Tren stood for a moment watching the elevator door, wishing he could follow Megan instead of wasting time listening to a message he had no interest in.
But I will not chase after a female. Brave words that made him sigh and his cock sulk. “Play the message from the council,” he ordered aloud to the computer.
He’d no sooner settled into his chair than the screen lit up with the galactic council crest, but the face that appeared immediately after had him jumping from his seat and growling.
“Z’nistakn, what the frukx do you want?”
The green scaled humanoid flicked a forked tongue and chuckled, a gravelly, wet sound. “I want what I always have, your head on a platter, and your entrails on my plate.”
Tren smiled coldly. “Threats? Are you really so stupid? I could use a new pair of boots.”
The councilor hissed and his slitted yellow eyes narrowed. “First, you’d have to find me, filthy mercenary.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he replied not letting on that he already knew the location of the corrupt councilor’s supposed safe base. Tren wondered what Z’nistakn was truly after. Idle chitchat didn’t seem like his usual style.
“I have a job for you.”
And now they got to the true point of the call. “I’m retired.”
“Surely you could make an exception. I would make it worth your while.” The reptile drummed his clawed fingers on his armrest.
Tren wanted to reach through the view screen and throttle the creature. He’d disliked the dishonest galactic councilor for quite some time, a feeling reciprocated, and yet Z’nistakn still called upon his services even though Tren kept declining. “I’m busy.”
“So I’ve heard. Cavorting with a human female. I thought you enjoyed better taste.”
Tren restrained himself from growling. What did he care if the slimy councilor insulted Megan? She simply satisfied a need. “Find another mercenary to do your dirty work. I’m not interested.”
The councilor’s forked tongue flicked out again, and he sighed with exaggeration. “Well, I am glad to hear it isn’t the barbarian female making you soft. In that case, you won’t miss her then.”
Before Tren could retort, an explosion jarred his ship and Z’nistakn chortled. Tren cut the communication and moved even as his computer warned him.
“Rear hatch blown. Unauthorized life forms boarding. Sealing—”
An invisible pulse made the air around him waver and sent a shiver through his body. The voice of the machine abruptly cut off as the power supply to his vessel died and pitched him into darkness. Very little could incapacitate his vessel, but the well-aimed electromagnetic pulse would temporarily throw everything offline. His whole system would reboot with an astral quarter unit.
“Frukx!” Tren cursed aloud, but didn’t remain still. He needed to get to Megan. The dark didn’t bother him. He’d long ago gotten the visual enhancements that allowed him to see better than most nocturnal creatures. He also wouldn’t let a paltry thing, such as a lack of power, keep him from Megan. Not when she needs me.
As he pried up the hatch in the elevator floor, he called himself all kinds of names for stopping at this way station and not remaining more on guard. Usually nobody or anything could get close enough to his ship to do damage, but he’d allowed the repair crew to do so and without supervision. Under normal circumstances, he oversaw all adjustments; however, this time, he’d found himself preoccupied with one feisty female. A lesson learned that he wouldn’t repeat.
In the meantime, he needed to rectify his error, and quickly. Megan faced danger, alone.
Unacceptable.
Tren moved quickly down the laddered rungs in the elevator shaft, mentally counting until he reached the correct floor. He pried the doors open and dove into the corridor, ducking into a roll as he drew his guns. He ended up on one knee with both his arms extended, his guns primed to fire.
However, of Megan, he saw nothing. Going on instinct, he bypassed his quarters and ran for the other end of the corridor where the lesser used secondary elevator shaft resided. The gaping maw of its opening made him run faster, and he flew down the ladder. He navigated the warren of tunnels and utility shafts on the lowest level, easily locating the blown hatch the attackers used to force their way in. He ducked through the ragged opening and emerged into the work bubble erected around the lower thruster section as the garage performed repairs.
Peering around, Tren’s jaw tightened at the realization Megan was gone. Anger battled with sinking dread.
A smart acquisitions specialist would have let her go, chalked her up as a loss, one barbarian female’s worth not equal to the damage or fuel expense of a chase and recapture. An intelligent male would have looked upon the situation as the easiest method in which to rid himself of a copulation partner without fear of reprisal.
But Megan belonged to him. And no one takes what is mine.
* * * *
Megan woke to a thick tongue and a pounding head. She blinked her eyes open and didn’t like what she saw, so she closed them. She took a deep breath, then another. All in all, she took about ten shuddering breaths before she opened them again.
Nope, still a bad situation. Damn.
Kind of like her first abduction, she found herself unable to move; however, unlike the last time, she found herself shackled against a wall.
Kidnapped, but not by a nice purple pirate this time if I’m not mistaken.
She wondered if Tren even knew they’d taken her yet. If he cared. Probably not given how much trouble he claimed she continually was. Perhaps he’d see her kidnapping as a relief. Sure, he’d miss out on a bit of profit, but now he didn’t have to put up with her.
Megan gave her head a shake. Enough with the pity party. He’d never claimed to care for her, and it wasn’t as if she cared for him. He just happened to provide great sex—and a cuddly body to sleep entwined with. And…
She growled as her mind tried to smash through her defenses. She fought back. She couldn’t allow herself to care for him—or trust him—therein lay the path to stupidity and heartache. Besides, she had more important items to worry about such as how to escape her untenable situation.
A yank at the manacles holding her proved useless. The noise, however, created a scuffle outside the cell door.
The heavy portal like door swung open and the three armed mechanic from the space station sauntered in.
“It took you long enough to wake,” he complained, and Megan watched in fascination as his five mouths moved at different speeds. It made her wonder what she would have heard if she didn’t wear a translator. She hoped the damned alien was wearing a translator of his own, because she didn’t want to waste the insults her mind prepared otherwise.
“Well, excuse me, you three armed freak, for succumbing to your kidnapping drug so thoroughly. Next time, give me a bit of warning before you decide to abduct me and I’ll try to build a resistance to it first.” She spoke without thinking, a never ending fault with her no matter the situation.
“Where we’re taking you, there won’t be a second chance.” The creature chuckled, pleased with his threat and answering the question that yes, he could understand her. Perfect, time to put her most effective weapon to use—her acerbic tongue and attitude.
Megan sighed. “You know. I really wish you bad guys would come up with something original. Do you know how many times that phrase has been done in the movies? Seriously. Would it kill you to come up with something new? And maybe take a shower? I mean seriously, you’ve definitely got something funky going on.”
“You talk too much,” said the alien with a frown, three of his five mouths pulling down in a moue of displeasure.
“So everybody tells me. What are you going to do about it?”
He slapped her in the face which really hurt, but also fired up Megan’s temper. “Oh, big bad alien. Hit a defenseless woman why don’t you? Coward. What’s wrong? Afraid if I wasn’t tied up I’d hurt you?”
The mechanic, turned kidnapper, snarled. “Filthy mouthed whore.”
“Not for you I won’t be. I like my men with some balls. I think you left yours at home. Or did someone already neuter them for you?” Megan’s smile goaded him as much as her provoking words.
That time, when he punched her, she tasted blood, but he still didn’t give in to her taunts and untie her. A pity. She’d hoped to shame him into doing so.
Worse, the sight of her blood excited him, and he began to rain blows on her body, leaving no part of her undamaged. Oops, maybe not such a good plan. Through the haze of pain and blood, she could hear him talking to himself.
“Take off my arm and beat me with it, will you? Ha. Looks like I get the last laugh. I’ve got your woman now, Trenkaluan. Not such a tough mercenary after all. And once I’m done showing this whore her place, I’m going to let her service me. How do you like that, you smug bastard?”
“You’re nuts,” she muttered. “Tren doesn’t care for me.”
“Liar,” spat the alien, his mouths contorting out of sequence. “He’s never been seen with a woman outside of a brothel before. You must mean something, and I am going to ruin you for him. Sully you and then throw it in his face. And he won’t be able to do a thing about it.”
“That’s what you think,” growled a welcome, if surprising voice.
He came for me!