Page 25 of Her Lawless Prince

Yevgen closed the child inside. The sound of fists could be heard banging from within.

Nyle turned on Yevgen. He lifted his blaster as if he wanted nothing more than to shoot the cyborg. “You could have told us the person roaming the corridors was a child!”

Yevgen tilted his head and frowned. “You did not ask for biological information.”

Nyle stared down at Payton. “This is my point exactly. He’s a machine. Any reasonable being would know that detail was important enough to share. What if you hadn’t stopped your attack?”

Payton grunted softly at the thought. She would never have clawed a child, but Nyle had a point. Yevgen should have told them.

“Who is he? I’m asking now,” Nyle said.

“Captain Rita’s son. His father is listed as unknown, but there have been secret communications about him with a Federation general. A wife is not supposed to know about the boy, which is the only reason Rita is given certain jobs. I did not have time to find out more.”

“We’re now holding a general’s son hostage? Wonderful,” Nyle drawled in anger. “This is why we need to think before we act.

“Cockpit is this way.” Yevgen turned around and walked down the corridor.

Nyle lowered his weapon. Payton stared at Nyle a moment longer before moving to follow the cyborg.

“There aren’t pregnant women or babies hanging in the cockpit, are there?” Nyle grumbled as he followed her.

“No.” Yevgen’s tone was matter of fact. “Biographical data indicates there are two males and a female. Humanoid. Adult. Medical logs reveal one of the males is polydactyly and a eunuch.”

“That’s incredibly helpful.” Nyle shook his head. “Good to know we’re dealing with an extra toe.”

“I know,” Yevgen stated. “You’re welcome.”

“I should have yanked his wires when I had the chance,” Nyle muttered. “Blasted piece of broken-down space debris.”

Payton wasn’t sure if Nyle understood that cyborgs and shifters could easily hear his grumblings.

Payton heard muffled voices coming from the direction of the cockpit. She quickened her pace, ready to unleash her mounting energy and fight someone.

“You’re sure someone was trying to hack into the bio controls?” Rita’s muffled voice came through the door.

Payton’s claws fully extended. Captain Rita was a worthy target of her anger.

“Fuse, check the payload,” the captain continued. “Cage the princess and get her ready for Torgan’s sale. Eject the scientist. If he’s trying to bypass ship controls with Thane and Sandon breathing down his neck, he’s too smart for his own good. This job is too big to mess around. We can replace him once we land.”

Hearing the threat against Nyle, rage clouded Payton’s reasoning. A door slid open, and she began to run. As a figure stepped out of the cockpit, she pounced.

She smelled Fuse before she focused on his face. The scent of his sweat was as good as a brand. Her claws dug into his chest as her paws shoved him back. She growled, wanting nothing more than to tear them all apart. The sound of Nyle’s feet running behind her stopped the instinct. For some reason, she cared what he thought, and he did not wish to kill everyone on board. If she were thinking clearly, that is what she would want too.

But they’d planned to eject him from the ship. Not just threaten to do it to keep them in line. Rita had given an order.

Fuse slammed his fist into the side of her head, knocking her off his body. “I’ll make you sorry, you little—”

“Stop her!” Rita yelled.

Payton felt heat graze her back but ignored it. In battle, she let the cat take over. The animal acted on pure instinct.

“Watch your aim. Stun her. Don’t kill her,” Rita ordered.

“You will not touch my wife,” Yevgen cried. He started to charge, but Nyle shoved the cyborg aside before he could enter the cockpit as a blast ricocheted off the doorframe.

Nyle grunted in pain but kept coming forward. Payton saw the blur of his movements as she resumed her attack on Fuse. Rita charged Nyle, swinging her fists.

A third man held a blaster, erratically aiming back and forth between Payton and Nyle, as if trying to decide which should be his target.

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