“I’m not ready to leave yet.” She rolled over onto her belly and he couldn’t resist slapping her on the ass. “Hey!”
“Up!”
Kalisha looked over her shoulder at him and then those eyes moved downward. “You are. Want to go another round?” He was about to tell her no when she raised her ass up in the air. With a groan, Zane dropped to his knees, grabbed her hips and brought her sweetness back to his waiting mouth. She moaned.
However, he didn’t go too far in his little feast. His cell phone went off and he stopped.
“No,” she whined.
With a smile, Zane slapped her again on the ass and got up. He picked up his jeans and brought the phone out. Jovan again. “Yeah?”
“I’m landing in twenty minutes,” Jovan said. “Offered to pick you up since I’m delivering another special order. You two ready?”
“Almost.”
“Well, put it back in your pants. Oh, did you ask her about the list?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
Zane turned his head to look at Kalisha. She was off the bed and getting dressed, her back to him. “I’ve got it,” he murmured.
Chapter Seven
Kalisha stood staring out at the night sky, back on Pluto, feeling like a caged animal. Only twelve hours back and already she wanted to run away. To run as far away from this little war as she could get.
They were staying at a small safe house for the moment. Just until Zane and Jovan could figure out what to do next. They needed to get the list handed over to the right people. The whole idea still wasn’t sitting well with her. She knew what these kinds of people were capable of doing and she didn’t want Zane to get hurt. She didn’t want to lose him as she seemed to lose everyone she got close to.
Glancing over her shoulder, looking at his sleeping form, a calm came over her. He could protect her, she knew that deep down. But for how long? How long before he got tired of looking over his shoulder, wondering when they were going to come busting through that door. How long before he would want to call it quits?”
Shaking her head, turning back to the window and hugging herself, Kalisha tried to rid herself of those kinds of thoughts. She had to think positive, not negative. She had to remind herself that it all would be over real soon. She just had to hang on for a little longer.
However, feeling like the walls were starting to close in around her, she decided to go and get some air. Turning away from the window she walked past the bed where Zane was sleeping, grabbed her jacket from the chair in the tiny kitchen and out the door she went. Once outside she closed her eyes and lifted her face up to the night sky. Something about being outside made her feel free, and it was what she needed more than anything else.
Opening her eyes, looking around, Kalisha decided to go for a short walk. She needed to clear her head and come to grips with all the changes that were going to come. Head down, hugging herself, she walked and thought about everything. Her father’s death and the reasons why she wasn’t that upset with it. She thought about her childhood and all the shit he’d put her and her mother through. She also wondered what happened to him to make him turn on his family the way he had. So many questions she had with no answers to go with them. One big question she had which she had no way to answer really was could she live a normal life once this was all over? Nothing about her life had ever been normal. So, how was she supposed to go about living a normal life when the only things she knew were things she’d seen on television or had observed in others around her? The few friends she had growing up had parents who seemed to love them, wanted to protect, not control them. A father who was willing to let his girls grow up, and not try to kill the first guy with whom they wanted to date. Even the few she knew whose parents did split, their fathers didn’t go nuts and have to still control every damn step they took.
So deep in her thoughts was she, when she stopped with the intention of turning around and going back, she realized she was lost. Looking all around she tried to think hard whether or not anything looked familiar. Then she wanted to kick herself. When they were traveling to the safe house she hadn’t paid any attention to a damn thing like she normally did. So now where the hell was she?
“Great,” she mumbled to herself. “Now what?”
Instead of doing the smart thing, asking for help or to use a phone so she might call Zane, Kalisha kept right on walking. She went deeper into the city and got lost, not only in general, but in the wonders of the planet. So lost in fact she didn’t notice there was someone following her. Hell, it never even dawned on her that someone might be on Pluto still looking for her.
A large hover pulled up a few feet in front of her, the back door opened and one very large man got out. Kalisha didn’t pay much attention to him and even moved to the side when he walked up to her.
What happened next happened so fast she didn’t even get to scream for help. As she walked closer to that hover and the man, he grabbed her by the arms, gave a hard jerk to the left, followed by a push and into the hover she fell. The man followed her inside, the door closed and off they went.
“Ms. Kalisha Sedgwick. My, you’re a hard one to find.”
Kalisha turned on the floor of the hover just enough to look up. Sitting in the black leather seat was a large black man, in a fine silk suit. His cold eyes didn’t match the smile spread across his lips. What she saw in the dark orbs was death, maybe hers.
“Where are my manners?” He snapped his fingers and the one who had shoved her inside grabbed hold of her jacket, jerking her up from the floor and into a seat across from him. “That’s better. Now, I believe you have something that belongs to me.”
“Who the hell are you?” she demanded.
He smiled again, and once more that smile didn’t even touch his eyes. “Again, I forget my manners. Preston Bernard. We met once, at your fathers place on Mars.”
Kalisha crossed her arms over her chest, narrowed her eyes on the man and smirked. “Yeah, I remember you now. You’re the prick who kidnapped Sorcha.” The smile left his face. “Are you also the son of a bitch who killed my father?”
He narrowed his eyes on her and raised one finger, moving it back and forth on his thick lower lip. Kalisha watched the movement and braced herself for a big outburst or maybe even a nice little backhand. After all, that’s what her father would’ve done if he was here. Preston did nothing. He just sat back, moving his finger back and forth, staring at her saying not one word.
He stayed quiet the whole drive to a distinctive mansion on the outskirts of the city. The hover pulled up to the front door, parked and a man quickly came out and opened Preston’s door. The guy who was sitting next to Kalisha opened his door, grabbed her arm and jerked her out.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.
“One of my many homes,” he answered her, then he gave his attention to the man. “Take her upstairs and give her something proper to change into.”
“For what?” Kalisha asked as she was being dragged away.
“For dinner, of course. We eat in one hour.”
They parted in the main entrance. He went to the right as she was dragged towards the stairs on the left. As she climbed the stairs, she looked around, making sure that she remembered each turn they took. On the second level of the large house she was taken down a hallway to the very last room. The door was opened and she was shoved inside.
“There’s a dress in the closet. Put it on,” the man ordered, then shut and locked the door.
“Please,” she snapped when the door closed. “Ever heard of manners you fuck?” Turning away from the door she headed for the closet and opened the double doors. Inside was only one thing. A dress. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
The dress happened to be a long, cream colored silk with thin straps, tight waist line and long flowing skirt with a slit up the side. A very sexy dress, the kind she was pretty sure you didn’t wear to dinner, and you sure as hell didn’t want to wear around a guy like Pre
ston Bernard.
She changed, and as she did, she discovered that she couldn’t wear any of her underclothes. So, no panties, because they would show, as well as her bra. Feeling very exposed, the last thing she put on were the heels and then the door opened and it was time for her to go down to dinner.
Back down the hall, down the stairs and around the corner to the back of the house. The same guy who took her to the room now walked her to the dining room. They stopped at a set of wide sliding doors, which he opened then stood back for her to enter.
“Ah, right on time!” Preston stood up from the head of the table and came around, walking right up to her. Once more he had a smile on his face that didn’t reach those damn eyes of his. “You look ravishing.” He took her hand and began to bring it up to his lips, but she jerked it out of his hand before he could kiss it.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“Come, please,” he said and extended his hand toward the table. With a sigh, she walked up to the seat where he wanted her. Preston pulled the chair out, she sat and he pushed it in, then took his own seat.
“Right to the point, I have always liked that.” He picked up his napkin and placed it on his lap, then looked at the guy still standing in the doorway. “You may go.” Preston picked up a bottle of wine and poured some into her glass. “As much as I dislike these Pluto freaks, they do know how to make very good wine.”
Kalisha saw the name on the bottle and almost smiled when she read, Maki Sprits. However, she didn’t touch her glass.
“I hope you like lobster,” Preston went on. “I had it specially brought up from Maine on Earth.” Just then servants came out with trays in hand and plates. A plate was placed in front of her and one in front of him, already full of food as well as trays with more if they wanted. Once they we gone, he started in, cracking the shell.
“Is this your great plan?” she finally asked. “To wine and dine me?”
Preston didn’t stop what he was doing. He broke the tail open and pulled out the meat, then dipped it in butter and brought it up to his mouth. He ate, then wiped his mouth before speaking to her. “I knew your father. I know that you are used to being beaten. So what’s the point of going that route? Huh?” He nodded at her plate. “Eat, please.”
* * * *
Zane rolled to his back and slowly woke up. He hadn’t planned on taking such a long nap, but he felt so much better since he had.
Sitting up, he looked around and then frowned. It was dark outside and yet Kalisha wasn’t in the room with him. Getting out of bed he went to the window and looked out at the dark yet busy street then turned and went to the bathroom. Nothing. Looking around the room again he noticed only one thing really missing and that was her jacket.
“No, no, no, no, no,” he said, rushing to the door and jerking it open.
Outside he ended up running down the block and then stopping, looking around. Panic was starting to set in. Where could she have gone and why? He had the list, so he knew she wasn’t going to give it back, to try to save him. So where the hell did she go?
At the end of the street he just turned around and around, his brain refusing to process anything or let him think straight. When his cell went off in his pocket he jumped and had to think for a moment on what the noise and vibration was.
“Hello?” he snapped, still turning around and looking at everything.
“Zane, are you okay?” It was Jovan checking in again.
“No, she’s gone,” Zane rushed out. “She’s gone!”
“What? Slow down.”
“I woke up and she’s not here!” Zane was speaking so fast now, and he had started to shake in his fear.
“Zane, calm down!” Jovan snapped.
“I can’t calm down!” Zane yelled. “You don’t understand. She wasn’t in the room when I woke up. I had fallen asleep, she was there. When I woke up she was gone. What am I supposed to do?”
“First, you need to get yourself under control or you won’t be able to do shit. Now listen to me. Are you there?”
“I’m here.”
“Take a couple of deep breaths and go back to the room. I’m heading your way right now.”
“If he has her Jovan, I’m going to kill him.” Zane stated, suddenly feeling calm—too calm.
“Zane, listen to me. I’ve been in your shoes, I understand. But you go down that dark road you won’t come back the same. Now, just do as I said and go back to the house. I’m on my way. We’ll find her. I promise you.”
Zane nodded, even though Jovan couldn’t see him. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll, um, I’ll go back to the room. Good idea.” He hung up, put the phone in his pocket and walked back down the sidewalk to the house.
Once he was back inside, he changed again. Still feeling this strange calm, Zane went to the closet in the room, reached up to the shelf and way back where he knew Kalisha not only couldn’t reach but wouldn’t be able to see the bag he put there when she was in the bathroom.
He laid the bag on the bed, then stared at it for a few minutes before opening it and dumping everything out. Guns, hand grenades, ammunition, a couple of bombs he had made, some knives and a few other things spread out on the bed. All weapons he got from Earth which were super easy to smuggle onto Pluto. As he waited for Jovan to come, Zane loaded each gun, checked each bomb, loaded the clips and laid it all out in a straight line on the bed. He stood at the foot of the bed, just staring down at it all, waiting. How long he just stood there, staring and waiting, he didn’t know.
“Jesus, Zane,” Jovan hissed when he came into the room. “What do you have planned?”
Zane slowly turned his head toward his friend and boss. “Where does Preston Bernard live, here on Pluto?”
“We don’t—”
“I know!” Zane raised his voice, cutting Jovan off. “I know he has her and I’m going to get her back. So please, tell me where this son of a bitch lives, or I’ll go find him myself.”
“Man, are you hearing yourself?” Jovan quickly closed the door and went up to him. “Those weapons are illegal here. You could be shot just for having them.”
“Where is he?” Zane asked again through his teeth.
Jovan looked down at the weapons then back up at Zane, licking his lips. “Damn it. All right, I’ll tell you, but I’m going with you. And don’t you even think about trying to talk me out of it. This whole thing is crazy enough as it is.”
Zane nodded and started to pack the weapons back up. The whole time he did, he could feel Jovan’s eyes upon him. “Please tell me you found the right people to give this damn list to.”
“That is why I was calling you. Noah knows just what we need to do.”
“Good.” Zane nodded. “Then as soon as we get Kalisha back, we can end this shit, once and for all.” He picked up the bag and turned towards Jovan. “Ready?”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Jovan mumbled, as he turned and walked towards the door. Zane was right behind him.
* * * *
“You really should eat,” Preston said again. “These lobsters are the best you can get.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the lobsters. I just find that a certain kind of company tends to steal my appetite away.”
Preston stopped midway to his mouth and glanced up at her. A few seconds went by before he broke out in a laugh and dropped the food back on the plate. He brought his napkin came up and wiped his mouth, then tossed it onto the table as he reached for his glass of wine.
“I must admit, I do like your wit. It beats having you crying at my feet.”
“And why would I want to cry at your feet?”
“Fear, Ms. Sedgwick. Fear.”
“It’s Dill.”
“Excuse me?”
She reached up and made sure he saw the necklace. “Married.”
Preston waved his hand in the air and put his glass back down. “Nonsense. Your father would have had to sign off on it and we both know that never happened. No, what has
happened is nothing more than that alien kidnapped you from your father and took you away.”
“And I say that’s bullshit.” She crossed her arms over her chest and instantly knew that was a mistake when his eyes followed the motion. “I am married and there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone else can do about it.”
“Oh, Ms. Sedgwick, there is plenty a person like me can do about something as repulsive as what you’ve been allowing between those thighs of yours.”
Something about his manner had Kalisha quickly on high alert. She didn’t like how he was looking at her now, and clearly she didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“You are a nice looking woman, and a woman who looks as you do shouldn’t be letting some freak try to plant his nasty ass seed between those legs.” Preston pushed away from the table with a smile on his face. Kalisha’s gut dropped. She kept her eyes on him as he slowly walked around the table. And since he clearly wasn’t paying that much attention to her, she slipped the knife from the table onto her lap.
“What you need is a real man, not a damn alien between those legs. An Earth man who has power and position,” he went on. “Maybe even a man like myself.” He came up behind her and grabbed her hair so fast she almost dropped the knife.
Kalisha acted just as fast as he did. When his other hand came around as if he might grab her breast she reached up and cut it with the knife. He yelled, let go of her hair and she was out of the chair quickly.
“You bitch!” he snapped at her, grabbing her napkin and wrapping it around his now bleeding hand.
“Stay away from me,” she told him, pointing the knife at him. “Men like you need to be fucking castrated and never allowed to breed.”
He snarled and lunged at her. Kalisha screamed, swung wide with the knife and almost cut him again. However, Preston seemed to be ready for it and caught her wrist, giving it a strong twist. She cried out. The slap that she had been expecting all night finally came. Preston backhanded her so hard her lip busted open and her vison went blurry for a moment.
“The only place for little whores like yourself is on their backs,” he snarled in her face. Another hard slap and she went flying in the other direction. He grabbed her hair and shoved her hard at the table. Kalisha hit her belly on the side and felt him come up behind her. One long swipe and everything on the side of the table went flying to the floor. “But right now, I think this position is better suited just for you.”
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