Space Invaders (27 page)
The matrix was mine. I could write it, I could make it what I wanted. The beast shot into hyperspace, but I held Frey. Sweat dripped down my face. I shook with the effort, feeling as if my gut would rip apart. But I held him.
“Guide…” His voice was heavy with the leaving. “Let me go.”
“No. You…have a choice. You lost your centre, your family, but now you can have it again.” I laid myself bare. I gave myself. “With me. With my friends.”
“The vortex needs a guardian.”
“So you’ll just be a guardian while you live here. With me. My friends can even help out the next time you’re summoned.” I knew he had a choice, if he could let himself. “Listen, you can make a life here. I don’t know what you’ll do, if you’ll build houses or… I don’t care. I want you in my life. Nothing makes sense if I wake up with you one morning, fall for you, and you go away again.”
He reached out for the wavering paper. I wasn’t sure what his choice would be until he took my hand and it fluttered to the ground, discarded.
“You are my centre.”
I grinned, because the way he said it reminded me so much of Arnie-speak.
YOU-R-my-CEN-tar
. But I was careful not to mention Arnie’s name. Making Frey jealous might be fun sometimes, but not right now.
Anyway, I couldn’t have talked because I was crushed in his arms and he was smeared with dried blood and I couldn’t stop touching him, just touching him.
He kissed me.
And I was his centre.
“Hey, he gets the guy and I get battered and for what?” Jared groused.
“Shut up, dickhead,” Miles said affectionately.
Epilogue
You’d think life would be one smooth happy-ever-after after meeting the man you were destined to love. Most of all, you’d think you could sleep in once in a friggin’ while.
But nooo.
I woke, as I usually woke in my dorm room, under six-feet plus of sleepy golden muscle.
The Johanna Lindsey book we’d re-enacted the night before fell to the floor with a thump.
“Bailey, I will get you coffee.”
I mumbled something, tried to swat him away.
“I will tend to you.”
That had one eye opening. My body woke up quicker than I did and Frey had a handle on where, stroking me. “Mmmm.”
“You have a class this morning.”
“Why are there such things as morning classes?” I moaned, grabbing a pillow and covering my head with it.
“A warrior is eager to meet his day.” Frey swatted my backside. “And I am eager, as always.”
He kissed the knobs of my spine, licking, sucking, so that I forgot it was morning and I was so horny I was ready to hump the bed. “Frey!”
He turned me over and spread my legs and oh, boy, did he tend to me, taking me in his mouth, holding me down as I wiggled, laughing when I begged.
I came, but I didn’t just climax as I had before meeting him. With Frey, I almost blacked out, so intense, colours flashing, warm, ruthless mouth, callused hands holding me, keeping me safe as he shot me high.
I was still panting, recovering from what really was the little death, when he pushed lube into me before mounting me.
I groaned as I accommodated him.
“You are well?” he asked, as he always did.
“If I tell you how well I am, you’ll just get smug.”
He grinned and began to move gently. Oh, yeah. It was going to be one of those mornings when he took his time. He lifted my arms above my head, held them there. He was all ‘take charge’ this morning, but when wasn’t he?
Not that I was complaining…
“I’m taking the class with the new prof, the one who replaced Dunbar,” I told him as he set me free long enough so I could score his back tenderly with my nails. He likes to wear my marks. He even shows them off, which is incredibly embarrassing but also makes me weirdly proud.
“You will do well in this class! I will put my energy into you,” he bellowed. And then he stopped playing with me and he took me. Conquered me.
I quivered under him when he was done with me. And he looked smug, damn it.
“What about that coffee you mentioned?” I’d taught him how to make it. He drank it all the time, so it had been a necessity.
“I met another of your former lovers,” Frey said, getting out of bed and opening the door. I watched him, stared at his ass as he made us coffee. Then his words penetrated. Oh shit!
“Frey…” I began carefully. “You didn’t challenge this one to a duel, did you?” I’d have to hide his sword again. I still remembered the first time one of my asshole exes had made a crack about how easy I was to Frey.
“I let him live, my guide,” he said. “Killing him and leaving his guts spread over campus would have been messy, yes?” He looked at me with bright blue eyes.
“Yeah.” Damn, the big lug’s jealousy was not adorable. I cleared my throat. If I got too mushy, Miles and Jared wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. I knew Frey’s bellowing during sex probably had them half awake. “You going into the shop this morning?”
“Yes, I am.” His eyes were even brighter as he brought back perfectly made coffee and we shared from the same mug. “Candy is a wondrous friend to have found me this place of work.”
Frey worked in a motorcycle showroom and repair shop. Who knew, but he was obsessed with motorcycles. He’d got his licence recently thanks to some underhand computer work on Miles’ part. God knew what my stealthy friend had pulled, but Frey had ID now. One day Miles would be running the CIA or something. He was one scary dude.
“Miles and Candy want to see a movie with us tonight,” I said.
“He is a good master for her,” Frey said and I choked on my coffee.
“Ah, Frey… Didn’t we have that little talk about women’s liberation and stuff? Don’t call him her master, not in her hearing anyway.”
“Miles smiles when I call him such,” Frey said.
I had to laugh. “It’s your funeral.”
Frey took my hand. “I will walk you to class, yes, my
seiðmaðr?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess that’d be all right.”
About the Author
Jan Irving has worked in all kinds of creative fields, from painting silk to making porcelain ceramics, to interior design, but writing was always her passion.
She feels you can’t fully understand characters until you follow their journey through a story world. Many kinds of worlds interest her, fantasy, historical, science fiction and suspense—but all have one thing in common, people finding a way to live together—in the most emotional and erotic fashion possible, of course!
Email:
mailto:[email protected]
Jan loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
Also by Jan Irving:
Uncommon Cowboys: Straight Cowboy
Uncommon Cowboys: Shifter Cowboy
Uncommon Cowboys: Wounded Cowboy
Uncommon Cowboys: A Plain, Ordinary Cowboy
Uncommon Cowboys: Cowboy in Ravenna
Men of Station 57: Forbidden Fire
RETRIBUTION
Jambrea Jo Jones
Dedication
Joy, thank you for always being there for me when ever I need you. I’m a better writer because of you. You friendship means the world to me. Rhonda, thank you for all of your support. It is for people like you that I write. Your encouragement touches my heart.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:
Boy Scouts: Boy Scouts of America Corporation
Prologue
“Commander Rave Anders, a panel of your peers has found you guilty of theft of government property. You are hereby dishonourably discharged and sentenced to thirty days on the penal colony Devil’s Island.”
Rave fell to his seat in disbelief as the panel left the room. Just like that, his military career was gone, like so much smoke. Most would think that was the worst thing, but it wasn’t. The worst was Rave’s lover, Kain, couldn’t be found.
A hand landed on his shoulder. He turned, hoping to see Kain. His stomach sank when he saw his friend, Sela instead.
“It’s no use, Rave. It’s as if he’s disappeared. His parents don’t know where he is, either. I’m sorry.”
He rested his head in his hands. “I can’t believe it, Sela. He’s out there, somewhere, hurt. He’d be here if he was able.”
Rave looked up at Sela and saw the guards approaching behind her.
“I’ll do what I can to find him, Rave.”
He gave a sharp nod and turned to follow the guards to the pod waiting to take him to Devil’s Island, his thoughts in turmoil
.
How would he survive the next thirty days? Being in the military put a target on his back and Devil’s Island was one of the worst prison colonies in the universe. His heart ached at the thought of Kain, alone and hurt while he could do nothing about it. Nothing really mattered if Kain wasn’t safe. The guard shoved him into the craft and shackled him to the seat.
After the criminals were processed, the ship started the journey to Devil’s Island.
“Hey, you’s that military thief? Yep, you is. You’s the guy whose got fucked up the ass, but then, I hear ya like that, don’t ya?” The passenger beside him snickered. “I’m sure you’ll get plenty of action on DI.”
Rave leaned over and yanked him close enough that Rave could smell the man’s putrid breath. “Shut the fuck up.”
“No need to gets with the rough stuff. I ain’t after that pretty ass,” the man mumbled as Rave shoved him back into his seat.
Rave closed his eyes to block out the upcoming nightmare. He had two hours to devise a plan that would keep him from getting killed while being detained. He had a lover to find.
One step at a time.
His thoughts drifted.
What had happened?
That question played over and over in his mind. One minute, Kain had left the ship. The next, the Alliance had boarded the ship and arrested Rave. Two days before the ship docked, the crew had conducted an inventory and those government boxes hadn’t been there. The Alliance had shown up, and suddenly, there the boxes had sat, pretty as you please. Something wasn’t adding up.
Rave didn’t do suspicion. He placed his faith in all his crew and expected their trust in return. Kain had never given him a reason
not
to trust him. Hell, Rave loved the man. He couldn’t love a traitor, could he?
Focus, Damn it! Worry about now.
The force of take off glued him to the seat. He swallowed then bit his lip. He wasn’t prepared, not really. All the training in the world couldn’t prepare a person for a prison colony—an open world full of the worst criminals in the universe. He couldn’t figure out why the Alliance wanted to send him to a high security planet. He should have been shipped off to one of the minimum security colonies.
When the flight smoothed out, Rave forced himself to relax. He had to get some sleep. He wouldn’t get much on DI. Rave prayed he would wake from this nightmare, wrapped in the comfort of Kain arms, ready for their morning romp.
Kain, where are you?
Chapter One
Rave stared at the vast space in front of him when a ship invaded the beautiful blackness of the universe.
“What is
he
doing here?” Rave wondered aloud.
“The same as us, I’m sure. This
is
a refuelling planet.”
Rave jumped, he hadn’t expected an answer. He shifted in his chair to face his first mate.
“Sela, I thought you were on planet.”
“And miss this show? You’ve got to be kidding. I want a front row seat. Got any snacks?”
Rave stood. He didn’t need any reminders of the man who’d walked out on him and taken Rave’s career and heart with him when he’d left.
“Since you’re done with leave, you can take over the coms. I’ll be in my quarters.”
“Running, sir?”
He answered with a flip of his finger then left the control room. Sela knew the score between him and Kain. Rave wouldn’t dwell on it. The
Retribution
would be in port until morning. He could avoid the traitor for one night.
The computer’s musical voice stopped his movement. “Captain Anders, we’re being hailed. Would you like to receive the call here or will you take it on the main deck?”
He strode to a panel in the hull to answer. “Who’s trying to contact the ship?”
“Commander Kain Sims. The call is marked urgent.”
“Patch him through.”
He didn’t want to take the call at all, but he couldn’t refuse a member of the Alliance. He was lucky they’d granted him the right to own a ship. Still, they waited for him to make one wrong move so they could take that away, too.
“Anders.”
“Captain Anders, permission to board?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.”
“I’ll meet you on the main deck.” Rave released the com to end the call.
Dread pooled in his stomach. He’d managed to avoid Kain for a while now. Why had he shown up now, here?
“Sorry, Rave, I tried to divert the call,” Sela murmured as he entered the bridge.
“Not your fault. Why don’t you go to your cabin? No sense in both of us being here.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to run interference?”
“It’s better if you don’t witness this. I’m not sure if I can hold my temper, and someone will have to captain the ship if I get hauled in. We have cargo to pick up on Seid II.”
Sela left, and Rave wished he could follow her.
Stop being a pussy. You’re over him.
If he was so over Kain, why did his heart speed up at the very sight of the tall man striding towards him? Why did he drool when he looked into Kain’s emerald green eyes and want to run his hands through the man’s black hair.