Trapped: A SciFi Convict Romance (The Condemned Book 1) (17 page)

Chapter Twenty

Caine
slid her down his hard body
as if already putting distance between them.

She grabbed his shoulders, keeping him close. “Don’t give me
that bullshit about being a killer and deserving punishment. I don’t know what
you did, but I know enough about you now to realize there was a good reason
behind it.”

“That means a lot.” But the resignation was still there.

“Tell me,” she urged, “tell me what happened.”

She didn’t need to hear his story to know he had a valid
reason for what he’d done. She knew it by the man he was, but she could sense
his need to tell.

She was also more than ready for him to let her in.

He blew out a breath. “It’s not a pretty tale.” He turned
away. She felt cold without his big body to warm her. “My wife Gwen was a good
person, but she didn’t always make the best choices. About a year after we were
married, she got involved with a married Councilman notorious for sleeping
around. A guy named Hendricks.”

Bella fought not to grimace. She’s heard of Councilman
Hendricks. While hardly beloved by the general populace, he’d managed to
advance in the Council leadership and was considered the third most powerful
man in the entire Earth government.

She suddenly understood
Caine’s
pessimism. If Hendricks was the one who’d sent
Caine
here, they’d be going up against the whole Council to get him out.

“When I found out about Gwen and Hendricks,” continued
Caine
, his back still to her, his shoulders tense, “I began
divorce proceedings. Gwen was beside herself. She begged me to change my mind.
Swore she loved me. Swore she’d end it. But I didn’t want her to do that. I
wanted out myself.”

“That’s understandable. Things end.”

“But Gwen was no good at being on her own. I knew it, but I…I
dismissed it—dismissed her—as not my problem anymore.”

The tightness in Bella’s chest increased. Was it any wonder
he’d been so conflicted about being responsible for her these past days?

“She was a grown woman,
Caine
. She
was responsible for her own choices.”

He offered no reaction. “When Gwen realized I was serious,
she ran straight to her Councilman.”
Caine’s
hands
fisted by his side. “I warned her the bastard was no good. But she didn’t
listen. She insisted he would leave his wife for her. I don’t doubt the guy
made that promise. He was a lying snake who preyed on lonely soldiers’ wives.
But I couldn’t get her to believe it.”

“Stubborn, eh?” Bella cupped his shoulder, needing to touch
him.

“Yeah. Like someone else I know.” He turned his head,
nuzzling her fingers with his jaw. “She went to him. Made a scene in front of
the councilman’s wife and a slew of other important dignitaries. Of course,
Hendricks denied he even knew her. She must have been pretty pissed because she
spewed personal details to prove him a liar. She also revealed he’d used
Council funds for rendezvous for the two of them. He had her kicked out—and
roughed up. She came to me, scared and crying. I told her to stay out of sight
until I could get things figured out, but…”
Caine
shook his head, “she must have gone to see him. Two days later, she was found
strangled to death in a trash dumpster close to my house. Word on the street
was that Hendricks had his younger brother take her out. But no one was
investigating the brother, much less the Councilman. There was another blight
outbreak at the same time. People were focused on trying to survive.”

“So you went after her killer?”

“I’d…I’d failed Gwen once. I couldn’t do it again.” He sucked
in a deep breath. “But I wasn’t planning on murder. I wanted Hendricks’ brother
to confess and go to prison. He was the one that came after me with a knife.
Still, a part of me was glad. He’d murdered Gwen. I wanted him dead.”

She pressed a kiss beneath his shoulder blade, gratified to
feel a small tremble run through him. “You think that makes you a killer? I
think it makes you a hero.”

“What I did wasn’t heroic, but I would have willingly paid
the price for taking another killer’s life. Only Gwen’s councilman set me up,
fingering me for crimes I never committed. Before long, I was branded a
psychotic serial killer and sentenced to marooning on Dragath25.”

“That’s not going to happen again. You have allies now.”

Caine
swiveled around, his
expression grim. “I had allies then, fighter girl. I was a decorated military
hero with a lot of support from friends and family. I didn’t matter. Hendricks
paid off or ruined anyone who tried to defend me. He manufactured evidence so
that it looked like I not only killed his brother, but Gwen and several other
people who turned out to be enemies of the Councilman. He made me into the
boogeyman and grew even more powerful. He’s not going to let me back on Earth
to tell his secret. I appreciate your optimism, fighter girl, but the only way
I’m leaving Dragath25 is in a box.”

“Don’t say that.” She grabbed his hand. “You might have had
allies before, but you didn’t have me. We didn’t have the Oasis. Trust me,
Caine
. Please. Between the two of us, we’re going to bring
that corrupt bastard down. I swear it.” She squeezed his palm. She had bigger
plans as well, but she’d keep them to herself. “For you. For Gwen.”

His expression remained bleak. “But if we can’t, you’re
going. No argument.”

She hid her hurt behind a joke. “Don’t you know me well
enough by now to know that will never happen?”

As hoped, his eyes crinkled in a half-smile, but his tone was
serious. “That’s why I like to call you fighter girl. Not because I don’t see
who you are, but because I do, Bella. I see exactly who you are. Someone
extraordinary. Someone strong and kind. A true hero.” His hands skimmed up her
neck to cup her face. “Someone worth living for. Someone worth dying for.”

His lips brushed hers. Reverent. Slow.

Her heart stuttered. He was kissing her. For the first time.
Not for any deal. Or because he could. But because he wanted to. Because he was
ready to let her in.

A low moan of need slipped from her. His words, his kiss, all
she’d ever wanted.

As if the signal he’d been waiting for, the tenor of the kiss
changed, his mouth claiming hers as his fingers wove through her hair and
angled her closer. Her tongue tangled with his. His taste—of strength,
ferocity, courage, hope—even better than she’d imagined.

When he finally drew back, his eyes still shut, their mouths
only inches apart, their arms still latched around each other, they were both
breathing hard.

Her heart fluttered. There it was again. That look of wonder
on his face. As if she was something special. As if she was life itself.

Then his eyes sprang open. She stiffened, bracing for the
change. For the return of the guarded look that had always entered his gaze
before. But the tenderness remained.

“I didn’t want to need you, Bella.” His voice was a low rasp,
his hands contracting against her skin. “I was terrified to need you. But
somehow, somewhere, you’ve become a necessity. You’ve become everything. I
might not trust anyone else, but I do trust you.”

Her arms, locked around his neck, vibrated. It took her a
moment to understand why.
Caine
was shaking. Like the
first time they’d touched.

Awe whispered through her. This fierce warrior who’d fought
off vicious beasts and killed for her was afraid. Because of his feelings for
her.

“It’s okay.” She
slid
her hands to
rest against his pounding chest. “I’ll hold you together, just like you hold
me. I swear.” She pressed butterfly kisses to his chin, along his jaw. “I won’t
disappoint you, I promise. Because I need you, too.” She swallowed hard. “Not
for survival. Not for protection, but because of who are you. How you make me
feel. As if I matter. As if I can do anything. As if I’m truly alive. And I
love you for that,
Caine
. I do….”

Before she could even finish, his mouth was on hers again.
Fierce. Wild. Desperate. His big hands glided over every inch of her. Touching
her exactly as she loved to be touched. Until she was writhing against him.
Until they were both naked and slick and ready. Until her legs were wrapped around
his hips and she was whispering in his ear for him to take her. Her nipples
tight. Her pussy wet and aching.

“We need a bed,” he grouched. “I want this to be perfect.”

She nipped at his jaw in warning. “I don’t care where we are
as long you’re inside me in the next ten seconds.”

His eyes crinkled as his lips turned upward. “So demanding.”
He laid her down on top of their clothing. The feel of him, hard and thick and
ready at her entrance, made her moan. “We’ll do perfect next time.”

She lifted her hips to give him better access. “Don’t you
know by now? It’s always perfect when I’m with you.”

His smile dropped away, his expression turning so solemn she
worried something might be wrong.

“You okay?”

He nodded. “Better than okay.” Bracing his hands by her head,
he came inside, slowly, worshipfully, inch by careful inch, until she was
filled with him. “I love you so much, Bella.”

Her pulse went crazy, her whole body flushing with white-hot
pleasure. “You do?” Her question was whisper soft.

“I do.” He flattened his palms against hers, interlacing
their fingers as they had for their first touch. “I don’t know what the future
holds, but I do know nothing has ever felt as right as your hand in mine.”

She was lost. Lost to the beauty of his words. Lost to the wonder
of their connection. Lost to the exquisite, erotic bliss of him sliding in and
out while their palms stayed sealed tight and every one of his fears and his
shadows, his hopes and his needs, played across his face for her to see.

“
Caine
.” She whispered his name,
her legs wrapping around his waist, bringing them even closer.

“Bella.” His mouth found hers, his gaze and hands her only
anchor as a maelstrom of pleasure, fiercer than any dust storm, swirled through
her, tightening her muscles and bowing her back as he drove deep, raw pleasure
lashing at her.

Until his hips were moving at a fierce rate and she was
moaning in his ear and their slick bodies writhed in tandem and they soared
together over the edge, giving each other everything and anything—just as she’d
promised so long ago.

Minutes later, her legs still wrapped around him, exquisite
aftershocks coursed through her. They stared at one another, silly half smiles
on their faces, wonder and awe floating around them like fairy dust.

When she finally got her breath back, she cradled his face in
her palms. “We’re getting out of here together.”

His smile dissolved. “I’d like that,” he said at last, “but
shit happens. It’s not going to be easy to get you, much less the two of us,
off this planet. Even if my jammer does what I hope.”

“You’re not sacrificing yourself for me.”

“Quality versus quantity, baby.” He nuzzled her palm. “You
gave me back myself. I’ll be forever grateful to you for that.”

She blinked hard and fast, that stupid stinging back in her
eyes. “For a guy who rarely talks, sometimes you say the sweetest things….But I
don’t want your gratitude. I want you.”

He smoothed his thumbs over the salty tracks rolling down her
cheeks. She hadn’t even realized she’d begun to cry.

He pressed his lips to hers. Slowly. Softly. “I never thought
being sent to Dragath25 would be the best thing that ever happened to me, but
there it is. You changed everything. If there’s a way for me to come with you,
I will.”

Finally
. “You
promise?”

“I promise.”

“Well, isn’t this sweet.” A grey barrel jammed against
Caine’s
temple. Pogue loomed right behind. “But I’m afraid
things might not work out for you lovebirds as planned.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Put your hands up, Dragath25 scumbag, or you won’t like the
consequences.” Pogue dug the gun muzzle deeper into
Caine’s
skin. A ring of six soldiers stood behind him, their guns drawn, the glow from
the lights strapped to their weapons giving their faces a menacing green tinge.

Bella’s heart slammed against her ribs. “Put the gun down,
Pogue.” She injected as much command as possible into her voice. It wasn’t easy
with her breasts squashed against
Caine’s
chest and
her clothes strewn in a pile by the soldiers’ boots. “He’s on our side.”

“I don’t think so, Cadet West.” There was no missing the
sneer when Pogue referenced her title. Or the way his pupils were dilated, his
gaze locked on her exposed skin. “What’s going to happen is your boyfriend is
going to move away from you nice and slow, or you’re both going to end up
feeling like you got socked by the sun up close and personal.”

“Are you threatening to stun us?” Maybe she shouldn’t have
been shocked, but she was. “That’s outrageous. We’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Pogue,”
Caine’s
voice was a
dangerous rasp, “give Cadet West her clothes. Then we’ll move.”

“You’ll move now.” Pogue’s tone was smug. “It’s not as if the
rest of us haven’t seen a pair of tits before—though those look to be mighty
fine ones from up here.” A low murmur of ugly laughter sounded from the ring of
soldiers.

Her gaze locked with
Caine’s
. “It’s
okay. Let me up.” She swallowed hard. “It’s only skin.”

He stayed where he was, every muscle in his big body taut.

“Don’t make him mad,” she pleaded. “I don’t want you hurt.”

“
Here.
” Her shirt fluttered into
her line of vision, held out by a frowning Ransom.

She snaked her hand out fast. Her fingers trembling as she
struggled into the shirt, her gaze locked with
Caine’s
while Pogue yelled at Ransom for acting without an order.

She let out her first real breath when the long hem of
Caine’s
shirt brushed against her lower thighs, infinitely
grateful for its length.

“No more stalling,” snapped Pogue.

“Relax,”
Caine
told Pogue, “I’m not
planning on giving you any trouble—as long as you don’t bother Bella.”
Expression solemn, he kissed the tip of her nose. “It will be okay.” He levered
himself up, push-up style, pulling her to stand behind him before Pogue and his
soldiers had time to react.

There were seven guns trained on
Caine
in the next instant.

“You cooperate and there’ll be no problems.” Pogue shifted
his gun to lock on her forehead. “You give us trouble and she’ll suffer the
consequences.”

Caine
gave a low growl.

“Officer Pogue, this is absolutely unnecessary.” Winthrop, who
she hadn’t even realized was there, stepped from behind one of the soldiers,
his face pale, his gaze not quite meeting hers. “Cadet West is our colleague.”

“
Was
our
colleague,” challenged Pogue, his tone absent of any deference as he
contradicted Winthrop. “She’s with the enemy now.”

Clearly, the disappearance of the two crew members had
flipped a switch inside Pogue, emboldening him even further in his break from
protocol and his claim of leadership. It couldn’t have happened at a worse
time.

“We’re no one’s enemies,” she said. “We’re on your side.”

“Then why’d you pick off Davies and Pratt?” barked Pogue.

“We didn’t do anything to them.”

“Remove the gun aimed at Bella.” As always,
Caine
sounded in complete control. “We can answer your
questions and resolve this without anyone getting hurt.”

She knew he was holding back from fighting in an effort to
protect her.

“Put your hands behind your back.” Pogue’s voice was brusque.

“I will, as a gesture of good faith.”
Caine’s
muscles bunched as he did as requested. “I expect you to behave accordingly
with Bella.”

Pogue said nothing. Uncertainty skittered through her. Were
they doing the right thing by trying to talk some sense into Winthrop, Pogue,
and the others? It hadn’t worked so far. But finding Ava was more likely with
their help and, equally significant, there was no getting
Caine
off this hellhole if they didn’t have the support of at least Winthrop.

“You see, Dr. Winthrop?” She purposely directed her attention
to him. “
Caine
is cooperating. He’s on our side.”

Winthrop nodded, but he didn’t speak. One of the soldiers
stepped forward and snapped a pair of Council restraints on
Caine’s
wrists. As usual, the restraints expanded, encasing
Caine’s
arms from wrist to forearm.

“Feel familiar, convict?” mocked Pogue.

“Don’t talk to him like that.” Bella could barely breathe
over the dread coursing through her. Appeasement wasn’t calming Pogue. In fact,
it seemed to be having the opposite effect. “He’d done what you wanted. Now
back off and let us explain.”

“You’re right, Bella,” mocked Pogue. “I apologize for talking
to your precious convict like that.” Without warning, he slammed the barrel of
his gun between
Caine’s
shoulder blades. “He
understands violence better.”

“No!” She leapt forward, only to be snapped back as Mitchell,
Pogue’s second-in-command, wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off
the ground.

But if they thought that was all it would take, they were
mistaken. Using
Caine’s
training, she curled into a
squat, dragging the bastard off balance, and smashed her boot down on his foot.
His arms fell away on a howl.

“I said get away from him.” She ran at Pogue. The time for appeasement
had come to an end. But, just as she reached him, she was knocked off-course,
lifted sideways by an enraged Mitchell and another soldier.

She heard
Caine’s
roar. Heard the
shout of other soldiers and the crunch of bone as
Caine
fought to get to her, but it was no use. They had guns. His arms were
restrained behind his back. And her training wasn’t enough against a greater
number of skilled soldiers. Even fighting like a madwoman, channeling
Caine’s
techniques, lips pulled back in a sneer, she was
soon contained.

Her breath came in furious pants as Mitchell wrapped her in a
bear hug and the other soldier grasped her legs, holding her off the ground,
restrained between them. She could do little more than wriggle. And blink as
the slow drip of blood from a new cut seeped into her eye. Or maybe the blood
was from Mitchell? She’d definitely gotten in a few good strikes.

But it hadn’t been enough.

Her heart shriveled as she took in
Caine
.
Unlike her, he’d been winning. There were a few new bruises on his face and
chest, but he stood tall and free around a ring of writhing, fallen soldiers. Pogue,
unfortunately, wasn’t one of them.

“Don’t hurt her.”
Caine
had stopped
fighting.

“Go,
Caine
. Run,” she screamed.

But the stubborn man remained where he was. “I won’t fight
back. Just don’t hurt her.”

“Worry for yourself.” Eyes glittering with fury, Pogue drove
his gun barrel into
Caine
, driving him to his knees.

“Stop it!” She bucked against Mitchell’s hold, wanting to
tear apart every soldier there with her bare hands.

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you fought
back?” Pogue drew his boot back and kicked
Caine
in
the stomach, the kick so hard it sent
Caine
sliding
back several lengths.

The other soldiers stumbled to their feet, uncertain, their
expressions ranging from discomfort to glee.

“Winthrop, order him to stop.” She searched for the
Councilman she’d once admired in the light of the glow sticks and found him
standing frozen, a look of horror on his face. “
Caine
was helping me look for Ava. He’s only ever tried to help.” This was her fault.
She’d brought
Caine
into contact with these monsters.
“You’re beating an innocent man.”

 
Winthrop shifted his
weight from one boot to the next, his expression uncertain. Afraid. As if
without protocol, without the trappings of Command Council, he was lost.
“Pogue, perhaps you should—”

“He’s a dangerous criminal,” snarled Pogue, cutting off
Winthrop and kicking
Caine
again, his beautiful body
jerking forward with the force of the hit. “He’s brainwashed Cadet West.”
Another kick. “He’s a danger to us and the Council.” Pogue bent over, sweat
from his temple splashing onto
Caine’s
still body.
“Tell us what you did with Pratt and Davies, Dragath25 scum, or you won’t like
what happens next.”

She couldn’t see
Caine’s
face.
Didn’t know if he was even still conscious. He hadn’t made a sound from the start
of the beating. He wasn’t talking now, either.

“He didn’t do anything,” she yelled. “He’s trying to find
them. Plus, he’s found a way to save the rescue crew. He’s a hero, and you
bastards are going to be tried for attacking him.”

Pogue just laughed. “Wow. He fucked the smarts right out of
you. You think it’s any coincidence he shows up right around the time Pratt and
Davies disappeared? Check around and we’ll probably find he’s made their skin
into some nice new Dragath25 accessory.”

“That’s sickening.
Caine
would
never do that.”

“Oh yeah? We found evidence of his base camp near ours.
Fucker’s been stalking us for a while.”

“He wasn’t stalking anyone. He was watching out for me.
Protecting me.”

“
Riiight
.” Pogue’s voice was heavy
with sarcasm. “Because you actually matter to him beyond a nice tight hole he
can stick into when he has the urge.” His fellow soldiers laughed again.

She slammed her head back against the chuckling bastard
holding her arms behind her back. Stopped his laughter quite nicely. On the
negative side, though, it sent a vicious pain winding down her skull and neck.
She had to blink slowly to stop the ringing.

“The bitch broke my nose,” her captor howled.

“Don’t like it? Let me go.” She thrashed in earnest, her ribs
close to snapping under the punishing grip of her captor’s hold. The soldier grasping
her legs had gone pale.

“Bella, calm down.”
Caine’s
low
command sent relief spiraling through her. He was alive. And conscious.

He pushed to his knees, turning to face her. “I’ve taken a lot
worse, believe me. Don’t give them a reason to hurt you.”

She let out a sob. Blood ran down the side of his face. His
beautiful, strong jaw was already beginning to swell.

So far she was doing a crappy job of protecting him.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I should never have asked for
your help. I should never have offered you that deal. You were doing just fine
on your own. I…I’ve made everything so much worse.”

His expression grew hard. “Finding you was the best thing
that happened to me. Don’t forget it.” His gaze shifted to Pogue. “Anyone who
harms a hair on her head will be dead by tomorrow.”

Even on his knees, he was so sure and proud. So full of
command and dignity. Her chest grew tight. He truly was an amazing man.

“You really think you’re some kind of hero, don’t you?”
Pogue’s laugh chilled Bella’s blood. “You’re nothing but a scumbag convict. No
one cares if one more Dragath25 prisoner dies.” He shoved the gun against
Caine’s
back and pressed the lever.

Hundreds of volts of vicious electricity poured through
Caine’s
body, all the more visible against the backdrop of
the dark night. He dropped to the ground, his eyes sinking shut, his body
shuddering under the assault.

“No!” She fought with everything she had.

Pogue lifted the stun gun off
Caine
and pointed it in her direction. “You need to calm down or you’ll be deemed as
a threat to our survival and treated just like your enemy lover.”

“Fuck you!” She kept fighting.

“That’s enough.” Winthrop had made his way to the front now.

“Stay out of this, Winthrop,” growled Pogue “We may need to
keep you alive, but you’re not in charge any more. This situation now falls
under the realm of a threat to our survival. My territory.”

Winthrop’s hand flew to his neck as if to check that the
Command Council brand was still there. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

“The bitch deserves what she gets.” Mitchell filled the
silence, aping his leader’s example while still holding her in a painful grip.
“If you lay with animals, you get treated like one.”

Only Ransom and Winthrop didn’t nod in agreement.

“Always said I wanted to see this particular one tied up and
restrained.” Pogue’s smile was terrifying.

She forced herself not to rise to their bait. “This is still
a Council mission.” Her gaze locked on
Caine
, taking
heart from the steady rise and fall of his chest. “Winthrop, you are the
highest ranking officer here. You can decide what happens next.” Reaching him
was her only hope. “Not because you’re Council, but because you’re a good man
who knows what’s right. Just because we’re on Dragath25 doesn’t mean we do away
with order and justice.”

“I’m in charge now,” roared Pogue. “Not him. Not the Council.
Me!”

 
“Winthrop,” she
pleaded, “don’t let this happen. It’s not right. You came here to save
humanity. You risked your life for what you thought was right. Don’t tarnish
that now. Don’t let us become nothing more than beasts.”

Winthrop took a defiant step toward Pogue. Then Winthrop’s gaze
landed on the hard stares of the other soldiers, and he took an instinctual
shuffle step back, curling into himself, adrift without the mantle of Council
entitlement. He held out his hands, palms up in a placating gesture that had
bile rising in the back of Bella’s throat. “I don’t…this—this is silly.” His
gaze met neither
hers
nor Pogue’s. “We all need to
just take a deep breath and think things through. Bella can come with me while
you question the prisoner. We’re all just trying to do the right thing here.”