Taurus (Galactic Cage Fighters (Book Three)) (15 page)

“Video footage?”

“My security people say there was some kind of interference that caused the signal to scramble.  They haven’t been able to clear it up yet.”

Trig motioned to one of his officers. “I’ll send Jenkins. He’s an expert with IT and computers.”

Rachel nodded.

“There’s more,” Rachel said looking at Maya worriedly.

“What else?”

“Maya, excuse us for just a moment. I need to speak with Trig privately,” Rachel told Maya.

“Of course.” Maya nodded, hugging herself.

Rage growled his dislike of Rachel wanting to be alone with another male.

“Stop it. This is business. But you can come, too, if it makes you feel better.” Rachel had barely gotten the words out for him to come, too, before he pushed his way out into the hallway.

Rachel grumbled as she followed him out, “Men.”

Trig chuckled. “Can’t live with us, can’t hide our bodies easily either.”

Maya smiled from the joke. It lightened up the mood quite a bit. She glanced back and forth from the door to the television, which was muted now but had the final matches going on. Taurus finished his match and was probably at the healing facility. The match ended quickly, but she felt bad she had missed watching most of it.  About fifteen minutes later Rachel, Trig, and Rage returned. All of them looked at Maya with concerned expressions.

Trig walked over to Maya. “We need to take you into protective custody.”

“I don’t want to leave.” Maya shook her head. There was no way she was leaving Taurus.

“It is not safe for you. The security here has been compromised. Until we find the person or persons responsible, it would be better to take you to an unknown, secure location, and guarded by my people,” Trig told her.

“No. I want to stay here.” Maya shook her head. She didn’t know this male or the other human males that were wearing uniforms. He seemed to be nice and she could tell with the ease he had with Rachel that they had worked together before. She just didn’t feel safe with him.

“I’m not going to candy coat this for you. Whoever is behind this has some pull. They knew how to distract the GCFA security and worked around the cameras to prevent being detected.” Trig looked frustrated. He turned to Rachel. “Did you tell her what was found in her purse?”

“I didn’t want to scare her, Trig. She’s already pretty shaken up.”

“Tell me what? What was found in my purse?” Her fear was rising.

“She needs to know,” Trig told Rachel before facing Maya again. “There were…pictures.”

Maya was shaking and her face became very pale. “Pictures of what?”

“Intimate pictures. Pictures of you and Taurus having sex.”

Maya felt her limbs getting heavy. Her eyes slowly shutting. She could hear people around her, but they sounded like they were far away.
Crap,
she was passing out. The last thing she remembered hearing was the sound of an angry male’s voice yelling out.

“Maya! What the hell is going on?”

Chapter Eighteen

She felt tingling all throughout her body as she slowly rose to consciousness. Her limbs felt really stiff, but her heart was beating rapidly. She felt vulnerable and rushed to get up.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Taurus’s deep voice said from above her.

She opened her eyes and focused on his concerned face. “Are you okay?” she asked, reaching up to cup his face.

He choked back a half laugh-half cry. “Am
I
alright?”

He bent and kissed her forehead. At that moment, he knew he was helplessly and hopelessly in love with her. This new revelation floored him and he was not sure how he was supposed to act. For her to be concerned for him when she was the one being threatened and had fainted, made him hope that she may have genuine feelings for him, too.

“I am not the one that fainted. Are you okay? Where are the damn healers?” Taurus yelled searching the room.

Maya wiggled. She was lying across Taurus’s lap. Her face grew red with embarrassment.  She couldn’t believe that she passed out. She had done that one time before when she was a teenager and her sugar level got too low. She always made sure to keep her sugar level up so it didn’t happen again.

“Stop yelling at people.”

Taurus looked back down at her and pulled her tight against him. “I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m okay. Really. You can put me down now.”

“No, not until the healers have checked you over. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“It’s not necessary.” She sighed when he just shook his head. “Fine, at least let me sit up.” He shifted her to a sitting position on his lap but kept his arms wrapped around her. She stared into his warm eyes and felt safe. She loved being in his arms. She would stay this way all day if she could. Someone clearing their throat brought it to their attention that they were not alone. They both looked up at Trig.

“I don’t mean to interrupt this. I have not been introduced to you yet. I’m Special Agent Trig Roberts. These are my fellow officers, Jenkins and Browning.” He pointed at the two uniformed males standing guard at the door.

Taurus growled at the males. Especially the one with the blond hair, Jenkins. He was watching Maya in a way that showed he was interested in her as more than someone to protect. The male tried to look away quickly when he realized that Taurus caught him staring. Taurus looked back at the male named Trig, he missed what the other male had been saying.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“I was trying to convince Maya to go into protective custody with myself and my officers to guard her,” Trig repeated.

“Absolutely not!” Taurus glared at the officer by the door. No way was he going to let another male take Maya away from him.

“That’s what I said, too.” Maya rubbed his upper back trying to calm him down. For some reason he did not seem to like the Officer Jenkins.
What was up with that?

Taurus looked at her scared face. “Is that why you fainted, they threatened to take you away?”

Trig sighed. “No one threatened her. I simply advised her that she would be safer that way.”

Taurus didn’t look at the male. He kept his focus on Maya.  “Maya?”

“He didn’t threaten me. That’s not what made me faint.”

“What then?”

“The pictures.”

“Pictures of what.”

Maya shook her head. She couldn’t say it. Taurus was a very private person. She didn’t know how he would react to someone not only seeing them making love, but taking pictures of it and leaving it in her purse.  She looked over at Rachel with a pleading look.

Rachel understood immediately. She stepped forward. “Taurus, if you will put Maya down and come over by the kitchenette table, I’ll show you what has Maya upset.”

He didn’t want to let her go. But he sat her down gently and then stood, following Rachel and Trig over to the table. He noticed there was a purse on it and items spread out on the table.

Rachel pointed to the purse. “That’s Maya’s purse. The one that she lost at the orphanage. It showed up at the doorstep right after the end of the first match.”

Taurus looked at the purse then at Rachel. “Someone got past security?”

Rachel was flushed from being angry. “Yes. They obviously had connections and knew how to get around the cameras. They left the purse and some pictures to intimidate her. I think they hoped she would be scared enough to leave without further contact with the IDJ.”

“What pictures?” Taurus asked.

“These.” Rachel picked up an envelope and carefully poured out the pictures onto the table.

Rage rose up the moment he saw the images. Somehow, they had gotten into his suite when he and Maya were gone, set up a camera, and took pictures by remote of him and Maya making love. He would have sensed if someone entered the suite when they were both here.

He felt as if not only had his inner sanctum been violated, but his relationship with Maya was violated, too. He would kill the male who did this. He would rip him limb by limb. He growled his anger.

Rage took a step closer to Rachel in case Taurus struck out in anger. Rachel reassured him that she could handle the situation. “I don’t know how this guy did it, but I promise you, I will find him.

“I have the whole GCFA ship under lockdown. No one gets on or off without my authorization. There is a possibility the culprit that dropped off Maya’s purse is still on board.”

Maya gasped from her position on the couch. Her heart rate sped up and she clutched her hands together. Everyone turned to look at her.

Taurus walked back over to her and sat down beside her. He didn’t put her back on his lap. He didn’t have to. She crawled over onto him herself. He wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe again.

Trig still didn’t look happy. “I think it’s a mistake to stay on board the GCFA ship with the culprit still on the loose. However, we will ensure that you are guarded twenty-four seven.”

Taurus glared at the blond officer by the door. “I can guard her.”

Trig shook his head. “You aren’t going to be able to watch her full-time. There are times you won’t even be on the GCFA ship. You have another match scheduled tomorrow night at the spaceport arena.”

“I will withdraw,” Taurus told him.

“No. You can’t do that just because of me. Special Agent Trig and the IDJ officers can guard me while you are at your match.”

“I don’t want to leave you. Especially after what happened.”

Maya looked up at Trig and Rachel. “Could you all leave us for a minute. I need to speak with Taurus alone.”

“Alright. We’ll set up guards outside your suite door in the hallway,” Rachel answered her, signaling everyone to leave.

“Could you take that stuff with you?” Maya pointed to the table where her purse and the pictures lay. She didn’t want to see them.

“The pictures, I don’t want anyone taking the pictures.” Taurus looked at where the officer had been standing.

“I have to have them scanned for fingerprints. Once that is done, I promise you that they will be destroyed,” Trig told him.

Taurus nodded his head. He looked over at Rage who had been standing out of the way. “Thanks for being here with her.  I don’t know what would have happened if she had been alone. This person might have…” He couldn’t finish the words that stuck in his throat.

Rage nodded his head and walked to the door. “I am here if you need my help. Come, Rachel, I have plans for us.”

Rachel picked up Maya’s purse and the items on the table stuffing them inside. “I have work I need to do.”

Rage growled and Maya could have sworn he grew a little bigger in size. “You drop off the purse and then you come straight home.”

Maya listened as Rachel fussed at Rage as they walked out of the suite. She burst out in giggles as soon as the door closed. The whole situation was ridiculous. Her hysterical laughing turned into hysterical sobs. She hated that she fell apart in front of Taurus.
What must he think of her?

“So…rry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. None of this is your fault,” he reassured her. She looked so tired. And still so very beautiful. “How about a bath?”

“Yes, please.” She felt so weary. She tried to stand, but he wouldn’t let her.

“I’ll carry you.” He lifted her as he got up. He carried her to the bathroom and sat her down on the bathroom counter. He then turned to work the faucets letting the water fill up the large tub.

It was sexy as hell to have a male tend to her. He came back for her and lifted her shirt up over her head. His gaze lingered over her breasts in the sports bra she was wearing. It pleased her that he found her desirable.  She pulled the bra off herself.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he reached out a hand to cup one of her breasts.

“You make me feel beautiful,” she admitted, leaning into his touch.

He lifted her off the counter setting her on her feet. Then he undid the buttons to her pants and lowered them slowly down her legs. He bent to one knee before her and helped her step out of them. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. He took a moment to appreciate how dainty her feet were. He then hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties and dragged them down her smooth legs. The scent of her arousal was driving him beyond crazy. He did everything he could to not stare at her pussy, but her scent made him growl anyway.

“Taurus.” Her legs felt like rubber.

He stood back up and pulled his shirt over his head. He threw it to the floor. She was paralyzed. She watched with desire building as he removed his pants. He did not have on any kind of underwear. His large cock sprung free. She couldn’t stop herself from licking her lips.

“Come.” He held out his hand to her and she took it without hesitation. He walked her over to the bathtub.

She stepped into the tub while Taurus turned off the faucets. He followed her into the tub and sat down. He reached up and pulled her down situating her between his legs with her back against his chest. She sighed and laid her head back against him. He took the soap and formed suds with his hands. He rubbed the soap over her shoulders, down her arms, and over her breasts. He squeezed her breasts loving the feel of her.

“Mmm…that feels good.” She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his touch. She felt his cock hard and heavy against her backside. She wanted him inside her.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Soon, sweetheart. Let me take care of you first.”

She shivered with anticipation. “I want to take care of you, too.”

He smiled, “You will.”

She tipped her head up and waited for his kiss. His lips were strong and warm. His tongue invaded her mouth and she welcomed him. One of his hands moved down to her pussy. He teased her folds. She moved her hips seeking his fingers, wanting him to fill her, penetrate her. She needed it, needed him like a drug.

She bit his lower lip gently pulling it into her mouth. Then she sucked on it. It made him moan and he added another finger slipping it into her hot pussy.

He pulled back from the kiss and released her pussy against her protest.