Assassin Mine (5 page)

“My home.” Darius turned his head away, but not before she
caught wistfulness in his red eyes. “Darius’ home.” He reached between their
bodies, his fingers drifted over her stomach and mons and he parted her pussy
lips, dipping into her wetness. His knuckles brushed her clit and she jerked,
the contact exquisite.

“Our home,” Sabria moaned. “Touch me, play with me.” She
pushed into his hand.

“I’m not playing,” he murmured, circling the sensitive
bundle of nerves, coiling her need tighter and tighter. “I’m uncovering your
weaknesses, female, with each stroke of my fingers. When we do battle, you’ll
be defenseless against me.”

“Already…defenseless.” Sabria writhed, past pride, past
caring, his teasing driving all other thoughts from her mind. She clutched his
shoulders and sucked on his skin, his unique flavor coating her tongue, his
words accessing her heart.

“I’ll attack this area first.” He ravished her, rubbing her
clit with his thumb, pumping her pussy with his long, slender fingers,
stretching her, torturing her, pleasing her. “Rendering you incapable of logic,
of reason.”

Sabria panted, her lungs burning, her breasts numbed by the
salve, feeling no pain, only arousal, joy and a strange sense of belonging, as
though by offering him sanctuary, she had found her own.

“You’ll be helpless against me, Sabria,” Darius murmured
against her cheek, his voice conspiratorially low, his warm breath fanning her
skin. “You’ll no longer control me. I’ll control you, manipulating your body to
please me.” He flicked her earlobe, the connection felt straight to her pussy.

“Darius,” she cried out, arching toward him, needing more,
needing him.

“I’ll pin you in place.” He shifted over her, prodding at
her entrance with his broad cock head. Sabria sucked in her breath as Darius
pushed into her, filling her, sinking deeper and deeper, his shaft long and
thick and satisfying.

“And subdue you.” He pulled back, withdrawing up to his tip,
and he lunged forward, pressing her against the mattress, driving the breath
from her. Sabria wrapped her arms and legs around his torso, hooking her ankles
over his clenched ass, as he pillaged her pussy with forceful strokes, waging
war on her body.

“Fuck me. Fuck me harder,” she ordered her assassin and he
met her cries with harder thrusts, ruthlessly using her, the bed moving under
them, metal scraping against tile.

“Harder.” Sabria whacked his ass with her bare heels, their
bodies smacking together, Darius grunting in her ear, his breath hot and
ragged.

“More.” She pushed him mercilessly, selfishly reaching for
her own satisfaction, bliss hovering too far away to grasp.
Must. Find. It.
Sabria raised her hips, frantically meeting each thrust, her skin heating with
contact.

“Oh.” She dug her nails into Darius’ back and he hissed.
“Oh. Oh. Oh.” Her muscles wound tighter and tighter, coiling to the point of
pain, her body straightening under him.

Darius pulled back and slammed into her, the stinging slap
of skin against skin snapping her in two, her orgasm rushing toward her with
the speed of a shooting star.

“Darius!” she screamed, clenching down on his shaft with her
pussy muscles, holding on to him, the only constant, as her world spun around
her in a dazzling array of light and color.

“Sabria!” he roared, driving even farther into her, spurting
his hot cum deep inside her pussy, coating her with his essence, setting off
another round of soul-shaking tremors.

As the euphoria eased and the energy drained from her
battered body, Sabria loosened her grip on Darius, her thighs falling open, her
legs slipping to the mattress. “Darius.” She gazed up at him, her eyelids
heavy.

“Sabria, my female, my breeder.” He kissed the tip of her
nose and his thin lips curled upward, fine lines feathering around his eyes,
his face softening, appearing almost boyish.

My serious assassin is smiling.
Sabria struggled to
keep her eyes open, not wishing to sever the fragile connection between them,
savoring a closeness she’d never experienced with another person.

“I could love Darius,” she murmured. Her brain caught up
with her mouth and her face heated. “If he wasn’t such a woman-hating asshole,”
she quickly amended.

Darius’ lips flattened. “I invented Darius as you invented
the place where
Drecks
are equal. None of this is real.”

“The place could be real.” Sabria frowned, dismayed at his
lack of hope. “We won’t know unless we search for it. We might have days or
even weeks, before my brother comes for me and—”

“Your brother isn’t taking you from me.” Darius rolled onto
his back, pulling her over top of him, his grasp on her secure. “You’re my breeder.”

He’s keeping me.
Sabria stared across the room at the
undecorated wall. “How will you keep me?
Drecks
don’t have breeders.”
She doused the hope flickering to life inside her heart. “You said that.”

“I’ll find a way,” Darius muttered into her hair, his body
radiating comforting heat. Sabria parted her lips, questions flooding her mind.
“Sleep,” he ordered.

I can’t possibly sleep, not now.
She closed her eyes.
He’s keeping me. That must mean he cares for me. It must.
Darkness
descended, her thoughts slowing, stilling, stopping.

Chapter Five

Darius sat on the edge of the bed, watching Sabria, his
little human female sleeping soundly, trusting him to protect her. He pushed a
long strand of black hair away from her parted lips, the tendril curling around
his finger, embracing him, a
Dreck
, a disposable being worthy of only
high-risk assignments—killing heavily guarded Federation officials and
exploring deep space.

Perhaps they found a place where they’re accepted, where
Drecks
are equals and there are no wars or killing. They have families, breeders they
love and protect and offspring of their own, and they’re happy…

Is such a place possible?
Darius dressed quietly, not
wishing to wake Sabria, her body requiring sleep to recover. He winced as the
leather slid over the scratches on his back, his breeder having marked him as
thoroughly as he had marked her.

As he passed the chamber control panel, he tapped the
surface, locking Sabria inside.
Not that this precaution will stop her.
Darius scowled, remembering how she’d hurt herself escaping from the chair,
trying to run from him.

He stomped along the brightly lit corridor, scanning the
space, spotting not a single shadow in which an assassin could hide. The floor
bots and ceiling-mounted weapons stilled, recognizing him.

I’ll have to kill to keep Sabria.
Darius entered the
bridge. The viewscreen remained open, stars scattered across the blackness of
space, his ship on a direct course to
Balazoid
.
She believes her
brother will come from her and the
Balazoid
council won’t allow a lowly
Dreck
to claim a breeder.
Fuck. This is impossible.

Darius filled the captain’s chair, the leather worn, the
seat formed to his body, fitting him as perfectly as Sabria did. “Time to
arrival?”

“Three days, fifteen hours, twenty-two minutes and
thirty-five seconds,” the ship recited, its male voice curt and robotic.

Three days.
He opened a view of his chamber. Sabria’s
naked body sprawled on the bed, her beautiful face soft with sleep. “Ship, give
the occupant of my chambers the same corridor access as myself,” he instructed,
fearful the floor bots might target his overly trusting and woefully unarmed
female.

“Corridor access granted.”

“Are we being followed?”
How long before I have to kill
her beloved brother?

“Negative, Captain.” Ship eased his concerns.

“Good.” Darius’ shoulders lowered. “Reduce speed.”
I
can’t return to
Balazoid
. They’ll take her from me. What are my other
options?
He laid his weapons on the console. “Ship, compare the
characteristics of all
Drecks
reported dead within the last five years,
searching for similarities.” He meticulously cleaned his daggers, polishing the
blades until they shone and inspecting them for weakness, the ritual calming
him, the steps ordering his thoughts.

“Process completed, Captain.”

“Report,” Darius ordered, feeling foolish for believing in
Sabria’s wild theory.
There’s nowhere
Drecks
are equal and happy.
We’re alone.

“One hundred percent are deceased. Eighty-two percent were
reported deceased while on deep-space exploration assignments. Seventy-nine
percent were reported deceased exactly six months after their last
transmission.”

Exactly six months?
Darius dropped his favorite
dagger and the metal clinked against the console.
That’s impossible.
“What were the locations of their last transmission?”

“Seventy-nine percent originated from sectors not maintained
by either
Balazoid
or Federation forces. Fifty-three—”

“Stop report.”
All of the transmissions ended in No
Man’s-Land.
Darius charted a route to its closest sector, the destination
behind them, farther away from his home planet.

Home, a place where
Drecks
are equal.

Darius straightened in his seat, excitement zapping along
his spine, the theory he thought wild no longer impossible. “Ship, display the
detailed file of the last
Dreck
deemed deceased while on a deep-space
exploration assignment.”

“Access denied.” The viewscreen flashed red in warning.
“Attempt to access file flagged. My scans didn’t detect the flag prior to
attempting access and I am unable to suppress the report.”

Fuck.
Darius gritted his teeth, dreading the upcoming
confrontation.

“
Balazoid
system security is requesting we open
hailing frequencies, Captain.”

“Comply.” Darius erased the emotion from his face.

“Greetings, Operative Dreck.” The viewscreen displayed a
Balazoid
years Darius’ junior. “Commander Puxa of
Balazoid
system security
speaking.” The kid smirked as he relayed his superior rank, even the most
inexperienced
Balazoid
outranking a
Dreck
. “What is your reason
for accessing this closed file?”

“Commander Puxa.” Darius inclined his head, struggling to
control his irritation. “I have information indicating a possible threat
originating from sectors beyond
Balazoid
and Federation control.” He met
and held the young officer’s gaze. “Have we suffered unexplainable losses of
ships in those sectors?”

The
Balazoid
’s gaze shifted to the left. “There have
been no unexplainable losses.” He tapped his fingers on the console. “Sources
indicate an unauthorized passenger on board your vessel. Please return to
Balazoid
to dispose of it.”

That bastard Grok must be the source.
Darius stared
straight into the viewscreen. “The female didn’t survive the interrogation,” he
lied, deflecting the commander’s focus away from Sabria, their ship safely out
of range of
Balazoid
life-form scanners. “I have jettisoned the remains
to avoid contamination.”

“This will be noted in your file, Operative Dreck.” The
boy’s lips twisted, his tone curt. “You are requested to return to
Balazoid
for debriefing.”

I never return to
Balazoid
after an assignment.
While Darius’ gut screamed warnings, his gaze didn’t waver. “I will return to
Balazoid
after investigating the threat,” Darius relayed brusquely. The younger
Balazoid
opened his mouth. “The threat level is high,” Darius continued. “I won’t risk
my home for a debrief.”

Commander Puxa frowned. “What is the nature of this threat?”

Fuck. What warranted this suspicion?
“I don’t wish to
discuss it over open communication lines.”

The
Balazoid
glanced behind him as though receiving
instruction from someone else. He nodded, returning his gaze to Darius. “These
lines are secured. What is the threat?”

Once I tell them the threat, I’ll no longer have any
value.
“The operative extracted her information from these supposedly
secure lines,” Darius barked. “I will debrief upon return to
Balazoid
.”

“Operative Dreck—”

“This line is not secure. Relaying more information puts
Balazoid
and my life in danger.”

“We can’t put
Balazoid
in danger,” the commander
agreed. “Return to the planet immediately, Operative Dreck. This is a direct
order. You will be debriefed upon arrival. End transmission.”

“Fuck that order,” Darius growled. “Ship, reroute us to the
origin of the missing
Dreck
ship’s last-known transmission and upgrade
all
Balazoid
ships to hostile status.” He stood, unable to remain on the
bridge alone, cut off from everything and everyone. “Inform me if any ships,
Balazoid
,
Federation or merc, come within range or if anyone attempts to access your
system.”

I have a female and a future to protect.
Darius
navigated the corridors blindly, desperate to confirm that Sabria was on the
ship, that she was safe and his.

As he entered the chamber, she stirred, rolling onto her
back, her breasts full and firm, her hips sweetly curved. He paused, taken
aback at her beauty.

“Darius?” She reached for him, her golden hand slender and
fragile.

She reached for
him
. The chill in Darius’ heart
lifted. “I’m here, Sabria.” He stripped out of his confining clothes, eager to
feel her soft skin against his. “I’ll always be here for you.”

He climbed onto the mattress, took her into his arms and
pulled her back against his chest. Sabria sighed, her small sound of
contentment easing Darius’ concerns, and she settled against him, fitting as
though she was made for him, her womanly musk filling his nostrils and teasing
his hardening cock.

Darius ignored his desires and carefully examined her
healing wounds. The stripes of pink had already faded, the salve designed for
his tougher hide, and he relaxed, comforted that his carelessness wouldn’t
leave any scars.

“I’ll take better care of you from now on, female,” Darius
vowed. He circled her right wrist with his fingers, securing her to him.
Not
enough.
He rolled onto his stomach, his right shoulder and hip over her
left side, partially pinning her to the mattress.
Now she won’t escape me.
He grabbed her free wrist, restraining both of her hands.

* * * * *

Sabria burrowed deeper into a decadent warmth, nuzzling
salty bare skin with her lips.
Darius.
She opened her eyes and met his
gaze, his expression dark and intense, focused on her and her alone.

“Hi.” She smiled self-consciously. His fingers linked around
her wrists as though he feared she’d escape him while he slept.

“Hi.” His low voice aroused her senses, Sabria achingly
aware of his naked body, his shoulder resting on hers, his hard cock pressing
against her thigh, his legs straddling hers.

“This is nice,” she whispered, cuddling closer to him,
rubbing her toes along his shins.

Darius stiffened, his spine straightening and his muscles
flexing. “It is…unusual.”

Sabria gazed up at him, noting his jutted chin and his
clenched jaw, and she smothered a smile, his discomfort adorable. “We’ve broken
yet another one of your rules, haven’t we?
Balazoids
must not snuggle
with their breeders.” She lifted her hands, wishing to touch him, to reassure
him.

Darius hesitated before reluctantly releasing her. “Breeders
are for release only.” He dropped his gaze, tension crackling between them.
“But I’m no longer a
Balazoid
, if I ever was one. I’m Darius, a male
with no affiliations, a male alone.”

Whoa. What happened while I slept?
Sabria ran her
hands over his scalp, flattening a tuff of his hair, the short strand soft and
fine. “Not completely alone.” She tickled his earlobes, flicking them with her
fingertips. “You have me.”

He remained still, watching her, as she touched him. “We’ll
search for your place, the place—”

Alarms sounded, sirens wailing and lights flashing. “A
Balazoid
warship has entered our sector, Captain,” a robotic voice echoed off the walls.

“Fuck.” Darius jumped out of bed, his response
mind-numbingly fast, and he grabbed his clothes, the black garments strewn over
the white-tiled floor. “Increase speed to maximum and employ evasive tactics,
Ship. Try to outrun the warship.”

Sabria yanked a sheet off the bed and twisted it around her
naked body. “What do you want me to do?” She raised her chin and met Darius’
gaze.

“Come.” He clasped her hand, his palm calloused against
hers, and he linked their fingers. Darius pulled her behind him as he sprinted
down the corridors. Sabria panted, struggling to keep up, determined not to
slow her assassin down.

They thundered onto the bridge of the ship. The image of a
state-of-the-art
Balazoid
warship filled the main viewscreen and
Sabria’s stomach plummeted.

Darius dropped her hand. “Status.” He flung his form into
the captain’s chair and reached for his personal viewscreen.

“Speed has increased to maximum, Captain,” the ship’s
guidance system relayed. “The warship has increased speed to compensate and is
reducing the distance between us. They will be within firing range in five
minutes and twenty-nine seconds.”

Firing range. Shit.
Sabria sat down at an empty
console.

Darius scowled at his screen. “Our weapons—”

“Our weapons are ineffective against their shields, Captain.
This is a class A warship, the newest in the
Balazoid
s’ fleet.”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Darius thumped his console with his
fists. “We can’t outrun them. We can’t outshoot them. We’re in open space.
There’s no place to hide.”

“We can distract them.” Sabria tapped on her viewscreen.
“Ship, do we have decoy capabilities?” Nothing happened, her access denied. “I
need access if I’m to do this.”

“Grant Sabria full access to the system, Ship,” Darius
barked. “What are you proposing?”

“We create a decoy.” She searched through the files, pulling
the schematics for a Federation warship. “My brother used them to throw mercs
off our tail. I’ve upgraded my skills since then.” She located the information
she needed and merged the details into a workable unit, tweaking the image to add
life forms and imperfections. “Ship, can you build this and position the decoy
on the far edge of the sector, preferably by a planet with a strong magnetic
core? I’ll jam their visuals.”

“How will you do that?” Darius loomed over her, casting a
shadow on her viewscreen, his body heat distracting.

“Another trick Traz taught me.” Sabria grinned, remembering
the years spent on the run, dodging mercs and Federation officers. “It might or
might not work, depending on whether or not the warship’s systems have caught
up with my hacking abilities. Ship, send the signal from the decoy.” She held
her breath.