Captive (8 page)

* * * * *

After an hour of searching the ship, Stefan finally found his brother. Standing back, he watched him beat the hell out of the punching bag hanging in front of him. He looked so tired and had aged so much. They really needed to end this soon.

Ten years undercover as a spy was really beginning to take its toll on Sidious. It was taking its toll on all of them.

“So,” Stefan said. “I understand from Agnus that you have finally met your match in a female.”

Stopping his assault on the bag, Sidious turned and stared at him.

Stefan was just as tall as Sidious, with the same white hair and gray eyes, but was less beefy in musculature. He didn
'
t spend nearly as much time in the gym as Sidious.

Stefan knew that lately his brother had been in the gym quite a bit trying to find an outlet for some of the anger and aggravation he felt.

“Agnus talks too much,” Sidious replied before turning his attention back to the bag.

Stefan grinned. “That he does, although he means well. Word has already spread to Tilarus. Mother has picked a summer date for the nuptials.” Sidious narrowed his darkening eyes. “You are a
vigic
, do you know that?”

“Of course.” He shrugged. “Isn
'
t that what older brothers are for? Since when do you have such an interest in Agnus's barmaids, anyway?” Sidious raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you think it is any of your business?”

“Ah…” Stefan began with a chuckle. Could it be his brother was actually smitten?

After all, he'd spent the entire night with her, something his brother rarely did.

“Stefan, I wouldn't if I were you.” Sidious pointed a finger at him. “Otherwise, you will find yourself hanging here in place of the bag.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “What has got you in such a mood? Other than the usual.”

Sidious took off the gloves and tossed them toward the bin a few feet away. He scowled at Stefan. “Why are you here?”

Stefan pushed away from the wall and moved toward Sidious. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“And it can
'
t wait?”

Stefan shook his head.

Sidious sighed. “One of these days I am going to revoke your damn clearance to this ship.”

“You know, you keep saying that.” Stefan watched him stroll to the showers. “I'll meet you in the bar.”

He chuckled when he heard his brother mumble something under his breath. One of these days, he would push him until Sidious finally snapped and hit him. Oh well, he thought with a grin. It wouldn't be the first time.

Stefan left the training facility and headed to the bar. That was usually where they discussed things. The noise guaranteed they wouldn't be overheard. Besides, Sidious wasn't absolutely certain that Commander Woods hadn't bugged his quarters in one of his attempts to catch him spying.

He had just come from the
Vultair
, and he had some very interesting news Taron wanted him to get to Sidious right away. He was also curious to meet this young woman who'd pushed his brother's buttons yesterday.

Sidious had never had trouble getting women, ever. They flocked to him like Corgons to Veegany. He dated a few, slept with a lot, but he was never serious about any of them.

Stefan had decided a long time ago that what his brother needed was a woman who would challenge him. A woman he couldn
'
t intimidate. And from the sound of things, he thought with a smile, he might have just found her.

* * * * *

Mikayla saw the blond enter the bar and instantly knew he had to be related to Sidious somehow. Except for the way they wore their hair, and their body size, they could easily be twins. Although they both had the same white hair color, this man wore his much longer, letting it trail halfway down his back with only the front part pulled back, as opposed to Sidious's shoulder-length hair. She had to stop thinking about him and last night. She'd lost count of just how many times he'd made her come. And every time, he'd done it with such tenderness and caring.

She had to continually remind herself that it didn't matter. He was still the enemy

-- still the man destroying her home.

Turning her attention back to the blond, she watched as he sauntered confidently over to the bar. She couldn't stop herself from comparing the two of them. Sidious was definitely more muscular, but this guy wasn't small by any means. He was also just as tall.

There was a different air about him, though. He was much more at ease. Much more relaxed. He smiled at her, and his whole face lit up. “You must be Mikayla.” She raised an eyebrow and pulled a glass down from the shelf overhead. “And you are?”

Stefan's grin widened, and his eyes twinkled with laughter. “Oh boy…no wonder he's all in a mood.”

She frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing.” He held out his hand. “I am Stefan Marcone. Lord Marcone's older brother.”

She took his hand and shook it, her eyes narrowing in confusion. “Older? I always thought the older had the title.”

“We do. I am Count Marcone, at your service.” He stepped back and bowed slightly with a smile. “Lord is a title given to the younger sons of a monarch.”

“I see.” She eyed him and wondered why he was staring at her like that. He appeared amused. Like he had some private joke he was busting to share. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Yes, an ale.”

She moved to pour him one. The bar was still relatively quiet, but she knew that soon it would pick up. It was almost time for a shift change. “Are you in the militia as well?”

“No.” He shook his head and took the glass she offered him. “I'm the oldest son of a monarch and therefore not allowed.”

“Lucky you.”

He shrugged. “That depends on how you look at it, I suppose.” His shrewd eyes watched her, and she fought back a shiver. Stefan had the same intense stare as his brother. But Stefan didn't make her body come alive; he just gave her the creeps.

“You don't like it here, do you?” he asked.

“Hmmm.” She pursed her lips. “Can't imagine what would have given you that idea.”

“Calling my brother Sid was probably my first clue. Even I'm not allowed that privilege. Agnus is convinced you have a death wish.” Mikayla rolled her eyes. “Your brother is beyond arrogant.”

“That he is.” Stefan smiled, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “But he's a good man.”

“That's a matter of opinion.”

The swish of the bar doors opening caught her attention. The minute she saw him come through the door, her pulse quickened. Sidious, she thought with a sneer.

She hated the fact her body reacted this way to his presence. It was as if she had no control over it. She didn't want this attraction to him, and the aggravation she felt with herself came out as anger toward him.

Their gazes locked, and she squirmed beneath his heated stare. He broke eye contact first and raked his gaze over her in a way that made her feel exposed. Turning away, she tried to give Stefan her full attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sidious walk over and place his hand on Stefan's shoulder. With a nod of acknowledgment, he took the stool next to him.

“I see you've met my brother,” Sidious said with a smile.

“Yes, and he's quite charming.” She placed her hand on her hip and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Not at all like you.”

“I have been told I can be quite charming.”

“What your mother says doesn't count,” she countered back.

Mikayla didn't miss the smile Stefan tried to hide behind his glass of ale. She wasn't trying to be funny. She was trying to get Sidious to get the hint and leave her alone. She didn't want a repeat of last night. Not again; she couldn't take it.

Their gazes remained locked in silent battle until Agnus broke the spell.

“Mikayla, I need your help over here a minute.”

“Coming,” she said to Agnus and then turned to Stefan with a smile. “It was very nice to meet you, Stefan.”

“Likewise,” he said, returning her smile.

Completely ignoring Sidious, she left to go help Agnus.

Sidious shook his head in amusement as he watched her walk away.

“You know, maybe you sh --”

“Shut up, Stefan.”

He ignored his brother
'
s knowing smile as he went behind the bar to get himself a drink. He knew she was using her smart mouth as a cover. She was good at masking her expressions, he would give her that, but she hadn't been quick enough. He saw the way she'd looked at him when he walked in, at least before that wall of hers went back up.

It was obvious that even after last night, she was going to try and avoid him.

Status quo, apparently. But he'd get her alone soon enough. Eventually, he'd get through to her, or die trying.

Motioning for Stefan to follow him, they made their way to one of the small tables in the far corner. They sat across from each other and began to talk quietly.

Stefan leaned forward and whispered. “It appears we have some new members to our cause.”

“Who?” Sidious asked as he took a sip of his ale.

“The Thallion Warriors.”

Sidious raised his eyebrows in surprise. Since Rigora hadn
'
t yet announced an interest in the Libra sector, the prime minister had pretty much left the warrior race alone, and there had been an unsteady truce between the two empires for several years.

But lately Rigora had been talking about possibly adding them to his collection. He felt their warriors, and especially their warships, would be a great asset for him. Now, it appeared they would be a great asset to the rebellion.

“It seems they've gotten word they are to be the prime minister's next conquest.

So in order to beat him to the punch, they have offered the use of their warships and personnel to the rebels.”

“That's terrific. We can use all the help we can get. Are you headed back to the
Vultair
?” Sidious asked.

“Yes, but first I need to swing by Tilarus. There was a message from Father that he needs me to take care of something.”

“When you see Taron, tell him to get that package ready that I asked for.”

“Have you figured out a way in?” Stefan asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well?”

When Sidious didn
'
t answer, he eyed him suspiciously. “You are not doing what I think you are!” Stefan snapped.

Sidious rolled his eyes. “I am not getting into this with you, Stefan. It is the only way, and you know it.”

“You start crawling around in those ventilation shafts, they will know you're up to something, not to mention the fact that you wouldn't get twenty feet before the alarms start going off.”

He shrugged. “I will come up with an excuse to be there.”

“And why would they send you and not a mechanic?”

“Stefan.” He slammed his glass down on the table and lowered his voice. “I do not have all the answers, yet. But unless you can come up with a better idea, this is all we've got.”

“If you try to pull this off, you will be committing suicide, and you know it.” They had been looking at the blueprints for months, and the only way they could see into the shield generators was through the ventilation system. The ship's builders had designed it that way on purpose, to make sabotage that much harder.

Unfortunately, setting bombs off from directly inside the generator was the only way they could effectively wipe out the shields.

“What if we send you in cloaked?”

“What?” Sidious looked at his brother as if he had lost his mind.

“Taron has been experimenting a little with the Litarian Cloak. He thinks we can cloak you and then you can crawl around in there to your heart
'
s content, without detection.”

“That might work,” he said thoughtfully. “But what about side effects? To my knowledge, no one has ever cloaked a man before, and I have no desire to be a test rat.”

“He is working on it now. Hopefully, by the time I get back he will have all that figured out. Of course, you realize we are going to have to figure out a way to get you to the
Vultair
to be fitted for the device.”

Sidious sat thinking for a minute. “How close is the
Vultair
to Daego?”

“Close enough,” Stefan replied.

“Let
'
s plan on doing it there. Daego is one of the few planets left that is not under Rigora's control. It should be safe enough.”

“Just give me at least twenty-four hours' notice.” Sidious nodded as he drank his ale.

* * * * *

Making her rounds about the bar, Mikayla kept stealing glances at Sidious and his brother. With their heads pressed close together, they appeared to be having a serious discussion. How could she possibly be attracted to a man bent on her world's destruction? How could she have submitted to him like she had? She knew how. She was weak, and he knew it. He knew all her buttons to push, all her weaknesses, and she had no doubt he'd continue to use them against her.

She had to find a way off this ship, but Agnus continued to lock her in her room at night. If she could convince Agnus she'd accepted her fate, he would trust her enough to not lock her door; then she could sneak out and find a way home.

She leaned over to wipe down a table, her eyes still on Sidious.

A man snaked his arms around her waist from behind. “Hey, baby, why don't me and you go find a quiet corner somewhere?”

She cringed as he placed wet lips against her neck. She could smell the lingering scent of ale that seemed to ooze from his every pore.

Trying to dodge his kisses, she wiggled out of his embrace. “I don't think that now is a good time. I have a lot of work to do, and Agnus would be upset if I disappeared.” From experience serving drunks on Earth, she knew enough to be gentle with her words. Unfortunately, this drunk wasn't interested in taking no for an answer.

Grabbing her around the waist, he pulled her body up next to his and once again kissed her neck. “I don't care about Agnus.”

Shoving hard at the soldier's chest, she finally got him to let go, but he was so drunk he lost his balance and almost fell. When he caught himself, he turned to Mikayla with a sneer and raised his hand to strike her. Never taking her eyes off his, she reached behind her and felt for anything she could use to hit him with. Suddenly, a hand reached out to stop him midswing.

Great, she growled to herself.

“I think you have had enough fun for one night.” Sidious sneered as he shoved the soldier toward the door. “To your quarters, soldier. Now.” The soldier nodded and staggered from the bar.

Mikayla's bit her lower lip as she watched the exchange. Sidious was the last man she wanted coming to her rescue. The anger on his face was unmistakable. That

surprised her. If he condoned kidnapping, what did he care if a soldier got a little rough with the slave?

She watched him turn back to her, his normally gray eyes black with anger quickly changed to desire as they roamed over her. She swallowed down a lump.

Lord help me.

Why couldn't it have been anyone else? Even Stefan would have been better.

“Are you all right?” Putting his finger under her chin, he tried to make her look at him.

Pulling away, she turned her gaze from his. “I'm fine. I could have handled it, though. I really didn't need your help.”

She probably shouldn't be such a grouch, but she didn't like the way she felt when he was this close to her. All she could think about was last night and all the things he'd done to her. He was so near she could feel the heat radiating off his body, and hers felt as though it would combust into flames. Even her nipples tingled. Taking a step back, she tried to ignore her own body's reaction to his closeness and concentrated on her anger instead.

“Oh, yeah. It looked like you had everything well under control.” She narrowed her eyes. “I was handling the situation just fine.”

“Not from where I was sitting you weren't. Would it kill you to say thank you?”

“If I recall, I never asked for your help. As usual, you just barrel right in and take over.”

“And just where have I barreled in and taken over?” Mikayla should have heeded the tone of his voice but didn't. Instead she continued headfirst without stopping to think about her actions. “My home for one.

How many other worlds have you and that sorry excuse for a man you call a prime minister taken over?”

“Mikayla,” he said, this time clearly with warning.

Choosing to ignore his threatening tone, she continued, “What? What more could you possibly do? You've taken me away from my home, my family, and you have the gall to stand there and want me to thank you for rescuing me from a predicament that, in my opinion, you put me in.”

She knew he wasn't really the one responsible for her being there and that she was being ridiculous, but she didn't care. She was too angry.

“I think it's time I showed you exactly what more I could do,” he growled just before he bent down and threw her over his shoulder.

She gasped in shock as she stared at the view of his firm back from her upside-down position. She couldn't believe what he was doing. Once the shock wore off, uncertainty took its place. What the hell was he going to do?

The crowd of men laughed and cheered him on as he turned and headed toward the stairs that would take them to her room.

“Damn you, Marcone, put me down!” She beat on his back with her fists. Not that it did any good. Hitting his back was like hitting solid rock. “Agnus. Do something,” she shouted as they went by him.

“You got your own self in this mess, girl. Don
'
t look to me to get you out of it.” She frowned at Agnus's amused expression. “It's not funny.” She continued to pound his back as hard as she could with her fist. “I swear, Marcone, if you don't put me --” The rest of her words were cut off when he jostled her.

The force of her ribs hitting his shoulder knocked some of the wind from her, and she gulped for air.

Since hitting him didn't seem to have an effect, she called him every nasty name she could think of. When she couldn't think of any more, she made up a few of her own. She had to get him to put her down, even if it meant he became angrier than he already was. Knowing what he probably had in mind once he got to her quarters only made her struggle that much harder.

“Enough,” he shouted as he slapped her backside with the palm of his hand. She couldn
'
t believe he had actually done that. He hadn't hit her hard, but the sound it made certainly caught everyone's attention, and their laughter only infuriated her more.

They were almost at her quarters, so in a last-ditch effort to get him to let her go, she grabbed his ponytail and pulled as hard as she could. Unprepared for the assault, his head jerked backward, causing him to almost lose his balance.

“Damn it, woman,” he growled as he grabbed the door frame with his free hand to try to right himself before both of them went tumbling to the floor.

Stalking over to the foot of her bed, he dropped her unceremoniously onto the mattress. Before she had a chance to get up, he was over her, straddling her thighs beneath him. Grabbing her wrists as she tried to hit him, he pinned them to the bed on either side of her head, effectively holding her in place.

“Let me up,” she gritted through her teeth as she wiggled to get out from under him.

“Not until we get something straight.”

“What?”

“When I'm here in the morning with Agnus, you can fight me all you want to. In fact, I enjoy your temper. But you will show me respect in front of my men. Is that clear?”

“And if I don't?”

His black eyes narrowed to slits as he lowered his face to hers. “I mean it, Mikayla.

You don't want to know the answer to that question.” She swallowed down her fear, determined he wasn't going to get the best of her.

“What's the matter,
Sid?
Are you afraid for the men to see a little slip of a girl standing

up to you? That maybe they'll see that if I'm not afraid of you, they shouldn't be either?”

He quietly studied her for a moment, his black eyes staring into hers. Mikayla saw the anger in his eyes change to desire, and she swallowed nervously.

I don’t think I like where this is going.

He was a gorgeous man, and most definitely way too sexy for his own good. If he wanted her, there was nothing she could do about it -- he was more than twice her size.

But it wasn't his physical strength that concerned her. It was the effect he had on her when he looked at her like that.

Her whole body tingled in a way that made her weak. His jacket rubbed her breasts, and she struggled against the desire to arch her back and press herself into his chest. Their lips were so close she could smell the drink he
'
d had on his breath, and the realization that all it would take to part hers would be a slight flick of his tongue made her breath catch. His eyes moved to her mouth, and she swallowed down a moan.

“What's it going to take, Mikayla?”

“What's it going to take for what? To make me afraid of you?” she whispered and then inwardly chided herself at how turned on she sounded.

“To get you to do as I ask.”

Fighting the desire to close the distance herself, she asked stubbornly, “Why should I do anything you ask?”

“Because, if for no other reason, we
'
ve been good to you. We haven't asked you to do anything hard or demeaning. And Agnus protects you and takes care of you, doesn't he?”

“Some protector. He hasn't protected me from you.” One corner of his lips twitched at her question. “Do you need protecting from me?”

“Apparently I do, or was I dreaming that little demonstration of male superiority?

And of course we can't forget the fact that you still have me pinned to the bed!”

“Oh trust me.” He frowned. “At the moment I would love nothing more than to forget that fact.”

“Then perhaps you should get off me.”

“Not until we finish this.”

“As far as I'm concerned, it is finished. I'm not one of your little minions that you can order around.”

They continued to stare at one another, at an impasse, when suddenly he grinned, and she got a sick feeling in her stomach. His gaze wandered down her neck to her breasts -- her traitorous breasts, which swelled under the heat emanating from his gaze.

She held her breath, waiting, watching. God, what the hell was the matter with her?

Why was her body reacting this way?

He shifted, spreading her thighs with his. He pressed forward, and she could feel the evidence of his hard arousal against her pussy. Biting her lower lip, she kept the moan at bay.

Oh God, I can’t do this.

“Is this your idea of punishment?” she asked breathlessly. “Sex?” He pressed against her again, and she moaned, lifting her hips to meet his. He clasped both of her hands in one of his over her head, then used his free hand to free his cock. From his pocket, he pulled out a knife. Holding it up, he hit the button on the side.

The long blade popped free with a
click
, and she gasped in startled surprise.

What the hell was he doing?

“Sid,” she whispered, and he stared at her.

“Have you not learned yet?” he growled, then slid the blade just under the waistband of her pants.

With little effort, the material split as he slid the blade all the way between her legs to her ass, exposing her pussy, but the blade never once touched her.

“Damn you,” she snarled, more angry with the fact what he
'
d done had turned her on than with him.

“Shut up,” he snapped.

He tossed the knife to the floor, then covered her mouth with his.

He thrust his tongue inside, and Mikayla could do nothing more than respond.

His kiss was wild, making her feel drunk and wanton. His cock pressed against her pussy but didn't enter. Instead, he slid it through the juices that leaked from her opening.

It amazed her that even now, in their anger, he would make sure she was ready for him.

He put his hand under her ass and lifted just as he pressed forward, filling her deep with his thick cock. At first the soreness from the night before made her hiss, but it soon disappeared, replaced with a growing hunger that had her screaming for more against his lips.

He still had her hands trapped above her head, and she struggled against his hold, but he wouldn
'
t let her go. She wanted to touch him.

“Sid,” she whimpered against his lips.

“What do you want?” he murmured, slowing his thrusts, grinding his hips in a circular motion as he pressed deep.

She hummed in pleasure, moving her hips with his as he brushed against her clit.

They were still dressed for the most part, and it felt strange not to feel his heat against her, not to feel his chest rubbing across her nipples. She missed it, needed it.

He pulled almost out, then thrust back in hard.

“Oh God,” she groaned, undulating beneath him.

“What do you want?” he asked again, and she frowned, unsure what he was asking. He was giving her what she wanted -- every last inch of it, and it felt so damn good, she could hardly think.

“I want you. I want to touch you.”

Letting go of her hands, he gripped her ass, tugging her up with him as he moved to his knees. She clung to his neck, inhaling the mixed scent of musk, male, and sex. Her legs lifted to wrap around his hips as he shoved her against the window behind the bed. With shaking fingers, she tugged at the buttons of his jacket, ignoring the cold of the glass as it seeped into her back. His hips pressed against her, holding her in place as they shoved his uniform jacket off and tossed it to the floor.