Authors: Crystal Jordan
Unleashed (3 page)
He shook himself out of his reverie and stretched. Perhaps it was time for a run on his old stomping grounds. He'd been too long in civility. Besides, he had an investment opportunity to offer Lorelei Chase, a friend he'd known for years who still lived in the heart of the district. The Vermilion was the only place in the city where one could find their famed technobrothels. Politicians had decided it was best to give their constituents a place to “let the wildness out,” and they looked the other way at the rampant crime and poverty in that district as a result. It was just the price the city had to pay for people being half-animal.
Of course, Quill had seen more than his fair share of those same politicians taking advantage of the attractions of the Vermilion. Taking a hit of bliss while fucking a muscular jade up the ass was just the start of a night when they let their feral nature run free. As long as they paid their bills when the night was done, that was all Quill cared about.
He rolled his shoulders. The leopard within him wanted to prowl. Turning for his 'fresher, he pulled out a clean set of clothes. All black, to blend in to the night, and topped it with a jacket that had a nanosheet built into it that hardened into an impenetrable layer if it was pierced with a bullet or blade. It didn't look like much, but it had taken a load of creds out of his accounts.
Worth it for the protection it offered, especially considering where he was going.
2
I
t was a dangerous game she was playing.
t was a dangerous game she was playing.
How long could she expect to keep fucking her mate without telling him what they were to each other? Gea could only be grateful that he couldn't sense it himself. Only shifter species that mated for life could tell when they found their mate, and leopards couldn't. Arctic foxes, however, were not as lucky. Just a handful of species could sense it. Even then, not all of them had a mate they were supposed to spend the rest of their lives with. It was a crapshoot, and she was on the losing end. Deus, after what her mother had been through, she'd thought there was no way that fate would land her with a mate.
She'd been wrong. So very, very wrong.
When it came to Quill, she stayed away as long as she could, but when the need grew too strong, she had to have him. Touching him, tasting him, feeling him thrust deep inside her fed a craving she didn't even want to admit she had. She licked her lips, savoring the flavor from his kiss that still lingered.
Tonight's trip into the Vermilion had given her an excuse to show up on his doorstep. His place was right on the edge of civilization, right before it gave way to the dangerous wild side. A perfect metaphor for the man himself. One foot still in the shady dealings of the Vermilion he'd grown up in, one foot in the upstanding world of legitimate business. The dichotomy intrigued her, and she wished it hadn't.
She wished she could resist him, resist the draw he had on her, but she hadn't once been successful since the night she'd met him and sensed what he was to her. If she was close enough to touch, she did. Her insides twisted tight, and she clenched her fingers to still their shaking. Now was not the time or the place to show weakness.
But she was weak, wasn't she? As weak as her mother had been, addicted to her mate. Dependent. Pathetic.
No.
No.
That would not be her. That would never, ever be her. As long as she never told him, never claimed him, she was safe. It was just sex. She never gave him more. Her only lucky break was that his upbringing had made him just as wary as she was of tying himself to someone.
No.
That would not be her. That would never, ever be her. As long as she never told him, never claimed him, she was safe. It was just sex. She never gave him more. Her only lucky break was that his upbringing had made him just as wary as she was of tying himself to someone.
Next time, she'd fight harder to stay away from him. Next time, she might even manage not to knock on his door.
It was unfortunate her investigations took her into the Vermilion as often as they did. But where else could people hide all their filthy little secrets? Or so they thought. So far, not one of her investigations had been fruitless. The information was there, if you knew whom to ask. If you knew whom to pay.
Suppressing the pain and fear and self-loathing that always followed the high of being in Quill's arms, she focused on the task at hand. This was what mattered. This was her life. This was who she was. She needed to remember that.
Another block of skirting through the darkness and she was in front of the warehouse she wanted. Slipping around the side into the unlit alley that separated it from the next building, she faced a wall with no door. Or so it appeared. Squatting down, she pressed her ident card to a tiny vidscreen hidden at the base of the wall. A small click sounded and she pushed in a rough square of staggered bricks that was level with her hip. She hopped up and shimmied inside. The bricks swung shut behind her.
“Ziegler?” She squinted in the gloom, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the total lack of light. At least outside, there was the hint of moon and stars. “Ziggy, where are you? Since you called to set up this meet, you'd better be here!”
Never mind that she needed the information he claimed to have, it was usually better to keep Ziggy on the defensive. The blisshead wouldn't hesitate to make the most of any situation that could get him more creds to feed his addiction.
She shoved aside a dusty tapestry that covered a doorway in the narrow warren that ran the length of the building. It was doubtful the owners of the warehouse even knew Ziggy had his hideout back here. The tight space always made her antsy and claustrophobic.
“Ziggy!”
“Here.” The skinny man slinked through a door, his fingers twitching the way they did when he was coming down off a high. “You got my creds?”
“Depends on whether you have the intel you promised.” She crossed her arms and jutted her chin.
“I got it. It's prime.” His yellowed teeth flashed in a smile that was supposed to be ingratiating but wasn't. “Just what you wanted about Tam.”
The last place anyone had seen Tam was in a technobrothel. A very public area in a technobrothel. The question Gea wanted answered was why the cheetah had been there in the first place. Hardly a way to lie low after pulling a job. Her client didn't know what Tam had been there for, only that she'd disappeared shortly after and hadn't been seen since.
Gea figured that if she wanted to know were Tam had gone, then she needed to know where she'd come from. And why.
The
why
was always the hardest question to answer, but usually the most crucial and most revealing. People did all manner of stupid and insane things, but unless they were completely bent, they had their reasons, and it was a lot easier to do her job when she knew the motivation behind the action.
why
was always the hardest question to answer, but usually the most crucial and most revealing. People did all manner of stupid and insane things, but unless they were completely bent, they had their reasons, and it was a lot easier to do her job when she knew the motivation behind the action.
She made an impatient gesture at Ziggy. He always claimed his information was prime, but he'd say anything to get his next fix. “Let's hear it.”
His smile grew wider. “She was meeting with someone, a buyer. Wanted something her mark had.”
“What's that?” She kept her expression bored enough that he knew she was still interested, but didn't give away just how interested.
“Some old book.” His shoulder jerked in a shrug, the muscles throughout his body starting to twitch. “Called it a Gutenberg.”
“The Gutenberg Bible?” She arched an eyebrow. Now, wasn't that intriguing? Her client hadn't said a word about anything that valuable going missing. She'd have to do some checking to see if he'd had a Gutenberg or if Tam had nicked it from someone else.
“Yeah. Yeah, that was it.” Ziggy's head bobbed in a nod.
She chewed her lip for a moment. “You got a name on her contact?”
Eyes narrowing, his grin turned sly. “Maybe. Cost you extra to find out.”
“Don't mess with me, Ziggy.” She hardened her voice. “You like our arrangement, so don't start jerking me around. I can always get my information from somebody else. Is that what you want?”
“Need it bad this time, Gea.” His tone rose into a screeching whine.
“Take that up with your dealer. Maybe he'll give you a discount.” She flashed her fangs at him in warning. “What was Tam's contact's name?”
“Meier. German guy. Bear-shifter, big and scary.” His fingers twitched, flicking against each other in a spasmodic movement. “Wouldn't want to mess with him.”
“I'll keep that in mind.” She pulled out her palmtop computer, keyed in a few codes, and heard a beep from his pocket. “You've been paid.”
Retrieving his palmtop, he glanced at it and giggled like a delighted child. “Prime.”
He walked her out and sped away the moment his hidey-hole sealed shut behind them, no doubt on his way to his next score. Blissheads.
Her muscles relaxed a little at being outside again where she could see the slice of sky overhead. Not that anyone could relax much in this part of town, but she'd take exposure over enclosure any day. She'd never enjoyed being caged. By anyone or anything.
She sighed and straightened the cap that covered her hair, tucking a stray wisp away, her mind returning to the puzzle Ziggy had given her to work out. Tam had been trying to fence a stolen artifact. One that could go to only certain buyers, who were willing to have an illegally acquired relic in their possession. It wouldn't be impossible to move an item like that, but it would take knowing whom to contact. Gea knew someone who used to be in that game but had recently retired. Perhaps that would make for a more pliable source of information.
The piece of the puzzle Gea couldn't figure out was why her client hadn't mentioned anything about Tam stealing from him. But he had to be tracking the cheetah down for a reason. Maybe that was it. Maybe it wasn't. The man was in love with her, that was clear. But love and hate had a very thin line between them.
Shouting at the end of the alley had Gea pressing back into the shadows. It sounded like two rival gangs were getting into it. Shit. That was not a mess she wanted to get tangled up in. She hoped Ziggy had disappeared before the fighting started, but there was nothing she could do about it either way. Shots rang out, and she gritted her teeth to keep from flinching. Time to get out of here. Now.
She eased her hand behind her and into her knapsack, trying to move slowly enough that no one would notice her. Doubtful they'd be paying attention, but she wanted to be gone before anyone suspected she'd ever been here. Her hand closed around the butt of her grappler gun and she eased it out. A quick peek showed no one looking her way, so she aimed at the top of the building and fired. The thing had a silencer on it, so only a whispery
pop
sounded. She winced at even that small noise.
pop
sounded. She winced at even that small noise.
A gossamer-thin strand of mercurite shot out of the gun to form a molecular bond with the building ledge. If she couldn't walk out of the alley, she had to go up. She engaged a setting on the gun so it would pull her up the wire. Her heart jolted at the initial jerk that yanked her off her feet. Every muscle in her body tensed and she clutched the gun tight as wind sped past her in an exhilarating rush. A howl rent the air below her, and bullets exploded into the side of the building, spraying debris in her face. She sputtered, her grip slipping on the grappler.
“Shit!”
She kicked her feet against the wall, hoped she was close enough to the top to make it, and used the momentum of the grappler to flip herself up and over the railing to land on the roof. She dropped to her haunches to keep her balance, a triumphant grin spreading over her face. A quick tug and the mercurite strand disintegrated into silver dust that left no trace of her passing. Deus, she loved her gadgets.
The triumph was short-lived. She heard the distinct sound of claws scrabbling against brick and peeked over the edge. Bullets exploded into the railing, forcing her back, but she caught a glimpse of a massive Komodo dragon climbing up the side of the building. Fast.
Adrenaline flooded her system, fight-or-flight instincts warring within her. She could stay and fight, but a smart fox knew when to run, so she hoisted her pack and ran as if her ass had been lit on fire. A short leap and she was on the next rooftop, but the dragon-shifter wasn't far behind her. She could sense him closing in, his reptilian speed giving him the advantage. Her muscles burned, but she kept sprinting. She'd rather not be gang-raped before someone put a bullet in her brainpan. That thought sent energy coursing through her and she shot forward. Sweat poured down her face, searing her eyes. She wouldn't last much longer, and the dragon wasn't slowing.
He was gaining on her.
A building loomed before her, higher than any of the others around it. She didn't know if her grappler could reach high enough to get her to the top, but she'd try. Swinging the gun around, she fired and the mercurite hit about a meter below the ledge.
She'd take it.
Switching the setting so it would pull her up, her senses howled that the dragon was there, upon her.
Hurry!
She leaped forward, launching herself off the side of the building. His claws raked across her calf, slicing through her clothes and flesh. She screamed, one hand slipping off the gun. The wind rushed by at dizzying speed as she spun wildly through the air. She gagged when she slammed into the side of the taller building, the breath exploding from her lungs. Dangling for a long moment, her arm screeching from the abuse, she reached her free hand up and grabbed for the ledge. Shimmying forward, she slowly hauled herself up to the rooftop.
Hurry!
She leaped forward, launching herself off the side of the building. His claws raked across her calf, slicing through her clothes and flesh. She screamed, one hand slipping off the gun. The wind rushed by at dizzying speed as she spun wildly through the air. She gagged when she slammed into the side of the taller building, the breath exploding from her lungs. Dangling for a long moment, her arm screeching from the abuse, she reached her free hand up and grabbed for the ledge. Shimmying forward, she slowly hauled herself up to the rooftop.
Tumbling over the railing, she lay there, panting for breath, still clutching the grappler. She was more grateful than ever that she'd dropped the load of creds it took to buy the gun. Kissing the grip, she let it clatter to the rooftop. The cold blast of air from Lake Michigan was welcome in cooling down her sweaty flesh. She closed her eyes, sucking in oxygen as fast as her lungs would allow. It took long minutes before her body stopped shaking from the adrenaline. That was a far closer call than she cared for. She tested her limbs and drew in a sharp breath as the sting from her leg made her wince. Rolling into a sitting position, she put the grappler away and pulled out the small med kit she carried with her. The occasional tremor in her fingers made it take longer than she would have liked to slap a nanopatch over her torn flesh. She flexed her calf. It wasn't too bad. She could still walk on it, run if she had to.
Which meant she could still do a bit more information seeking before she called it a night. Normally, she'd seriously consider taking her ass home right now, but her client wanted Tam tracked down immediately, if not sooner, and he was handing over a lot of creds to make that happen. A client as wealthy as he was could send a lot of prime business Gea's way if she made him happy. Plus, she was too tenacious to scurry home just yet. It was a trait that made her good at her job.
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