Terrik (Moon Hunter's Inc. Book 3) Read online

  “It sounds good, but I’ll wait for Brutus. If he gets here soon, we’ll join you. Don’t forget to complain about me, Cyn.” Terrik reminded.

  She would whine and bitch to Alex about his friend who laid around and drank all the time. “Yeah, you’re alright if you’re sober and fucking with us, but you’re an asshole when you’re drunk,” Cyn giggled. That was their cover. If there was enough gossip that said they were just here for sex and fun, people usually didn’t dig any deeper.

  “Don’t forget to worship my monstrous cock. Maybe I’ll get lucky while I’m here,” Terrik added.

  “You mean Mr. Pinky?” Cyn asked with a giggle.

  “Don’t make me pull out the monster and show you he’s a giant,” Terrik threatened.

  “On that note, we’re out the door,” Alex said.

  Cyn was glad that Alex fit in so well and that he didn’t get jealous of her fellow hunters. They were like a big family of misfits, but they all got along. Cash was like the big brother that kept everyone in line. Most of his decisions were good and she knew he always thought about what was best for his hunters.

  Alex led her into the spa. They had no appointment but it didn’t stop the young girl from leading them into an empty room. “What services will you be wanting?” She asked.

  “We want a couple’s lava rub, a scrub, I need my hair done and a manicure. That’s for starters,” Cyn said with a bored look. “Want to add anything, honey?”

  “Yes, a manicure and pedicure, and we’ll both take facials,” Alex said with the same bored tone.

  “I’ll get someone in here right away,” She said with a smile as she hurried away. The girl was probably glad to escape from them.

  A gorgeous female and a handsome male came in to work on them. “I am Agnus,” The female said.

  “I am Daniel,” The male said.

  “We will begin with your scrubs,” Agnus said. And that was what they did.

  It felt good except for a few sensitive spots that resisted the gritty scrub that they used. The lava rub used some of the hottest ingredients and set her skin on fire. They did her manicure while it was left on to relax and soothe. Once the lava rub was washed off, her hair was done. Cyn really didn’t know what was going on with Alex. His head was down or leaned back most of the time.

  Alex did have to wait on her for a little while, but it could have been much worse. Terrik and Brutus were nowhere to be seen. Either Brutus arrived later, or the two of them ditched Alex and her. Now that they were finished at the spa, it was time to check on the other hunters.

  They headed back to their suite and found Terrik and Brutus deep in conversation. “So what held you two up?” Cyn asked. “By the way, Brutus this is Alex, my husband. Alex this is Brutus, he’s a one percenter.”

  “How many of you are there?” Alex asked.

  “Nine, so Cash keeps ninety-one percent,” Cyn explained.

  “Smart man, you should always keep control of your own business,” Alex approved.

  “So what’s up with you two?” Cyn repeated.

  “Brutus hasn’t been here long,” Terrik explained.

  “Nope, just got here a few minutes ago and Terrik was filling me in.”

  “Any questions?” Cyn asked.

  A huge smile came over Brutus’ face. “What time are we leaving to go for the ride down below?” Brutus asked.

  “Early, we have a wakeup call already requested. You know Terrik called driver’s seat,” Cyn explained.

  “If he can hold it or maybe he’ll be smart enough to share?” Brutus wondered.

  “I’ll be fair, Man. We’ll share,” Terrik said. There was a reason the guy was called Brute for short, although Terrik didn’t know if his real name was Brutus or not. Brute didn’t share much personal information, okay, he didn’t share any.

  “Tomorrow will be the coolest day, ever!” Brutus exclaimed. It looked like they were all looking forward to it.

  “I’m sure it will be but to prepare, we have some work to do,” Cyn said, before she grabbed a backpack and started piling things on the table. They were miniature surveillance devices about the size of a hummingbird and just as fast.

  “These will search out manmade materials, heat signatures, and life signs. We’re hoping they will find the hidden lab. Cool, huh?” Cyn asked.

  “They are cool, but there is no life on that planet. They’ll find them right away,” Brutus decided.

  “Maybe. The day we arrived, we had a thousand hummingbirds released on the surface. We told them we hunt them down as part of a game we play when our guests arrive. Guests determine how we recapture them. The people on the surface should be used to them by now. Much of the moon is covered in ice or water so the birds were released in the most likely place for an underground facility.” Cyn explained.

  “I hope we’re right about that. The moon is big,” Terrik noted.

  Everyone sat at the table and began to work on the hummingbirds. By the time they were done a couple hours had passed. “I’m glad that’s done,” Brutus admitted.

  “Not your favorite part of the job?” Terrik teased.

  “Not even close to it,” Brutus admitted.

  “We should get to bed now so we’re rested,” Cyn suggested.

  “Ha! You guys won’t get to sleep for hours. These walls aren’t exactly soundproof,” Terrik accused.

  “Sounds like you’re jealous,” Cyn declared. “Too bad.”

  “At least there are two beds in the other room,” Terrik noted.

  “Brutus is such a handsome guy. Is he not your type?” Cyn teased.

  “Not even close and I’m not his, either.” Terrik observed.

  “That’s true. I like someone a bit softer,” Brutus offered.

  “Good night, lovebirds,” Terrik said with Brutus adding his good night.

  Cyn and Alex slipped away into their room closing the door. “I never thought we’d get away from them,” Alex admitted.

  “I knew we would, because at some point we would just leave,” Cyn assured.

  “Come here!” Alex directed and she moved into his open arms. It felt warm and safe, just like home ought to be.

  “I love it when you hold me just like this,” Cyn murmured.

  “Not as much as I like holding you, Sweetheart.” Cyn wasn’t sure that was true. It was her favorite thing to be wrapped up in his arms and snuggled against him. She looked up in his eyes, loving the emotions she saw there. “I love you more than anything.”

  Alex grinned. “I love you to infinity and beyond.”

  “Using old movie lines? No matter how much you love me, I love you more,” Cyn challenged.

  “That’s a hard one to beat.”

  Chapter 5

  Dream Lover

  Lorelai had to see him, touch him, and know it was him and he was alright. So much for the sinister and evil personality she had flawlessly groomed.

  “Where are you going, Lori?” Ward asked.

  “I’m going to take care of my needs and hope some pillow talk will reassure us as to why he’s here,” She answered.

  Ward used the nickname friends and family often did and she didn’t like it. He was neither and would never be. The man was a pig, pure and simple. A sadistic sicko that hit on anything female and forced those he had power over.

  “I’m not sure you should do that. I’ll help you with any stress relief you need.”

  “If I wanted you, I would have had you a long time ago. You’re not my boss and I’m going.” At least she didn’t add so there and stick her tongue out. That showed restraint, right?

  “You get that sexy ass in trouble, I ain’t helping you out of it.”

  “I’d never expect any help from you.” That was the truth. The man was the most self-serving creature she’d ever seen.

  She got away from him quickly and headed to the room Terrik stayed in. No one knew she’d met him before, sort of anyway. He’d recognize her, she was sure of it. Their eyes had locked just before
the trap door had opened. It had resealed itself permanently, she’d set it up for one time use only.

  Terrik probably thought she flew away like a bad dream. Since then, she’d been obsessed by the man. She wondered if he’d even thought of her at all. Maybe once this was all done, she’d be able to hunt him down and they’d have a drink and share secrets. Probably not, but tonight she would see him.

  Opening the door to the suite, she tossed in her little ball of sleeping gas. She wore a mask, but the gas dissipated quickly allowing her to remove the mask. High tech was the only way to go. Brutus was sitting on the couch sleeping like a baby. Good! She went into the nearest bedroom and there he lay. Damn, he looked good.

  Was it so wrong that she wanted to see him close up? Maybe give him a sweet kiss goodnight? “Bad girl,” He muttered and she could tell he was dreaming. She stroked his hand and tried to calm him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bed with him. The man was strong.

  “No, you need to let me go,” She whispered

  “Never.”

  She pulled back then tried to use her other hand to free herself only to have him grab that one, too. Now, she was in a fine pickle. Once the gas began to wear off, she needed to get the hell out of there. He might be asleep, but he seemed to be aware. Pulling her up against him, he kissed her and she melted. No, this wasn’t why she’d come here.

  “Terrik, why are you here?”

  “Shut it down. Catch bad girl,” Terrik mumbled in his sleep.

  “Bad girl?”

  “She disappeared.”

  He must mean her, but it wasn’t a good thing that he was here now looking for her. She needed to leave and she managed to pull free when he least expected it but he tore her new shirt. Just like a man, always destroying something. Lori slipped out and into her own rooms two halls away.

  Carefully, she set up her equipment so no one could listen in on her call. They wouldn’t even be aware of it. “Boss, we got trouble. Hunters are here.” If she wasn’t a hardnosed female, she would blush at the cussing coming at her from his end,

  “What the fuck should we do?” Derek asked.

  “Stay as long as we can then cut out for one of the labs that are further away.”

  “Okay. Do the best you can and be careful, Lori.”

  “I got this.”

  “I hope so.” He hung up and she had nothing now but time to think. She was tired, but not sleepy if that made any sense.

  Lori took a shower, brushed her teeth, and followed the rest of her nighttime routine. She’d been certain it would prepare her for bedtime and make her body ready for rest, but no such luck. Maybe it was the thoughts of Terrik that danced around in her mind that was preventing the sleep she truly needed.

  With all the secrets and personalities she juggled, being tired could be dangerous. Having a man distract her could be dangerous too and Terrik was completely distracting. Unable to sleep right now despite how much she wanted to, she got on her computer and checked out a few things. Her access on the station was absolute and it wasn’t long before she saw the plans they had made.

  She couldn’t report him, no matter how easy it would make things so she just had to work around the damage he and his hunter friends were about to cause in her life. They would find the lab tomorrow, but would they wait to raid it or head in right away?

  It was her guess that they would wait for backup and she’d have a couple more days before she had to escape just before he tried to arrest her. Ward, on the other hand, would get caught in their trap and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.

  Maybe she would get promoted, but probably not. She was escaping too often and there would be some serious questions and a healthy dose of doubt. A story would have to be both supported by some facts such as an injury and believable. The last raid had unfolded in such a way she had helped their leader escape. This time there was no higher up to save and they expected employees to go down with the ship.

  Turning the computer off, she tried to clear her mind and settle in to sleep. She was suddenly back at space station Alpha. “I’m worried that we’ve been compromised, Lori.” Rutger shared.

  “You’re too paranoid. They’ll never find us and if one stumbles on the cages, they’ll have an accident,” she assured. Rutger, the Betrayer, should have never trusted her, but he did. How ironic was that? Moments later, they stood in the hall as the first wave of the raid hit. “I’ll secure the prisoners.” Hell, she wasn’t going to secure anyone but Mr. Dawson their leader. The two of them would escape, but first she had to make it down below.

  Lori hurried to her escape position and stared down the hall just as Terrik rushed around the corner. He froze for a second as their eyes ate each other up. How friggin unlucky to find her match here and now. Terrik took a half step in her direction and she had no choice. She pressed the button and from where he stood, it looked as if she had disappeared.

  That technology existed, but other than the Mazlans, she knew no one else that could afford it. Once she’d dropped out of Terrik’s life, she located Dawson and rushed the two of them out of there. The asshole would have probably abandoned her, but the small ship they escaped on was her personal ship and tied to her DNA. If she wasn’t there to fly it, it would drift hopelessly in space.

  Dawson was an asshole, no surprise there. He hadn’t thanked her or even praised her for saving him but he had acknowledged that she had needed to. That gave her an excuse for leaving the station during the raid.

  They’d flown straight here per his instructions and she’d been given the number two position once again. She needed to be number one but these guys were so distrustful. Lori had turned on Rutger informing Dawson that she’d gone against Rutger’s orders to save him. She’d gone so far as to hint Rutger was telling all he knew in exchange for enough money to buy a decent life.

  If Rutger escaped somehow, he would be shot without warning. Good for her since she’d lied, a lot. Now she would be caught up in a similar situation and once again she would have to lie, cheat, and steal to continue working with the organization that ran the labs. She sat up in bed halfway through the night, sheets soaked and skin clammy. Her heart beat like a drum and her breath came in hard gasps.

  It was a shame it was terror not a sexual fantasy that brought out all those symptoms in her. Rutger was being kept by the Mazlans and Dawson wasn’t here, Ward wasn’t smart enough to uncover what she was doing, so what was in her dreams that had frightened her so much?

  It didn’t matter because as soon as she got up, it would be time to get back to work. Sleeping fitfully the rest of the night, she got up early so she could keep an eye on Terrik and his crew. She watched them on the cameras as they moved through the hallways and went to the landing bay. A shuttle waited for them, loaded with some kind of buggies to ride around on the moon’s surface with.

  Lori had checked out the situation on the moon and a shitload of hummingbirds had been released for the group to hunt. A distraction? Probably, but it was too late to do anything about it unless she wanted to report them. There was no way she could bring herself to do so.

  The temptation to follow them below to the moon surface was strong, but there was no good reason to do it and many reasons not to. It was the beginning of the end for this space station and common sense dictated she should leave, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Crazy, she was just crazy to stay but her need to be near him made her tempt fate.

  Derek, her boss, would be so pissed if it all went to hell in a handbasket. It made her feel guilty because he was such a good boss and he backed her one hundred percent. They were so close to ending it all and coming out the other side vindicated. He would never believe she would risk it all for a man.

  Watching them in the shuttle, they joked and teased each other. It made her miss the people she worked with and the ribbing they gave each other. Not in the labs, but where she used to work. Back then, she had felt like a person and hadn’t been surrounded by misery, pain
, and death.

  Seeing Terrik, she could imagine him holding her close. He would taste her lips gently before claiming them fiercely. Last night, his scent had washed over her and it seemed imprinted on her mind. It made her think sensual touches, sweet seduction, and delightful intimacy.

  Lori forgot she was watching them for a moment as delicious fantasies ran through her mind starring Terrik. It would be so perfect, if only. Pushing the pleasant thoughts back, she watched as the shuttle landed on the moon. The buggies were unloaded and Terrik trooped out first followed by the one they called Brutus, then Cyn and her mate holding hands.

  Terrik hopped in the first buggy, ready to drive away with Brutus sitting next to him. Cyn grabbed the driver’s seat in the second buggy with her mate sitting next to her. They took off sticking close together and that was a wise choice.

  If she hadn’t been watching carefully, she wouldn’t have seen the additional hummingbirds fly out of the buggies. Wasn’t technology amazing? They would find the underground facility which was near where they were, easily. It was the start of the countdown, the one that would see her fleeing this facility next.

  Chapter 6

  The Moon

  Terrik woke cranky even though today was going to be a fun day. His mouth was dry, exceedingly so, his body ached, and his head throbbed. Just like when he overindulged on drinks, but he hadn’t done that. He’d had a vivid dream, so real he’d reached out and touched the woman he couldn’t get his mind off. Reaching out, he’d torn her top with his hand.

  Looking down, he opened that hand and a small piece of cloth fluttered down from it. No dreams were that realistic, she’d been here. Should he share that with his crew? Hell no, that would require too much explaining.

  It would be best to continue as planned. If she was going to out him, it would have already been done. She was playing games and he wished he knew her plans. He hated being kept in the dark, but he had to work with what he had.

  “Brutus, big guy, get your ass out of bed. We get to play today.”

  “What? Who? Oh, yeah. I’m awake.”