DarkRevenge (19 page)

She was a hot as a supernova. The buzz of the small button
on her clit, the spikes vibrating on her flesh and his sexy voice brought her
so close to the edge. Freedom was only a stroke away, freedom from loneliness
and grief, freedom from an empty life of duty and obligation. She hardly knew
herself anymore, but it didn’t seem like a bad thing. She growled low in her
throat, a sound she barely recognized as her own.

Suddenly, she was there, flying over the cliff, falling,
spinning. She thrust her hips, seeking to capture his cock inside her emptiness
that ached for him, clenched for him. The keening sound she made sounded
strange to her own ears and she trembled violently. Slowly, the wave receded.
She opened her eyes and met his gaze. The barely controlled need was there in
his eyes, in his face. “Do it, Tory. Fuck me. Love me.”

He made an impatient sound and gripped her hair in one hand
and grabbed her ass with the other as he seemed about to complete her. Instead,
he kept his dick just out of reach. His mouth closed over her breast and she
screamed her pleasure, the huge wall of pleasure-pain crashing over her.

Weak and breathing heavily, she begged him, “Please, Tory,
please.” She barely got the words out. His fingers sought her anus and she
gasped as his fingers stroked her tight entrance.

Just that stimulation sent her into more convulsions; her
muscles tightened and clenched, her orgasm almost painful in its intensity.
Tears leaked from her closed eyes and she sobbed. “Tory, Tory,” she chanted his
name.

Suddenly, her ankles were free and he lifted her legs around
him. His mouth devoured hers in a shattering kiss that sent her reeling into
another universe filled with unlimited pleasure.

It was just as he said. She didn’t think she could have
another one. Her body was spent. He broke the kiss, her lips tingling and
parted. And it was now that he ordered her, “Open your eyes, Alexandra.”

She blinked away the tears and gazed at him through
half-lidded, heavy eyes. He held her stare and withdrew and thrust inside her,
his cock deep inside her pussy, completing her, joining her to him. He pressed
so deep inside her, she felt like he was beneath her skin, a part of her very
soul. She didn’t just explode. She went nuclear. Molten pleasure rocked through
her, every nerve sizzling and snapping. Her muscles clenched around his cock
and squeezed him.

There couldn’t be more. She thought she’d die from the
pleasure of her own release.

Then he exploded inside her. She screamed as her orgasm
reached another level, another place. His answering shout rang in her ears and
her heart clenched with a feeling of intense of satisfaction. His thrusts were
less controlled and he bruised her with his clenching hands.

Slowly, her system began to level, the vibrations of the
belt still sending shockwaves of pleasure and pain shooting through her. She
trembled and shook, unable to control her response.

“I lied,” he said, his voice muffled, buried in her neck.

“You did?” she said faintly.

“You were better than any fantasy I could come up with,” he
choked out.

She pressed him closer, her legs still around his waist. He
reached out a groping hand and released the wrist restraints. Her arms floated
down around his neck and she kissed him with light, sweet kisses. How had she
gotten so fucking lucky? She didn’t know and didn’t care. “I love you, Tory.”

He gazed at her. “I love you too, Alexandra.”

She became vaguely aware there was a persistent sound
interfering in her warm, safe bubble. Tory didn’t seem to hear it at all. He
staggered to the bed, still connected to her intimately, his mouth brushing
lightly over the skin on her neck. He laid her down and covered her with his
body.

The sound didn’t go away. “Tory,” she murmured.

“Hmmm?”

“I think there’s an alarm going off.” She groaned when his
mouth captured her earlobe.

“Hmmm.”

She wanted to ignore it too, but… “Tory, honey, I think it’s
the com.”

“Slave driver,” he muttered and brushed her lips. And
brushed them again. And plundered them thoroughly. She giggled. He sighed.

They both moaned in protest as he slid away from her. He
slapped the button of the com. “Ingle.”

“Commander, we have an incoming message,” Dink said. Alex
sat up. She didn’t like the tone of the Dink’s voice.

“On my way.”

“Commander Zeerah should see it too.”

“Got it.” He signed off and stared at her. “Things are going
to get a lot worse before they get better.”

“I feel like I could face anything,” she said and found some
fresh clothes. “Let’s go.”

Tory dressed and ran a hand over his face. Together, they
strode toward the elevator, silent, comfortable.

The bridge members all stood when they came on deck. Not one
of them cracked a smile even though she was sure they all knew what she and
Tory had been up to. Jezar seemed almost murderous. What the hell was going on?

Tory’s lips tightened. “Play it, Dink.”

“Yes sir.” Dink twisted some knobs and the picture came in.

All the warmth Alex had been feeling, all the safety and
comfort, disappeared.

On the screen, her sister, naked and bloody, was trussed up,
her red hair damp and limp in front of her face. Her wrists had thin lines of
blood dripping down her arms and her body was marked and bruised.

Pontoon appeared. His black beard was trim and neat in a
horrific contrast to the woman behind him. His dark skin, smooth and oily,
shone beneath the harsh florescent light in the dungeon. “Darius Stender has
stepped down from the throne of Teran One. I do not negotiate with criminals.
Since Commander Alexandra Zeerah has provided secret Teran One weaponry to our
enemies and mated with a traitor, her family is forfeit if we do not have the
level-four containment box and its contents within forty-eight hours.”
Pontoon’s black eyes gazed out and seemed to look right through her. “All Teran
One fighters have been ordered to shoot down
The Pinnacle
on sight.” He
walked over to Celeste and yanked her head back by the hair. “Celeste will die
in two days if our property is not returned.”

The transmission ended.

Alex realized she hadn’t been breathing. She gulped for air.
This wasn’t the first time she’d seen brutality like this. It was just the
first time she’d seen her own government practice it.

Tory’s hand twined around hers, holding it tight, reassuring
her. “How was the transmission sent?”

“Narrow band. Private.”

Tory nodded. “Release it. Send it to the Teran System
satellite. Let the whole system see what Teran One justice looks like.”

“No!” She blurted the word.

“We can’t give him the box back,” he explained.

“He’ll kill her,” Alex shouted, panic bubbling underneath
her skin. She began to shake. “Please, Tory,” she said in a pathetic whisper.
“She’s only seventeen.”

Her mate met her gaze as a twinge of hurt shot through his
eyes. “Celeste isn’t going to die, Alex. You’ll have to trust me.” He took a
deep breath. “Do it, Dink.”

Without another word, she strode back into the elevator. He
didn’t stop her. She couldn’t look at him. As the doors closed, she stared at
console inside the elevator and the red button that said STOP!

* * * * *

The silence on the bridge spoke volumes to Tory. Dink kept
his gaze on the console. Pulzer was suddenly busy with one of the screens. Only
Jezar met his glance and his face had an expression of pity that made Tory feel
worse. Damn it. Why didn’t she trust him? Didn’t she know him well enough to
see he’d never let them kill her sister? What kind of a monster did she think
he was? And after everything… He stopped those thoughts.

She thinks you’ll sacrifice her sister to get revenge.
Jezar‘s statement only confirmed what Tory already believed.

Tory fumed, his teeth grinding together. His
revenge
.
She was more obsessed with it than he had ever been. All he wanted was to prove
his innocence and win his mate. Done and done. What happened on Teran One
didn’t matter to him at all except for one thing. Alex loved Teran One. She
always had. He accepted that part of her and planned accordingly. Why else
would he try to stop a fucking civil war? He had immediately taken steps to
protect her and her family after he had discovered her covert mission.

If she won’t trust me, there isn’t a fucking thing I can
do.
A bleak and desolate emptiness swept through him. Without trust, their
love wouldn’t survive. Great sex. Maybe that was all they’d ever had. He rolled
his shoulders. Well, it was more than many men could hope for.

Would you like to know—?

No!
He took a deep breath and let it out. “Pulzer,
you’re in charge.”

“Do you want me to send the message?” Dink still didn’t look
at him. Tory stared at him and then at his second. Even Bud was staring at the
blips on the radar rather than meeting his gaze. Didn’t anybody trust him?

Explain to them why you are doing it.

You know why I can’t.

They’ll know you had inside information.

They’ll know I never had any intention of negotiating and
they’ll figure out the box isn’t here.

“Hold it for now. I’ll let you know when to send it.” He
turned his back. After five years, he’d thought his men would trust him, stand
by him. They knew how he operated. Instead, even they doubted him.

“Commander,” Dink called after him just as he entered the
elevator. “It’s just we don’t hold to letting a kid get killed.”

Tory’s lips tightened. “I know that. What pisses me off is
that you believe I would.” He snapped the doors shut.

The trip down was unpleasant as he replayed every bitter
minute since he’d forced Alex into the
Saria
contract and concluded that
she had said only that she loved him. She hadn’t said she trusted him. It
galled him that the only way to convince her was to assure her that Celeste was
never in danger of losing her life.

Did everyone think he was stupid? The first thing he had
done when he obtained the information about Alex’s shuttle was make sure
Celeste would be safe.

That woman on the vid screen wasn’t Alex’s sister. But even
his own mate believed he’d send out a video of Celeste naked and risk the
woman’s life to do it. It was clear Pontoon was desperate enough to kill anyone
in an attempt to regain his power. And if Alex’s family was targeted by a
powerful bloodline, then Pontoon would go along in hopes of obtaining political
favor.

Tory had been well aware that Celeste would be targeted as a
bargaining chip and he’d hidden her with his underground contacts the minute
he’d gotten word about Alex’s mission. In the time it took to stroll down the
corridor, each thought pissed him off more. Bad enough his men who fought with
him, faced danger after danger with him, doubted him.

But Alex?

Well, why not?

He slapped the door open and stepped in the room preparing
to fight it out with Alex.

And found an empty room.

His guts dropped into his boots, his blood frozen under his
suddenly clammy skin. He pressed a button on his console. “Locate Commander
Alex Zeerah.” He knew the answer. But he hoped he was wrong.

“Commander Zeerah is on Shuttle One, five klicks off the
port side.”

“God damn it!” He slammed another button. “Dink, get her on
the line.”

“Who do you—”

“Don’t give me that shit. She couldn’t have left without
your approval. She’s not that stupid. Get her on the fucking line.”

“Yes, Commander.” Then, “She’s on the line.”

“Alex? Get your ass back on this ship.” Okay, not the
smartest way to deal with this. He was going to lose her. He couldn’t lose her.

The speaker crackled and Alex’s voice sounded on the line.
“I’m sorry, Tory. I have to leave.”

After everything, after they’d bridged, after all they’d
been through and she still didn’t trust him, or even talk to him, before she
went on a suicidal rescue mission. For a moment, he contemplated just letting
her go. If he told her the truth, she wouldn’t believe it.

You’re wrong. She’s confused and frightened. Let me bring
her in
. Jezar could do it. But time was running short.

Fine. When she’s back on the ship, put her in one of the
extra rooms.
He didn’t want her in his quarters. If all she wanted to give
him was her body, he wasn’t interested.

That would be a mistake
.

Tory sighed. Jezar was right. Her actions already screamed
that she didn’t view her mate as trustworthy. If he put her in a different
room, it would confirm to the others that the mating was in jeopardy and that
he rejected her, wouldn’t protect her. For him? No big deal. For a Teran One
commander who had chased down several of his crew? Possibly deadly.
You’re
right. I’ll just take the night shift. Pulzer could use a break.

In two minutes, Jezar had manipulated the shuttle back into
the bay. Tory sent two of his men to lock her in his quarters.

Then, he addressed his crew. Except for Jezar. The Ardasian
could placate Alex.

He strode onto his bridge. His eye twitched slightly.
“Bridge recording off.”

This was a signal. The whole ship was wired and they knew
it. Tory didn’t tolerate any bullshit from his crew. The surveillance was
necessary. But now, he indicated they could speak freely, no consequences. “If
you’re going to take over this ship, now is the time,” he spat the words.
They’d betrayed him, gone behind his back to disobey him. On a military bucket,
they’d be jettisoned out in space. On Teran Four they’d be sent to the grack
mines.

Dink wouldn’t meet his gaze. Bud shuffled his boots. Pulzer
cleared his throat. His second spoke up. “We’ve all lost friends and family to
the Teran One dungeons.”