Page 66 of Zalis
He struggled against Zalis’ hold, which was rather optimistic of him. “I can get you anything you want. Anything. Females? That one is broken. I can get you a fresh one.”
Gross.
“Gemma is not broken,” Zalis said, holding him with ease.
“Ah, that’s sweet, baby,” she said.
Niklas made more idle threats. You won’t get away with this. You have no idea who you’re messing with. Blah blah blah. Seriously, these guys all had the same script.
“Screw justice and being morally good.” Gemma wasn’t sure what disgusted her more, the crippling lack of imagination or his arrogance. Both, probably. He’d never face justice. He had connections, leverage, and the cash to burn.
She met Zalis’ gaze. “I want vengeance. Make him hurt.”
ZALIS
Zalis did not enjoy violence. He had seen his share of battle, particularly on Earth. The experience had left him with a distaste for it. Too loud, too messy. He much preferred his work with technology, which was calming and quiet. The other warriors could beat their chests and lock their horns together.
He would, however, make an exception for this piece of filth.
A solid blow to the chest and Zalis felt ribs crack. Another punch slightly lower to the back and Niklas would urinate blood. Aquick jab to the face and the nose broke, sending blood gushing down his front. He tore away the ridiculous chains from the male’s horns, tossed them to the floor. Just as quick, he grabbed the now bare horns and flung the male across the room, sending him crashing into a shelving unit.
Unsteady on his feet, Niklas managed to turn himself around before a precisely placed stomp to the foot and a less precise kick to the knee sent him back to the ground. A kick to the chest broke his collarbone.
All survivable with a long recovery.
Zalis tempered the power of his blows, holding back his true strength. Gemma asked for him to be hurt, not killed. If he allowed rage to fuel him, he could end the male with a strong blow to the jaw or a snap of the neck.
Even holding back, Zalis moved quickly. Niklas did not have time to react before ending in a mewling pile on the floor, blood pouring from his nose and soaking his shirt.
Zalis loomed over him. It would be nothing to end this male. No remorse. No questioning his rogue actions. This male was a blight. Countless people had lost their lives because of him, because of the industry he serviced. Killing him would save people. It would be the most efficient course of action.
Gemma watched, a hand covering her mouth as if in horror but her eyes wide, refusing to look away. His mate had been hardened. Her softer side slipped through occasionally, the cupcakes and whimsical confections, or the way she covertly wiped away tears during an emotional film. While he felt privileged to see that aspect and understood why she buried it behind a more ferocious mask, he liked her ferocity.
“I should end him,” Zalis said. “It is the only way to stop him from hurting others.”
“Is that true?” Gemma moved off the desk and stepped closer. With her arms behind her back, she leaned down to speak to Niklas. “You haven’t learned your lesson?”
“What lesson is that, you crazy bitch?” He spat, blood hitting Gemma’s shoes.
A boot to the back knocked the male to the floor. The same boot kept him in place.
“That lesson,” Gemma said, her voice artificially sweet, “is that abducting people and selling them is bad.”
His face pressed to the floor muffled his response but he agreed.
“And you’ll get a new business. Run a numbers game or an insurance scam. Plan a jewel heist. The world is your slimy little oyster,” Gemma said.
“Yes. I’ll find a new occupation.”
Zalis doubted that but the male’s answer seemed to satisfy Gemma. “You can let him go.”
There was one thing he had to do first. He crouched down, gripped the nearest horn, and twisted until it cracked in half.
GEMMA
“For you.” Zalis handed the horn to Gemma.
It was surprisingly lightweight, as if it had been hollowed out. That made sense. Niklas was an empty shell of a person with empty horns to match. She could have lived without hearing that scream, though.
