Rebel Heat (9 page)

The collar contained an emergency beckon. It should have been activated by the power surge, but she could also trigger it manually, except the control panel was on the inside of the band. But did she dare take it off him? She rocked his shoulder. His head lolled to one side, but he didn’t stir, didn’t make a sound. She poked him in the ribs several times, but again there was no reaction.

It would only take a moment to trigger the alarm and then refasten the collar. It really was her best option. She hadn’t heard any sign of civilization the entire time they’d been here, not a plane or car, not a motor of any kind. Even if she found the keys to the SUV, it could take hours for her to find a clue to their location.

Seeing no other choice, she pressed her thumb against the latch and spoke the Bilarrian phrase Lor had taught her. The collar hissed then parted beneath her thumb. Very carefully, she eased the band away from his neck. Several layers of skin peeled off in the process. She cringed and swallowed then turned her attention to the inside of the band.

Something hit her, knocking her over backward half on and half off of the sleeping bag. The band was snatched out of her hand and she stared up into Nazerel’s murderous face.

“You lying bitch!”

Shocked beyond words, it took her a second to comprehend what had just happened. “You tricked me.” Hearing the words only added humiliation to her surprise. He’d played upon her sympathies and masterfully anticipated her moves. Not to mention endured the pain of the collar’s removal without so much as flinching.

She didn’t have to ask if he had access to his powers now. The nasty burn on his neck healed right before her eyes.

None too gently, he dragged her to her feet and turned her so she faced away from him. “Give me the key.”

She ignored him. Her chances of escape had just dwindled dramatically. There was no reason left to cooperate. He held her in place with one arm while he paused to look around. It only took him a few seconds to spot the key on top of the cooler. He shoved her to her knees on the sleeping bags then yanked the restraint system free of the tent pole. After opening all three of the locks, he set the key aside. Then she was flat on her back again with Nazerel straddling her hips. He returned the cuffs to her wrists and locked them together without the relative freedom of the chain. Instead, he wrapped the chain around her waist and locked the cuffs to the chain, restricting her movement even more.

Through it all she cursed her strategic misstep. She’d done the one thing she’d sworn she’d never do. She underestimated Nazerel’s ruthlessness and his dedication to this endeavor. He did nothing without a reason. He hadn’t been concerned about her wellbeing. He’d needed her free so she could release the collar. But how had he known about the emergency beckon? The Bilarrian team had added the feature along with co-ownership.

He pulled on his pants, tucked the key to the restraints into one of his front pockets, and then stormed from the tent, the collar clasped firmly in one hand. She saw a flash of light and knew he’d teleported somewhere, but would he come back? Why bother restraining her if he meant to escape? He’d only been wearing pants, no shirt or boots. No, he was coming back.

She sat up then rolled to her knees so she could climb to her feet. Not being able to move her arms was a serious hindrance, but this was immanently more comfortable than having her hands tied behind her back. She had no idea how long he’d be gone, so she had no time to waste. She searched for the keys to the SUV and/or his Rodyte communicator. Nazerel told her it was basically a two-way radio, but she didn’t believe him. The Rodytes were one of the most technologically advanced races she’d encountered. They wouldn’t manufacture something as limiting as a two-way radio.

After looking through the crates and inside the cooler, she spotted his boots near the doorway. It was as good a hiding place as anything else. She picked up his first boot and turned it upside down over the cooler. The SUV keys came tumbling out. She quickly overturned the second boot and was rewarded with the communicator, which looked very similar to a cell phone. No one would think twice if they saw him using it on a public street.

Her clothing was in the SUV, but she needed to put some distance between them before she bothered dressing. She ducked through the open entrance and slammed into Nazerel.

“You’re free. You have no reason to keep me now.”

He ignored her plea, grasped her upper arms and pushed her back inside the tent. “I don’t like liars.”

“I didn’t lie. Lor
is
the owner of the collar.”

He shot her a disbelieving glare. “Then how were you able to unlock it?”

“I’m also the owner. The Bilarrians made some improvements when they helped us reset the programing.”

He left her standing in the middle of the tent as he found a clean shirt and clean socks.

“All I’ve tried to do is escape,” she pointed out. “You would have done the same.”

He pulled on the socks, donned the shirt and tugged on his boots all without saying a word. Then he held out his hand expectantly.

“Leave me here.”

“Give me the keys and the comlink,” he snapped. “I’m finished playing with you.”

Hope fluttered through her being. Did that mean he’d do as she asked? The anger in his gaze promised something much more dangerous.

She tossed him the keys then held out the communicator. Another wrestling match held zero appeal.

After tucking the keys into his front pocket, he activated the comlink and spoke in rapid Rodyte, or Bilarrian, she hadn’t heard either often enough to distinguish one from the other.

“Thank you, again. I’ll see you shortly.” He put the comlink away and grabbed her arm. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” When he said nothing she dug in her heels. “There is no reason for you to take me with you. I insist you leave me here.”

“No.” He dragged her outside, ignoring her frantic tugging against his grip. He shoved her up against the SUV as he unlocked the vehicle and grabbed her pants off the backseat. “Get dressed.” He dropped her boots in front of her and handed her the pants.

If she refused, he’d likely drag her around half naked, and being barefoot was a definite disadvantage. Despite her very real need to rebel, she did as she was told.

If the beckon had activated, someone should have been here by now. But any chance of assistance she had would be abolished if he teleported her away from this location. “Nazerel, you need to listen to me. Right now you’re in trouble with the Ontarians. If you let me go, I’ll make sure the humans stay out of it. If you harm me, I no longer have that option. Do you really want to be a fugitive on two different planets?”

“I’ve been a fugitive my entire life. Why should that change now?”

Without further argument, he pulled her into his arms and teleported off the mountain.

* * * * *

Varrik walked around the campsite, his empathic receptors wide open. He could detect Nazerel’s energy, but the pattern was faint, barely discernable. Elias hadn’t been sure the momentary blip his people detected had been a legitimate signal. Still, it had been worth checking out.

Scanning together, Varrik and Echo had located the lake, but there had been no sign of Nazerel. Worse, they weren’t even sure the energy pulse the humans detected had anything to do with the fugitives. Still, they had no other leads, so they searched in concentric circles, scanning outward from the lake. It had been time-consuming and tedious, but their patience paid off.

“They were definitely here.” He looked at Echo and allowed his disappointment to show. Façades were pointless with Echo. Their life bond allowed her to sense his emotions and hear every thought he didn’t shield. “But they’ve been gone for at least six hours, probably more.”

“There was nothing personal in the tent, just generic camping supplies. Even the clothing looked new. Most of the garments still had sales tags on them.”

“Then it stands to reason that Nazerel didn’t assemble this himself. He must have purchased everything from a supplier.”

“Or suppliers.”

He nodded. A different person could have supplied each component, but each person Nazerel involved in his escape was a potential liability. Having one supplier assemble the entire package was a wiser choice.

“What about the vehicle?” Echo asked. “Is it registered?”

“It’s locked. I haven’t searched it yet.” He approached the vehicle cautiously. “Why did they leave it behind?”

She bent and tilted her head so she could see beneath it. “He could have set some sort of trap, but it’s more likely that they just didn’t need it anymore.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Their biggest advantage had been the collar suppressing Nazerel’s abilities. If he had already regained access to his power, their job just became exponentially harder.

They quickly searched the vehicle to make sure it posed no danger, then he smashed the driver’s window with an energy pulse. There were more camping supplies in the rear compartment, but again nothing personal.

“It’s registered to a rental company,” Echo told him. “Lor and Elias are both running the information through their databases.”

She must have contacted Lor telepathically and asked him to pass the information on to Elias. Echo appeared fragile and feminine to those who didn’t know her well. It made her all the more dangerous. She was a trained operative who had been involved in countless covert operations long before Varrik met her. He’d thought he kidnaped a helpless princess, but found himself dealing with a female warrior. He was still captivated by the contrast.

“There are some female garments on the backseat. They don’t appear damaged.” Sometimes the smallest detail would end up being the most significant, so he tried to notice everything.

“There was a bra in the tent as well.” She tensed, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I know the Sacred Customs forbid rape, but how do we know Nazerel still honors the ancient ways?”

“We don’t. All we can do is process each clue as quickly as possible. The sooner we find them, the less risk there is that circumstances will escalate beyond his control.”

The rotation in her eyes slowed for a moment then her voice appeared in his mind.

Go on Lor. I just brought Varrik in as well. We can both hear you.

The rental company was real, but the customer was phony. The only real piece of information given was the credit card. It was a corporate card belonging to a failed auto dealership. We’re running down the authorized users now.

If the dealership went out of business, why was the card still active?
Echo beat him to the question.

We’re not sure. Give us a few more minutes to dig. The layers of misinformation are multiplying quickly.

Understood.

She pinched off the connection, yet lingered in his mind, surrounding herself with his energy. The telepathic caress made Varrik smile. “Keep that up and you’ll find yourself on your back in that tent with your mate deep inside you.”

She laughed, her cheeks bright pink. “That’s not much of a threat.”

They continued to search the campsite, but they both knew they were wasting time. Without some idea of where Nazerel went, he could be anywhere on Earth. Or even much farther away by now. Varrik tried not to let frustration take over. He’d expected disappointments. He knew Nazerel too well to think this would be easy. Still, he hadn’t expected to be shut down this quickly after the search began.

Nazerel sat on the bed beside Morgan, watching her sleep. The hotel room Phil had provided was shabby, but clean. The Bilarrian trader promised to have Nazerel’s order ready by six o’clock the following morning. Nazerel was frustrated by the delay, but his request hadn’t been simple. Needing time to fill the order was a reasonable stipulation. When he told Phil the campsite had been compromised, the Bilarrian suggested that he take Morgan to one of Phil’s preregistered hotel rooms so they could get some sleep. Phil even gave them a backpack with clean clothes and toiletries. The layover had been a good idea. Nazerel didn’t require as much sleep as humans, but he’d already been up for almost twenty-four hours when this adventure began.

Exhaustion dragged him into a fitful slumber shortly after they arrived at the hotel, yet troubled thoughts soon had him brooding again. He needed to know exactly what had become of his men. If they were still on Earth, he might be able to free them. If they’d already been dragged back to Ontariese, he would have to be much more creative with his assistance.

Morgan murmured something in her sleep then shifted her bound hands to a different position. He’d unlocked her hands from the leash around her waist though he’d left the cuffs in place. Then he’d reinforced her natural need for sleep with a light compulsion before surrendering to oblivion himself.

She was more challenging than any adversary he’d faced thus far. Not physically, of course. But mentally, she was agile and strategic, using every weapon at her disposal with surprising skill. She’d negotiated, interrogated, bartered, and deceived. And through it all she never lost sight of her real motivation—escape.

When he regained consciousness on the floor of the tent, he’d decided to play his final card. Compassion. Could Morgan face her enemy helpless and in need of care and just walk away? He’d accurately predicted her actions. She had removed the collar, but not to tend his burn as he’d assumed. She’d been in the process of trigging some sort of signal rather than easing his pain.

He was relatively certain he’d stopped her before the signal had been activated. Still, he wasn’t willing to risk capture on a hunch. So he threw the collar in a lake many miles from the campsite then returned for Morgan. Abandoning the campsite had been frustrating, but it was the safest course. Finally, he’d contacted Phil, letting him know that plans had changed again.

Phil wasn’t the only one who needed to know his plans had changed. He took out his comlink and entered Garin’s personal identification code. He waited until Garin entered the corresponding code securing the connection then kept his message short and to the point.

Everything has unraveled. I need to arrive tomorrow morning.

After a short pause, Garin responded,
You’re always welcome. Knock before you enter.

I have a reluctant guest. Is that a problem?

How reluctant?

There was no point in lying. She’d arrive in restraints.
Very.

He could almost hear Garin’s sigh. This wasn’t the first time his decisions had created problems for his cousin.
Is she dangerous?

Only a Rodyte would presume his guest was female.
Not to you or your crew. She’s human. No Mystic abilities.

Then she is entirely your responsibility.

Understood.

See you tomorrow.

The connection terminated and Nazerel slipped the comlink back into his pocket. Morgan complicated his plans considerably. So why was he even considering taking her with him? Releasing his own heavy sigh, he reached out and caught a lock of her hair. The colorful strands curled around his finger, making his chest ache. Kissing her, touching her, tasting her had been blissful torture. Each of her sighs, each shiver of pleasure, had been surrendered begrudgingly. Her body had been unable to resist his skill, yet her heart remained unaffected.

Her heart? What in the five hells was wrong with him. Why would he care about her heart? She was the enemy. She’d looked into his eyes and lied without flinching. He would never be able to trust her.

Then why not leave her here?

He dropped the curl and looked away from her lovely face. He should have left her at the campsite. He should lock her in this room tomorrow morning and go collect the package from Phil. Nazerel could be off this planet before she freed herself from the restraints. It was the smart thing to do.

And yet even the thought of being separate from her was intolerable.

She rolled to her back, her hands resting just below her breasts. He’d been with more females than he cared to remember. His father had been very indulgent when it came to carnal pleasures. Shadow Assassins were allowed so few indulgences. South had provided his son, and himself, with an ever changing selection of pleasure givers. Young ones who had been sold to his father by their families, mature ones eager to teach him all the different ways to arouse a female. Thin ones and voluptuous ones, sometimes more than one, Nazerel had experienced it all.

So what was it about this female that he found so fascinating? Yes, she was physically pleasing, but he’d had sex with beautiful females before and they hadn’t left him desperate for more. Maybe that was the answer. He hadn’t actually had sex with Morgan. Their intimacies had been rudely interrupted by excruciating pain.

Morautu
. The Rodyte word echoed through his mind, mocking any other conclusion. How could Morgan be his mate? It didn’t make sense, yet he’d never felt like this before. Permanent mates weren’t allowed in the world below. Even so, the concept had secretly fascinated Nazerel for years. He’d never been with a woman who wanted only him, shared herself with only him and the thought was more than appeling.

“What time is it?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“Six thirty.”

Her lids slowly opened and their gazes locked. Hers filled with purpose, though her expression remained calm. “Now that you’ve had time to reflect, do you agree that it’s time we part ways?”

He laughed. She sounded as if she were speaking with an errant child. “I have no intention of releasing you until I’m well away from this wretched planet.”

Her brows drew together and mouth tensed. “Then you’ll leave me with Phil tomorrow when you—”

“So one of the Mystics can scramble his mind? Is that how you treat your friends?”

Rolling to her side, she used her elbow to leverage herself from the mattress. “I’ll create more problems than I solve. I promise you that.”

She was doubtlessly right. He just didn’t care. He’d never met a female like Morgan before and he had no intention of being parted from her. “Give me the number for Elias’ phone,” he ordered as he pulled the comlink back out of his pocket.

“Why?”

“I want to find out what happened to my men and your lieutenant is going to tell me.”

She shook her head, eyes blazing defiance. “He won’t tell you anything.”

“Don’t you want him to know that you’re still alive, that he should continue searching?”

That got her attention. Her sensual lips pressed into a grim line and she averted her gaze as she did so often when she was deep in thought. “Put him on speaker. I want to hear both sides of the conversation.”

He laughed. “Will you ever figure out who is master and who is the slave?”

“It’s doubtful.”

“I can reach into your mind and take the number, but it has been many years since I used those skills. It will hurt like fire and likely cause damage. What do you gain by refusing this simple request?”

His lie must have been believable. She scooted back, nearly off the bed, before she spoke again. “It wasn’t a request. It was an order.”

He didn’t have time for her obstinacy. “Will you please tell me Elias’ number, so I can inform him that you’re still alive?”

With obvious reluctance she told him the number. He didn’t really care if she heard what Elias said, but he wasn’t willing to reward her insubordination, so he didn’t activate the speaker.

The call connected and Elias snapped, “Who is this? How did you get this number?”

“I’ll confirm that your boss still lives if you accurately detail the condition of my team members.”

“Nazerel.” He made the name sound profane. “Your team has been obliterated. So has Team East. All of the hunters are in custody and Sevrin is dead.
It’s over
. Release Morgan now and you might come out of this alive.”

Infuriated by the human’s arrogance, he lashed out in the only way he could. “Sorry, I have other plans for Morgan.”

“Let me speak with her. You said you’d provide proof of life.”

Morgan held out her hand expectantly. She could obviously hear enough of what Elias said to guess at the rest.

Your team has been obliterated. It’s over.
The hateful words echoed through his mind like the resonant clang of a gong.

Stunned by grief and frustration, Nazerel ignored her persistent gestures. “It took some convincing, but she freed me from the collar. We’re on our way off this useless rock.”

“Well, Varrik is hot on your trail, so you better watch your back.”

Varrik. Of course they’d send for Varrik. It took a Shadow Assassin to find a Shadow Assassin. That had been their trouble all along. Anger pushed through his regret and fury made him reckless. “Morgan’s still a little sore after last night, but she’s alive. I’m developing quite a taste for human pussy.”

Morgan gasped and tried to grab the comlink out of his hand.

Elias cursed profusely then shouted, “Let me talk to her!”

“Elias, I think we’re still in—”

He cut off the call. Elias had likely heard Morgan’s indignant yell, but Nazerel could take no more of the human’s venom. Elias had said Team South was “obliterated” yet Nazerel refused to believe they were dead. The Mystic Militia didn’t work that way. They had done their best to capture each hunter and take them back to Ontariese. His men would have fought ferociously, but the Mystics would have incapacitated not murdered them. As long as they drew breath, there was still hope.

“Just when I think you can’t stoop any lower, you prove me wrong.”

He ignored the disappointment in her eyes and the frustration gnawing at his belly. He wasn’t surprised by anything Elias had told him. Morgan had basically said the same thing last night. And both reports substantiated the clues he’d dug up on his own. Still, having the defeat confirmed made it real. His entire team was in enemy hands, beyond his reach, if not beyond his influence.

And he was surprised it had taken Varrik this long to join the hunt. The traitor had been the obvious choice from the beginning.

Grasping her bound wrists, he pulled her to the edge of the bed and unfastened the chain from around her waist.

“You’re vile,” she sneered. “Worse than my reports indicated.”

“Why do you sound surprised? I’m a Shadow Assassin, worst of the worst. Everyone knows I’m a murderous animal.”

She tugged against his hold, fear flickering through her anger. “There is no reason for you to take me with you.”

“You’re female. Do I need any other reason?”

“Yes,” she cried. “Why needlessly endanger yourself? This makes no sense.”

“It’s like I told Elias. I’ve developed a taste for human—”

“Don’t you dare say it again.” She raised both hands as if she would backhand him, cuffs and all.

Rather than react to the provocation, he shoved her to her back and quickly unzipped her pants.

“What are you doing?” She grabbed his hands, fingernails digging into his skin.

“Calm down.” He pushed her hands aside and grabbed the sides of her pants. “I’m just discouraging you from running away.” She kicked and wiggled, but he pulled off her pants then snatched off her socks. He’d made her take off her boots shortly after they arrived. He grabbed her bound wrists and pulled her back up to a seated position. “Do I need to take the T-shirt too?”

“No.”

He searched her gaze then realized the futility of the action. He hadn’t been able to tell she was lying the night before. Why did he think he could now? Gathering up her garments and boots, he stuffed everything in the wardrobe. Then he unplugged the phone and placed it in the wardrobe as well. Finally, he wrapped the chain around the handles and secured the chain with the tiny padlock. She could probably pry off the hinges if she had enough time, but this would definitely slow her down. Unless she chose to take off half-naked, hands bound and barefoot as well, which was still a possibility. He wouldn’t put anything past Morgan.

She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him through narrowed eyes. “Do you believe me now?” When she finally spoke her tone was calm and collected. “The fight is over. Your side lost.”

“I’m hungry.”

Pressing her legs together, she pulled the T-shirt down over her knees.

He chuckled. “I was thinking pizza, but if you’d rather continue what I started in the tent, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“There was no reason for you to say that to Elias. Now he’ll think… It was just cruel.”

“I’m feeling cruel at the moment, so don’t provoke me.” He crossed to the desk and found a laminated flyer for a pizza delivery shop. “Do you care what I put on it?”