He stepped toward Krystal and pulled her hard against him, his mouth lowering toward her. She turned her head and his lips connected with her cheek.
Good girl, Krystal . Talia took a deep breath, her fists clenched at her side.
“You reek of alcohol. You promised you would not drink again.” Krystal’s voice shook. “And where is your bag, Trevon? I thought we were to elope tonight.”
His lips curled downward in a sneer. Obviously he was not pleased by her rebuff. “Elope? That was just an excuse to get you alone tonight.”
Talia sucked in a quick breath, her gaze darting to Krystal. The other woman’s jaw went hard and her eyes narrowed.
“So you are a prisoner, my pet?” Trevon turned away from Krystal and directed his attention at Talia.
Talia’s eyes narrowed as he circled her. The urge to taunt him was too great. To retaliate for any emotional pain his actions might have caused Krystal.
“This is the man you intended to marry, Krystal?” She forced out a light laugh. “I would encourage you to think twice in the future about the men you date.”
Trevon’s teeth snapped together. “Why don’t you shut that pretty mouth of yours, prisoner. You’re much more attractive when you’re not speaking.” He gave a hard smile and lowered his gaze to her breasts. “And you’ll do just fine where Krystal lacks. Gods, look at those tits. Definitely more than a handful.”
He reached out to touch them, but Talia was prepared, slapping his hand away with force.
“You go too far,” Krystal snapped. She strode forward and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him away from Talia. “What was I thinking? You are exactly as my brother and Dillon warned me. A pathetic leech.”
Her gaze locked on Talia’s and Talia nodded. Thank gods the woman had come to her senses.
“Pathetic leech?” he repeated, his voice rising. “They are envious of my money—everyone is.”
“Believe what you must, Trevon.” Krystal’s tone was sarcastic now.
With Trevon’s back facing her, Talia waved her hand, encouraging Krystal to come to her.
Krystal gave a quick nod. “It does not matter, we will be leaving now. It was foolish of me to agree to come out tonight, Trevon. You are obviously not the man I thought you were.”
She strode past him and Talia felt the tension ease from her shoulders.
“I don’t think so, baby.” Trevon’s arm snaked around Krystal’s waist and he jerked her back around.
Oh gods . Talia’s breath locked in her throat. Foolish! They’d been so foolish to come out tonight.
“I have been waiting for months to try out your tight little cunt, you fucking prude. I do not intend to leave here tonight until I have done so.”
The force and anger behind his words, and how he squeezed Krystal’s breast until she cried out, sparked Talia into action.
“You’ll leave now.” She came up behind them, her fist balled and arcing toward the side of his head.
Before her hand could connect, he spun and backhanded her, sending her flying backward.
“Oh!” Talia cried out. Her foot caught on a tree root and then her body was in the air.
Her head smashed hard against the side of the tree, and she went blind in an explosion of lights.
“Oh gods! Look what you have done!”
She heard Krystal’s hysterical cry and wanted to sit up, but her body felt heavy. The lights faded and a thick darkness started to fill her head.
“She’ll live. And when she wakes up we’ll include her in the festivities. But for now, baby, why don’t you and I get better acquainted?”
Krystal’s protests became distorted, the darkness grew.
Must stay awake . Talia tried to move her head but nothing happened. Must help Krystal …Darkness claimed her.
Ryder sat up in bed, unease clawing at his gut. Glancing at the time, he noted there were still a few hours before the dawn. Something was wrong.
He climbed out of bed and pulled on clothes. There would be no sleep for him until he realized what had caused his unease.
The building was quiet, the halls empty, and nothing seemed out of place. His glance moved farther down the hall to Talia’s door.
His gut twisted and he sighed. He should have visited her before retiring for the night. He’d intended to, but by the time Dillon had gotten back with confirmation that the emperor was safe, the midnight hour had long since passed.
Perhaps that was why he’d awoken. The guilt at the abruptness in which he’d treated her.
He moved down the hall, not really sure what he intended to do. The light under her door gave him pause. She was awake? At such an hour?
Frowning, he reached her door and typed in the code. The door swung open and he stepped inside. Not seeing her in the bed, his blood pounded harder. He glanced in the bathroom and found it empty, and then strode to the walk-in closet to glance around.
“Son of a bitch.” His fist slammed against the wall, his body began to shake.
Half her clothes were missing and she was nowhere in her room. Somehow she had escaped—possibly with someone else’s help.
He ran out of the room, his legs eating up the length of the hallway as he moved to Dillon’s room. Why had she run? His gut clenched. Had it been out of guilt? Or had he just pushed her too far? Fuck!
His fist pounded on the metal frame, resonating through the hallway.
“Dillon, you must awake!” he shouted.
There was activity inside the room, and then the door swung open. Dillon stood frowning in the doorway in his robe.
“What has happened?”
“Talia, the prisoner,” he clarified, “has escaped.”
“How is that possible?” Dillon shook his head, his gaze narrowing. “Unless someone has assisted her.”
“Those would be my thoughts exactly.”
“Shit. Hang on, let me get dressed and we will find her.”
Dillon disappeared back inside and the door shut behind him.
Ryder growled in frustration, ignoring several people who’d come out of their rooms to discover the cause of the early morning disturbance.
Who could have freed her? There was only one person he could think of, and to imagine his sister capable of such an act of treason made him ill.
The door opened and Dillon came out, fully dressed and seeming wide awake now.
“Have you checked your sister’s room yet?”
“No.” Ryder shook his head grimly. “I already fear what I will find, and I will need your help in locating both of the women.”
“Fuck. I should have chained her to me,” Dillon growled. “I should have expected her to run.”
“Let us not be too hasty until we are certain.”
They entered another corridor and Ryder exhaled in an attempt to calm his pulse.
Reaching Krystal’s door, he typed in the code he’d recently installed. The door slid open and they both filed inside.
The room was empty. Her closet and drawers had been ransacked; shoes were strewn across the floor.
“Damn. Well, I’ve learned my lesson.” Dillon’s jaw went tight. “
Your sister or not, she will be residing in my quarters from this point forward.”
Ryder didn’t protest, as he intended to enforce the same plan with Talia. If they retrieved her. His scowl deepened. No, they would retrieve her. And once she was back, he intended to teach her a bit of a lesson. No prisoner escaped from him, damn it. Especially not one that he was half in love with.
“Do you have any idea where they may be headed?”
“I suspect she has run off to meet Trevon this evening.” Dillon’s harsh tone conveyed his anger. “And she freed a prisoner. She cannot be allowed to get away with this, Ryder.”
Ryder nodded, not at all pleased with the idea of his sister being punished, but knowing she must be. Anyone else would receive a severe lashing and days in the confinement brig.
“I know, and I will let you handle her. Just promise me that when we find them…”
“I will not be overly harsh,” Dillon assured him.
“Thank you.” Ryder shook his head as they made their way back through the building. “Let us check the grounds within close proximity of the building first off. If there is still no sign of them, then we shall have to notify the general.”
“Do you think Talia is fleeing back to the Council?”
“No,” Ryder answered immediately. There was no way he could know for certain, but his gut had a pretty decent instinct that she would not return to them.
“Are you sure you are not speaking what your heart would like to believe?”
“Don’t try to analyze me,” Ryder snapped. “I am not in the fucking mood.”
“Gods, you are right. I apologize. I am on edge as well.” Dillon was silent for a moment. “Wait a minute. That’s it. I have a feeling I know where they are.”
“Where?”
“The aliaberry orchards. Krystal had met Trevon there once before, if not many times.”
“Then let’s go. It is all we have to go on right now.”
They exited the building, moving quickly through the gardens. The night was lit by the light from the moons and stars, but in the shadows of the trees one could still hide.
“How far to the orchards?” Ryder asked. “I cannot remember the last time I traveled there.”
“It is but a few minutes off the path once we reach the turnoff by the lake.”
“Good.”
Gods, let them be there . Ryder’s blood pounded harder and he increased his pace, his mouth drawn tight. What if she had left him? What if Krystal had sent her on a pod back to Zortou?
No. You cannot think that way. They reached the turnoff by the lake and took the trail that led to the orchards.
“Do you hear that?” Dillon paused, gesturing for him to stop.
Ryder went still and tilted his head. The faint, high-pitched sound of something crying—a bird or a woman—rang through the night.
“Did you bring a weapon?” Ryder asked quietly.
“I did not bring my electro-mace. But I have my fists, and they will serve me well.”
“I have a knife in my boot should we need it.” Ryder ran his glance over the rows of aliaberry bushes, but could see nothing. “Let’s continue forward.”
They surged forward with a practiced stealth, moving down one line of bushes. Ryder kept his ears tuned for another cry, but there was nothing.
Ryder cursed under his breath. “Perhaps it was not a woman—”
“You bast—” Another scream ripped through the air, but was immediately cut short.
Dillon issued a low growl and sprinted forward toward the sound. Ryder removed his knife from his boot and then did the same.
That scream had come from Krystal. He’d recognize his sister’s voice anywhere.
They rounded another row of bushes, and the form of two people struggling on the ground came to light under the moons.
Dillon launched himself at the pair, jerking Trevon away from Krystal and throwing him back a few feet.
Ryder went forward to help his sister, not bothering to check on Trevon, who was undoubtedly getting the life beaten out of him.
He grasped his sister’s arm, pulling her to her feet. Her body trembled and she gripped the edge of her dress, which had been ripped.
“Release me,” she hissed. “Dillon, do not kill him!”
Ryder’s concern faded into annoyance. “Have you gone mad? He was attempting to—”
“Do not kill him,” she repeated. “I want to cut off his penis with a dull blade before you do.”
Ryder blinked, momentarily thrown by her statement, and then shook his head. “Where is Talia?”
Krystal made a strangled gasp and pointed to a tree at the end of the row of bushes.
“She has not moved, Ryder. I tried to get to her…”
His sister’s voice grew dim in his head and he sprinted toward Talia’s limp form. He fell to his knees, the blood roaring in his ears as he reached to check her pulse.
Relief weakened his muscles and he lowered his head, the air rushing from his lungs. Thank gods. She lived. Her pulse was slower than it ought to be, but still strong.
“Talia.” He smoothed the hair back from her forehead. “Can you hear me, princess?”
She groaned and her eyelids fluttered.
“There you go. Open your eyes, Talia.”
Her eyelids fluttered again and then opened enough to reveal the blue around the pupil. Her gaze seemed unfocused, and then suddenly became quite alert.
“Oh gods,” she whispered. Her face lost more color, if that was possible. “Ryder…”
“Do not say anything right now, Talia.” His jaw hardened. Her fear of him, knowing she’d tried to run, was evident in the way she stared at him. “I am not in the mood to listen.”
He slid his arms under her body and cradled her against his chest. No, when he had her safely in his quarter, then they could discuss just how foolish her decision had been.
“Dillon, I am taking Talia back to my quarters. Deal with Krystal—”
“Deal with me? ” Krystal shouted back, planting her hands on her hips. “Why do I need dealing with?”
Ryder stared at his sister and attempted a calming breath. Whatever punishment Dillon chose to deal out, she deserved.
“You went too far this time, Krystal.” He shook his head and turned to head back to the building.
15
D illon raised his fist and then crashed it back into Trevon’s jaw again.
“Dillon, enough!” Krystal cried from behind him.
Her voice, and knowing she might have even been begging for Trevon’s release, infuriated him further. He punched him again and heard the rewarding crack of bone. Trevon fell limp against the ground, now out cold.
Satisfied he’d inflicted enough damage for now, Dillon stood up and turned around.
The blood rushed through his body, pounding in his veins. He sucked in a large gasp of air, attempting to regain some of the control he’d lost.
“Do you beg for him, Krystal? Your lover?” He stalked her slowly, his gaze moving over her slender body. The swell of her breasts could be seen t
hrough the fabric of her dress that Trevon had ripped.
Her gaze widened as he advanced upon her, and she ran her tongue over her lips.
“I just do not want you to beat him to death, Dill.”
“Does he not deserve it? Would you have me believe that you were a willing participant in that little exchange?”
Her cheeks filled with color and fear flickered in her gaze. She took a step backward. “You know I was not.”
“Then do not ever defend him.” He closed the space between them and grabbed her arm. “Come with me.”
“What? Where are we going?”
Her steps could not match his long ones, and she stumbled as she attempted to keep up. He took a deep breath and slowed his steps.
He did not intend to take her back to the living quarters. Not right now. Having Ryder in the same building would simply not do for the intentions he had for Krystal.
“Dillon, wait. You have missed the path back to the living quarters,” she protested.
“We are not going back to the living quarters.”
Turning them off the trail, he weaved them around the lake to where a small cabin was located.
“Not going…” she repeated and then tugged at her hand. “Release me. I am tired and do not wish to deal with this nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” His pulse spiked again. “You dare call the stunt you have pulled tonight nonsense?”
“You are overreacting. I did not even marry him as was planned.”
She had been on her way to marry him? A chill swept through him. Gods, to think how close he’d been to losing her tonight.
He spotted the cabin up ahead. It was a historical building, one of the few wood structures left on the planet. Generally it was rented out to honeymoon couples for a large chunk of money. Thankfully, tonight it appeared vacant.
“What are we doing here?” She glanced over at him, but he ignored her and went to work breaking into the old-fashioned lock.
Take Me Page 17