Page 17 of Rescued By the Convicts
More groans and grunts filled the cramped passageway as Tevok’s men slid glances between Reece and Ivan before finally deciding it wasn’t worth fighting. Reece grinned, his way of telling Tevok to fuck off.
“This is your last warning, Crusher. Take the garbage with you.”
Another groan, slight but clear, came from the bag. As Reece unknotted the top, rotting meat spilled out. . . along with a hand covered in sludge. The hand moved. Ivan sliced down the side of the bag with his knife.
“You’ve got a woman!” Tevok said as Melina’s body spilled out of the bag.
She was naked and covered in filth. Reece cleared the muck from her face. She was breathing, but hadn’t opened her eyes.
“They’ve got a woman—” Tevok shouted at the top of his lungs.
Ivan knocked the man unconscious, but it was too late, the damage was done. Murmurs of a woman being in the mine emanated from further down the tunnel.
“Get her out of here!” Ivan said as he shoved what was left of the bag over her torso, trying to hide her form as Reece hoisted her onto his shoulder.
A man attacked Ivan from behind, but the soldier spun and swung, driving the man back. Two additional men ran toward them.
“Go!” Ivan yelled.
Reece gripped the backs of Melina’s thighs and pumped his legs as hard as he could. He wasn’t built for speed, but once he started running, it would be hard for the men to take him down.
Melina’s torso bounced against his back, with her braid and arms banging against his legs as he charged through the tunnel. The bag slipped off, but he had to keep going. Behind him, men shouted to stop him when they realized who he was carrying.
Yelps and curses filled the tunnel as he knocked over everyone in his path. The more men who went down, the less there’d be chasing him to get to her.
Reece cleared the mine entrance and kept running. He hoped Ivan would make it out alive. Once the miners realized what they’d lost, because of Ivan, they’d take their anger out on him.
* * *
MELINA
Violent bouncing woke Melina.Then an awful smell struck her nose, turning her stomach. Just as she lifted her head to see what was happening, she threw up. The vomit hit the ground and the boot of whoever was carrying her.
The cold struck with a vengeance. She was still naked, but outside.
Liden. Thorne’s personal guard.
“Put me down,” she tried yelling, but the words were faint. She could barely hear them amidst the crunching of the man’s boots in the snow and ice.
“Please!” she begged, but the man continued running at a fast clip. Despite being empty, her stomach continued to twist and turn.
When the man slowed, everything turned dark. The wind no longer bit into her and slowly the air grew warmer. They were in a cave. Had he taken her to throw her down a pit, so her guys would never find her?
With clenched fists, Melina pounded against his back, but another wave of nausea drained of all of her strength. The bastard would bounce her to death before he reached his destination.
“Please. . . .”
He didn’t answer her. She expected too much from the men on this planet, even the guards who were often worse than the prisoners.
Without warning, Liden dumped her into a pool of water. Warm water lulled her senses as she sank lower and lower. Despite the air squeezing from her lungs, her arms and legs failed to listen to her commands. Her body was no longer hers. Had Liden drugged her again? She couldn’t die here like this. She had to fight, but nothing would move.
Meaty hands grabbed her under her arms and pulled her above the surface. That’s when she heard the terrible wail, like an animal being slaughtered.
If only her eyes would open, she could see why Liden had pulled her up instead of letting her drown. His hands moved over her head and face, smoothing back hair and gliding over her lips and throat. She cried at his intimate touches, at her inability to stop him. She just wanted to see Ivan, Jayce, Reece, and Zev one last time before Liden killed her.
Her body was pressed against a smooth wall as the water lapped around her waist. She’d lived this scenario too many times. The terror of being taken against her will, but she’d always known she’d survive. That’s what she had to focus on now… surviving and returning to her men.
Those hands returned to her face, cupping her cheek a second before warm lips pressed against hers. She felt the wail this time as a new wetness fell on her cheeks. Those lips that held her so carefully, so full of tenderness felt familiar, like home. A forehead touched hers, sending tiny vibrations against her as short breaths struck her face. Those hands never left her, but held her now, gently, as if she might break.
