Stolen Desire (Outlawed Realm) Read online

  Nothing. Not even rapid blinking this time. It was as though he were a statue, unaware or unconcerned with anything she’d say.

  Paige didn’t panic. Instead, a growing fury at all this shit—the audacity of anyone to treat fellow humans like this—raged through her and made her calm. Reverting to her legal training, she grew as unemotional as Domm Zorr, as intent on winning.

  “If I’m caught with this device and the guards torture me, they’ll know I contacted you about Nikoli. I overheard the guards saying that your people believe Nikoli is dead. I know he’s not. I can see it in your eyes. Do you want the guards to confirm that by beating the information out of me? Do you want them telling Vakar?”

  Once more, his blink rate increased. Paige wanted to press on, to threaten, cajole. Whatever it took to get him to give her the information she needed. Deep inside, she figured that wouldn’t move him. With no other choice, she simply waited and prayed.

  Perspiration drenched her. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

  When he stepped back, she blurted, “Please.” If he turned off the transmission or left the room, she’d have no way to help Zekin. Quick tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. “I’m begging—”

  “I’ll warn him you’re coming,” Domm interrupted with no inflection or seeming empathy for what she was going through. “He’ll be prepared for your arrival. To help you if you tell the truth. To eliminate you if you lie.”

  Paige swallowed. “I’m not lying. We need your help. Please, tell me how to use this to get to him.” Again, she showed him the device.

  He never took his focus off her, nor did his intonation waver as he provided instructions on how to calibrate the thing to Nikoli’s location.

  “My son won’t let you harm Regina,” Domm promised. “If you lie, he and the others on his side will see you dead.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zekin worked on the device in the dining hall, using the latitude and longitude Domm Zorr had provided. Male and female slaves stood nearby, curious enough to watch, too timid to ask questions.

  Dressed in one of the camouflage shirts, Paige paced at Zekin’s side, no doubt eager to return to her realm, her home…away from all the trouble here. Reconciled, finally, to leaving him.

  Within a few minutes, he’d never see her again.

  The enormity of it hit Zekin too quickly. A spasm twisted his gut and chest, the pain deepening his grief. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to concentrate on the device. He had no tomorrows to look forward to, just as he’d told Paige earlier. This was his life now. Before long, it would be his death. He and the others here might have what her dimension referred to as a few months. Perhaps only days. Or mere hours. Who knew?

  Did it really matter?

  Zekin told himself it did not. His body refused to believe him, his neck and shoulders aching. Ignoring them, he continued to work and at last had the device calibrated perfectly. He stood and held it out to Paige.

  Her steps slowed, then stopped. However, she didn’t take it.

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” he assured. “It will bring you to Nikoli’s home.”

  Her eyes filled with tears that sparkled in the ever-present light. She looked as lost and bereft as he felt.

  Zekin’s pulse jumped, a thread of hope racing through him that she didn’t want to leave now that the time had actually come. Just as quickly, he reminded himself that if she remained, she’d be as doomed as the rest of them.

  Zekin took her hand and placed the device in it. “You have to go back.”

  “Come with me,” she murmured, cradling his face with her free hand.

  Its softness and heat, her female scent undermined his resolve. He imagined starting a new life with her, living in a realm where there was true freedom, its rulers encouraging men to seek love and to celebrate it rather than burdening them with endless duty.

  And honor.

  That part of him was so deeply ingrained, Zekin knew he couldn’t save himself as others died. “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can—listen to me,” she begged. “You can return here if that’s what you want. But at least come with me and talk to Nikoli. He may have a way to save everyone here. They can all cross over as we will.”

  She still believed that. How nice it would have been if he’d been able to convince himself of the same. Zekin couldn’t. Reason told him it was impossible. He turned his face into her palm, kissing it, savoring her warmth, knowing it would be the last time he experienced anything so precious and soothing.

  Reluctantly, he pulled her hand away. “What about the women from your realm that the guards are still bringing here? What about the pleasure slaves? Someone has to help them.”

  “So they can come to this colony and die anyway?” she argued.

  “It’s the best I can do.”

  Paige looked stricken, then threw her arms around him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound like a criticism. There has to be a way we can help everyone. Nikoli may know how. If you don’t like what he has to say, you can come back here. I won’t stop you.”

  She’d try, and he’d be tempted. He was only a man, imperfect, wanting.

  “Please,” she whispered, kissing his cheek and throat.

  He sighed noisily, helpless in her embrace. His mind drifted, his mother’s face filling his thoughts, the ice in her eyes and tone as she denounced him to the state, calling him a coward. He saw Vakar’s pleased smile, because he’d duped his people to believe everything he claimed. Zekin recalled Eeete’s terror shortly before he’d rescued her. She’d expected to die in the most horrible way possible. Stalked by Vakar and his men. Arrows piercing her throat, heart, belly. Zekin had given her a little longer to live. At last free, yet still trapped here.

  She had no upcoming moments to anticipate or celebrate, certainly not the kind Paige had known in the past and would enjoy again. None of them had experienced that. None of them would. It was impossible. Too much to ask or hope for.

  “Zekin—don’t.”

  He took another step away from Paige.

  She held out her arms, wanting him back in her embrace.

  He rubbed his fingers over his mouth. Eeete stood to the side, watching. Despite her submissive demeanor, Zekin recognized her sorrow, the one emotion she’d known too well and for too long.

  His skin burned with sudden rage at the unfairness of it all. How Vakar had doomed all of them.

  “Zekin?” Paige said again.

  He regarded the device and spoke before he knew he would. “I’ll talk to him, but I have to come back.”

  She nodded quickly. “Eeete, come with us.” Paige held out her hand.

  The young woman didn’t budge.

  “It’s all right,” Paige coaxed. “You’ll be safe. Zekin and I will see to it.”

  Eeete looked at him for confirmation.

  He nodded, affirming what Paige had promised.

  Eeete still didn’t join them.

  “You have a question?” Zekin asked the young woman. “A concern? Ask it. Now.”

  She obeyed immediately. “Will I return when you do?”

  Zekin shook his head. “You’ll stay with Paige. You’ll be unharmed on her realm. You’ll be free.”

  Eeete’s mouth trembled. Zekin wasn’t certain whether it was from fear of entering the portal or relief that her imprisonment was finally at an— “Eeete!” he shouted.

  She tore down the hall.

  “Don’t,” Paige said, holding his arm to stop him from following. “She doesn’t want to go. She wants to be here if you…that is, when you return. Eeete adores you, Zekin.”

  He frowned. “She has a chance to be free. I won’t let her lose it.”

  “If she’s really free, you can’t make the decision for her. I know. I want to do the same. But I won’t. I can’t.”

  Paige’s reasoning surprised and angered him.

  “We can always come back for her,” Paige promised. “Convince h
er then to cross over. Tell her what my realm has to offer.”

  She was speaking as though he’d already decided to stay on E1. He could not. Would not.

  Paige offered him her hand. Zekin wanted to hesitate, to reason this out, but his heart wouldn’t allow that. Too easily, he laced his fingers through hers.

  Several of the pleasure slaves had gathered around them, their curiosity again overcoming their reserve. Among the crowd were Qatar and Bruda.

  “See to everyone’s safety until I return,” Zekin ordered.

  His men nodded.

  Zekin took the device from Paige and activated it. The wall in front of them quivered, then liquefied, the fishlike creatures and water disappearing, replaced by blazing light. Air hissed from the portal. Its vacuum pulled.

  Together, he and Paige entered the unfamiliar space.

  Unmindful of her direction, Eeete ran to the intake area, stopping finally when there was nowhere else to go. Her chest heaved with her ragged gasps. She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She had no right to love. No right to expect the same from Zekin.

  He wanted Paige. That truth was in how he gazed at her, the way he spoke when they were together. He’d never desire another woman more. However, he would return to the colony—without her—and Eeete knew she’d have to be here to welcome him. Help him to ease his grief.

  She’d mimic Paige’s voice, how she moved, the way she touched him. She’d do all that she could to become Paige so Zekin wouldn’t feel so alone. She’d remain at his side, serving and loving him until the end came.

  She’d want him even after that.

  Eyes closed, head down, Eeete sank to the floor, misery and then weariness claiming her. She wanted only to sleep, to dream of Zekin. In her fantasies, she’d pictured them in their own room at the Pleasure Palace, away from the other slaves and the guards. Free to do what they wished. She always imagined him regarding her with lust and tenderness. His embrace was gentle, as though he valued her.

  They spoke of a future where they’d always be together in their room. Safe. Happy. Wanting nothing except each other.

  Eeete dropped to the side and pulled her knees to her chest. The metal floor vibrated beneath her weight. Despite its heat from the volcanic ground, there was also a whisper of cold air. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She wondered where Zekin and Paige were now. Had they reached their destination? Were they all right?

  Eeete squeezed her fists at the thought of anyone harming either of them. She wanted nothing bad to happen to Paige. The woman had shown her kindness and respect. If it hadn’t been for Zekin, Eeete would have gone to the other realm with Paige, grateful to stay there, prepared to serve her.

  The floor vibrated again. The cold deepened. Eeete heard a faint sucking sound.

  She turned to the doorway, expecting to see Zekin’s men or some of the pleasure slaves approach, their movements responsible for the noise.

  The hall was empty.

  Beneath her, the metal shivered once more. The cold and sucking sound persisted.

  Confused and uneasy, she pushed to a sitting position and glanced at the door that led to the water. The metal barrier remained closed. Intact.

  Water creatures swam by, their colorless bodies turning orange as they darted past eruptions of lava. Great clouds of steam hid their retreat from Eeete. Underwater smoke reached the pod’s transparent wall, pressing against it, making it seem to move.

  To dissolve.

  One minute, intense light surrounded Paige and Zekin, their bodies buffeted by icy winds. The next, they faced the kitchen of an obviously upscale home with shiny hardwood floors, mahogany cabinets and granite counters.

  Zekin pulled Paige out of the portal. She sensed it closing behind her but didn’t bother to look.

  The scent of cinnamon, bacon and baking bread permeated the air, capturing her attention, along with a hint of furniture polish with a fresh lemon fragrance. Everything had a homey, vintage look about it, like something out of the 1950s.

  However, this wasn’t a scene from Leave It to Beaver or Father Knows Best.

  Paige couldn’t stop shaking. Her teeth still chattered from the cold inside the portal—and the couple facing them.

  The man was about the same age as Zekin, with the same features. Nikoli. He pointed the muzzle of his weapon at Zekin’s chest. The redheaded woman next to him trained her weapon on Paige. Had to be Regina. Their guns were similar, though not exact, to the ones Paige and Zekin had taken to E5’s surface. These weapons were an even metallic gray rather than blue or red that indicated what kind of dart they contained. Sedating or lethal.

  Not wanting to find out, Paige lifted her hands in surrender. “We’re unarmed.”

  Regina and Nikoli regarded Zekin. He lifted his hands.

  Wasn’t enough for Nikoli.

  “Wait,” Regina said as he moved toward Zekin.

  “It’s all right,” Nikoli assured, his accent and voice similar to Zekin’s but not as deep. “Just keep me covered.”

  Worry etched Regina’s features. “No. Wait.” When he did, keeping his distance from Zekin, she continued, “Your father didn’t say anything about a man coming here too. There were only supposed to be two women.”

  “I couldn’t tell Domm Zorr about Zekin,” Paige blurted, gesturing to him. “I didn’t know whether we could trust Domm Zorr or not. If he was loyal to Vakar, he might have alerted the bastard about what was happening in the colony on E5 and his men would have taken Zekin prisoner again. No way could I allow that. That’s why I lied about the guards discussing Nikoli. To get Domm Zorr to help. None of it was true. They don’t know about you,” Paige said to Nikoli. “At least I don’t think they do.”

  He and Regina exchanged a glance.

  “Zekin won’t hurt anyone,” Paige added, stepping closer to protect him with her body.

  Regina wasn’t having it. “Uh-uh.” She gestured with her gun for Paige to move back.

  She couldn’t.

  Regina frowned. “Don’t make me fire this thing.”

  “It’s all right,” Zekin said to Paige. “Move away from me.”

  Fisting her hands, she did. With a great deal of caution—no doubt for Regina’s benefit—Nikoli patted Zekin down. He reminded Paige of actors on cop dramas checking out the perps they’d caught. Satisfied that Zekin carried no hidden weapons, Nikoli turned to Paige, hands raised, but didn’t touch her.

  “I’ll do it.”

  Paige regarded the young woman who stood next to a man at the kitchen table. She wore her dark hair very short. Her skin was a rich coppery shade, her exotic features betraying her mixed ethnicity. She held a regular gun, with bullets, that she pointed at Paige’s heart.

  “Don’t worry, I’m an RN,” she said. “I save lives instead of taking them. I promise not to hurt you unless you force me to do so.”

  Uh-huh. Paige stiffened at the woman patting her down. The man—who seemed to be with her—stepped closer. He was decidedly handsome, his brown hair long, the ends grazing his broad, muscular shoulders. They tensed in what appeared to be fury as he continued to glare at Zekin.

  Zekin, in turn, didn’t try to restrain his frown. Something he rarely did.

  “Don’t.” Nikoli put out his arm to stop the other man from moving closer. “Zekin’s not one of the rulers.”

  “I’m not a loyal subject of the realm either,” Zekin said. “Not any longer.” Hurriedly, he told them of taking over the penal colony, rescuing the pleasure slaves and women the guards had kidnapped from E1.

  “I only travelled here with Paige,” he added, “to make certain she’d arrived safely. That no one would harm her.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” she said, ignoring the way Zekin glared at her. “Zekin’s men and the pleasure slaves they’ve rescued can’t stay in the colony forever. If Vakar doesn’t find out about them and attack, the guards on E5 eventually will. They’ll either kill or imprison them again. This time, they’ll
probably torture them to death. We need to bring them over just as you did with the escaped slaves. I saw a hologram of them at the guards’ outpost.” Paige turned to Zekin. “What did you say their names are?”

  “Lukan and Arez,” Regina offered.

  Paige regarded the young woman with the gun and the hot guy next to her. He certainly looked like a pleasure slave, though not the one from the hologram. The dark-haired woman didn’t even come close. She was striking, not gorgeous. Unusual in appearance, not flawless.

  “This is Gwen and Kuma,” Nikoli said.

  “A werewolf from E4,” Zekin added.

  Paige stared. “What?”

  He ignored her question and spoke to Nikoli. “Are the guards still coming to your plane to kidnap women?”

  “Kuma and I are out every night to stop them,” Gwen said. “The times they do show up, we kick their asses to E3.”

  “How many of them have you stopped?” Zekin asked.

  Kuma frowned. “Not enough. They keep crossing over.”

  Zekin looked troubled at this news, then resolved. “Take care of Paige,” he said to Nikoli, his tone imploring. “Keep her safe, please.”

  “No—wait.” She gripped Zekin’s arm before he could reactivate the device. “You can’t go back and keep risking your life until you die. I won’t let you.”

  He regarded her with longing and obvious torment, more emotion than he’d ever shown. As if they were alone, Zekin cradled the side of Paige’s face. “I have to help the others,” he murmured. “I have no choice. You heard what Kuma said. The guards are still crossing over.”

  “We could stay here. We could fight the guards with Kuma and Gwen so no other women are taken.”

  “What of the ones we don’t destroy? What of the pleasure slaves Vakar and his kind still hunt in E4’s jungle?”

  Paige didn’t want to care about them. She wanted to be selfish, to have him next to her. Safe. Protected. Happy. Alive. “You can’t save everyone,” she whispered, hating herself even as she said it.