Sci-fi Nights: Alpha bad boys & wild girls of futuristic romance Page 15

  “That’s all you’re sorry about?” Tal asked.

  “Yeah.” She gave him a searing look. “And that I got caught before you paid me. I could sure use the credits.”

  Part of him wanted to grab her, haul her to his bed and spank her ass until she begged him for mercy. Then fuck her until neither of them could move. The other part still wanted to wrap his hands around her slender throat—all of it.

  She was working against him, and for Stark, or at least to keep the fucking magnate safe. That placed her squarely in opposition to him, Tal. He could never trust her. And she clearly had never trusted him, not with any real part of herself.

  He turned his back on her. “Get to your bunk. I’ll deal with you later. Darry, Trix, stay.”

  * * *

  Scala took one step toward the passageway and all seven hells broke loose.

  A thunderous boom sounded outside the ship, followed by a vibration so violent she was thrown into the wall. She hit her shoulder, hard. It hurt. Trix and Darry fell to the floor.

  “We’re under attack!” Dalg thundered over the com. “I’m taking us up—hang on!”

  Scala had no choice but to clutch the nearest handhold and fight for balance as the craft leapt under them and then shot forward. She peered through the porthole. Black smoke billowed in the sunshine, then disappeared as the Z catapulted up into the sky.

  That kind of smoke meant only one thing out here—they were indeed under attack. But who, and why?

  “How the hells did she find us?” Darry demanded.

  “You think this is the slaver?” The g-forces flattened Scala against the bulkhead as the craft accelerated.

  “Who else would it be?” he said. “Tal sure as hells doesn’t have any enemies on Serpentia.”

  “But how did they find us?” Trix asked, clutching Darry while he held onto one leg of a seat. “No one knows we’re after them.”

  She twisted her head to stare accusingly at Scala through her braids.

  Scala’s breakfast threatened once again to rise up her throat. Because there were beings who knew they were here, and why. Had Stark’s people merely used her to destroy Tal once and for all?

  And was Kiri a dupe as well, or was she in on it? Had the one person Scala trusted without question used her like so many others in her past?

  * * *

  Tal didn’t waste time wondering why they were under attack, he simply fought back with the single-minded ferocity that had made him infamous. At least on Earth II.

  Here, they might have sussed out his identity, but they didn’t know him, so while he wasn’t getting any respect, it also gave him the advantage that whoever this was didn’t know how ruthless he was, that he never gave up until he was the last man standing.

  The other ship showed up clearly on the Z’s surveillance.

  “Unmarked Y-class fighter,” Dalg said, working the controls to narrow in on the other craft. “Surplus from the Solar Wars from the looks. And definitely still weaponized.”

  “Smaller than the Z,” Tal said, bringing her around in a turn so sharp the Z vibrated wildly, but then shot after the other craft. “Probably think that makes us easier to hit. Let’s show them different.”

  “You want a kill shot?”

  “Not yet,” Tal decided. He hit the Z’s superdrive and brought her in low and fast. “Wing ’em. I want them down and vulnerable. Then we’ll parlay.”

  “You got it.”

  As Tal pulled off on the accel, they hovered for a sec. “They’re bringing the rear guns around.”

  “They won’t get a shot.” Dalg sent a laser charge at the other ship’s right wing. It hit, and the other ship wobbled wildly in flight before listing to one side and dropping rapidly toward the desert floor, just outside the Lure Valley, a plume of heat and debris streaming behind.

  “Send a warning shot over their bow,” Tal ordered. “In case they get a notion to fire again.”

  “They can’t,” Dalg gloated. “I hit their central power stem. They’re just coasting at this point.”

  “All right, take the controls.” Tal watched the other ship land, hard enough to send sand puffing out in a minor whirlwind.

  “Bring us in just overhead,” Tal ordered “I’ll go down on a hoverpad.”

  “Let me go with you, boss. Whoever this is may have a contract out on you.”

  “Better yet,” Scala said from behind them, “Let me go in your place.”

  Tal twirled his chair and regarded her with raised brows. “Any special reason?”

  “Yeah. You won’t be surprised to hear, this is maybe—probably—my fault. I was asking questions yesterday, in the plaza, playing my role. Guess I wasn’t being as subtle as I thought.”

  Dalg shook his head in disgust, but Tal nodded.

  “All right. You’ll come with me. But keep quiet.”

  She nodded, relief flashing in her eyes. At least he hoped it was relief and not satisfaction.

  He brushed past her. “Don’t relax yet. You’re standing in front of me on the pad. ”

  “How gallant.”

  “Just ready in case these are friends of yours.”

  She glared. “Whoever they are, they’re no friends of mine.”

  They stood, locked in silent combat as a small aperture opened in the cabin wall, revealing a space barely big enough for two. Tal jerked his head for her to get in first.

  “Ever ridden one of these?” he asked.

  “No.” She flattened herself against the wall as he crowded in with her. “Seen it done though.”

  “Hang on.” He turned so that she was behind him, pulled her arm around his waist, and the bottom dropped out of the tube. She let out a yelp, her arms tightening on his waist.

  Tal grinned to himself. He’d enjoyed that, at least.

  They dropped like stones until they were below the belly of the Z, and then the pad jammed upward beneath their feet. Grasping the central control stick, Tal took them down in a swooping turn out from under the Z and toward the wounded ship, with Scala wrapped around him like a vine. Seemed he’d found the one thing the Serp was afraid of.

  “Get your weapon out,” he called against the wind. “But I’ll warn you. Shoot me in the ass and I’ll make you sorry.”

  “Your ass is too fine to shoot,” she told him. “And you don’t have a heart, so I’ll aim for your head.”

  He couldn’t help it—he laughed.

  But as they slowed to one side and just above the enemy craft, Tal stared. The gangplank was down, and a woman stood in the open hatch.

  “Fuck me,” he muttered. She was one of the most beautiful females he’d ever seen. Serpentian, from the long waves of auburn hair wafting in the hot wind, to the tips of her elegantly shod feet. And every piece in between, all displayed to perfection in her clinging halter and pants of pale orange satin. Her face was a work of sensual art, enhanced by cosmetics and a slight smile.

  He brought the pad to a stop and looked her in the eyes. A jolt of recognition hit him. Here was a woman who knew her own power and her appeal—just like him. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she was as crooked as the legs on that ugly garganta lizard.

  Two males hulked behind her, and he could see another in the shadows of the interior. He had no doubt they all had weapons trained on him, as well as recognition tech. And since he went out of his way to look distinctive, he wouldn’t be hard to ident.

  “So,” the woman said in a voice like an alto bell. “You’ve been working very hard to find me, Tal Darkrunner. May I ask why?”

  He smiled at her. “After you tell me why you were shooting at my ship.”

  She gave an admiring look at the Z. “I didn’t want to. But I have certain beings after me. A woman alone can’t be too cautious these days.”

  He shrugged. “If you know who I am, you know my business. But I don’t know yours.”

  “It’s her,” Trix said in his ear. “We’ve got her! She’s Slidi.”

  The Serpentian smiled at hi
m. “Why don’t we discuss it over a drink?”

  “I’d love to,” Tal said. “I always did believe in mixing business with pleasure.”

  “Fuck, you’re going in?” Darry demanded.

  Scala hissed with displeasure in Tal’s other ear. Tal’s smile widened. “Try to trip me and I’ll toss you to those guards of hers,” he warned her under his breath.

  “No worries,” she replied, her breath like silk in his ear. “The worst fate I could wish on you is to end up in her arms. Go for it, earther.”

  He brushed his thumb over her tight fist. “I will. Just as soon as you let go of my belt.”

  Chapter 13

  Scala fumed as she paced the hot sand in the shadow of the bitch’s ship.

  Tal had dumped her. He’d left her out here while he stepped onto that slithery bitch’s craft like a desert bunny hopping right into a trap.

  She glared at the two hulking guards standing by the closed hatch of the other ship. They were watching her through their face shields, gazes avaricious. One was human, the other she wasn’t sure about, just that he was an ugly slimer that she wouldn’t touch unless it was with a lethal kick.

  The little laser Tal had given her was burning a hole in the pocket of her new top, a sleeveless vest of gharial leather that she wore over tights she’d chosen because they were the same pale green as a certain lying, cheating sand snake’s eyes.

  “You got a pretty mouth,” one of the guards said to her. “Why don’t I show you how a real man can use it?”

  His partner sniggered. “I’ll have the other end.”

  Scala turned and glared at them.

  “Maybe it’s time to get my new outfit dirty,” she mused. “After all, Tal paid for it.”

  “Don’t do it,” Darry warned in her ear. “They’re just flapping their ugly jaws, Scala.”

  “Yeah, wait for Tal,” Trix added. “I’m sure he’ll be out in a few minutes. After he gets the intel.”

  “There’s a joke in there somewhere,” Scala retorted. “But I’m not in the mood for laughs right now. Kicking a few heads in, now, that would cheer me up.”

  “Are you worried about Tal?,” Trix asked. “Little late now, isn’t it?”

  Scala winced. She guessed she deserved that. “Yeah, I’m worried about him. But if you’re waiting for hearts and flowers … don’t.”

  “Oh, so he’s just your ride out of here.”

  Scala cast a deadly look up at the Z. “Don’t make me come up there.”

  Darry broke in, his voice cool but not sharp as Trix’s. “He’ll be okay, Scala. He always is. And anything he can get to help us bring down Mordacity … is worth it.”

  “Yeah, but he hasn’t been up against a sociopath like Slidi,” Scala said. A beautiful, sensual woman with eyes that said ‘I’ll do anything you want’. Scala had wanted so badly to draw the fancy little laser weapon and shoot her, watching that look directed at Tal.

  “Yeah he has,” Darry soothed. “Believe me, Tal’s had plenty of gorgeous women throwing themselves at him.” Scala digested this. Right. She was only the latest in a long line.

  “He’s had plenty of time with this one.” Scala knew she was fretting but was unable to stop herself. “To get whatever intel he wants, I mean. You really don’t think he’s fucking her?” Hells, that came out wrong. “I mean, he’s smarter than that, right?”

  “Of course he is,” Trix said. “But if he’s not out in five minutes, I say we take out the guards.”

  “We?” Scala smirked.

  “Meaning you,” Trix said, as if granting a favor. “After seeing what you did to that Gorglon, these two won’t give you any trouble.”

  Yeah, at least she’d done something right.

  “Heya,” called the smaller guard, swaggering forward. “How about it, Serp?”

  “I call time,” Trix added. “Those two are annoying as all hells.”

  “Women,” Darry muttered. “Be careful, Scala. And stay away from the hatch, ‘cause I’ve got the big laser trained on it.”

  She could do that, no problem.

  “Sorry, boys,” Scala said. She set her hands on her hips and gave the guards a taunting smile. “I’m a rich man’s toy. Much too good for the likes of you.”

  Men were so easy. The human started for her with an ugly scowl, while the other moved to flank her. “We’ll show you what you’re good for, bitch.”

  She waited until they were only few steps away, behind and before. Then she leapt backward, slamming her shoulders and elbow against the alien, and using him as a fulcrum to flip her legs up and kick both of them straight out at the human.

  She hit him full in the chest with both heels. He went down like a felled deerbitt.

  “Hey!” The male behind her grabbed her arms. She twisted, throwing her body up and over his shoulder, tearing her arms from his grasp to land on her feet behind him.

  Twirling, she took him out with one kick. Then as he landed, she leapt up and landed on him again, slamming his head into the hot sand. He went limp.

  The human was stirring, struggling to bring his weapon around. She kicked it away from him and smiled at him. “Say goodnight, sparky.”

  She kicked him in the chin, so hard his head snapped back.

  Both guards lay inert in the sand, the hot sun beating down on them.

  “Nice,” Darry said in her ear. “Not subtle, but thorough.”

  “Heads up,” Trix added. “Here they come.”

  A whoosh of air behind her signaled the opening of the woman’s craft.

  “Oh, dear,” a bell-like voice said. “My ship and my guards both incapacitated. I suppose I’ll just have to take yours.”

  Scala turned to find Tal standing a step before the woman. She held a laser trained on him, and so did the Serpentian male on Tal’s other side.

  Tal smirked at Scala, the corners of his mouth curling up. He had a smear of bright coral lipgloss on one cheek by his mouth. Scala glared at him disgust. That better be the only place that bitch’s mouth had been.

  “Take me up to your ship,” the woman ordered Tal. She looked up at the sleek, black ship hovering over them, with gloating satisfaction. “It will do to get me where I’m going next. And you can ... entertain me while we travel.”

  He started down the gangplank. “I’ve loyal crew on board, you know.”

  The woman laughed. “Yes, and if they want to live, they’ll shift their loyalty to me.”

  Tal looked sulky. Scala’s instincts flared. The man wasn’t shy about expressing his displeasure, but he sure as hells never sulked. “What about my mistress?”

  The other Serp gave Scala a contemptuous smirk. “Oh, we’ll leave her here. You won’t need her anymore.”

  “The hells he won’t,” Scala hissed back, drawing the pilot’s attention. The Serp gave her an appreciative look over his shoulder.

  “She can come along for me,” he said, flicking his tongue at Scala.

  “Get ready,” Darry warned in her ear.

  Oh, she was ready, all right. She was going to kick some Serp ass, and then Darkrunner’s.

  Just as Tal reached the hoverpad, twin lasers fired from hidden ports on the Z’s belly. The pilot fell back, body arcing as his tan uniform blossomed great gouts of blood.

  The woman screamed and ducked behind Tal, blood streaming from one arm. She flipped her weapon toward her other hand. Tal whirled, knocking her back off the hoverpad. She landed on the gangplank of her craft and rolled off into the sand.

  She aimed the laser at him. “No man bests me,” she hissed. “You’re already dead.”

  But Scala was already vaulting across the gangplank. She landed on the woman’s back. Slamming the Serpentian’s weapon hand into the sand, she slid her other arm under the woman’s chin and jerked her head up to make eye contact.

  “How about a woman, then?” she asked.

  If looks could kill, Scala would have gone up in flames. “Not so pretty on your belly in the sand, are you?” Scal
a snarled.

  Then she hung on. Screaming and hissing, the woman fought her ferociously. Covered in silk and long hair, the other Serpentian was slippery as a water snake, but Scala was stronger and faster.

  “I’ll kill you!” Slidi screeched. “And him too! I’m the richest woman in the galaxy … and the smartest.”

  “Oh, shut up.” Scala tightened her grip on the woman’s neck and twisted, hard. She heard something snap, and the woman went limp.

  “Let go, Snake Eyes,” Tal ordered. “She’s dead.” Strong hands lifted her up and away from her victim.

  Scala stared dumbly at the limp body in the sand. “Always thought if I killed someone in a fair fight, it would be with a kick,” she muttered.

  Tal gathered her close against his hard body, his leathers hot and comforting against her skin. Despite the heat of the day, she felt chilled to her core.

  “You slayed me with the first look,” Tal said. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Every fiber of her being screaming at her to stay, Scala jerked her gaze away his and herself from his arms. Negotiating their relationship, or whatever it was, could wait.

  Besides, he wasn’t going to have any further use for her once he learned the whole truth. Which was that she was the one who needed the Serp’s body.

  “No, wait,” she said. “Don’t you, uh, want the body? You know, to show Kiri?”

  Tal stared at her as if trying to figure her out. “No, Snake Eyes. I don’t. Discovered something about myself in the last few days. I like my women mean.”

  A bright, sharp pain pierced her heart. He picked now to say sweet things to her?

  Okay, focus. She had to stay focused. “Yeah, but don’t you want … uh, everyone to know what you did? I mean, you could be a hero. Polish your image.”

  He shook his head, like a man hanging onto his patience by a thread. “Snake Eyes, all the people whose opinion I care about? They’re right here. We killed someone who deserved to die. That’s an end to it.”

  His words echoed in her ears like the sweetest music. All the people he cared about were here? Did that mean he no longer yearned for Kiri?

  “You want a trophy?” he added. “Take a holovid.”