Defender (Battle Born Book 4) Read online

  “Would you like me to sleep on your couch tonight,” Danvier asked, not giving Raylon the opportunity to make a similar offer.

  “Absolutely not. There’s no need. I’m fine.” Even as she spoke the words, tension knotted her stomach. The memories had never been this vivid or this detailed. And worse, she sensed that there were more, so many more, waiting in the darkness.

  Danvier headed for the door then paused when Raylon didn’t follow.

  Raylon moved in front of her and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “Do you need someone closer than your couch? I know how badly these visions upset you.”

  The thought of being held by him, pressing against his warmth and feeling safe, protected, was the sweetest temptation. But now that she was fully aware of the situation, she realized the control it took for him to remain gallant. “I’m fine.” She glanced into his eyes and then away. “Really.”

  He ran his index finger along her jaw from just below her ear to her chin. It was barely even a caress, and yet her pulse raced and her breath hitched. “I don’t believe you.” Time paused and her breath stalled out completely. Something warm and intense, inescapably sensual, sparked to life within his gaze. It flickered for a moment and then was gone, lost in cool consideration. “But I won’t push. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  Danvier remained in the doorway until Raylon exited the suite, then he said, “Sleep well,” and firmly closed the door.

  Chandar released her pent-up breath, which did nothing to ease the ache deep in her chest. Was it possible Indigo was right? Could attraction lurk beneath Raylon’s steely control? And if so, what should Chandar do about it? Was she really strong enough—and brave enough—to encourage a man like Raylon? Desire spiraled through her, stimulating parts of her anatomy she barely recognized. Her mind might still be wrestling with indecision, but her body was ready for action.

  * * * * *

  Milanni paced the commander’s quarters aboard the Relentless. Akim Farmon didn’t yet know she was here. Her former employer, the mysterious “Benefactor” had provided her with a device that allowed her to track the continually modulating transponder signal used by the Relentless. Without the device, it was virtually impossible to detect any ship with a covert shield generator. There were advantages to working for the Integration Guild. Their wonderful technology was likely what she’d miss most now that she was an outcast, or soon would be once they realized what she’d done.

  After attaching her shuttle to the underside of the Relentless like an interstellar barnacle, she’d bio-streamed directly to Akim’s cabin. She rubbed her arms and worried her lower lip, cursing her uncertainty. She had information to trade for Akim’s protection. Unfortunately, once she told him what she knew, she had no guarantee that he’d keep her safe. It was foolish to count on the promises of a person she didn’t trust.

  The main doors parted and Akim strode into the room. That hadn’t taken long. He didn’t seem surprised to see her. They must have detected her shuttle.

  “Get off my ship.” He didn’t raise his voice, which made the demand even more menacing.

  Not a good start. He owed the Benefactor two more tasks. At the very least, he should have presumed she was here to explain his next assignment. “Did someone burn your dinner? You’re in a shitty mood.”

  “The only reason I didn’t incinerate your shuttle was because you weren’t in it. Now stream back where you belong and stop harassing me.”

  He started for the adjoining bedroom, so she quickly blocked his path. “I know a juicy secret and I’m willing to share. Under the right conditions.”

  “Apparently, Javin’s network of spies failed him this time. I’m not only back in Quinton’s good graces. He’s sending me reinforcements.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed, hard. “Your threats are meaningless now. Don’t waste your breath.”

  “Javin Aidentar is not the Benefactor, but my information directly concerns him.” As head of the Integration Guild, Javin Aidentar was the most powerful man on Rodymia. Or he had been until his death. The fact that he had passed beyond was the secret to which she’d referred. No one outside the guild knew he was dead. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if the guild members realized their leader, the driving force behind their success, was no more. Everyone presumed the Integration Guild was still being led by a shrewdly intelligent, and ruthlessly ambitious, man. Reality was much more interesting.

  Akim’s hands remained on her shoulders, but he stopped squeezing as his gaze searched hers. “You want to offer me secrets. Fine. Start at the beginning. How in hells rings do you keep finding my ship. The covert shields are supposed to make the Relentless undetectable.”

  “Working for the Integration Guild has its perks. They don’t approve technologies they can’t control.”

  His gaze narrowed and his voice turned into an impatient growl. “Meaning?”

  “The Benefactor gave me a device that allows my sensors to detect your undetectable ship.”

  “If Javin isn’t the Benefactor, who is?”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “My situation went a little sideways. I need somewhere to hideout for a while.” Once she explained everything that had happened, he’d realize she needed a lot more than a place to hide. But it was always best to ease into this sort of thing. “Guarantee me safe passage and we’ll talk.”

  With a cruel smile, he shoved her backward. “This isn’t a passenger ship. No one rides for free.”

  “I’m not asking for a free ride. I’ll pay for my passage with information. I really do know some things you’ll find valuable.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, looking more like the ruthless inquisitor she remembered from her years in training than the tired old man she’d been interacting with lately. “I’ll decide the value of your information,” he told her. “And my patience is nearly gone, so speak quickly.”

  “Like you, I presumed Javin was the Benefactor until my last mission. I was asked to deliver a personal message for the Benefactor and she signed her name.”

  “She? Don’t tell me Pyre Sterling is the Benefactor.” He shook his head, clearly disgusted with the possibility.

  Milanni had been about to tell him the truth, but this was just as believable and she would still be protected by what she hadn’t told him. “It can’t be that surprising.” She was careful not to actually confirm his misconception. She just didn’t correct it either. “Pyre has always had her eye on the throne.”

  “So Pyre was protecting me from herself.” He made an animalistic noise she couldn’t quite define. “One of these days I’m going to take care of that bitch.”

  “I feel the same. That’s why I broke all ties with the Benefactor. I have no desire to work for Pyre Sterling.”

  His brows arched then he scoffed. “Meaning your ‘sideways’ situation had nothing to do with the explosion in Jamestown, Colorado?”

  He knew. Of course he knew. The Relentless was doubtlessly scanning Earth’s broadcasts and internet traffic for unusual happenings. “He attacked me. I had no choice but to defend myself.”

  And just like that Akim was on the offensive. He stalked toward her, causing her to back up, something she never did. “He who? Who was in that cabin?”

  The calculated gleam in his eyes warned that he knew the answer. This was a test. He wanted to see if she’d tell him the truth. “Vinton Tandori. I thought those freaks had scattered. Apparently, they only relocated to a less hostile environment.”

  “What did Pyre want with the Tandoris?”

  Milanni agilely sidestepped Akim and barely avoided being pressed against the wall. She quickly put some space between them before she answered his question. “She offered to assist him with the rebels, but he was too paranoid to listen to reason. He must have been holed up in that cabin for decades by himself.” Everything she’d said was more or less true. Only Pyre hadn’t sent the message.

  “How is Pyre going to react when
she finds out you killed the man with whom she was trying to form an alliance?”

  Pyre wouldn’t give a damn. The real Benefactor, however, was guaranteed to be livid and she was someone infinitely more dangerous than Pyre. The message had come from Haven Tandori, grieving widow of Javin Aidentar and sister to Vinton Tandori. Oh yeah, and current leader of the Integration Guild.

  Milanni was seriously screwed. “Why do you think I’m here?”

  He was silent for a moment, apparently sorting through the information she’d given him. Likely comparing it to what he knew already. Akim was a ruthless bastard, but he wasn’t stupid. “The explosion destroyed his body. You can simply deny any involvement. Pyre will have no way to disprove your claim.”

  Her heart sank as she debated whether or not to admit the final complication. It was only a matter of time before he found out. It was better if she just came clean. Well, as clean as she was willing to come right now. “There was a witness, some sort of canine shifter.”

  “A canine shifter? That’s a new one. I didn’t realize the Tandoris could shape change.”

  He seemed less concerned with the fact that there had been a witness than that the witness could morph. “She could have been Vinton’s mistress or housekeeper. We don’t know that she was part of Tandori Tribe.”

  His throat made an unintelligible rumble as he rubbed his chin. “I’m already on Pyre’s shit list. I suppose nothing is lost if I allow you to stay aboard.”

  “Thank you.” The tingling rush of relief was half a second premature.

  “However, this is a battleship filled with sex-starved warriors. The only way to guarantee your safety is if one of my officers claims you as his body slave.”

  She tensed, annoyed more than surprised. She’d anticipated this stipulation, but part of her had hoped he wouldn’t be so predictable. She’d built her fortune in the pleasure industry. Bartering with her body was nothing new. “And the cost of your authorization?”

  He smiled, lust gleaming in his dark eyes. “You’re well acquainted with my predilections. As commander of this vessel, I reserve the right to require your services whenever I choose.”

  Akim was a hard-core sadist. He only found pleasure while dishing out pain. Luckily for her, she’d developed a taste for accepting as well as delivering sensual torture. “Will I be expected to make myself available to anyone else?” If he intended to whore her out, she’d rather know now while she still had other options.

  “That, my dear, is up to your protector.”

  “Will I be allowed to choose my protector or will it be up to the officers?”

  He shrugged. “Start with Fyran and work your way down the chain of command. You were one of my best students. I’m sure you’ll find one of them willing to be responsible for you.”

  She accepted the situation with a resentful nod and started toward the door.

  “And, Milanni,” he waited until she looked at him to finish. “Your shuttle belongs to me now. I want to find out what other handy gadgets the IG has given you.”

  It also meant she had to make this work because Akim had no intention of allowing her off his ship.

  Chapter Three

  Chandar sat on a chair in her bedroom, legs drawn up to her chest. The rumpled bed mocked her, made her feel weak and useless. Beds were supposed to be places of comfort and rest. Or passion. All she seemed capable of was fear. She couldn’t make herself lift the covers and crawl back onto that mattress. Memories waited in the darkness. She could sense their insidious pull, their need to reassert their influence over her mind, her life. Her eyes burned and her eyelids drooped as fatigue dulled her senses. Her head jerked forward, startling her, and she knew the fight was lost. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally spent. If she stayed in this room, sleep would claim her. And she wasn’t ready for another visit to the outer ring of hell.

  She left her bedroom, but the sitting area wasn’t much better. It was too quiet. There was nothing to stimulate her mind or hold her attention. So she eased her main door open and checked the courtyard. Everyone else had gone to bed. Good. She wasn’t in the mood to pretend everything was fine.

  Snatching a fringed throw off the back of the sofa, she draped it around her shoulders and walked out into the common area. The fountain burbled and simulated stars twinkled from the domed display above her head. Even a gentle breeze with a hint of pine and the faint scent of flowers had been programed to make it feel like she was outdoors. She lifted her face to the night and savored the silvery starlight, closing her eyes to better absorb the tranquility. She didn’t care if it was an illusion. Reality held little appeal right now.

  “Why aren’t you in bed?”

  Her heart lurched as she heard Raylon’s question. She hadn’t made a sound. How had he known she—her eyes flew open and she looked at him. “Were you spying on me?”

  “You’re a lot more upset than you want anyone to know. I’m sworn to keep you safe. Sometimes that means protecting you from yourself.” There was no apology in his tone or expression. He’d pulled on a shirt and pants, but the shirt hung open from his broad shoulders, displaying a tantalizing hint of sculpted chest and rippling abs.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  Before she could finish the sentence he crossed the courtyard and placed his fingers against her lips. “Stop doing that. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  She held perfectly still, thrilled by the simple brush of his fingertips. No, it was more than that. He stood so close she could reach out and touch him and he insisted on putting her wellbeing above his other concerns. He made her feel important, safe. And security was a treasured commodity in her life right now.

  Without explaining what he intended, he gently took her hand and led her across the courtyard. He didn’t take her back to her suite, as she’d expected. He guided her into his.

  Her pulse throbbed in her ears as they crossed the threshold. Why was she so anxious? She’d spent the first week after her rescue in his cabin. But things were different now. At least for her. He still saw her as a wounded victim in need of protection, while she was ready for more. Ready to reclaim the person she’d been before her captivity, ready to move beyond the darkness.

  He paused, his gaze gravitating toward the bedroom. Would he take her there, hold her in his arms as she pressed against his side, imagining all the things he wanted to do with her? For one breathless moment, she thought he would, hoped, and ached for that outcome. But, predictably, his nobility took over and he led her to the sofa.

  They sat side by side. He angled his body toward hers, while she folded her hands in her lap, feeling intrusive and out of place. “You have a meeting in a few hours,” she said. “You should be sleeping.”

  “I’ll sleep as soon as you do, so get this over with.” His hair was dark brown, the wavy strands longer on top. His features were naturally rugged and the scar running from his forehead to one corner of his mouth gave him a menacing air. It had taken her a while to realize the accident or attack resulting in the scar must have cost him his right eye. The color, shape, even the movements of the prosthetic eye perfectly matched his natural eye. Still, his left eye was much more expressive.

  She drew her legs up under her nightgown and folded her arms on top of her knees. “What do you want me to do?”

  His lips twitched and his gaze warmed as if he were fighting back a smile, a wicked, sensual smile. But by the time he spoke the heat was gone and he was all grim seriousness again. “Whatever it takes to ease your mind enough so you can sleep.”

  “I don’t know what that is.” She dragged her gaze away from his face and rested her chin on her forearms.

  “You saw more than the vision during your trance.” It wasn’t a question, so it allowed no room for denial. “Tell me what you saw.”

  Her breath shuddered out and she shook her head. The last thing she wanted to talk about was what she’d endured on that ship. “I can’t.”

  “All rig
ht. Tell me how it made you feel.”

  “Angry.” It was the easiest answer, the only one that wasn’t pathetic.

  “You’re angry now, but that’s not where it started.”

  She shot him a sidelong glare. “What would you know about it?”

  His answer was unexpected and immediate. “I was barely fifteen when I was turned out of training and assigned to my first post. I was tall and lean, my face not yet ruined, and I caught the eye of the quarter master.”

  “Did he…” Her gaze locked with his and her heartbeat paused as she waited for him to continue. Did he know? Had he lived through the same sort of nightmare Akim had forced on her?

  “I fought him off twice, but the third time he brought help.” His voice turned harsh and distant as he ventured deeper into the past. “He beat the shit out of me first, told me there was no escape except death. His friends held me down while he touched me, humiliated me. Then they positioned me so he could take what he wanted. I screamed and fought, but I was helpless, utterly helpless.”

  Tears blurred her vision and she had to look away. His pain was too familiar and hers was still too raw. “I’m sorry.” She whispered the all too familiar phrase then closed her eyes. “Was he punished for hurting you?”

  “He paid with his life.”

  Something in his voice made her open her eyes. “Why? When? Those who prey on the weak and helpless often get away with it.”

  He was silent for a long time. After all he’d confessed, why would he be reluctant to explain? Then a possibility appeared within her mind, a bittersweet flicker of hope. “Did someone save you just in time?” Her throat was so tight the words barely made it out.

  Finally he nodded. “Garin was my team leader. He found me just in time and slit the bastard’s throat.”

  Tears spilled down her cheeks and her lips began to tremble.

  “Oh, angel.” He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t cry.”