The Bond That Consumes Us by Christine D'Abo Page B

a better job at hiding his attraction to his feisty bartender.
    “What the hell is going on with you, man? Aren’t you supposed to be waiting for your mate or something?”
    “This isn’t the time. We have an investigation to conclude.”
    “I’m not dropping this. Once we’re done here today we need to talk.”
    A ripple of anger tinged with annoyance flashed through him. He didn’t need permission from anyone if he wanted to have a stolen moment of bliss in his life. And Fallon qualified as bliss. His cock threatened to come to life, forcing him to turn his attention back to the bloody mess in the room.
    51

    “This isn’t like before. No laser gun, not neat.” Taber turned and squatted by a single barbell. There was blood and hair lodged into the grooves of the metal. “This looks like what was used to kill him.”
    Sean joined him, shaking his head. “Beat the poor bastard to a bloody pulp. This was an act of rage.”
    “He’s escalating. Quickly.”
    “I have all the images I need to create a holo of him. We can let the doctor in for the body.”
    Nodding once, Taber stood, moving away until he found the wall and turned his back against it and fell into his waiting pose. The action was so habitual, he barely thought about it. He could hear the voice of his commander screaming in his head still, even after all these years.
    Protect your back.
    Protect your men.
    Never open yourself up to weakness.
    Images of Fallon stretched naked on his bed made his insides hot—she was definitely becoming a weakness. She’d managed to slip past his carefully constructed defenses designed to keep him and everyone else in his life safe. He’d never even questioned it, questioned her and why she would want to be with someone like him. By the goddess, she was the most amazing woman he’d ever met.
    “Where is she now?” Sean asked once he joined him.
    The doctor and his assistant hurriedly lifted Lukas and set him on a gurney. Taber watched them, but his mind was far from the case at hand.
    “I left her in my quarters.”
    She’d been less than amused that he was leaving her behind too. But she couldn’t have been here, no reason for it at all. And at the very least she would be safe there.
    That is, if she stayed put.
    “What the hell is going on with you?”
    The note of concern in Sean’s voice made Taber turn and look at his friend. Sean’s blue eyes were narrowed, and his jaw was clenched. He had to suddenly fight the urge to relax his body and lean against the wall.
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Did you have sex with her?”
    The flare of anger was back. Not as strong as it had been when someone had questioned him about Calantha—there wasn’t the bond in play. But he didn’t want Sean to know about that part of his life. Didn’t want anyone to know. But he also knew he had to say something if he wanted any hope of Sean leaving him alone. Taber lowered his chin and dropped his voice to a whisper.
    “Yes.”
    52

     
    Sean opened his mouth to say something, tried twice to find the right words. “Is she your mate? Is this another Kamran and Haylie situation?”
    At the mention of his friend, Taber couldn’t help but feel guilty at the fact he hadn’t thought about them since arriving on the ship. The guilt and jealousy had faded in the past day and a half, only to be replaced with his obsessive thoughts of Fallon.
    “No, it isn’t like that.”
    “Then why the hell are you sleeping with her? You’re not supposed to react to a woman unless she’s your mate.”
    “My mate is dead.”
    The words spoken out loud to Sean somehow made the situation seem more real.
    Looking over at his friend, he could see his disbelief and confusion.
    “It was before I came to Eurus.”
    “I had no…why the hell didn’t you tell us? Does Kamran know?”
    Taber’s hands were on Sean’s biceps before the other man could blink. Panic slammed into him hard. “He does not, nor will you tell him. Do I make myself