Page 16 of Tortured

Eric grins but it doesn’t look happy. It’s sad and lonely. There’s dirt on his shoulder and I lift a hand and push it away. He catches my hand and lifts it to his cold lips.

“Why are you so cold, Eric?”

He smiles gently. “You know why.”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t. Where’s Charles at?”

“He’s alright, sweetheart. We all are.”

“Charles is alone. I need to find him.” I start to push my way out of the room but Eric’s arms catch me and he holds me tight. My empty arms push at his.

“Eric, what are you doing? Stop! I need to find the kids!” Terror streaks through me. Where did Lyssa go? I didn’t see her toddle away. I didn’t see where she went.

I need to find her. But Eric won’t let me go. His purple eyes study me coldly and I stare up at him.

“Eric, what is wrong with you? You’re acting weird. Where are the kids? I need to see them. Make sure that they’re alright.”

“We’re alright. You need to stop doing this to yourself, sweetheart. I will take care of the kids. I’ve got them. You take care of yourself. I’m so sorry that this happened to you but I know you. You’re strong enough to make it through this, even if you don’t make it home to us.”

I struggle harder, pushing at him wildly, sobbing in his arms. “Stop! I’m coming home to you. Don’t you dare tell me that I’m not! I’m going to get to you!”

I scream and scream and then he’s gone and I’m reaching out across the carpeted floor, reaching out for them.

“I’m coming for you. I’m coming for you. I promise I’ll find you. I’m coming home.”

Sobbing, I lie there and the room goes dark and cold. My eyes open and I can’t see through my tears. But the ship shudders and jerks to the side, dumping me on the floor.

The haze in my head clears and I groan. They’re not here. Nobody’s here but me and the guy I killed to get home.

And now the ship is jerking wildly and lights are blinking, buzzers going off.

“Oh shit! Now what?”

I scan the dash with the beeping and buzzing and my eyes tear up again.

“What the hell is going on? How does this damn thing work?”

9

KOEHN

“How the heck do you work this thing?” she mumbles under her breath.

Koehn staggers to his feet and wipes his huge hand down his face. “For starters, don’t knock the pilot out.”

She squeaks and turns to face me, pushing herself back in the seat. “Oh my god! You scared me!”

“I scared her,” I grumble. My head throbs in time with my aching cock. I yank her up out of the pilot’s seat and hold her up in front of me. She gasps and her full lips part.

My eyes fall to them and my unruly cock throbs for a different reason. Her tiny, curvaceous body fits tightly into mine when I pull her closer, stirring heat that curls through me like a phaser’s fire, wrecking my insides and shocking the granth out of me.

An alarm goes off on the ship. Lacey whips around, “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a proximity alert,” I reply. I hit the button to prepare for a hyper-jump and listen to the engine strain. “You need to get buckled in.”

Her eyes widen. “What’s happening? Who are they?”

Koehn presses the switch overhead, funneling extra power to the shields. “Get buckled in now,” I growl.

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