"Actually no.” He glanced at the alley fence. “I was following the same leads you were, I imagine."
Xandros tensed. The man was lying. What the fuck was going on? Rina was an assassin, and Shaun had also been one of the Brotherhood's killers. Had Shaun come to meet her? A sharp stab of jealously surprised him, and he suppressed it. It would be stupid to get mixed up with either of these people. They were dangerous.
"Convenient.” He didn't relax but stared at Shaun. The man was in a loose fighting stance, looking as if he had all the time in the world, but Xandros knew he was ready for an attack.
"How is fucking Rina going to find Aron and Finn?” Shaun circled Xandros.
"Jealous?” Xandros crouched down, prepared for anything.
"Rina was never my type,” Shaun replied while he studied Xandros.
"I meant jealous of Rina. Would you prefer to be fucked rather than the one fucking?” He grinned, hoping to piss his opponent off enough to drive him to make an error. “I've heard rumors of how you were reinstated into Nyral society."
Shaun froze and confirmed some of those rumors. Actually, Xandros had obsessed about the rumors. He'd heard Leo Eyler had fucked Shaun and branded him. Xandros shouldn't have cared. He'd been ostracized by Nylar for five years. But it had eaten at him, pissing him off. Perhaps it was because he'd loved dominating men in the past. A man's submission was never easy or given cheaply.
Perhaps that was Xandros's attraction to Rina. Her surrender had not been an easy thing either. But it wouldn't do to get distracted since Shaun had drawn a knife, launching toward Xandros in a lithe, quick jump.
When Shaun attacked him, Xandros grabbed him, holding the man's forearms in a tight grip, keeping the knife he'd drawn at a distance. Xandros met Shaun's gaze, his face thrust closer to the other man's. Slowly, inevitably, he pushed Shaun back. The growl that emanated from the Shaun's throat only spurred Xandros to brush his lips over the retreating man's mouth.
The wall stopped Shaun's backward progress, and the man struggled to free himself. His hazel eyes were bright and hot. Xandros slid his hand down Shaun's arm to his hand. “Drop the knife."
"No.” Shaun tensed and tried to throw Xandros off him.
"Yes.” Xandros squeezed the man's wrist, attempting to force the knife from Shaun's hand. Stars, the man was stubborn. He held on, his face grimaced from the effort. Finally the knife clattered to the street, and Xandros slammed Shaun's hands over his head, then pressed against him. Even though he'd just had Rina, his cock was more than ready to take Shaun's ass.
Xandros leaned in and kissed Shaun. It was a demand, a quest for something to wipe away the feeling that he'd lost control. Until now, he'd viewed sex as a commodity to be bought and sold. It had to be. Somehow, fucking Rina had loosened something within him, something he had thought was dead and gone. It reminded him of old desires, like the one to go back to his home planet, settle down, and be at peace. He needed to obliterate it by fucking Shaun.
The kiss with Shaun changed. Suddenly the other man was the aggressor. Xandros could have pulled back, ended it, but Shaun's mouth demanded his participation, and he gave it. They switched places, and Shaun slammed Xandros against the wall. Still Xandros had a death grip on Shaun even as his mouth was plundered by the man.
Abruptly Xandros yanked his mouth away and stared at Shaun. “The rumors were wrong."
One of Shaun's eyebrows shot up. “Oh?"
Xandros grinned. “Yeah. They said you took it up the ass from Leo Eyler. You don't seem the type to bend over for anyone."
A strange expression flickered in Shaun's hazel eyes. “Ever met Leo?"
"When I was younger."
Shaun extricated himself from Xandros's hold as if he'd been there by his own choice. “Let's just say Leo is...unique."
"How do you know her?” He changed the subject, hoping to catch Shaun off guard.
The other man blinked. “Who?"
Xandros shook his head. “Don't fuck with me, Fenway."
"I thought that's what you were offering,” Shaun quipped.
"Who is she?"
Shaun shrugged. “Rina the assassin.” He bent down and picked up his knife.
"Damn it, Shaun,” Xandros said through gritted teeth. Why was he being so cagey about this woman? “Was she your lover?” And why the fuck did Xandros care? She was just an assignment, a job. Wasn't she?
Shaun shook his head. “Love had nothing to do with us."
Xandros narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck does that mean?"
"It means she isn't who she seems to be,” Shaun answered, his gaze intent on Xandros.
"You were here to see her."
"No. I was here to see you.” Shaun glanced down the alley. “Watching the two of you was a bonus,” he said with a smile.
"Fuck you,” Xandros snapped.
"Perhaps,” Shaun said. “If you're a good boy."
Xandros growled and tensed. Shaun's eyes glittered in the dark street globes, and Xandros would have attacked him, but he decided he'd rather get paid. Plus, he wasn't sure what the man wanted, but he was pretty sure Shaun would fuck him to distract him. “What did you want to see me for?"
"The Brotherhood contacted the princess.” Shaun started to walk toward the street. “She wants to see you."
"She's here?” Why the hell would Princess Sera Placido come to this forsaken planet?
"There's a group of Placidian descendents on Muerte. She visits this planet once a year.” Shaun slipped out of the alley, and Xandros followed.
"You let her come here?” Xandros shook his head. “There's a Brotherhood cell here. She isn't safe here."
"She isn't safe anywhere."
Xandros kept moving, his gut churning. There had to be a connection between the arrival of Rina and her team and the princess's visit. Shaun Fenway wasn't stupid. He'd probably thought the same thing.
Conflicted, Xandros kept pace with Shaun. Going to meet the princess meant he'd probably run into Leo Eyler. This was the confrontation he both dreaded and anticipated. After all, he had a bone to pick with his old friend, the newly made general. But he was reluctant to get more involved than he had already become. Even as he negotiated the busy streets, keeping Shaun in sight, he wasn't sure if he was looking for answers or just looking for vengeance.
The hotel where the princess stayed was the most lavish place in Muerte's capital city. The lobby was all marble, white and gray. The stone was one of Muerte's most abundant exports, and the hotel showcased it perfectly. The human colony had never become a major shipping stop because the politics on the planet were in constant flux.
He hadn't realized Placidians were here. The refugees from the odd planet had invaded many other cultures, but they didn't assimilate. With the princess back on the home planet, he thought the Placidians would flock back to Placido. Some had, of course, but many, like this population, hadn't come back. He wondered if it was because there were rumors that the princess had strange powers.
Shaun led him to a huge suite on the ground floor. They passed at least eight guards. All of them looked like Nyral military.
When Shaun approached the door of the suite, one of the guards nodded and knocked on it briskly. Xandros heard a low, husky “Come in,” and the door opened.
His first impression of Princess Sera Placido was that she was blindingly beautiful. She was dressed entirely in white, and her flawless skin and red hair seemed to light the whole room. Still, Xandros was aware of the tall, blond man beside her, his gaze cold and unfriendly. It wouldn't do to stare at the princess with her marked mate beside her.
"Xandros Jasper, I'd like you to meet the Princess Sera Ellysa Placido and her consort, General Leo Eyler.” Shaun bowed as he introduced Xandros to the infamous couple.
When Xandros focused on Leo, he gritted his teeth. The man had changed somewhat since Xandros had seen him three years earlier. The scar was still there, but Leo had let his hair grow out and wore a casual flight suit rather than the severe black Primarian uniform. It made him seem less intimidating.
Something in Leo's acknowledgement of Shaun caught Xandros's attention. There was electricity between the general and the other man.
Xandros pressed his lips to the princess's hand and shot a side long glance at Leo. The man watched him like a hawk. When he straightened, Xandros grinned. “General, eh? Last I heard, you were a disgraced corporal."
"It's been a long time, Xandros.” Leo didn't smile back. “How's the smuggling business?"
"Booming. How's the consort business?"
"Complicated,” Leo said calmly. “Things have changed."
Xandros narrowed his gaze on Leo's face, trying to read it, and got nothing. “Oh?"
"We were friends once,” Leo said.
"That was a long time ago. Before I was a mercenary and before you fucked me over with the Primarians.” Xandros hadn't forgotten.
Princess Sera put a hand on Leo's arm and seemed to send him a silent message. Leo stepped back, and the woman walked closer to Xandros. Even though she was sex incarnate with her perfect skin, her brilliant hair, and her killer curves, Xandros wasn't attracted to her. Not the way he was obsessed with Rina.
The princess came to a stop directly in front of him and stared up into his face. “Since Shaun asked for your help, we made a few inquiries."
Xandros glared at Shaun, and he shrugged. What Xandros had thought was a personal favor to the man turned out to be something else. Princess Sera smiled. “Shaun wanted to protect me, but I found out he'd gone to you."
"Oh?” Xandros wondered if she spied on her bodyguard. Well, why not? She probably should be paranoid.
She lifted her hand, and he noted a remote in it. When she pressed a button, a screen on the right side of the room lit up.
Xandros saw the image of him dancing with Rina. Stars, she was sexy, so beautiful. He stared at the vid. In the heat of the moment, he'd missed the tightening of Rina's features when his hand reached down to stroke her sweet pussy. Sweat broke out on his palms, and he licked his lips.
For a split second, he was lost in that moment, in the sensations Rina had dragged out of him in that encounter. But he was being shown this vid by Princess Sera Placido. He had to stay in the now. “And what? You don't like that I fucked a Brotherhood Assassin?"
Out of nowhere, Leo sprang on him and slammed him against the wall. The violence of the man's hands was nothing compared to the death Xandros saw in the man's gaze. “You fucking bastard. I'm going to kill you."
Leo was military and had served undercover with Primarian soldiers. But he hadn't been trained in dirty tricks the way Xandros had. In two seconds flat, Xandros had jammed his fingers in a spot just above the man's dick, and Leo recoiled.
But when Xandros moved in to follow up, Shaun stepped forward and chopped down on Xandros's arm, numbing it. Then Shaun slammed Xandros back against the wall. Where the princess had left Xandros sexually cold, Shaun's touch made Xandros as hard as a fucking rock. Damn him.
A muscle moved in Shaun's cheek, and his gaze dropped to Xandros's mouth. “You fool. You just had to do it, didn't you?"
"I don't know what's wrong with him, but there's no way in hell I'm going to be manhandled by anyone.” He leveled a serious look at Shaun. “Even you."
"You'd love me to manhandle you,” Shaun whispered.
"Not like this, Fenway. Get your damn hands off me, or I'll drop you to your knees.” Confident in his abilities, Xandros didn't raise his voice or flinch when Shaun squeezed his throat.
Shaun sighed. “Why did you bait him?"
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but I'm dead serious. Get your hands off me.” Xandros flexed the fingers of his working arm, his right arm still numb.
Shaun dropped his arms and glared at Xandros. “Why do you have to pick now to do your typical fucking anything with a hole?"
Xandros glared back and snapped, “I needed information so I marked her—"
"What?” Leo roared and charged again, but this time, Xandros was ready and crouched in readiness. “I'm going to strip your hide."
"Leo, stop it,” the princess said sharply. Her gaze narrowed on Xandros's face. “You marked her to
track
her? What kind of a monster are you?"
He frowned and shrugged. “She's a Brotherhood assassin and adept at disappearing. I needed an advantage."
The princess blinked. “An advantage.” Leo growled, and she reached up to stroke her mate's face, her sleeve falling away to reveal an elaborate dragon mark. “She'll be marked for life, always tied to you.” Princess Sera shook her head.
Xandros snorted. “The mark means nothing.” Even as he said it, he didn't believe it. It meant that Rina belonged to him. The supreme satisfaction he felt at that thought was odd.
"It means the Brotherhood will kill her when they see it,” Shaun said angrily. “You just put a bull's-eye on her back."
"She'll be fine,” Xandros said. The last thing he wanted to do is explain that he had no intention of letting her disappear on him.
"You had no right,” Leo shouted.
"That's enough,” Xandros snapped. “My relationship with Rina is none of your fucking business. As long as I find your Nyral males, what do you care?"
Shaun's eyes widened, and he searched Xandros's face. “You really don't know, do you?"
"Know what?” An uneasy sensation began to slide into Xandros's belly.
"Rina is Leo's sister-in-law.” Shaun's words created a sensation of falling for Xandros. “She was Shanie Tao's little sister."
When Carina fled from that alley, she couldn't get away from her thoughts. Why had she let him mark her? It was a death sentence. The Brotherhood would know, and she would be killed...if she was lucky.
Damn him. How had he gotten under her skin? She couldn't explain it. Granted, four years undercover doing Brotherhood dirty work had begun to take its toll, but she usually had better sense.
These back alleys, these black streets were her home, her safe refuge. Why had she risked it all for Xandros Jasper? The man didn't give a shit about her. He'd marked her to track her movements easier.