Page 12 of Marked for Vengeance
There was no such thing as dignity during a fight, but Loris still felt foolish as he carried her outside. Despite the fact his shoulder dug into her stomach, and it wasn’t easy to breathe while upside down, she didn’t stop smacking his back or cursing in every language she knew.
They were still on the ramp when he called out to the others. “This one is mine.”
This again? She filled her lungs and bellowed. “The hell I am! Put. Me. Down!”
She only quieted when Havoc moved toward Maddison, who was still seated. “I guess this means you’re with me.”
Maddison went pale. “What? No! I’m not with anyone. I mean, I wasn’t on this cruise looking for a mate. I own theHarvest. That’s all.”
Loris struggled harder against Vengeance’s hold. She was Maddison’s bodyguard. No way could she let this happen. Maddison was her friend, and Joy…
Loris scanned the area quickly and spotted Joy near the campfire. When had she left the door of the shuttle? And why was she currently sitting in Risk’s lap looking dazed and entirely unconcerned?
Was this whammy thing contagious?
Havoc moved over to Maddison. Loris tensed, terrified for her friend, but the big male moved with care as he croucheddown in front of Maddi, his hands lifted and palms turned upward.
“You aren’t safe here. None of us are. We need to leave before the scrawnies send someone to investigate.”
Loris went still so she could hear better. The alien was speaking in calm, firm tones. He wanted to convince Maddi, not force her.
Apparently, Loris had wound up with the arrogant one.Wonderful.
“But what if it’s a rescue party?” Joy asked.
She wriggled but not too much. “Put me down. Please,” Loris said.
Vengeance did as she asked. Once she was on her feet, she turned to face her employer. As much as she hated this entire situation, the damned aliens weren’t wrong about the danger.
“No one is coming to rescue us, Maddison. We’re deep in verexi territory. I don’t know how we got here or what went wrong, but we need to make the best of it.”
A strong arm wrapped possessively around her waist. She turned and glared back at Vengeance. “And no, that was not me agreeing to anything. I’m simply being practical.”
The smug son-of-a-beast grinned and tightened his hold on her. “You do that. I am patient. Eventually you’ll see I am right.” His voice dropped to a low growl. “Youaremine.”
Risk whispered something to Joy, who flushed slightly, but her lips quirked into a brief smile.
“Joy is injured and cannot walk, so she will stay with me,” Risk announced.
“But what about the verexi?” Maddison asked, still looking uncertain. “You said it wasn’t safe to stay here.”
“The ship is too valuable to leave behind. I will keep it and Joy safe,” Risk said firmly.
Havoc spoke next, “Maddison and Loris. You have five minutes to pack food, water, and clothing. Then we must go.”
Was their entire species this annoyingly bossy? Stars above, she hoped not. She caught Maddi’s eye and flashed her a series of hand signals. One for reassurance. Another for caution. The last were reminders to keep at least one weapon hidden on her person at all times and to take care of herself.
It sucked harder than a black hole, but what else could they do? Staying with Joy and the shuttle would only risk more lives.
Loris hurried to the far side of the shuttle to the emergency shelter and their stash of supplies. It was time to go.
6
Vengeance wantedto roar in jubilation. He’d found one. A female. Well, he’d found three, but the others didn’t interest him. All his attention was on his little warrior. Her hair was like moon-kissed steel, cut short at the sides and left long and curly on the top. He’d only seen hair like hers in vids. All his brothers had straight hair similar to his own. He wanted to gather her into his arms and bury his face in those silvery curls. Were they as soft as the skin of her cheek? He thought they would be.
Soon he’d find out for himself.
He had believed she was his from the first moment he’d caught her scent. It wasn’t the same as his, but it was similar in the same way that Hope’s matched Menace’s. Even still, he had not been prepared for the raw power that erupted when they first connected. All she did was touch his arm, but in that moment, he was lost to everything but her.
