Marianne's Abduction Read online

  Should he tell her he’d had sex with only two women his entire life, and that both times, they hadn’t wanted to see him again? No. She would assume he’d hurt them, and that would kill him. Better to let her think his past relationships had simply not worked out for him. He’d rather die than have her think ill of him.

  “Is she all right?”

  River’s soft voice startled him. He turned and nodded. “Yes. Just watching her sleep.”

  “Should we cover her? The rooms get cold overnight with the AC on.”

  Vaughn smiled. River had it bad for this girl already. He’d seen it the first day she was here. Not that he blamed him. But they had to be careful here. This woman had been through a lot, and it’s not like she’d simply forget about her dead fiancé. Not to mention the fucking Tyranns had taken her aunt and uncle prisoner. She wasn’t here to fall in love with two men who were aliens in her eyes.

  Then you shouldn’t have fucked her.

  River pulled the comforter out from under her so slowly that Vaughn held his breath as he watched his brother. He covered Marianne, and then he gently kissed her hair. She stirred but didn’t wake up. When he joined Vaughn in the hallway, River asked what they were going to do now.

  “We’re awake. Let’s work.”

  “I mean about Marianne.”

  He knew what River had meant. “I don’t know. I was thinking about that just now. What do you want to do?”

  “Never let her leave.”

  Vaughn sighed. This wasn’t the time to tease River. He didn’t give away his affections easily, and he wouldn’t find Vaughn’s ribbing funny. “I feel the same way. Let’s just take it one day at a time for now, okay? We need to find her aunt and uncle, and figure out how to get them off Voyeur Moon without killing them in the process.”

  “And then what?”

  “And then we’ll see. I don’t know what’s going to happen anymore than you do.”

  “I’ve never felt this way about any woman.”

  “And I have?”

  River nodded. “I know you haven’t.”

  “Come on. Let’s get some work done.”

  ****

  River’s attention wasn’t focused on work. His thoughts kept wandering to the look in her eyes as he made love to her, the way her hair had smelled tonight, all clean and flowery, and the soft moans that had filled her bedroom.

  For over a week he’d sat in this very room next to her, working with her, thinking up excuses to sit closer to her or touch her, even for a fraction of a second. He hadn’t expected this tonight. He hadn’t imagined her simply standing up, walking back into the quarters, shedding her clothes as she went. He hadn’t been able to picture the first time he’d make love to her because he’d never believed in the depths of his soul that it would happen.

  And now that it had, he couldn’t imagine it never happening again. He couldn’t imagine it not happening every day for the rest of his life. He didn’t want to think about a life without her in it, but he knew she’d have to leave one day.

  They’d find her aunt and uncle, and she would go somewhere safe to live with them. Someplace the Tyranns could never find her or them again. Or they wouldn’t find Blake and Betsy Williams, and Marianne would have to leave anyway because every day she was here, she was on borrowed time.

  And he and Vaughn would return to their work, behind the scenes, and try to forget her. And it would never happen. Not a chance.

  He and Vaughn had been working for close to four hours when River frowned, staring at the database he’d just uncovered. For almost a year, they’d been searching for documentation that directly linked the Tyranns to the Earthlings who had come to Sera to work. They had bits and pieces, but nothing that fit them all together.

  The Tyranns used computer programs like people used to use scraps of paper. A note here, a sentence fragment there, and maybe once in a while a complete letter. But nothing was organized, or fit together in a logical way, or turned out to be what they had labeled it. The Addonians surmised this was done on purpose to hide information from prying eyes.

  But this… He hadn’t come across anything like this before. He almost hadn’t opened the spreadsheet because it was labeled as a schedule for trash dumps. But curiously, he’d found it in a folder alongside documents labeled “Zoo Guards” and “Drone Report Template”. Not too bright of them to label documents with such red flags, and then put them in the same folder, side-by-side.

  The documents had nothing to do with the Zoo or the drone reports, but the labels had made him curious enough that he’d opened the spreadsheet labeled “Trash Dump Monthly Schedule” and found this instead.

  He moved the monitor so Vaughn could see it. “Tell me I’m not hallucinating.”

  Vaughn read, frowning, and then a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “What do you have here, little brother?”

  “Just read it again. Tell me it’s real.”

  They read the columns and rows together, out loud this time, and Vaughn touched the screen lightly, tracing across one row until he came to the names Blake and Betsy Williams. Next to their names was a cell block number, and then a specific cell within that block. “Holy shit,” whispered Vaughn. “What facility is this? Does it say?”

  With trembling fingers, River brought up the same spreadsheet on his second monitor, and then clicked around until he found the code hidden behind the database. “Atkins Prison. That’s on the other side of Voyeur Moon, close to where Jakara lived. It’s only been open about three months.”

  “And completely inaccessible by air due to patrols. We’d have to reach it by ground, and we’d have to get through the mountain passes without being seen.”

  “Once we landed on Voyeur Moon and got through security, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  What they’d just said was complete fiction. How in the name of all the stars would they do that? “And we first need to verify this is real, and that they’re still there.”

  Vaughn nodded several times. “Yes. That, too.”

  “Holy shit.” River punched in the code on his phone for Jakara, and the man answered on the first ring. “You won’t believe what Vaughn and I just found. Can you come over?”

  ****

  Marianne woke to the sound of several unfamiliar voices, all but one of them male. She found another note, this time on top of her dresser.

  We’re having a strategy planning session. There is much to tell you. Take your time getting ready and then join us in the common room. Oh, and your chain and ring are in the top dresser drawer, wrapped in tissue to keep them safe. River and Vaughn.

  They’d put away her ring for her? Marianne fished it out and stared at it. When had they done that? She’d left it on top of the dresser after her shower last night, after deciding it was time to get used to not wearing it.

  She wondered what was going on in the common room, and hoped it had something to do with her aunt and uncle. Marianne took a quick shower, letting enough memories from last night wash over her that she could savor them, but not enough to delay her unnecessarily. She’d never forget it. No matter what happened from this point on, it would be indelibly etched forever in her memory as the most erotic, decadent, fun night of her entire life.

  When she found them, she counted no less than a dozen people in the room, in addition to River and Vaughn, and one of them was a woman. River spotted her first, and sprang out of his seat, surprising the hell out of her by giving her a quick hug. Then he kissed her on the cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Y-yes. I did.” He looked ready to jump out of his skin. “What’s going on?”

  “First, let me introduce you to everyone.” He moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her into the room. Everyone was dressed in fatigues, including the woman. “This is Marianne Kowalski. It’s her aunt and uncle we’re going to spring from Atkins Prison.”

  “What?” She turned to face him, and he beamed. Marianne heard
good-natured chuckles and quiet conversation behind her, but she was too focused on River’s bright eyes to listen the words the others spoke. “You found them?”

  “We found a database that lists them as being there. Finding out if they are actually there, and then getting them out, are two very different matters.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, and the look of tenderness in his gaze made her breath catch in her throat. “Thank you,” she whispered. For what felt like an eternity, she stared into his eyes, and every delicious moment from last night came tumbling back into her consciousness. Her pulse raced.

  She was falling for these two. There was no doubt about it. But that was madness and probably dangerous for all of them.

  But she couldn’t help notice the way a smile played at the corners of his mouth, and the softness in his face as he continued to hold her gaze, as if he were totally at peace. The same way she felt now that last night had happened. Everything fit now. It finally made sense.

  “My pleasure,” he said softly, breaking the spell. “Turn around now and meet our friends.” She turned to face the room once more.

  “Sitting on my left are Thane and Rune,” said River. “They’re brothers, and they ran a freight company here on Addo. They were one of our biggest clients, and also one of the few businesses who stuck by us when the false charges were handed down.”

  “Nice to meet you both.” The men were blond with startling blue eyes, and she guessed them to be roughly the same ages as Vaughn and River. They, too, were very handsome men. In fact, as she glanced quickly at the others, she didn’t see a man in the room who wasn’t tall, muscled, with visible tats, and possessing a chiseled face. Were there any unattractive people on this planet? “Do you both still own your business here?”

  “No. We work for Jakara now,” said Thane.

  “And we’re happy to have them here,” said River. “Next to them are Kayden and Korben. As you can see, they’re twins. These two are strictly warriors, all the way. They used to be Tyranns, like Jakara, but have joined us now.”

  “Hello there.” She took a deep breath and tried not to stare at the two dark-haired, dark-eyed men. Each had a hint of stubble on his face, and like the rest of them, had visible tats. They smiled and nodded in greeting.

  “And the men next to them are Rygal, Vito, Daven, and Tallis.”

  There were two people left he hadn’t yet introduced, a man and the woman. He took a deep breath, and she glanced up at him to see him grinning from ear to ear.

  “Oh for the sake of all the stars,” said Vaughn. “Just tell her who they are.”

  Several people in the room chuckled, and River gave Vaughn a droll look. “Fine. Marianne, I’d like you to meet Jakara and Callie.”

  “Oh … oh my goodness. It’s so good to meet you both.”

  “I’m thrilled to meet another woman from Earth,” said Callie. She was stunning. Dark hair and big blue eyes, plus a smile that lit up the room. She glanced toward Jakara. “Is it all right if Marianne and I sit outside and talk?”

  The look of indulgence he gave her was nothing short of pure adoration. “Sure. I think Marianne would appreciate having someone of her own kind to talk to.” He glanced toward Vaughn. “As long as you two don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. But first, why don’t you outline what we know about her aunt and uncle.”

  “Vaughn and River found a database that we’ve been searching for. It lists the prisoners taken for the same reasons your aunt and uncle were. They’ve been pretending to help the Tyranns find men for the Zoo by getting charges dropped in exchange for those men serving that sentence instead of going to a Regum prison.”

  “So there were others who did what my aunt and uncle did? They got the charges dropped and then helped the prisoners escape from being sent to the Zoo?”

  “Oh yes,” said Thane. “Many others. A great many of the Earthlings who came here at the beginning have done that. None of them realized at first what the Tyranns were really doing. Once they did, they wanted no part of it, and helped us get prisoners away from them instead. Some have been caught doing it, including your aunt and uncle.”

  “And you found their names in this database?”

  “I found it,” said River, beaming again. “They hide all their information in bits and pieces, and give the folders and documents fake names.”

  “So why do you think it might not be real?”

  “I’m fairly certain it’s real,” said Jakara. “But first we have to verify they’re still there and haven’t been sent somewhere else. The Tyranns move people around a lot to try to mask what they’re doing. And then if they are still there, we have to figure out a way to get onto Voyeur Moon, and then into the prison.”

  “It can’t be approached by air,” said Vaughn. “We’ll need to first land on the planet, and then approach the prison by ground. Then we have to get them out, and reverse the scenario to get them off the planet.”

  Her heart sank. Even with what little she knew, it sounded impossible. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Not yet,” said Vaughn. “But don’t you worry. This is what we do. Now go and sit outside with Callie. Have a nice talk. There’s food in the kitchen so make sure you eat something. And we made fresh coffee about an hour ago.”

  “Thanks. I’m sorry I slept so late.”

  He gave her a molten look of lust that no one in the room would miss, and she felt heat rise to her face. “You needed it.”

  As she made her way to the kitchen with Callie in tow, Marianne was caught between joy at finding out her aunt and uncle were still alive, and trepidation at the complications surrounding freeing them. All mixed up with those thoughts were the erotic memories from last night. But right now, she needed to push all that aside so she could talk to someone else from Earth.

  Chapter Eight

  Marianne and Callie sat on the same deck where Marianne had been with Vaughn and River the night before. A warm breeze blew, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Marianne had coffee and a plate full of food, while Callie had a cup of tea.

  “I’ve developed a taste for this stuff,” she said, sipping. “Especially the peppermint kind. You must have a million questions.”

  “I’m just so happy to see someone else who lived through what I did. Vaughn and River told me your story. Were you terrified?”

  “Oh God yes. But Jakara didn’t mistreat me. Not ever. And there was something about him that called to me. I can’t even explain it.”

  “I think I know what you mean. Those two are … how do I put this? Charming, gorgeous, seductive, funny, tender, protective…” She laughed. “I sound like I’m reading from a romance novel.”

  Callie laughed, too, and then she asked Marianne where she’d lived on Earth.

  “Fox Chapel, just outside of Pittsburgh. And you?”

  “A tiny town in Maine called Castine. Have you heard of it?”

  Marianne shook her head. “What did you do there?”

  “I was hoping to work in an art gallery. I have an MFA in art history. But when I was taken I’d just quit a job at a dry cleaner’s. How about you?”

  “I have an MBA and was working in IT consulting, but when Vaughn’s and River’s friends brought me here I was stocking groceries.”

  Callie shook her head. “Our planet is dying, and those bastard Tyranns did it. That’s why I’m committed to helping these guys.”

  “Same here.”

  They high-fived each other, and then Callie asked Marianne if she was with Vaughn and River. “You know. As in with them in the Biblical sense.”

  “Well, as of last night I am.” Marianne gave Callie the short and dirty version.

  “What’s that like? Having sex with two men at the same time?”

  “Very intense, and very sore the next day.”

  “Well shit, I’m sore the next day from having sex with just one man. They’re all so damn huge!”

  Marianne laughed so hard she spit coffee out of her nose. “N
o wonder the women don’t like sex. Not only are they taught it’s no fun, but then they stare those big cocks in the face and look out!”

  Callie laughed again. “I’m not complaining though, if I’m being honest.”

  “Me either. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.” Even as she said the words, she wondered if last night would ever happen again, or if it had merely been a combination of the storm, and because their talk had strayed into what she thought of them both.

  Neither man had said much this morning about last night. Then again, they did have a house full of people, and it sounded like they’d been up half the night working. But anything would have been appreciated. Why had they let her sleep so late?

  Then she remembered the note, and the way they’d carefully put her chain and ring away. And they must have covered her, too, because she distinctly remembered curling up on top of the comforter. So what did it mean? Did they care about her? Had last night been a one-time thing? Were they simply the kind of guys who didn’t make a fuss about sex the next day?

  They didn’t seem like the love ‘em then leave ‘em kind, but what did she know? She’d been here less than two weeks. For all she knew, they did this all the time.

  “Where did you go just now?”

  She blinked a few times. “Sorry. Just musing.”

  Callie stood and stretched. “I’ve been awake since just after four. Jakara got a call from River, and we came right over.”

  That solved the mystery of the timeline. It had been around eleven when she’d curled up on her side and gone to sleep. She stood and gathered her dishes. “Let’s go join the guys. I love a good battle strategy talk.”

  Callie chuckled. “If you’re staying here with them, you’d better get used to that.”

  Was she staying here with them? She had no clue. They said she had to in order to keep her safe, but for how long?

  Marianne only half-listened to the planning because the men eventually switched to their own language, and she didn’t understand most of what they were saying. Callie looked disinterested as well, or that might have been because she didn’t know enough of the language yet either.