“Quiet, Dominic or I’ll have the machine prick you again.”
What machine?
Renard bent over, staring at Cogo’s prisoner. Though it wasn’t against laws to have pets, he had to wonder what this creature had done to earn such a fate. “What’cha got there, Cogo?”
“Just play, Captain.”
Renard made a face. “I’m interested in what’s in your cage, and knowing I’m G-Force, you shouldn’t be so rude, or I’ll lock you up. Now, again, answer the question, then we can get on with the game. What’s. In. The. Cage?” Renard emphasized the last part.
Cogo frowned and sighed. “He’s my pet. I caught him trespassing on our planet and decided to keep him.”
“I see.” Renard scrubbed his chin. Though the answer was perfectly acceptable and legal, Renard wanted to know more. Why was he doing that? And did Cogo report the stranger to the Federation? His guess was no, but then again, he hadn’t been to Damascus to find out. He’d make sure to check with command center when he had the chance. “Very well. Please dealer, proceed.” He waved his hand.
“Yes, sir.” The man dealt the cards. “How do you play?”
Renard received an ace as well as a seven card.
“Hit.”
The dealer put down a nine.
“Hold.”
When the dealer turned over his two cards, once again, he lost. “This is your lucky night, Captain.” He placed five more chips in front of Renard.
“On a roll, Renard. Winning everything.” Cogo won that hand and laughed, taking his extra two chips.
Renard peaked to the left. “Not quite. Can I see your pet?”
Cogo cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“He’s intriguing. The tail is um…” Renard checked out the furry piece that seemed to be forced there. “It’s… interesting.”
“But I thought you only wished to play?”
“I do, but…” Renard leaned back and put his hand up for the dealer not to put down anymore cards. “I wanna see the pet.”
Coco sighed then lifted the cage with his tail.
“Good grief. This is a Blackjack table, not a petting zoo.” The dealer said, frowning.
“Chill out, man. We’ll get back to the game.” Renard got up, then leaned in close to the cage noticing the shifter. Dark brown hair, lush lashes, and blue eyes. Quite a catch in Renard’s estimation, but still unfortunately Gocarian.
Renard blinked, scanning the creature’s brain for information. Dominic was a full-fledged Gocarian soldier. That in itself should’ve turned Renard off, but instead he was intrigued.
As Cogo had said, he entered Hunarth without permission, but Cogo had taken liberties to drug the creature and force himself on Dominic as punishment.
“Get me outta here!” Dominic spoke to him telepathically. He huffed. The bear grimaced, gritting his teeth, obviously in pain from the mistreatment.
Renard straightened then sat back in his chair. While a part of him wished to leave him with Cogo, the other wanted to rescue Dominic. Not even a trespasser deserved to be tortured and raped. The empathic part of Renard took over. Even if the Gocarian wasn’t an ally, he shouldn’t be caged up and put on display. Besides, Renard never agreed with some of the universal policies that were set, even against those not under G-Force protection.
“Captain. Do you wish to play?” The dealer asked, sounding annoyed.
“I do…” Renard said, putting up only one chip this time. “Cogo, you should put up the shifter as a bet.”
Cogo chuckled, shaking his head. “No way. I’m keeping this one.”
“Why, so you can torture him more?” Renard griped.
“That’s none of your business.”
“It is indeed, slimeball! Again, I’m G-Force, in case you’re forgotten.” Renard put his hand on his weapon.
“Now, now, Captain. Cogo. No need to get hasty.” The dealer backed away from the table, sensing the discussion between Renard and Cogo getting heated. He spun on his heel and took off.
Apparently, the dealer’s retreat caused other patrons to stop what they were doing. They got quiet, then mulled around the table, watching Renard and Cogo exchange death glares.
“Look what you did, Captain. You scared off our dealer. I suppose our game is over.” Cogo used one of his arms to reach for the dealer’s chips.
“Not so fast!” Renard pulled a gun, aiming it at Cogo.
Some gathered around, whispering in their different languages while others ran for the exits. “Those aren’t yours and neither is the shifter. Hand him over, then surrender so I can take you in.”
“What’s the charge?” Cogo said angrily as the rest of him started changing.
Renard cursed under his breath. Truthfully, he didn’t have one, but he needed something for the trial before imprisonment. “Wrongful kidnapping. Attempted robbery.”
“How?”
“You just tried stealing the chips!”
“They’re mine because you ran our dealer away.”
Renard chuckled. “That’s not the way this works, mutant. Now hand over the cage and surrender. I’ll take you back to Damascus and the bear back to Gocara to deal with his superiors.”
“Never!” Cogo dashed from the table, still carrying the cage with his tail.
Renard shot at him and missed. Crowds of people ducked and screamed at the sounds of Renard’s laser. “Fuck! Out the way! Official G-Force business!” He held up his badge while shoving people out of his path to chase Cogo. “Get outta the way!” Renard had never known the Hunartheons to be so quick, but for whatever reason, Cogo was a little faster than others.
“Stop!” Renard fired a shot again, this time catching the shifter in the back, making it fall to the floor.
As people grasped what was happening, they scampered under the tables and to the exits, screaming at the top of their lungs. Then a bell sounded, meaning the casino security were on their way.
“Dammit.” Renard cursed, hearing the warning sounds. Once he took care of this alien, he’d have to make a quick getaway. He stood over the being, seeing it shake from its injuries. Knowing the wrong he’d done to Dominic, Renard didn’t feel the least bit sorry for it. “I don’t tolerate beings who take what isn’t theirs!” He put three bullets in the back of its head, killing it. Greenish blood splatted on the wall and floor. A nasty scene. Renard knew Whimpsy would get upset, but he had no time to assist with the cleanup. Instead, he grabbed the cage and dashed in the opposite direction.
“Police! Stop and put down your weapon!” One of the robot cops said.
Renard didn’t obey, continuing to run towards the landing pad. In order to get himself and the Gocarian to safety, he’d have to leave Megiddo immediately.
Renard touched his earpiece. “Whimpsy. Is Baal ready?”
“Of course, she is. Why wouldn’t she—”
Renard cut him off. “Good. I need you to stall these robot cops coming after me.”
“What? Renard, what have you done now?” Whimpsy sounded concerned.
Renard huffed. Running with this beast in a metal cage was getting harder by the second, but he had to keep going. “I’ll explain later. Just have the dock down and the engine ready for takeoff.”
“Uh, all right. I hate to hear what trouble you’ve got—”
“Renard out!” Knowing he was close to the landing pad he forced his legs to go faster. He dodged one shot from the Robot Cops, then turned slightly to shoot over his shoulder. He got two of them then six more chased him.
“Fuck!” Renard ducked, then dove underneath the door that almost closed. He just made it with the cage still in one hand and his gun clutched in the other.
Whimpsy stared at him, confused. “Renard? What did you…”
“Stall em’ Whimpsy!” Renard ran up the dock stairs, then slammed his hand on the door’s controls to close it. When he got on, he placed the cage in the passenger seat. “Baal, strap in our passenger.”
“Get me out of here an
d I can strap myself!”
“I don’t have time! I just killed a Hunartheon for your ass.”
“Oh, you want a fucking medal now?”
“Shut the hell up or I’ll deliver you straight to them!” Renard pressed more buttons to take off. “C’mon, c’mon.” He had no clue where he would go because he’d guessed going back to Damascus would be an issue.
Now he was a fugitive, guilty of killing a being under G-Force protection. No matter what the reason, he shouldn’t have allowed his inner instincts to take over his better judgement.
Renard was in as much trouble as the Gocarian was.
Chapter Four
Dominic
I’m a dead man!
Though Dominic was grateful to the gargoyle for killing Cogo, he knew his chances for survival were slim to none. A life in the G-Force prisons would be short lived. He might as well ask the stone demon to let him float into space until he disintegrated.
In the meantime, Dominic figured he might as well enjoy his last days. Starting with getting out of this cage to relieve himself and remove this stupid tail. “Hey. Do you think you can let me out now?”
The man called Renard didn’t say a word, then finally eyed him smirking. “I dunno. You had some smart ass comments that make me wonder should I give you that satisfaction.”
“Oh, come the fuck on, stone face! I need to piss!” Dominic argued, already shaking from his groin and bowels being full. He needed to go badly.
“Really?” Renard punched some controls over his head then loosened his seat belt before getting up.
“Really. If you don’t hurry up, I’ll leave a mess on your ship’s newly cleaned leather seats. I’m pretty sure you don’t want that.”
“Shit.” Renard frowned and started yanking at the lock.
“Shit and piss, that’s right, gargoyle! Let me outta here!”
“All right, all right. Hold your horses.” Renard continued to pull on the mechanism.
“Fuck, hurry up, man. Aren’t you gargoyles supposed to be the strongest motherfuckers in the universe?”
“Yeah, but for some reason… damn. Baal, help with the lock on this cage?”
Dominic blinked, wondering who Renard just called. “Who the hell is—”
At that moment, a mechanical arm came out of nowhere, turning the lock then opening the door.
“Thank fuck!” Dominic crawled out, falling onto the floor then scampering away. He could barely move straight still sore from the brutal fucking and the stupid tail stuck up his ass. “Which way is the lavatory?”
“Straight back and to your right.” Renard said. His voice softened as stared at Dominic like the meat he wished to devour.
Fuck, I’m a goner!
Dominic shook his head, grimacing as he made his way to the ship’s rear. The ship, who’d Dominic guessed was called Baal, looked like any other, but it appeared to have more controls than he’d seen on a single person aircraft in some time. He kind of wondered did Renard know about them all.
When he arrived in the lavatory, Dominic rushed to the single porcelain bowl and relaxed. The little room wasn’t like his own at home, but he’d take a hole in a ground just to relieve himself.
While taking care of one fraction of business, he yanked the tail out, tossing it aside before starting the other. This would be almost as uncomfortable as the ramming the beast gave to him before he raped him.
Cogo better be glad he’s dead.
Although happy the fiend got his “just desserts,” Dominic would’ve enjoying blowing his head off. Maybe return the favor because dammit, he liked it rough, but not the way Cogo had done it.
Dominic closed to his eyes to block out the pain running through his entire body. His joints, muscles, and ass hurt. Fever had set in. He sweated profusely, feeling himself overcome with nausea. Dominic was boneless. No energy to do anything and he needed to shift. Right now, his only concern was how he would convince Renard to let him go instead of taking him to the G-Force facility. Perhaps they could cut a deal that would assure Dominic a little more time to live.
Once Dominic finished, he crawled out only to bump into Renard. He was still naked and needed a bath. He hoped the stone monster would humor him with that desire if he wished to keep the stench to a minimum.
Dominic looked at the beast who was just as hairy as any of his comrades on Gocara. Dominic might even say the guy was handsome, but he had no appetite for sex and wouldn’t for quite a while. “Hey, um, stone face?”
“Captain Renard of G-Force.”
Dominic made a face. He could give a shit what the guy’s name was . “Yeah, Dominic Sutton.”
“Yes. I know. I read your mind earlier, so I know a lot of your story already.”
Dominic cocked an eyebrow. “Riigghht. Do you have a shower or—”
“Yep.” Renard leaned down and placed his finger on Dominic’s chin, lifting it up. “You look like you need help.”
Dominic’s eyes bulged and he moved back as if he’d been touched with something hot. Just that simple gesture made his dick jump.
Not now, asshole!
“I… just need water on my ass. I’ll wash myself.”
“But you’ve been tortured, shifter. You can barely walk.” Renard’s dark brown eyes met his gaze. A hint of gray revealed itself to Dominic, mesmerizing him.
Dominic shook his head out of the lust filled haze and dropped his head. In order to convince the gargoyle that he wished to avoid their prison, he’d have to play nice and be apologetic. He hated that game, but he’d do almost anything to survive. “Yeah. And uh, despite the crude shit I said earlier, thanks, but I really can do this myself. Just tell me where it is.”
“I’ll take you there.” Renard tried lifting Dominic into his arms.
“No, no. I stink!” Dominic struggled to get out of the stone beast’s hold, shivering because he didn’t really trust that this being wouldn’t hurt him.
“Heh. I’ve smelled much worse, friend. Calm down, okay? I’m gonna help you. I… I’m not usually a fucking helper, but there’s something about you… where I feel I need to assist, all right? Now, let’s go. Baal doesn’t have the luxurious showers you might have on Gocara, but it’ll get you clean.” Renard started walking with Dominic in his arms.
Dominic was too exhausted to fight, so he relented and allowed Renard to carry him. Renard’s comment made him wonder. Did he feel sorry for him or was he just doing his duty as a member of G-Force? That went against what Dominic had heard regarding the gargoyles being enemies of anyone not under G-Force protection.
Whatever it was, it gave him a glimmer of hope that everything would be okay for now.
Renard
Renard didn’t understand his behavior towards Dominic, but he accepted it. Not only because he felt sorry for him, but also strangely attracted to him when he probably didn’t deserve it. Besides, they were both in a predicament where if caught they’d be suspended from their positions and or jailed. At this point, they only had each other. They might as well make the best of it.
After running the water in the shower room to get the right temperature, Renard placed Dominic on the floor. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a washing sponge, and a bottle of soap, then leaned down.
“I really can do this alone. You gotta understand how fucking embarrassing this is.”
Renard shook his head. “I don’t really care, okay? Let go of your pride and let me wash you.” He squeezed the bottle onto the sponge, then rubbed Dominic’s hair first.
Dominic moved back and yelped. “Ahh, fuck, not so hard. I’m a little sore. Which is part of the reason why—” Dominic attempted to reach for the sponge.
“I’ll be gentler.” Renard cut him off and did as Dominic asked. “You got enough energy to tell me what happened with that bastard, Cogo?”
“What’s there to tell? He caged me, drugged me, and raped me. End of story.” Dominic snarled.
“Yeah, but when I read your mind, you were trespas
sing on his planet. Is that true?”
Dominic stiffened, then lowered his head.
“Well? I’m not gonna do anything. I only want confirmation.”
“So, you can take me to your prisons where I’ll rot for the rest of my life?” Dominic snapped. His eyebrows knitted together.
“Hold on.” Renard stopped washing him and inched backwards. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know. I’ve heard the G-Force have no fucking hearts. Gocarians aren’t under your protection so —”
“If I had no heart, you’d still be with Cogo getting your ass reamed and not in a good way.” Renard retorted, eyeing him. Plenty of the universe’s inhabitants had the wrong idea about the G-Force. Just another reason why he wanted out.
Dominic twisted his lips, eyes narrowing. “You’re right, but how do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“Because I’m in just as much trouble as you. I killed someone from a planet under G-Force’s protection.” Renard grimaced as he thought of it. His father wouldn’t be happy he took a risk, especially for someone who wasn’t a gargoyle.
“Why?”
“Because…” Renard stopped talking to ponder the exact reason. There was something so damn alluring that it stopped him from thinking rationally. “Um, well he hurt you. I don’t like rapists, especially big slimy ones who think they’ll get away with anything due to their size.”
“Yeah. Well I could’ve took him if I wasn’t drugged.” Dominic shrugged, sounding smug.
“With Perdenthyol.” Renard said, since he looked at the needle when Dominic ran away. He placed the sponge under running water again, then squeezed it over Dominic’s naked body. The numerous scars marring his skin didn’t deter Renard’s desire. If Dominic wasn’t recovering, Renard would do everything in his power to convince the bear to lie in bed with him.
“What the hell is that? That shit hurt!” Dominic yelled.
“I’m sure it did. We concocted that drug on Damascus to control dangerous criminals. He paired that with pure electricity flowing through the cage. Good thing I didn’t continue to pull off the lock because I would’ve been shocked.”
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