Gray (Untamed Warriors Book 1), page 1
I’ve been on the run for six years. My parents sold me as a child into slavery where I was forced to be a courtesan for the Orion Empire. I won’t go back. But I just made a mistake that might cost me my freedom. I trusted the wrong guy. Gray was charming and kind. I was starting to fall in love with him. Turns out he was just using me until the cavalry showed up to take me back to the palace. Now I can’t shake him. He’s always one step behind me and I don’t know how to get away.
Aurora is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She thinks I betrayed her. I would never do that. Fate brought us together for a reason. I just need to convince her of that if she would stop running for five seconds. I just might get my chance. The only problem is our spaceship has crashed and we are stranded on a planet with Orion officers swarming everywhere. I have to keep her safe while convincing her that what we had was real. I just hope that I get the chance.
Chapter One
Aurora
That bastard! Six months of getting to know each other and me learning to trust and I catch him screwing some common whore. So much for the ‘you’re the only one for me, babe’ he’d been telling me. Lying jerk.
“Aurora, wait, I can explain,” Drake called as I backpedaled out of the room. The image of Drake balls deep in the green skinned woman was going to haunt my nightmares for weeks to come.
I needed to get out of here. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away. No! I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying. He was still calling for me to come back, like that was going to happen. What a jerk!
I smashed my hand over the door close button. The door swooshed shut behind me, and I made my way into the hallway. The metallic corridor was empty, but the floor was occupied. The rhythmic sounds of headboards hitting walls thumped around me. What the hell was I thinking anyway?
This wasn’t a place for me. I deserved better. After spending ten years as an Orion enslaved courtesan, I was certainly no virgin, but I needed to set some standards. I’d let Drake charm me. It didn’t help that my stupid hormones were demanding my body be sated. Why couldn’t my trusty vibrator be enough? I was cursed. Drake was supposed to help me with my problem. Not anymore. Not ever!
If I really thought about it, I’d been so caught up on taking care of my out of control hormones, that I'd let myself see Drake as some sex god. He was just an asshole.
I drew in a deep breath and tried to shake the image from my mind. The good news was I probably wasn’t missing out on much. From what I’d seen, he wasn’t that impressive. I shuddered and made my way downstairs to the bar. It was still early so it wasn’t busy yet. It always picked up during the evening hours. Especially in a place like Haven which was made for people to get away and relax. Hopefully, I could still find a way to let loose and enjoy myself.
Haven was one of the only planets that remained untouched by the Orion government. It was why my crew frequented here so often. We could let our guard down for a little bit and have fun.
My eyes drifted to the fully stocked bar. I wasn't one to get drunk, but I didn’t feel like going back to our ship the Nightfall either. Echo, the captain and the woman who’d become like a sister to me, would still be on board. She didn’t venture out until after dark, and I didn’t want to keep her from any plans she might have. Knowing her, she would drop everything to comfort me. I didn’t need to be coddled. It would be even worse if I ran into Loc. He was like an older brother too. If he found out about Drake, he’d come here and pummel him.
I took a seat at the bar and ordered one of the fruity waters that I liked. The bartender gave it to me, and I stirred it with my straw while staring at the Lotus Nectar that sat on the shelf in front of me.
It was tempting to give it a try. Lotus Nectar was sweet but high in alcohol content. Liquor had a way of changing people. It either made them do stupid things or turned them into a jerk. In my experience it was usually the latter, and I wanted to be in control of my actions.
“Hey, gorgeous, is this seat taken?” a male voice asked. He didn't wait for me to answer before plopping down next to me. I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something off about him that rubbed me the wrong way. His oily hair was slicked back, and he wore a jacket even though it was nearly eighty degrees outside. My gaze slid down to his pocket where a golden badge peeked out. Ah, he was either a licensed bounty hunter or a guard on leave. If this bastard thought he’d collect on my bounty he had another thing coming.
I turned back to my drink and slurped it down in a few sips. Pulling out a few coins, I set them on the counter and nodded at the bartender.
“Where are you going, beautiful?” the man’s hand landed on my arm.
I jerked away and shot him a lethal glare. “Don't touch me!” I growled through clenched teeth. People in general reacted to me because of my stupid over sensitized pheromones, touch only heightened their reaction. It’s why I wore long sleeves even in this heat. I avoided it like the plague. Even Echo and Loc knew better then to touch my bare skin.
He laughed out loud and stood up. I took a step back, but he grabbed me again. I didn't bother warning him a second time. Men like him needed to be given a message. Balling my free fist, I swung. My knuckles connected with his nose, and I wrenched my hand free of his grip. “I said, don't touch me.”
He made a strangled noise as his hands shot to his face. Blood poured from his nose and was already splattering onto his chest and the floor. Satisfied the creep wouldn't follow me, I left the bar and drew in the warm night air.
There was a reason they called this place Haven. The weather was a perfect eighty degrees every day. Beaches and sparkling water lined the coast. There were resorts for every budget and the food here was cheap and delicious. It was the liquor that made them the money. Even the space port looked nice and well kept.
The sound of someone yelling curses drew me from my thoughts. I turned to see the source and huffed.
I was wrong. Smashing the guy’s nose hadn’t stopped him from following me. By the looks of it, he’d brought a few friends with him. They didn’t look happy either.
My hand went to my waist where I drew out my knife. Echo had given it to me after she’d rescued me six years ago. I gripped the hilt in my hand. “Why don’t you boys go back in there and finish your drinks.” Just because I knew how to fight didn’t mean I liked to do it.
“You broke my nose, bitch,” the man I’d punched said. He drew out his own knife and lifted his brows daring me to attack. His two henchmen followed his lead and took up a protective stance on each side of their boss.
I gritted my teeth and moved to a fighting stance. The best offense was to take your enemies by surprise. They’d find out that I might be small, but I knew how to fight.
“Oh, look boss, I like a woman that puts up a good fight.” The henchman snickered like he told a good joke.
How many women have they cornered and taken advantage of? I was going to be the last one, one way or another. I didn't wait for them to make the first move. Lunging forward, I swiped my blade out, catching it on the boss’s forearm and dragging it across before leaping back again.
He howled and took a few steps back from me. His two henchmen surged forward. I kicked out with my right foot nailing one of them in the balls and then jabbed with my left hand, driving my knife into the other man. I sunk it in almost all the way to the hilt. My gaze went to where I’d hit him. I must have just got in between his ribs. The man's eyes widened as I withdrew my blade.
The guy slumped to the ground with a thud. I turned my attention to the other two men; both were still nursing their wounds.
“Boss, that bitch killed Ricky.”
“Let's make sure she pays for it.” He took out a gun and aimed it at me. “I’m going to make sure that we hurt you every way possible before we kill you.”
There was nothing these men could do to me that hadn't already been done. I knew how to tune out of an unpleasant situation. It didn't stop the knot from forming in my stomach. Bile crept up my throat. I forced it back down. There wasn’t time for me to get sick. I had to focus and fight.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the back door to the bar open and someone exit before the door slid shut. Footsteps thumped towards. A tall, muscular man approached us as if my day could possibly get any worse.
“Everything okay here?” the man asked as he came to stand beside me.
The man with the bloodied nose took a step back. Whoever this guy was he wasn't with them. I chanced a glance at the newcomer. He was tall with at least a foot on me maybe a little more. His jet-black hair fell shoulder length in soft waves. Brown eyes met mine searching. The most notable feature about him was the scar that ran all the way down one side of his face. This guy had seen some fights, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to battle him, but if he was going to help me, I’d take it for the moment and then worry about him later.
“You don't need to worry your business about her we got it taken care of,” the man with the bloodied nose said.
“I think you should leave before you get hurt worse than you already are,” the man in black told them. He moved so he was standing slightly in front of me.
The creep chuckled and curled his finger around the trigger. He was going to shoot. I had to move. My body was already in motion before I’d processed the thought. Something hard shoved my shoulder, sending me flying to the ground.
My left side collided with the pavement sending pain ricocheting through me. The air whooshed out of my lungs causing me
I leapt to my feet fisting one hand in front of me and poising my knife ready to strike in the other. My actions were pointless. The fight was already over.
My friend in black stood over the two unmoving men. He turned to me and dropped his hands by his sides. “Are you okay?”
I held my stance. How had he taking them out so quickly? What was his end game? People didn’t involve themselves in other people’s business unless they wanted something out of it.
“It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you.” He took a step back and held both his hands up as a gesture of surrender.
I narrowed my eyes watching him for any tell that he might be preparing to attack. He made no movement. His dark eyes seemed to be searching me for something, what I had no idea. Maybe if I dismissed him, he would go on his way. A girl could hope. “Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”
He nodded at me but didn't say anything for a long moment. The way he was positioned blocked my best exit. I could go down the alley but that was probably asking for trouble. It was long, narrow, and dark. The kind of place skeevy people hung out waiting to strike drunken patrons.
“It's Aurora, right?” the guy asked.
Shit. He knew who I was. I took a step back. My back collided with the brick wall behind me. What were the chances that I could outrun him? Probably not good. He looked fit and with his long legs he could probably double my stride. I could try to fight him but again he’d taken out those two men in seconds.
My pulse roared in my ears and my breath quickened. Sweat beaded on my brow even though a cold chill zipped through me.
His brow dipped into a frown, and he took a step backward. “Relax. I have no interest in collecting on your bounty.”
Yeah right. I was worth a lot of money to the Orion. He wanted something; I just wasn't sure what. I'm sure I would find out.
“I'm more interested in your other services.” He spoke like he’d read my mind.
I ground my teeth and tightened my grip on the knife. Men who knew who I was thought I’d just fall into bed with them. Yeah right. And just because I needed to relieve some tension didn’t mean I’d settle for anyone. I held my stance and glared at him daring him to make a move. If he thought he could take advantage of me, he’d find out the hard way how unwilling I was.
He shook his head and dropped his hand. “No, I mean the services of the Nightfall.”
The ship. He was talking about our ship. Thank goodness.
I let out a long breath. My shoulders sagged and I could breathe again. It wasn't uncommon for people to seek us out for our assistance, typically they sought out Echo instead. She was the captain. We were good at what we did. Smuggling people, weapons, and money was our job. We helped the little people anyway we could. Too many families and innocents were being hurt by the Orion government.
The Orion ruled with an iron fist. They had slaves and forced child labor. Starvation ran rampant across many worlds. People didn’t get a chance to better themselves. The rich got richer, and the poor were just fucked. Anyone who defied the king was punished. If they were lucky, they were killed, the unlucky ones were sold into slavery. It didn’t stop people from trying to make a difference. Everyone deserved something better.
“You would have to talk to Echo.” I hated that my voice still shook.
“I was hoping to run into her here.” He nodded at the bar. “But when they told me that I just missed you I thought maybe you could take me to her.”
I pursed my lips. This could still be a trap. My bounty was the highest out of everyone on the Nightfall, but that didn't mean that someone wasn’t trying to collect on all our bounties at once. We were all worth several million credits. It was enough to set anyone up for life. “She's not going to be available for a couple of days, I'm sorry. In case you haven't noticed we’re on Haven. Our crew is relaxing.”
Haven was just outside the Orion’s territory. The badlands as they were known were a cluster of small planets. The lands were beautiful but there was no life or resources other than the beings who migrated there. The planets were also surrounded by a giant black hole. Ships that got too close to it disappeared and were never seen or heard from again.
“Sure,” the man shrugged, drawing me from my thoughts. “Not a problem. My boss is on the way here now. He's the one that really wants to speak with your captain.”
Boss? He didn't look like the sort of man that would take orders from just anyone. “Perhaps you could tell me what your business is, and I'll run it by her. Then she can decide if she wants to meet with the two of you.” If this did turn out to be a trap there was no use getting everyone captured.
“Fair enough. I can tell you the details over dinner, if you like?”
Why did he keep asking me to dinner? I rolled my eyes. It was probably my pheromones going crazy. I affected everyone I came into contact with whether they touched me or not. “I'm not going anywhere with you.”
He smiled. The act softened his features. He should do it more often, I thought. It made him less intimidating and more attractive. I bit my lip. When was the last time I’d been physically attracted to a guy? Never, that’s when. Even the bastard I was going to meet up with wasn’t cute. Heat spread across my face as the realization hit me. I had to be careful. These feelings were dangerous, especially for a guy that I didn’t know.
“I just want to buy you dinner. Lady’s choice. Anywhere you want.” He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side. The smile had slipped off his face and he was staring at me again.
My instincts were to not trust him, to ditch him the first chance I got. However, my gut told me that he wasn't going to hurt me. There was something calming about him. “I can’t have dinner with someone when I don’t even know their name.” Crap. Was I flirting with him? I’d never done it before. I’d watched Echo work her magic on men all the time, but me, I didn’t like to be touched and I certainly didn’t want attention on me.
“Gray.”
The name suited him somehow. “So, Gray, I can choose anywhere I want?” There were a lot of pricey places on Haven. A lot of cheap joints too.
He chuckled and nodded. “Wherever you want to go.”
I should stop this insanity. My mouth had other ideas though. “Okay.” I sidestepped around him making sure that my back was never to him. “There's a restaurant on the boardwalk with an ocean side view." I’d walked past it dozens of times and it always smelled so good. Stars knew I didn’t have the money to eat there. Even if the sea life was imported from another planet, it was way out of my price range.
“I’ve heard of it. I’ll take you there if that’s where you’d like to go?”
If he'd heard of it then he knew how expensive it was. “I want to go there.” I watched him waiting for him to rescind his offer.
He inclined his head. “All right.”
We fell in step together, but I found my eyes constantly drifting to his hands, watching to make sure he didn’t draw a weapon. They stayed relaxed at his sides. His hands were big and callused like he was used to hard labor. “So, what is it you want with the Nightfall?” Obviously, money wasn’t an issue for him if he didn’t care about going to the restaurant. It’d be nice to get a well-paying job. Most our clients traded in services or paid what they could. We didn’t turn people away if they truly needed help.
