Page 48 of Taken By The Alien Warrior Pirate

CYBURN

Ifollowed the shouting voices of Amada and Carmela. It didn’t take me long to find them. They were standing in the hallway near the female communal bathrooms on wing ‘A’ of the ship.

Carmela was scrambling to her feet by the time I swooped in to intervene. Crimson blood poured from her nose. Her eyes were swollen and the sensitive area underneath them was already turning into purplish-black, half-moons.

Carmela scrappily hurried in Amada’s direction, undoubtedly, to seek retaliation on Amada. I intercepted her before she was able to send a blow back to Amada’s face. Not that I would necessarilycareabout Amada’s face, but I cared if Amada tried to punch Carmela again, which, judging by the look of Carmela’sface that was exactly what had happened.

I lunged for Carmela just as she was diving for Amada. Carmela’s fist was raised above her head, ready to come crashing down onto Amada’s jaw.

“Wait, no!” I shouted and grabbed Carmela by the jacket of her utility suit. “Carmela — stop. It’s not worth it.”

I was able to successfully yank her backward. Carmela went propelling into my arms. She was panting hard and scowling at me with seething fury.

I made sure she wasn’t hurt worse before letting her go. It looked like she may end up with some bruising for a while under the eyes, especially since it had already started, but her nose wasn’t twisted or mangled so I thankfully doubted it was broken. She might need some ice, but she looked like she would repair quite nicely.

“Why didn’t you let me have a go at her?” Carmela cried as soon as I released her. “Lookat me.”

“I know,” I said as sympathetically as I could. She was dripping blood everywhere. It splattered down her clothing and onto the floor. “I’m so sorry. I’ll take care of the problem in a less violent way.”

Amada was hastily trying to scamper off, but I was too fast forher, too.

“Go get yourself cleaned up,” I called out over my shoulder to Carmela, pointing to the bathroom which conveniently enough she was already standing outside of it.

Carmela gave me a blank stare as the faucet of blood continued to leak out of her nostrils.

“Carmela!” I shouted again, this time with more urgency to get her to snap out of the stupor that had temporarily laid hold over her brain. “Go!”

Carmela shook her head as if to loosen up the cobwebs inside. “Right.”

She spun on a heel and hustled into the bathroom.

“Not so fast,” I said and grabbed a fist-full of Amada’s hair because it was all I could reach.

Amada wailed in pain.

“You’re not goinganywhere,” I hissed through clenched teeth, yanking Amada toward me.

I swiveled her around and pressed her to my chest so she wouldn’t be able to wiggle free. I had a tight hold on her, but she struggled and grunted against me anyway.

“You’re wasting your energy,” I said, out of breath too as I adamantly tried to hold her in place. “The harder you struggle, the tighter I’ll keep my grip until it hurts us both. I don’t give a shit anymore.”

“Fuck you,” Amada exclaimed. Her eyes were dark and full of hate and evil.

“You will pay for what you’ve done to my lover’s face,” I threatened.

“It was an ugly face anyway,” Amada cried with scorn.

Fat teardrops slowly rolled down her cheeks. The rims of her eyes were red, her eyelashes damp.

“You made your choices,” I told her. “Sometimes choices have consequences. None of this had to end this way, Amada.”

She stopped crying and struggling against me. She stared at me in disbelief and shock. She wiped the streaks of tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand and sniffled, blinking up at me.

“What does that mean, ‘end’?” she asked, her voice on the verge of hysteria.

“You’ll soon find out,” I said.

Fear glazed in Amada’s eyes and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Her entire face was etched in dread. Let her fear me. She deserved it now for all the havoc she had put us through.

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