Page 71 of Rescued By the Convicts
“Little bird, you need to be safe. Ineedyou to be safe. Please, don’t do this,” Ivan pleaded with a gentle voice, showing his softer side, something he rarely did around others. The leader was desperate right now, desperate to keep her safe.
Her heart sped up at the love in his voice, at the expression on his face. Her handsome soldier would gladly sacrifice himself for her and any of the men in his unit.
Melina tried to ignore the pilot’s presence as she lowered her voice for Ivan. Her words were meant for him, not Namir and his guards. “The moment I arrived on Veenith, I thought I was free of Namir. Free of the pain and humiliation. Thefear.” A strangled laugh escaped her. “I traded one set of fears for another, but I found decency on Veenith too. Starting with Reece, and then you and Jayce. Even if we had a rough start, I realized what it truly meant to love, to be loved. A part of me always knew being with you and the others wouldn’t last, that Namir would never let me go, but I’m not the same person I was three months ago, Ivan. I’m stronger now, because of you. I’m prepared to return to Namir, but I’m not prepared to watch you die. I. . . I need to know you’re still alive, free. I need that more than I need my freedom. I hope you’ll understand that in time.”
“Melina—”
“I love you, Ivan. Please don’t hate me.”
“Never,” Ivan said as he leaned toward her with his body. When the pilot yanked him away from her, Ivan snapped his head back, narrowly missing the pilot’s nose.
“Do that again, and I’ll shoot you right here,” the pilot threatened, digging the blaster into Ivan’s side.
“Unlock his cuffs,” she demanded of the pilot as she stepped from the ship.
“Once we’re on board, I’ll unlock his cuffs, so keep walking, woman.”
Her hand grazed Ivan’s arm as the pilot pushed him past her. As the two disappeared into the ship, Namir’s guards surrounded Melina. Eight sets of eyes glared at her. These were the guards Namir had likely punished when she’d escaped. They would get their revenge, if Namir didn’t kill her first.
The ring of guards separated as Namir stepped through. That self-righteous smile irritated her more than she’d realized. Fear twisted her stomach but stayed contained. Ivan, Jayce, and Reece were aboard the ship. Even if the pilot had a blaster, it wouldn’t take Ivan long to disarm him. Her men would be free. Namir could do nothing to her that would truly hurt her now, even if he killed her.
“Why the fuck are you smiling?” Namir asked as he gripped her chin.
“It’s nice to win finally,” she said, not caring that her smile grew larger, or how his eyes flared at the sight.
His hand moved down her throat to the necklace which he ripped off in one violent motion. As soon as he flung the stone away, he forced his lips on her.
She was no longer his, and she’d fight him as long as she could move. Melina bit down on his lip and drew blood.
“You venuvian bitch!” Namir screamed as he struck her once, then again, and again until finally he shoved her to the ground and kicked her ribs. No matter how she tried to protect her face and head, his kicks got through. Pain flared through her body, but she never cried out. She refused to give him that satisfaction, even as blackness filled the edges of her vision.
Breathing heavily and with curses still flying from his lips, Namir finally stopped beating her. Blood filled her mouth from a split lip and cheek, while her right eye swelled, but it was her ribs and arm that sent shooting pain through her.
With bloody, shaking hands, Melina reached into her pocket for the tube of nanites. She dipped her finger into the tube and withdrew two tiny nanites.
“Nanites?” Namir squatted in front of her. “You think I’ll allow you to heal yourself after you bit my lip?” he mocked as she balanced the precious lifesavers on her fingertip. “You will know nothing but pain, my dirty kuvak, for months and months to come.”
He bent back her finger with the nanites until her bone snapped and the nanites fell into his palm.
This time she cried out in pain, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Please, Namir,” she begged between coughs. Breathing had become harder after so many kicks to her ribs. “I need those.”
“As do I, kuvak. You cut my lip.” He pressed the two nanites against the open wound. The nanites disappeared into his bloodstream and seconds later the cut sealed itself. “Ah, much better.”
“Yes,” Melina said, smiling despite the pain of her fractured cheekbone.
Namir stared at her a moment longer than he normally would as he pondered her words and why she wasn’t cowering in fear from him despite the beating he’d given her.
“I’m not afraid anymore, Namir. You sent me to a prison planet where I found four men who showed me what it means to love. They’ve given me the strength to do what I needed to do in this life. Including stopping you.”
“What do you mean stopping—”
She watched as his face contorted in pain.
“What did you do to me, you bitch?”
“The nanites, you bastard. I mixed them in a solution that scrambles their coding, making them attack the very blood and tissue they’re supposed to heal.”
“I’ll kill you!” he said as he punched her again and again.
