by Sadie Carter
Zoey leaned her head back against the wall behind her, staring up at Boris. “Am I selfish, keeping you with me?”
He shook his head.
“But you have a bigger calling. Your vow...I want you with me because you’re my family. You, Dex, Elodie, Giz and Rastian, you’re all mine and I want you close and safe but if I’ve kept you with me for selfish reasons...”
Boris shook his head and crouched in front of Zoey. He reached out and grasped her hand in his, his skin dark against Zoey’s lighter tone. Nassir felt a flash of jealousy and turned away.
“Nassir, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” she asked, looking back at them.
“Don’t worry about what is between us. Boris is like my brother. We love each other, but what we feel towards each other is nothing like what is happening between the two of you. That kiss was super hot before.”
Nassir’s eyes widened. “You saw?”
“Dude, I was lying there waiting for the two of you to part for air. Then I figured I better let on that I was awake before things got any more hot and heavy, and I saw more of the two of you than I wished to.”
Nassir blushed heavily but Zoey turned back to Boris. “If you need to go, if you need to leave, then I’ll miss you. Like crazy. But I would never hold you back.”
Suddenly the door opened.
“Get your hands off my cousin’s mate,” someone roared then a large figure tackled Boris, slamming him to the ground as Zoey screamed.
Nassir sat still, shocked as Boris flipped his attacker over, straddling his body. Her heart raced with shock. What had just happened?
“Get off him!” another male yelled and joined in the fight, helping to subdue Boris.
“Let him go! Stop!” Zoey yelled as she threw herself into the fray, leaping on the second male’s back and holding on for dear life.
The shock that held Nassir frozen broke. She knew nothing about fighting. She did know that she didn’t have a chance against any male, let alone ones this big.
But she was learning something about friendship. And loyalty. And love.
With a roar so loud she surprised herself, she jumped up and joined Zoey in trying to pull the second male off Boris.
Nobody hurt her friends.
Boris could not believe it when the two females in his charge leapt on top of the other male. Or he could have believed it of Zoey, but he had thought Nassir might have the good sense to stand well back and keep safe.
They were both lucky he had taken a vow of silence or they would feel the sharp lash of his tongue for endangering themselves.
If they all got out of this safely.
Boris slammed his forehead into the male’s nose. He had a strange feeling of familiarity. But he could not take the moment needed to study the other male. He flipped the male off, then rolled, clasping his arm around the male’s neck. He did not have time for a slow death. He had to get to Nassir and Zoey.
If the other male harmed a hair on their heads...
“All of you stop,” a cold voice commanded.
Boris ignored him.
“Let him go or I will harm the females.”
Boris stiffened and looked behind him. A third male had joined them and he currently held a blaster to Zoey’s head. The second male had restrained Nassir, who wriggled in his hold, attempting to break free. He studied her quickly. Her hair was mussed, her clothing ripped and a scratch ran down her right cheek. He growled as he saw that. The male holding her widened his eyes.
“Get off him,” the male holding Zoey ordered in an authoritative voice. Boris knew he had to move or risk them harming Zoey and Nassir. He moved back and immediately found himself slammed to the ground, his hands drawn against his back, a knife pressed to his neck.
This was it. The end.
He supposed he should feel some peace in knowing he would see his family again. He had always assumed that he would welcome death.
Instead, he was filled with regrets that he would leave these two females he cared about alone and defenseless. That he would never again kiss Nassir, never taste her, never hear her moan and shake in his arms as he brought her to climax. Never see her smile up at him with trust and longing shining in her eyes.
“Don’t you touch him you dipshit asshole son-of-a-bitch!” Zoey screamed.
“Yes, you-you smelly man!”
Hmm, Nassir needed to work on her insults.
His head was drawn back, the knife pressed against his skin. He hissed as the sharp blade pierced his skin. He could not help but look at Nassir one last time. If only he had longer. Would he really have taken things further? Now he would never know. And the keen disappointment he felt told him how much she had gotten to him. How much he cared. He was not just interested in her sexually. There were plenty of women he could pay to fuck him.
But there was only one Nassir.
She met his gaze, the pain and despair in them an ache he felt deep inside him.
“If you hurt him then my mate will follow you to the ends of the universe. There is not a hole deep enough for you to hide in that he will not find you. I promise you that,” Zoey swore.
Something changed. He could feel it in the way the male holding him tensed. Did they really believe her? While Dex would seek revenge for the slightest harm to Zoey, he would not do so for her bodyguard.
Would he?
“I mean it. Boris is our family. You harm him and you are as good as dead. Or do you not know who my mate is?”
“We know who your mate is, female,” the one with the blaster said. “Release him, Wyan.”
“You sure? He was touching her. He has no right to touch her.”
“That’s why you have your panties in a wad? He was trying to comfort me,” Zoey said impatiently, pulling at her arm, which was still held in a firm grasp by the male with the blaster, although he no longer pointed it at Zoey. Instead he kept it firmly trained on Boris.
That suited him just fine.
When Boris felt the weight lift off him, he quickly rose and took in the other males warily. That’s when it hit him.
He stared from one to the other. It was almost as though he were looking at three mirror images. And they all looked very similar to someone Boris saw every day. Nassir seemed to see it at the same time as she gasped and stared, wide-eyed.
Zoey might have noticed too, were she not so involved in trying to free herself.
“Let go of me you ham-handed goon!” She kicked the male holding her in the leg. He didn’t even flinch, although he did frown at her. Boris stepped towards her, but the male that had held him stepped in between them.
“Do not go near her,” he snarled.
Boris raised an eyebrow. He almost seemed protective of Zoey.
Could these men be related to Dex? If so, why were they working for Tazan? Why had they kidnapped Zoey? Unless they wanted revenge on Dex for some reason?
The male in front of him turned side-on so he could keep Boris in his sights as well as the male who held Zoey.
“Jecan, do not harm her.”
“I am not harming her,” the other male said, irritated. “Maybe you should tell her the same thing as she seems to be enjoying using me as a kicking bag. Not that her kicks are harder than a child. Weak little thing, isn’t she?”
“Weak? A child? Oh, you just wait.”
Zoey moved to her right, half-facing Jecan, who still held her arm. She brought her leg back. Boris knew exactly where she intended to aim her kick and while he agreed with the sentiment, he could not be sure how the male would react to her injuring such a sensitive area.
Boris cleared his throat. Zoey turned to him and he gave her a quelling look, shaking his head slightly.
She dropped her foot with a pout. “You never let me have any fun.”
He thought he allowed her too much fun, but he would be certain to make it up to her. The next male who threatened her, she could kick in the balls at her will.
The male next to him turned to f
ace him, looking suspicious. Then he turned to the male with the blaster. “See that, Rafal? She’s scared of him. We should eliminate him.”
“Touch him and I will squash you like a bug, you fatuous cock-sucking dickwad,” Zoey yelled.
The male looked startled. “I do not suck cocks. And I am not certain what a dickwad is, but I do not think I wish to be one.”
“It’s an insult. I don’t mean that you literally suck cocks. There would be nothing wrong with that if you did. Damn, you really know how to ruin a good insult, it’s like talking to...” She paused, her mouth dropping open and Boris knew she’d finally seen it.
She gaped as she looked from one of them to the other. “Wow, okay. Who-who are you guys?”
The one closet to Nassir spoke. “My name is Rafal. The one holding you is Jecan and lastly, that is Wyan. We are brothers.”
“Yeah, no shit Sherlock.”
“No, my name is Rafal.”
Zoey shook her head. “How did I not see it straight away? I mean, you’re not exactly like him, your eyes are a different color and you’re all a bit taller and uglier, but you look so much like...I don’t know...it can’t be right, can it?” She looked at him then Nassir. “I’m not the only one seeing it, right?”
Nassir glanced around. “No, I see it too.”
“See what?” Jecan asked, sounding irritated. “Rafal, we need to take this one up to see Tazan. We don’t want him coming to find us.” He shook Zoey.
She slapped his arm. “Hey, I’m not some fucking ragdoll, stop shaking me, you’re rattling my brains.”
“Are you certain you have some?”
Zoey gasped. “Ooh, I knew I should have smacked you in the balls. Asshole.”
Jecan narrowed his gaze. “Just try.”
“Jecan,” Rafal warned as Boris and Wyan took a step towards Zoey. This warrior confused Boris. He seemed to want to protect Zoey. Even from him.
“Jecan, do not frighten her.”
“Have you looked at her?” Jecan asked. “Does she appear frightened?”
Zoey was glaring up at the tall warrior, a fierce look on her face.
“No, but she is such a tiny little thing. Besides, she does not seem to have much good sense. She is probably very sheltered and naïve.”
Zoey’s jaw dropped open and Boris nearly grinned. Oh, this warrior might have good intentions, but he was about to get an earful.
Sure enough, the insults that spewed from Zoey’s mouth had the three warriors gaping at her in shock. Nassir stood there, her mouth open, her cheeks bright red.
There were even some new one’s that Boris had not heard.
“Enough!” Rafal said in such a commanding voice, even Zoey took notice. He seemed to be the one in charge. He grimaced. “Your mate should wash your mouth out more often.”
“Bite me,” Zoey told him.
“We would never bite you,” Wyan said, looking horrified.
Zoey opened her mouth.
“We will not bite you, but I will not hesitate to gag you if you do not quiet down,” Rafal told her.
She glared at him but said nothing. Boris hated to admit it, especially when he intended to kill these males as soon as he was able, but he was impressed by the way Rafal took charge.
“Can we not hurry up and get her to Tazan?” Jecan complained. “She has made my head ache.”
Nassir snorted. “Poor you. We have been drugged, kidnapped, and are now being taken to my evil uncle against our will and you complain over a headache.”
Boris gave her a surprised look. Attitude was expected from Zoey. Sarcasm, as she liked to say, was her first language. He had not expected it from Nassir. And retaliation worried him. While these males seemed reluctant to harm Zoey they might not feel the same about Nassir.
He tensed, prepared to attack if they attempted to harm her, but they seemed to ignore her.
“Come,” Jecan said, pulling at Zoey. As soon as Rafal let Nassir go, Boris gestured at her to come to him, but she just stared up at Rafal as she rubbed her arm where he had held her. Had he hurt her? Rage filled Boris at the thought. He moved to Nassir’s side and pulled her behind him. He stepped forward as Jecan drew Zoey towards the door.
“Do not move,” Rafal warned him, pulling a blaster out. “We will not harm her but we do not feel that way about the two of you.
“Let me go!” Zoey yelled, pulling at the hold Jecan had on her. “I’m going nowhere with you.”
Boris growled, a deep warning noise. Everyone except Zoey stiffened and turned to him, watching him warily. He wished he could risk looking back to check if Nassir was scared.
“Let go of me, jerk! Before Boris wipes the floor with your dead carcasses.”
He appreciated her vote of confidence in him, but at the moment, he had to admit that he was outnumbered.
“Why would he wipe the floor with our dead bodies?” Jecan asked, looking confused.
Zoey paused for a moment. “I may have messed that saying up, but who cares. The point is that unless you let me go, you’re dead men.”
They were dead men anyway. They’d put their hands on both Zoey and Nassir. Kidnapped them. Threatened them.
They did not deserve to live.
Jecan snorted. “He is unarmed. Outnumbered. What could he possibly do against us? He is a cripple.”
Zoey whirled and, surprising the big warrior, pulled her leg back and kicked him straight in the balls.
Boris winced as the large warrior slammed to his knees with a groan of pain. Boris leaped forward to grab Zoey, certain the large male would retaliate. Unfortunately, the other male got there first, pulling Zoey back against him. Holding her tight against the front of his body, he wrapped both of his hands around her upper arms.
“He is not crippled! Boris is deadly, protective, and loyal. Something you three need to learn. I don’t know who you are, but proper Zerconian warriors do not go around kidnapping females.”
Her comments seemed to hit them hard. Well, the two males standing. Jecan was still kneeling on the ground, his hand cupping his balls protectively. Boris cringed slightly. Zoey had always excelled at that part of her self-defense lessons.
Behind him, a small hand touched his back. He wished he could turn and check on Nassir, reassure her, but he needed to keep all his attention on the males.
“And they don’t hurt women. They protect them.”
“We are not going to harm you,” Wyan said to her, watching Jecan with no small amount of horror. “You have nothing to fear from us.”
“Nothing to fear! You kidnapped me and now you’re taking me to your evil dick employer. You just tried to kill Boris! And I’m not supposed to be scared? I’d have to be stupid not to be scared.”
“It is nice to see you have some good sense,” Rafal told her with a scowl.
Jecan slowly stood, his face a lot paler than it had been before. He took a step towards Zoey, but Boris slid between them with a snarl.
Jecan slashed his hand through the air. “Move. I am not going to harm her.”
Boris stared at him skeptically. Really?
“Not physically, anyway.”
“Step away,” Rafal commanded. “Before I shoot.”
Boris looked over at him with a snarl. But then he noted where his blaster was aimed, not at him but at Nassir. Boris studied her for a moment, noting the way she stood with her shoulders straight, glaring back at Rafal. She might be terrified, but he doubted they would realize it. He smiled. She was a worthy mate, that was for certain.
But her bravery would not save her from blaster fire.
He looked from Zoey to Nassir, torn.
Zoey was his charge, his best friend. But Nassir was...what? The woman he’d kissed? Touched?
The woman who he was starting to think could be everything.
“Protect Nassir, Boris. I got this.”
Zoey pushed up the sleeves of her dress to her elbow, ignoring that Wyan held her upper arms in a tight grasp.
Al
arm filled Boris. Nassir, he could rely on to be sensible. Zoey was another story.
“We will not hurt the mouthy female,” Rafal said in a cold voice. “But the other female pays whether she is dead or alive. You would do well to do as I say. I could shoot her, then you. My life would be infinitely easier.”
“Don’t bet on it, buddy.” Zoey scowled at him.
“We are not friends,” Rafal said.
“We definitely are not. Boris, I think he means it. I’m all right.”
Boris reluctantly took a step away, keeping his gaze on the three males. If they made any move to hurt Zoey, he would strike no matter the threat to himself. He would already have done so, were it not for Nassir. Fear for her held him back. He did not like it. It weakened him.
He scowled at the thought.
“Who is the male to you?” Wyan asked Zoey.
“He’s my best friend,” Zoey asked without hesitation. “And he would cut off his good arm before hurting me. Of course, that would kind of be impossible for him to do on his own, considering his other arm is paralyzed but he’d find a way. Right, Boris?”
Boris nodded, although the other males just looked confused. It took a while to get used to the way Zoey spoke.
“She speaks in riddles,” Jecan muttered.
Wyan shook his head. “How does he understand her?”
“How does who understand me?” Zoey asked. “Boris?”
“Your mate,” Rafal replied. “Jecan, bring her. And you,” he pointed at Zoey, “give him any trouble and I’m going to shoot your best friend there.” He shook the blaster at Boris.
Zoey swallowed heavily.
Rafal turned to him as the others left. “I said we would not harm her and I meant it. But you mean nothing and neither does the female behind you. One wrong move and your lives are forfeit.”
Chapter Eleven
Zoey half-ran behind the big male she’d kicked in the balls, who held her wrist in his large hand.
Who were these guys?
She looked back at Wyan, who seemed the nicest of the three. The one who held her was a grumpy jerk and that other one, he was just scary as hell. But Wyan seemed like he had been concerned for her safety
