Her Master's Collar (On the Hunt) (11 page)

The gleam in the man’s eyes unnerved her but she held her weapon steady.

“Do something selfless with your life for once and tell me where they are before I drag your ass to lockup,” Roland demanded.

Instead of answering, the man’s maniacal laughter rumbled in his chest, growing louder to echo off the rocks.

“Screw this shit.” Markus stepped forward, but Roland jerked his hands apart, breaking the man’s neck with deadly smooth efficiency.

“What the—dammit, Roland. You just killed this entire mission.”

Roland frowned at Finley, yanking her to her feet as she continued to swear at him. “Enough. Plans have changed. We adapt. Our mission is to get everyone out of here, safe and sound, and get them back to Earth with as little as fanfare as possible. Let’s get off this godforsaken planet.” He assisted one of the hostages to their feet, waiting until they were steady before letting go.

The rebel’s vitriolic words finally sank in as Korene returned her weapon to the holster. “It makes sense now. The elaborate setup to get here, posing as husband and wife on a luxury transport. Those measures aren’t necessary to come rescue some workers, but I was too blind to see it. This was all a ploy. You didn’t care about my employees at all, did you? They were just a convenient way for you to get to…him.” She waved her hand at the motionless man as her anger grew. “You didn’t want him to know you were coming, even though he certainly seemed to be expecting you.”

Roland captured her hand. “Now is not the time to rip me a new asshole.”

“At least you admit you need a new one. How about I tie your prick into a knot and slice off your balls instead?”

“I know it was wrong of me not to tell you what the plan was upfront. I knew I was taking a risk—I accepted it.” He frowned. “I will apologize until the sun burns out of the sky. The less you knew about this, the better. But right now—”

“You didn’t want to tell me, but you sure as hell seemed just fine using my money and my resources to finance this little scheme of yours. Not to mention seducing me back into your bed.” Her hands started to shake. “You bet your ass I had every right to know.”

His expression softened, the wrinkles at the edge of his eyes deepening. “I can’t change the fact I didn’t tell you, but you have to realize I was protecting you.”

There was more. With Roland, there was
always
more. “Spill it. All of it.
Now.
I’m not leaving until you start flapping those lying lips of yours.”

A loud boom sounded in the next chamber, loosening small bits of rock and dust so they filled the air. “If we don’t get out of here, there won’t be anything left to tell.” He held out his other hand to her, gesturing urgently for her to come with him. “I promise. Just let me get you to safety.” When she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, he growled. “Son of a—I fucked up, all right? I’m not denying it. But so help me, I
will
throw you over my shoulder and carry that stubborn ass of yours out of here.”

She sneered as she slapped her hand in his. “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

Surging forward, they ran for the flattest grade of the gulley wall. She’d expected to tag along, provide another body to help with the rescue mission and possibly even offer a hand. It never even occurred to her to consider Roland wasn’t being truthful with his intentions, even though she knew full well he rarely disclosed his true plans. Even now, she knew there was more—decades more. Years which probably had nothing to do with this mission. Just as soon as they reached the surface, he’d better start explaining. Or else she really would tie his dick in a knot, no matter how much she wanted to suck him.

The weakened hostages reached the slight incline first, with Finley and Jericho directly behind them to offer a hand. They struggled up the incline, forced to use muscles that were probably atrophied from the lack of movement. Just as she about to step forward to provide assistance, an intense rumble shook the cave.

“That one was different. Something’s wrong.” Roland pulled her close, shielding her with his body as he studied small bits of debris falling around them. A low rumble sounded in the distance, growing louder by the second. “Why do I get the sinking feeling this is just the start? Get everyone out. We’ll use the other side. We’re running out of time.”

Roland took off running without issuing any further orders. His long strides made her thankful for every single mile she forced herself to jog each morning. He ran full out, pulling her along with him up the steep slope. It was a struggle to reach the top, but she was grateful when level ground was underfoot once again.

Without warning, the cave shook violently as another charge exploded.

He yanked her to him, covering her body as the walls violently shook. His heart thundered in her ear. “The walls are collapsing between the caves and the volcano. He didn’t plan to just blow us up. The psychopath wanted to burn us alive. I should have known. Goddamn, I really am slipping.”

She followed his gaze over her shoulder, seeing the lava glow red hot as it began to rapidly fill one end of the gulley. Roland’s team stood on the other side with the hostages they’d rescued. “Who the hell was this guy, Roland?”

He ignored her question, pulling her to stand before cupping his hands around his mouth to shout. “Do you have your emergency masks?”

“Yes!” Valentine shouted in return.

“Good. There are more vents similar to the one we came down. Find them. Use it to escape and rendezvous on the surface at the assigned point.”

Bright red fire, fueled by the fabricated oxygen, bloomed before them, filling the space as it swallowed the team.

“No!”

Roland spun around, tucking Korene’s body against the protection of the rock wall to put himself between her and the fireball. The fire licked at his skin through his clothing. Luckily, the adrenaline coursing through his body prevented the agony from becoming unbearable. He knew how to balance the pain just as he’d taught her once. Knowing he was protecting the woman he loved provided more than enough of a buffer.

Yes, he’d lied to her. And he fully intended to make good on his promise to disclose everything when they got out of here.
If
they got out of here, he amended. Right now survival was more important than any kind of misdirection he’d conducted.

An explosion rocked the ground under their feet, the shock wave shuddering through the cave walls. The already dire situation had just become critical. He wasn’t certain they could survive another blast with the walls surrounding them crumbling as they were. “This place could go at any minute.”

“We can’t leave them.”

“If we don’t leave now, we will all end up buried.” He found it hard to ignore the desperation in her eyes. She’d just had her entire world rocked at the admission of his deception, and would need some kind of comfort. “I have complete faith in my team to do what they’ve been trained to do. Let me do what I’ve been trained to do—protect you.”

“You’re hurt.” She fingered the tattered fabric at his shoulder. “The last thing you need to worry about is me.”

“And you know that couldn’t be further from the truth. I will always worry about you. My injuries don’t matter right now, Korene.” He leaned forward, pressing his mouth to hers. He poured every emotion he’d ever felt for her into the kiss, sparing nothing. It could very well be the last time he touched her.

Her hand pressed warm against his cheek. “Roland.”

“Korene, please.” Pain streaked through his arm as he brushed away a tear at the corner of her eye. He’d gotten her into the mess, he was going to get her out of it. “I am so head over ass in love with you, I don’t care about the complications
I
brought on us. You have to believe me when I say nothing matters more to me right now than getting you to safety.”

She stared at him for a long second before nodding and sliding her hand into his. They took off in a dead run, making their way back to the base camp where they’d dropped most of their spare equipment. He scooped up what he could grab. Another explosion sent them both to their knees, raining small bits of rock down so they were covered in a fine dust.

He tossed an oxygen mask her way, watching to make sure she correctly fit it over her mouth and nose before he placed one on his face. Confident they’d have enough air to reach the emergency tank on the surface, he grabbed her waist, pulling her body tight against his as he lifted his hand high overhead.

Bright pain radiated throughout his entire torso, but he ignored it. He’d rather be in agony than dead. From the feel of the intense sting, he didn’t doubt his actions to protect Korene would undoubtedly result in the need for some serious medical attention.

Her face pressed to his neck as he fired the grappling gun. The thin silver cord corkscrewed as it disappeared into the darkness. Another explosion shook the cave, the larger rocks finally loosening to fall to the ground with heavy thumps. The cave started to collapse behind them, causing Roland to curse loudly as he willed the line to find purchase in the high wall above them. He’d shot blindly, the mouth of the long shaft nothing more than a small pinprick of light.

The gun tugged in his hand. He locked the line down with his thumb, reversing the feed on the line so it would pull them up to safety. They shot up into the darkness just as the cave walls buckled. A bright glow beneath them signaled the space had filled with lava.

They’d managed to narrowly escape, but he couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. He hadn’t thought far enough ahead about they’d do when they got to the end of the line, but he had a sickening feeling there wasn’t enough to carry them to the top. The darkness would present another problem because he hadn’t thought far enough ahead to grab a spare
torch
. Maybe he’d exchanged one set of problems for another, but he couldn’t dwell on possibilities.

They were alive.

The motor slowed, indicating decision time was imminent. If he could manage to find some kind of ledge on which to balance, perhaps he could find a way to knock loose the bit and reload the grappling gun to launch another line. He wasn’t one hundred perfect certain the line would hold both of their weights again. There just hadn’t been enough time to take all of those things into account. He began to mull the idea of resetting the line and handing it over to her when they came to a halt.

“Don’t even think about it.” Light flared, burning his retinas with the sudden flash of brightness. Once his eyes adjusted to the eerie green glow, he let out a burst of laughter that filtered through the oxygen mask as a mechanical sound.

Korene wrapped her legs around his waist, holding the torch out to her right, another grappling gun out to her left. Damn, he loved this woman. The muscles in his damaged arm burned from holding their combined weight, reminding him they weren’t out of the woods yet. But she’d just upped their chances significantly.

“Hold this,” she demanded, shoving the thin light stick into the collar of his suit. She looked up without waiting, firing the device. As the line unspooled, she started chanting quietly as they waited for it to find a solid surface.

His arm gave out just seconds before her line tightened. Her legs tightened around his body, the sharp agony slapping him conscious. “Can you grab my waist?”

Desperation fueled him as he nodded. She shot upward, the jolt from the shift in direction so jarring, his teeth clicked together from the abrupt change in motion. The harsh movement also caused his hold on Korene’s waist to loosen.

A fine layer of dust coating the surface of her pants caused him to slip. “Dammit, hold on to me, Roland!”

He managed to stop himself with a tight grip on her ankle despite the wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm him. He’d never experienced this kind of intense pain in his life. His grip held as they sped for the surface. Now was not the time to remind her they didn’t have enough line or another gun to get all the way out. Black edged his vision. Her shouts sounded fuzzy and far away. Despite his best efforts, his grip faltered.

Korene’s scream was the last sound he heard before passing out.

Chapter Six

Hours of waiting and hoping only increased Korene’s frustration. The medical facility room was too small to properly pace, and sleep had only been a fleeting thought. The sterile smell of ammonia seemed to be permanently etched into her lungs. She normally ran to work out her stress, but she refused to leave the room until she had some answers.

Despite his betrayal and the fact he’d willingly risked her life without so much as asking her, she was determined to see him well again. Damn her for still loving a man who deliberately set out to deceive her.

As she stared out at the setting sun, the sound of movement caused her to spin. “You better put your ass back in the infirmary bed or you’re going to find out what it feels like to be the one strapped down.”

Roland scowled, both at her and the bright streak of blood dotting the starched white sheets. “I want to get out of here.”

Folding her arms, she started tapping her heel against the sterile tile flooring. “And you will, when the med techs release you. Ripping out your IV line and trying to storm out of the room doesn’t show how manly you are. Just how stupid.” He narrowed his eyes, but she ignored his steely glare. “And you can shoot dirty looks my way until your eyeballs fall out. I don’t care. You’re not leaving the
biobed
.”

It had been touch and go for him while they’d waited for the emergency medical transport to arrive on Mars. The trip back to Earth had passed one terrifying heartbeat at a time. More than once she’d thought she’d lost him forever. She wasn’t about to let him jeopardize his health simply because he insisted he was ready to go.

“I’m fine.”

She pointed to the door with a grunt. “When they say you’re fine, then you will be. Not a moment before.”

“Ball-buster.”

“Only for you.” She blew him a kiss, smiling when he narrowed his eyes.

The nurse entered the room, scowling at the line he’d torn out of his arm. She patched the area, reset the line and then checked the dressings on his arms, shoulders and back, before recording his vitals on the bed’s telemetry readout. “I’ll be back in about an hour to put on a fresh patch. Need any pain meds?”

“No,” he growled.

Korene waited until she closed the door before meeting Roland’s gaze. “Now that you’re coherent enough—start talking.”

He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “Tom Baxter was one of the assholes responsible for wiping out my platoon. They sentenced him to life without parole, but he escaped lockdown three years ago. I’ve had my eye on him ever since. The World Government even wanted his head served on a platter because they haven’t been able to pin him down either. He’s a slippery little bastard. Or was, at least.”

“So you were using both of our companies as a front?” she asked quietly.

“Yours—yes. Elite is a front anyway.” Oddly, that bit of information didn’t surprise her. “Don’t get me wrong, we can perform search and rescues with the best of them. But that’s just to keep up appearances. Our main source of income comes from the World Government. The very same ones who pretend we don’t exist. At least until they need us when they don’t want to get their hands dirty. They keep the best on payroll to take out the worst.”

“So wait, does that mean you’re still…I thought you retired.”

Roland’s lips pressed together. “Yes and no. On the books—yes. I retired from the Corps when I returned from Mars. But—”

“But off the books you’re a fucking bounty hunter,” she finished as she shot him a deadly look.

“Pretty much.” He smiled wryly. “Whole team is. We bring in a collar, they pay us hefty fees to do the job, disappear and keep our mouths shut. I assumed you’d figure this entire scheme out after Baxter started flapping his jaws. Especially given the credentials of the team members.”

She’d tried to fit all the pieces of this puzzle together while waiting for him to wake up, but she hadn’t been able to make things align. More than likely because she’d never considered the possibility Roland was still on the government’s payroll. “Why would I? Markus always told me he was some kind of supply clerk when you two were in the Marines. Valentine drove a tank, I think. He was always vague about his work, but I assumed that was just how he was. And I’d never met Finley before now. Why would I—ah, shit.” Dread filled her belly. “I’m such a fool. All fronts, right? No one actually does what they’ve said they do.”

He made a grab for the hand she’d balled into a fist. “At first they did. Finley was a SEAL. Markus
was
Force Recon just like me. This all just came about through a matter of circumstance. I wanted out when I returned from Mars, but no one seemed to be of the mind to let me just walk away. Convinced me I was too damn valuable or some shit. For a while, I even believed them.”

She thought about all the time they’d spent together years ago. How intimate they’d gotten. The level of trust they’d shared. Their relationship had flourished and been so solid she’d been convinced at one point Roland was the man she was destined to marry. Now she felt as if she hadn’t really known him at all. “How did I not know this?”

“Most of it occurred after I returned from Mars.”

Her voice dropped. “When I wasn’t in the picture anymore.”

He nodded. “Since I showed up in your office, you knew what you needed to. Any more information at the time would have put your life in jeopardy. I never disclose my plans, remember? I wasn’t willing to sacrifice you. I’m still not, which is why I just handed in my retirement papers.”

“How fucking altruistic of you.” She slid her hand away, pushing out of the uncomfortable visitor chair to put distance between them.

“I did it to protect you, Korene. Just like I did when I uncollared you.” The tenor of his voice was so soft, it clenched at her heart. Damn him and his ability to make her feel something for him even when she was angry. “Sometimes the right thing is the most painful thing you can do.”

She continued to stare out the window. “Finding out you were lying to me all this time is pretty damn painful.”

“I should have been upfront with you about this whole thing from the beginning, but I couldn’t. I can’t make you understand why I did what I did. But I wanted you there when I collared the asshole because he’s the root cause of all this mess.”

“Yet you killed him.” She turned, waiting for his rebuttal while she tried to understand his reasoning. “Why go to all this trouble only to kill your mark?”

His expression fell, every year of his age showing clearly on his face. “I know. It was just…too easy. He was right there, in my hands. All those years I’ve had to stew about what he did just boiled over. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy hearing his neck snap. And if I didn’t admit I did it for myself as much as all those men I failed years ago.”

“But you lost your paycheck.”

His mouth opened, then closed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “The bounty was dead or alive. Proof of death is all that’s necessary.”

“Which you don’t have either.”

“I don’t know. I can be pretty convincing.” He pushed the sheets to the side, exposing the angry red skin covering the back of his legs. The damage there was minor given the injuries spread out over his back. He crossed to her before she could protest or order him back to the bed. “Whatever the outcome, we’ll pick up the pieces.”

She remained silent for a moment as she looked at him. This was the first time she’d seen him so…vulnerable. “What if they’re not meant to fit together anymore?”

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her against his body. “You know as well as I do that’s not true.”

Despite her irritation, the shelter of his arms felt so comforting. Especially after the long hours of the unknown. “I don’t know what’s true.”

“No one should hurt you, yet I did just that. Twice. A thousand apologies won’t make it up.” He grunted, cocking his shoulder to lift her head and cradle her face between his hands. “But I’ll tell you what I know is true. I love you. And you love me. Or else you wouldn’t have withheld your submission to just me.” When she opened her mouth to dispute his statement, he laid a gentle finger on her lips. “You would have taken another Master in the ten years we’ve been separated if that hadn’t been the case. Your surrender is as beautiful as it is magical to me, pet. Something for me to treasure almost as much as I treasure you being back in my life. I believe all those things are enough of a foundation to find our footing again, don’t you?”

She sighed, guiding him to the bed. He tugged on her hand, pulling her down to lie with him. When she wiggled to move away, concerned she’d hurt him in some way by sharing the small bed, he simply molded his hand to her ass in order to hold her in place. She stilled, resting her head against his chest. The cadence of his heart thumped strongly against her ear. After their harrowing escape, she didn’t think she’d ever heard anything so wonderful in her life.

Lifting her head, she found his shadowed, but expectant gaze upon her. He was waiting for her answer. “It’s the foundation for a very, very long road.”

“How are you feeling?” The sharp crack of the nurse’s stern voice signaled she’d arrived to change his dressings.

Roland grimaced. “Annoyed you interrupted and stopped me from groping the woman I love.” The nurse gave a terse snort. “Fine. Sore. Happy?”

When the woman dropped a stack of second-skin patches on the foot of the bed, Korene pressed her lips to the back of his hand as she pushed away. “But yes, it is where we find our footing again.”

For a few minutes, she watched Roland try his best not to wince or show he was in pain.
Stupid man.
Shaking her head, she stepped out of the room. The busy corridor teamed with life, techs and assistants rushing around to attend patients. One figure stood out from the crowd, worry practically vibrating the air around him.

Markus had crammed his bulk into a chair three doors down, his beefy hands cradling his head. She knelt beside the chair, rubbing his shoulder. “You all right?”

He jumped, blinking a few time as if he was surprised to find her crouched there. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a few bumps and bruises.”

“Nothing a few babes in bikinis won’t fix, right?”

A wry smile twisted his mouth. “Yeah, right. How’s the boss?”

“Getting his bandages changed.” Markus shifted, clearly unsettled about something. She studied him for a few moments, trying to determine the cause. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Ready to get out of here, that’s all.”

Liar.

The door directly across the hall opened as a nurse stepped out of the room. She nodded at them both, offering a slight smile. “You can go back in now, Mr. Tabor.”

When Markus continued to sit there, staring at the door, Korene folded her hands around his. The reason he was unsettled became crystal clear. “How is Finley?”

“In pain. She’s refusing any kind of medication the techs want to give her to make her suffering less.”

“She’s being stubborn, same your boss. Want me to go talk to her? See if I can talk some sense into her?”

“No. Nothing is going to change her mind. Doc is saying she won’t have a choice soon. She’s going to need a few surgeries to clear all the debris from her wounds. She sustained some hefty injuries to the left side of her body.” He sighed deeply, his arms shaking from the strain of stress. “They may be able to repair most of the damage, but may not be able to remove her comm implants. She’s going to hate it. She hated them anyway. Bitched about them since the day she was told she had to have them in order to be a member of the team. It’s just a game of wait and see at this point.”

“And neither of you are patient people.” The outpouring of emotion from him in regards to Finley wasn’t a complete shock. She’d sensed there was something between the two given the banter that flew at any given point in the day. “She’s going to be just fine.” A tight fist of worry clenched her stomach. She didn’t believe her own words, but the last thing Markus needed to hear right now was doubt. Finley’s damage sounded just as extensive as Roland’s. Maybe even more so. “They will all be fine.”

“They who?” Markus snorted. “Valentine took off. Said they weren’t going to keep him strapped to a goddamn table like one of his subs. Probably got tired of hearing his heartbeat ‘cause it reminded him his chest wasn’t empty after all.”

She echoed his reaction. “Not surprising, considering he’s just as obstinate as the rest of you. I’ll give him a few days to give him some distance before Roland contacts him to make sure he’s all right.” Standing, she pressed a kiss to the top of Markus’ head.

He grabbed her hand as she started to turn. “Don’t be too pissed at him. Roland, I mean. There wasn’t a day—”

“I know. And don’t worry, I’ve spent enough time angry with him.”