Born of Rage (League: Nemesis Rising) Read online

  Born of

  Rage

  Nemesis Rising

  Sherrilyn McQueen

  Nemesis Publishing

  Franklin, Tennessee

  Copyright © 1983 Born of Rage by Sherrilyn McQueen.

  Reprinted Copyright ©2019 Born of Rage by Sherrilyn McQueen.

  Copyright © 1978 The Neighbors by Sherrilyn McQueen.

  Reprinted Copyright ©2019 The Neighbors by Sherrilyn McQueen.

  Cover Copyright @2019 Shutterstock

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Madaug Kenyon/Nemesis Publishing

  P.O. Box 67

  Thompsons Station, Tennessee/37179

  www. nemesispublications.com

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the address above.

  Born of Rage/ Sherrilyn McQueen. —1st ed.

  ISBN 978-1-951111-00-7

  Contents

  BORN OF RAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7

  THE NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 35

  FIRE & ICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 44

  For my brothers.

  Strong Alone. Stronger Together.

  ―Sanctum Sentella

  D

  eath had taken her entire family from her when she was just a girl, and now that relentless bastard was back, coming for her.

  Stalking her.

  Dakari Tievel could feel its fetid breath on her neck as she rushed through the dark shadows of the vacant alley of this godforsaken outpost, trying her best to elude its hateful agents.

  She shivered. Not from fear, as she’d come to terms with the inevitability of death long ago. Honestly, she was more than ready to be with her brother and parents again. She’d more than welcome that long overdue reunion.

  Rather her tremors came from the frigid cold that had taken all the sensation from her fingertips, while she searched desperately for the address she’d been given by one of her former guards.

  These people will help you, my lady. It’s what they do.

  Dakari wasn’t sure if she believed in heroes anymore. Not of any kind. In this day and age, they were in short supply. Those who were willing to stand up for others and risk their lives . . . they were the stuff of childhood dreams.

  Most were too absorbed with their own suffering to care about anyone else’s. She’d learned that when she was six and the people of her world had stood aside and let her family be slaughtered for no reason whatsoever.

  Then they’d embraced their killer without bothering to see him punished for his cruelty and crimes. It sickened her to this day that people could be so blind. So mean.

  So unfeeling.

  But no one had cared. No one had stood up and said, this is wrong! The guilty should be punished!

  Instead, they’d gone on with their lives, knowing what had been done to her and her family was deplorable. Telling her that they were sorry about it. That one day, she’d rise above it and move it. But no one had spoken up or helped. They’d turned their gazes away in fear of that same injustice coming for them with the same ruthless vengeance that it used to lay her family low for no reason whatsoever.

  Their callous apathy was what had caused the deep, dark void in her soul that had never healed. Too early in life, she’d learned the truth of others.

  Everyone was selfish. Only out for themselves.

  People would only help when they had something to gain. Either a warm, fuzzy feeling in their belly or applause from those around them.

  No one helped because it was the right thing to do. And that included the guard who’d given her this address. Why would he do anything for no reason, at all?

  She should have known better.

  “I’m a fool for being here.”

  In her heart, she believed that. No one had ever once helped her. Why would they start now?

  Most likely, this was a fabricated address. The guard had probably sent her to her death. Just for shits and giggles.

  Like everyone else in her life.

  Torture the little girl. Watch her suffer. It was what people liked to do for entertainment.

  For some reason, watching the misery of others seemed to make them feel better about their own pathetic lives. Especially when they thought the person being harmed had something better than them or that they were somehow “blessed.”

  But she’d never been blessed. Dakari had been cursed from the moment of birth.

  In spite of her “royal” birth, she had risked her life to leave her home. It’d taken every last cred to her name to get here. She’d barely escaped the last assassin who’d been sent to kill her. If these people turned her away . . .

  Don’t think about it.

  Right now, she couldn’t afford to let her panic override what little courage she had left.

  Breathe, Dakaboo. Just breathe. I’m right here with you. I’ll always be with you. Tears filled her eyes as she heard her brother’s voice in her head, whispering the comforting words he’d said to her the night they’d slaughtered their parents.

  The night they’d divided them.

  Barely six, she’d screamed and kicked, clawing at the soldiers as they brutally pulled her from her brother’s arms. That pain still choked her. Still burned so raw inside at times that she wondered how she’d managed to remain sane.

  That night had been so unreal. So traumatic.

  For everyone.

  Unlike her, her brother had seen their parents’ die. Had witnessed the carnage up close and personal. Then, terrified that he would be next and determined to save Dakari’s life, he’d come to her bed and wrapped her in a blanket. “We have to go, Dakari.”

  Five years older, Jinx had still been a kid himself. Yet he’d managed to stay strong and calm through the coup that had claimed the lives of everyone they loved.

  He’d covered her head to keep her from seeing the bodies or blood, but the screams of that night were forever seared into her memory. As was the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat as he carried her through their home to what he’d prayed was safety.

  “It’ll be all right. I’m right here. I’ll never let you go.” Words whispered over and over until he’d made it to the hangar bay only to discover it’d been their own half-brother who had torn their lives apart.

  Tobin had been waiting in the hangar bay with more soldiers, to cut off Jinx’s escape.

  Greedy, selfish, rotten piece of shit. Spoiled beyond spoiled, Tobin had no reason to harm them or their parents. He’d lived a lavish, carefree life.

  It hadn’t been enough.

  He’d wanted everything that wasn’t his.

  Even if it meant killing them all to have it.

  Now on this cold outpost, Dakari stumbled as the rage and pain washed over her anew. She still wanted his heart in her fist. To this day, she couldn’t understand why he’d spared her when he’d spared no one else his wrath. Not that Tobin hadn’t tried to brainwash her with his lies and excuses. Gaslight her into believing
she hadn’t seen what she’d seen.

  Or heard the truth with her own ears.

  “I was there to rescue you, Dakari. You were too young to remember it! That was not how it happened at all. I saved you! Not Jinx. He died with your parents.”

  Lying bastard!

  As if she could ever forget her real brother’s kindness and care. What it felt like to really be loved.

  Like she didn’t know the difference between a hero and a coward.

  And now because she wouldn’t fall in line and do what he wanted, Tobin had sicced the League that governed all their worlds on her with the worst sort of kill orders imaginable.

  Thrill-Kill.

  It wasn’t just enough to kill her. The assassins were to tear her apart and make an example of her for others.

  Just like Tobin had ordered for their father and her mother.

  Just like he’d done to Jinx.

  There was no justice in this universe that was ruled by the League and the monsters it created that preyed on all of them. She knew that better than anyone.

  Damn them for it!

  “Careful, love. Watch where you’re going!”

  Dakari bit back a scream as that unexpected voice intruded on her thoughts. Until she realized that the man speaking wasn’t one of the assassins hunting her.

  He was . . .

  Huge!

  And intimidating. But at least this one wasn’t trying to cut off her head or stab her.

  So, she forced herself to smile at him and act as normal as she could manage given her near frantic state. “Is this the Hunting Ground?” Her guard had told her to go to that dingy bar on the inhospitable Trigange Outpost where her would-be saviors often hung out during their off-hours.

  If they weren’t there when she arrived, the owner of the place would know how to reach them and would offer her protection until they could find her.

  Although why she was putting her faith in such a long shot, she had no idea. That alone, spoke tomes of just how desperate her plight had become. Trust was as alien a concept to her as bathing appeared to be for the bald, purple-skinned man in front of her.

  His gaze narrowed with suspicion. Then, faster than she could blink, he pulled out a blaster and angled it at her head.

  Breathless, she didn’t have time to react before he pulled the trigger and shot.

  Only instead of blasting her head from her shoulders, he shot barely an inch past her cheek, into the darkness.

  “Damn assassins. Like cockroaches. See one, there’s a dozen you don’t.” Spitting on the ground at his feet, he holstered his weapon. “You the target?”

  “I . . .” Dakari hesitated to answer as the truth could very well get her killed. The bounty on her life was staggering. “I’m looking for Eve Itxara. I was told she comes here a lot.”

  He ignored her. “How much is your life worth?”

  “Yours, if you don’t move along.”

  Dakari gasped at the sound of a deep, sultry voice so close to her ear that if the woman had meant her harm, she’d be dead already. How had she gotten that close to her without her knowing it? All these months of living on edge, of being hyper-vigilant to every single sound and vibration, no one had gotten the drop on her like this.

  No one.

  Except for this woman.

  “Who are you?”

  She stepped out of the shadows with a sly, wicked grin. Tall and lean with lush dark skin, she had the kind of athletic build that said she could hold her own with anyone. And while there were no weapons apparent on the woman’s body, Dakari had no doubt she was lethal. Every part of her bearing said she was honed for battle and ready to take on anything the League or anyone else threw at her.

  Eve of Destruction was just what Dakari had been promised.

  Just what she needed.

  From the top of her long, Andarion braids to the bottom of her high-heeled lace boots. Damn! What Dakari wouldn’t give to look so intimidating and bad-ass.

  The man held his hands up and took a step back. “C’mon, Eve. No need to be like that.”

  She smirked. “No need, but ridding the galaxy of assholes is my sole form of entertainment, Bailey.”

  He bolted so fast that Dakari was surprised he didn’t leave a wet trail in his wake.

  “Nice.”

  “Not really. Most refer to me as a raging, hormonal bitch.” Eve rolled her shoulders which caused the leather of her black jacket to creak in protest. “Personally, I take that as a compliment.”

  “You would.”

  Dakari’s breath caught as she realized Eve wasn’t alone. Turning sharply, she saw another woman behind her. One similar enough in looks that it marked them as family. Only this one had long black hair that was held back from her face in a severe ponytail. Her unblemished skin was much paler than Eve’s, but she was no less bad-ass and fierce.

  The woman glanced down the alley. “Did you take care of our friend, Jedi?”

  “No shit, Jayne.” The masculine voice rumbled out of the darkness like thunder. “Bastard’s napping.”

  Jayne smirked. “Dirt?”

  “Any other kind for his low species?”

  “Good man.” Eve pulled out a pair of sunglasses and covered her copper-colored eyes with them. “Come along, Dakari Tievel. We need to chat.”

  Stunned on multiple levels, Dakari watched as an insanely tall man approached them. With a head full of long, dark, riotous curls, he was unbelievably handsome. And his swagger said that he was more than aware of it. That he’d probably conquered every heterosexual female who’d ever crossed his path.

  Well-muscled and sporting enough weapons to double as an assault vehicle on his own, he winked at her, then turned toward Eve. “Hey, boss lady? I don’t want to argue what you’re doing, because I’m not stupid, but since when do we interfere with League contracts? I mean . . . that was a League assassin you just had me take out, right? And last time I checked that shit’ll get you killed in any galaxy, anywhere, any time.”

  Jayne scoffed at his question. “You turning craven, Tweed?”

  “No. But I’m not suicidal either.”

  Eve arched a brow at him.

  “Fair point, given some of my more recent actions and proclivity for reckless drinking.” He scratched at his jaw. “However, dodging League checkpoints and skirting laws is one thing. All-out war on their assassins . . . I like having my body parts where the gods meant them to be, you know? And I really like my head on top of my shoulders.”

  Eve folded her arms over her chest. “Then maybe we ought to get off the street and out of sight, huh?”

  Speaking in another language that Dakari couldn’t understand, Jedi rolled his eyes.

  Jayne clapped him on the back. “Don’t lip my sister, pirate. Remember, she bites.”

  He snorted at her warning. “Like I don’t have the bitemarks all over my ass to prove it?” He raked a disgruntled smirk over the attractive woman’s body. “Why do I like you again, Jayne?”

  She held her hands up to accentuate her rugged clothing. “My daring fashion sense.”

  “More like, my severe head injury.”

  Jayne laughed.

  Eve groaned at their play. “And you’re both about to get an ass-beating if you don’t stop and move out.”

  Jedi saluted her. “Yes, my mistress and tormenter.”

  “Are you related to them, too?” Dakari asked him as he led her toward a transport.

  With a confused scowl, Jedi shook his head. “No. Why?”

  For one thing, she couldn’t imagine a man his size allowing someone to talk to him like that unless they were related. Secondly . . . “You argue with them the way I used to with my brother.”

  A peculiar air came over Eve before she offered her a smile. “We might not be blood, but we’re family just the same. It’s why I tolerate his gargantuan ass and his bad attitude.”

  “Not to mention, my bad driving.�
� He flashed a wicked grin at her before he rushed to take up the driver’s seat.

  Eve started to argue, then appeared to surrender the fight as he strapped himself in. “Fine. Just get us back to the Remorseless in one piece, Jedidiah.”

  No sooner had she spoken than light exploded around them. Followed by heavy blaster fire.

  Cursing as Jayne returned fire and Jedi jumped back out of the transport to help, Eve pulled a blaster from beneath her jacket. “I thought you neutralized that assassin.”

  Jedi grimaced as he shielded Dakari with his body. “Apparently he had friends.”

  Angry friends by the looks and sounds of it. No sooner had Jedi pulled her clear of the transport than it exploded.

  Terrified, Dakari shrank back as shrapnel rained down around them.

  Eve took her arm and pulled her toward another alley while Jedi covered their retreat.

  “How many?” Jayne asked.

  “Six. Nine. Twenty dozen. Hell, if I can tell.”

  “Follow me!” Eve tossed a grenade toward their enemies, then ran down the dark alley with such ease that Dakari couldn’t fathom it, unless her glasses had some kind of infrared in them.

  After a few minutes and more rounds of fire, she kicked open a door and pulled Dakari through it.

  “Where are going?”

  Jedi snorted. “So long as it avoids death or custody, do you care?”

  “Not really.”

  “Then, shut-up and follow.” Eve urged her in front while she fired off a round to cover Jedi’s and Jayne’s retreat.

  Dakari kept running forward, through the vacant, rundown building with no destination, other than to avoid death and whatever nightmare was in pursuit of them. But unlike Eve, she wasn’t graceful about it as she tripped and fell against things in the dark.

  She turned left and slammed into something solid. Real solid and yet . . .

  Terror consumed her as she realized it was a man.

  No. Not a man.

  An assassin.