Page 26 of Angel Captive

“It’s all right, we’ll figure something else out.” I drew her into my arms, shielding her from the brunt of the noise.

Five guards rushed to our door, shouting in their garbled language and I caught a few words. One pointed their key at the lock and the alarm shut off, mercifully.

Charred met my gaze, then he narrowed his eyes at my arms around Riley. I pushed her behind me and put myself between her and the Roulex.

“Looks like we got ourselves a mating.”

“Never,” I sneered. They wouldn’t touch her. Not while I could still breathe.

“You know what I admire about your kind?” Charred chuckled. “Your stubbornness. Where else is a species that never learn their lesson? We own you and her and whatever you’ve spawned together. Looks like she’ll make good breeding stock. I should try her out to be sure—”

I roared, diving at him. Blinding, white rage burned through me. My fist hit his throat and made a satisfying crunch. I spun, kicking out the legs of another Roulex while Charred clutched his throat, his reptilian eyes wide.

The third Roulex reached for his tracking beam, but I was faster. I did a front kick into his sternum and he skidded backward.

“Hurry,” I called over my shoulder to Riley. “Get out of here.” There was still two Roulex to deal with.

“Not without you.”

“Go!” I yelled, and she flinched.

“Prisoners escaping, lower level, send reinforc—”

I snatched Charred by his burnt end tail and flung him at the two guards. More ran toward us from the opposite end of the hallway.

My Riley was racing to the elevator. But she’d never reach it before the guards got to her. I dropped to my knees, elbowing the guard I had kicked in the chest in the abs before yanking his tractor beam off his belt. I flipped, pointing it at the rushing guards.

The green light I’d come to loath, freezing them in mid-step. But I couldn’t hold them forever. The five guards I had knocked back would get up again soon.

Riley had taken off the elevator’s panel and multi-colored wires spilled out the opening. She twisted the lines, her gaze drifting over to me as though to make sure I was okay.

“Behind you,” she shouted.

I ducked and a tail swept over my head.

“Hurry, Riley.” My upper-cut clipped the Roulex’s chin as he leaned over me and his eyes rolled up in his head.

Charred cough and choked, but he’d recover, and I hoped Riley, at least, would be long gone. All the intimates cheered us on, shouting obscenities at the Roulex.

“Which level needs backup?” came a voice over the Roulex’s comm.

It must have gotten knocked out of his ear hole when I’d attacked him.

“Come in, Jiryill,” the voice said.

Shit! They knew where he was stationed and soon this place would be swarming with Roulex. I fumbled for the guard’s key and pressed it to the nearest panel.

Nothing.

It had to have his palm press on this level. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I drew the traction on the beam of other Roulex and brought them closer to me. This was Riley’s chance to escape and I wasn’t going to blow it. I couldn’t hold them off and go with her.

They’d probably kill me for this, but it would be worth it if it meant Riley was free of this place.

When the guards in the tractor beam were closer, I flung my hand to the far side of the prison, sending them there with the beam. Charred slammed his leg down on my arm, trying to break my hold. Another guard wrapped his arm around my throat, squeezing my air off.

Good. Let them be distracted by me and give Riley a few minutes head start.

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