Anton's Grace : Sci-Fi Dark Romance (Dark Tales)

by Regine Abel

  It will never fit.

  Before I could protest, Gerwin shoved an open mouth gag with teeth guard between my lips. My eyes bulged as I tried to spit it out. Gerwin clamped his hand over my mouth to keep it in. At the corner of my eyes, I noticed a remote in his other hand. He thumbed the interface and I felt the gag stretch my jaw wider.

  However, Gerwin’s palm on my mouth also covered my nose. Already starved for air, I pulled on my restraints. He chuckled at my vain struggle. I tried to get up but Gerwin kicked my feet from under me. I fell back on my knees with a loud thud. The violent pull of the chains tore at my wrists anew. It was as if the broken bones of my ribs were trying to pierce through my skin. Each breath, each movement was sheer agony. My struggles faltered as, lungs burning, dark dots appeared before me.

  Gerwin’s hand mercifully moved off my face, only to grip the blood-soaked hair at the back of my head. I didn’t care about the pain as I greedily gulped in as much air as my lungs would allow. Without giving me sufficient time to catch my breath, Gerwin tried to shove his turgid shaft into my mouth. However, even though the gag already stretched my mouth to a barely tolerable level, the opening only allowed the tip of his cock to fit in.

  When he thumbed the controls again to stretch it further, I gurgled for him to stop, pulling urgently at my shackles. My face was about to split in half.

  “I don’t care if I have to break your jaw,” Gerwin said, “I will have my cock down your throat, and then up your cunt. By the time I’m done with you, how pretty you still look won’t matter.”

  With a grinding sound followed by searing pain in front of my ears, my jaw unhinged. The room spun and my vision blurred. Gerwin once again tried to fit through the gag’s opening. His thick cock invaded my mouth, the blunt tip hitting the back of my throat.

  A blessed veil of darkness enshrouded me.

  I came to, feeling the metal plating scraping against my skin as Gerwin dragged me to the bed. The back of my throat felt like a battering ram assaulted it. A sharp pain stabbed at it in sync with my erratic heartbeat. Gerwin tossed me on the bed and I landed heavily on my broken ribs. I cried out, then coughed blood. Rolling onto my back, the blood and saliva pooling at the back of my mouth nearly choked me. My throat was too bruised to swallow, but the gag keeping my jaw open made my mouth water. I tilted my head to the side so the drool could seep out.

  Anton, where are you?

  Whether or not Anton was coming, he wouldn’t be here in time to save us. Gerwin parted my legs, preparing to enter me. Even with the Denax he used, I wouldn’t survive him pounding into me. If I was to live through this, I had to save myself. But how? He was too strong, and I was too weak and battered.

  Gerwin tried to slam his cock home but met with too much resistance. The tip of his cock entering me felt like a fist. I screamed, my back arching off the bed. A sharp sting at the back of my head forced me to turn to the side.

  My hairpin.

  My fucking hairpin! Why hadn’t that registered the first time? I raised a hand to my hair, fumbling through it, trying to get the pin out. My fingers brushed over the bald spot and I felt my gorge rose. Gerwin leaned over me, lifting my leg to open me wider. He tried to ram himself in again. I screamed, causing my dislocated jaw to flare with agony. Tears and snot ran down my face. My blood coated fingers struggled with the pin latched in my hair. When Gerwin tried to pound in a third time, I felt my core begin to tear. I’m not sure if he gained an inch, but when he lifted my other leg over his shoulders, I knew the next time would kill me.

  With all my remaining strength, I ripped the hairpin loose, pulling some of my hair with it. I closed my fist around its jeweled end and wielded the hairpin like a dagger. Blinded by rage, I stabbed at Gerwin’s eye. I overshot and struck his forehead instead. He roared, pulling his head back. The movement caused the hairpin to tear a long gash down to the middle of his cheek. He slapped a hand over his wounded eye.

  The sight of blood pouring down his face and the sound of his pain awakened the most primal part of me. I didn’t want to flee anymore; I wanted blood, to maim, to kill.

  I stabbed at him in a frenzy. The first swing missed, but the second one sank into the meaty cheek just below his other eye. The bone prevented it from digging deeper. I slashed down, splitting his cheek open. Blood sprayed my face. The satisfying wet sound of his flesh ripping fueled my bloodlust. Gerwin stumbled back, his good eye looking at me with both pain and shock. With a growl-like cry, I lunged for his face again but he took a step back. The pin landed in his jugular notch. Before I could move away, Gerwin grabbed me by the upper arm and tossed me across the room.

  I crashed against the chest of drawers and thumped to the floor, the wind knocked out of me. Shock snapped me out of my haze. The agony radiating from my broken ribs and the excruciating throbbing of my dislocated jaw came back to the forefront, even more acute than before. Struggling to remain conscious, I glanced at Gerwin who kneeled hunched over on the floor. Blood trickled from the wound, indicating I had missed the aorta. But the wheezing sound coming from him confirmed I punctured his airway.

  Leaning on the chest for support, I hauled myself up. Each movement fueled the torment from my injuries. My eyes zeroed in on the remote resting atop the chest. I grabbed it and stumbled around the bondage bench to the bathroom.

  Gerwin’s angry growl behind me spurred me on.

  “I’m going to fucking kill you,” Gerwin hissed after me.

  Throwing myself inside the bathroom, I slammed the door close behind me. I activated the manual lock. Seconds later, I heard Gerwin ram his massive frame against the door. It shook but showed no sign of caving in. I thanked my lucky stars that the ship was an older model with thick armored steel doors.

  He continued banging on the door, no doubt thinking his Braxian strength would suffice – but the door held. I could hear him cursing me. Tuning him out, I took stock of my injuries. I didn’t know the bruised and harried creature that looked back at me in the mirror. The gag holding my mouth open exposed the damage to my throat. With my red eyes and bloated face covered in blood, I looked like a creature from the depths of hell.

  Although I knew it couldn’t stay on, the thought of removing the gag terrified me. The pressure on my jaw was horrendous, but how much worse would it hurt removing it? As I lifted the remote control to shrink the gag, my entire body began to shake so violently I had to stop and get my fears under control. The substantial pressure would cause irreparable damage in the long run – it needed to come off. I repeated this like a mantra to work up my courage. After the third false start, I began resizing it, pausing from time to time when the pain became unbearable.

  A sizzling sound soon followed by the scent of burnt metal drew my attention. A dark spot appeared on the door before turning red as a laser torch worked through it. I stared in horror at the slowly expanding cut.

  The door is thick. It will take a long time to cut through.

  Once more, I felt grateful this was an older ship. I placed a protective hand over my stomach, refusing to believe Gerwin had killed my son. His parents were survivors. He must be as well.

  “You hang on too, you hear me? Don’t you dare give up.”

  Forcing my eyes away from the door, I looked back into the mirror. I braced myself and finished resizing the gag in one go. My knees buckled under the searing pain from my face, battered throat, and broken ribs. Panting, I leaned on the sink for support, fighting the need to pass out.

  The gag fell in the sink with a clinking sound. The throbbing in my face was excruciating, especially in front of my ears. My chin and lower lip were numb. Drool and blood mingled on my chin. I couldn’t close my mouth properly. I had to hold it shut with my hand, except to spit in the sink so I didn’t choke. For a moment, I considered trying to set my jaw. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much then. But I couldn’t handle any more pain.

  A quick glance at the door showed me Gerwin had already cut through one-quarter of the left side of the door. T
his was too fast. I watched with morbid fascination as he chipped away at my last defenses.

  The sizzling stopped. The muffled sound of Gerwin’s voice talking seeped in. I wanted to curl up in a corner and give myself over to terror, but I willed myself forward. Taking support on the wall, I lurched to the door and placed my ear against it. The cold metal surface soothed my throbbing face.

  “…you mean they want to board us?” Gerwin’s voice asked. “Why the fuck are we still docked?”

  Anton! They found us!

  Tears of joy, relief, and hope flooded my eyes. I couldn’t hear Samuel’s response. Brandon came through for me. I both laughed and cried as my hand found its way to my stomach again.

  “Daddy’s coming, honey. Daddy’s coming for us. We’re going to be ok,” I whispered.

  “You tell them we’ll kill the bitch if they come anywhere near the ship,” Gerwin said, then paused for a while, listening to Samuel’s answer. “Listen to me, you stupid human,” Gerwin wheezed, “they’re not coming onboard for a routine check. They’re here for the girl.” Silence again. “Fine. Do it your way! But if Myers gets onboard with the security guards, kill the girl.”

  The implant… Fuck!

  Anton would be with them, I’d bet my life on it… literally. The damn implant needed to come out now. Heart pounding, I stumbled back to the sink and rummaged through the cupboard. A toothbrush toppled into the sink. There was nothing of use, not even an antiseptic. A quick look around the bare bathroom confirmed my fears – no blade. I banged my hand against the mirror, but it was glassless. The sizzling sound resumed as Gerwin went back to work on the door.

  Bracing against the sink, I realized my fist still clenched around the hairpin. Blood and gore covered the long golden pin. Turning on the hot water, I rinsed it. I eyed its blunted tip with dread. It wasn’t sharp enough, but that’s all I could use. Trent would detonate the implant without remorse. I remembered the coldness in his eyes. This thing would come out, even if I had to maim myself getting it done. My baby deserved to live. Blocking out the sound of the laser torch, I caressed my tummy.

  We’ve come too far to fail now. Mommy’s going to be strong.

  Taking as deep a breath as my broken ribs allowed, my fingers explored the location of the implant. I stabbed the hairpin into my flesh. My throat too raw to scream, I squealed in pain. Blinding tears blurred my eyes. The pin’s rounded tip forced me to stab with more strength than wisdom dictated. My hands were shaking and blood made the pin skid off my skin. I prayed I wouldn’t hit an artery.

  The stench of blood mixed with burnt metal was nauseating. I felt lightheaded. The shallow breaths I took to spare my ribs weren’t enough to help me stay conscious. I slid down the wall and sat on the cold, hard floor. Sitting on the toilet was too risky. If I passed out, which I believed would happen soon, the fall might do even more damage. Blindly, I kept tearing the skin at the base of my neck and pressing it between my thumbs to try to push the implant out.

  The door glowed red as the cut lengthened. Some heat emanated from it, warming my naked flesh. But it couldn’t fight the insidious cold from the floor. I vaguely realized the sizzling from the door was getting drowned by a rushing sound in my ears. It grew louder while a tingling feeling spread throughout my body.

  I’m going to faint.

  Not now… please not now. I continued plucking at my neck until nothing but darkness remained.

  CHAPTER 23

  Anton

  As I raced to the hovercar William dispatched for me, I saw Marcus approaching Risqué. He carried a gift box. A pretty, if somewhat slutty-looking, strawberry-blonde walked by his side. Relief and fear warred within me. His presence meant Grace wasn’t running away with our baby. But that also meant whoever took her truly had evil intentions.

  Maybe this is his alibi, and he’ll join her later.

  I made a beeline for him.

  “Where is Trent taking her? Where are you taking Grace?”

  Marcus recoiled, confused. It seemed genuine.

  “Trent who?” Marcus asked. “What are you talking about?

  “You’re going to tell me the man who took Grace to the spaceport isn’t yours?” I asked, ignoring the blonde’s stare.

  Marcus blanched. Whatever suspicions I held evaporated. He turned to look in the general direction of the docking bay.

  “Grace…” he whispered. “We need to get her back.”

  He shoved the gift box at his companion. She gasped, almost dropping it in surprise.

  “This way,” I said, rushing to the hovercar.

  “Marcus!” the blonde called after him.

  “Sorry. We’ll talk later,” he shouted over his shoulder.

  We got in the vehicle, and the security guard raced us to the docking bay.

  “How? How did he take her?” Marcus asked.

  I quickly summarized what happened.

  “I’ve heard of Samuel Trent. He’s a shady fuck,” Marcus said. “This is a job. But who hired him? No one is trying to get to me through her. Anyone on your end?”

  If they knew she was pregnant, my clan might come after her; but not like this. They would demand I terminate the pregnancy first. There was only one person I could think who hated me this much with nothing left to lose.

  “Gerwin,” I whispered, a sense of foreboding coursing through me. “He’s going to kill my son.”

  Marcus stiffened. “You know.”

  I glared at him. “I’ve known for months.”

  Tapping my com, I hailed Elder Montag and Clan Leader Curbis, both of whom were currently visiting the station. I requested their immediate presence at the docking bay. If my instinct proved right, I would need witnesses to kill the fucker without risk of retaliation.

  “She wants to keep it,” Marcus said, as soon as I ended the com.

  The tension in his voice confirmed my suspicions. They thought I might want to kill the baby. I turned to face him.

  “So do I,” I said. Marcus sighed, his shoulders sagging. “She was going to leave me, wasn’t she?” I asked. When he didn’t respond, I repeated, “Wasn’t she?”

  Marcus held on to the front seat to avoid bumping into me as the driver made a sharp turn.

  “She loves you, Anton,” Marcus said.

  Even though I knew it, that hit me in the gut. I still couldn’t believe a woman like her could love me.

  “She wanted to tell you tonight,” he continued. “Grace is going to be a mother. Her duty is to the baby first. She would have left you if you intended to harm her baby.”

  That made sense. It hurt me that she doubted I would want our child. Yet, pride and gratitude soared in my heart at her protective motherly instincts.

  Our son will truly be loved.

  “I love her too,” I said.

  Marcus smiled.

  The hovercar pulled up by the docking bay where William, Brandon and another security guard met us. I tapped my foot as I waited for the Elders to arrive. In the meantime, I got William up to speed on my suspicions. Moments later, Dr. Laura Enders showed up with her medical assistants and a portable medical unit. While grateful for William’s foresight, fear at what Gerwin might already be subjecting Grace to gnawed at me. I could only hope he would delay ‘playing’ with her until they set off so he wouldn’t detect her condition.

  I was about to give up on the Elders when I saw them turn around a bend. Fenton, Magnar Ravik’s closest friend, tagged along. I gave them the most basic greeting then hurried them through the crowd to Samuel’s spaceship. William hailed the ship, warning them to prepare to be boarded. I hoped this would delay any harm potentially coming to Grace. William and his guards cleared the path ahead for us.

  Naturally, Trent argued with William on our way there. He questioned the request for a ‘routine inspection’ and complained this would mess up his schedule. Once we reached the ship, a short period of radio silence sent a shiver up my spine. William was about to inform Samuel we would override the ship’s acc
ess when the hatch opened and the ramp lowered.

  As much as I wanted to rush in and search for Grace, I wasn’t trained for these kinds of situations. I trusted William implicitly. He loved Grace like a daughter and would see her safely returned to me. William entered with two guards. Marcus and I followed with the three Braxians behind us.

  Trent greeted us outside the airlock. The look of self-righteous outrage on his face quickly faded when he noticed the three Elders and me. A series of emotions crossed his face before settling on a calculating look.

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” Trent said before William could state his demands. “You’re not here for any kind of routine inspection.”

  “Correct,” William said. “We want to see the girl, right now. Our scanners reveal the presence of an undisclosed passenger whom we believe is in violation of a banishment order. We want to see them both.”

  Trent sneered, pure malice shining in his eyes. The small hair at the back of my head stood on end.

  “See, I can’t do that,” he drawled, pulling a small controller from his pocket. “This contract says the bitch goes to my client and I take my client back to a safe location. But I’ve got to give it to you guys for finding out so quickly. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to get the hell off my ship, release the damn grapplers, and let us off the station, without pursuit.”

  “Over my dead body,” I said.

  “And mine,” Marcus said, stepping forward.

  “Then you two boys might as well keel over now,” Trent said. He waved the controller in front of us. William’s expression darkened. “See this little trinket here? If you don’t get the fuck off my ship in the next thirty seconds, I’m going to activate it. And when I do, that little cunt out back isn’t going to be so pretty anymore and not so alive either.”

  I took a couple of steps forward. Trent raised the remote and waved it again.

  “Eh! That’s close enough, pal.”

  “You’ve said your piece, now let me tell you what is going to happen,” I said. “You’re not getting off this station with her. And you’re not going to kill her. If you do, not only will you have no leverage left, but I will destroy you in the slowest, most painful way. Now take me to her and I might show you mercy.”