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  Covert Desires

  Chandra Ryan

  Universal Defiance, Book Six

  Rowe is a Sub Type Five—a prophet—so her future should be laid out in front of her, clear as the stars in the night sky. But since Type Fives can’t remember their visions once they wake, the only thing she’s certain of is her overwhelming attraction to her partner, Jack. And that the desire seems one-sided. Jack does everything he can to put space between them.

  After working undercover together to bring down a militia group, she discovers she got that one wrong though. Some hot encounters reveal that Jack wants her as much as she wants him. But they’ll have to survive the final mission and discover the identity of its mastermind before she finds out what their future holds.

  A Romantica® sci-fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Covert Desires

  Chandra Ryan

  Acknowledgment

  This series would not have happened if not for the loving support of my husband, the constant encouragement from the amazingly talented Rebecca Royce, and the fantastic direction I received from my editor Beverly Horne. You guys are awesome and I am truly blessed to have you in my life.

  Chapter One

  Rowe took a deep breath and tried to remain emotionally detached as the men around her postured for their egos’ sake. She didn’t bother with the nonsense though. Her needs were best served by appearing as small and nonthreatening as possible. As crazy and as dangerous as it might seem, this was exactly where she was meant to be.

  “How do we know she’s a Sub?” A balding, overweight man pushed forward in the crowd to get a better look at her. And as the nauseating stench that wafted from his body reached her it was all she could do not to take a step back. He was so ripe it made her eyes water. But she managed to hold her ground.

  “I have all her paperwork right here.” Jack held up a data chip as he spoke. “And she freely admits it. I don’t know anyone who would say she was a Sub unless she was one.”

  Yeah, she couldn’t imagine a human saying he was a Sub either. Why would he? Humans were born. Two people in love—or at the very least in a state of profound passion—conceived them. That new human was an extension of that passion. Where did Subs come from? A crazy geneticist created them in a laboratory. And it didn’t matter what title or definer people gave them, in the end they were nothing more than a reflection of his insanity. Case in point, the government might say she was a citizen but the men in front of her would never accept that. To them she would always be a mad scientist’s handiwork. And as such, property to be bought and sold.

  The man took her chip and loaded it into his digital reader. “Says here she’s a Sub Type Five. What do Type Fives do?”

  “She’s a prophet.” Jack looked over at Rowe and nodded. “This little lady right here can tell the future. I imagine you wouldn’t have a difficult time putting that talent to good use.”

  “If that’s true then tell us the winning lottery numbers for this week.”

  Fine. If numbers were what they wanted, she could make some up easily enough. She and Jack would be long gone by the time the real numbers were announced. “Eight, fourteen, thirty-two—”

  “Shut up.” A hard shake from Jack made her do just that. “You don’t speak unless I give you permission. Do you understand me?”

  “Of course.”

  He turned back to the group. “That’s all you’ll be getting until we reach an agreement.” Jack braced his hands on his hips casually as he spoke. The move made his fingertips brush against the hilt of his weapon noticeably. But Rowe guessed the gesture was just more bravado and not intended as a real threat.

  “This agreement, would it include her?” There was a hard glint in the man’s eyes that made her want to duck behind Jack. She didn’t want to look at him any longer. He wasn’t a good person. But the role she was playing wouldn’t allow her to seek any comfort or aid from Jack. He was her captor. Her betrayer. Or at least that was what these men needed to believe. So she opted for staring at the ground at her feet instead.

  “No. This one is mine.” She only wished that were true. She couldn’t count the number of times she thought about what it’d be like to belong to him during this assignment. It didn’t seem as if it was fated to be though. They were almost done with this case and Jack hadn’t made one move on her. If anything he’d seemed more and more distant as the assignment proceeded. He’d even put a stop to the weekly pizza and informal debrief. Now all meetings had to take place in the office with a transcriptionist. It was just the way things were. She had to accept it. As far as he was concerned this was just another mission and she was just another partner. When they brought down this militia they’d be assigned new partners and would go their separate ways. “But I could make sure you had access to a Five.” Jack smiled. “Then you’d know everything the government did.”

  Which was nothing. Type Fives couldn’t remember their visions after they woke. It was one of the most frustrating parts of her existence. Somewhere deep inside her she knew everything that could and would happen. But that knowledge was just out of reach.

  “So you know where we could get our hands on some Subs of our own?”

  She shuddered at the statement. She shouldn’t have. That’s why they were there. They needed to broker a deal. But she couldn’t help it. The thought of any of her kind being at the mercy of this man was sickening.

  Jack’s fingertips brushed against her back in what she could only assume was a gesture of support. One that, thankfully, the men couldn’t see. “For the right price,” he answered.

  “And what would that price be?”

  Jack quoted the number and Rowe felt her heartbeat speed up. This was it. Were they going to take the bait? If not they’d have to find another way to figure out who headed this group. If they did take it, however… Well then, they would be one step closer to Subs being able to sleep a little sounder at night.

  Mr. Bald-and-Smelly turned to the man behind him and started whispering. The conversation didn’t take long but it was enough time for Jack to shift his weight. She wasn’t an empath but she didn’t need to be to know he was starting to get anxious. She’d gotten to know him pretty well over the last couple of months as they prepared for this mission. He always got antsy when he was uncertain.

  “We have to talk to the boss before we can approve that kind of money.”

  “I’d be happy to speak with him.” Jack’s voice was all practiced salesman. “Make sure he understands the benefits to investing his money with me.”

  “We’ll have to clear any in-person meeting with him before it could happen, of course. And he won’t be back until sometime tomorrow. You’d have to stay in the camp until he’s made his decision.”

  Not an ideal situation for her. She’d be in constant danger as long as she stayed here. Still, somehow this felt right. Her gut told her they were on the right path. And she’d learned to listen to her gut over the years.

  She opened her right hand and flexed her fingers. It should look like nothing more than a stretch or a nervous tic to the others but Jack would understand what it really meant. They were staying in the camp—for now.

  “I have a day—two at the most—until I have to move on. But you’d better not be jerking me around. Subs are a hot commodity and there aren’t many brokers,” Jack said. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to piss off one of the few dealers who know where the merchandise is hiding.”

  “Oh he’ll be here,” the man said with a nod. “He wouldn’t want to miss out on this.” He glanced over his shoulder before continuing. “Thomas, show this man to his quarters.”

  “My Sub and I will be sharing private quarters as long as we’re your guests.”

  “But—”
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br />   A nervous flutter skimmed through the pit of her stomach, leaving her uncertain and anxious. The sensation was her subconscious way of telling her they’d reached a fork in one of her many forgotten visions. In most cases it wouldn’t really matter which path they took. But occasionally it did. One option was correct and the others disastrous. This was one of those times.

  She fisted her hand to clue Jack in on her discomfort. They’d gone over all these commands just a few hours ago but as the anxiety built she worried he might have forgotten.

  “No. No buts. She stays with me and we bunk alone or I walk.”

  “You think you can just walk out of here?” The man snorted as he looked around at the crowd of men.

  “Nope. I know I can thanks to my little Sub here. She was able to tell me the exact sequence of actions that would allow us to make a clean getaway. I’d start by shooting out your kneecaps. The two men closest to you would jump at me but they’d slip on this patch of mud I’m currently standing on.” She had to give him credit. Jack knew how to bluff. The scenario seemed plausible. And he said it with enough certainty that even she gave it some thought. “There’s more, of course. But that’s all I’m sharing. If you want to know how it ends, you’ll just have to try to stop us.” Jack wrapped a hand around her elbow as if he were about to take his toy and go home. “But it doesn’t work out well for you, my friend.”

  Apparently the pretense was enough to convince him. “Fine. Thomas here will take you to Cabin Seven. But I have to say, the boss would probably be more in favor of the deal if you’d let us test her out a bit. See what she could do for ourselves.”

  “Not going to happen.” Jack’s voice was steady and sure but no longer hostile. “But I do appreciate the hospitality. Maybe I’ll even consider taking room and board off the estimate I gave you. If we manage to work out a deal.” His hand on her elbow tensed as they followed Thomas though the crowd. She did her best not to notice though. Her stomach had finally settled. Which meant they’d managed to stay on the right path. All of her attention had to be focused on keeping them there. She might not remember what would happen to them if they wandered off it but she was willing to bet it wouldn’t be pleasant. Not under their current circumstances.

  Thomas led them to the small stretch of cabins at the back of the property in silence. Which was nice. Silence always helped her concentrate. When he opened the door, though, he decided to finally speak. “Can you really see the future?”

  She looked at the ground instead of answering him.

  “What do you see in my future?” he asked.

  She focused on him and opened her consciousness to the universal energy surrounding them. She might not be able to actually see anything when she was awake but she felt a lot—if she was paying attention. And she was paying close attention to everything right now. The responding fear that slammed into her nearly made her gag. It was an emotion she wasn’t well versed in. She’d lived a rather sheltered life so far. But she’d experienced it enough times to recognize it. And to recognize its source.

  She couldn’t be sure of what or when but this man—Thomas—would do terrible things. She could feel it in her soul. She hissed at him through her teeth like an injured animal and tried to put as much distance between herself and him as possible. Jack’s grip held her firmly in place, however. With any option of escape blocked, she took a steadying breath and decided to face her fear. She gave herself a second to calm her nerves and then answered him. “I see that you’ve chosen the wrong path. You’re a coward and a sadist. Suffering and misery surround you.”

  Pain exploded through her head and brought her to her knees as Jack backhanded her. He hadn’t hit her full strength. If he had she most likely would’ve lost a couple of teeth. But it’d been enough to make her ears ring and her nose bleed. It also left her filled with the momentary sting of betrayal. She quickly reminded herself who and where she was though. She’d insulted their host. Jack had only reacted as his character would.

  And it appeared as if the move worked when Thomas started laughing. “Looks like you were right. I am surrounded by pain. Yours. And you know what? I so like it that way.” With that he walked away.

  Jack pulled her up roughly before guiding her through the open cabin door. As soon as he shut it behind them he pulled out his digital reader and stared at it in silence. He was checking to see if there were any digital signals being broadcasted from their quarters. If there were it would mean they were being spied on. And she had to stay in character until he had the results. She walked over to one of the dusty cots and then slumped down on it as she pinched her nose to help stem the flow of blood.

  “We’re clear.” He put the reader away in his jacket pocket before starting to dig through his backpack. “I’m so sorry. I just… I can’t…” He shook his head as he came back up with a handheld x-ray camera. “You can’t bait men like Thomas.”

  “Please.” She scoffed at him as she tried to push the camera away with her free hand. “You didn’t break anything.” She almost smiled at the way her voice sounded with her nose pinched but was stopped by the burning in her upper lip. Had he split that as well? A quick brush of her tongue gave her the answer. She’d never liked the taste of blood. Especially not her own.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence but I’ll feel better after seeing the images myself.” He repositioned the device in front of her face and took a couple of pictures. “What were you thinking?”

  “He asked a question. I gave him an answer.”

  Jack looked at the display for a few seconds longer. “It appears you’re right. No permanent damage.”

  “See. I’ll be fine.” She looked up at him and winked. “It all works out in the end.”

  He put the camera down on the cot next her before going down to his knees. They were now eye to eye. It wasn’t one of her favorite positions. She always felt exposed when someone stared into her eyes. They were, after all, the windows to one’s soul. But with Jack she didn’t mind as much.

  “Do you have any idea what could’ve happened out there? I’m damn good at bluffing. But if he would’ve called it, if he would’ve expected more of a punishment, we’d be dead right now.” He ran his fingers through his short blond hair in apparent frustration. “This isn’t a game.”

  “It kind of is,” she corrected. An elaborate and dangerous game with high stakes but a game nonetheless.

  “No. It’s not. It’s an assignment. You have a job to do.”

  “A part to play. I know.”

  He nodded. “Do you? I mean, do you really? You cannot go off script for this. There’s no improvisation allowed.”

  “I’m a captive. Everything I did fit within that parameter.” Standing up to Thomas might not have been the smartest thing she’d ever done but it was something a prisoner might do. “And I was right about him. I don’t know what he’s done or what he’s going to do but it’s bad. The man is evil.”

  “I’ve no doubt of that. Every man currently within a five-mile radius has done bad things. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Maybe. But there are none worse than him.”

  “Gut feeling?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which is a subconscious echo of a forgotten vision.”

  “That’s what the doctors tell me.” And what she’d come to believe after a lot of trial and error. “And it’s why I was put on this case.”

  He shook his head but then sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep an eye on him.” He stood and stretched. For one brief moment she allowed herself to push her concerns to the back of her mind so she could enjoy the view. It was too bad he was so obsessed with work. They would be good together. He was lean and tall. And the right height so that when he stood in front of her just now, her face was level with his cock.

  It would be so easy to undo his pants and lean forward. She could be leaving kisses along the plane of his abdomen in mere seconds. And it seemed so reasonable that she even found herself licking her lips in antic
ipation. She wanted him. He was all muscle under his shirt. It wasn’t a guess. She could see it in her mind. And she could feel the warmth of his skin under her lips.

  “You okay, Rowe?”

  She shook her head and forced herself to return to the present. “Yeah. I’m good. Just caught a glimpse of a path I must not have taken this time around.”

  “I didn’t think it worked that way.”

  She pushed him back a step or two. She needed space so she could breathe. Whatever had taken them to that path didn’t exist in this reality. In this reality he wasn’t attracted to her. With all the distance he’d put between them she wasn’t even sure he liked her. She had to remember that. “It doesn’t. Only it just did. And I’m not sure why.”

  “I guess those doctors don’t have everything figured out yet.” He shrugged as he spoke. “What happened in the vision? Was it about Thomas?”

  “No.” She stared up at him, still slightly confused. “It was a happy path. Momentarily at least.”

  His brow furrowed in apparent confusion. “I have no idea what that means.”

  “That’s because it didn’t happen.” And it wasn’t going to happen. She yawned but it quickly became a grimace as the cut on her lip opened again. “I’m tired.”

  “It has been a long day.”

  “And tomorrow is going to be longer.”

  He cocked his head as he looked at her. “Is that prophecy or a gut feeling?”

  She smiled as she stretched out on the cot. It amused her that he still tried to label and categorize everything. “Call it what you will. It is what it is. And it will happen as it’s meant to be.”

  “I don’t do well with riddles, Rowe.” He sat on the cot across from hers.

  “It wasn’t a riddle. It was a fact.”

  “Of course. Simple as that.” He leaned back and braced himself on the wall before pulling out his reader and turning the device on. Most likely he was doing more research. She imagined he was looking up plans for the encampment. Or memorizing possible escape routes. Maybe he was putting faces to criminal histories and trying to figure out the identity of the big boss. Whatever it was it made him frown.