Silver Tongued Devils (2 page)

This wasn’t what she’d planned at
all.

Brom grew still above her. He tilted
his head as though listening to something far away before his eyes
refocused on her.

“Looks like the only marauder left on
our ship is you.” His grin was far from comforting.

“Take me with you.”

His expression tightened before
settling back into the predatory smile. “You want me to keep
you?”

Brom’s fingers brushed the Isis collar.
“It would be interesting to have my own body slave.”

Raesa shivered and the need to be
touched, to kiss Brom, nearly overwhelmed her senses. The words
permeated her lust-soaked brain. Body slave? What did that
mean?

“No.”

“Do you think you could stop me from
taking what I want?”

She saw the coldness, then. The chill
of isolation and lethal rage Brom was known for. Raesa swallowed
back her fear. “No, but I can get us off this rock and back into
space.” She could also escape the moment they landed somewhere
else. Raesa decided at that moment that the Crimson Star was too
dangerous for her mission or her peace of mind.

“Let’s see what you can do.” He backed
off her slowly and held out his hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Offering you a chance to prove your
worth.”

She eyed his outstretched hand. With
grim resolve she placed her palm against his.

He gripped her hand and hauled them
both up to their feet. Muscles groaned and ached. “Where are we
going?”

Brom pulled her close. “The captain
wants to have a word with his stowaway.”

“Right.” Facing down the notorious
Captain Na’varr would be worth it if it meant getting away from
here.

He set a brisk pace and she had to
double her steps to keep up. Brom’s grip on her hand never let up,
but she could see the smirk on his face at her efforts.

She never expected this playful side to
the man.

They reached a solid door with no
markings. Brom glanced down at her and then tapped his knuckles on
the pseudo wood.

“Enter,” the abrupt command hitched her
breath.

Brom palmed the door open and strode
in. She tried to smooth down the tacky dress.

They arrived and found a broad
shouldered man standing across the room, watching them through a
mirror. Brom stood between them. Was he blocking her view or
protecting his captain from an assassin? Either way she could
appreciate his caution.

She glanced around Brom’s arm and let
her gaze roam down the other man’s back. Anderson Na’varr. She
noticed the strength there and the regal bearing of the man her
father had described so often it was ingrained in her psyche.
Through the mirror she could see the hint of chest hair peeking out
from where he’d left the shirt unbuttoned. What would it be like to
run her fingers through that?

“Like what you see?”

Her gaze snapped back up to his face
and heat rushed to her cheeks. She tried for honesty. “Of course.
You and your second in command are both incredibly attractive
men.”

He laughed then and her cheeks flushed
hotter. From embarrassment or pleasure, she wasn’t sure. Brom
dropped her hand and she glanced at his profile. Was he angry with
her?

“That’s a refreshing
answer.”

“Did you hear our conversation?” Brom
held his arm out to prevent her from moving forward.

“Aye.” Captain Na’varr narrowed his
eyes at her through the mirror. “You’ve caused me a helluva
headache. Who are you, and how did you get on my ship?”

Raesa blinked and gripped Brom’s arm.
“My name is Raesa. I can break into any phoenix class ship.” There
wasn’t a ship she’d come across that she couldn’t hack, but there
was no point in telling him that. He might be her father’s hero,
but he was still a pirate. She wasn’t an idiot.

“How did they come onto my ship,
then?”

Hot shame burned into her. “Your men
came back before I could secure the entrance. By the time I could
have done anything, they had already boarded.”

Na’varr glanced away from her.
“Brom?”

“She’s telling the truth.”

Raesa’s nails dug into Brom’s skin.
“That’s annoying as hell,” she muttered beneath her
breath.

He inclined his head toward her. “I’m
going to love having you as my body slave.”

“Not going to happen.” She ground her
teeth together and dropped his arm.

“Step out where I can see
you.”

“I’d rather not.” She tugged at her
dress.

“Don’t be shy, hellcat, those clothes
didn’t keep you from kicking the shit out of me
earlier.”

“You deserved it.”

With a sigh she moved away from Brom.
She stiffened her shoulders and stood quiet beneath his
examination.

His expression hardened and a trill of
fear snaked down her spine. “Brom, step away from her.”

“What? Why?” Brom’s body went rigid
beside her.

“Don’t question me.” The captain’s
voice snapped with irritation and Raesa realized his anger was
probably directed at her.

“They shoved me in these clothes for
the auction. I was supposed to be put on display but a buyer took
me before I made it there. This isn’t what I normally wear or
anything.” She tugged at her dress.

Brom moved slowly and Captain Na’varr
stalked toward her.

“Captain, what are you—” Brom’s bellow
shook Raesa to the core. Or maybe it was the business end of a
lazblade hovering less than six inches from her throat.

“Stay away from her. Now.”

Raesa stared down the blade at the
frigid glare of Captain Anderson Na’varr, black hearted pirate and
dangerous mercenary. The only man her father had ever called a
friend.

“You will tell me where you got that
choker.”

Her palms stayed up where the captain
could see them, but her fingers itched to touch the collar on her
throat. “It was given to me by my father.”

He moved. She lunged back,
slamming against a solid surface. The door?
Too late! Trapped!

The noise of his palm slapping the wall
rang out and she flinched, waiting for the pain of being stabbed to
rob her of breath.

Her heart slammed in her chest and
blood roared in her ears. It took a moment to realize he’d let his
sword fall away.

This close she could see fine lines at
the creases of his vivid green eyes. An ancient scar hooked along
his cheekbone and added to the rugged attraction of the rogue
pirate.

“You didn’t kill me.” She breathed the
words in a soft whisper. Why would he get so angry about the
collar?

“Where did it come from?”

“He gave it to me when I turned
sixteen. It’s the only thing I have left.”

“Left?” He clenched his jaw. “Where is
your father now?”

Grief crushed the anger out of her,
sweeping it away and leaving exhaustion. Too much shit had happened
in such a short time. “He was tortured and killed by the same men
who kidnapped and sold me into slavery. I have to get back
there.”

A strange emotion chased its way across
his face. “If he’s dead, why go back? A smart woman would
run.”

She narrowed her gaze. Captain
Na’varr’s question stirred her doubts into a flutter, but she had
to get back. Smart move or not, there were things left that only
she could do. “There are people who need me. I won’t run and hide
from my responsibility.”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a
small smile, showing a dimple in his cheek. “We’ll see about
that.”

The ship vibrated up through her feet.
They were taking off.

“Looks like you don’t need
my help after all.” She hated the disappointment which welled up
inside her.
What am I thinking?
He’s a pirate for frick’s sake and standing
entirely too close for her own sanity.

“I am required to see to my crew.
You’ll remain in this room until I figure out what to do with a
stowaway.”

Raesa nodded once. She needed to get
back to the maintenance hatch and the few tools she’d manage to
procure in her escape.

“Brom will stay with you.”

Her gaze snapped to the grim hybrid.
Gone was his playful banter and in its place was the dark avenger
she’d heard stories about. Truth was so much stranger than fiction.
She expected fear and anger, but his change actually hurt her heart
a bit.

“Captain. A word.” Brom glared at her
and tilted his head toward Na’varr. The captain came to his
side.

Raesa stood demurely with her hands
clasped in front of her. She wanted to appear harmless.

Brom watched her. “Do we trust?” They’d
dropped into Arnek and Raesa kept her face
expressionless.

“No. We protect her.”

Protect?

“Protect?” His question mirrored her
thoughts. Brom curled his lip over a fang, making him look
dangerous.

A shudder of longing tore through her.
A bittersweet smell surrounded her and the insistent hunger of lust
made her pussy tingle with expectation.

Brom’s gaze slid down her
body and back up. “She is suffering. Injuries to her shoulder and
side. They’ve also given her
soalchik
.”

The word soalchik was new. It didn’t
have the same harsh consonant sounds of the mercenary
tongue.

Na’varr turned to look at Raesa. “Take
care of it. She’s yours, but precious.”

Confusion warred with worry. Take care
of what? Was it her wounds? She wanted to ask questions, but
letting them know she understood Arnek would make things more
complicated. Raesa dropped her attention to her hands where they
were clenched in the skimpy material of her dress. When had that
happened?

Things weren’t working the way she’d
planned.

The captain’s body came into her view
and his finger touched her chin. With the lightest pressure, he
eased her head up. She met his stare with one of her
own.

“I leave you to Brom’s care. He will
help you through this.”

Help her? She straightened her spine
and stepped away from his too-tempting warmth. “I can manage my own
wounds. You probably need him elsewhere.”

Na’varr tilted his head and bent closer
so that his mouth was an inch from hers. “Do you think I’d leave a
notorious hacker like you alone?”

Instense pleasure at his compliment
rose up inside her. It tempered her frustration. Of course it
wouldn’t be that easy. “I wouldn’t call myself
notorious.”

“Your father did, often.” His gaze
softened and emotion knotted in her throat. “I trust few with my
life and the things I hold dear. Only Brom can be by your
side.”

Her heart fluttered shamelessly. He was
entirely too smooth for her sanity. She steeled her
resolve.

In that moment, Na’varr captured her
face in his hands and kissed her.

Surprise stole her breath. His lips
were warm and softer than she’d imagined. The skilled slide of his
mouth on hers brought her lust to a frantic peak and she
moaned.

The first brush of his tongue against
her lower lip caused her to open with a gasp. His tongue swept in.
Damn, she loved a man who could kiss. He teased another moan from
her before pulling away.

He clenched her to him, burying her
face against the smooth cloth of his shirt. The evidence of his
arousal pressed against her stomach. His heart hammered beneath her
ear while they both regained their breath.

“Duty calls.” He held her tight for an
instant and then buried his hands in her hair. She stared into his
eyes and his gaze burned hot with lust.

A lust she was more than willing to
return.

Another man’s body pressed against her
back and she jerked in surprise. Brom? His arms came around her
waist and captured her hands against her stomach.

Na’varr reached up to move her hair
over one shoulder exposing her neck. Brom’s hot mouth tasted her
skin and she shivered.

Na’varr caressed her cheek and she
arched into his touch.

The captain groaned. “You’re
dangerous.” He kissed her again, a hard press of lips, before
pulling away.

Brom’s arms tightened around her and he
scraped his teeth against her throat, sending little arcs of lust
throughout her body.

Her heart slammed in her chest. What
the hell was he talking about? “Not as dangerous as you are.” The
words slipped out, and Brom bit her with gentle
pressure.

She moaned and arched to give him
better access to her neck. Two men touching her at once. It was as
if they’d raided her deepest fantasies.

Na’varr chuckled and sketched a bow.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He glanced at Brom. “I’ll return
as quickly as possible.” Na’varr turned and strode away, leaving
them alone in the quiet room.