Page 54 of Vicious
Poh jumped down the few steps toward him and aimed her gun right at his dick. “To Ring Guild Station 144.Now.”
I locked my gaze on the bottom of the window screen behind him. Half of one side of theVicioushung there, so close and at the same time a million miles away. My gut clamped in on itself as I stared, wishing I could see into its depths and know what was happeningthere.
“But—” the pilotstarted.
“You board our ship. We board yours,” Poh said and clicked her safety off. “Now do what I told you, or I’ll shoot your precious off. Weclear?”
He glanced at me and shook his head. “You’re crazy. I can’t just leave mycaptain.”
We had no time for this kind of nonsense. I pulled one ice pick off the necklace and lunged, scraping it up under his jaw hard enough to draw a thin line of blood. My face reflected in his lit eyes, murderous and horrifying even tome.
“I’m in no mood for whining or loyalty to someone like Parker,” I snarled. “You need to think critically about your next step here. There’s a gun pointed at your dick, and I chop things up in my spare time for the hell of it. It’s a lose-lose, unless you get us out of here right.Now.”
The guy's hands flew into the air. “Okay! Okay. I'll take you where you want to go, just...point that thing somewhere else.” His gaze wobbled to Poh’s gun. “And that thing, too. All the things.Please.”
We dropped our weapons to our side and stepped away, though we watched him as warily as he didus.
His hands flashed over buttons and levers, and the ship's engines rumbled with just a slight purr. Out the window screen, we separated from theVicious, slinking away from my ship family I hoped I would see again, alive,whole, verysoon.
“Step on it, hoss,” Poh warned. She stood behind his pilot’s seat, her gun casually aimed at the back of his head, as she tapped her feet to a beat I couldn'thear.
I was glad someone was having a good time. She appeared to be totally in her element kidnapping a ship and itspilot.
Too wired to sit, I searched the stars to ease my fears. Hunger gnawed at my belly, a ferocious bite that hurt so much it made my head spin. But I didn’t care. I wouldn’t care until I was aboard theViciousagain, until I knew that everyone was safe, until they could eat again,too.
“What’s your name, pilot?” Pohbarked.
After several seconds, he muttered, “It’sCrispin.”
“Crispy, is your foot pressed to the go pedal as hard as it’s able?” sheasked.
“It’s Crispin, and yes, itis.”
“A bullet to the back of your head says it’s not.” She cocked her gun again and squinted at her target. “Crispy.”
He ducked low in his seat, pressed more buttons so more of them blinked, and an almost imperceptible rumble shifted under myfeet.
Seeming satisfied, Poh flicked her yellow gaze to me. “You’retilting.”
“What?”
“You look like you’re about to pass out. Sit. I’ll find you some food andwater.”
I shook my head. “I’mfine.”
“Then the food and water isn’t foryou.” She pointed a meaningful look at my midsection. “Sit. I’ll be rightback.”
“Uh, hey,” Crispin said, throwing her a cautious glance. “You mind gettingme—?”
“Yes,” she barked and marched up the stairs past me toward thedoor.
As soon as she was gone, Crispin turned until he spotted me in his She-filled gaze. “Um, can I know why we’re going to Ring Guild Space Station144?”
I sank down to the first step, feeling like I was folding in on myself from the crushing weight on my shoulders. “Just trying to save humanity, isall.”
He nodded as if that explained everything. “Did the Ringers not let you back through the ringsor…?”
“No.” A sudden thought leaped into my head, one that swamped me with guilt for even thinking it. I could never leave myViciousfamily totally behind. Still, my curiosity burned. “Would they let this ship through, do youthink?”
