Page 22 of Saving the Space Pirate

He cupped my cheek and leaned down, kissed me on the forehead. “You’re a hero, Ruby Robbins.”

My eyes pricked, but I blinked away the tears. They wouldn’t help, and I was pretty sure Zak would not be able to physically abandon a weeping woman, so I had to look strong. “Go. And look after Kill.”

He stepped back and scooped up Kill’s unconscious body, tossing him over his shoulder. I stroked the hair out of Killian’s face and touched my lips to his. “I love you,” I murmured.

“Ruby—”

“Go,” I interrupted Zak before he could talk himself out of this.

He nodded once, and then he was off at a run. And my heart cracked, because I was in love and I knew I’d never see them again.

I could hear the shuffle of feet, and I peered around the corner, letting off a burst of laser shots into the mass. They dived for cover, and I leaped back and pressed myself up against the wall. Zak was out of sight; he’d only need five minutes to get out of the palace and then he could lose himself in the maze of the city.

Five minutes. Surely I could give them that.

Would it hurt?

They were on the move again. Time for some action.

My hands were shaking as I stepped out and pressed my finger to the trigger. My eyes were clamped closed, and I forced them open. The soldiers were clearly unsure how many of us there were. But now they were returning fire. A shot blasted the wall beside me and I ducked back.

This was it. Hopefully it would be quick.

I stepped out again, stood legs apart and shot a continuous blast.

Pain fired through my arm as a blast caught me, and my pistol dropped from my useless fingers. I stood unarmed, staring straight ahead as a shot hit me in the chest. I felt burning pain and then everything went black. Dying wasn’t so bad after all.

Something poked me in the side.

What was with that?

I slowly opened my eyes and groaned. Every bit of me hurt. A pair of boots stood close to my nose and I followed them up.

Oh shit.

It was Zak’s sister, the one who had tried to kill him. The lesbian princess from hell who’d purchased me in the slave market and…best not go there. Bad memories.

“I’m not dead?” Pretty stupid thing to say, but in my own defense, my brain wasn’t really functioning any better than the rest of me.

“You didn’t expect it to be that easy, did you? You were stunned, that’s all. Now where the hell is my brother?”

“Long gone.”

I hope.

She turned to the guards behind her. “Find him. Scour the goddamn city, but find that bastard.” She stepped closer, leaned in toward me, and breathed deeply. “You fucked him, you little bitch.” She straightened. “Take her to the courtyard. We’ll execute her in the morning in my brother’s place.” She stared at me, her upper lip curling. “You die at dawn. And don’t expect it to be quick.”

What a bitch.

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