Beg For Mercy (Fate's Vultures, #2)

by Jami Gray

  ‘Vex found some clothes.’ Havoc tilted his head towards the bed.

  Shifting in her seat, she looked over and spotted a pair of jeans, a burnt orange t-shirt and what she thought might be a vest. ‘Thanks?’

  Vex waved her off. ‘One of Maggie’s girls donated them.’ She cut a sly glance to Mercy. ‘In case you’re interested, your scumbag stalkers are being well distracted by the girls. Guess you’re not more important than getting l—’

  ‘Child. Ears.’ Havoc cut in.

  The boy ducked his head, but not before Mercy caught a hint of a smile.

  ‘Please,’ Vex drawled, discarding a card before replacing it. ‘Katori’s ears can handle it. He’s not a kid, he’s a warrior.’

  Katori’s head snapped up as he looked at Vex, who held his gaze until a restrained pride broke through his normal stoic expression. The exchange, simple though it was, sparked Mercy’s curiosity. There was a story there, a big one. Probably the same story which would explain this boy’s presence with two members of Fate’s Vultures. Last she heard, the notorious band of nomadic vigilantes with a growing reputation of brutal justice was working for, or with, Crane, head of the Central territories. Problem was no-one could decide on the ‘for’ or ‘with’ part of the rumours. They were far from her first babysitting choice.

  Since Havoc didn’t seem to be in a rush to ask her questions, she set her glass aside, leaned forward and folded her arms on the table. Time to find out what she was dealing with. ‘So, Fate’s Vultures?’

  Reading her body language, Havoc pushed his empty plate away and shifted his chair so he could stretch out his legs. ‘Yep.’

  ‘Hmmm.’ Making the noncommittal sound, she waited for him to take the bait.

  Sure enough he folded. ‘Hmm, what?’

  Setting her proverbial shovel against the dirt, she started digging, determined to find a diamond of a reason to stick around. First up, unearthing why Katori was with the two because her mind could swing down some pretty dark paths. ‘Thought you all were more inclined to finish trouble than start it.’

  He sank further into the chair, folded his hands over his stomach, and watched her through half-closed eyes. ‘What makes you think we’re starting anything?’

  ‘Don’t you love when our reputation precedes us?’ Vex chimed in from her position on the bed.

  By sheer force of will, Mercy refrained from rolling her eyes. Instead, certain she could make her point, she gave one word. ‘Babysitting?’

  Havoc didn’t acknowledge Vex, his attention focused on Mercy. ‘What? You think we kidnapped him?’

  Out of the corner of her eye, Mercy caught movement as Katori’s spine went ramrod straight. The telling movement caused a corresponding tension to snake through her, which wasn’t helped by Vex’s glare, but Havoc wasn’t done screwing with her. ‘And we, what? Decided to stay within striking distance of his people?’ He shook his head. ‘Underestimating my intelligence a bit, aren’t you, babe?’

  His mocking tone helped ease her tension and concerns, even as it raked over her nerves. ‘Still trying to decide how much is smarts and how much is luck, sugar.’ Although she conceded his point. The Vultures were far from stupid, so playing kidnapper was a farfetched theory. It did give her another direction to pursue though. ‘Retrieval.’

  The only clue that she nailed it was a subtle tightening around his eyes, so she pressed her luck. ‘You’re taking him home. Something that will get the Vultures, or maybe Crane, in good with the People.’ A smart move on whoever’s part. Whether it was Crane or the Vultures, you could never have too many alliances. After all, wasn’t she ultimately banking on the same theory?

  Havoc and Vex exchanged an unreadable look before he went back to Mercy. ‘Why does it matter to you?’

  Because maybe she could ride that wave of goodwill for her own benefit. Not a card she wanted to share with him just yet, so she shrugged. ‘Just curious.’

  ‘So am I.’

  His ominous tone stole every drop of moisture from her mouth. As casually as possible she reached out for her glass and took a sip of water, never breaking eye contact. Not even when a forbidding light began burning in the depths of his eyes.

  ‘What’s your deal, Mercy?’ A hard edge lay under his question. ‘How’d you end up with a front row seat to a killing?’

  Hiking a negligent shoulder, she offered, ‘Luck?’

  That earned an amused snort from the bed as Havoc’s eyes narrowed. ‘How long do you think you can keep running from the Cartel before they catch up?’

  Deciding partial truth would get her better results than continuing her game of twenty questions, she kept her tone bland. ‘Long enough for you to take me up the canyon.’

  There was nothing nice or happy about the smile he gave her. ‘And why would I do that?’

  ‘Because you think I can f—’ Catching herself she switched her phrasing for their younger audience, ‘… cause problems for the Cartel.’ His smile died. Petty though it was, turning his words back on him brought her immense pleasure.

  ‘What the hell is she talking about, Havoc?’ There was no more amusement in Vex’s voice, in fact it was downright arctic.

  Havoc lifted a hand, palm up towards Vex, holding off whatever else she had to say even as he held Mercy’s gaze. ‘Am I wrong?’

  No dammit, he wasn’t, but instead of giving him that answer, she asked, ‘Are you taking me with you?’

  ‘Havoc!’ Vex spat. ‘You go play with the Cartel now and Reaper will have your balls.’

  Despite Vex invoking the name of the formidable Vulture leader, Havoc’s only reaction was to straighten, then lean forward over the table, putting his face inches away from Mercy’s. ‘Give me a reason or I’ll leave your ass here.’

  Temper overrode caution. ‘Think I won’t follow?’

  ‘Think you won’t get far.’

  Probably true considering the Free People took guarding their territory very seriously. Like lethally seriously. But these two could get her where she needed to be and help shake the Cartel dogs from her heels. Two birds and one stone and all that. Despite her misgivings, she couldn’t afford to screw up this chance. Her mind spun, shifting through what she could safely share. Maybe she could come at this from a different route. ‘Answer something for me.’ She waited for his nod. ‘Do you know which came first? The kidnapping or the troubles at the dam?’

  He was quiet, but the voice that answered wasn’t his. It was Katori’s. ‘There weren’t any problems at the dam before the Raiders took me.’

  Reeling from his unexpected answer she turned from Havoc and met the boy’s too-old eyes. Instinct whispered and joined Vex’s earlier comment about him being a warrior, making cruel, heart-breaking sense. His explanation also provided the who behind the spectacularly idiotic plan of kidnapping one of the People—Raiders. Vicious and ruthless, they were the dregs of what was left of humanity. They crawled in the desert ruins of Las Vegas, preying on anything with a heartbeat, and were known to traffic in weapons, drugs, humans—they weren’t picky. She held Katori’s gaze even as sympathy spiralled up, but mindful of what must have caused the shadows in his eyes, she shoved it down, knowing it wouldn’t be appreciated. She tried for a more polite version of the question she needed to ask. ‘How long have you been gone?’

  His gaze skittered to Vex, who answered, ‘Roughly two months.’

  Dammit, the timing skewed her suspicions. Maybe the kidnapping wasn’t linked to her reason for being here. Which meant she was back to where she started with Havoc. Still she needed an in with the Free People and this was probably the best chance she’d get. She looked to the man who continued to watch her and said the words that sent her careening off course. ‘Take me with you and I promise to help you screw with the Cartel.’

  ‘Tell me why.’

  Knowing there was no help for it, she shared. ‘I need to speak to Istaqa.’

  At the name of the Free People’s leader, Katori’s head jerked around.
‘Why?’ He stared at her, a fierce frown darkening his face.

  Unable to ignore the boy’s question, she answered, ‘To warn him.’

  ‘About?’ Havoc reclaimed her attention.

  ‘He’s being targeted.’ She closed her eyes and lifted her hand to brush the words away. Exhaustion was messing with her, making her thoughts jumble. ‘Not him specifically, but the dam.’

  ‘Yeah, got that from Lee’s comments.’ A healthy dose of scepticism lay in Havoc’s voice.

  ‘Except I know who’s behind it.’ Details she had no intention of sharing with anyone but Istaqa. ‘Whatever is happening now, it’s a smokescreen meant to keep his attention off what’s coming.’

  Despite her rather dramatic statement, he drawled, ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘War.’

  * * *

  Darkness and early morning were spending some quality time together when Mercy rolled over yet again, trying to get comfortable. After days of running and trying to cover her ass, the irony of having a soft bed for said ass but not being able to sleep wasn’t lost on her. She blinked into the darkness as she lay on her side, her mind at war. That wasn’t the only ironic thing in her life right now. Being accused of murder was nothing new, not in her line of work. Being accused of a murder she didn’t actually commit, yeah, that part was new. Of course, there were those in the know who’d say attributing a dead body to her name, justifiably or not, was damn sloppy. A point she couldn’t argue. She’d been trained better than that.

  Memories strode close but she turned away, determined to deal with her current situation, not one years beyond help. She was given a job, one she managed to handle just fine until Felix decided to screw with things. It shouldn’t have been difficult. Slip into the Suárez family, ferret out who they recently tumbled into bed with, bring back proof. Things were sailing along beautifully until Felix got a bug up his ass. Lord love a right hand man who coveted the criminal crown. One way or the other, they always fucked things up at the worst possible time. By taking out Tavi, Felix not only put an end to Mercy’s infiltration plans, but when he set her up to take the fall, he screwed her chance at the proof she needed on the new Cartel partners.

  The only upside? Running across the Suárez’s plans against the Free People. Unfortunately, after spending months with the Cartel, she wondered who really came up with the plans—the Cartel, their partner, or Felix. Not that it mattered. She went in with crystal clear orders—get in, get the proof, get out. Nothing in there about warning the Free People, but considering their role in the unstable world order, there was too much at stake not to warn them. It didn’t help that her boss was very explicit about her steering clear of the Vultures. Vex wasn’t far off about their reputation preceding them. They were the common person’s last hope for justice. Unfortunately, the stories bandied about held a reoccurring theme—facing the Vultures’ judgement generally didn’t end well. While she wasn’t looking for a judgement call, she couldn’t accomplish her assignment if she didn’t take the opportunity and hook up with them now.

  Choices, choices, choices. Not one to follow orders blindly, a critical skill in her line of work, it wasn’t hard to pick which side to land on. The problem was what would happen when she picked said side? In the end, either her boss would understand, or leave her bleeding out in some godforsaken alley (and there were so many to choose from nowadays). Either way, at least her conscience would be happy. Hell, better to die at his hands versus the myriad of other unpleasant options waiting in the wings. It would be quicker, that’s for damn sure.

  She rolled to her other side, trying to ignore the fact she was sharing a bed with Havoc. Not an easy feat. He took up more than his fair share, plus the damn man was a furnace. Even now, as she basically clung to the bed’s edge, her back to him, his heat wrapped around her, triggering reactions she knew meant trouble. Dammit, it was pathetic that when she finally found a male worth a minute, she didn’t have one to give. She freely admitted she had a type, one he fit to a T—lethally dangerous. Yeah, he was quiet, had an irritating habit with stupid nicknames and spouting off orders, but she hadn’t missed the predator peeking around the mask. The man fascinated her, made her want to poke him to see his reaction.

  As if her thoughts were enough to bring temptation to cackling life, a heavy arm curved around her waist, dragging her back against his hard body. Without her permission her body softened, tucking her curves against his solid frame. She closed her eyes as every nerve ending fired, lighting with shocking speed. Stunned by the wildfire reaction, she let it roar through her, indulging her feminine side for an interminable treacherous minute.

  It was beyond stupid, but it had been so long since she lay in a man’s arms without ulterior motives. Was it so wrong to take a selfish moment out of time and enjoy it? Stifling a groan, she forced her lashes up and reached down to wrap her hand around his thick wrist. Best to remove temptation. For sanity’s sake, maybe the floor would work. Her muscles tightened as she began to lift his arm.

  ‘Settle, babe.’ The husky words brushed over her ear.

  Chills cascaded down her spine. Then the evil bastard pressed a soft kiss just behind her ear. White-hot desire curled low before spreading outward, leaving her unbound breasts aching, nipples peaked, and her legs shifting restlessly. ‘Havoc.’ His name escaped on a breath, her hand tightened on his wrist but she couldn’t get it to move any further. His lips kept moving. Her breath stalled in her lungs.

  Those wicked lips nipped down her neck, followed by a long, slow swipe of tongue. ‘What?’

  ‘Knock it off.’ She was amazed she could get the words out considering she couldn’t catch her breath.

  His arm tightened and then he was rolling her to her back, tucking her under him. Their legs tangled and her hands went to his shoulders as he loomed above her. His bare shoulders. Unable to resist, she petted him, brushing her hands over his equally naked chest, indulging in the feel of heated skin over sculpted muscle. He was a veritable treasure trove of decadent sensations. His head lowered and he nipped her chin, drawing her attention. ‘You going to keep thinking so loud?’

  His question rattled around her desire-induced haze. She blinked at him. ‘Hmmm?’

  Even in the low light she didn’t miss his wicked, wicked smile just before he took her lips. There was nothing sweet about his kiss. He dove in, taking no prisoners. His taste exploded through her, a carnal combination of heat and spice, sweeping their surroundings away in a wash of white-hot hunger. His tongue tangled with hers, a seductive battle where submitting still counted as a win. She sank her nails into his shoulders and arched up, trying to get closer. On some level she registered his fingers digging into her ass, lifting her until the hard press of his cock made her thoughts scatter. Needing more, more of his intoxicating taste, more of his heat until they burned to ash, she released his shoulders and sank her fingers into his hair before going back in. His mouth muffling her moan.

  A soft snuffle from the other bed snapped her out of her looming sexual oblivion, a reminder they were far from alone. She jerked against him, and he gentled his kiss, taking them both back from the crumbling edge of control. One last nip to her lower lip, and he raised his head. ‘We head out soon and you need sleep.’

  As if that would happen now that her body was on fire. ‘Like that’s going to happen after that,’ she groused, careful to keep it to a whisper, since she didn’t want an audience.

  Leaning close, he buried his face against the curve of her neck to muffle his chuckle. The hands at her hips flexed and slowly released her. He raised his head until his lips were by her ear. ‘But it got you out of your head, didn’t it?’ He shifted up to see her face.

  She glared back, since she couldn’t argue his point.

  He grinned, then shifted the two of them until she was once again on her side, his arm around her waist, while he tucked in behind her. ‘Sleep while you can, Mercy.’

  Letting out a soft humpf, she glared into the darkness
and despite her humming body, finally slipped into sleep.

  Chapter 5

  Havoc’s neck itched as he led his bike through the rutted trail leading into the canyon the Free People called home, a sure sign the sentries were tracking them. Eventually they’d show themselves, for now they were content with just watching. Thanks to the flat rocky land surrounding Antelope Lake the first part of their trip had been a breeze. They managed to get out of Page without running into anyone. The arid landscape meant there was no sneaking up on the Free People’s territory. Behind him, the drone of Vex’s bike kept time with his.

  The trip took a little longer than the normal couple of hours, since each bike carried double. Mercy rode behind him with the ease of familiarity. Made him wonder why she ended up in Page on foot. No way stealing a bike would be a challenge for her, unless she hadn’t been able to get her hands on one. Yeah, that he could believe. He headed into a curve, the beginnings of the red rock walls rising from the flat desert floor. The small hands at his waist shifted their grip and his cock twitched, bringing last night’s kiss front and centre. Behind the bandana covering his nose and mouth from the dust, his lips curved in anticipation. Yeah, now that he had a taste, he intended to go back for more. Soon.

  First he needed to deliver Katori back to his people and get some face time with the leader of the Free People. Something he preferred to do without his newly acquired troublemaker tagging along. Good fucking luck with that, snickered the devilish bastard in his head. Yeah, chalk it up to wishful thinking. He was reluctant to broker the meeting Mercy wanted until he knew what she was bringing to the table. Maybe he could get Vex to keep her busy?