Mercenary Abduction (Alien Abduction) (22 page)

“You idiot! And to think they call me the dumb one.” Makl yanked her around to face him. He

shook her, not too hard, but enough to rattle her teeth. “Don’t you see? I didn’t realize it until you walked away. I need you.”

“To be famous.”

“No, I need you because…” Makl clamped his mouth shut, his expression pained. Her spirits sank.

He straightened his spine and took a deep breath. “I can’t leave because I love you. Are you happy? I set out to abduct a human for my frukxing cousin and instead, I fell in love. With you. The very thought of living without you makes me want to embark upon a murderous rampage. My fame is worthless without

you to share it. My life is meaningless if you’re not there to lend it color.”

“Really?” For a moment, hope lifted her spirits. But… “You say that now, but when the going gets

tough, you’ll leave me.”

“No. I never will. I am not the hag who birthed you. When I give you my word, and you can ask

anyone, I keep it. You have nothing to fear from me. I love you, Olivia, even if you are a human barbarian.

I will love you until my last breath and I swear before this god as my witness, if anything threatens what we have, I’ll kill it.”

Her lips twitched. “Your answer to everything is to kill it.”

He shrugged. “It’s worked for me so far.”

“You’re asking me to spend my life with a wanted murderer?”

“Hey, I’m willing to spend mine with a thief.”

“Acquisition specialist.”

“Fancy word for a thief who stole my frukxing heart. Now, are you going to give in gracefully, or

am I going to have to torture you? I have cuffs.” He raised a hopeful brow.

Hmm, maybe a little torture wouldn’t be amiss. Still, though… “A relationship is more than just

sex.”

Murphy cleared his throat. “If I might interrupt.”

“No, you may not!” they both practically shouted.

Makl clasped her hands between his. “It’s not just about the sex, even if it is great. I like you. I

like talking to you. And sleeping cuddled with you, which I will deny if asked. I like the way you laugh and how your mind works. I even think it’s adorable how you still flinch when I kill things. Let me prove how much I love you, that I’m worthy of your trust. Worthy of your love.”

Her heart melted, but fear held her back still. “Who says I love you?”

Murphy just couldn’t resist butting in again. “You did just a minute ago.”

Olivia kicked her uncle in the shin as Ifruum snickered. “Stuff it. Both of you.” She focused all her attention on the big purple mercenary in front of her. How could she resist the soft pleading in his eyes?

How could she walk away? She knew a proud mercenary like him didn’t bare his soul often, if ever.

Could she really deny him, deny them both this chance to see if they could make it work?
Can I deny
myself a chance at love?

She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life wondering what could

have been. What was one more risk in her life? “You promise to love me forever?”

“Eternally. Please don’t leave me. My greatness is nothing without you at my side.”

Inhaling a deep breath, the pendulum signaling change hovered invisibly over her head as if the

whole universe waited for her answer. “I love you, purple.”

Makl whooped and swung her in his arms, whirling her about in a dizzying arc. He swooped in for

a kiss. It might have turned into something more, but as usual, Fate – the cousin Murphy refused to talk to

– intervened.

A voice boomed across the plains, amplified by hidden speakers. “If you’re done with your

frukxing love fest, would you mind getting your buttocks to the house now? My son has just woken up and is screaming. Again. Don’t make me come and get you.” The low growled threat would have proven more

effective without the shrill wail of a baby.

Makl wrapped his fingers around hers in a tight grip. “Only for you would I face my cousin and

his spawn. Remember that at my funeral.”

Together, they made their way to the compound housing a mansion the size Olivia never imagined,

but immediately coveted. “We could make a fortune here,” she muttered to Makl.

“I know, but first we’d have to get through my family and trust me, they’re not people you want to

provoke.”

Once Olivia met the formidable cousin, Tren – a scary-looking purple dude with bloodshot eyes

and hair standing on end – she could see why. The fact Tren’s wife was human took Olivia by surprise.

Somehow, in all their discussions, Makl forgot to mention the fact his cousins married humans. But who had time to converse when the yelling started and people scattered?

A bundle of red-faced rage was thrust at her and people retreated so quickly Olivia wondered if

they’d set new fast walking records. Abandoned, except for Makl, who unabashedly held his hands over

his ears, Olivia held the screaming baby out at arm’s-length.

Face screwed up and beet red, the tyke yelled his little brains out, his clenched fists waving. Oh,

this wouldn’t do at all. Olivia marched after his fleeing parents, following the sounds of shouting – which she could hear over the hiccups of the calming child. She found Tren and Megan downstairs facing off.

However, whatever argument they had stopped before she entered the room. Junior started bellowing

again in the silence.

Face pained, Tren barked, albeit in a hushed tone, “Why is the baby still crying?”

“Because I am not its mommy or daddy.” Olivia stated waving the noisemaker at them.

“Shhh. Don’t do that.” Megan’s eyes widened. “He’s fragile. Have you seen the size of him? He

could break if you shake him too hard.”

“He’s a baby, not a piece of porcelain,” Olivia snorted, waggling him again. To everyone’s

surprise, the screaming stopped. All eyes went to the child and Olivia froze mid-motion. The screaming started again. Olivia jiggled him lightly. No change. Harder. The child shut his mouth and stared at her.

“See? The human nanny I found you is working already,” Tren announced triumphantly to his wife.

“Okay, it’s a start, but does this mean we’re going to have to shake the baby constantly?” Megan

frowned. “I could have sworn that wasn’t good for them.”

“Because it’s not,” Olivia practically shouted. “Did neither of you read a book about babies at all

before having one?”

“Of course not.” Tren straightened his shoulders as he replied indignantly. “Child rearing is a

woman’s job. I step in when it is time to discipline and begin training.”

“Woman’s job?” Megan’s spine went ramrod straight. “Is this your way of implying I didn’t do my

job?”

Back and forth the yelling went; the baby with his thumb tucked in his mouth watched contentedly.

Not that Olivia initially noticed, but when she did, she drew their attention to it. “Um, guys. How often do you argue in front of the baby?”

Interrupted, they halted, Megan biting her lip in obvious chagrin at having lost control in front of

her child. The baby’s face screwed up. Olivia gave him a little shake with a don’t-you-dare look. He

stopped.

“We don’t argue in front of the kid. Even I know that’s not healthy.” Megan rolled her eyes.

“We don’t allow loud noises of any kind lest they disturb my son.”

Olivia tsked. “And that’s your problem. I’ll bet you guys argued the entire pregnancy.”

“Maybe,” Megan said, hedging.

“All the time,” Tren unabashedly admitted. “It’s great foreplay.”

Megan slapped him in the arm, not that her husband noticed.

“And when the baby was born?” Olivia questioned.

“We stopped so he could sleep.”

“So you shoved the baby into the world from his nice warm spot and took away the one thing he

probably remembered, the two of you shouting. And, um, wrestling, which probably shook him around

quite a bit.”

They nodded.

Olivia sighed. “Idiots. He’s used to the commotion. Without it, he feels lost.” Her words were met

with a heavy quiet as Tren and his wife looked at each other. Then the baby let out a loud yell to remind them he was there.

Megan grabbed her son from Olivia as his lower lip trembled. The mother shook him. He perked

up. She bounced him again. A smile cracked his lips. Megan gasped and dropped him.

Tren dove and hit the ground, catching the falling baby who let out a giggle. Stunned silence froze

everyone. All eyes went to the baby. He fidgeted under all the gazes, then let out a mighty shriek.

Tren tossed the baby up. Megan gasped. Tren caught him. Giggle. Pout. Toss. Smile. Olivia didn’t

know how long the two parents, stupid grins on their faces, played catch the falling baby, a game Olivia felt sure would end in a head bashing. But, the father never missed a catch and played with his son long enough that at one point Olivia loudly reminded them when the crying resumed that the child probably

needed a feeding and a nap.

Actually, everyone had a nap. Hers involved little shut eye, but featured a bed with a naked

mercenary in it.

It still blew her mind that he’d come back for her, and within minutes of her leaving. It stunned her even more that he claimed to care for her.
He loves me.

She straddled her purple mercenary and pulled on his nipple ring. “Say it again.”

“Say what? Suck me harder? Can’t I get a moment to recover, you insatiable barbarian?”

Olivia laughed. “No, purple. The other thing.”

A smile softened his lips. “You mean that I love you? I do. I didn’t realize it until you walked

away, but I do with all of my mighty being. But don’t think this means you’ll get whatever you want. I’m still in charge.”

She wiggled atop him. “Are you so sure about that?”

Rolled under him quick as a blink, he spent the next little while arguing with her about who wore

the pants in their relationship, until she pointed out that in the bedroom, neither of them wore anything, which then started a discussion on whether women should be allowed to wear pants or not, which led to a new argument. And well, as they say, the rest is history, but at least her story now involved a happily ever after.

And a fabulous new nickname. Beloved. But that one wasn’t for the cameras, even if news of their

actual nuptials made the news, courtesy of Makl’s marketing manager.

The Galactic Lovebirds tie the knot. Does this mean their crime spree days are over?

Pfft. As if.

Makl whistled as he bided his time. The alien sporting a dark cowl hovering over him didn’t

appreciate it one bit.

“Would you stop acting so cheerful? It’s unseemly, given you’re about to die.”

“No I’m not.”

The executioner hefted his weapon. “My axe says you are.”

“But the love my mate bears for me says otherwise,” Makl bragged as Olivia rushed into the room

with not a moment to spare. She swung a priceless vase – No! – and clobbered the nearest guard on the head, shattering the fragile pottery, knocking her target out. Frukxing human morals still wouldn’t let her kill with impunity. Yet, she loved him – yes, she loved him – enough that she came to his rescue,

screaming something that he could have sworn was, “Freedom!” which made no real sense, but always

seemed to put a savage grin on her face.

Whatever she yelled, she distracted his executioner long enough that she managed to shoot the

hooded alien in the shoulder. Despite it not being a deadly strike, it did the trick. The axe dropped. Makl rolled onto it and neatly sliced the bonds around his wrists, losing only a bit of blood in the process.

Taking possession of the blunt weapon, after a brief struggle he of course won, he made short work of the executioner’s head then attacked the ropes binding his ankles. Freed, he sprang to his feet.

“You came back for me,” he exclaimed. “I knew you cared.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. Don’t make me regret it already, okay? Come on. Let’s blow this

joint before we actually have to fight our way out.”

A handful of guards came running into the room.

“Oops, too late.”

Rolling her eyes, Olivia leaned against a wall and waited while Makl increased his kill count.

He’d slowed down the murdering and assassinations a lot since he discovered he loved his human and

couldn’t live without her. For some reason, having more deaths under his belt than his cousin didn’t seem as important anymore. Actually, all the prizes and bounties in the universe paled in comparison to the treasure he’d found. Love.

But being in love didn’t mean he’d retired. The Galactic Lovebirds were still going strong,

leaving a trail of robberies and videos of their passion wherever they went. And soon, if the bribe he’d left with the goddess of fertility in the Venusian star system proved fruitful, he’d have a little mercenary to follow in their footsteps. A son he could hand his battered copy of
A Mercenary’s Guide to Prosperity
to.

Or maybe he’d have a daughter who would need a father’s deadly skills to keep her safe from

mercenaries like him. Because he just knew any daughter of his would be beautiful, brave, and wonderful, just like the mate he’d found. After all, he worshipped Karma, and he knew better than to think his years of debauchery wouldn’t come back to haunt. However, with his beloved barbarian at his side supporting him, he looked forward to the challenge, and the future.

*

Murphy sighed as he leaned back in his cosmic lazy chair, feet up watching the unfolding scene.

He already missed his adventures with his niece Olivia, but at least he’d left her in the capable – if cocky

– hands of a warrior who would cherish her. He just couldn’t believe how long it took the purple idiot to come to his senses. Had he skipped the chapter on finding his one true mate?

“He didn’t skip it because he never had it,” Karma announced, reading his thoughts as she popped