Creations 1: The Perfect Creation (16 page)

“That’s what I said.”

“So?”

“So what?” Rafe sighed. “Erin, I love you. Does it matter why?”

“It does if it’s only because we’re both Xema.” Being Created was enough of a burden.

Erin refused to be someone’s commitment solely due to genetics as well.

“Please. You’re less Xema than you are a host of other possibilities. You’re sexy, smart, and give the best damned blowjob this side of the System,” he joked, but when she didn’t laugh, he rolled his eyes. “Erin, can’t you just accept that I love you for you? Honey, I know who and what you are. And I don’t care about anything but that you’re mine. Can’t you feel it, the connection between us?”

She nodded.

“That’s very, very rare. I won’t lie. I’ve experienced
wainu
before, and even felt affection for a few women. But I’ve never wanted one enough to claim her for my own.”

“You claimed me?” Erin didn’t know what that meant, exactly, but she thrilled at all he said. It sounded more and more as if Rafe truly loved her.

“I did. And I won’t apologise for it,” he growled, looking extremely annoyed. “I love you, you love me, and that’s all there is to it. We’re going to destroy Blue Rim, and then you and I are going to get on with the process of living.” Erin didn’t know what to say. Rafe had been planning all this out for them and hadn’t mentioned any of it to her. Much as she delighted in the fact that he wanted her, she didn’t like having her future planned out for her. She’d gone that route once before in her life. But he’d been so careful not to garner her submission unless they were making love. From that perspective, it seemed as if he wanted her to make her own decisions.

Before she could comment, however, she heard something moving in the woods in front of her.

Rafe froze as well, and they crouched low, taking cover in nearby bushes.

“Cheltam, come on out, man. We have a problem.”

Rafe and Erin glanced at one another in surprise, then stepped out to meet the new arrival.

“Drekk?”

Drekk quickly shook his head. “Don’t say another word. Just go along,” he murmured, staring at Rafe. “
Trust me
.”

“Oh, good,” a voice from Erin’s nightmares, from her Handler, whispered in the sudden silence. He appeared along with a dozen blue-suited men, teleporting into the small clearing of forest with phasers drawn. Eyran security uniforms, the recognisable sight symbolising Erin’s years of imprisonment, sent her into a panic.

Sweet perfume flooded the air as she readied to fight, to protect not only herself, but Rafe as well.

“Don’t do it,” Drekk growled, something in his gaze making her take a second look.

And that was all it took to render her off balance. In minutes several pulses stunned her into oblivion, and she fell into waiting arms, not sure of anything anymore.

Rafe stared in shock at Drekk, not knowing what to think. On the one hand, the instinct to protect his mate made him want to tear off the heads of everyone around them. But on the other, the rational measure of the lawmaker within told him to wait it out. Drekk had called him Cheltam, after all. If need be, Rafe could kill the lot of them after he’d found his answers.

“Cheltam,” Drekk said with what sounded like relief. “I was hoping to see you yesterday.” A lie. Drekk had told them he’d meet them at the trading tower tomorrow. “You have the girl, unharmed, as agreed? See Synster? I told you all was well.” He glanced at Synster, and Rafe recognised the name as the one Erin had put to her Handler.

In their days together travelling back, Rafe had explained to Erin more of his life as a Xema and peacemaker. And his mate had tentatively described life on Eyra. A series of tests and torture at the hands of Synster, this measly male Rafe could break in two with one hand.

Looking around, he failed to spot her Creator, Canunn.
Too bad. Would have been nice to kill
them both and present them to Erin with bows around their necks.

“She
was
unharmed,” Rafe growled. “Until one of these dicks shot her with a stunner.”

“The female is fine.” Synster shook his head, disregarding Rafe, to his inherent danger.

“At least the phaser will leave no lasting damage. So long as you haven’t done anything to mar her perfection.”

“I saved her ass from peacemakers bent on rape and several raptors and
kethra
wanting to make her into dinner. She’s a handy woman, I’ll grant you. But she’s not familiar with the Fields of Flor or the Anate Jungle.”

Synster started, his beady eyes narrow. “I hadn’t thought she’d get that far. Good, then.” Synster cleared his throat. “Your man Drekk tells me you want more than the hundred thousand we’re offering for her capture.”

Rafe glanced at Drekk and nodded, thinking fast. “If she’s worth that much, then knowledge about more like her should be worth a pretty penny.” Synster grinned, and unease tingled at the base of Rafe’s neck. “Oh, we know about the others. She’s the last one we need to find, I’m happy to say.” Synster glanced at the men around him and considered his words. “I’m not exactly sure why I should pay you anything, considering I’ve found her myself.”

Drekk, Rafe noted, narrowed his gaze, anger pouring off the large male in waves.

Rafe, however, hadn’t been away from Cheltam so long that he’d forgotten how to play the game. “Well, now. Seems to me you don’t know me as well as you should, Synster. My reputation is as good as it is because I’m a safe man.”

“How so?”

“I keep very clear, detailed records about every job I take. And though you didn’t deal with me personally on this matter, I have enough on you to put you to death several times over, should our girl’s beginnings be made public.” Rafe smiled through his teeth, pleased at Synster’s sudden pallor.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Why not? I’m a known criminal, but one with standards. You Eyran scientists, however, have a bad reputation with creating things that destroy.” Rafe stared from Erin to Synster. “You kill me and all details surrounding Erin, you and Canunn will be all over the Vrail news vids within twenty standard hours.”

Drekk nodded. “I told you we play hardball, Synster.” Synster grimaced. “That’s not necessary.”

“Oh, but it is.” Rafe held Erin in his arms, wanting nothing more than to put her down and pound Synster into a bloody pulp. “Now I want a credit chip with two hundred thousand on it, as well as passage back to Tekor for me and my friend.” He nodded to Drekk.

“And I want to know if anyone else is currently looking for Erin. Anyone else I’ll have to beat back when they come pounding at my door demanding to know why I stole their bounty out from under them?”

Synster flushed. “A harmless group.
Mara’s Light
agreed to track her. But Drekk contacted me before Catam returned my calls. I expect they’ll be easy enough to manage for someone with your
reputation.
” Syntser threw back at him. “Now give me the girl.” Synster nodded at two large security men to step forward.

“No. You give Drekk the chip, and we’ll wait while he verifies it.” Synster glared. “I don’t think you understand who’s in charge here.” A sudden disturbance in the air had Drekk and Rafe on one side of the small clearing and Synster and his team on the other. In seconds, two large Ragga, a Mardu, a large, stunning male and a tall, sexy female appeared with pistols at the ready.

“Synster, how good to see you,” Catam said with rancour. “Not going to give away my currency, were you?” Catam’s gaze flashed to Rafe’s, but he said nothing more and looked back at Synster.

“Speak of the devil,” Drekk murmured with amusement. “What were you saying about getting rid of
Mara’s Light
, Synster?”

Synster’s eyes widened with alarm as he stammered for his security to protect him.

Guns aimed at one another and shouting ensued while Rafe cradled Erin to his chest protectively.

“I had to bring Synster and crew,” Drekk said under his breath by way of apology.

“They found Ryen and Anin earlier today. But on the bright side, at least I have you two a minute to finish up.”

Rafe glared, not amused at any of this.

“Cheltam, what a pleasure,” Catam spoke loudly, breaking through the noise. “Should have known you’d be in on this.”

“Yes, you should have.” Rafe was so going to kick Catam’s ass for involving himself in this mess. And where the hell were Isa and the girls?

“Catam, perhaps it would be wise of you to remind Cheltam that
I
command
Mara’s
Light
,” Mara said with steel underlying her words.

Rafe fumed. “Lady, right now I don’t give a shit who works for who. The girl is mine to deal with. So Synster, you want her back? Gimme that chip.” Catam and the others exchanged glances, and Rafe noted that Lurin, Mara’s mate, looked none too pleased with his attitude. Well, fuck it. This was his operation, his woman, and his responsibility.
Not
his little brother’s.

“Fine. Dagga, give him the currency,” Synster snapped.

One of the men set the amount and handed Drekk a chip. Drekk vanished, and while they waited for him to return, Rafe kept Erin close. Catam, he noted, studied him with interest.

“Just tell me this is all the crowd we’re going to have today. Because if I so much as see a hint of a peacemaker, I’m leaving with the woman. And you’ll never see her again,” Rafe snapped, annoyed.

“You’re not going anywhere, not with our currency,” Mara had the nerve to interject.

Rafe glowered. “Mara, you push too hard and you’re going to get hurt.” Synster and the others backed up as the crew of
Mara’s Light
advanced on Rafe. But seriously ticked off at his interfering brother, Rafe let loose his Xema abilities, calling on the distortion techniques as he replicated. In seconds, three dozen images of Rafe holding Erin dotted the area, and in the confusion, Rafe moved back into the woodline out of sight of everyone.

Catam, a fellow Xema, most likely saw him move, but was smart enough to keep his eyes on the fake Rafe’s all around him. Rafe spoke through all of them, making it impossible to find his exact location.

“Soon as the currency is verified, the girl’s yours.” He spoke to Synster. “So you have no need of the others we discussed.” Stalling them, he planned how to handle this mess.

Much as he didn’t want to, Rafe knew he would have to give Erin back, if only to follow her to her siblings. She’d never allow them to come to harm, and as his mate, bound Rafe to doing the same. Rafe could only pray Drekk had managed to find them the techie and supplies they needed.

“I hate when they do that,” Lurin muttered, scowling at the copies of Rafe and Erin.

“Damn Xema.”

“You can say that again,” Catam said with menace. “When this is over, Cheltam, you and I are going to settle a few things.”

Rafe scoffed, “You and what crew?” Which had the crew of
Mara’s Light
shouting and threatening, putting Synster and his men on the defensive all over again as Mara accused Synster of lying to them.

Thankfully, Drekk found Rafe in the woods and kept his voice and presence hidden from everyone else. “The credits are good. I already transferred them. My techie just finished scrubbing all the records of Erin and her family from Blue Rim. And it wasn’t cheap. Cost a hundred thou just for that.”

“Drekk, get on with it.”

“Sorry. Look, the way I figure it, we give her back to Synster, then track them with this.” Drekk held a small device to Erin’s waist and pressed a button. “You have to keep Cheltam’s cover. And she can lead us to her family, because you know she won’t stop until they’re freed again. Once we have them and the other prisoners still being held at Blue Rim, we blow the place up.”

“What?”

“You know Sernal wants everything bagged, tagged and documented. But that will just give rise to new Creations, new subjects to torture and experiment on.” The rage in Drekk’s voice gave Rafe pause. “What’s right is right, Rafe. And against the law or not, Blue Rim needs to be stopped.”

“But there are innocent people—”

“No. No one at Blue Rim is innocent. They all know what goes on there. Trust me.

There aren’t as many people working the labs as you’d think, and every one of them is cleared to Create. That’s what Blue Rim does. They play -god for profit.” 

“But—”

“I’m sorry, Rafe. I’m taking them out, with or without you.” Drekk handed Rafe a micro-teleporter, a small device Rafe accepted and tucked into the pocket of his trousers, and waited.

After a minute, Rafe sighed. “Okay. We blow up the lab, but not the people. I’m not a killer, Drekk. And neither are you.” Though Drekk clearly wanted to argue, he nodded instead, and Rafe let out a breath of relief. He’d never been totally comfortable working in the grey. But then again… He stared down at Erin. He would do whatever it took to protect her and others like her, others like Drekk and her siblings. “I’ll handle the arrests and you can blow up the lab, okay?” The delight on Drekk’s face made him wince. “But you make sure to leave Synster and Canunn to me.”

“Done.” Drekk smiled, menace radiating off him like that damned perfume he exuded.

“Now how about you quit fucking with their minds out there and hand Erin over?” Rafe shook his head, not wanting to let Erin go. “You do it. I can’t.” Drekk nodded with sympathy and gently took Erin into his arms. He walked out into the clearing, and Rafe drew in on himself, making his images disappear. He heard the exclamations of surprise, Drekk’s rumbling, and then Drekk reappeared.

“Synster and his men are gone. But we need to leave, right now.”

“Why?” Within his next breath, solid arms wrapped around his waist and arms, taking him off his feet even as someone lifted a pistol to Drekk’s forehead.
Dammit.
More illegal teleporters. Too bad he hadn’t used the one Drekk had just given him before they were captured.

“Why? Because Mara and her crew were not amused with your antics,” Lurin Vez explained in a deep, angry voice.

“Shit.”

“I tried to tell you.” Drekk glared at Catam holding a gun to his head. “Fucking Mardu.”

Catam glared back, and Rafe wondered how much damage the two Raggas holding him might inflict before he could reach the teleporter in his pocket. Drekk only stayed to help him, though he wished his friend would leave to track Erin.