Blaze (Phoenix in Flames Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Phoenix in Flames series

  Book 2

  Blaze

  By Catty Diva

  Edited by Eagle Editing

  Cover by Jesh Art

  2017 Copyright by Catty Diva

  This book is a work of fiction. All contents, including names, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, businesses, locations or events are completely coincidental.

  None of this work may be used, reproduced, exchanged or transmitted by anyone but the person the book was purchased for. Any reproductions of this book in any part or any form must be done with the express written permission of the author or not at all.

  Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  This series is a spinoff from the 10 book series The Mating Games.

  The Mating Games series

  Book 1

  Razar

  Razar needs a mate, but on his planet, there are nine males to one female. Humans look like they are compatible, but if they find out the secrets of his kind they will refuse to send them mates.

  Lista needs money for her mother's operation or she will die. Her sister has volunteered her to be a bride for an alien. If she wins the mating game, she will be free to keep the money and return home.

  Can she outwit him or will he claim her heart before it's game over?

  Phoenix in Flames series

  Book 1

  Roar

  He’d volunteered for this mission, but why? He’d felt the need to go after the abducted female. It was almost like an obsession which made it scary. Roar was afraid to even guess what he’d do once he found her.

  Treva was hurting all over and scared. She didn’t even hold out hope anyone would come to save her. It was time to save herself. Once she got herself free, she would get to Oison somehow. There simply wasn’t a choice.

  Phoenix in Flames

  Book 2

  Blaze

  He’d always considered Roar his best friend and they’d hung out together a lot. That was now in the past because Roar had fallen in love and it hit him hard. He was mated and it was hard to tear him from his mate’s side. Only the new priority of aiding in the lab raids had managed it, but his mate came with him. Blaze hoped he never lost himself that completely even while he was a little jealous of their obvious happiness.

  Lab born and raised, Felicity never expected to be freed. She would live and die in misery just as her mother had. When these people came and whispered they would soon be free, she didn’t believe them. When the man came and told her he planned to free her, she wanted to believe everything he said.

  Could fate finally be working in their favor to give two jaded people the chance of a lifetime?

  Prologue

  Driven into hiding by the persecution of those races they had befriended, Blaze’s people were finally coming back out into the world. They were doing so as part of a joint force of Mazlan and Phoenix military. His best friend, Roar, had mated which normally meant he would retire back to their home, but his mate had been one of the victims of the labs.

  After a brief training course, she had along with Roar, had come back on board as part of the crew. Not able to fight well enough to go into battle yet, Treva assisted in the garden. If victims were recovered, she would work directly with them helping get them on their feet and integrated into Mazlan society.

  Blaze was now being used in a way he had never foreseen. He was working undercover as a guard in one of the last lab facilities known to exist. Space station Eta would be his new home until the day of the raid arrived. After having seen the residents of several other space stations after raids, he couldn’t wait to bring those who ran the lab to justice.

  Those people were horribly mistreated. Only the most evil and vile creatures could do that to another living being. Those were the people he’d be living among. He only hoped he could pull it off.

  Chapter 1

  Undercover

  So how did the labs recruit guards? The hunters had figured it out a long time ago. They trolled certain bars or alleyways looking for the lost. Those hopeless souls that that could still walk, they still had some strength, but they had no way back to a decent life of any kind. That’s what he was doing here in this alley outside of a bar in an area called skid row.

  This was his third night here among the smelly males that society had thrown away. Blank looks adorned most faces as they looked through trash cans or tried to beg off any unfortunate person that came too close to them. Some limped, some had missing parts, and others were simply starved or ill. Most of those assembled here were too far gone to be any help in a job that required walking or lifting.

  Yeah, he might look like the ass end of hard times, but he didn’t look like he’d sunk so low he couldn’t be pulled out. He’d already been offered money for every type of sexual favor imaginable by both males and females. None had been appealing to him, not that he was looking for sex around here. The thought made him shudder.

  A male was approaching casting a glance toward the lined up lost causes looking for all the world as if he was about to purchase one of them. Two muscle bound blockheads trailed him as if they were guards. Please let this be the procurer of employees for the labs. Blaze had about all he could stand of this place.

  The male’s eyes landed on him moving on to the guy next to him. “Those two.” The male said causing his men to move to them.

  “The boss wants to discuss work with you two. Come listen, he’ll feed you and buy you a drink.” The bigger guy said.

  The guy next to Blaze eagerly jumped at the chance. Blaze hesitated, what if these weren’t who he thought? “Need an extra invitation?” The smaller guy snarled.

  In for a penny in for a pound. Blaze stood up following after the boss with the guards trailing behind. They walked to a limousine that stood out in this neighborhood. They sat in the back across from the boss while one of his guards drove and the other rode shotgun. No one said anything, but it was a short ride.

  They pulled up at a restaurant. It was a simple café, but Blaze had been starving for three days to fit the profile. The food smelled damn good. They entered moving to a small back room that could seat ten based on the chairs present. There were folding doors his guards pulled together, but left it open enough that the waitress could come in. It was only moments before a redhead with a curvy figure slipped inside.

  “What can I get you Gentlemen? The special of the day is meatloaf which I highly recommend. Drinks available are all the usual with the soda being generic.”

  “I’ll take the cola.” Blaze ordered.

  “Same here.” The other guy said.

  “Usual Mr. Parker?” The man nodded his head then waved dismissing her. Either he ordered for his guards, or he wasn’t letting them have anything.

  “I have a job offer for you two. It’s on a space station. You’ll have food and a place to live. The work is easy, the pay above average. Stay three years you get a bonus when you leave.” Parker explained.

  “What’s the work?” Blaze asked.

  “Nothing hard, just security at a medical facility. Hardest part for most guys is being away from family. I’d say that’s not a problem for either of you.” Parker observed.

  The waitress came back bringing drinks for everyone. She set them on the table quickly before she left. No one spoke for a moment. “What’s the catch?” The other bum asked.

&nb
sp; “You have to sign a confidentiality agreement and you have to stay three years.” Parker explained. “Think about it until you’re done eating then I need your answer.”

  The waitress came back with a tray of food. She had the food which she quickly unloaded. Blaze was so hungry his stomach rumbled like a monster. The other guy fell over his food eating so fast he threw some back up. Blaze ate slower so that wouldn’t happen to him. The waitress was back with plates for the guards which must have been part of the boss’ usual. She wiped the table where his buddy had vomited. It looked like she was used to it.

  Everyone ate fast, not wanting to waste time. “When would we leave?” Blaze asked.

  “Right now. No need to waste time.” Parker answered.

  Yeah, Blaze figured they didn’t want them talking to anyone. They wanted no one to know where they ended up taking them. “I’m in.” Blaze said. What choice did he have? It sounded like they were about to take him just where he wanted to go.

  They all had finished eating, now they would begin their trip to one of the last facilities the labs had. He was certain they would have to shower so they would be clean. It seemed that was the next step in the process. A uniform with boxer briefs was waiting for him on the sink vanity in the backroom bathroom he’d been taken to. This was much more than just a restaurant, it was the headquarters for their recruiting efforts.

  The uniform was a black polo without anything identifiable on it paired with black pants, jeans he thought. Boots that came to his ankles, black ones of course were also there. Someone was good at guessing sizes. Everything fit well and was clean which was a relief. Blaze didn’t like being dirty all the time. The smell insulted his nose. He left the bathroom to join the boss and his guards. The other guy joined them in a few minutes.

  “Tell me your names, we need to call you something.” Boss instructed.

  “I’m Brad.” Blaze replied. He hoped he remembered to answer to that name.

  “I’m David.” The other guy answered. He’d cleaned up well. Not as tall as Blaze, he never the less was well muscled. David wasn’t a bad looking guy either.

  Maybe some of the guards wouldn’t be so bad. He’d never questioned the way they’d dealt with the guards at the other facilities. They’d killed most of them imprisoning the others that were left alive. None had escaped the harsh reprisal of justice. Everyone had felt the guards deserved whatever they got. Some of them had tortured the subjects showing themselves to be cruel. There might be some like David who had no choice coming from a situation that was hopeless.

  This guy didn’t seem like a bad person, only one who had fallen to the deepest depths of despair. What would a person do to climb out of the gutter once they’d landed in it? Once the decision was made, what would one do to keep breathing? Blaze had no doubt that guards that failed to follow orders died. He didn’t want to feel sympathy for the guards, but it was hard not to.

  They were ushered into the limo. “You’ll be traveling on a space ship where you’ll be taken to your destination. It will take a few weeks before you arrive. The crew will feed you and give you quarters to rest in. There’ll also be a couple changes of clothing. Any questions?”

  “Where are we going?” David asked.

  “You’ll know when you get there.” Boss said.

  They pulled up at a private spaceport. Those were rare. This one was nice with late model ships waiting to take off. The guards herded them onto a waiting ship which took off the second they were through the door so it could close. Blaze wasn’t looking forward to this assignment at all.

  Chapter 2

  Depressed

  Felicity sat on her cot thinking. There really wasn’t anything else to do in this place. She was one of the few that hadn’t been born here. Her memories from a life before were a blessing in this boring place. It was better when it was boring because when it wasn’t, they were testing her or the guards were bothering her. This was the third lab she’d been a resident of in the six years she’d been in their custody.

  On those days, they took her for testing or whatever it was they did, she often hurt all over for a week or more. Sometimes she slept almost nonstop for days before waking. If she died, no one would even care. The girl in the cell next was Raina. They weren’t friends, but they talked sometimes. Having friends hurt too much when they died or they were taken away.

  On the other side was crazy Ethel. She’d been abused, or so the rumor was. Now all she did was cackle like a crazy person all the time. The guards were creeped out by it so they left her alone. Was she really crazy or was it just a defense mechanism? It was hard to say, but if she put it on, she was a damn good actor.

  Jaime was across the way. She was just a child maybe twelve. It was hard to guess ages since they had no concept of day or night. There was no clock or calendar that they could use, no way to calculate time. They just hung in a limbo with nothing to help them figure out how long they’d been there. The days flowed into each other without ceasing, it would flow just as the time in the past had. They had no pleasure here, nothing but unending pain.

  Raina moaned plaintively. They’d brought her back from the testing not long ago. It hadn’t gone well, not for Raina at any rate. She was curled up in a ball trying to sleep, but unable to. She was in too much pain. Sometimes Felicity wondered if the doctors caused pain on purpose. Most of the people who worked here were sadistic. The professional ones were the worst because they were skilled therefore they had choices. Anyone who chose to work here had to be a sick bastard.

  That made her wonder about the new guy. Brad was his name. He’d started yesterday with another guy David. Neither one of them was hardened like the other guys. Working here would do that to even the nicest guy. They were contracted for three years, but few ever left here. Felicity wondered if those that did leave were even alive.

  It wasn’t like anyone here would know what happened to them. Justin, the supervisor of the guards, was the sickest son of a bitch of all of them. He wouldn’t mind killing someone for free, but all those who left carried a bonus with them. That was enough reason for Justin to take them out.

  “Felicity.” A sexy male voice called. “I have your lunch tray.”

  She looked up to see Brad standing there with a cart full of trays. He was working her side of the row of cells while David, the other new guard, handed out trays on the other side. Felicity moved forward to take the tray while Brad smiled at her. The male had a sexy smile that made her melt. Getting interested in a guard wasn’t wise.

  “Thank you.” She said as she moved back to her cot to sit while she ate her meal. It was bland, some items even flavorless, but leaving anything uneaten would be a mistake. They barely got enough food to survive on.

  “Come here a second.” Brad said. He waved a candy bar at her. “Take it.” He encouraged so she did. Felicity wouldn’t have known what a candy bar was had she not had them in her former life.

  It was easy to forget how life had been before she was taken by the labs. She believed her life had been normal with parents that loved her and friends she played with. Unsure what had happened, one of the guards told her that her parents had died so she’d been sold to the labs for their debts. Being a child, she didn’t really understand what that meant.

  Hiding the candy bar under her pillow, she nodded in acknowledgement to Brad who moved on to hand out more food trays. She wondered if he was also giving out more candy bars. Later tonight, she would indulge as she lay down just before she went to sleep. It was less likely to be noticed when the lights were dimmed which they often were for twelve hours or more a day. They didn’t encourage activity, it just used up calories which burned up food.

  Many of the residents were weak, feeble even, from lack of fresh air or exercise of any kind. The lab born often gave her disdainful looks when she worked out in her cell. If the opportunity ever presented itself, she planned to be in good enough shape to run hard and fast. Nothing would keep her here if she ever had the chance t
o escape. She hated this place with a passion beyond what the others ever seemed to show.

  They had never tasted freedom, had never known what life was like away from here. She did and that’s what she dreamed of having once more. Right now her world was limited to a small cell the size of an area rug, but someday she might find a way to be free. There were days the walls seemed to close in on her because she could remember running through the fields and hiking up mountains.

  A guard, no, it was a damned attendant entered their hallway. Everyone tried to make themselves look smaller to pass without catching his eye. It did no good, he looked at a clipboard that had a name and a cage number on it. Stopping at her cage, he stood and looked at her. The male chuckled like a fool. She’d been taken recently so what the hell did they want with her again so soon. She glared back at him.

  “Just joking.” He said. All the others nearby that had been relieved became agitated again. This one was a peculiar asshole who enjoyed teasing and terrorizing them whenever he came around.

  He moved down three cells then ran a baton over the bars to make a clanging noise. “Anyone home?” He laughed at his joke because no one else would. Felicity didn’t know the name of the female in that cell, but she immediately began screaming.

  The screaming turned into a low pitiful keening as the female rocked back and forth in complete misery. Opening the door, he stepped in. As soon as he got close, she jumped on him her long sharp nails gouging his skin making him scream like a girl. That he could have survived, but she bit his throat taking out chunks of skin and meat. Everyone watched, but no one made a sound.

  The female would be put down after the guards took her away. No one who killed an employee was ever allowed to survive. It was the surest way to commit suicide in this place. A bit round about, but it would do. She clearly was out of her mind from whatever they’d been doing to her.