wasn’t about to come between him and his family. If they needed to take their revenge on her, she’d rather it happened sooner than later. She trusted Flynn to rescue Nix. She loved her son and wanted him back, but if her death made it possible, she’d do what she had to do.
Tears threatened, but she blinked them back. She wanted to see Nix grow into a man and marry a good woman, maybe have kids of his own. To have the kind of life she’d always dreamed about but never had. She wanted to see what came of this relationship with Flynn, if it would last or fizzle out on his side once the excitement was over and the adrenaline settled. She loved both of them so much.
“He better put that fucking blaster down if he knows what’s good for him.” Flynn announced. He scowled at his brother, but Garth was busy glaring her at, the gun still raised.
Cerena grabbed Flynn’s arm. “They’re your family. I know what they’re feeling. They want me dead for threatening your life. I get it. I’d want the same if I were in their position.”
“Fuck that.” Flynn yanked her toward him. “You’re mine.” He dragged her up on her toes and kissed her. This wasn’t good, would only serve to provoke his family fur
ther. Then she stopped caring. Flynn wasn’t satisfied with a light peck on the lips. No, he laid claim to her mouth with lips and tongue, until she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.
A man cleared his throat. “I think there’s a little more to the situation than we know.”
Flynn eased away but kept a hold of her. There was no love or softness in his gaze, only determination and warning. If she moved from his side, he’d likely kiss her again. As threats went, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to avoid it or push him into another kiss.
“You always were the smart one, Amos,” Flynn told the man. She had names for most of the men, but not the women.
“I want you to meet Cerena.” He turned so she was facing the group. “Kal and Rory, Amos and Angelina, Garth and Lacey, and Abby and Vaden.”
She nodded because, really, what could she say? Nice to meet you? They’d know it was a lie, or at least a partial one. She was actually fascinated by this glimpse into Flynn’s life, but she also knew none of them would ever like her. She’d tried to kill Flynn. That wasn’t something a brother or sister would forget or forgive.
Flynn reached into his pocket and yanked out his personal communicator. Then he held out his hand to her. “Kal might be able to get something off them.”
Cerena reached into her vest pocket and drew out the communicator Ian had given her. It was the only link to her son. Her fingers closed over it, reflexively protecting it.
Flynn’s eyes darkened. “He won’t damage it, baby. I promise.” Then he glared at Kal in warning. “This is the only way we have of reaching Reader. Don’t fuck it up.”
They were all watching her. Taking a deep breath, she forced her fingers to open and dropped the device in Flynn’s hand. He handed them both to his brother.
“Get what you can,” he told Kal. “If you can’t get his location, we have a plan.”
“What plan?” Vaden demanded.
Flynn grinned, looking more the space pirate than he ever had. “Why, Cerena is going to kill me.”
Chapter Nine
Cerena was still angry with him for dropping their plan on his family as bluntly as Flynn had, but honestly, it had been fun to watch his brothers’ expressions. Hours later, none of them were happy with him. His family was used to his perverted sense of humor. Cerena was not.
She was currently hiding in his room. Officially, she’d gone to rest, but he knew better. Not that he could blame her. His brothers and Abby had watched her with nothing but suspicion.
“Let’s deal with this once and for all.” They were all in the control room, each of them at their normal posts. Kal was on communications, Amos was on the engines and mechanical systems, and Garth was on radar and weapons. Their women were beside them. Even Abby and Vaden were there, seated at a spare seat at the navigation console. It was as though none of them wanted to let him out of their sight.
“I don’t need bodyguards,” he informed them.
“She tried to kill you,” Abby pointed out.
Vaden ran his fingers down Abby’s arm. “Ah, kismara, you shot me when we first met.”
“That was different,” she insisted. Flynn rubbed his face, trying not to smile. The others didn’t quite manage, and all started to laugh. He didn’t know what was more amusing, his sister shooting Vaden or tough as nails Vaden calling Abby his heart.
“Her son’s life is in danger,” he reminded them. “What would you do to save your child?” They all fell quiet, silently acknowledging his point.
“Okay, so we help her get the boy back,” Garth stated. “Then she goes back to her life and you go back to yours.”
“What is my life?” he asked. They all stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language.
“What the hell do you mean?” Amos asked. “You’re captain of the Abigail, our brother and leader.” The rest nodded. Well, all except Vaden.
“My purpose in life was to get all of you out of the fucking mines on Quaros.” He stood and began to pace. “When things went to hell, my purpose changed to keeping you all alive and finding Abby. All I ever wanted was for all of you to have a good life. You have that now.”
He stopped by Kal and Rory. “You have one another.” He looked to the rest. “You all have women.” Then he smirked at Abby. “I guess Vaden doesn’t quite qualify.” His brother-in-law held up his middle finger in the universal sign of “fuck you”.
“My purpose has been filled. I have an empty ship. You all have a chance at a real life. With the money we’ve earned and saved and your ties to Gravas, you can have that.”
“So you’re using that woman to fill the void in your life?” Abby asked. She held up her hand before he could respond in anger. “I’m trying to understand, Flynn. My instinct is to get her as far away from you as possible. At the very least, slap her silly for what she tried to do.”
“I’d like to hear the answer to that as well.” Cerena stood in the open doorway, looking remote and every inch the powerful woman she was in her leather pants, vest, and boots. The others might think she was unarmed. Only he knew about her hidden knives, which he’d returned to her earlier. As he’d also known she’d been at the open door long enough to hear most of the conversation. He’d wanted her to hear what he had to say.
“No, I’m not using her to fill a fucking void. Or maybe I am.” He ran his hand over the top of his head, feeling the short bristles. “I didn’t know parts of me were empty until I met Cerena.” He kept his eyes on her but spoke to the room at large.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love my life. I wouldn’t change any of it for anything.” He glanced at Abby. “Except for the part about you being kidnapped. But if we changed that, then none of you would have met your women. Abby, you wouldn’t have met Vaden.”
His siblings frowned and pulled their partners a bit closer.
“So you’re saying it’s what? Fate?” Cerena stood with her feet planted and her hands on her hips. She was tough and gorgeous and his.
“What do you think would have fucking happened if you’d been sent after any other man?”
She frowned and toyed with the loops on her vest. Maybe she was considering trying to stab him again. “They’d be dead.”
As much as he loved her confidence, he wasn’t so sure. “Or you’d be fucking dead. Then where would Nix be?”
She slowly nodded. “Point taken.”
Flynn stomped toward her, needing to touch her. “Instead, you now have a group of us ready to help you rescue your son.”
“I’m grateful for that.”
His stomach soured. “I don’t want your fucking gratitude.”
“He’s swearing a lot,” Kal whispered. “Never a good sign.”
Cerena squared her shoulders. “What do you want?”
Flynn ignored his brother and the rest of his family. “You.” He trailed the fingers of his robotic hand over her cheek. “Most women fall into two camps. They’re either scared of me or they want to fuck the monster.”
“You’re not a monster.” She scowled at him and shoved his hand away. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“See, you’re the only woman who has ever really seen me, ever really wanted me.”
“I wanted to kill you,” she reminded him.
He couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, there is that.” When she smiled back, everything inside him settled. “I want you with me.” His family was all right there, listening avidly. Not one of them had left to give them privacy. Fuck it. He didn’t care if they heard. It was probably for the best that they knew exactly where he stood.
Her gaze softened, and her lips parted in surprise. “Do you really mean it?”
He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him. “Yeah, I do.”
“So we’re just supposed to let go of the fact she tried to kill you?” Garth asked.
“You were going to abandon me on Eden,” Lacey pointed out. “I got over it.”
“That’s different,” his brother insisted. “I took you.
”
“Yes, you did. And Flynn wasn’t happy about it, but he got over it.”
Garth sighed and pulled Lacey against him. “So you’re saying if he can let it go, I should.”
“Do you want him to be happy?” Lacey asked. Garth grumbled under his breath and then nodded.
“She really makes you happy?” Abby asked.
Cerena stiffened beside him, but Flynn pulled her close, unwilling to let her run away this time. “She does. I want to see where this goes.”
“I don’t like it,” Abby muttered. “And why you?” she demanded of Cerena. “I get that you have a history with Reader, that he has your son, but you’re not an assassin. What do you do?”
“I’m a bouncer in a bar.”
“So you know how to beat up people?”
Cerena stiffened and gave a curt nod.
“Abby,” Flynn warned. “Watch yourself.”
“Why? You had no problem threatening Vaden.”
“Fuck.” He glared at the Gravasian bastard, who was grinning. “So this is what? Payback?”
“No, Flynn.” Abby seemed more sad than mad. “This is about a woman who tried to kill you.”
“I was desperate, but that’s no excuse.” Cerena pushed away from him and faced his family. “I was thinking only of my son, not about Flynn or his family. I should have found another way. I can’t go back and change the past, no matter how much I wish I could.”
His brothers were all frowning, but there were the first stirrings of understanding in their eyes.
“I’d do anything to protect my son. I know you feel the same way about Flynn. I get that you don’t trust me. It will take time for me to earn it. Going forward, know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect Flynn.”
“I don’t need fucking protecting.” His brothers were doing an admirable job of hiding their smiles. Abby was enjoying his discomfort far too much, but there was a change in the way she was looking at Cerena, a growing respect for having owned up to what she’d done.
Flynn's Assassin (Marks Mercenaries Book 5) Page 8
