JoshuasMistake (18 page)

“You can be on top, beautiful. Just not yet.” That wicked
smile was back. He slid down her body and dipped his tongue into her
bellybutton. An almost electric jolt shot directly down to her pussy.

He moved farther down her torso and she leaned on her elbows
so she could watch him as he blew on her wet folds. She gasped, sensations
pulsing in anticipation. His tongue slid between her closed lips, finding the
spot that would drive her mad and then he pulled back before doing it again.

The noise she made was more animal than human, half growl
half purr. She kept her vision focused on those beautiful blue eyes staring up
at her. He moved lower, spread her legs and exposed her sensitive folds to the
cool breeze. Joshua rubbed his bristled chin along the inside of her thigh. Her
hips rose of their own accord, wanting to add pleasure to the abrasion. He
repeated the motion on her other thigh and dipped his tongue inside her pussy.

She sighed his name, rolled her head back and closed her
eyes, fully enjoying the ecstasy of his mouth. He licked from her anus to her
clit over and over again until she squirmed beneath him. His tongue swirled
around the sensitive bud and she grabbed handfuls of the blanket while pushing
her hips up to meet his clever mouth. His thumb perched at her entrance for a
long moment. She tried to bring him inside, wanting to be full of any part of
Joshua, but he teased by swirling the digit around the very edge.

He sucked hard on her clit and plunged his thumb inside. She
pumped up and down, groaning with pleasure as her orgasm crashed down around
her. Joshua held perfectly still while her rapture cascaded and then subsided.

“You are so gorgeous when you come, Tessa.”

She wanted to say something clever, but all she could manage
was to voice her own desires. “I want you inside me.”

Instead of climbing on top of her he pulled her to a sitting
position. He grabbed a condom from his jeans and rolled it on his shaft. Once
he was sitting Indian style, his cock jutting straight up in invitation, she
moved onto his lap with her legs wrapped around his back.

Joshua grabbed her ass and lifted while she pushed herself
with her hands on his shoulders. His thick rod balanced at her canal and she
lowered herself slowly onto him. His groan echoed off the rocks. Tessa threw
her head back and cried out the names of deities she didn’t even believe in as
he filled her to capacity.

Neither one moved for a moment. “You feel so good, Joshua.”

He only managed another groan of pleasure.

Tessa leveraged her weight with her arms on his shoulders
while he lifted his thighs up, pulling his cock nearly all the way out. A
controlled release allowed gravity to bring them back together. Her body pulsed
with the coming of another orgasm. When he’d been licking her pussy she’d been
too wrapped up in her own pleasure to pay attention to their connection. Now
Joshua’s mind was wide open and every time she sank onto his smooth cock,
sensations both his and her own swamped her. Her breasts ached to be touched
and a second later a hand came up and gripped her breast, pinching the nipple
just to the edge of pain.

Over and over she lifted herself and plunged down, fucking
Joshua and feeling everything he felt. Her body quaked with the need to come.
Her pussy soaked his cock and they slid together as if they were both fashioned
from silk. She couldn’t have stopped if she wanted to. Every thought was about
pleasure, every movement about bringing his orgasm.

He was growing harder, thicker and closer to the edge. Her
body tightened in anticipation. Joshua grabbed her hips. Lifting her up and
slamming her down harder on his shaft, setting the rhythm he needed until he
exploded. As soon as he plummeted over the edge she quaked with her own orgasm.
Her entire body shook with pleasure. Clinging to him and drawing herself down
to take more of him while her canal pulsed around his cock shot another quiver
of pleasure through her.

Joshua’s legs shook when he felt it too and he relaxed his
legs so she could slide a bit farther down. “Joshua.”

“I know.”

There was no need to talk about how unbelievable it had been
to remain completely open to each other during sex. There were no words that
could adequately describe the ecstatic bliss of feeling both orgasms at once.

In a smooth motion Joshua lifted her from his lap and moved
them both to lying. She was rubbery and had no desire to move. His arms pulled
her close and wrapped her up. Their legs entwined and he tucked her head under
his chin.

Neither one spoke for a long while.

Finally she asked, “Do you think it will always be like
this?”

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. Joshua seemed to know they were
meant for each other. His lack of doubt was starting to make a believer out of
her.

Fifteen minutes might have slipped by while they dozed.
Tires on the sand brought them both to alertness.

Joshua grabbed the gun but a moment later relaxed. “It’s
Will.”

Footsteps approached the outcropping. “Um, sorry to bother
you two.”

Joshua’s smile made her stomach do a funny quiver that was
not at all unpleasant. “What’s up, Will?”

“Jess just called. He found Banta. Blake sent a helicopter
and I brought you both BDUs.” A pile of clothes appeared on the ground at the
entrance to their not-so-secret space.

“Where is he?” she asked.

“Vegas.”

“Must you question everything, Lakeland? Take Rain with you
and go before this devil gets away.”

Joshua and Adianca had been arguing for several minutes.
Everyone else was already waiting in the helicopter and Rain stood nearby to
see how the argument turned out. As far as Joshua could tell, the young woman
was neutral about the outcome. “But Shaman, this is dangerous. She could be
hurt or worse. I can’t take her.”

“She will be valuable to you. She has skills you will need
to win your war.”

There was no use in continuing to argue. Whoever Rain was
she had Adianca’s backing and he was not going to win the argument. He closed
his eyes for a moment and gave a slight bow to his teacher. Adianca didn’t
respond and he turned and walked to his waiting ride. As Joshua passed Rain, he
said, “Don’t get yourself killed.”

The hint of a smile played across her lips and touched her
nearly black eyes. They both ducked under the blades and boarded the Apache.

In a very short time they were closing in on the Las Vegas Strip.
The landing pad on top of a casino revealed Jess, Wanda, Trip and Piper waiting
for them. As soon as they were out the pilot took off and headed out of the
city.

“Where’s Blake?” Joshua asked.

“His team is keeping surveillance on Banta.”

They headed down the elevator. No one said a word. Bypassing
the casino floor, they continued to a subfloor that would be less crowded. A
SWAT team would only cause a panic they couldn’t afford. They passed a few
members of the janitorial staff and garnered some looks of curiosity but
nothing more.

Jess led them to a boiler room. It was loud, but there was
no chance of being bugged or overheard. “He’s down to three men.”

“Where is he?”

“He has a room at the Venetian, but I think whoever has been
holding his leash may have cut him loose.”

Kane asked, “What makes you think so?”

“When I called Will to let him know we’d located him they
were waiting at a helipad. I don’t know where they were going or who was
picking them up, but they never showed. The three with him are getting pretty
antsy and keep checking the roof. Maybe the hotel’s roof was a second escape
route.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Kane said.

“No, it doesn’t,” Joshua agreed.

“Why? He’s beaten. He knows it and he’s retreating to
regroup,” Trip said.

Joshua paced the limited floor space. The city was filled
with millions of minds all creating noise in his head. He had to focus. Tessa
touched his shoulder and calm immediately shrouded him. His eyes locked with
hers.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Banta won’t care if he’s been betrayed. He only took the
job because he thought it would gain him the means to get to Kane and me. If
his men betray him he’ll kill them too, take whatever psi abilities they have
and continue his mission.”

“I agree,” Kane said.

“Wanda, any word on whose pocket he’s been in?” Joshua
asked.

“I still can only get as far as the capital and then the trail
runs cold. I’m betting it’s Breckenridge. He’s the most vocal about getting rid
of the Psi Agency. He’s even gone as far as saying psychics are a dangerous
abomination. He’d be at the top of my list. I haven’t counted out the other
two, Drury and Walker, yet. I just don’t have enough evidence to pin one down.
The trail they’ve left is murky as a swamp.”

“Trip, where is the rest of our team?”

“With Blake at the Venetian.”

Joshua hated what he was going to say. “You’re going to have
to keep your minds sealed off during the battle. You’ll want to tell the others
the same thing. As soon as we get close to him we’ll be vulnerable. He never
got off the ridge in the desert so he never had the opportunity to gather from
anyone. We were lucky. He doesn’t have anything to lose, which makes him twice
as dangerous.”

Rain was completely quiet during the exchange. Now she said,
“I can help.”

Everyone turned to her.

“What is she doing here?” Jess asked. “We don’t need a
healer.”

Joshua ignored the snide remark and asked, “What is it you
can do we don’t know about, Rain?”

“I can block.”

Only the sound of machinery continued. Everyone stared at
the pretty face who’d just dropped the first good news they’d had.

Jess was the first to recover. “What do you mean? Are you
saying you can keep him from stealing our power?”

She nodded. “If I can get close enough to him I can block
him.”

Joshua smiled. “Any other talents you’d like to share with
us?”

“I’m precognitive, oh and of course a decent healer. I can
also influence animals, but I doubt that will come in handy today.” She gave
Jess a scathing look.

“Okay, well try to get close to him without getting yourself
killed. Adianca will have my ass if I don’t bring you back in one piece. Will
can help you. He has no psychic abilities to be stolen, making him the least
vulnerable of our group.”

Tessa said, “Be careful, Rain. What he can do is an
atrocity.”

Joshua’s stomach did a flip just at the thought of putting
Tessa back in the presence of Banta.

Before he could voice his concern, Tessa said, “Forget it. I’m
going.”

He sighed. “Right. That’s what I figured.”

Will and Piper had their heads together in what looked as if
it was an intimate conversation. If Joshua had to guess he’d say they had a
history.

“Is there a problem?” Joshua asked.

They quickly separated. Piper straightened, her expression
unreadable. “No problem.”

Will’s normally jovial expression had grown serious for a
moment. He took the lead as they made their way out of the hotel. They kept to
the backs of the hotels and still they stood out in full combat gear.

They crossed the parking lot toward one of the side doors
into the Venetian.

Blake’s voice came over the radio clipped to Jess’s
shoulder. “They’re on the move. Headed toward the piazza and Grand Canal.”

Jess responded, “We’re on premises, will block south exits
and engage if necessary.”

“Copy. We have lost sight.”

“Shit,” Joshua said.

They ran down the corridor, through a door and into a
hallway. Crowd noise filtered toward them from the area simulating a piazza in
Venice, complete with Grand Canal. There were people everywhere. A long line
waited to take gondola rides, while others sipped coffee or cocktails at tables
lining the canal. Shoppers and tourists milled around from designer shops to
restaurants while enjoying the jugglers, clowns and living statues. The area
bustled with humanity and all those civilians would be a problem.

“He knows we’re coming. He’s waiting for us.” Joshua could
feel Banta’s perverted aura searching the hotel. He shut down his mind. Sadly
it cut him off from Tessa.

Her fingers curled into his. “We’ll have to find a way
around that.”

He loved the fact she felt the loss as keenly as he did. He
was as nervous leading Tessa back into a battle with Banta as he had been on
his first mission.

Releasing her hand, he stepped forward and she moved to the
right with Jess, Wanda and Kane. Rain, Trip and Will fanned out to the left.
Joshua saw a flicker of black on a balcony above. He didn’t know if it was
friend or foe, but there was no time to figure it out.

Banta stepped into view across the piazza. His nose was
swollen and his eyes were bruised black. Though the insane intensity of those
eyes had not wavered one bit.

A living statue of a Venetian goddess stood only feet away
from him on a pedestal. The woman, with her powdered face and gray costume, had
no idea the danger of her position.

The shot rang out, surprising them all. Even Banta looked
surprised. The gunfire had come from an alcove to Banta’s right. Kane went
down.

Joshua’s heart stopped. His brother was wounded, he didn’t
know how badly. He knew he had to stay focused on his task.

No one thought they would fire on a room full of non-psi.
People in the piazza looked stunned for half a second and then began to run in
every direction. Banta reached a hand out toward where the bullet had come from
and a second later one of his men tumbled out of hiding and dropped to the
ground. Even at that distance Joshua could see the puddle of blood forming near
his face.

A second of Banta’s men appeared from an alcove one flight
up. He stared at his dead comrade and then at his boss. Joshua could see the
fear twisting his face. He lifted his gun toward Joshua. Another series of shots
from behind and to the left took him out. The man’s body jerked several times
and crumpled to the floor.

Joshua wasn’t sure who had fired, but he guessed it was one
of Blake’s team. He’d know the sound of a Glock 22 being fired anywhere.

“Kane?” Joshua said.

“Little more than a flesh wound, Josh. I’m okay though I don’t
think I’m going to be of much use.”

“Get to safety and don’t open your mind no matter what.”

“Got it.”

“Tessa?”

“I’m fine. Go on with the plan.”

It took a few minutes but the entire piazza cleared out.
Even the woman who had been pretending to be a statue was nowhere to be seen.
Local police would be there in a few minutes.

Banta’s voice boomed across the empty space. “I want what I
came for, Lakeland. Give it to me and I’ll let the rest go.”

“You know I can’t do that, Troth. I can’t let you take my
soul and leave me to die a vegetable. You’re asking too much.”

“Give me the woman then. I had no idea she had so much to
offer. Not quite as gifted as you, but if I could slow time, imagine what I
could accomplish.”

Joshua started forward slowly. “When did you lose your sense
of right and wrong, old friend? How did this happen?”

Banta’s face twisted as he mirrored Joshua’s movement
forward. “You are a child. There is no right and wrong. I told you that. There
are the powerful and the weak. I intend to be the most powerful and no one, not
even the great Joshua Lakeland is going to stop me.”

Banta waved his hand and the café tables lining the Grand
Canal went flying off to one side.

“Impressive.”

“You can’t win, Lakeland. Hell, you’re too afraid to even
open your mind in my presence. How do you intend to defeat me? Your bullets
have no effect against my shield. I’m invincible.”

Joshua smiled and kept his eyes focused on Banta until they
stood across the canal from each other. “You’re right, I can’t beat you. So
perhaps it’s time to join you.”

Banta narrowed his eyes. “Why would you do that?”

Joshua was a blind man walking in a desert. He had no idea
what his people were doing. How did ordinary soldiers ever succeed without an
idea of what the enemy would do? It would be better if he gave himself over. At
least if he believed Banta would keep his word. The team would live and maybe
figure out a way to capture this madman another day. It was possible draining
Joshua would take so much out of him Tessa or Jess could kill him. That was
actually a better plan than taking Banta at his word. He gave a fleeting
thought to what would happen to his aura when Banta died.

He stalled. “If you agreed to teach me to gather it would be
worth my while.”

Banta seemed to be considering the idea. “And your brother?”

“It would take some convincing after what you did to his
wife, but I think I could bring him around in time. If you want to be the best,
Troth, you have to surround yourself with powerful people. It looks to me as
though the support you had from Washington might have just run out on you.
Maybe it’s time to go solo. I know I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.
I’m sick of taking orders from bureaucrats.”

Banta’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. “Prove it.”

Joshua knew Banta wanted to probe him and find out if what
he was saying was true. He didn’t relish the idea. “Your word, no gathering.”

“My word,” Banta said.

He knew it was a risk, but Joshua very carefully let down
his mental barrier. He pushed the thoughts he wanted probed to the forefront
and allowed Banta to see his desire to set up his own agency. Since it was the
truth, the other man suspected no deception. He put his wall firmly back in
place before the madman got any other ideas.

Closing off his mind was the same as a soldier going blind
or losing a limb. He was crippled against a superior force. The only difference
was he had friends and family who he was willing to die for. Banta was a man.
The fight in the helicopter proved that. It also proved his shield worked on objects
but not on people. Joshua knew he should have killed him then. But even now he
hoped there could be salvation for his old comrade.

“I don’t trust you, Josh.”

“Why would you?”

It was a good sign that Banta had started using his first
name.

Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him to his
team making a move. Damn, it was too soon.

Banta saw it too. Trip ran full speed at the larger man.
Jess moved in from the other side. Shots rang out from above. Joshua was
helpless on the other side of the damn canal and swimming it would not get him
across in time. It didn’t matter. He jumped in the shallow pool and pushed
through the water to the other side.

As soon as he jumped out of the water he saw he was too
late. Trip’s wide, dead eyes stared up at nothing. Jess screamed in pain as his
aura was being ripped away.

Tessa was nowhere in sight. Joshua wanted to let his walls
down. He wanted to know she was safe, but it was too dangerous. He couldn’t’
risk it.

It had only been seconds, Banta hovered over Jess. Rain
rushed out from behind a pillar and Tessa from another. Tessa slowed time and
pushed Banta back with telekinesis the same way she had pushed the bullet.

Banta stumbled back and then his focus shifted to Tessa.