Page 3 of Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
Sensing danger, Tiberius and Quintus followed.
A large, muscular male held Spice’s jaw in his grip, yelling only inches from her face, “I ain’t paying you to party with a bunch of deadbeat stoners.” He punctuated the statement with a powerful shove that pushed her backward into the sand.
Sugar lunged forward to help her and was met with a hard backhand across the face, sending her sprawling, as well.
Enraged by the much larger male’s treatment of the females, Tiberius and Quintus advanced until they were within arm’s reach.
“Bitches better learn your place,” the large male said, then turned to look at Tiberius and Quintus with a scowl. “What the fuck are you looking at? Don’t think you’re getting any for free—”
Tiberius wrapped his large hand around the man’s neck, cutting off his words as he lifted him several inches above the ground. “That is not an acceptable way to treat a female,” he said simply before tossing him away. “I suggest you learn some respect.”
Those around the fire goggled and gaped.
“Big mistake, motherfucker,” the man rasped, stumbling to his feet. “You’re fucking dead, you hear me?”
Tiberius cocked his head. “Are you threatening me?”
“You fucking deaf, man?” The man whipped out a blade and charged. “I’ll fucking gut you! Nobody messes with Marcel’s livelihood!”
Tiberius executed a smooth, graceful step-and-turn, avoiding injury. Grabbing the attacker’s wrist, he applied slight pressure, crushing the bones and forcing the man to drop his weapon in the process.
Quintus was there a moment later, following up with a swift jab to the throat, effectively ending the irritating, high-pitched howls of pain.
“He cries like a girlchild,” Quintus noted calmly, looking down at the now-prone figure.
“Verily,” agreed Tiberius.
“Dude! That was badass!”
“You totally kicked Marcel’s ass, man!”
“Holy fuck. Is hedead?”
All eyes turned to the man in the sand. His eyes staring unseeingly heavenward, the expanse between his head and torso noticeably flatter than it had been only moments earlier.
Tiberius exhaled. On Earth for less than one segment of the sundial and they had already killed a native! This exile was not starting off well.
Without preamble, Quintus reached down and hefted the expired human over a broad shoulder. They exchanged a glance, and Tiberius granted his permission with a slight nod. Disposing of the evidence was the wisest course of action, followed by a swift departure.
So much for discreet assimilation.
He turned, ready to walk back into the sea and locate the portal. Surely, the oceans of Earth were vast enough to support more than one entry/exit point. Before he could take a step, though, he was stopped by a light touch upon his arm.
“Thank you.”
Tiberius looked down to see Sugar looking up at him, not with fear or anger, but with something else.
“Ain’t nobody ever stood up for us like that before. Especially not against Marcel.”
Spice appeared on the other side of Quintus, looking equally awed. “Yeah. I guess we belong to you now.”
Belong to him?The words rang through him as he inclined his head to the two women. If they wanted to belong to him, that was fine. Tiberius always took care of what was his.
Mere moments on this strange new planet and his life had already changed so much. He couldn’t help wondering what would happen next.
