Worlds Apart 3: Mikel's Wrath
Page 10
Rising up onto her toes, Maryann wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. Then take me to bed, love. I'm all yours.
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Epilogue
Ryan Roberts held on for dear life as the small ship left the shuttle bay. A blast from a laser cannon rocked the larger ship as they exited. He managed a quick glance over at his companion as another blast rocked the craft.
"We're going down!” Anna screamed into her communications device. “Dear Goddess, we're going to crash on this planet and we don't even know where we are to call for help."
"As long as we're away from The Black Rose, I don't give a damn where the hell we are,” Ryan said with a snarl. “Nothing could be worse than staying on that ship.” He was tired of being poked and prodded—sick of the drugs they injected him with. He didn't know if he could have endured another woman's scream as they repeatedly raped her in an attempt to impregnate her. He gave Anna a meaningful look. “Even death was preferable to that hell.” He jerked his head toward the others. “I think our friends would agree."
Glancing back, the other three women he helped to escape merely nodded their agreement with thinned lips. He wished he could have taken more. Still, four women out of The Black Rose's grasp were better than none.
Fire blazed over the nose of the shuttle as they forced their way through the layer of atmosphere.
"Shit! I don't see anything down there but water.” Anna fought with the steering lever, trying to regain control of the ship. “I can't ... Brace yourselves for impact and try to find something that floats. We're going in and going in hard,” she called over her shoulder.
Ryan gripped the arms of his chair and kept his eyes glued to the window in front of him. He was a dead man, plain and simple. He glanced over at Anna again. “You know, as soon as that glass breaks, we're goners."
"It's not glass. It won't break.” Anna gave him a tight smile. “The dampeners should slow us down at least a little and afford some protection. My main concern is water temperature.” She glanced back at the others then back at Ryan.
And whether or not everyone could swim, he thought.
What seemed like forever, really took less than a minute, including their conversation. Strange how falling several thousand feet could take so long.
The dampeners held. Damage from the impact was minimal and, thankfully, no one was injured. The women screamed at the bobbing of the small craft. None of the women could swim. They were nothing but big cats, so he could understand their immediate fear—but fear had to be overcome. How in the hell would he save them? He was a water baby. He'd been more comfortable in the water than out all of his life, despite being part feline. And he was an award-winning swimmer. But none of that explained how he'd keep them all from drowning. He glanced through the transparent hull just in time to see a large fin disappear.
Anna opened the hatch. Two of the women held cushions that would keep them afloat, if they were lucky. That still left two to keep above the surface. He sighed. He didn't have the heart to tell them they were dead already.
"On the count of three, we all need to jump from the shuttle as fast as we can. The force of our leaping out and the loss of weight will cause the ship to spin, take on water and sink. Understand?” They nodded. “One."
The women moved closer to the hatch, two in the doorway and two just behind.
"Two."
The women grasped their cushions in white-knuckled grips and braced themselves for their jump.
"Three!"
He and Anna pushed the first three out, then leapt from the shuttle together. The water closed over their heads as the shuttle capsized and slipped below the surface as predicted.
Something large brushed Ryan's side. That's it. I'm shark food now. I hope they at least wait until we've all drowned so we don't have to feel them ripping us apart. He exhaled, hoping to quicken the inevitable. His eyes flew open when soft lips pressed against his, forcing air back into his lungs.
A strange beauty stared into his eyes, her golden hair floated around her face in a long, tangled mass. It covered her shoulders and chest, hanging well past her ... Ryan blinked, then smiled. Now he knew he was dead. He was seeing mermaids!
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About the Author
Bonnie Rose Leigh has been in thrall with the written word since childhood. When she ran out of things to read, she created her own stories. Now, she is a multi-published author and lives in a small town in Upstate, New York. She spends most of her time on the computer either writing or visiting with friends. When not busy on the computer, her free time is consumed with reading. It doesn't matter what genre the book is either, though she is partial to romance novels. Her favorite after-hours hobby is sprawling in a chair with a book clutched in her hands and a cup of cocoa sitting nearby.
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