Page 66 of Venomous Heart
The man gestured with his chin to someone to his left, and a limping figure stepped forward, carrying what looked like metal shackles with four clamps linked by a heavy chain. In a flash, Ava recognized Will Harl, the man whose leg she had saved.
“Will Harl!” She couldn’t help herself, nor could she help the outrage in her voice. “What are you doing here? Why are you with them?”
“I’m making sure we never have to answer to any alien, ever again.”
Will limped all the way over to Arlen, then motioned roughly for him to present his wrists. Soon, Arlen was shackled at both wrists and ankles, his eyes glittering with a feral wrath, but he didn’t struggle.
“You are making a mistake.” Arlen’s voice was neutral, but there was a world of reprisal in his eyes. “Knut is manipulating you. He’s the one who kept you enslaved all this time. Humans have a chance to prove to the entire Ring that you are worthy of liberty. And you’re jeopardizing that for… what? Money? Weapons? No matter what he promised you, Knut won’t keep his word. You’re nothing but profit to him.”
“Shut up.” Will Harl swung the butt of his gun hard into Arlen’s stomach; the sound of connecting flesh and metal echoing sickeningly within the confines of the Vault, but Arlen simply doubled over. His face didn’t betray any pain, any fear. He simply stared at Will Harl with a promise of death.
Fear spread in Will Harl’s faded blue eyes, then his mouth contorted within his dirty blond beard. Hatred showed underneath the fear, and he lifted the butt of his gun to strike at Arlen again.
“Will!” The leader stepped forward. “He has Allurium shackles on. He can’t do anything. Why would you strike him?”
“Knut wants him alive, Ben,” Will Harl almost whispered. “But he never said he had to be intact.”
“I said no.” Ben spoke with authority and his ionic gun strayed toward Will Harl. “Now, step away from the prisoner. We’re not going to torture a creature who is already defeated. This is what was done to us, not what we’ll do to them.”
Will Harl stared at Arlen with almost palpable hatred before turning away, moving to Ava and grabbing her roughly by the arm.
“What about this one?” Hard fingers dug into her flesh, intentionally painful. “Did Knut say anything about her?”
“The doctor won’t be harmed, either.” Ben slid cold, unfeeling eyes to her. “I need her.”
“This abomination was made to serve as a fuck toy.” Will Harl held her closer, the perversion in his eyes as plain as the stench on his breath. “I say we use her until she begs us to kill her.”
The ionic gun in Ben’s arm rose and he took a step forward. Will Harl stared with wide eyes as the other men looked at him, the deadly weapon aimed straight at his face.
“We’re not monsters. The doctor saved your leg, didn’t she? I’d say that earns her some respect.” Ben didn’t take his aim away from Will Harl’s head. “Now take your fucking hands off her.”
Ben turned his cold stare directly toward her. “You won’t run, will you, Doctor Ava?”
Ava shook her head, holding Ben’s stare as Arlen hissed behind her, fury emanating from his skin like an aura.
She knew when she was beaten.
And that she would have to kill one of them before this day was over.
“Where is Arlen?”Ava stood in a small room which contained nothing but a functional metal desk and a large screen showing a map of Aveyn.
“Don’t worry about your Eok friend.” Ben moved around her, then sat behind the desk, his blue eyes set on her with calm calculation. “Worry about yourself, and worry about me.”
He motioned for the men behind her to leave, and one by one, the rebels left the room, leaving her alone with him.
“He’s not my friend,” Ava stated simply, taking a seat in front of him without waiting for an invitation. As she sat, Ben’s eyes reduced to slits and his stare turned cold. “He is my mate.”
Ben’s eyebrows lifted and for a second, surprise flashed in his eyes, then it was gone and he was calm and collected again.
“An Eok mating with a human hybrid female.” He smiled, but there was nothing warm about it. “I must admit, I didn’t see that coming. Well, don’t worry about your mate. I won’t harm him.”
“But you can’t say the same for your men.”
How could her voice be so steady when all she wanted was to run to Arlen and hide in his arms? Her eyes strayed to the glass container that lay on the floor near the desk. The Exo-heart was still in there, intact.
“I can vouch for them.” Ben gestured with his hands. “Mostly.”
Yes, I saw that. If they’re all like Will Harl, then you can’t vouch for shit.
