Page 10 of Venomous Lust
“But I can promise you this: I personally assure you that you will be on the next shuttle to Earth. I will send the instructions to Representative Jonah myself.”
He doesn’t understand. If I go to Aveyn, Bobbie will make sure I never get out alive.
Hazel opened her mouth to answer, to tell Khal about Bobbie and his abuse, but a loud, screeching beep from the control panel cut her off. Then the largest screen, taking up most of the wall, blazed to life. The image of a small shuttle approaching at high speed replaced the dead blank and Hazel stared.
As if on cue, Commander Khal turned away from her. Behind him, the image of the small shuttle grew until it had disappeared somewhere beyond the field of the camera. The high-pitched beeping sounds of an automatic docking approach filled the room, then quieted.
“Stay here,” Commander Khal told her, not even sparing her a glance as he moved for the door.
She had lost him.
Panic filled her at the idea that this was it. This was the ship that was going to send her back to Aveyn—and to Bobbie. Her fear pushed her on, and Hazel stepped right in Khal’s footsteps, resolved not to let him send her back. She hadn’t escaped Aveyn to be ordered around like a puppet.
“Who’s joining us?”
Commander Khal stopped, then turned to her. There was a savagery to him, a kind of primal violence that made her want to cower and beg. Terror slithered under her skin, but Hazel kept her chin high and her face blank. At least, she hoped that was what she was doing.
“The identity of whoever is about to board this ship does not concern you.” Commander Khal articulated his words slowly, as if speaking to her bored him to death. Or annoyed him to no end. “Now, stay in the control room before I shackle you to a chair like I should have done as soon as I found you.”
Those too-blue eyes narrowed and his full-lipped mouth curved down. There wasn’t a trace of mercy, not an inch of kindness in that hard face, from the sharp planes of his cheekbones to the way his neck tightened with anticipation.
Hazel’s own temper flared, bright and hot. Reckless.
“Well, I’m here whether you like it or not, so it does concern me.” She lifted her chin and her heart was racing a crazy beat but she pasted a perky smile on her lips. His eyes reduced to narrow slits as she held his gaze. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Is that a threat, Little Mouse?” His tone was dangerous and low, his gaze unwavering. “Because there’s no way I can see this ending well for you.”
Hazel swallowed, because he was right. She was all kinds of screwed. Screwed literally to the end of the universe.
So, what did she have to fear from a powerful, tall and very angry alien? Well, a lot. But not enough to shut her mouth.
“Listen, I know you don’t want me on this ship. I didn’t want to be here, either.” She did her best to use her don’t-fool-with-me tone, but she heard the tremors in her voice anyway. “But I’m not going back to Aveyn, no matter what you say. Send me to Earth now, or let me stay.”
His too-blue eyes remained on her for long seconds that stretched into what felt like a lifetime. Then he moved, fast—faster than any person his size should be able to move. She barely had time to scream before he was upon her. His powerful, muscular arms closed around her upper body and she found herself dangling over a broad, large shoulder, her ass up in the air, facing the spectacular back of an Eok warrior.
“Put me down!” Hazel screamed, her fists pounding the huge expanse of Khal’s back with little effect. “What are you doing?”
“I’m doing what I should have done the second I saw you,” he answered, jolting her over his shoulder for good measure as she began pummeling the lower part of his back.
Khal walked through the Myrador, following a hallway here, taking a turn there. Finally, he flipped her over and she landed on her feet. A quick glance around told her everything she needed to know. She was back in the cargo hold, the series of containers spread out in front of her. Behind her, a small cell, six feet by six feet, stood with its door open, metal bars running from floor to ceiling. Before she could react, Khal took her by the shoulders and forced her back, then stepped out and the door closed in her face.
Hazel lurched forward, slamming her palms against the metal bars as hard as she could. They didn’t even rattle. Pain erupted in her hands, but she didn’t care. Fear and anger were mixing up in her belly, creating a noxious vortex of feelings.
“What are you doing?” She almost choked on her words as she realized what had just happened.
“I’m making sure you don’t cause any more problem than you already have.” That calm voice was totally devoid of feeling, but Hazel thought she saw a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. A flicker of satisfaction that immediately set her temper aflame, making her angry enough to tamp down the fear to nothing.
“You can’t do this!” she shouted as he backed away with a smug grin. A satisfied, sexy as hell grin that she would have loved nothing more than to slap away. “You can’t just lock me up!”
“Watch me,” Khal answered before turning.
Hazel spewed profanities at him as he walked away, not turning back once. Even after he was long gone, she kept screaming her insults.
She finally quieted, then turned around. There was no escape in sight; no reason for Khal not to send her back where she came from. That big blue chunk of ice wasn’t even allowing her to stay on the top floor.
I’m really screwed now.
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