by Gail Koger
A fist slammed into my face, knocking me against the ship’s hull. Stars sparked across my vision and I fell to the cold metal deck. Ouch. I shook my head to clear it. I hadn’t seen that one coming. Why hadn’t I sensed him?
“What happened?” Jake demanded.
“Got suckered punched.”
“By whom?”
My eyes narrowed as a behemoth snagged my laser pistol. “A big dude with long purple braids and pieced together armor.
“A Bjarke mercenary. Zap him,” Jake ordered.
The behemoth prodded me with his laser rifle. “Get up.”
I scrabbled backward and let the tears roll. “Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Drop the act. Earth females are seldom helpless,” the behemoth growled.
“Met some of us, huh?”
“I have.”
“Pity.” I hurled a lightning bolt at the mercenary. Crack! It slammed into his chest and he crashed into the wall with a satisfying thud. “Ha! How does it feel to have your ass handed to you by a girl?”
“Don’t get cocky. Bjarke mercenaries always travel in pairs.”
“Yes, my lord. Beg your pardon, my lord.”
“Knock it off, CeeCee,” Jake grumbled.
“Do you have control of the ship?” I climbed to my feet.
“I do.”
A big hand clamped down on my shoulder. Crap! I twisted like a cat, dropped to one knee, and hurled the warrior over my shoulder.
The mercenary rolled to his feet and pulled his laser pistol.
Like some crazed acrobat, I somersaulted behind the shuttle. A stun beam barely missed me.
Jake commanded, “Stand down Loki. She’s mine.”
I peeked around the shuttle.
Jake had his scary warlord face on, and his laser pistol pointed at the bounty hunter.
“Yours?” Loki grimaced and holstered his pistol. “I should have known a Jones was involved.”
The behemoth I had zapped, groaned, and got to his feet. “What did she hit me with?” He inspected his smoldering armor.
“Lightning. Think of it as payback for punching me.” Rubbing my aching jaw, I walked over to Jake. “You know these guys?”
“They’re my cousin Yakira’s foster brothers. Loki and Ivan are mercenaries and thieves. Never leave them alone within anything of value. Specially weapons or armor.” Jake switched to mind speak. “You hit CeeCee again Ivan and you are a dead man.”
In a placating gesture, Ivan raised his hands. “I did not know she was yours.”
“So, you hit women a lot?” Lightning crackled around me.
“Sometimes my duties as a bounty hunter makes it necessary, my lady,” Ivan responded.
Jake demanded, “What are you doing on Drax’s warbird?”
“We were chasing a bounty and heard Drax was hiring mercenaries to raid Earth for females. We contacted the Overlord and he paid us to investigate.” Loki eyed me curiously. “Drax said his son, Keyan, had claimed this one.”
I snorted in disgust. “In his dreams.”
“CeeCee’s mine,” Jake said, placing a possessive arm around my shoulders.
Power roiled across the shuttle bay and Shazam! Zarek appeared.
Jake did his fist-on-chest salute. “The ship is under our control, my lord.”
“Excellent.”
Ivan blurted out, “We both want an Earth female to mate with.”
“Gee what a surprise,” I muttered under my breath.
Zarek shot me an amused look. “Earth females are unique creatures and difficult to catch or tame.”
“That makes the hunt all the more exciting,” Loki said enthusiastically.
A growl escaped me.
“Manners,” Jake whispered, tightening his grip on me.
I hissed, “We aren’t prey or dogs that need to be housebroken.”
“I think Zarek meant you need careful handling.” Jake stroked my back soothingly.
Was I being managed?
“Earth females need to be wooed, not hunted,” Zarek admonished.
I shot him a disbelieving look.
Ivan held out his arms and crowed, “What female could resist this?”
Oh, dear God. “I am not finding women for those idiots,” I said firmly.
Zarek smiled faintly. “I agree. Your job is finding Trayon’s mate.”
“Great. Do you still want me to pilot the shuttle back to your warbird?”
“Earth First and the Dragos clan are familiar with Drax’s shuttle. Use it for your hunt,” Zarek said.
Jake gave a slight bow. “Thank you, my lord.”
The crawlies slithered up my back, drawing my attention to Ymer. The idiot was trying to pull his laser pistol, before I could zap him, Zarek’s deep voice sounded in my head, “He is mine.”
“Yes, sir.” I flinched as Zarek struck him mentally.
“Mercy, my lord,” Ymer moaned pitifully.
“Mercy?” The horrifying gentleness of Zarek’s voice warred with the rage in his eyes. “Did you show any mercy to the inhabitants of Gamma Five?”
Anger flashed across Ymer’s face. “They were illegally mining Indium in our territory. Father wanted the location of the mine. When they refused to tell us, Father ordered me to destroy the space station. I did as I was told.”
“You murdered over one thousand men, women and children. Few of them were miners.”
“They were thieves. The punishment for theft is death.” A groan of agony broke from Ymer. “My father is a powerful warlord. Release me now or know his wrath,” Ymer gasped defiantly.
A snort escaped me. “Sorry, my bad, but your daddy couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.”
“Quiet female. You know nothing.”
“I know your daddy was a coward and thief. A true warlord would have challenged the Overlord to combat. What did your daddy do? He had his goons plant a bomb on Zarek’s warbird. That plan failed big time. Your daddy’s dead and rotting in the ninth hell.”
Ymer gaped at me. “You are lying.”
“Nope. I was there when Drax died.”
“Impossible. Father has never been defeated in battle,” Ymer cried.
Jake chuckled. “Drax has never been in combat.”
“I can attest to that,” Loki added.
Ivan nodded. “When the fighting starts, Drax flees.”
“Lies. Nothing but lies!”
“Are they? See the truth,” Zarek snapped.
I caught brief glimpses of the images Zarek was force feeding Ymer until he began to babble incoherently. Okey-dokey. The Overlord was downright the scariest man alive. I linked with Jake, “Do you think it’d be okay with the Overlord if we started our hunt, like now?”
“I’ll ask.”
“You have my permission to leave,” Zarek announced abruptly.
“Awesome!” The minute Zarek vanished from our heads, I grabbed the boot of one of the warriors stuck under the shuttle and yanked. “God, he weighs a ton.”
“I got him.” Jake dragged the first warrior over to Ivan. “Watch him.”
“Me? You are not my commander.”
I glared at Ivan. “Watch him or I’ll zap you again.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I tugged and tugged on the other warrior’s leg. “Shit! I think he’s stuck.”
“I’m surprised he fit under there.” Getting a firm grip on his leg, Jake hauled him out and whistled at the guy’s battered features. “What happened to his face.”
“My foot.”
“It is never a good idea to make an Earth female angry,” Loki commented.
Ivan eyed us suspiciously. “Going somewhere?”
“Can’t say. It’s top secret,” I answered.
“Are you starting your hunt for the Earth females?”
Jake grabbed me and poof! We were suddenly in the shuttle.
“Run but know thi
s. We are the best trackers in the galaxy, and we will find you,” Loki warned as Jake closed the hatch.
“Fuck.” I dropped into the pilot’s chair. “Good thing they can’t teleport.”
“No kidding. They’d steal us blind.” Jake typed coordinates into the navigational computer. “I need to grab some gear from the ship.”
“Okay, it’ll give Uncle Jesse time to heat the rocks for the sweat lodge.”
“Is the sweat lodge really necessary?”
I shot Jake a narrow sidelong glance. “You still want to become a shaman?”
“I do.”
“Then it’s necessary. Our rituals serve a purpose. The sweat lodge purifies the soul and stimulates visions.”
“Any peyote involved?”
“Some.”
“Warlords are not allowed to take recreational drugs,” Jake said.
I shrugged. “Your choice.”
Jake frowned and cocked his head to one side as if he was listening to someone. “I have Zarek’s authorization to use peyote in shaman rituals.”
“How often does Zarek listen into your conversations?”
“Not often.”
I cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“He listens in on critical missions,” Jake conceded.
“And he considers locating Trayon’s mate a crucial operation?”
“He does. The treaty with the Askole is too important to risk.”
I shuddered. “I’d hate to have them as enemies.”
“The Askole were the Coletti enemies until Sariel ended up on the same penal colony as Zarek. They joined forces to escape and have been allies since,” Jake advised.
“I bet they annihilated the penal colony.”
“They did and freed all the prisoners.”
“I would have loved to have seen that.”
“There are some old vids in the archives you can watch. The academy instructors showed them when I was in training to become a warlord. Once we find Jia, I’ll let you watch them.”
“It’s a date, and I’ll even bring the popcorn.” I said, bringing the shuttle in for a landing. “Don’t forget to pack some tourist gear. We need to blend in with the other sightseers.”
“Yes, my lady.” Jake teleported away.
I linked with Uncle Jesse. “I’m gonna need the sweat lodge, do you have time to heat up the stones?”
“I do,” Uncle Jesse replied.
You’re the best, and I’ll be piloting a fancy black shuttle. Do not shoot us.”
“And here I’ve been wanting to try out my new surface-to-air missile,” Uncle Jesse quipped.
“Does Father know you’re buying things from the military surplus store again?”
“Hell, no, but Samuel say you and that Coletti warlord are mated.”
“He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“Do you love him?”
I rubbed my forehead. “Maybe. He’s growing on me.”
“Once I saw his aura, I knew the Coletti wouldn’t stop until you were his,” Uncle Jesse said.
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“It wouldn’t have stopped him from claiming you.”
I let out a long sigh. “True. Jake’s very persistent.”
“You’ve been alone for too long.”
“I have Father and you.”
“We’re not enough. You need to open your heart to love.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have you been trolling those online dating sites again?”
“Yellowhorse needs a car towed. I’ll talk to you later,” Uncle Jesse said and broke our link.
Crap. He was. The last time he went on the Everlasting Love site he got conned out of three thousand credits.
Jake popped in with a duffle bag. “Let’s go commune with the spirits.”
Chapter Twelve
Our sacred place was deep inside Canyon De Chelly. The towering red sandstone cliffs held the remains of an ancient Anasazi cliff dwelling. At the base of an overhang of rock was a traditional cedar log hogan.
Carefully avoiding the cottonwood trees, I set the shuttle down on the bank of Black Rock Creek and shut off the engines.
Jake stared up at the cliff dwellings. “Amazing. Are those petroglyphs?”
“They are. Father has been studying the Anasazi’s rock carvings for years.”
“The tourists must love this place,” Jake said.
“The only ones allowed here are shamans and elders.” I lowered the ramp and stepped out of the shuttle. “Can you feel it?”
Jake raised his face to the sun and smiled. “Energy. Peace. Well-being.”
“Correct. This is a holy site that can awaken your soul, increase your power and allow you access to the esoteric plane.”
“You’re talking woo-woo shit?”
I laughed. “In a way. Many ancient spirits still reside here.” I gestured toward the hogan. “Enter at your own risk.”
“Warlords like a challenge.” Jake grabbed my hand and headed for the hogan.
“After Father rescued me, he brought me here to keep me safe from the bounty hunters.”
“Let me guess. They found you anyway.”
“They did. They bribed one of the tribal members to guide them.” I smiled grimly as memories of the ancient ones attacking the intruders flashed across my mind. “It was my first introduction to spirits manifesting.”
“The first?”
“I had seen Uncle Max and my mother go into the light, but these ghosts assumed physical forms and damn could they fight.”
Jake hugged me. “Must have been pretty damn scary for a five-year-old.”
“I wasn’t afraid of them. I knew they were here to protect me, and I’ve been talking to them ever since. The biggest surprise was when Father called down the lightning. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a shaman like him.”
“And you are,” Jake said.
“I don’t have all of Father’s powers. Yet.”
Jake stopped at the entrance. “Are you sure about that?”
“I am.” I opened the door and stepped inside. The room contained an old potbelly stove, a handmade pine cabinet, a table with a lantern and two beds.
Jake examined the Navajo blankets covering the beds. “Nice workmanship.”
“Thank you.”
“You made these?”
I grinned at Jake’s surprise. “Weaving’s great therapy and it soothes the soul.”
“You’re full of surprises.” Jake planted a gentle kiss on my mouth. “Did the spirits teach you?”
“Nizhoni, a master weaver, taught me. She had a thing for Father.”
“Did she manage to snare him?”
“No. Father’s heart will always belong to Chooli.”
“Chooli?”
“His wife. The Tai-Kok captured her.”
“God.” Horror filled Jake’s eyes. “Was she alive when they took her?”
“She was, but Father brought the ship down before they could butcher her.”
“Better a quick death than being eaten alive. I lost my parents to them.”
The raw pain in Jake’s voice had me hugging him tightly. “Never forget. Our grief gives us the strength to do what is necessary. Vengeance will be ours.”
Jake stroked his thumb down the side of my face. “I helped exterminate the Tai-Kok. Now the Rodan must be brought to justice.”
“And they will be.” Jake understood what it was like to lose someone you loved and the burning need for retribution. No matter how long it took. “Did you catch the Tai-Kok who murdered your parents?”
“No, I was too far away. Kaylee witnessed everything.” Sadness filled Jake’s face as he added, “She went a bit nuts and single-handedly slaughtered the monsters, but she wasn’t able to save our parents.”
“Damn and I bet your sister blamed herself.”
“In her mind, she was responsible. When she s
aw our mother being eaten alive, she froze. She thinks that sixty seconds of shock doomed them.”
I knew Kaylee’s pain. “For a long time, I blamed myself for my mother’s death too.”
“You were five years-old. You couldn’t have saved her or stopped the bounty hunters,” Jake replied.
“They were after me, not her.”
“The only one to blame is Aldo Dragos. He should have kept you safe.”
“That’s what Father said, but the guilt still remains.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. “The pain of losing her never goes away.”
“You’re a lot like Kaylee. She was a cop too. You have her warrior’s heart. You’re both hardwired to protect the innocent. Even if that means looking death in the face.”
I shrugged. “If we don’t stop evil, who will? To protect and serve is in my DNA.” I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Just like you.”
Time stopped as Jake’s mouth molded mine with a tantalizing tenderness. Our tongues tangled in a slow, sensual dance. Pure carnal desire beat inside me until I wanted to hump Jake like a deranged monkey. I sank down on a bed and beckoned to Jake. “I want your cock inside me. Now.”
“As my lady commands.” Jake’s armor shrank away.
I ran my gaze over his muscular body and raised an eyebrow. “Where’s your red plaid underwear.”
“I forgot to do laundry and decided to go commando.”
“I like your red plaid underwear. The socks not so much.”
“Highland warriors have worn those socks for centuries. I’ll get you some.”
“I’d rather have chocolate.”
“I think I can manage both,” Jake murmured, and his lips melded with mine.
Every nerve in my body did the Tango. Lordy, could he kiss. Now it was time to rock his world. Bending down, I thrust my tongue into his slit and dragged it out. In. Out. In. Out. The tight bud of tentacles rubbed against me. I drew it into my mouth and suckled it. The tentacles began to vibrate faster and faster. One tiny nibble and bam!
“Holy fuck,” Jake roared, his torso shaking in release. “Where did you learn that?”
“I’ve been in your mind. Remember all those pleasure houses you and the boys visited? This is your favorite sex act. Did I get it right?”
“Hell, yeah.”
I licked my lips. “Good to know.”
