"Then, I suggest we do not let her wait, my big green warrior," chuckled Banu. "Onward to freedom before she kills us all."
Chapter 8
Riley shot two guards the minute she exited the medical unit. The leathery, red-skinned healer had been coming down the corridor from the control room. The second he saw her shooting, he turned his wacky self around so fast he actually fell down. Riley took off as fast as she could, pulling her big, pink suitcase, and shot his ass as he was entering the control room. She had quickly disposed of him and the three guards inside. Normally she would have had second thoughts about killing anything. Hell, she was known for rescuing and nursing the injured lizards back home before releasing them back into the wild. Since she had never had to save a praying mantis before, she decided those miserable creatures didn’t count, and the healer was just too freaky to let live. Those thoughts helped ease her conscience so she could concentrate on trying to figure out what in the hell to do next.
"One of these days, girl," she muttered out loud to herself. "You are going to have an actual plan before you start shooting."
Riley’s nose turned up in disgust as she shoved the last of the dead bodies outside the door. There were some things she could handle; being in a room with dead guys was not one of them. She cursed again when she couldn’t figure out how to close the door to the room, so she stood back and shot the panel out. Her loud moans filled the air when instead of closing, it remained frozen opened.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" she groaned in frustration. "It worked in the movies, damn it all to hell!" There was nothing she could do about the door except shoot anything that tried to come through it now.
She turned and looked at all the lights flashing on the console with a confused frown. Glancing out the huge section of windows that overlooked two separate landing bays divided by a huge wall of rock, she figured she could at least watch as her guys took off. Since she couldn’t see them down there yet she figured they might need a little help. She had absolutely no idea what to do but figured if she started pushing enough buttons something was bound to work sooner or later.
"Well, I told them I was great at causing a distraction," she muttered darkly as she began pushing as many buttons as fast as she could. "Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have pushed that one," she whispered under her breath when the lights flashed on and off in the landing bay.
Riley pushed another button and realized she could hear herself breathing over the PA system. She could warn the guys they needed to get their asses up here toot sweet if they wanted a spaceship. At the rate the other prisoners were leaving, they were going fast.
"Hello. Can everyone hear me? Hell-lo! Vox, Tor, Lodar?" she called out, hoping they could hear her over the stupid alarms that had gone off when she was pushing buttons. Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out how to turn them off. "Damn it! How do you turn the alarms off? The damn things are giving me a headache," she muttered before she turned to see one of the Antrox guards trying to sneak up behind her. "Oh no, you don’t, you nasty little insect!"
Riley let loose with several shots, adding to the growing pile of dead bodies. "Take that, you son of a bitch! Who’s your momma now, asshole?" Riley crowed before she realized she still had the communication system open. "Fred, Bob honey, if you can hear me I have all the doors open. I have to tell you. You’d better hurry. Those spaceship thingies are really flying out of here fast. I don’t know if there are going to be any left if you don’t get your asses up here now. Uh-oh, I don’t think those two know how to drive one. Oops, nope. They didn’t," she croaked out as she watched the dark night of space light up when two departing ships exploded.
* * *
Several Antrox guards turned, startled, and looked up at the control room as the lights in the landing bay flashed on and off. Antrox 785 looked up in disbelief when he saw the strange female standing at the controls instead of his men. Riley glanced down at him at the same time as he turned all the way around to stare in disbelief. Antrox 785 watched as if in slow motion as she gave him a huge smile and raised her hand, her middle finger pointing straight up, before blowing him a kiss. He could feel the deep flush of shock and outrage that his mining operation was no longer under his control.
"Get me the guards on Level Five," he growled out at the same time the alarms sounded, stating all systems had been deactivated. "Wait!" he ordered sharply. "On second thought, get my personal ship ready immediately. It is time I retired," he muttered to his personal guards.
"Antrox 785, what of the others?" his guard asked stiffly.
"The prisoners have been released," Antrox 785 stated coolly, looking at the guard. "Do you wish to search for the others?"
The guard looked back up at the female in the control room who was currently firing a laser pistol at someone. He looked back at Antrox 785 and bowed his head. Turning, the small group hurried to one of the tubes leading up to Antrox 785’s personal space craft.
Antrox 785 turned before he walked up to the tube to look one last time at the strange female who had brought an end to his sixty years of profit. Luckily, he had always known that something like this could happen and had prepared for it. He shook his head as he turned to follow his guards. Before he retired, he first would have liked to have killed the trader who brought her here. A small smile curved his thin lips as he thought about how much Antrox 157 wanted to be promoted. He hoped he enjoyed his new position.
* * *
Riley screamed as two more guards fell. This time not from her but from one of the escaped prisoners who decided he wanted to take her with him. She raised her arm and fired on the huge orange man again. He grunted but continued to creep toward her even though he was bleeding from several places including where she had just shot him in the shoulder.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Riley snarled as she aimed the pistol between his eyes. "Will you just fucking die already!" she snapped out as she fired again. The huge orange figure flew backward landing on the growing pile of bodies outside the door. This time, he didn’t get back up.
Who the hell needs a door when I can just make one out of dead bodies, she thought in disgust.
Riley turned to slam her hand down on the last button in frustration and anger. This one had been hidden under a huge clear lid. The little nagging thought in her head that maybe it was covered for a reason didn’t go off until the voice of the automated system announced that the self-destruct had been activated.
"Well, shit a brick!" Riley groaned in despair.
Tears filled her eyes as she watched another spaceship depart. There was only one left, and it looked like it had been left behind for a reason. She wasn’t even sure if it could fly. Her hand pressed against the glass, her fingers spread as she watched Cross, Banu, Bob, and Fred hurrying across the landing bay toward the last spaceship. A moment later, she saw Adur and Titus making their way up the tube as well. She must have missed Vox, Tor, and Lodar. She was sure they had already escaped in all the confusion.
"Good luck, my strange friends," Riley whispered sadly as she watched them disappear. "I’m glad you are getting away."
She pulled away from the glass. The sounds in the background of the countdown seemed to match her heartbeat. Riley stepped away, pulling her purse and big, pink suitcase with her as she moved over to the wall, where she slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and smoothed her huge purse down against her side.
Riley rolled the laser pistol in her hands absently before taking a deep breath. She wasn’t going to wait until the place exploded around her. If she was going to die, it wasn’t going to be by having her head explode from decompressing in space. No, she would take her own life in the last few seconds. A quick blast to the heart and she wouldn’t feel the dark emptiness that would become her tomb.
"Hell, Riley girl," she whispered as tears coursed down her cheeks. "You are really getting morbid. At least it is better than being buried in concrete under the shed in Righteous, New Mexico."
She giggled, on the verge of hysteria. "Here floats the body of Riley St. Claire from Denver, Colorado. She forgot that the self-destruct button is always covered. The idiot! So much for twenty-four years of good B-rated movies. This totally sucks!" Riley groaned as she pulled the pistol so it was pressed tightly against her chest. "I can’t believe with my family history that I am probably the only female in the history of the St. Claires to die a frigging virgin!" She sniffled sadly.
She closed her eyes and drew in a shuddering sob. She could do this. Just don’t think about it. Instead, she thought about the things that brought a warmth to her heart and calmed her. Images shimmered into her mind as she thought back to the things that really mattered to her. A wobbly smile curved her lips as she remembered her Grandma Pearl laughing and wiping down the counter at the bar as she listened to Riley telling her about her latest retorts to the bullies at school. She thought about her sainted sister Tina rolling her big blue eyes at her when their Grandma got called to school again because of Riley fighting or mouthing off. She thought of Vox’s beautiful tawny eyes glaring at her with hot desire as he tried to get her to rest instead of working alongside them down in the mines. Her body began to shake uncontrollably as her finger tightened on the trigger; then she jerked in shock as pain exploded through her.
I didn’t think dying would hurt so much, she thought as the breath exploded out of her.
* * *
Vox let out another loud snarl as he slashed at anything in his way. Tor and Lodar were right beside him clearing a path. He didn’t care who it was. If they were in the way, they were dead. His only thought was to get to Riley, his mate, his everything. How he ever thought he could kill her if he had to made him realize just how stupid he really was. The thought of her being in danger was enough to drive him insane. He would never have been able to kill her. He would have had to lock her up somewhere if she had been a spy. Hell, he might do that anyway after this crazy stunt of hers. He was damn sure going to whip her delicious ass for scaring him so badly.
He had roared for the others to go secure a ship for them while he, Tor, and Lodar shifted into their cats and went after Riley. They could move faster and clear a larger path in that form. Vox burst down the corridor that housed the medical unit and control room, his sharp claws digging gouges into the stone floor. He slowed as he saw the pile of bodies outside of the control room door which stood open. He pulled back on his cat, slowing it down. It hissed at him, fighting for control as fear threatened to overwhelm caution.
Vox moved silently toward the door. Tor and Lodar had shifted behind him and were moving up the sides, checking each room for any guards that might remain. His ears twitched back and forth as he picked up Riley’s husky, tear-filled voice. His cat picked up speed at the sound of its mate. He jumped over the pile of dead bodies and froze, his eyes narrowing on where Riley was sitting with the laser pistol pressed against her chest. Time seemed to stand still as he watched her draw in a deep, shaky breath. A silent curse tore through his mind as he realized what she was about to do. With a burst of speed he hit her sideways, whipping his huge paw out and knocking the pistol out of her hand as he stumbled over her, rolling as the pistol fired mere inches from her.
He knew he hit her hard enough to knock the breath out of her, but he had been so frightened he could barely restrain himself. Gods! He had almost lost her again. He didn’t know if his heart would ever beat calmly again. He shifted, rolling until she was trapped underneath him. His hands were framing her face as he frantically looked down at her.
"Riley," he croaked out desperately. "Where are you hurt?"
Riley opened her mouth as she stared up in a daze at the huge figure above her. She couldn’t breathe. He had her pinned under his huge body and had knocked the frigging wind out of her. She finally drew in a huge breath as dark spots began dancing around the edges of her vision.
"You aren’t supposed to be here," she said confused. "You were supposed to have already escaped."
"Are you hurt?" Vox tenderly growled out again as he ran the palms of his big hands down over her hair and cheeks.
"No, I don’t think so," Riley said before she let out a loud squeal as she found herself flung over Vox’s huge shoulder as he jumped to his feet.
"Good! Once we know for sure, I’m going to tan your ass for this little stunt, female!" Vox growled out turning back toward the door.
"My suitcase! Don’t forget my purse either!" Riley cried out looking over at her big, pink suitcase from upside down. "I need it!"
"I’m on it," Tor said, hurrying into the room and grabbing the huge case and heavy handbag with a grunt. "Damn, Riley, this is heavy. What do you have in it?" Tor asked as he jogged down the corridor behind Vox.
"Can we talk less and run faster?" Lodar asked coming up the rear. "We have less than two minutes to get far enough away from this rock we don’t get blown up with it."
"Sor…ry…ab…ou…t-th-tha-that!" Riley finally got out as she bounced up and down. "I…hit…the…wronnnggg…butt…on. Damn it, Vox. Will…you…quit…bouncing…me!"
Vox’s large hand tightened around Riley’s legs while his other one landed on her ass with a satisfying whack. He couldn’t help the grin that lit up his face at her outraged yelp followed by a long string of colorful curses and threats. He let his hand rest there, enjoying the soft, heated flesh under his palm.
Gods, but I love this female! he thought, almost tripping as he bolted down the steps and charged across the landing bay. I love her!
He never thought he would feel this emotion for a female, but he realized he did. His cat rolled deep inside him in disgust as the revelation spread warmth to every inch of his huge frame. He never expected love to feel like this! He felt wonderful and terrified at the same time. He, Vox d’Rojah, ruling king of the Sarafin was terrified of a little alien female from a species he had never even heard of before. She scared him to the marrow of his bones, and he loved it. She drove him nuts, was totally oblivious to just who he was and the power he had, and he never knew what in Guall’s balls she was going to say or do next. He was also terrified that something might happen to her. He and his cat needed to protect her, even if it was from herself. Speaking of which—
"What in the hell did you think you were doing?" Vox growled out as he charged up the loading tube to—"What in the hell is that?" he croaked out in dismay as he got his first good look at the dilapidated freighter.
"It is the only thing left," Banu snarled out. "Move your asses. Titus and Adur have the engines primed as much as they could without blowing them. We have less than a minute to get as far from this place as possible."
Vox’s curses echoed as Banu sealed the door behind them and barked out to Titus to get them the fuck out of there. Vox reached out and grabbed the bar along the side of the passageway as he felt the old freighter groan and shake as Titus and Adur pushed it to the maximum.
"Go! Go! Go!" Lodar muttered under his breath as he hung tightly to the bar next to Vox.
"I’m going to go see if I can’t get this rusted piece of dragon dung to move faster," Tor snarled, holding onto the bar as he worked his way down the corridor.
"Ah, hello," Riley said, blowing her hair out of her face. "Is it possible to be put down now? The blood is, like, flowing to my head, and I am definitely getting a headrush here. Not to mention, you have a very uncomfortable shoulder considering how much meat you’ve got on you. Let me tell you, muscle is not soft!" she complained.
Vox snarled at Banu who had his eyes glued to Riley’s ass. "Mine!" he snapped to the younger Sarafin warrior.
Banu grinned at Vox. "If we are about to die at least give me something nice to look at," he said with a shrug.
Cross grinned at Banu. "I couldn’t agree with you more, my friend. If I have to die I wouldn’t mind having her in my arms."
"What are they looking at?" Riley said, trying to walk herself up Vox’s back with her hands. She turned and looked at Banu and Cross who were grinning mi
schievously at her. "What is nice?"
"They are staring at your big ass," Vox snapped in irritation. "It is mine!"
Riley’s eyes widened before they narrowed to dangerous slits. "I know you did not just say I have a big ass, you hot-headed, no-good, two-timing piece of kitty-litter trash!" she snapped. "Put me down right this minute."
Vox slid Riley’s succulent body down along his own solid form with a loud purr. Gods, she had curves on top of curves and was so soft he could feel his hands sinking down into the creamy flesh as his hands slipped under her shirt. His cat rumbled in delight as her sweet scent overwhelmed his senses, and his eyes actually rolled back in his head when her huge breasts caressed his cheeks.
"Gods, female, you are potent," Vox purred against her ear as he leaned into her.
Riley opened her mouth to let him have it, but before she could the entire freighter shuddered violently, creaking and groaning as the asteroid exploded. Her arms flew out, wrapping around his neck at the same time as she tried crawling back up his huge frame. She had too much to live for to die now. She had to find a way home, she had to lose her virginity, she had a big, gorgeous-smelling lummox to kill.
Vox turned, pressing Riley’s shivering figure between his body and the wall. She had her long legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and her face was buried in his neck. He didn’t know whether the groan that escaped him was because he could feel the old freighter struggling to move through the shockwave or because he could feel the heat of his mate’s pussy pressing against his cock which decided it didn’t care that they were in mortal danger right now. He pressed her against the side of the corridor as his arms strained to hold onto the metal grip bar.
"Brace for impact!" Titus’s voice came over the communication system. "Adur, see if this piece of crap’s shields can be increased to the stern. We have debris coming at us."
"Shields are at ninety percent. I’m rerouting power from life support to give it additional power," Adur muttered tensely.
Captured Boxed Set: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys Who Will Capture Your Heart Page 91