Page 23 of Her Lawless Prince

Payton clearly wasn’t afraid of a fight, but he was afraidforher. In hand-to-hand combat, she could claw her way to victory. But against a pistol? Even the toughest aliens went down when shot. Their captors hadn’t given any indication they cared if Payton survived this trip.

Yevgen’s eyes flashed red, then blue. “There are thirteen crew members on this ship. Two incapacitated.”

Nyle studied Thane and Sandon, watching to see if they were starting to wake up.

“Three in the cockpit,” Yevgen continued. “Four in a sleep cycle. One in the corridors. Three in the mess hall.”

“That’s doable,” Payton stated. “I can handle eleven.”

“Would you like me to alter their breathing environments?” Yevgen asked. “There are tamper locks in place, but I can expel the oxygen completely.”

“We’re not murdering an entire crew,” Nyle stated. “And I quite enjoy being able to breathe. I vote we keep the oxygen where it is.”

“Is it murder if we’re in battle?” Yevgen asked Payton.

“Honor dictates that we must spare a life if it’s in our ability to do so,” Payton said.

“Everyone made their choices,” Yevgen countered. “They chose to kidnap us.”

Payton considered his words. “Some people are driven to difficult choices by—”

“Can we not have a philosophical debate right now?” Nyle interjected. They both looked at him like he was overreacting. “You realize we’re not exactly on a leisurely space cruise, and those aren’t the spa directors napping on the floor.”

“He’s downloading how to fly the ship,” Payton said. “We’re just making conversation.”

“I’ll lock the sleepers in their quarters,” Yevgen stated.

Payton nodded. “Lock the mess hall too. Shut off their communicators so they can’t alert the others. That’ll leave the cockpit and the corridor. Can you fly the ship?”

“Yes, my wife.” Yevgen nodded. “Flying is easy.”

Another pang of jealousy filled Nyle. He envied their closeness.

No, envy wasn’t a strong enough word for what he felt.

He resented a freaking cyborg. A machine. A tool he’d helped to build.

Nyle found himself staring at Payton’s mouth, remembering her standing next to him, those beautiful eyes of hers inviting him closer. He wanted her to look at him, but she stayed focused on Yevgen.

“Know that if I do not make it, my love for you will never die,” Yevgen stated.

Bloody space balls.

Nyle grunted and lifted his blaster as he moved toward the door. “Are we escaping or what?”

Thane groaned.

Payton shot, blasting the side of the guard’s leg to stun him. Thane fell unconscious once more.

“Take this.” Payton handed the blaster to Yevgen. “And grab my clothes.”

Nyle automatically averted his gaze as Payton pulled off her shirt. He noticed Yevgen openly watched her disrobe. He stared at the cyborg, willing the machine to look away.

A soft tapping noise and light growl turned his attention downward. Payton had completely shifted and waited on all fours. In many ways, it was hard to imagine this fierce creature coming out of the beautiful princess.

When Nyle turned his attention back to Yevgen, the cyborg frowned at him.

“She is my wife,” Yevgen stated as if claiming possession.

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