“Thank you, Ambassador, we’re on our way.” Zay finished as Niz raced towards the weapons locker and punched in the code. He pocketed pulse cannons, and four blades. Damn the ice plains, he knew something was wrong! He’d tear the Piclar to pieces if he’d harmed her in any way.
Ignoring Zay’s shouts, Niz raced out of the bridge, through the ship to the airlock. He heard footsteps behind him.
“Niz, halt, you will wait.” Bir put all his commanding dominance behind his tone. That wasn’t going to work this time.
“No, brother, she’s in danger. I’m not going to wait.”
“We do this together. We are four remember, and she is ours to protect.”
Niz paused with his hand on the opening panel, turning slightly to glare at Bir. Zay was racing up the corridor and Tev not far behind, buckling weapons to his belt as he ran.
“Ready yet?” Impatience rode him.
“Yes,” Bir nodded. “Whatever it takes, we bring her back, and this time we will not be letting her go.”
Damn fucking straight.
* * * *
Zay took point charging the two Piclar guards outside the Ambassador’s quarters. Even before they could draw their weapons, he’d rendered them both unconscious.
Tev pulse blasted the quarter's locks. As the door rolled open, Bir raced inside, closely followed by Niz, Zay and Tev.
“What is the meaning of this?” Fish face rose to his feet, looking outraged. “Attacked by my own guards, how dare you!”
Niz broke off to search the rest of the quarters as the others surrounded the Piclar.
“We’re not attacking, only coming to take what belongs to us.” Bir’s tone was menacing as he towered over the Ambassador.
Zay turned to see Niz emerge from the other room, a bloodied dress clutched in his hand. He could feel Niz’s rage. They all could.
“Where is she? What have you done to her?” Niz strode up to the Piclar and shoved the bloodied garment into his face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Fish face struggled in Niz’s grasp. “I’ll have you all up on charges, how dare you treat me like this!”
“You know damn well what we’re talking about. Where is Ruby?”
“My pet belongs to me. She only got what she deserved, and has now learned her place. You’ll never have her.”
“Wrong answer, she is ours and we will not stop until we find her. Tell me where she is or Niz here will happily start cutting off fins,” Bir said as Niz pulled a long blade from his belt.
The Piclar squealed.
“Transport, put her on a transport back to Piclar.”
“Consider our contract terminated. The payment for our protection is Ruby. If you dare try to counter that, there will be no place in the galaxy you can hide from us. Zay, if you will.”
Bir and Niz stepped back allowing Zay to do what he wanted to do from the start. He swung his shoulder back, and the crunch of his fist connecting with the Piclar’s skull was deeply satisfying, along with watching fish face crumple to the floor in an unconscious heap.
“Damn that felt good.”
“Tev and Zay, get the two guards in from the corridor, and tie them up, along with the Ambassador. It’ll be a few hours before they’ll be discovered,” Bir ordered.
“I only monitored two ships leaving the station in the past few hours.” Niz re-sheathed his blade.
Bir glanced at Tev.
“I’ll have to search for engine trails, but we should be able to catch up to the transport within the hour. I made sure the engines are in top condition.”
“Good, let’s move out. We need to intercept them before they reach Piclar space, or we could have Piclar War Scuttlers to deal with.”
They followed Bir out, the determined lines of their mouths set, as they marched back to their ship. It was time to correct the mistake of letting her get out of their sights, and put her back where she belonged, among them.
* * * *
Every time she twitched or was forced to move, the resident burning pain from her back radiated out through the rest of her body. There was no relief. After she’d passed out the first time from the lash of the laser whip on her skin, fish face had injected her with something to ensure her body would stay awake, to suffer even more.
Why didn’t they come? ‘Cuz they didn’t know, idiot. Well, at least the pain hadn’t addled her wits. But she was on a ship headed to an alien world. Would they know, do they care?
Oh god, lost forever. A sob of despair tore through her, making her wince, as pain flared again.
Are you going to let them crush your spirit? Take away every part of you that is human? Oh hell no. No matter what they did to her, she’d always fight. Fish face and his kind were nothing but bullies.
Once she stopped hurting so much, she’d give them what for.
The engines of the ship shuddered, and the craft jerked to a sudden stop. Had they arrived? A loud bang reverberated through the ship, and a sudden fear of the unknown ran through her. What was going on?
The three crewmembers burst through into the cargo area where she lay on a mat. They scrambled to a locker, ripping it open and grabbing what looked like strange twisted devices before wrapping them around their webbed arms. From the trembling way they held them up and pointed them at the entrance, it was a clear indication they were up shit creek with no paddle.
Gritting her teeth she forced herself to sit up. “What’s going on?”
The three Piclars ignored her, their eyes fixed on the door. She couldn’t help but stare at it too. She jerked as the door suddenly blew off its hinges. She ducked as it narrowly missed her head, slamming into the back bulkhead with a loud swaack!
The pain became so bad her head spun and she felt sick. Oh god. Deep thumping footsteps sounded on the metal floor. She pushed through the nauseating sensation in her stomach, as hope suddenly soared.
The sight of a large red man clothed in a tight black uniform made her grin through the pain.
“Surrender now and you won’t get hurt.” The deep commanding voice of Bir made her want to weep for joy. They hadn’t forgotten her. Muscles bulged in his arms, as he held a kick arse black glowing gun aimed at the three Piclars behind her. He stepped through the door.
“All we want is the human, understood.”
“Y… yes, take it.” The wimpy Piclars threw down their twisty guns.
Another brother stepped in behind Bir. Niz, she spotted the scar on his face. He skirted around Bir, his gaze meeting hers.
“Oh, beauty, what have they done to you?”
He must have spotted her bloodied back.
Unable to stand the pain any longer and so relieved to see them, she burst into tears. “Zay, bring me my med pack right now. Our sheraz has been hurt, badly."
He soothed a hand over her face. “Keep still, Ruby, we’ll have you feeling better in no time.”
“F… Fish face did it…” she choked. “W… when I r… ruined his d…deal.”
“Shhh, don’t worry, I’m so sorry we didn’t come for you sooner.” Niz’s tone was calm and soothing, even if her back was screaming.
“H…he gave me s… something… keep me awake, t… to feel more p…pain.”
A rhythmic pounding sounded through the ship, as Zay burst into the room. Bir stepped aside before Zay ran smack into him. His eyes were wide when they settled on her, but they soon narrowed in anger.
He took two steps toward her, handing the bag over to Niz.
“Niz, hurry it up, we’re right on the edge of Piclar space. Tev’s already signalled there are ships on their way to intercept.”
“Focus on me, beauty.” He worked quickly, flipping open the bag and pulling something from it. “I think I know what he would have given you. This is a counter agent.” He pressed a silver cylinder tube to her neck, which hissed as it injected under her skin. Putting it back he pulled a different one from the bag. This time after the hiss, the pain through her body began to fade
. She sighed in utter relief.
“Oh god, thank you.”
“We’re here now, Ruby.” He bundled her into his arms and rose onto his feet in one smooth move. “No one will ever harm you again. I swear on my own life.”
Drowsiness settled over her, she felt limp, weightless and blessedly pain-free.
“No, don’t wants thats,” she slurred, not really sure what she was saying. “Loves you alls, no giving up lives. S’okay?”
As she drifted off, she could have sworn she heard Niz telling her he loved her. What a lovely dream it was.
* * * *
“It was a close call. Any longer and the Piclar War Scuttlers would have been all over our tails.” Tev studied the flight panel in front of him.
They had shot to light speed as soon as their ship’s door had closed and they’d disengaged the clamping and airlock system to the shuttle.
Niz was now tending to Ruby's wounds in their small med bay. It was obvious the damage to her back had been done by a laser whip. So much for being the Ambassador's treasured pet.
Bir gripped the command chair tightly, fighting the urge to go down and see how she was doing. On first entering the ship, the sight of her lying there, her beautiful face twisted in pain and her back bloodied, had almost shredded every ounce of his self control. He wanted to murder the Piclars with his bare hands, but he also knew the one responsible was not on the transport ship.
Bir now plotted revenge on fish face. Fish face, he snorted, her insult was too kind. He’d turn the bastard into space dust, after he got through gutting him.
“I know what you’re thinking, Bir, we all are. I want to take the fucking laser whip and shove it live up the Piclar’s—”
The com buzzed.
“I can feel the tension from even down here. Ruby will be fine. I’ve treated her back and thankfully, her skin is more easily reparable than our own. There will be no scars. I’ve put her into a sleep. She needs to have a long rest for her body to properly heal.”
Bir heard Tev’s sigh of relief, mirroring his own.
“Good, from now on, she’s never to be alone. Understood?”
“She should have never been left alone in the first place.” There was no mistaking the dark anger behind Niz’s tone, even through the com.
“I know, and I will take responsibility for that, no more mistakes.”
Niz was silent, but they could feel their brother’s anger. His hurt ran deep in more ways than one. Bir hoped their precious Ruby would bring lightness back into Niz’s dark world.
“So, where to now? We don’t have another job scheduled for the next few hop cycles.”
“Our job is to care for our sheraz now, set coordinates to Dankuara.”
“The trader’s planet?”
“Where else would you suggest we buy her everything she needs and wants?”
“But I have to point out that it is run by Jorvals.”
“I know, but she deserves the best. Don’t you agree?”
Tev shook his head. “I doubt you can buy her affection, brother.”
True, the guilt for not being there for her ate at him, a deep ice rock in his gut. “I know, Tev. I just want her to be comfortable with us. Then we’ll take her home, to make our mating official.”
Tev studied him for a long moment, before turning, his nimble fingers working the panel. Bir could feel the tilt in the ship as it changed direction.
He walked around the bridge checking all the instruments. “Go spend time with her. I’ll take point here for a few hours.”
Tev nodded and rose to his feet. “Don’t place all the blame on your own shoulders. If anyone’s to blame it is the damn Piclar. Putting the burden on yourself won’t do you or her any good.”
Bir just nodded, watching his brother walk out the door. The fact was he was to blame for not acting when they had the chance. He prayed to the fire gods the female he loved more than his own life would one day forgive him.
Chapter Eleven
A warm blanket of comfort wrapped about her, Ruby sighed in contentment, as she rose to the surface of awareness. The feel of a hot breath on her neck and a tightening arm around her middle pulled her more out of sleepy land. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly only to stare at a plain grey wall. She frowned, before glancing down to see the red muscular arm banded around her.
Memories of being whipped, the pain and suffering tore to the forefront of her mind. She was blissfully free from pain, and instead she felt something comforting and warm pressed against her back.
Hazily she remembered they had come for her, but not much after that.
“Easy, beautiful, I know you're awake.” A deep, raw, masculine voice she easily identified.
Niz. With a yawn she shuffled around to face him and cleared her throat.
Un-wedging her hand, she slid it up over the black tank top the brothers always seemed to wear. Unable to help herself she touched his face, tracing her fingertips along his scar. “Hello, handsome.”
His smile lit her world. “Only you would say that.”
“Only you would call me beautiful.” She stared back into his molten gold depths.
“I only speak what is true.”
She felt her lips twitch up at the corners. “Same, you are handsome, sexy and you saved me from fish face.”
His smile fell, replaced with a deep scowl. She didn’t like that one bit.
“I prefer a smile, you know. Thank you for saving me.”
“No, we should have been there before the Piclar harmed you. I am so sorry, Ruby. We’ll do anything to make it up to you.”
Ah, so Niz’s scowl was one of guilt and self-pity.
“You’ll do anything?”
“Yes, I swear, we will do anything for you.”
“In that case, there are two things I want.”
She sat up and glanced down her body. She felt a bit gritty.
“Name it.” Niz was also glancing over her body in a heated, hungry way.
“First, I want a hot bath; second, any damn guilt about not getting to me sooner, I want you to banish from your mind. I don’t blame you, and you will not blame yourself. Is that clear?”
“You don’t blame us, but what he did to you…”
“Niz, where am I now?”
He turned around, sitting up before swinging his long legs off the tall bed, and stood up.
“You're on our ship.”
Ruby scrambled to the edge of the bed. “Am I safe? Can fish face ever get to me again?”
“Yes, you are safe. We would kill him if he ever comes near you again.”
“Good. And am I still a slave?”
“Oh, Ruby, beauty, no.” He dropped to his knees, covering her small hands with his larger red ones. “Never a slave to us, we want you for our sheraz. The heart that beats for us and us alone. We would rather cut off our hands and tear out our hearts before we let anyone, even ourselves, harm you.”
She cocked her head at the last part of his comment. Something else was eating at him, something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Why would he say even ourselves? Was there something he wasn’t telling her?
She drew in a slow breath and smiled lovingly at him. She glanced down where his hands gripped hers tightly.
“Niz, I want to be yours, but not if any of you are going to be on a guilt trip over something you had no idea would happen. I’m here, I’m safe and we’re together. Isn’t that all that matters?”
His nod was slow. He released her hands and tried to pull back. But she quickly grabbed a hold of his hand to stop his retreat, reaching out again to cup the scarred side of his face.
“Are you not forgetting something? Are you not the only brother yet to make love to me?”
Her touch turned into a caress down his throat, and he swallowed visibly. Arousal spiked through her body, like a wildfire out of control. Her breasts responding, making them ache, and her pussy wet, clenching with need.
Only around her men was she ever like
this. Having now learnt just what a sexual creature she was, she accepted it and now craved their touch.
“Ruby, beauty, I want you, I do, but it may not be a good idea without my brothers, I fear I will hurt you. I would rather die before that happens.”
Confusion swamped her. “I don’t understand. You can’t be any worse than your brothers. They’ve taken me hard and rough, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I don’t believe you would hurt me.”
Her heart leapt at the pain and anger in his eyes. “Did they hurt you?”
She snorted. “No, Niz.”
He sighed. “I just need different things, ever since… ever since I lost my brothers… I have needed something else, I have dark impulses.”
She had her work cut out for her with her men. She loved them dearly, but they came with scars, inside and out.
She didn’t understand, but needed too. Dark impulses, just what did that mean?
“Niz, I truly believe you would never hurt me. I think we need to talk about this some more. Can we do this while I have a bath? Oh, do you have baths on your ship?”
Niz’s smile lightened her heart. “The Fire Bird used to be a troop transport, the commander's quarters, which Bir took for himself, has everything. If it’s a bath you want, then a bath you shall get.”
He rose to his feet, leaned over her and scooped her up into his arms. Ruby sighed in contentment, not caring in the slightest if she lost the use of her legs from them carrying her everywhere. It made her feel safe, dainty and most of all, cared for.
Ruby's grin widened. “Well, we can’t let Bir have all the fun now.”
“At your command, my sheraz.” She giggled as he carried her out.
* * * *
“Oh that is heavenly.” She sighed as the heat of the water soothed her aching muscles. Niz’s strong firm hands rubbed her shoulders, pure bliss.
“Are you going to talk to me about this ‘darkness’ you mentioned? I need to know what you mean by it. If you want me to be your sheraz, then just like with your brothers, there should be no secrets from your wife.”
Galactic Treasure (Quads of Galafrax) Page 9