Torment

by Tana Stone

  “You’re more talented than I ever imagined,” she said, her dazed eyes finally focusing on the motionless figure of Vrax.

  “He’s not the only one,” Tori said, flipping one of her needle-like weapons around and firing it at the woman.

  Meridia’s pupils widened for the briefest of moments before the sharp point punctured her forehead, and she dropped to the floor with a muffled thud. Instantly, the candles flared and the heavy door clicked open.

  Tori leaned against the table and heaved in a breath, letting her eyes close for a moment.

  “Are you unhurt?”

  Vrax’s hoarse voice made her glance up. She met his eyes and tried to smile. “Fine. You?”

  He lowered his arms, and she looked away while he tugged up his pants. She didn’t even want to think about the fact that his cock had raised rings going down the length of it.

  “Unharmed, aside from the pain in my head,” he said, sitting up and looking the crumpled body on the floor.

  “Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around.”

  Vrax raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Ready to get out of here?”

  She walked around and removed her weapon from the dead alien, wiping off the blood on her pants. “Now I am.”

  They moved through the house quietly, Tori leading the way and unlocking doors as they went down each flight of stairs. She didn’t know if the workers inside would leave, but at least she was giving them that chance. It couldn’t be long before someone discovered Meridia’s body, although she hoped it wasn’t before they’d put some distance between them and the scene of the crime.

  One good thing about the Den of Thieves, though. Murder wasn’t something that raised too many eyebrows. Just about everyone on Kurril had it coming.

  Vrax stepped over the guards at the bottom of the stairs as Tori pushed open the door. She poked her head out, looking both ways down the quiet street, now even quieter since night had fallen.

  “All clear,” she whispered, waving for him to follow her.

  They ran down the paved stone streets, her feet pounding. After what had happened, she felt like hitting someone, so she ran even faster.

  When she turned down an alleyway, he grabbed her arm, but she shook him off.

  “Tori.” He reached for her again, this time stopping her and spinning her around. “You are not okay.”

  She sucked in a breath as she looked up at him. “Of course I’m not okay. I had to watch you mind fuck that witch.” Her voice sounded shrill, but she didn’t stop. “And that was after I walked in to see her practically riding you, with her hand around your cock.”

  “You think I wanted any of that?” he asked, grabbing her by the shoulders.

  “It didn’t look to me like your cock minded all that much,” she said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered to risk my life and rescue you. Maybe that blondie is what you like. Maybe you really wanted to fuck her.”

  His eyes burned molten as he stared down at her. “I didn’t want to fuck her. I only want to fuck you.”

  Tori felt like all the air had left her body, and her arms felt scorched where he touched her. Without thinking, she dragged her hands through his hair and jerked his mouth to hers.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Desire ignited in his core as she kissed him hard, and he moved his hands from her arms to the small of her back as he pulled her body flush against his. Despite how muscular she was, she still felt soft beneath his hands, as they roamed down her back to grasp her ass.

  He parted her lips with his tongue as he lifted her by the ass, exploring her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The sharp points of her teeth made him flinch, but the mixture of pleasure and pain only fueled his fire. She squeezed her legs tight, and he let out a primal growl in response, pressing her back to the nearest wall.

  There would be no going slow. He needed to claim her hard, his desire for her firing his blood.

  She tangled one hand in his hair and yanked his head back, tearing her mouth from his. She slapped him hard, her hand leaving a scorch mark of heat on his cheek.

  “That’s for getting hard for her.”

  Her slap merely made him need her more, the anger and jealousy pulsing through her causing his heart to beat faster and his cock to throb. He buried a hand in her hair and pulled her mouth back to him, their tongues fighting.

  She pulled back, moving her lips down his neck, biting at his flesh until she reached his earlobe. When she growled, tremors arrowed down his spine and his cock ached.

  “I need to take you hard,” he said.

  Her only response was another growl and a furtive nod as she sucked on his earlobe, nipping it sharply and making his knees almost buckle. Pressing her into the wall, he slid his hands from her ass up to her breasts, cupping both of them through her shirt. She moaned and rocked into him, rubbing his cock with her body. He ground his hips into her as her breath came out in desperate gasps.

  “Now,” she said, her words hot and urgent in his ear. “I need your cock in me now.”

  She dropped her legs, and he spun her so that she faced the wall. Even though the alley was dark, he glanced around to be sure they were alone. Not that he thought they would have stopped. At this point, he didn’t care if every criminal in the Den of Thieves was watching. He shoved his pants down, releasing his impatient cock.

  He lowered his head as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her pants. “You are sure?”

  She twisted her head so that her gaze met his, her eyes flashing with fire. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I swear to—”

  Before she could finish her threat, he ripped her pants down over her hips, angled her hips up, and thrust his cock into her tight heat.

  Her hands splayed across the stone wall as she fought for breath, and he held himself inside her, feeling her stretch for him. Sons of the goddesses, she was so tight. His eyes almost rolled up into the back of his head from the scorching pleasure.

  Glancing down, he saw the outline of her round ass cheek in the dim moonlight. He pulled out slightly and slapped it, the flesh quivering beneath his palm. She yelped and tried to spin around, but he thrust his cock deep. “That’s for letting me get sold to that witch.”

  He felt a rush of her pleasure and regret. He covered her body with his, placing one hand over hers on the wall and entwining their fingers. Being inside her made it easier for him to sense her emotions, and he let her desire wash over him. He wrapped his free hand around her, slipping it between her slick folds until he found the swollen nub he’d heard so much about. As soon as he began swirling his finger around it, she arched back into him, hooking her one free hand around his neck.

  As she swiveled her hips and let out throaty moans, he dragged his cock out of her and then plunged it back in.

  “So that’s what those rings feel like,” she said, between gasps.

  He pumped in hard again, dipping his head so his lips buzzed against her ear. “Do you like them?”

  “Mmhmm,” she murmured, leaning forward and arching her ass up.

  So she wanted it deeper. He grasped her hips and took a step back, pressing her back down and angling her ass cheeks even higher. He pulled out until only his crown was inside her. “This is mine.”

  She was panting now. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  “You do now,” he said, driving hard into her and savoring her strangled cry.

  She rocked back into him, taking even more of his swollen length. “I don’t think so, pretty boy.”

  He thumbed her nub, and she whimpered. “You have always been mine, female.”

  “You’re such an arrogant…” her words trailed off as her body began to ripple around his cock.

  “Say my name, Tori,” he said as he felt her begin to come.

  She shook her head, biting down on her lower lip. “Not a chance, pretty boy.”

  He pulled out just enough that she whipped her head around, her eyes blazing. “Vrax, y
ou ass—”

  With a hard thrust he drove into her, then her breathy gasp and the sensations of her body clamping around him made him to piston faster, his jaw tight and his pace savage.

  “You are mine,” he said through gritted teeth as she shook her head, but was unable to speak.

  He clamped a hand over her mouth as she cried out and he hammered wildly, finally feeling his own release roaring through him. He let out a raw sound as he gave a final thrust and held himself deep, emptying hot into her.

  His body went limp and he sagged against her, feeling her muscles relax. They were both sucking in ragged breaths, and he nestled his face in her neck.

  “I should punch you in the balls,” she said, after a while of heavy breathing.

  His cock was still insider her, and he moved it slightly deeper. “How will you manage that?”

  She wiggled her hips to try to get away, but he held himself inside her.

  “You still think you’re in charge?” she asked.

  He kissed her neck. “No, but I do think I am inside.”

  She let out a huff of breath. “And I still think you’re an infuriating ass. This doesn’t change anything, you know.”

  “And I still think you are an impulsive female who will probably get both of us killed.”

  “Maybe, but this impulsive female did just save you.”

  “With some help,” he said, slipping out of her and pulling her pants up.

  She turned and pushed her curls out of her face. “That reminds me. Don’t even think of pulling mind tricks on me the way you did on that crazy bitch.”

  He grinned at her and stroked a finger down the side of her face. “I do not need to use mind tricks on you. You were always meant to be mine.”

  She raised a hand, and he caught it, twisting it behind her back and pulling her flush against him. He crushed his mouth to hers, feeling her lips yield to his. When he released her, her eyes were half-lidded.

  “You don’t play fair,” she whispered.

  “I’m not playing,” he told her. “And you were wrong, my wild one. This changes everything.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Wild one?” Tori pulled away, attempting to twist out of his grasp.

  “Would you rather I call you my wild mate?”

  “Mate?” If she had hackles, they would have been up. “Slow down, pretty boy. What gave you the idea I was your mate?”

  “Maybe the way you moaned when my cock was inside you,” he whispered. “And how angry it made you to see Meridia on top of me.”

  She jerked her hand out of his. “I wasn’t angry. I was…concerned.”

  “Mmmm,” he said, his voice dripping with disbelief. “Concern. That must have been what I felt from you.”

  She opened her mouth to snap back, but then closed it. He’d picked up on what she’d been feeling? She knew his species was empathic, but that wouldn’t explain why she’d also sensed his emotions. Why she was feeling them now—his desire mixed with amusement. Her stomach fluttered as she remembered Danica talking about her mind connection with her Dothvek mate. But Danica and K’alvek were mind mates, some sort of Dothvek fated love thing. What she had with Vrax wasn’t that, was it?

  “Listen,” she said. “What we just did was fun. Really fun. But it doesn’t make us mates. That’s not the way it works. At least, not with me.”

  He stared down at her, his green eyes intense. Then he shrugged. “If that is what you wish.”

  She let out a small sigh. That was easier than she’d expected. “It is. Anyway, we should be focused on getting out of here. Not only are you an escaped slave, but we just left behind a dead madam. We should find someplace where we can lay low until we can make our way back to the shipyard.”

  He nodded, some of the merriment fading from his eyes. “I do not understand this Den of Thieves. Are there places we can stay? Those who welcome travelers?”

  “Not travelers with no credits.” Tori straightened her clothes so it didn’t look like she’d just been fucked hard. “Nothing happens in this cesspit without currency, and we have none.”

  Vrax scraped a hand through his hair, and Tori tried not to think about how good it had felt when she’d run her hands through the dark locks. Her pulse quickened, and she looked away. Shit, even looking at him made her body heat.

  “We’ll have to find a place to squat for the night,” she said, motioning with her head for him to follow her out of the alley.

  “Squat?” he asked, when she paused where the alley met the street and peered out. He started to lower himself, and she tugged at his arm to pull him back up.

  “Not literally squat. It’s an expression. It means we need to find a place where we can hide out without anyone knowing we’re there.”

  “Ah. Are there many of those places here?”

  “We’re about to find out,” she mumbled, leading them down the darkened street and peering into locked storefronts.

  One thing she didn’t have to worry about with Vrax was stealth. He made almost no sound as he crept along behind her, despite him being a huge guy. Really huge, she reminded herself, then cursed as she felt a hot twinge between her legs.

  Even though the city was quieter than usual, she could hear music and slurred voices spilling out of doorways ahead. It was impossible to avoid bars on Kurril, and it seemed they never closed. The place truly was a den of sin that never slept.

  Rounding a corner, Tori slowed. Light poured out onto the dirty street ahead, and several aliens stumbled toward them, arms wrapped around each other. In one case, more than two arms.

  She ducked her head, hoping Mourad and his crew hadn’t ventured this deep into the city. “Stay close and move fast,” she muttered over her shoulder.

  Vrax didn’t reply, but she sensed his agreement, which was even more unsettling. She was going to have to talk to him about staying the hell out of her head.

  As she drew even with the doorway, her boot caught on an uneven stone and she pitched forward. Vrax caught her by the elbow, but not before she let out a yelp and a string of Zevrian curses. She could feel the eyes from the bar on her as she righted herself and kept her head down.

  “Now that’s a voice I never thought I’d hear again.”

  She froze in place. She felt exactly the same way. The last time she’d heard that voice it had been when the first mate of the mercenary ship had been holding her down and trying to force her legs apart. She’d hoped she’d never hear it again.

  Tori wanted to run, but something made her turn her head. A part of her had to know that it was him, the alien she’d attacked before she’d escaped from the ship and abandoned her post. D’Vos looked much as she remembered—tall and bulky, with the same Zevrian markings she had, the bumps arching over his eyebrows and disappearing into his thick mane of black hair. The only difference was the scar across his cheek, the one she’d given him when she’d fought him off.

  He was leaning in the doorway, seemingly relaxed as he gazed at her, but she knew this was a ruse. She knew enough about the warrior to know he never let down his guard. Even if his crew might be drunk, he was not.

  Behind her, Vrax tensed, stepping closer to her and adjusting his stance. “You know this male?”

  “You could say that,” she said, under her breath. “I gave him that scar when he tried to rape me.”

  A low rumble escaped Vrax’s throat. “Would you like me to kill him for you?”

  Tori almost laughed. Having a guy offer to commit murder for her might have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her. She kept her eyes on D’Vos as he straightened, his smile cold and predatory.

  “It seems you found a man, after all.” His gaze flicked to Vrax. “I thought your tastes ran to something different.”

  “You mean just because I didn’t want to fuck you?” The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Why can’t you let things go, Tori?

  “It’s not too late to remedy that.” D’Vos jerked his head to
ward her, and several aliens rose from their seats and moved toward the doorway.

  Vrax bent down into a fighting stance. The barbarian clearly wasn’t great at sizing up the odds. The two of them against about a dozen angry Zevrians was not a fair fight. And no way did she want to stick around and fins out just how much of a grudge D’Vos had been carrying around for all this time.

  “Run,” she said to Vrax, grabbing his arm and pulling him with her as she tore down the street.

  Luckily, they were sober and most of the Zevrians were not, so she and Vrax got a good head start while their pursuers stumbled through the door of the bar and tripped over each other as they attempted to run as a group.

  Tori wound her way through the narrow streets, trying to put as much distance between them and her former crew mates, all the while looking desperately for some place to hide. They couldn’t run all night. At least, she couldn’t. Vrax was another matter. The alien was barely breathing hard as he ran beside her, his footfall silent on the hard stone. She guessed that was what came from living on a planet where running up and down sand dunes in blistering heat was considered fun.

  After a while, the screams and pounding of the horde chasing them faded. She stopped after ducking down a narrow passageway, putting a palm against a wall, and sucking in a breath.

  “I think we might have lost them.”

  Vrax nodded, glancing around at the dingy surroundings. “And ourselves.”

  He was right. They’d run into an even less-savory part of the city. Tall, stone buildings had given way to wooden structures that looked at best, rickety, and at worst, ramshackle. The roof line was uneven, with slats of metal sheeting jutting out overhead, and even some bare, open air patches that had been covered with fabric.

  Instead of the sounds of music and laughing, there was the occasional sound of an animal braying or clucking. She suspected the residents who lived in this part of the city kept livestock to survive, and there was little reason for celebration. The silver lining was that D’Vos and his crew of enforcers probably wouldn’t think to search this far. She’d never even known this part of the city existed. It was a far cry from the pleasure houses, and fighting rings and bars that Kurril was known for.