by Nina Croft
However hungry we were, I don’t think any of us would have changed places with her for that extra ration.
I kept my spirits up with the thought that things were going exactly as planned. This might not have been how I envisaged saving the world, but I was making a difference. I would not only find Yolanda Pendleton, but I would rescue all of these girls, and I’d stop the bastard slavers and make sure no other women had to suffer through this. Maria would be avenged.
And maybe Rekowski would let me have a window seat on the way back, or maybe even have a go at the wheel of his spaceship.
I was clearly getting a little smug—well, as smug as you can be chained up in a room that stinks of piss and shit and vomit—so maybe I should have expected that fate would try to take me down a peg or two.
Something nudged me in the side.
“Go away.”
“Wake up, Ruby. Something is happening.” I uncurled my arms from around my head and opened one eye. Sarah knelt beside me. “You’ve got to see this.”
I pushed myself up and peered into the outer room.
Holy moly, mother of God.
The guard was unlocking the door, but it was the figure behind him that fixed my attention.
Six foot five, in a black leather duster coat that touched the ground. His midnight-black hair was pulled into a ponytail revealing the sharp angles of his face. He had one brilliant blue eye, and the other—I peered closer—was some sort of silver metal. A jagged scar ran from the metal eye down to his lip, dragging it up in a perpetual sneer that only added to an almost unnatural beauty.
Beneath the coat, he wore more leather, black pants that clung to his long legs and lean hips, and a black T-shirt crisscrossed with bandoliers. A belt at his waist, with a holster of some sort at his hip, finished the picture.
The perfect space pirate. I couldn’t have dreamed him up any better.
“Is that not the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” Sarah said in hushed tones. “He looks human. Maybe he’s here to rescue us.”
Not a chance in hell. He was with the guard, talking to him in friendly tones, though I couldn’t catch the words.
The guard rapped on the bars, their command for us to get up. Chains clanked as we all obeyed. Except Maria, who didn’t move, but just lay on the floor, hands hugging her body, moaning low in her throat. The guard stalked over, drew back his leg, and kicked her hard in the belly. She moaned a little louder but otherwise gave no response. He drew back his leg again, but before he could follow through, the new guy stepped up and spoke to him quietly, causing the guard to back down.
My hero.
I was a little in love at that point.
He glanced around, his gaze settling on me and then shifting away. What was he doing here?
He moved from girl to girl, looking them over, murmuring with the guard. Occasionally, he’d run a hand over them, cupping a breast, stroking a hip. And the explanation came to me. He was buying.
“Oh my God,” Sara muttered. “I hope he picks me.”
“He’s a pervert,” I whispered back. “Real men don’t buy women.”
In fact, he hardly glanced at Sarah, but he did come to a stop in front of me. Oh no. Not happening. I was on a mission. I was going to save the world.
I peered up. And up. He was really tall. And broad.
“Well, aren’t you as pretty as your picture?” he murmured.
What picture? What did that mean? I wasn’t in any position to ask. I wasn’t even supposed to understand, but I had to grit my teeth to stop the questions falling out.
He trailed a finger like fire along my lower lip, then down my collarbone and over the slope of my breast to rub across my nipple. My taut nipple. I couldn’t believe it—this was so inappropriate—but his touch lit a fire between my legs.
It was official, I was a slut.
First alien tentacles. Now pirates.
“I’d like this one,” he said.
It took me a moment to realize he was talking to the guard, and then his words sank in.
No way.
The guard chuckled. “Good choice. But this one’s expensive—fifty thousand credits.”
The dark slash of the pirate’s brows drew together. “Fifty thousand credits? I don’t want the whole goddamn ship, just the one girl.”
Hey, asshole, I’m worth every penny.
The guard shrugged. “You don’t like the price, you pick another. This one’s a virgin. And very responsive. Comes like a dream.”
I glared at him. Did he really have to tell everyone?
“A virgin, huh?”
“You want to check?”
Ugh. He wouldn’t, would he? But I could feel myself softening, swelling. I backed away but hit the wall. I wasn’t going anywhere.
The room seemed to vanish as he held my gaze. He gave me an almost rueful shrug, and then his hand slid down over my belly. I shivered as one finger ruffled through my pubic hair, and my legs grew weak. His fingertip glided along the seam of my sex, then slipped inside.
A small smile flickered across his face as he found me soaking wet, then he slowly pushed inside, rubbing my inner walls so tingles zapped along my nerve endings. I clamped my lips on the whimper that threatened to escape.
And then he was gone. He stepped back, wiping his finger on his T-shirt.
“I’ll take her. For forty thousand.”
Cheapskate.
“Fifty,” the guard replied.
I really hoped he didn’t have fifty. Otherwise, me and my mission were fucked. I searched for some way I could put him off. But they were no longer paying any attention to me.
“Forty-five,” he said.
“Fifty.”
…
Killian
My dick was rock-hard.
Maybe I shouldn’t have done the virginity-check thing; it wasn’t as though I’d know if she was a virgin anyway. I don’t think I’d ever met one. But, hey, I never said I was perfect. Far from it. And I’d had this overwhelming urge to know what her pussy felt like, whether it was as fucking gorgeous as the rest of her. Her breasts were full and pointy, with pale-pink nipples, her waist narrow above the curve of her generous hips, her legs long and slender, the curls between her thighs golden to match her hair. I’d have bought her just for myself…if I’d had fifty thousand of my own. And if I was the sort of guy who bought girls. Which I wasn’t.
Her pussy had been tight and hot and wet.
And that was before she found out I was rescuing her. Once I told her that little bit of information, she was probably going to be all over me and my dick. She wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off me.
All the same, fifty thousand was a hell of a lot of credits. It also happened to be the exact amount transferred for expenses. But I hated conceding without a haggle, and I knew I could wear him down a few thousand. I looked around, giving myself time to think. My gaze settled on the girl still curled on the floor, the one the guard had kicked. I’d been trying not to notice her, because what the hell could I do? But now I couldn’t look away. Her body was a pattern of old bruises and new, and blood stained her thighs and ass. She’d been used, and used hard. And she dredged up memories I’d rather forget. I’d had a twin sister, a long time ago. She’d died in a brothel in the asteroid mines of Groth when we were eighteen. No one had saved her. Like no one would save this girl—some people didn’t matter.
I shook my head, but the thought wouldn’t leave me.
“Fifty thousand.” I almost choked on the words but couldn’t stop them. “Fifty, if you throw in that one.” I nodded to the girl on the floor.
“What for? She’s just about finished.”
I shrugged. “Well, you see, it’s like this: my dick’s hard, and my boss doesn’t like sharing.”
The guard was silent for a moment, doing whatever Bhaxians did as an alternative to actually thinking. Then he nodded.
I looked back at my girl, the one I’d come for, and I would swear she could
understand us. She shouldn’t be able to, considering we were not speaking any language found on Earth, and her expression went blank as she caught me watching her. The guard clicked his wrist unit to unlock the cuffs and then tugged on the chain attached to her collar. She didn’t move, and he stepped in and slapped her hard across the face.
“Hey,” I snapped. “I don’t want her damaged.”
I tried to read her expression. It wasn’t fear, exactly. Maybe panic. But she was no match for the Bhaxian. She was half the size of the guard, small and fragile, a bruise already blossoming on her cheek.
I wanted to kill him.
The guard scowled and handed me the chain. “Do it yourself then.”
I wrapped my fist around the chain. She was mine. A wave of lust washed over me. That was so wrong. I tugged. She dug in her toes. If it wasn’t completely crazy, I would’ve guessed she didn’t want to come with me.
Maybe she wasn’t too bright.
The guard ignored us, crossed to my other purchase, the one I was already regretting, tossed her over his shoulders, and headed out. I tugged again, and this time she came, though obviously unwillingly. She balked at the gate, looking around as if trying to find a way out of leaving. But, finally, we were out of there and heading through the ship, back to the Helldiver. The guard was up in front, and I pulled on the chain to bring her a step closer. Her face was set, her mouth turned down.
“Give me a smile, sweetheart. I just saved you from a fate worse than death.”
She wasn’t supposed to understand, but her eyes narrowed at the words, her brows drawing together in a fierce frown. She leaned in close and whispered under her breath, “I didn’t want to be saved, you goddamn idiot. Take me the fuck back.”
Chapter Four
Ruby
His good eye widened.
I know I wasn’t supposed to give away the fact that I could both speak and understand his language, but, honestly, I’d only kept my mouth shut that long by locking my jaw. This was a catastrophe of mega proportions.
After peering over his shoulder at the guard disappearing down a narrow corridor, he turned his attention back to me and leaned in close. “You’re being rescued. This is not up for negotiation.” He jerked on the chain. When I locked my knees and didn’t move, he took a step back and looked me up and down.
Back in the cell, being naked hadn’t seemed like such a big deal. Now, suddenly, I was extremely aware of the fact that I was bare-assed naked in front of the most gorgeous guy I had ever come across. Heat washed over me, and I was pretty sure I was turning an embarrassing shade of puce. I wrapped my arms around myself, but that didn’t cover much.
“Couldn’t you choose someone else?” My voice sounded small and pathetic and not at all like a savior of the universe.
His expression softened, and he tugged on his lower lip as he studied me. Then he shrugged out of his long leather coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. I stared at his right arm—or rather, what replaced his right arm. It was metal, to match his eye, like a silver skeleton. I hadn’t noticed before because he wore a glove on that hand. He didn’t seem aware of my staring—he was probably used to it. How sad.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he murmured. “I’ve seen naked women before. But I guess that’s part of the virgin thing.” He smoothed the leather down over my arms then chucked me under the chin. “Don’t worry. No one’s going to hurt you.”
I narrowly resisted rolling my eyes. “I’m not embarrassed,” I lied. “And I want to go back.”
His expression hardened. He wrapped the chain around his fist and pulled me closer. “Look, sweetheart, I don’t know what your story is, but I’m being paid a lot of money to get you off this ship. So guess what—you’re getting off this ship. Now, you come under your own steam, or I toss you over my shoulder and carry you off.”
Who paid him? And why?
I bit my lip, my mind churning.
“Well? Make up your mind, because I want off this fucking ship. Now.”
No way could I get into an explanation with this stranger. He’d probably reveal my secret to the slavers, and then everything would be over. I wasn’t happy, and I made that clear with my expression, but I shuffled forward.
“Good girl.”
Patronizing bastard.
Something must have shown in my expression—I’d never been very good at hiding my feelings—because amusement sparkled in his blue eye. He gave me a wink, and then he turned and headed after the slaver, walking so fast I had to trot to keep up. We were going downward—the ship must’ve been huge—but finally the corridor opened into a wide-open space where a few smaller ships were parked. I looked around curiously. I wanted to ask questions, but now was not the time.
It was clear he was getting off this ship and equally clear he wasn’t leaving without me. But maybe once we were away, I could persuade him to return me. I just wasn’t sure yet what tack to take. The guard had halted beside the prettiest ship on the floor. She was sleek and shiny, The Helldiver written in flowing black script on her silver side. Not a particularly comforting name.
The guard dumped Maria on the floor at the bottom of the ramp and waited for us to catch up, a scowl on his ugly green face. As my rescuer drew level, the guard pulled a pistol out of his pocket, a second out of another, and a long knife from his belt, and handed them over.
My rescuer took them, slotted the pistols into the holsters at his hips, and slid the knife down his boot. For a second, he stood peering down at Maria’s crumpled form, his mouth turned down, fierce black brows drawn together. I suspected he might be regretting taking her along, but it gave me hope. Hope that he wasn’t a bad person. Then, with a sigh, he handed me my chain, bent down, tossed her over his shoulder, and strode up the ramp.
I looked after him for a second, then at the guard who took a menacing step toward me.
What choice did I have? I’d just have to hope I could come up with a plan.
With a sigh of my own, I followed my rescuer up the ramp and onto a real genuine space pirate’s ship. I couldn’t deny—despite the fact that everything was going to hell—that a little flicker of excitement was sparking to life inside me.
I hurried to catch up, just as he spoke into a bracelet on his wrist. “Creb, we’re back on board. Get us out of here.”
“Yo, boss.” A woman’s voice.
He pressed a button and spoke again. “Zak, meet me in the forward hold.”
This time a man answered. “You got her?”
“I have.”
“Is she pretty?”
He shot me a look, a smile curling the corner of his mouth, and I nearly swooned. I was in such big trouble. “Yeah, she’s pretty.”
At that moment, the ship vibrated beneath my feet. On board the slaver, I’d hardly been aware we were even moving. This felt like…flying. I lurched against the curved silver walls. With one hand against the cool metal, I straightened, locking my legs in place while I got my balance.
My rescuer shifted Maria on his shoulder then held out his silver arm with the leather glove. “I’m Killian Sharpe,” he said. “You can call me Kill.”
I looked at the hand for a moment, then reached out and took it. Beneath the glove, I could feel the hardness of metal. “I’m Ruby. Ruby Robbins.” I shook his hand and scowled. “But don’t think this means I’m coming quietly. I still want you to take me back.”
“Well, I’ll warn you now, Ruby Robbins, that’s not going to happen.” He kept hold of my hand, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to persuade me.”
And what did he mean by that? I pulled my hand back and slipped my arms into the sleeves of his coat, wrapping it tight around me. He was already moving again, and I followed him for another thirty seconds or so until we came into a relatively wide space, probably the width of the ship, with big double doors at the far end. The room was empty except for some sort of two-seater vehicle parked against the
curved silver wall.
A tall figure entered from a door opposite, and I stopped abruptly.
Holy freaking moly.
Now this was what I’d signed up for. He was blue. And not just from being cold. The color of the summer sky, he must have been close on seven feet tall but moving with a fluid grace that belied his size. A real, honest-to-God, gorgeous alien. Other than his size and color, he appeared vaguely human, with dark eyes and dark hair loose on his shoulders. He was dressed pretty much the same as Killian, in black pants, a black T-shirt, and long boots, though he didn’t have the weapons. Maybe he didn’t need them.
He stopped in front of us and returned my gaze with equal interest, a rumbling sound emerging from his throat. His stare was just starting to make me twitch when he turned to Killian. He blinked as he noticed the woman draped over his shoulder then shook his head and returned his attention to me.
“Are you going to introduce us?” he asked Killian.
I gave Killian a quick sideways glance. He was scowling. “Ruby, this is Zak.”
The alien frowned. “Crown Prince Zakary Mer, of the Groth Empire, at your service.”
Really? A crown prince? Honestly, I’m not the sort of girl who swoons at a title, but… He stepped forward and bowed, then held out his hand. I stared at it for a moment and then shook it.
“Enchanted to meet you, Ruby.”
“Leave it out, Zak,” Kill muttered from beside me. “And you”—he pointed a finger at me—“stop looking at him like that, or you’ll turn his head. Actually, I’m much nicer, and I don’t have his bad habits.”
Zak straightened, stepped back, and frowned. “She’s wearing your coat.”
“So?”
“You love that coat.”
Kill shook his head. “I’ve got a job for you.” He shifted Maria so he held her in his arms, then handed her to Zak.
“You got two?”
“They threw this one in for free.” I watched Killian’s face—he looked a little uncomfortable. I’d presumed he’d taken Maria for altruistic reasons. But had he in fact taken her to give to his alien friend? For nefarious purposes?
