Tansy's Titan: Cosmos' Gateway Book 3 (20 page)

A dark frown crossed his face as he thought about his sister. Where was she if Cosmos was here? Who was protecting her? A low snarl of rage burst from his lips. His gaze swung from the bathroom door where he could hear his mate bathing to the door leading into the other room. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair in aggravation. Grabbing his pants, he shoved his legs into them before he strode to the door pulling it open so fast it banged against the wall. Cosmos was hanging up the phone when Mak reached for the front of his shirt.

“Where is Terra and why are you here?” Mak growled out, annoyed.

“Hey!” Cosmos said startled as Mak continued pushing him until he was up against the wall near the door leading into the hotel room. “She’s safe! I swear I wouldn’t have left her if I didn’t think she was safe,” Cosmos choked out.

“Mak! Let him go!” Tansy said from the doorway of the bedroom.

Mak’s eyes darkened when he saw his mate standing there with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her lush figure. Her hair was hanging down like wet ropes of flame and her dark green eyes sparkled with fury. He was about to tell her to go back to their room when a whistle of appreciation whipped his head to the other side. He let out a deep growl of warning as he stared at the other three men in the room. He had been so focused on Cosmos and finding out about Terra that he neglected to see if there was anyone else in the room.

Tansy shook her head at the other men and moved forward to try to save Cosmos who was beginning to look a little blue. “Let him go, you overgrown ox! No killing the good guys and definitely no killing my baby sister’s best friend!” Tansy growled back gripping the towel in one hand while smacking Mak in the arm with the other.

“Go get dressed,” Mak snarled quietly under his breath. “I do not want the others to see you unclothed.”

“I’ll drop this towel and let everyone and their brother see me if you don’t release Cosmos this instant!” Tansy snarled back.

“I have no objections to you holding him a little longer,” one of the men said hopefully.

“Me either!” the other said with an appreciative grin on his face as he stared at Tansy’s long legs. “For someone so small, the female has long legs and is…” He broke off when Mak dropped Cosmos and turned on him.

“She is mine!” Mak snarled out moving into a defensive stance between her and the other men.

“I think we figured that out from the scent on her,” the last male said drily. “Besides, we have learned to be careful around human females. They can be very painful if you get to close and they don’t want you to.”

Mak turned with a soft expletive and watched as Tansy helped Cosmos to his feet, barely keeping her towel on. He pulled her against his body ignoring the glares she was giving him. Tansy looked over at the three huge males standing and sitting near the small dining table in the room. Each had dark silver eyes but only one had short hair. The other two wore their hair a little longer than Mak did. She tilted her head and studied them as closely as they were studying her. None of them were as tall or as broad as Mak was. He towered over even these men who made her feel like an ant in an elephant’s pen.

“Let me guess, you are Mak’s friends,” Tansy said dryly.

One of the men came forward only to stop when a growled escaped Mak. Brock, his brother’s head of engineering, stopped a few steps away. Merrick, Leader of the Eastern Clan, and Lan, the palace’s head of security, watched from where they were sitting on the couch and chair.

“Go get dressed,” Mak hissed out under his breath. “In fact, stay in the bedroom until I get rid of them.”

“No way, Tarzan,” Tansy said drily. “My name is Tansy, not doormat. I’ll get dressed but I’ll be right back out here. Cosmos, did you order some food? I’m starving.”

“Yea… yeah!” Cosmos said rubbing his throat with a scowl. “Dude, you have got to quit trying to choke me,” Cosmos said with a glare at Mak. “I just got healed from the last time.”

“Where is Terra?” Mak growled out swinging around to look at Cosmos while trying to keep his eye on Tansy.

“She’s with Tilly and Angus. Tilly promised to keep her hidden from everyone but your mom,” Cosmos said gruffly. “Do you think I would be stupid enough to leave her here when there might be a threat to her?” Cosmos bit back sarcastically. “I told you I would kill anyone who tried to take her from me.”

Tansy’s surprised gasp drew all eyes to her again. “You… kill someone? Mr
.
Laid-back-never-get-stressed-out?”

Cosmos raised his middle finger at Tansy with a grunt. “Screw you, Tansy. I might be a scientist but I know how to do more than you think.”

Tansy chuckled. “I’d love to see that! By the way, thank you for all your help getting me out,” she added softly walking up to him and brushing her lips along his chin. “I thought for sure my time was up.”

Mak released his breath in a deep sigh before bending and picking Tansy up, making sure the towel caught under his arm so her ass wasn’t showing. He ignored her squeal of indignation and outrage. If she wouldn’t leave the room on her own two feet, he would pick her up and take her.

“You are mine!” He bit out. “That means, no showing your body to other males, no kissing other males, and listening to me when I tell you to do something.”

“In your dreams, King Kong!” Tansy snorted out ignoring the astonished looks and chuckles as he slammed the door to the bedroom behind them.

*.*.*

Forty minutes later, Tansy leaned back with a happy groan and rubbed her full belly. She almost snorted when all conversation stopped and five pairs of men’s eyes followed her movements. She guessed it could have something to do with the silk, white dress she was wearing. The designer had done an excellent job of tailoring it to emphasize her curves. The neckline was modest but still showed a substantial amount of cleavage. She had left her hair down and it fell in glossy waves of rich, dark red to her waist. She had added a touch of makeup to bring out her eyes and high cheekbones. She knew she looked good but it still amazed her when guys acted like they had never seen a good looking gal before.

Not good-looking, beautiful,
Mak whispered with a flash of desire in his eyes.

Whatever,
Tansy whispered back in exasperation.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Tansy glanced in warning for the men to be quiet. They hadn’t heard from Rico or the others this morning. It was possible it was them at the door. Tansy picked up the small pistol she had set down on the table. Rising, she moved to answer the door when the knock sounded again.

“Wait,” Mak growled out nodding to the other men to spread out just in case.

Tansy paused long enough for the men to move into several different spots. She waited for Mak to give her the sign to continue. Pushing a strand of hair back, she stepped to one side of the door.

“Who is it?” She called out in a light cheerful voice.

“Rico and company,” came the cheerful, slightly accented response.

Tansy unlocked the door recognizing their code that all was safe. “Hey Rico, morning Helene, Natasha,” Tansy said as she turned and walked back to the table and her coffee. “Have you guys eaten yet? Cosmos ordered plenty and there is still some coffee left.”

“Thanks Tansy,” Rico said heading for the cart filled with food. He stopped and paled as the other men came out from where they were hidden about the room. “
Madre de Dios, Cosmos!
There are more?!” Rico swore as he glanced warily at Lan, Brock, and Merrick.

Cosmos grinned at his old friend before slapping him on the shoulder. “Hey Rico. What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you what is up, my friend… my blood pressure. You seemed to have forgotten to tell me a few things about this assignment,” he muttered as he walked cautiously over to the cart and pour himself a cup of coffee.

Brock and Lan started when they heard the feminine chuckles following Rico’s muttered comment. “You should have been there when Natasha and I first saw Tansy’s man. He scared the shit out of me,” Helene said as she
started to
walk over to the cart as well.

She had only taken a few steps when Brock stepped in front of her with a low rumble escaping. She jerked back startled and glanced up at him in surprise. She must not have been happy with what she saw in his eyes because she turned with a sharp glare to Cosmos.

“Call off your hound dog or I’ll put a leash on him,” she snapped out trying to walk around him only to find herself stopped again when he stepped back in front of her. “VChat te futsk?” She cursed in Russian.

Brock glared down at Helene. “What did she say?” He demanded frowning.

“She isn’t happy you are blocking her way to the food,” Natasha laughed as she walked over the couch to drop her jacket on the end of it. She winced as she straightened and held onto her side. “But, that is ….,” her voice died as she found herself trapped suddenly.

A low growl sounded from the man standing in front of her. “Tansy?” Natasha called out quietly, a slight quiver in her voice was the only indication she was unsure of the man towering over her.

Tansy was having a hard time keeping from laughing. Helene was looking at Brock with no small amount of hostility. Natasha, on the other hand, was standing like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi looking at Lan with raised eyebrows. Her hand had moved to the pistol tucked in the back of her waistband. Both of the men were emitting a low, rumbling growl.

“Mak, call off your friends before Helene and Natasha shoot their asses,” Tansy said sipping her coffee while Cosmos looked on in exasperation, Rico looked on in horror, and Merrick looked on with resignation and a slight amount of envy.

Mak said something sharply to the two men and they glared at him for a moment before taking a reluctant step back, giving both women more room to move. Helene and Natasha looked at the men warily before edging around them and moving to the same side of the table as Tansy.

“Cosmos, you need to tell your new friends to not mess with your old ones,” Helene bit out as she filled a plate with food. “We don’t necessarily fight fair.”

“Natasha, are you okay?” Cosmos asked in concern when he saw the brief flash of pain cross her face as she leaned over the cart and lifted the carafe of coffee.

Natasha waved her hand nonchalantly. “I’m fine, just a little stiff and sore still,” she replied pouring herself a cup of coffee and moving back to the couch. “The stitches are pulling and some of the bruises are being a little difficult. Nothing that a few more days will not cure,” she added with a stiff smile.

“You are hurt?” Lan growled out menacingly
,
taking a step toward her again.

Helene snorted. “She is lucky she is not dead! If she had been a foot closer when my car exploded we would not have been able to pick the pieces of her out of what was left of it,” Helene said grouchily.

“I am just glad both of us were not injured any more than we were,” Natasha said settling back into the cushions. “Tansy, Helene and I will accompany you to the charity function tonight. I will go as a guest…” Natasha began.

“And I get to go as the serving girl,” Helene mumbled glumly. “Why do I always have to be the serving girl?” She grumbled.

“Because you are the one who insists on having blue hair,” Natasha said with a smirk.

Helene’s eyes flashed in mock outrage. “I can be a rock singer!”

“Yes, but what if they ask you to sing something? No one would believe it then,” Cosmos said reaching over Helene’s shoulder to grab a piece of bacon.

A grunt escaped him when Helene elbowed him sharply in the stomach. “I was drunk when you heard me singing,” she said glaring at him. “That does not count.”

“That wasn’t the only thing you were doing,” Cosmos whispered in her ear before he jerked away from her elbow again.

“You can’t prove anything,” Helene snapped back with a grin. “I destroyed all the video surveillance from the club that night.”

Cosmos was about to say something else but Brock took a menacing step toward him. Cosmos decided he had enough bruises around his neck from Mak and didn’t want any more. He looked carefully back and forth between Brock and Lan. If looks meant anything, the way Brock was glaring at Helene and Lan was hovering around Natasha meant the two women were about to find themselves in the same boat he was in. Cosmos looked down at the intricate circles on his left hand before he clenched it tightly into a fist. He had a feeling there was going to be a lot of missing person's reports filed soon. Sometimes he really wished he hadn’t invented that damn gateway. No sooner had that thought formed in his mind, so did another. Only this one was of a slender, dark haired alien beauty with burning eyes of silver.

Shit,
he thought in aggravation,
he was in serious trouble.

Chapter 1
7

Tansy smiled demurely as she accepted a glass of champagne. She let her eyes sweep the elegantly dressed patrons attending the charity function at the Canadian Ambassador’s house. RITA had created the invitations she and Natasha were using and added them to the list of guests. She was going to have to take a closer look at the programming her mom was doing. She never really appreciated just what a genius her mom was when it came to inventing things until now.