Nikol's Surrender (A World Beyond, #10)

by Howard, Michelle

  Nikol battled the urge to roll his eyes and checked his wrist comm. The confirmation for correct payment from both flashed across his screen. He waved at Dain. “Let’s go.”

  He wasn’t waiting for them to load all the crates in their vehicles. His job here was done.

  “Down!” Dain yelled.

  Nikol turned and something slammed across his back. Thrown off balance, he flew forward, hitting the ground with a grunt. Nikol tried to roll over but Dain kept him pinned down by laying on top of him.

  “What are you—?”

  A series of concussive booms cut into Nikol’s question. He flinched and glanced over his shoulder. The Ferandis were running for cover, keeping Mi-Yen in the middle of their protective circle. Bodu and the Tokuum were grinning and firing at the fleeing men.

  “Fuck,” Nikol muttered as he eased from under Dain. “We need to get out of here.”

  Drops of blood dotted Dain’s cheek but his mouth curved up in a grin beneath his face shield. “Always the same with them.”

  Nikol snorted and crawled forward. His ship was within reach if they could manage not to be shot in the crossfire. “This is the last time.”

  They made it onboard safely while the two warring tribes continued to battle. The crates Nikol had delivered were open and both sides had men freely using the weapons on one another. What a waste of time. He commed Lothar.

  “My son, how are things?”

  Nikol ripped off the face shield and restrained a growl. “This agreement must end. Coming to Antila has placed my men and I in needless danger. The profit we draw in is a pittance.”

  Lothar’s reply was instant. “I am on good terms with the Ferandis and Tokuum. They are friends to Marenia.”

  Which meant nothing.

  “These friends bombed our transport as a joke. They will see someone dead unless they put their hatred for one another aside.”

  Lothar sighed. “That was foolish of them, of course. I’ll be certain to recoup the cost from them. Was there more you had to discuss? The weapons transfer was obviously a success and our account reflects the credit deposits. If that is all, we have nothing more to talk about.”

  “Fine. But I will no longer be leading future deals between these two. I’m stopping on Nzoni to broker a new contract on their auction and then will return to Marenia.”

  “Stay safe,” Lothar said before ending the transmission.

  Dain glanced at Nikol, noting his clenched fingers on the controls. “Do you need time?”

  “No,” Nikol gritted out. “Get Smiki on the line.”

  They weren’t going to Nzoni. Nikol had already finalized that matter and used it as an excuse to delay his return.

  “On comm, security scramble enabled,” Dain murmured.

  Nikol reached for the cloak at the back of his seat and pulled it on, lowering the hood to obscure his features. “Add visuals.”

  The Chamele’s congenial features showed on the display, his grin livelier than Nikol had ever seen before. Smiki effusive greeting rang out. “My friend, it has been a while.”

  “Is everything set as planned?” Nikol asked

  The smile faltered at his abrupt question. “Yes. I did as you said once confirmation came through.”

  “How many?”

  “Three per the request. All of the explosives will be set to go off at the same time,” Smiki assured him.

  Exactly as he wanted. The Chamele had a history, though. “If you are lying to me—”

  Smiki waved his hands frantically. “No lies. I’m clean now, honest work only. I have three little ones to be a role model for. My best friend lets me visit whenever I want.” He puffed his chest out. “Her Senate Leader husbands trust me now because I left that life behind.”

  Nikol arched a brow the Chamele couldn’t see. Realizing how his words sounded, Smiki rushed to add, “But for you, I did this last thing. I broker with good people. Trusted.”

  Nikol had to accept it and he didn’t think Smiki would risk betraying him. “The credits will be paid in the same account as before.”

  Nikol disconnected. He eyed Dain. “Soon.”

  “Soon,” Dain agreed with a glitter of triumph in his gaze.

  ***

  Darcy casually walked through the halls with Tseju at her side. He didn’t speak but she didn’t expect him to. Apparently, conversations weren’t something Marenians did with a woman. Darcy had tried before and was usually met with a dead stare. A few times, she’d caught a twinkle in Tseju’s eyes but he’d blank his expression quickly.

  Heaven forbid he found her amusing. After they reached the other side of the house, she stopped and gasped. Tseju glanced down at her. “What is it?”

  “I left something in the kitse.” She injected a grain of worry in her voice. “Can you go back and see if Cecilee can check my bed? See if it’s there.”

  He cupped her elbow. “We can go back.”

  Then she wouldn’t be able to implement the first phase of her plan. “I’ll wait. You know I’m not going to leave, Tseju.”

  He glared and folded his arms over his chest. “Nikol doesn’t like any of his tutanis unattended.”

  Darcy fluttered her eyelashes. “I know, but we walked such a distance already and if we walk all the way back there, I’ll be too tired to come back. Please don’t cut my time short. It’s my only chance to get out of those rooms.”

  It was a slim excuse but all Darcy had. Sighing, Tseju dropped his arms. “I’ll comm Garmon.”

  Damn it! She hadn’t thought of that. Darcy chewed her inner cheek and waited as he tried to reach the other guard. Luck was on her side. There was no answer and he shot her a dark look. “What do you need Cecilee to look for?”

  Thinking on the fly, Darcy said, “It’s a necklace. Holkom from Nikol. I’m worried I left it out and it should be put away in a case. Cecilee’s the only one I trust not to take it.”

  His brown eyes lightened and he nodded. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll have her check and come back for you.”

  “Absolutely,” Darcy lied.

  As soon as he turned the corner, Darcy lifted the hem of her shellam and darted up a flight of stairs and raced up the steps to the next floor. She knew exactly where to go and skidded along the hall with one hand braced on the wall to slow her speed. The door to the archive room opened when she pushed it.

  Hurrying to the first comp station, Darcy sat and activated the desk comm. The screen came to life as it had when Nikol showed her. She clicked a few buttons and got the prompt for password access.

  “About to make you my bitch,” Darcy whispered as she let her comp skills have free rein.

  It took several tries, but the system was similar to what she worked with on Earth but way faster. Once in, she realized the language was still in the Standard language from when Nikol had adjusted it so she could read it weeks ago. She pumped her fist and accessed the security systems first.

  Cameras, logins—Darcy wiped her presence from them all and reset the timers to ten minutes prior to her entering the room with a blackout scheduled to cover all footage ten minutes from now. After that, she flew through the other systems. All she had to do was figure out how to send a coded message to the Singles Program coordinator.

  Time ticked at the back of her mind. She had to hurry. Any moment, Tseju could return. There was no telling how Cecilia would react to him asking about a random piece of jewelry. Sweat dampened her palms but Darcy was close to figuring out the messaging process.

  Success! Her cheeks hurt from her smile as she composed a message. The screen froze mid-stroke.

  “What the hell?” Darcy tapped the keys and the file she’d been accessing locked. Nothing she did could get her back in. Damn, damn. The screen suddenly turned red.

  Unauthorized Access Identified.

  Her breath stuttered in her chest. She couldn’t get back in. Someone had discovered her presence and taken necessary steps to shut the whole system down. Darcy jumped to her feet, knocking t
he chair behind her over. She straightened it and glanced around the room.

  “Shit, shit, shit!” At least they couldn’t undo the time erasure protocol she’d enacted. If she hurried, Darcy could still get out unseen.

  She raced to the door and closed it behind her. No one was in the hall, but that didn’t mean anything. The cameras would be back online soon and she needed to be far away from this room and this part of the house. Sweeping up the ends of her shellam, Darcy headed straight for the stairs, praying she got back to Nikol’s suite before she was discovered.

  ***

  Nikol arrived back and entered his suite to an almost hysterical Cecilee and the other tutanis on their knees, shaking in terror. There was one woman missing, the one he wanted to see most upon his return. “Where is she?”

  Cecilee raised her gaze to him. “She’s not here. She went out with Tseju but he came back saying Darcy wanted to know about a necklace.”

  “What?!” Nikol’s stomach dropped.

  She wasn’t here?! Because of a necklace? To his knowledge, Darcy didn’t care about any of the holkom he’d given her. The only item she ever wore was the bracelet from his mother. “How long has she been out?”

  Cecilee began wringing her hands, her features pinched tight. “Not long.”

  That told him nothing. What was his Earth woman up to now?

  Cecilee worried her bottom lip. “I thought she’d be back by now. Tseju went to retrieve her when I told him I put the necklace up.”

  “Tseju isn’t with her?” Nikol didn’t understand why the guard would have left Darcy alone. Nothing was making sense.

  Cecilee rose and voluntarily touched him for the first time. “You must find her. Quick before your father or any other discovers her. She does not respond well to correction.”

  The truth of her warning blazed like a light in his head. Lothar would love to get his hands on Darcy especially if he found her wandering the estate without a guard in a place she didn’t belong. And if he knew his Earth woman, she was probably doing something she shouldn’t. Trouble had a tendency to follow her.

  Nikol took off running from the kitse, barely hearing, “I sent Garmon on an errand, claiming it was urgent from the medic.”

  Fuck! No guards at the door meant Lothar would risk barging into his suite unannounced if he got back before Nikol. The other women would be at risk.

  Chapter 25

  Darcy’s heart slammed in her chest at almost being caught. Her sandaled feet slapped on the tiled floor as she raced back the way she’d come down the hall. Someone called out and her pulse thundered. Hurry, hurry. She needed to get back to the kitse before anyone discovered she was missing and put it together.

  More yells from behind her, then the sound of a door crashing open. A roar and pounding boots giving chase.

  Oh, shit! They’d found out she had been in the archive room. Darcy put on another burst of speed, skidding around the corner of the hall as she reached Nikol’s wing. Mouth dry, she gave thanks neither Garmon nor Tseju were there and burst through the door.

  No one was around. Sweat slicked her skin and her chest rose and fell with each pant. Darcy went to the small bubbling fountain and wet her hair and face. She dropped to her knees smoothing shaking hands over the silk skirt.

  Nikol stormed in a moment later, his burning gaze going directly toward her. Questions darkened his eyes as his heavy steps brought him to a stop in front of her. “Darcy, wh—”

  Relief hit hard. Nikol was back. The door crashed open, competing with the pounding of her heart. With no thought to anything but surviving the next few minutes, Darcy dropped to her knees and ripped at the flap of his pants. Her fingers trembled and he jerked as she braced a palm on his thigh and withdrew his half-erect cock into the opening with the other.

  “What are you doing?” His growl was at odds with the way his throbbing shaft twitched in her grip.

  “Niko!” Lothar roared. He stepped inside then came to a halt at the erotic sight before him.

  Darcy forced back the knot in her throat. Terror gave her the courage to do what she did next. She pushed up on her knees and leaned forward. Her lips stretched, but she managed to mouth Nikol’s cock down to the second of the four rings. He threaded his hands through her hair but didn’t pull her away.

  Licking and sucking as if his father didn’t stand feet away required strength Darcy didn’t know she possessed. Nikol groaned above her but didn’t rock forward as she expected. She stroked his shaft, thankful it was already hardening under her touch and closed her eyes as she prayed she somehow got to live beyond today.

  “Why are you in here, Lothar?”

  Nikol’s question caused Darcy to shiver but his fingers maintained their grip in her hair strong and steady.

  “Someone was in the archive room, accessed secured files and attempted to open an external line.”

  Darcy risked a glance at the doorway where Lothar stood. Unabashed greed reflected in his black as pitch stare as he watched her mouthing Nikol’s shaft and working him with both hands now.

  Nikol grunted. “Again, why are you here?”

  “To see if you knew anything.”

  Fingers stroked her hair from root to end then back before tightening at her scalp. Darcy winced and dared to lift her gaze. Brown fury glinted down at her, however, Nikol’s words were level as he spoke. “I just got back and as you can see I have other things on my mind after being away. Check your security vids.”

  Darcy prayed as she never had before, taking Nikol deeper despite her mouth being full and close to choking on his length.

  “There was a huge data crash before and after the breach. Techs can’t recover anything from the downtime.”

  Lothar sounded disgruntled by the fact and Darcy had a moment to be grateful she was still good at what she did, even with an unfamiliar system.

  Nikol’s thighs stiffened beneath her touch. “I repeat, why are you here then?”

  “Would you consider letting me use her for the night?” Lothar asked instead, his gaze unrelenting as he cupped the growing bulge between his legs.

  What? Oh, please, no.

  Would Nikol even consider the request? Was he going to correct her again for not being here when he arrived? He had to know she was responsible. Darcy risked another glance at his face and flinched at the raging anger Nikol didn’t bother masking. Her stomach flipped but she kept up the rhythmic sucking.

  “No.”

  Darcy wanted to choke on her relief.

  “I wouldn’t damage her, Niko...Nikol. My promise. I’ve never had one of the Earth women but I’ve heard the rumors.”

  Darcy didn’t want to know the rumors.

  “My answer is still no.” Uttered low and husky. Was he as aroused as he seemed? All four rings on his cock swelled against her fingers.

  “Perhaps you’d consider letting me take her mouth only. You can watch and see for yourself, I won’t bruise her. She’ll be returned in the same condition. I know you favor the tutanis in your kitse, son.”

  Darcy squeezed her eyes shut and worked Nikol’s cock faster. He was thick and hard in her mouth, his taste salty and sweet on her tongue. What if Lothar knew it was her and demanded Nikol hand her over? The thought was enough to make her ill.

  Nikol’s fingers dove deep into Darcy’s hair and stroked. She opened her eyes a little. He continued to watch her, nostrils flaring and dark brown eyes hiding his thoughts now. Red streaks darkened his cheeks and he panted slightly. From her efforts?

  “Leave, Lothar.”

  There was a long exhale and then his footsteps retreated. The door creaked open.

  “One thing,” Nikol called out. Darcy sensed Lothar pausing. She squeezed her eyes closed in fear as the heat of his stare burned into her bare skin. “Don’t ever come into my rooms again without permission.”

  The snap of wood on wood signaled the closing of the door. Before Darcy could relax, the hand in her hair shifted to her flexing jaw. She opened her eyes.
Lips twisted, Nikol tugged his cock from her mouth with his other hand. He stepped back and tucked the wet shaft back into his pants.

  “Was the risk worth almost dying?” he grated harshly.

  Darcy flinched, too scared to rise to her feet. What did he know? “I—I”

  “Say nothing!” He hissed with a slash of his hand.

  Darcy swallowed, refusing to lower her gaze. The other women slowly eased into the open area. They’d been smart to stay out of Lothar’s sight. Aside from Cecilee, she didn’t think any of them knew she’d lied to Tseju and snuck around.

  Nikol dropped to one knee beside her, his thumb swiping over the moisture left on her bottom lip. “Do you know what he does to those who betray him?”

  The soft tone of the question didn’t fool her. Brows lowered and mouth pinched tight, he was really angry with her. Darcy shook her head. Nikol smiled and leaned forward. His lips brushed her ear. “He makes me kill them.”

  At the truth she heard in his voice, her stomach lurched. Bile burned the back of her throat with its acidic taste. Nikol patted her shoulder and rose to his full height. “I have other matters to see to right now but we’ll speak of this later. Prepare to be corrected, Earth woman.”

  He marched out, leaving Darcy sick to her gut.

  ***

  Nikol had never been so scared in his life and not for himself. What could have possessed Darcy to take such a dangerous risk? Didn’t she hold any value for her life? It would be a long time before he lived down the terror of those few moments.

  Making the situation worse, she’d swallowed his cock and serviced him with her mouth right in front of Lothar. It wasn’t the erotic seed sucking she’d given him before. Only years of practice hiding his feelings from his father kept him from revealing his surprise. Even knowing it for the ruse she needed it to be, he’d almost poured his seed down her throat.

  Withdrawing from her hot mouth had been difficult but there was no way he’d take the release she boldly offered to hide what she’d done from Lothar. Face and hair wet, sprinkles of water dotting her lavender shellam, it was easy to assume she’d freshly showered except Nikol didn’t miss the rest of her body being dry.