Or was it the black one? she suddenly thought, trying to remember which wire the guys in The Abyss and Speed always said they were supposed to cut.
"Damn it, now I can’t remember!" she said crossly. "I’m trying to remember if the guys in the movies said you always cut the red one or the black one." She looked at Vox with confused eyes. "I’ll have to watch The Abyss again."
"Who is this Abyss?" he asked cautiously as Lodar and Tor came up behind him.
Riley looked up at the other two men, then over to Bob before looking down where poor Fred was still out cold. Her eyes moved back until she was looking worriedly into Vox’s dark tawny ones.
"He’s going to be all right, isn’t he?" she asked hesitantly, glancing back at Fred before looking again at Vox. "I mean, I cut the right one, didn’t I? He isn’t hurt, is he?"
"Riley," Vox said squeezing her wrists gently to get her attention as her eyes drifted to the Tiliqua again. "How did you know which wire to cut?"
"From all the movies I’ve watched," she said looking at the other men. "I mean, I’m pretty sure it was the red wire they always cut. You see, in the movie The Abyss, the hero has to go to the bottom of the ocean because the bad guy was being a butthead about the aliens that came to visit them. He has to stop this bomb from blowing up the aliens that live there only he can’t really see what color the wire is, and the good guys back on the underwater station are telling him to cut the red wire. Only I can’t remember now if they said the red wire. It could have been the black one. Anyway, he can’t really tell what color the wire is because he is using this green glow stick thingy like we used to play with on Halloween. That’s when we all dress up in costumes and pretend to be monsters and stuff so we can go get some free candy, only I always dressed up as a ghost because Pearl couldn’t afford costumes for me and Tina so she used some old sheets," she explained. "Does this make sense?"
"No," all four men said before Vox growled at the others to be quiet.
"No," Vox said, looking into Riley’s confused eyes.
Riley sighed in frustration before remembering she had been watching Galaxy Quest on her iPad earlier. She tugged on her wrist so she could grab it and show them what she was talking about. Vox held her firmly for a second before reluctantly releasing one wrist. He kept his eyes glued to her while she reached for the device she had been so focused on over the past couple of days. If she tried anything, he would make her death as quick and painless as he could. Pain sliced through him at the thought of hurting the delicate beauty in front of him. His cat hissed in revolt, clawing at his insides in rebellion.
He watched as she pressed a button on the device, and it lit up. "This is a movie," she was saying as she flicked her finger along the smooth surface. "I love science fiction/fantasy-type movies. Sometimes I’ll watch a good horror one, but I always get nightmares from them so I have to be careful. I had nightmares for three days after watching Stephen King’s The Mist!" she explained as she pressed another button, and a strange creature appeared on the screen.
Vox watched it for a minute before understanding dawned. She was referring to entertainment holovids. The human on the small screen was working on an obviously fake control panel before he and a human dressed in some type of costume disappeared behind the console. He listened as Riley giggled. Her eyes were glued to the screen, mesmerized.
"God’s blood," Tor muttered over Vox’s shoulder before a chuckled escaped him. "She used something like this as a reference for knowing which wire to cut?" he said with a shake of his head. "It’s a miracle Fred’s head wasn’t blown off!"
"That’s okay," Riley responded absently, still watching the movie. "He has a spare one."
* * *
Fred glared at Riley again over the heads of the other men in their room. Titus, his brother, and two other men had appeared in their room a couple of hours after they had removed the other collar on Fred who finally came to in a very grouchy mood. Vox had also removed the ones on Lodar, Tor, and Bob. They had left the one on Vox but had disconnected it so it was no longer a threat. This allowed him the freedom to move around the prisoners’ living quarters without attracting attention.
Tor was in the process of disconnecting the collars so the other men would not have to worry about being killed when they escaped. Riley sat curled up on the end of the bed watching everything with a wary eye. She knew she should be excited about the idea of getting off this rock, but she was still pissed at Vox. It had taken several minutes for her to finally understand the big oaf thought she was some kind of spy or something when he kept grilling her about where she got her tools from, how she had been captured, and why was she allowed to choose five mates when all the other women only had one. He had barked out one question after another, holding her wrists tightly in his large hands the entire time until she finally had enough of it and struggled to pull away. When she confronted him, he admitted he thought she was some kind of spy brought in to trick him. He also admitted he had been prepared to kill her if she had been.
She wasn’t so sure she wanted to go with him and his men when they made their escape. She was thinking she might have better luck with the next guy she chose. It didn’t help that Fred was still mad at her either. Both of his heads had ripped her up one side and down the other when he woke up. It had taken Bob’s calming voice and her swearing she never meant him any harm before he had sulked over to the corner where he sat shooting glares at her from both sets of eyes.
Riley decided she couldn’t stand the glares Fred was giving her any longer. She had grown attached to the little two-headed lizard, and it hurt that he was shooting her such heated looks of displeasure. She scooted off the bed, trying to ignore the way Vox’s eyes followed her every movement as she edged around the crowded group and went over to where Bob and Fred were huddled in the corner. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor next to them.
"Fred," Riley said quietly, touching the Tiliqua who had turned a cold shoulder to her as soon as she came over to where he was sitting. "I’m sorry. I would never hurt you, you know that don’t you? I think of you as a very, very dear friend," she said, running her fingers gently along the side of one of his faces.
Both heads turned to her with a scowl. "You could have killed me, Riley!" Fred bit out coolly.
"But she didn’t," Bob muttered. "Be nice to her, Fred. She feels bad enough."
Riley glanced up at Bob and gave him a grateful smile before looking back at her little friend. "Will you go home once you leave here?" she asked quietly, picking up a small rock lying next to her and playing with it.
"Maybe," Fred said with a sigh. "I’d never been off the Spaceport before. I think I would like to see more before I return. It will give me time to figure out what to do should I decide to return to my father’s business," he muttered.
Riley looked down at the rock. Hot tears burned her eyes at the idea of losing the small group of alien males. They were the only creatures she knew here, and she had grown attached to them. Her eyes flickered to Vox for a moment before she quickly looked back down when she saw him staring at her intently.
"I’ll miss you both," she admitted quietly. "You’ve both become good friends. I just want you to know it has meant a lot to me."
Bob moved his big body so he was in front of her. His huge, green arms folded over his gelatinous chest. He waited patiently until she looked up at him.
"What are you planning now?" he demanded.
Riley’s eyes grew large before she shielded them. She was used to losing friends. If her mouth didn’t drive them away, her moving on did. It was just…she wasn’t sure where to go. None of the locations she was likely to end up in were programmed into her phone.
Hell, she thought, depressed. Even Google isn’t going to be able to help me here!
"I figured I’d stick around here for a while longer," she started to say before tears thickened her throat and she had to clear it. She forced a smile to her face before she continued. "I hope you
both have a safe journey to wherever you decide to go."
"We will not leave you behind, Lady Riley," Bob said in his deep, melodious voice. "The warrior king will not leave you. You are his mate."
Riley’s eyes flickered up, but she couldn’t see Vox because of Bob’s huge body. "Yes, well, it isn’t his decision. Besides, I think I’m allergic to cats so it wouldn’t work out anyway. I’ll just stick around here and see if I can’t find me a trader or someone heading back toward Earth. I’ve got some business there I need to finish, not to mention my family is back there," she said lightly.
Bob’s huge body shook as he chuckled. "Little female, you should not try to fight. It will do no good. If the Sarafin warrior king wants you, you are his. But if you do not wish to stay with him, I will do what I can to help you. I owe you a life debt for choosing me as a mate when others would have let me die."
"As do I. You know that big Sarafin warrior will kill us both if we try to take Riley away from him," the left head of Fred said with a scowl as he looked at Bob. "I don’t care. I will do what I can to help you if you want to leave him," the right head added gruffly to Riley. "Let us hope if he kills us, it is quick."
"You both are just so sweet! But neither of you owe me a thing. Don’t you boys go worrying about little ole me. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for the past twenty-four years," Riley said with a watery smile. "So, when is this elaborate plan of escape supposed to take place? I didn’t understand half of what they were saying. Do you need a distraction? I excel at creating distractions," she added with a mischievous smile.
"No!" a deep voice growled as the door to their living quarters opened.
Riley rose from where she was sitting. Bob slithered to one side revealing Vox. Behind him, their visitors were quietly exiting the room. Soon, it was just the three of them. Tor and Lodar had followed the men out.
"You will stay here with these two for now," Vox growled out in a soft voice. "I will return before it is time to leave. You will be ready to go with us."
Riley shrugged her shoulders and tossed a length of curly blond hair over her shoulder nonchalantly. "Yes, well, I was telling the boys I think it would be best if I just caught the next ship out with a trader who is heading toward good old Earth. You know, it would just be easier for you guys to escape without having little ole me holding you back and getting in the way," she said with a bright, fake smile.
Vox stared at Riley intently before he jerked his head at Fred and Bob. Both knew it was an order to leave. Riley watched nervously as her two friends moved reluctantly toward the exit. Fred’s right head turned, and he gave her a look of apology before he stepped out of the room behind Bob.
Riley folded her arms over her chest and waited. "Okay, say what you’ve got to say, but it isn’t going to change my mind," she said stubbornly.
Vox took a step closer, crowding her until she was backed up against the wall. "You will be ready to go when it is time," he said with a determined thrust of his chin.
She was afraid to move her arms because it would allow him to move even closer to her if she did. She frowned up at him. She was still mad at him. The big oaf was really too much! He had the nerve to think she was some kind of intergalactic spy hired by God-knew-who. He had been prepared to kill her without a second thought while he was the one sleeping with Spy One and Spy Two back home! On top of that, she’d found out that he and his friends were a bunch of alien kitty-cat shifters. And the icing on the cake was him telling everyone he was "claiming" her without even a take-her-out-to-dinner date!
Oh, hell no, I’m not going anywhere his furry ass is going. I’m going to find the first trader I can and kidnap him even if I have to threaten his ass in order to get back home, Riley thought with determination.
"No, I won’t. I’ve decided to find me a nice little trader to kidnap. Once I do, I’ll have him take me home," she replied with a stubborn tilt to her chin. "You boys go on and do your thing. I hope you find whoever it is you plan on killing. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time. Me? I’ve got business back on Earth to take care of involving a few dead bodies of my own," she said with a confident nod.
Vox’s hands reached out and gripped her hips, moving them slowly up to her waist. He savored every delectable inch as he slid his hands across her soft flesh under the purple top she was wearing. He pulled her closer to him, trapping her folded arms against his broad chest. He leaned into her, running his nose up along her neck as she straightened in an effort to get away from him. His cat purred in delight. Vox groaned, running his tongue along the slender column.
Riley shivered as the rough sandpaper of his tongue ran along her smooth skin. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked in a strangled voice. "You—Your chest is rumbling."
"My cat wants you," Vox whispered against her neck. "So do I. We’ve both been denied too long." He growled softly against her throat, nipping it gently.
"Ouch," Riley choked out hoarsely. "Well, go lick on someone else! I’m not interested."
Vox ground his hips against her, pushing his thick, swollen cock up against her. He slid one hand up to cup her chin and turned her face until she was forced to look into his blazing eyes. He studied her for a moment before a slight grin pulled at the corner of his mouth.
"Liar. I can smell your desire," he said before pressing his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss.
* * *
Vox had listened with half an ear to Riley, Bob, and Fred as Titus and Tor worked out how to overtake the guards in the control room. Adur, the Curizan warrior, and Titus’s brother, Banu, would slip up through a narrow conduit maintenance tunnel they had discovered months ago and take out the guards in the control room. Cross, the Valdier warrior, would secure the arrival bay along with Tor and Lodar. Vox and Titus would secure the supply ship and prepare it for flight. They would need to do a fast refuel. Fred was small and fast enough to get through the tunnels unseen. His father owned a refueling station on one of the Spaceports. He would take care of the refueling before joining them. Bob would take care of making sure Riley was protected and where she was supposed to be. Vox had already warned the huge Gelatian he better make sure Riley was on the supply ship and in one piece, or he would be coming after him personally.
When he heard Riley say she wasn’t going to go with them, he knew he had to convince her there would be no discussion in this matter. There would be no room for hesitation as they needed to get off the asteroid as soon as the defense shields were down. If they didn’t, they would not be given another chance. His gut—and his cat—were telling him that time was running out.
He knew he had hurt her feelings when he accused her of being a spy. He could smell the hurt radiating out from her. When he had admitted he would have killed her if she had been, she had shut down on him completely. It was as if an icy wall suddenly formed around her emotions.
He pulled away reluctantly. Opening his mouth to explain to her that it was a fruitless endeavor to fight the attraction, his words froze as pain exploded through him. His eyes watered almost as much as when she had sprayed that weapon of hers in his eyes as her head connected with the end of his nose in a blow that had him stumbling back a half step.
His hands released her as he grabbed his offended nose. "What in Guall’s balls did you do that for?" he bellowed out, falling back another step when she angrily pushed against him.
"You can smell me?" she demanded, elbowing her way around him and back toward the bed where she had her pepper spray hidden under her pillow. "You can smell me? Is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, that’s right up there with, ‘Did you use any deodorant?’ or ‘When is the last time you took a bath?’ I do not stink!" She was so going to spray his ass.
"Riley, I did not mean you stink. You smell; that is different," Vox’s muffled voice came out from behind his hand. "What are you doing?" he asked warily as she turned with a determined look on her beautiful but very angry face.
"I’m going to peppe
r spray your sorry ass," she growled, holding the small leather cylinder out in front of her. "Then I’m going to make a throw rug out of it! I. Do. Not. Smell!" she yelled out in fury.
Vox edged around her, wondering how he had gotten himself in this position. Holding his hand out, he stepped lightly to the side, heading toward the entrance to their living quarters. His cat hissed at him again for making a mess of the situation.
How in Guall’s balls was I supposed to know she would take offense? he muttered to his cat in frustration.
"Riley, I smell desire," he began before he ruefully admitted, "or at least I did."
"I’ll show your sorry ass desire," she said as she advanced on him shaking the cylinder menacingly. "Let’s see if you can smell this!" she snarled, depressing the button on the spray cylinder at the same time the door opened.
Vox jerked to the side, covering his face in defense. Unfortunately, Tor wasn’t as fast. His roar of pain echoed down the long corridor. The sound bounced along the walls, drawing others from their rooms. Several Antrox guards hurried down the corridor. They stopped when they saw Tor writhing on the floor in agony. Riley bent over him trying to pat him on his shoulder as he rolled back and forth.
785 and 157 came hurrying down the corridor. "What has happened?" 785 demanded, stopping and releasing a sigh of frustration when he saw Riley’s blond head.
"Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you," Riley cooed to Tor who was curled in a ball trying to rub his eyes. "I was trying to hurt the big oaf. If he would have stayed still, you wouldn’t be hurting. I’m so sorry, darling," she said trying to get him to turn so she could see how bad it was.
Riley looked up and glared at Vox. "Well, don’t just stand there like an idiot! Go get me a wet cloth," she demanded.
Vox nodded knowing how much pain his poor friend was in. He hurried back into their living quarters to retrieve the needed item. Riley looked up and scowled at 785 and 157.
Captured Boxed Set: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys Who Will Capture Your Heart Page 88