by Sadie Carter
“You’ve been watching too many old films,” she told him.
“Got to do something in my down time.”
“Yeah? I thought that was what Penny and Lola were for.” Two of his favorite bed partners on Joyadan; there were rumors that he often took them to bed together. She preferred not to think about her brother in a threesome with two of the thickest women she’d ever met. She preferred not to think about him having sex full stop. That was the stuff nightmares were bred from.
Zuma chuckled. “Ahh, Penny and Lola. How I miss their touch, their scent, their plump, soft breasts.”
“Ahh, gross. Too much information. I don’t understand how you can sleep with them when they’re so-so—”
“Stupid?” he offered.
“Yeah, stupid.” She’d been trying to come up with a polite way of saying the lights were on but no one was at home.
“I’m not with them for their conversation, am I?” He grinned.
“Eww. I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having.”
“No, but it took your mind off our problems, didn’t it?”
Not really. They were constantly running a circle in her head. But she’d known what he was doing, so she’d gone along with it.
When they reached the cargo bay, the others were waiting for them. Her nerves stilled as she saw Darac. What was it about him that made her feel safe? That centered her? She didn’t need him to keep her safe. But she couldn’t help the way she felt.
Taking a deep breath, she hid next to Nolan behind some crates and waited.
They landed with a jolt. They had agreed that Darac and Rye would greet the Coizils. Zuma, Steele and Deacon backed them up. Against her protests, she, Nolan and Mitch had been told to hide in the hopes that they wouldn’t search the ship.
Darac wore hover cuffs, but he knew the code to release himself. Maybe they would just let them go. Maybe they wouldn’t conduct a search.
Maybe this was all just a really bad dream.
There was a banging on the door and Darac nodded over at Zuma who opened the doors. Dressed all in black, like they’d emerged from the depths of hell, a small army of Coizils appeared.
Some paused at the doorway, weapons raised as even more raced in, two-by-two, moving in sync. The sound of their feet hitting the floor was both hypnotic and terrifying.
That feeling of dread filling her stomach increased.
One of them stepped forward. Tall and wide-shouldered, every inch of skin was covered in a smooth, black material. He lifted his dark helmet. His face could have been carved from marble, it was so white it was almost painful to look at.
Bright yellow eyes studied the room before he rested his gaze on Darac.
“A Zerconian,” he said using standard. “This is an unexpected surprise.” Suddenly, before Rye could even begin the story they’d concocted, the Coizil opened his mouth wide. A terrifying noise filled the room. Willa clamped her hands over her ears. The noise seeped into her pores, moving under her skin. Tears poured from her eyes. There was such pain in that noise, such sorrow.
Suddenly the noise ended and she lay gasping in pain on the floor, her ears ringing. Her lungs burned and she realized she wasn’t breathing. Willa forced her lungs to work, gasping in a deep breath. A sob escaped.
Her head throbbed, an endless pain. Something nudged her hip and she let out a cry as she was rolled onto her back. A blurry, dark figure appeared over her. Reaching down, it pulled her into the air. The movement was too much for her head, agony engulfed her and finally, mercifully she blacked out.
Chapter Six
“Willa. Willa, wake up.”
She grumbled. She didn’t want to wake up. She was tired and her head pounded. How much had she had to drink last night?
“Willa. Wake up. Now.” Rye’s voice was filled with demand.
With a sigh, she forced her eyes open, blinking to focus them. Rye and Zuma stood over her. Rye’s forehead was puckered into a frown as he studied her. Even Zuma appeared worried.
“Wha-what is it? Am I late for my shift?” She struggled to sit. Rye reached out a hand and clasped her arm, pulling her up. She groaned as her head protested.
“Easy, it takes a while for the headache to pass,” Zuma told her. Rye helped her lean back against the wall.
Gingerly, she massaged her temples. “It feels like shards of glass are being hammered into my brain.”
Across the room, Steele paced back and forth while Deacon appeared to be examining the doors. He ran his fingers down the seam where the two doors met. Nolan and Mitch sat by each other in the corner, talking quietly. But Mitch took the time out of his conversation to glare at her.
He was a such a sweetheart.
“What is Deacon doing?”
Rye glanced over at the other man. “Trying to find a way out of here.”
“Where is here? What happened? Did I black out?” She really needed to stop doing that.
“We all did,” Rye said grimly. “We woke up locked in this room.”
Locked in the room? But who? Oh shit. She glanced around frantically, ignoring the thumping in her brain. “Where’s Darac?”
“We don’t know. When we woke up he was gone.” Zuma wouldn’t look at her.
“Gone? Where did they take him?”
Her brothers glanced at one another. “What? What is it?”
“We don’t know what’s going on,” Steele commented as he walked past. “But I think it’s fair to say we’re in a shitload of trouble.”
So what else was new?
“They never even gave you a chance to speak,” she said to Rye.
He shook his head. “I think as soon as they saw Darac they didn’t care about anything else. I suppose we should be grateful they didn’t just slit our throats.”
“Why do you think we’re still alive?” she asked.
“Who knows?” Deacon said, moving away from the door. “They knocked us all unconscious with that horrendous noise then dumped us in this room. Minus the big guy. We know nothing more than you do.”
Worry ate her. Where the hell was Darac? What were the Coizils doing to him? “How long have you all been awake?”
“Steele woke up first,” Rye told her.
“About fifteen minutes ago,” Steele added. “Seems like we woke up in order of size. Largest to smallest.”
“So what are we going to do?” she asked. “How will we get out of here? What’s the plan?”
Rye sat back beside her. “Short answer. We don’t have one.”
She’d been afraid he was going to say that.
***
Stay calm. Willa. Remain calm. Willa. Do not kill.
It was a mantra running inside his head as he forced his pain-ridden body to move slowly through the open doorway. He moved carefully, determined not to stumble and give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d hurt him.
He couldn’t allow himself to lose control. If he did, the Coizils would kill them all.
For hours the Coizils had tortured him. They had shown little interest in the others, which was a relief. Hopefully, as long as he was alive for them to torment they would leave Willa and the others alone. He guessed the only reason they had stopped their torture was to give him a chance to recuperate before engaging in another round.
It meant they could prolong their fun. Had he been on his own, he’d have fought them, took out as many as he could before they killed him. But he had Willa to think of. He needed to stay alive long enough to see her safe.
As he moved into the small, windowless room, his gaze immediately sought out his mate. She stood behind her brothers. Good. He’d warned everyone to keep her hidden. It was imperative that the Coizils not discover she was a female. He had to keep their attention on him and away from his companions. From Willa. Because if anything happened to her…
Calm.
He was going to have to find a way to center himself, of working through his aggression. Willa was in constant danger and it grou
nd at his already tenuous control. He shook his head as she took a step forward. She could not show any more concern than the others. She couldn’t pull any attention to herself.
The doors swished shut and he stood for a moment. He shut his eyes, trying to remind himself that the others weren’t a threat. They were on his side—for the moment, anyway.
“Darac?” Willa asked.
“Give me a moment. Please. Stay back.” Pain flowed through him, he breathed his way through it. Opening his eyes, he glanced around. Thankfully, the others kept their eyes averted. Right now, anything he saw as a challenge might send him over the edge.
“Darac?” Willa took a hesitant step forward, holding her arms out at her sides, her voice calm and soothing as though she were dealing with an injured animal. It’s how he felt. Injured and on the defensive. His gaze snapped to Zuma as he reached out for his sister.
“Do not touch her,” he warned. Breathe in. Breathe out. “Not yet. Not until I have more control.”
“What did they do to you?” she whispered.
“Nothing I did not expect.”
“You expected them to separate us? To hurt you? And don’t tell me you’re not in pain, I can tell.”
Her fear ate at him, demanding that he do something, help her, keep her safe.
“Willa, you need to remain calm,” Rye warned. “Your fear is making it harder for him to control himself.”
“Sorry. Darac, is there anything we can do? Do you need medical help?” The concern in her voice warmed him.
“They did not bleed me.” That would end things too quickly and they had plenty of other ways to torture and destroy. “I will be fine. If you all give me space and if you remain calm. If I feel that Willa is in danger or afraid, I will be unable to control myself.”
“So nothing’s changed, huh?” Zuma joked.
“I don’t think now is the time, Zuma,” Willa warned.
“Got to lighten the mood somehow or the Coizils won’t be the biggest risk of death, it’ll be the big guy here.”
“Zuma is correct. Just talk normally.” He couldn’t sit without falling, but he couldn’t ask for help either. The Coizils had done more damage than he had thought. “I tried to tell them you captured me, but I do not think they believed me. I am sorry.”
“Willa, no.”
He stiffened, glancing up at Rye’s sharp words. Willa had moved closer to him.
“Willa, best you stay back,” he warned.
She shook her head. “No. You won’t hurt me.” She touched his arm gently. Immediately, he felt calmer. More at ease.
“You need help,” she whispered. “You’re not going to let any of them help, are you?”
He let out a low noise of denial.
“That’s what I thought. Maybe it’s a good thing I wasn’t born a male, if it means I don’t have to act like a stubborn idiot.”
“You wished to be a male?”
“Maybe. Sometimes.” He watched her closely, wondering at the hint of sadness in her gaze. He briefly glanced over her shoulder at the others. They were talking quietly among themselves, purposely ignoring him. “Sometimes it’s not always easy to be the only woman.”
“They why did you become a mercenary? It is dangerous. Not a career choice for a female.”
She glared up at him. “I’m not some helpless little woman who needs a man to take care of her.”
He shook his head, trying to hide his wince as his head throbbed. “No? Perhaps not. You are very different to our women.”
“Zerconian women aren’t like me, huh?”
“No, they look to males to lead and guide them. Protect them. They would be paralyzed by fear right now, demanding that I take care of them.”
“And that’s what you want? For me to be hysterical, begging you to protect me. Hopeless and helpless? How would that help anyone?”
“That is true. I suppose it is best that you not be hysterical or in tears.” He blinked rapidly. Everything was taking on a slightly blurry appearance.
“Let me help you sit down,” she said quietly.
“I can do it.”
She sighed. Loudly. “Is every male born with the stubborn gene? Or is it just the ones I’m lucky enough to meet?”
“I cannot appear weak. I cannot show…”
“Hate to tell you, big guy, but we all know you’re in pain. You’re not as good an actor as you think. Nobody here will harm you.”
“Is that true? I believe some of them may think differently.” His gaze moved from Steele to Mitch, who still looked as though he were in pain. He didn’t feel guilty, not after how he had attacked Willa.
“Okay, maybe that was true before. But they all need you now. I won’t let anyone harm you.”
He snorted. A sharp pain went through his chest.
“Jesus, stop being overly dramatic and sit down.”
“Overly dramatic?”
“All the posturing and trying to act like you’re tougher than everyone else. We all know you’re big and bad, Darac. No need to prove it. You need your strength if we’re all going to get out of this alive. So leave the arrogance behind and let me take care of you. Now sit.”
“Have you ever been told you would make an excellent war general?” he asked as he leaned against the wall then slowly slid down. He refused to allow her to help him. Willa was right, he had to rest. But he’d still keep watch over the others. He trusted no one but his fellow warriors.
“I wish I had some painkillers for you.” She chewed her lip.
“I will be fine soon. I must rest.”
She slid down and sat beside him. They sat like that for a while. Despite the pain and their precarious situation, he actually felt like he could sleep.
Willa sat quietly for as long as she could, watching over him. Not that she was much protection. She couldn’t keep him safe from the Coizils and it wasn’t like her crew mates were a threat.
The last few hours, while they’d been separated, had been some of the worst of her life. Imagining what was happening to him, wondering if he was all right, if they were hurting him, killing him. It had been hell.
She cared about him. She was finding it harder and harder to get him out of her mind. Her body heated in his presence, her nipples hardening, her skin tingling. Even now, while he was injured and they were all in danger, her body reacted to him. She’d never experienced anything like it before. He intrigued her, plaguing her thoughts day and night.
It was weird. Intriguing. A little crazy.
The Coizils hurt him. It filled her with rage. She glanced down at her clenched hands. She wanted to kill someone. And she was scared for him. For all of them. She couldn’t show her fear. She knew the drill. She had to be tougher and faster than the rest just to overcome the fact that her genitals were different and she had boobs.
Like boobs made any difference. They didn’t suck at her brain and make her do stupid things. Not like a certain part of the male anatomy.
The others were all either sleeping or talking quietly, except for Rye who paced the room. She turned to look up at Darac. He was pale and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his face. What had the Coizils done to him? She clenched her hands into fists. If she ever got her hands on them, they’d pay.
Only problem was, they held all the power. It seemed like they might enjoy torturing Darac too much.
“Darac?” she whispered in case he really was asleep. His eyes were closed, but she got the feeling that he was still awake.
“You are worried. I do not like when you worry.”
“Me? I’m not worried. What is there to be worried about? We’ve only been kidnapped and are being held by a bunch of scary assholes. Nothing for me to worry about.”
Opening his eyes, he turned his head to give her a look.
“What?” she said defensively, picking at a thread on her pants. “Few beers and some snacks and it would practically be a party in here. Definitely nothing to worry about.”
“I will let no
harm come to you.”
She snorted. “Sorry to disappoint you, big guy, but you look half dead. Right at this moment, I’m pretty sure a stiff breeze would knock you on your ass. I’ll be the one protecting you.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“Exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole time.”
He gave her a searching look. “You are stronger than you appear. But you are my mate. It is my job to protect you. You are smaller and more delicate than me.”
“Not as bull-headed either.”
“Bull-headed?” He studied her head.
“It means stubborn.”
“Ah, well, I am not certain about that. You seem to be very stubborn.”
“Yeah. Maybe. At least I’m not pacing the room like a loon.” She nodded over at Rye who walked back and forth across the room. “This is torture for a control freak like Rye.”
Darac nodded slowly. “He does not like that he cannot protect you all.”
“Rye knows we can protect ourselves.”
“Perhaps,” he allowed. “But he still feels responsible for you. Any good leader would feel the pressure to protect those under him.”
“Guess so. Are you sure I can’t do anything to help you?” She hadn’t meant show that she was worried about him. She remembered Rye’s words. Him or us. But she could feel concerned about him without choosing him over her family and crew.
“I am fine. You need not worry about me.”
“Oh, well, I feel so much better. Now that you’ve told me I don’t need to worry, I’ll stop immediately. Why worry my pretty little head about things that don’t concern me, I’ll leave that to you big, bad men.”
He stared at her for a long moment while she glared at him. Yeah, she knew she was running her mouth off. She did that when she was scared. Couldn’t help it. But she was tired of him brushing her aside, treating her like she was too stupid to know what was going on.
“I hurt you?”
Damn. She hadn’t meant to let him see that much.