Page 104 of Victoria's Discovery

“The giants are right here.” He left out that Snitch wasn’t with them. She’d find out soon enough.

Thorn groaned quietly and clutched his head. “What in the six hells happened? I do not rem– that female!”

“We’re on a transport, headed into the slums judging by the stench out there.”

Vee made a groggy noise of alarm. “I– She said she was gonna sell us to someone named… It started with an R. I can’t remember,” she murmured, her eyes squeezed shut, likely from the headache sedation always left.

“What else did you hear? Try to remember.”

“Um, she said she wanted us to receive special treatment. Something about wanting us to suffer.” Her eyes popped open, fear and anger tightening her delicate features. “I think she sold us as slaves.”

He’d assumed as much. Flicking an assessing look at the giants, he asked, “Can you fight? We need to escape before we reach our destination.”

Thorn’s gaze was sharp. He was already up and moving to Vee’s other side, scanning the runner for weaknesses, answering Vi’kail’s question. Thegan paused before answering, rubbing hard at his face before blinking a few times.

Needing him to snap out of it, Vi’kail lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. “Vee is in danger, and unless you wanna see her a slave, you need to get your shit together.”

That did the trick. Sucking in a sharp breath, Thegan’s gaze dropped to where Vee was still lying on the dirty floor, his eyes zeroing in on the bruise marring her chest. Rage twisted his features, chasing away much of the lingering lethargy.

“Good. Get angry. It’s gon’ be a crik of a fight to get free, and I need you both ready.”

“My comm,” Vee gasped, looking more awake. “It’s gone.”

“Mine, as well. And they took my blades,” Thorn rumbled. Lifting his gaze from Vee, he added, “All of them.”

Patting himself, Vi’kail bit back a snarl. Those crikking males with Catty must have checked them, because even the two knives he kept in the soles of his boots were gone, a place most people didn’t think to look.

So, they were weaponless, locked in a runner specifically outfitted to transport slaves, and had no way of contacting anyone for an extraction. He’d been in worse situations, but Vee being there changed everything.

He had no way of knowing where they were or how soon they’d arrive and there was no way they’d be able to break out quietly, but their best chances of escaping were while in transit. He just had to hope they were far enough away from their destination that they had a chance to stay free.

After guiding Vee to lean against the side wall, he took up position with the giants at the back. The doors only opened from the outside, but the runner looked old. There was a possibility that, between the three of them, they could ram them open.

Chapter 51

Victoria struggled to stay upright even with the wall to hold her and squinted to focus on her guys.

She didn’t know if it was the drugs, the insulating layer of shock, or the emotional fucking whiplash, but she kept thinking,goddamn that escalated quickly.

The night before she’d felt on top of the world, like all the pieces of her life were finally—finally—clicking into place. She had a job, a purpose, that she was both really damn good at and loved, the almost unbelievable adventure of being on an alien world, even if it was a slave planet, and not only had she worked up the courage to confront the guys, but she found out they liked her the way she liked them, one of the happiest moments in her life.

Now, less than two days later, they were in the back of a filthy transport, headed who the hell knows where to be sold as slaves.

The dichotomy was stunning in its severity.

Was it even the same day? How long had they been unconscious?

Nothing felt real, like this was all some surreal nightmare and any moment she’d wake up in her bed with Snitch curled up in his nest of pillows beside her.

Snitch. A sob caught in her throat. Where was he? She’d already searched every dark corner back there and knew he wasn’t with them. Was he back at the complex? Had Catty sold him to someone else? Was he even alive?

Fear and anger surged through her, speeding her pulse. She held onto it, used it to fight the drugs still trying to drag her back under.

Seeing what the guys were planning, she struggled to her feet, using the wall to brace herself, wanting to be ready the moment they got the doors open. And theywouldget the doors open. They had to.

They had to get free, not just to escape whatever horrific fate awaited them, but to get back to the complex and stop Catty. There was no telling what kind of horrible shit she could get up to without anyone there to stand in her way. Aria was more than likely gone by now. Her mates, Rellik, Thrasin, even Spar and her team were all with her. Victoria had been entrusted with the care and running of the complex while they were gone except, now, she was gone, too.

The resounding boom as the guys crashed into the door was so loud it hurt her ears. Wind rushed in as the doors flew open with such force they banged against the sides of the runner, giving her a glimpse of a night sky and dark, squalid buildings lining the rough, uneven road behind them.

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