Vexing Voss:Coletti Warlords 03(4)

"That would be unfortunate. Zero-five-hundred."

"Perfect." I broke the link and sagged against the wall with a groan. What had I done?

My cell phone beeped. "Hello?"

The raspy voice of my private investigator, Pete, announced, "El Jefe will be at Latin King's Family Farm this Friday at ten."

Crap. The wiretaps had finally paid off, and I knew where one of the  traitors would be tomorrow. If the Battle Commander won, I would never  find my mother's murderer.





Chapter Two

The rising sun painted the cloud-covered sky bloodred. I sure hoped it  wasn't an omen. I knew the Battle Commander wouldn't kill me. My psychic  skills made me too valuable.

Voss might toss me around a bit to teach me a lesson, or he'd just  pounce and take me down in the first ten seconds. Game over, and El Jefe  and the traitors would keep on killing.

My inner radar prickled a warning as I rode my motorcycle through the  open base gates. Jaylan was lurking nearby, waiting for me to chicken  out.

The two sentries saluted sharply.

I saluted them back, wincing when the gates slammed shut behind me.

Grim-faced soldiers lined the roadway to the gym. As I drove past them,  they saluted. I was kind of surprised and overwhelmed at the honor. Had  the general arranged this? Nah, wasn't his style. Daddy was probably  drunk on his ass celebrating with Jasmine the whore.

The minute I turned the engine off and removed my helmet, Jaylan  appeared in a spiffy black dress uniform with a ceremonial sword  strapped to his waist.

I'd love to be able to teleport anywhere I wanted go.

His gaze swept over my long shiny black hair, flawless skin marred only  by the bruise Daddy had given me; lingered for a moment on my curvy  figure revealed by the formfitting black T-shirt and jeans I wore,  before examining my steel-toed boots and weapons. "Why would you hide  such beauty?"

"Gee, let me think. Oh yeah, it's the fate worse than death. You know, being forced to mate with some Coletti asshole."

Jaylan bared his fangs in a predator's smile. "You have no choice. The Battle Commander awaits you."

Choice? He might be surprised at how many choices I had. Fluttering my  eyelashes like some Southern belle, I gushed, "Gosh, I'm all atwitter in  anticipation."

"I can see why your father wanted to beat you."

"Speaking of beatings, have you ever heard the story of Donna and Goliath?"

"No." A firm hand at my back, he herded me toward the gym.

"Goliath was a giant Philistine warrior brought down by an itty-bitty female."

Jaylan laughed. "A female will never defeat the Battle Commander."

"You're one hundred percent sure of that?"

With a low growl, Jaylan yanked the door open and shoved me inside the gym.

My eyes widened in horror as I surveyed my opponent. The Battle  Commander was shirtless, barefoot, and weaponless. He probably thought  the sight of all those awesome muscles would intimidate me, and boy, did  they. He'd scare the piss out of anyone with a lick of sense.

Good thing I didn't have a lick of sense. I sucked in a deep, calming  breath and fought down the urge to run screaming. I wouldn't get very  far even if I did make a run for it.                       
       
           



       

"Still think you can win?"

No, even being a sneaky bitch, my chances ranged from slim to none. "The big guy's going down," I blustered.

Jaylan snorted. "You won't last one of your minutes."

"Care to place a bet on that?"

The warlord cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "You wish to wager on the outcome of the fight?"

"Yep. If I last longer than one of our minutes, I get that nifty sword of yours."

"And if you do not?"

I slid the knife out of my boot, and I held it up. "Then this genuine black oxide SEAL combat knife is yours."

Jaylan suddenly snapped to attention. "The Battle Commander waits."

"So?"

"You delay the inevitable," Voss warned in my head.

I turned around and gave him the one-finger salute. "Go fuck a duck."

Displaying an awesome set of fangs, Voss answered, "I'd rather fuck you."

"Not happening. Ever," I snarled, putting my knife back into the sheath.

The smug bastard started laughing. "I will soon be inside you."

"I'll die first."

"No you will not die, but you will submit to me eagerly." Voss's  possessive gaze surveyed me from head to toe. "I am very pleased with  your beauty."

"I can't tell you how happy that makes me," I retorted sarcastically.

"You would do well to hold your tongue."

My temper roared to life. He was so going down. I stomped across the  thickly padded floor toward the Battle Commander. He was a satanic  figure-massive, motionless, and wholly focused on me.

I stopped directly in front of him and snapped, "I want Alejandro released now."

"The only one I accept commands from is the Overlord," Voss responded, folding his arms across his massive chest.

I fought down the urge to scream in frustration, plastered a pleasant  smile on my face, and said sweetly, "Please release Alejandro, snookums  wookums."

He raised one eyebrow. "Snookums wookums?"

"Would you prefer asshole?"

"I would prefer you show me the proper respect."

Hunching my shoulders, I assumed my timid mouse demeanor and let the  tears flow. "Please forgive me, my lord, it won't happen again."

The Battle Commander's big hand tilted my head up. "I think I prefer the fierce little warrior."

"No! Get your fucking hands off me!" Alejandro suddenly shouted.

I spun around. Alejandro fought fiercely against two Coletti warriors  who were dragging him out of the gym. "Let me fight in her place. She  hasn't got a chance."

Testosterone was the bane of my existence. Alejandro was a homicide cop  and built like a pro wrestler, but he was no match for the Battle  Commander. The Overlord or Talree, the Overlord's son, were probably the  only ones that could defeat Voss in battle.

"Stop it, Alejandro!" I yelled, starting toward him.

Voss's fingers clamped around my arm like a vise. "You are not permitted to leave until the battle is concluded."

Just fucking terrific. If I didn't do something, Alejandro was going to  get himself killed. Once the fight started, Voss would know exactly how  powerful I really was anyway, so I might as well go out with a bang.

Dropping my shields, I slid into Alejandro's mind and commanded, "Stop fighting."

Alejandro stopped struggling, and the warriors released him.

"The Battle Commander will not harm me. Your mother needs you alive and well. Go, Marie waits for you outside the gates."

His face blank, Alejandro obediently walked out the doors.

"Impressive," Voss commented, obviously pleased.

"Then this should really knock your socks off." I pulled out my bottle  of eau de dead skunk perfume and sprayed myself from the chest down.

Voss took a step back as the stench hit him. "What have you done?"

"Evened the odds. Still want to fuck me?"

Moving with a speed that was astonishing for a man his size, he yanked the bottle out of my hand. "A strategic but futile move."

If he started spouting resistance is futile, I was going to smack the living shit out of him.                       
       
           



       

He walked over to the edge of the mat and handed Jaylan the bottle. "Find an antidote and quickly."

"Yes, my lord." Giving me a nasty look, Jaylan vanished.

The Battle Commander turned, and every cell in my body went on red  alert. In that instant I knew he would take me, dead skunk smell or not.

Meeting his merciless gaze, I smiled and struck his mind with every ounce of power I had.

Voss's head snapped back, and shock flared for a brief moment in his  eyes. An unholy smile formed on his cruel mouth as he inclined his head  in recognition. "Nicely done, little warrior. You are everything I hoped  for and more."

Oh hell. Drawing heavily on my psychic power, I punched him again and again and again.

Voss easily blocked my blows as he stalked toward me like some great hungry cat.

Shit! I was about to become lunch. Yanking my Taser out of its holster, I shot him dead center in the chest.

The Battle Commander growled and pulled the electrodes out.

Before I could retreat, he snatched the Taser away from me and crushed it into itty-bitty pieces.

Note to self: Tasers only piss warlords off. Cold fear prickling my body, I pulled my knife and hurled it at him.

Voss caught it in midair and threw it across the gym. The knife impaled the far wall and quivered violently.

"Neat trick." Swallowing hard, I backed away from him, wondering if I could outrun him. Nah, he'd just teleport and catch me.

Voss bared his fangs in a predatory smile. "Now it's my turn."