Daggertail (13 page)

She shivered. It was so close. A part of her remained on edge for any hint of activity from that direction. Would something in her bar code alert them? And if things went wrong and she had to return to Louie's, what would happen to her? She had come too far to go without a fight. But a small woman could only do so much against a man like Louie with an entire security force at his beck and call.

“They don't know you're here, if that's what you're wondering,” Xave said.

She smiled, grateful for his assurance. “That place has always seemed to have its own gravitational pull on us girls. I keep waiting for it to reel me in.”

He shifted position so that her back pressed against his warm chest. A tingle rippled through her extremities. She knew he had placed himself between her and Louie's imagined gravity. The meaning of his action wasn't lost to her.

It was a macabre sort of dance. She wondered when one of them would decide to get off the ride and how much it would hurt when they finally did.

“I'm cold,” Mendez whined.

“But you're alive,” Xave reminded him.

“Warrick says you have to take me alive.”

“Warrick isn't here.”

Done with Roque's borrowed physique and dressed in a spare set of Xave's too-big clothes, Tavish observed Mendez with rising interest. He'd started to sweat. Fat drops rolled down his bald head and dripped onto his dirty collar. He'd also begun chewing his nails. What made him so nervous?

The obvious answer would've been that they would take him back to base and Warrick as soon as this meet was over, a distasteful possibility for any wanted man. But Warrick wanted him alive. And considering Mendez's reputation as a technical whiz, he wouldn't have too much trouble finding a way out of his predicament.

So why did he look like a virgin trying to buy his first piece of ass?

Xave showed no sign as to whether or not he'd picked up on Mendez's unreasonable case of nerves. Tavish knew he could see, hear, and smell better than anyone else. But he didn't seem to be concerned. And yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

“There she is,” Xave murmured.

Air from the
Quick & Easy's
sharp descent buffeted their protected spot behind a haphazard stack of empty crates. It was a vessel of enormous proportions. The sleek pirate ship docked, and the thrusters roared as they powered down.

Xave poked Mendez. “You ready?”

Sweat pooled on Mendez's upper lip. He did nothing more than grunt and grip his knapsack close to his beefy body.

“Go,” Xave ordered. “And remember that I can rip your throat out from three times this distance.”

“Warrick said alive.”

Xave shrugged. “Better dead than escaped.”

Mendez stumbled through the inky night toward the
Quick & Easy.

“Something doesn't feel right,” Tavish whispered once he was out of earshot.

“I know.”

Surprised, she lifted her eyes to his face. His handsome features were drawn tight with tension. She reached up and traced the line of stubble on his jaw. Though he didn't look at her, his hand caught hers and pulled it to his lips. The kiss he placed on her palm sent a ricocheting shot of nerves throughout her body and ended, throbbing, at her clitoris.

She wanted nothing more than to pull him down on top of her right there on the tarmac and demand he spread her legs and sink his cock into her pussy. It shouldn't have been possible, considering the tension of their circumstances. Yet it was all she could think about.

“You're getting wet, Tav.”

His husky murmur unleashed another wave of cream from her pussy. “I wish we were safe on the
Daggertail
,” she said.

That gained his full attention. “Oh yeah?”

“I'd open your pants and put your cock in my mouth.”

He groaned, ice blue eyes sliding closed and hands clenching into tight fists.

“I want to cup your balls and run my tongue all over your shaft before I suck you dry.”

He hunkered down on his kneed and hauled her onto his lap. “C'mere.”

She settled herself astride him. With one of his knees between her legs, she could get some friction against her engorged pussy as she rubbed her crotch along his thigh.

“Don't you want to fuck me?” She hated the insecurity in her voice, but she craved his affirmation.

His blue eyes snapped open. Bending her backward over his arm, he took her mouth in a bruising kiss. Catching her hand, he placed it over the rock-hard bulge in his pants.

“Can't you feel how much I want to sink my cock inside your sweet pussy, Tav?”

“Yes…”

“If I didn't think it'd get us both killed, I'd rip your clothes off right here and fuck you mindless.”

His words sent a shot of lust careening through her body. She moaned softly, rubbing harder against his leg.

“Do you need to come, Tav?”

“Please. I'm so hot.”

He yanked at the waistband of her pants, stabbing his hand inside. “Holy hell, you're wet!”

“For you,” she whispered, meeting his blue gaze. “Only for you.”

The ball of his hand resting against her pelvic bone, Xave slid his fingers through her silky heat. She came as soon as his fingers rubbed across her clit. Clenching her teeth tight against the scream that threatened to erupt into the dark night, she bucked her hips against his hand as he continued to rub her clit through the undulating waves of her climax.

Her head fell against his shoulder. Dragging in a deep breath of his familiar scent, she pressed a kiss to his neck.

“But what about you?” She rested her hand on the thick ridge of his cock. “What about this?”

He hissed, covering her hand with his. “Tav, as soon as this fiasco is over and done with, I plan to spend the next few millennia taking you whenever and however you want.”

Her belly did an exhilarating flip-flop at the certainty in his tone. The idea of having Xave and the freedom to make her own choices was life altering.

He pegged her with his uncanny gaze. “You understand what that means?”

All that self-protection would come to nothing if she agreed. “Yes,” she said in spite of her doubt.

An air lock hissed behind them as the
Quick & Easy
lowered her ramp for Mendez. The ship's lights cast a dim glow on the tarmac. Tavish could just make out the profile of a large man lounging against the ship's interior.

The man took a few steps down the ramp. “I have to say I'm surprised you actually showed, Mendez.”

Tavish caught her breath as she began to make out the details of the pirate captain. His athletic form was complemented by a husky voice that had probably charmed countless women into his bed. Nathan Macleod was not what she'd expected of a pirate. His clear, cultured words had a distinctive flavor she couldn't place. His clothes were the same serviceable, fashion-challenged clothing that everyone else seemed to be wearing.

He stepped closer to the light, and she bit back a gasp. His silky, dark brown hair brushed his shoulders. He kept it away from his face with a faded black bandanna stitched with swirling silver designs. A silver hoop earring glinted in his left ear.

Xave chuckled. “Takes the pirate thing a bit too seriously, doesn't he?”

She couldn't answer. She was too busy staring at the swirling silver designs visible on the bandanna. Something about them jogged her memory. She half stood up before Xave tackled her back to the ground, getting a firm grip on her arms.

“What are you doing?”

“I know him.”

“What?”

“I know him!”

“How is that possible?”

“I don't know, but I do.”

Xave's arms clamped down harder on her body. “It doesn't matter. Stay down.”

“Look! Mendez is going to run!”

“Fuck.”

Mendez had pulled something about the size of a data card from his knapsack. He waved it in the air and gestured wildly to the ship. Macleod kept shaking his head, arms crossed over his chest.

Tavish frowned. “What are they saying?”

“Macleod isn't saying anything. And Mendez's babbling so quickly, I can't even tell what language he's speaking, let alone what he's saying.”

“Let me go out there.”

“What?” Xave's expression turned stormy. “You're insane. I'm not letting you anywhere near there.”

“C'mon, I've got a better chance of getting in and out. And you're right here if I get into trouble.”

He shook his head. She knew he was right. It would be suicide to run out there. But she had to get a closer look at Macleod. She had to.

“I'm sorry, Xave.”

Before he could react, she shoved him. He overbalanced, and they tumbled to the tarmac. Squirming out of his grip, she bolted from cover into the open. Seconds later one of Macleod's men materialized out of the darkness and pressed a railgun to her temple.

“Don't move.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

“What did you catch, Cian?”

Cian the pirate looked her over. “A woman.”

“Interesting,” Macleod drawled. “Bring her over.”

Tavish exhaled in a rush when she drew close enough to see the details of Nathan Macleod. His hair was dark red and not brown, the same dark red as her own. Skimming over his fit body, she found herself staring into intelligent green eyes.

She forced herself to continue breathing normally. “Holy hell.”

If the obvious similarities in their physical features shook Macleod, he hid it well. “Aren't you a pretty piece?”

“Biggest waste of credits I've ever come across.” Mendez sneered.

Macleod lifted an eyebrow. “A working girl, then?”

Heat bloomed across her cheekbones. “Not anymore.”

“What's your name?”

“Tavish.”

Macleod stilled, his face paling a few shades. “Do you have a surname, Tavish?”

“None that I can remember.”

“Can we get on with this, Macleod?” Mendez snapped. “I need a ride off this rock.”

Macleod snorted. “Not on my ship.”

“Why the fuck not? You know this card is worth more than the cost of taking me where I want to go.”

Macleod jerked his head in Xave's direction. “You've got a bondsman tailing you, Mendez. I don't tangle with bondsmen, especially when they work for Warrick Stone.”

Xave stood, still several yards away from the
Quick & Easy
. He carried himself loosely, but everything about him screamed
ready for action.

“Does he have a name?” Macleod asked Tavish.

“Xavier Kovuchenko.”

“Thought so.” Nathan lifted his chin and called out to Xave. “I have a feeling we both want the same thing, Kovuchenko.”

“Is that right?”

Nathan swiped the data card from Mendez's hand with sharp accuracy. “This is only the beginning of what the Alliance is hiding.”

“Then I need the data and the cockroach you got it from.”

“For who?” Nathan challenged. “Warrick?”

“A man like Warrick has connections.” Xave crept toward them. “Connections are going to get me what I've wanted my whole life.”

“And what's that?”

Tavish inhaled sharply. Duty and longing warred inside Xave. His eyes drifted from Nathan and the data card to Tavish. She knew what this meant to him, to all those whose lives had been ruined by Alliance orders given in secret and cloaked in lies. She couldn't let Xave lose it all because of her.

The longer he watched the exchange between pirate and bondsman, the more Mendez began to sweat. Great rivers of perspiration soaked his shirt. His piggy eyes darted back and forth between Macleod and Xave, as if uncertain which one posed the bigger threat.

“You double-crossed me,” he hissed at Macleod.

Nathan shot him a sardonic grin. “Pirate, remember?”

“Orders, Captain?” Cian's voice came from somewhere behind Tavish.

“Wait.”

The tension rose to a crescendo and exploded before she could duck.

Mendez lunged at Cian's weapon, surprising the pirate and causing the railgun to fire. Macleod pivoted around Tavish, shoving her to the ground. Somewhere nearby, Xave's anguished roar made Mendez turn and make a dash for the darkness.

Xave lunged from the tarmac, daggertail snaking through the air. Mendez pulled up short as though he'd run into an invisible wall. He grabbed his throat and gagged. Blood seeped through his fingers. The vicious serrated edges of Xave's daggertail ate into his skin.

Tavish struggled to rise, to follow the action, but a burning sensation in her side made her vision go fuzzy and her breath catch like fire in her throat.