JakesPrisoner Read Free Page B

man he had taken Tanith
away from the previous night. Damn. He had to find her.
    * * * * *
    It was late afternoon by the time Jake reached her
apartment. His Fleet Command uniform drew a curious look from the concierge but
he gave him Tanith’s apartment number anyway. He had four hours before he had
to be back on board the ship. Jake pressed Tanith’s door com and waited. No
reply. Maybe she wasn’t home. Maybe he was getting worked up over nothing. The
door opened a crack and he caught a glimpse of a tearstained face before she
closed it swiftly. Jake pressed the door com again. “Let me in, Tanith,
please.”
    The door of the neighboring apartment opened and Jake
received a frosty glare from an elderly resident. “Please leave or I will call
law enforcement services again.”
    “What do you mean again?” Jake advanced toward the neighbor,
who scuttled back into the safety of her apartment.
    “This is a nice facility. We don’t want her kind here.” With
that, the door slammed shut in his face. What the hell was going on?
    “Jake.” Tanith’s voice came in a low whisper and he followed
her inside.
    Although she had made an effort to clean up, it was obvious
that the room had been ransacked. Cushions had been sliced open, a small table
lay broken in one corner and the remains of a large glass mirror had been swept
into the middle of the room. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been such a cocky
bastard last night, none of this would have happened. Tanith sat on the edge of
the couch. Without the exotic makeup, she looked younger and somehow
vulnerable.
    “Who did this?” Jake’s heart sank, he guessed what was
coming.
    “Atam’s men, when I wouldn’t go with them. They kept asking
if Raoul had sent me a key.”
    “Did they hurt you?” Please say no, or he would have to
track them down and break every bone in their bodies.
    Tanith sniffed loudly and shook her head. “No. They were
just trying to scare me.”
    Jake sat down on one of the torn cushions and pulled her
into his arms. He couldn’t do this. Seducing her for information about her
brother was one thing, but involving Atam Sorza was something entirely
different. Strom would have to find another way of catching Raoul.
    Between bouts of tears, she told him about her wild brother,
Raoul, and Atam Sorza, who had drawn him into a life of crime. There was some
conflict between them and she was being dragged into it. “Don’t get involved
with me, Jake. My life is a mess.”
    Jake stroked her hair away from her face, twisting the silky
dark strands between his fingers. “It’s too late for that. I’m already
involved.”
    He was surprised to find that he meant it. Tanith snuggled
against his chest. Her breathing became slow and regular and he realized that
she had fallen asleep. Jake watched through the large window as each of the
suns set and the room became dark around them. He was due back on board the
ship in less than an hour.
    She didn’t waken when he carried her to bed and draped a
quilt over her. Next to a bottle of perfume on her dressing table was a small
laser weapon, similar to the one she had worn strapped to her thigh the
previous night. On a low shelf near the window were framed images of a
well-dressed man and a woman with dark, sad eyes. Above them was an impressive
display of gymnastics trophies. He liked the muted opulence of the room. What
he didn’t like was the half-packed bag on the floor beside the bed. Tanith was
scared and she was getting ready to run. Jake returned to the sitting room and
commed Pete before going to explore the kitchen.
     
    Tanith woke with a start. The room was dark. She couldn’t
remember going to bed and there was noise coming from the kitchen. She
stretched out her hand, reaching for her weapon. Padding quietly along the
carpeted corridor, she opened the door. The human was cooking and, from the
aromas wafting around the room, he knew his way around a food preparation unit.
The table was set for