Hunting Mila

  Praise for the writing of Melissa Schroeder

  Bounty Hunters, Inc.: For Love or Honor

  From beginning to end, the action is nonstop in For Love or Honor. In 63 pages you will find a fast-paced mystery and plenty of steamy love scenes.

  -- Patricia Green, Romance Reviews Today

  I truly enjoyed this quick read from the beginning to the end. Ms. Schroeder has created a wonderful beginning to the Bounty Hunter saga and I look forward to her next installment.

  -- Contessa, Romance Junkies

  Melissa Schroeder is well known for writing a tight, exciting, hot story, and this one is no exception… Plenty of action, hot loving and a twist or two will have the reader on the edge of her chair waiting for the climatic end.

  -- Valerie, Love Romances

  This erotic mystery will entrance you from the first word…The author has blended romance, mystery and a futuristic tale that will have you anticipating the next book in the series.

  -- Tewanda, Fallen Angel Reviews

  Ms. Schroeder has a way of weaving romance, seduction and intrigue in a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved the banter between the two characters in the story. I was sorry to see the story come to an end, but I am sure there will be more to follow.

  -- Cherokee, Coffee Time Reviews

  Bounty Hunters, Inc.: For Love or Honor is now available from Loose Id.

  HUNTING MILA

  Melissa Schroeder

  www.loose-id.com

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  * * * * *

  This book is rated:

  For explicit sexual content, graphic language, and some violence.

  Hunting Mila

  Melissa Schroeder

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by

  Loose Id LLC

  1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29

  Carson City NV 89701-1215

  www.loose-id.com

  Copyright © February 2006 by Melissa Schroeder

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

  ISBN 1-59632-176-8

  Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

  Printed in the United States of America

  Editor: Linda Kusiolek

  Cover Artist: Christine M. Griffin

  Dedication

  For Kally.

  The Goose to my Maverick. The Patsy to my Eddie. You’re the best friend a hussy like me could have.

  Love,

  Mel

  Chapter One

  The cloak of silence that filled the room usually suited John Hunter. He tended to avoid any kind of unnecessary conversation. People were a nuisance to be tolerated, and he tried his best to shun acquaintances who felt the need to talk. This was different. But then, he never felt comfortable about his birth father.

  “I’m glad you answered my request,” Lord Franklin Westing said.

  Irritation threaded his voice. Aristocrats hated to ask for favors. Even from their bastard sons. He sat behind his desk, dressed in the habitual suit, his hair neatly trimmed, his face showing little evidence of his age. Hunter knew this wasn’t easy for him, and that made the trip back to Earth worth it.

  Hunter, being the ass that he was, decided to push his father’s anger.

  “I thought it was more like a royal summons.”

  The only telltale signs of his father’s anger were the narrowing of his brown eyes and the tightening of his lips. A few seconds passed. The only sound in the room was the ticking of an antique clock as the men stared each other down.

  His father conceded, but only to ask the favor. “Be that as it may, I need help with a matter that I know is in your area.”

  “My area?” And just how the fuck did he know about it? Hunter’s job was covert, and he was constantly working as the quadrant’s Director of Operations. Most people thought he owned and operated an outpost for travelers.

  His father laughed without humor. “The job I hold affords me knowledge of many operations.” He paused, as if measuring what to say next. “I’ve known about your work for a while. But that is neither here nor there.”

  “Of course, sir.” Sarcasm dripped from Hunter’s words, but once again his father ignored him. “So, what is it that you need help with?”

  “I suppose you’ve heard about my upcoming marriage?”

  Hunter nodded.

  “Well, it seems that my soon-to-be-stepdaughter has gone missing.”

  “What do you mean, missing?”

  He cleared his throat. “Janet, Mila’s mother, said she hadn’t seen her in a while. The girl is a bit on the wild side. She rarely stays here on Earth. Usually doesn’t contact her mother for months at a time.”

  “How long has she been gone this time?”

  “Janet isn’t sure.”

  Hunter didn’t say anything at first. The fact that this woman wanted him to go find her irresponsible party-girl daughter irritated him. That the request came from a father he wanted nothing to do with, well, that was just icing on the cake.

  “Her mother isn’t sure when she left? Doesn’t she know what her daughter does, who she socializes with?”

  “John, I’m not the one you should be angry with, and the truth is, Mila is an adult. What she does and where she goes isn’t our business. At least it wasn’t until I received this transmission.”

  Hunter took the digital transcriber and clicked the “on” switch. The message was clear and concise.

  Five million Earth dollars, or you’ll never see her alive again.

  “I wouldn’t bother you, but I know the work that you do for the government has trained you for search and rescue. The last report from the men I sent to find her was that she was in your quadrant.” He sighed and, for the first time, looked all of his fifty-eight years. “Janet is so upset that she’s sedated. We always knew the girl was a bit wild, but we had no idea something like this would happen.”

  “You have any leads?”

  “The only thing my investigators could find was that she was seen with a couple of Nikiraki’s men.”

  Every muscle in Hunter’s body tensed, his blood freezing over. “Nikiraki?”

  His father nodded, his gaze never wavering from Hunter’s. “That’s all we can find out. She was seen with them, then she wasn’t.”

  “What the hell is she doing hanging around scum like Nikiraki?”

  The older man’s eyebrows rose at the anger in Hunter’s voice. He’d actually surprised himself. He didn’t know the girl, but he knew Nikiraki, knew what he was capable of. Society gals weren’t Nikiraki’s type, especially if going missing would cause a fuss.

  “We don’t know. I barely know Mila. She seems to be a nice enough girl, but she has been on Earth so little since I got involved with her mother. Really, since the death of her father.”

  “So, you want me to find her.”

  “I ask you because I know that if anyone can find her, you can.”

 
; Normally, Hunter figured most people would view that as a plus. In his estimation, his father had run out of options and found someone he didn’t have to pay.

  “I’ll do it.”

  There was no use arguing. It was better to just go along, do the job and get it over with. Franklin always got his way no matter what the situation. The only thing he hadn’t won was Hunter wearing the name Westing. That he had refused, and his father had no choice but to accept that fact.

  Franklin handed him another electronic file disk. “All the information I have on Mila from the investigators is in there. Including an up-to-date pic.”

  Hunter paged through the file, barely noticing the reports, deciding to read those later. He paused at the picture of Mila Simmons. A tumble of red curls spilled over bare shoulders, which were the color of fine ivory. Her full lips curved into a seductive smile. Eyes the color of jade sparkled into the camera. Hunter was sure they were altered in some way. No human had eyes with color that pure without some laser work or chemicals.

  “You think you can find her?”

  The worry in his father’s voice irritated him almost as much as the jealousy that surged. At age thirty-five, he should be past juvenile feelings.

  “Probably not too hard. Not a lot of human redheads running around my area.”

  His father released a breath, his shoulder muscles seemingly going lax. “Good. Janet ... she wouldn’t take it well if something happened to her daughter. Mila is all she has left of her husband, and the two of them weathered a lot together. If she lost Mila, it would kill her.”

  Uncomfortable with his rising resentment toward the woman and her daughter, Hunter stood. He headed to the door, then without turning around, he said, “I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  He didn’t wait for his father’s response, just let the door slide shut silently behind him.

  * * * * *

  Mila had done some stupid things in her life. At the age of five, she’d thought she knew how to swim and almost drowned. There was that time she tried to steal that telecommunicator when she was fifteen, and her mother had had to pick her up at the local law enforcement depot. Then there was the marriage that had lasted three days in bliss and five months in universal court fighting over her money. But she had never, in all her thirty years, acted as stupidly as her captors.

  Mutt and Jeff. That’s what she called them. Seated in a chair in the coldest damn room she’d ever been in, Mila couldn’t figure out which one disgusted her more. Mutt was almost a foot under her five-foot five-inch frame, but that was common of the Derant species. What wasn’t common was being almost as round as he was tall. She had no idea how he actually moved around. Every movement was an effort, his purple skin gleaming with perspiration and his breathing labored.

  Jeff was a different matter altogether. Taller than her by a few inches, he was as thin as a reed and human. Kind of. She figured he might be a result of the mutant experiments gone bad. He looked human, but his teeth were canine. Long, pointed fangs hung out of each corner of his mouth, his eyes gleaming with a yellowish tint.

  And then there was the drooling.

  She looked away from them as they bickered about nothing in particular. There wasn’t much in the room. It actually resembled a lab, but many of the fixtures were missing, along with the instruments. There were two doors. She knew they were unsecured because when she’d first awakened, she’d pretended to sleep. Both had come in and gone out without any kind of passcode. After reassuring herself that she still had the electronic file she needed, she pretended to wake up. Jackasses had no idea. It had been enough for her to notice they were careless with security and their weapons, both of which were stored to the right of her, just a few feet away.

  “Did you thsend the methage?” Mutt asked. His lisp did nothing for him.

  Jeff glared at him, his eyes narrowing, until Mutt cowered. “Of course I did.” He turned his attention back to her. His tongue shot out, licking his chops as if waiting for a meal. She reminded herself that stupid didn’t mean these two weren’t dangerous.

  “Why haven’t we heard yet?” Mutt’s whiney voice became shrill.

  The expression on Jeff’s face went from evil to annoyed in a heartbeat. He cut a look at Mutt, then sighed.

  “I sent the transmission two days ago.” Again, he looked at her and smiled, although Mila was sure there was nothing pleasant in that smile. He closed the distance between them. “I’m sure we can find a way to occupy our time.”

  Mila suppressed the urge to kick the bastard in the balls, as well as the urge to vomit. Either one would probably deter his plans. Or, she thought, looking at him, not. She figured that someone like Jeff liked females to be scared. Lord knew anyone who wasn’t scared of fucking a monster like him would have to be insane. So, she smiled.

  He paused, apparently taken aback by her attitude. It was enough. She lifted her foot, hitting him squarely in the groin. Jeff doubled over far enough for her to then knee his face. Flying back, he howled, then collapsed on the floor. Mutt, of course, watched the whole thing without moving, his face turning a brighter shade of purple. This was the one shot she would have, and Mila took it.

  Jumping out of the chair, she ran to Jeff’s gun. Her heart flip-flopped when she noticed it was a Jackson-Meyers 9500.

  What a righteous piece of machinery.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time to “ooohh” and “ahhh” over it. She grabbed the weapon, made sure it was loaded, and faced the jackasses. Jeff hadn’t quit howling since she’d first hit him, and Mutt had walked maybe three steps and was breathing heavily.

  “Listen, guys -- and I am using that term loosely -- this has been a lot of fun, but, well, I have plans.”

  “You don’t know how to uthe that,” Mutt said between gasps.

  To prove him wrong, she shot off a round an inch in front of his feet. “I hate to tell both of you, but you picked the wrong heiress to fuck with.”

  Without another word, she ran to the door, smiling when it opened automatically. Dumbasses didn’t even think to lock the damn door. She leaned her head out of the doorway, looking in both directions. No guard. Stepping out, she faced the room. Jeff looked almost recovered and was trying to stand. Mutt was three feet from where she’d last seen him. The door slid shut behind her and she used the butt of her weapon to smash the instrument panel and jam the door.

  She looked one way, then the other. The hall didn’t give her any clue to where she was. As she suspected, this looked like a research facility. But the halls were dark, the lighting out in places, so she assumed there was a good chance there wasn’t anyone about. Those two probably had no backup at all. Idiots. She turned to her right, figuring it was as good as the left, and started running. Those two might be stupid, but it didn’t take much to get a jammed door opened. As she turned the corner she ran into someone large. And fucking hard. She practically bounced off whoever it was.

  Fingers wrapped around her upper arm, dark-skinned, and thankfully, human. When she looked up -- and it took a long time because he was a tall one -- she gulped. Jesus. Long dreadlocks hung about his shoulders. Even in the dimly lit hallway, she could see his strong jaw, full lips, high cheekbones, broad nose, and black eyes.

  “What the bloody hell are you doing?” he asked, his upper crust English threading his words.

  At first she didn’t respond. No one talked to Mila that way. Especially when she was on a job.

  “What does it look like I’m doing, jackass? I’m trying to get my ass out of here.”

  His eyes widened, then narrowed, irritation flashing in them. There was something vaguely familiar about them, but she knew she’d have remembered meeting this man.

  He took a deep breath before speaking. “Listen, sweetheart, I’m not here by choice. So, I’d appreciate it if you would shut the fuck up and just come along with me.”

  She wrenched her arm free, then brought her weapon up, and pointed it directly at his groin. It was a tact
ic she’d used more than once, because it would bring any sane man to his knees. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the usual reaction human men had when faced with a gun pointed at their most prized possessions. He looked even more irritated. Moving faster than she’d expected, he grabbed her weapon, pulled it free, and then grabbed her arm with his other hand.

  “I don’t have time for this bullshit.” He slung the strap of her weapon over his shoulder. Without asking, he just started dragging her down the hallway. She tried to dig in her heels, but he paid no attention. “Interrupt my work, freaking travel halfway to the fucking Genarla Sector just to save your lily-white rich ass, and now I have to put up with you complaining. I’ll tell you something, Franklin owes me big for this.”

  In a flash, it hit her where she’d seen him before. Her mother’s fiancé had an illegitimate son. She’d seen his picture on Franklin’s desk and then a few more in his library at home. As she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that her soon-to-be stepfather had sent his bastard son to save her, said son continued pulling her down the hall. Really, he made her feel like a five-year-old.

  “Like I have the time because some little debutante gets herself in trouble and needs someone to pick up the pieces so she can go to her next party.”

  Now that was just too much. “I hate to point this out, but I was doing just fine without you. And another thing, I was never --”

  An explosion from the direction of the room where she’d left Mutt and Jeff interrupted her. Both of them looked behind them. Smoke billowed around the corner. The acrid smell of chemicals filled the air. Shouting started, along with heavy gunfire and the sound of more than one person running in their direction. It sounded like Mutt and Jeff had made some friends.