Torment

by Tana Stone

  She gritted her teeth, keeping her eyes from drifting down to the limp little body in his arms. “I’ll take point.” She rushed up the ramp with her blade extended, hoping that all the voices she heard behind her were running toward the burning ship, and not toward them. She knew Vrax was behind her—she could feel him—although he moved so quietly she couldn’t hear him.

  Pounding footsteps approached. She couldn’t tell how many soldiers there were, since the sound echoed in the metal corridor. It sounded like a fleet, but it could be only a handful.

  They were yelling about the blast, and clearly on their way to check it out. Vrax pulled her back, and they ducked into a darkened passageway to let the mercenaries run by. Hopefully, that was everyone on board. Between those Vrax had killed and those enjoying their last night in the Den of Thieves, she couldn’t imagine there were any more. What soldier could resist watching a ship as large as Mourad’s go up in flames?

  Once the men had passed and the ship was still, they moved back into the main corridor and headed for the bridge. Tori touched a hand to the cool metal of the walls. She’s spent so long in this ship, and it still felt exactly the same. Still smelled the same, too—a mixture of unwashed bodies and engine fuel.

  She suppressed the bile rising in her throat, reminding herself that D’Vos was dead. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. None of them could.

  Pausing outside the bridge, she listened. No voices, and no porn. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she entered the dimly lit space, recalling how the captain preferred the lights low. Everything around them was black, although it was not as shiny as she’d remembered—black floors, black consoles, black chairs. Even the low ceiling was black. It gave the impression of stepping into a cave.

  She could sense Vrax’s unease. For someone used to living out on the open desert, this dark, closed space must have been unsettling.

  He gingerly laid Rynn down across the captain’s chair. The boy still hadn’t moved, but she was afraid to ask again if he was alive.

  As if answering her question, Vrax looked down at the boy. “If we can get him back to my people, they might be able to heal him.” His eyes went to hers. “Can you fly it?”

  She nodded. “I may not be a pilot, but I pay attention. All these ships are pretty similar, and Caro likes to talk a lot when she flies.”

  She felt a pang of longing for her crew mates. At least she’d see them soon, and she was bringing them a new ship. They’d be back chasing bounties across the galaxy in no time.

  She stole a glance at Vrax. His head scarf had slipped off, and dark hair spilled over his shoulders. She didn’t want to think about what would happen with him. She couldn’t imagine living on his sand planet, but she also was having a hard time envisioning being without him.

  He turned to her, his expression calm. “Do not worry.”

  Had he sensed what she was feeling? What did he mean? There wasn’t time to ask him now. She walked to one of the back consoles, studying the readouts. She retracted the ramp and disengaged the locking clamps.

  Okay, Caro. What do I do next?

  Before she could answer herself, she felt a hard jab in her side. She jerked her head up and saw Vrax spin around to face her, realizing a moment too late that she was in trouble. His face paled, and she didn’t need to turn to know who was behind her holding a blaster to her side.

  “I always knew you’d end up back with me,” MaVon said, his voice like velvet in her ear. “You are my property, and you will always be mine.”

  Vrax growled, but Tori shook her head at him. She had no doubt that MaVon would kill them both if he tried to save her. Vrax balled his hands into fists, and she knew that he understood.

  “Of course, now I’m afraid you’re going to have to work off your debt to me in a very different way.” The Zevrian captain fingered the sheer fabric of her dress. “After what you did to my crew, I could never have you working as one of them again. But you’ll be very satisfied, locked in my private chamber.” He let out a low chuckle. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Vrax eyed the blaster jammed into Tori’s side. He was too far away to make any kind of move without the Zevrian captain shooting her first. His fingers tingled with frustration as they hovered over the hilt of his blade.

  Don’t. He could almost hear the word echoing in his head as her eyes pleaded with him not to try to save her. But how could he not? They’d come so far. He couldn’t give up on her after everything they’d been through. He refused.

  Her face was set in a mask of fury, her dark eyes burning with anger. But not at him. She was angry at herself for getting caught. Her gaze flicked to Rynn, and he knew she blamed herself for the boy, as well.

  Vrax wished he could pull her into his arms and convince her it wasn’t her fault. He wished he could do anything but stand there watching the big Zevrian wrap his arm around her neck, tightening his grip until Tori flinched.

  Lowering his hand slightly, one of Vrax’s fingertips touched the cool metal of his blade handle. Maybe he could throw the weapon faster than the alien could shoot. He’d always been an excellent marksman, although he doubted he could move faster than the captain’s finger could press down on the trigger.

  “You may be a barbarian, but I know you’re not that foolish,” the captain said. “I would drop her before you could get it off your belt.”

  “Maybe,” Vrax said. “But you would still die. I never miss.”

  “Then I die. It would be worth it to go down with the bitch who took out half my crew.”

  “She didn’t kill them,” Vrax told him. “I did. Why not take me instead? Leave her and I’ll come willingly.”

  “No,” Tori said, her voice choked from the pressure of his arm against his wind pipe. “He’ll kill you.”

  “She’s right. I would kill you.” He raked his eyes over Vrax then jerked Tori closer. “And I won’t be able to have fun with you first, like I will with this one.”

  A rumble grew in Vrax’s throat at the thought of the alien touching her. He dropped his hand to his blade without even thinking about it.

  Tori let out a gasp of breath as the captain’s arm squeezed her neck, her face reddening.

  “Maybe I’ll kill her now.”

  Vrax removed his hand and held both up. “Don’t.”

  The captain grinned, but the smile was cold and made Vrax shudder.

  “You know,” he lowered his head to Tori’s. “I think the barbarian has a thing for you, TorVashent.”

  Tori pressed her lips together and stared ahead, even as the Zevrian’s breath made the wispy curls around her face flutter. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Don’t call you by your given Zevrian name?” The captain made a clucking noise. “Have you abandoned everything about your people?”

  Tori growled and struggled helplessly against the alien’s grip. “Why not? They abandoned me.”

  The captain’s expression darkened. “It’s good you’ll be coming with me. I can remind you how a Zevrian female serves a male.”

  “You might as well kill me now, MaVon,” she said. “That’s never going to happen.”

  He laughed. “As if you’ll have a choice.”

  Vrax looked desperately around the bridge. There must be something he could do. If only he understood how these ships worked, he could probably press a button and make the lights go out, or make it move, or something that would create a distraction. But the blinking consoles were gibberish to him.

  “As entertaining as this has been, I really need to clear my ship and prepare for departure.” MaVon gestured with his head at Vrax. “I’m going to walk you off my ship before I get this one settled in her new quarters.”

  Vrax didn’t move. He wasn’t leaving Tori behind. He’d rather die with her than let her be taken away by a male who clearly reveled in her pain and humiliation. “I’m not leaving my mate.”

  Tori closed her eyes and her body sagged. MaVon’s face broke into a
wide smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Your mate?” He looked down at Tori. “Don’t tell me you’ve been fucking this barbarian, TorVashent?”

  Tori kept her eyes shut, but cringed, as if his words were blows.

  “This is even better,” the captain said. “You’ll get to watch him die.”

  Tori stiffened and her eyes opened. “He’s not my mate. He’s just a guy I used to burn off some energy.”

  “I am not so sure about that,” MaVon said. “He seems to think he has a claim on you.”

  Tori let out a strangled snort. “He’s a barbarian. What do you expect?”

  Vrax’s face burned, even though he told himself she didn’t mean it. He could feel that she was deceiving the Zevrian, but the words still stung. It had always been more to him. He knew that, but he also knew that her feelings for him had grown, as she’d slowly let down her guard. Hearing her give voice to his fears made his gut harden into a cold, tight ball.

  Tori met his eyes, her own wet. “Go. I’m not your mate. I never was. Go home and forget about me.”

  Her gaze was pleading with him, but he sensed the swirl of conflict within her and the ache of regret.

  “You heard her,” MaVon said. “Let’s move before I lose my patience and kill you both just for fun.”

  Vrax started walking. Maybe he could get an advantage over the captain along the way, though every time he twisted his head around, the alien barked at him to keep moving. MaVon was pushing Tori along behind Vrax, but kept far enough back that they were out of his reach.

  When they reached the ramp leading down to the packed dirt of the shipyard, the captain told him to walk down to the middle and turn, keeping his hands up. Outside the ship, people still ran toward the raging inferno that was Mourad’s ship, and a furious bellow rose above the din of voices. Unless he was mistaken, that would be Mourad.

  The thought of going back out into Kurril was not appealing, but if he could grab Tori and escape, he’d gladly spend the rest of life on the planet. He already wished they’d never left the comfort of the caravan, and cursed himself for wanting to return to his home. Being back on his home world would mean nothing if he knew his one and only mate was the captive of a Zevrian mercenary.

  He turned, keeping his hands up as he ran through strategic options in his head. As long as MaVon had that blaster in Tori’s side, he had very few that ended well.

  “Apologies for the deception,” MaVon said, “but I have enough bodies on my ship as it is. You understand?”

  He whipped the blaster from Tori’s side and aimed it at Vrax so quickly the Dothvek didn’t have time to react, before the sound of blaster fire echoed through the ship.

  Tori screamed, but Vrax did not feel the impact. Maybe blasters didn’t hurt, he thought, as he waited for the pain to come.

  Instead of him dropping, MaVon collapsed in a heap behind Tori. She leapt forward, hands over her mouth and her head swiveling. She spun around to face Vrax. “How did—?”

  He rushed to her and swept her into his arms, crushing her to him. When he pulled back he ran his hands roughly over her body. “You are sure you’re unhurt?”

  “I’m okay,” she said, touching her hands to his face. “You know I didn’t mean—?”

  Vrax didn’t need to hear her say it. He knew she hadn’t meant what she’d said. He captured her mouth in his, needing desperately to taste her, his tongue tangling with hers with a fervent desire. She moaned in his mouth, and his body hummed.

  Finally, he tore his mouth from hers, searching her face. “You are sure the blast didn’t get you?”

  She shook her head, looking dazed. “There was no blast. He was shot.”

  Vrax looked down at the crumpled body, the blaster still in his hand. “But who?”

  Rynn staggered into view behind Tori, the blaster he’d taken from the shipyard guard in his shaking hand. His face was pale, and he leaned heavily against the steel wall, but he was alive.

  “Rynn!” Tori gasped. “I thought you were dead.”

  Vrax knelt down in front of the boy. “You killed him?”

  Rynn nodded with a mischievous smile. “I came to when he was talking on the bridge and waited until he took you out. He never even heard me behind him.”

  “You save my life,” Vrax said, giving him a curt bow.

  Rynn shrugged. “You look like the kind of person who might be good for a favor one day.”

  Tori laughed. “Sounds familiar.” She nudged Vrax. “Be careful. The kid cashes in.”

  Vrax blinked a few times, relief that they were all alive rushing over him.

  Tori kicked MaVon and the captain’s body rolled down the ramp and onto the dusty ground. She pressed a panel and the ramp began to rise. “Now can we please get the hell off this planet, before someone else tries to kill us?”

  Chapter Thirty

  Tori watched Rynn as he sat in the captain’s chair, his small fingers tapping the controls on the armrests. The enormous black chair was designed for a Zevrian warrior, not a small child, and the wide, flared back dwarfed him.

  “Careful,” she said. “Don’t press that one, or it will send us off course.”

  Rynn jerked his hand back. “Where are we going again?”

  “Zandureen.” Tori rocked back on her heels as she looked out the view screen to the inky blackness of space. Although the mercenary ship wasn’t as fast as some, they were still making decent time. According to the ship’s computers, they should reach the sand planet in a matter of days.

  “And that’s where your crew is? How many again?”

  Tori had explained everything to Rynn when they’d taken him to the ship’s medical bay to ensure he was truly okay, but he still seemed surprised that the bounty hunters she was so eager to return to were all women. She supposed she couldn’t blame him. Not many women visited the Den of Thieves willingly.

  “Five.” Tori caught herself before she said six, remembering that Max was gone. She’d never really been an official member, but after everything that had happened, she knew Holly considered the scientist one of them, and since Tori herself had stowed on board Mourad’s ship to get revenge for her death, she guessed she had, as well.

  “And your crew teamed up with his clan?” Rynn motioned behind them, even though Vrax had left his post on the bridge.

  “I guess you could say that. All but one.” Tori’s gut tightened. “Holly volunteered to go with the enemy.”

  Rynn looked up at her, his usually dirty face scrubbed so clean it glowed pink. “Why’d she do something dumb like that?”

  Tori stifled a laugh. The kid didn’t hide what he really felt. “She did it so another one of us could go free.”

  “Oh.” Rynn’s brow furrowed. “She must be really brave to do something like that.”

  Tori nodded. “That’s why I’m going to break her out.”

  He spun around. “Another mission?”

  “Don’t even think about it.” She leveled her sternest gaze at him. “You almost got yourself killed the last time. No more missions for you.”

  His small shoulders sagged as he turned back around, mumbling something about saving everyone.

  Tori grinned. The kid was right. He had saved them, but he’d also gambled his life and nearly lost. Tori couldn’t take the thought of losing anyone else.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be plenty busy when we get there. If you’re going to be a Dothvek warrior, you’ll need to learn how to ride one of their jebels, and that’s not as easy as it looks.”

  “Do you really think Vrax was telling the truth?” Rynn’s face lit up. “Do you really think he’ll train me to be one of them?”

  “If he said it, he meant it,” Tori told the boy. “The Dothvek may be a lot of things—” Arrogant, Annoying, Stubborn, Bossy, she thought. “—but he’s not a liar.”

  Her mind went to Vrax, and she wondered what he was doing. She could pick up on faint feelings of enjoyment, but nothing more specific than that. She should probably tes
t out their mind connection more, but the idea still made her nervous. As crazy as she was about the cocky alien, she still wasn’t wild about the whole mind-mate thing.

  “Do you think I can get markings on my arms like him?” Rynn asked.

  Tori pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at the thought of the boy’s spindly arms ringed in tattoos like Vrax’s thick biceps. “You’ll probably have to earn them.”

  Rynn nodded seriously, and Tori had no doubt the boy was contemplating how to earn his markings. Vrax would have his hands full once they got back to the planet.

  Her stomach fluttered. She knew he was eager to see his clan again, but would he insist on staying? Even though she hated to admit it, she knew she couldn’t lose him again. She’d felt what that was like once already, and no way was she going through that again. No, if Vrax stayed, she’d just have to figure out how to make the best of a boiling-hot sand planet.

  “You okay?” Rynn asked.

  “What?”

  “You were growling,” he said.

  “Thinking,” she told him. “And wondering where my first officer ran off to.”

  Rynn cocked his head and his sandy hair fell over one eyes. “I thought you were his first officer.”

  She winked at the boy. “I just let him think that.” She spun on her heel. “I’m going to find him. You keep watch up here.” She glanced over her shoulder. “And no touching anything.”

  Striding off the bridge, she felt confident that Rynn could resist poking anything for a while, at least. They were flying on autopilot with a course laid in, so there wasn’t anything to do, unless something unexpected happened.

  After clearing Kurril airspace and putting some distance between them and the Den of Thieves, they hadn’t picked up on any vessels following them. Probably because MaVon’s crew was gone, and Mourad’s crew hadn’t figured out what had happened and who was behind the destruction of their ship.

  If Tori was lucky, they’d never figure out she was on Kurril and had been the one to blow up the ship. If she wasn’t lucky, well, it would make life interesting.