Page 36 of Igid's Bounty
Kurrahstka bellows, bending over to cup his ugly face. Before I can drive my knee into him to finish him off, a set of hands take hold of me from behind, wrenching my arms back and pinning my wrists at the small of my back.
“What is this?” I shout, struggling to get free. “Let me go!”
Dropping his hands from his bloodied face, Kurrahstka slams the side of his fist against the wall, and a hidden door slides open.
Oh no.Oh, shit!
My struggles are futile against the brute who has my arms pinned. Despite my thrashing, I can’t stop him from pushing me toward the dark hallway that Kurrahstka opened up. It’s like my limbs aren’t listening to me the way I’ve trained them to. My strength is still exhausted from my heat.
“You can’t do this!” I shout. I’m using every trick I’ve learned over the years to break free, but none of them are working. What the fuck kind of creatures does Kurrahstka employ? “I won’t be one of your girls! If you try to give me to a male, I’ll kill him.”
Kurrahstka turns around, bringing me to a full stop. His mouth and chin are slick with the black blood flowing from his nose, and his black eyes have a red sheen over them.
“I would never do something so underhanded to a customer as to unleash the likes ofyouon them,” he chokes out. Then his lips curl up into a predatory grin. “That’s not what I have in mind for you.”
My mouth snaps shut, and I glare daggers into his ugly face.
Snapping his fingers, Kurrahstka turns back around, and I’m forced through a maze of darkened hallways. My stomach clenches at the mess I’ve gotten myself into. Thoughts of Brox fill my mind and how I left him stranded on a deserted station at the edge of space.
Good move there, Igid.
I’m roughly pulled to a stop, and Kurrahstka taps a door open.
“I’ll be back to talk with you soon,” he says just before the creature at my back shoves me into the room.
As soon as I get my feet under me, I spin around with a growl and rush back to the open door and Kurrahstka’s smug, grinning face.
My fingers drop to my thigh, and I twirl one of my blades free. Gripping it overhand, I bring my arm back with every intention of sinking the sharp blade into his fat head, only to have the door slide closed just before I can reach him. Instead I sink the blade deep into the metal door.
Kurving great.
It takes gripping the handle with both hands, and my foot braced for leverage, in order to free it from the door.
“Blunted it,” I pout, running my thumb along the dulled blade of my favorite knife.
Pushing it back into its place against my thigh, I start to pace the small room. There is a bench against the back wall, a small toilet in the corner, and nothing else.
Dropping down onto the bench, I turn so I can lie across it, propping my feet on the wall opposite me.
Well, this is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into.
What am I going to do now? The thought of just sitting here and waiting for Kurrahstka to come back to question me has me gnashing my teeth, but there is no help for it. I’m trapped.
Closing my eyes, I dig my palms into my eye sockets until I see stars flash behind my lids. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at someone else's mercy. I’d almost forgotten the way it felt, like a band wrapped tight and strangling my heart.
Add to that the guilt at leaving Brox and then getting myself caught.
I squeeze my eyes shut, but a tear still slides past to roll down the side of my face.
CHAPTER 21
BROX
* * *
The hangar is just as empty as the rest of this fucking station.
I’d hoped to find some machinery left behind. Maybe something with a working comm, but there is nothing. The entire place has been wiped clean. Even the floor looks swept.
