Page 36 of My Big Alien Bodyguard

“Can’t do that. Has to be delivered into his hands only. I’ll get my ass handed to me by my boss if I don’t get this delivered within the hour. See the courier badge?” I tap it. People love badges.

“I see the scales. No Thrakins in the building. Get someone else to make the delivery.”

I put the box down slowly, thinking about lunging forward. I can only hope that Lyric listened and didn’t go into his office until I showed up with my special delivery package. If he gets hold of her…

I hear Lyric shriek. I’d know the sound of her voice anywhere. The sound is faint and tinny, but galvanizing. It must be playing through a security feed somewhere back in their office. Is this what they do? Watch Simon kill defenseless women? Probably.

“Alright,” I say. “What would you like me to tell your families?”

Their eyes narrow.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if you don’t get out of my way, I am going to kill all of you. I’d like to be able to offer some words of comfort to your families after that happens. Is there anybody you’d like to tell you love? A secret that might otherwise die with you? Now is the time to tell.”

They look at one another, trying to decide how frightened they are of me. I take advantage of the moment. My tail lashes out, whipping the guns from the two on the far right. That leaves two weapons to contend with. Both of them are discharged in the next second. One misses me completely, because hitting things at point blank range is hard when adrenaline is suddenly coursing through your body. The other hits, but I barely feel it. It’s just an irrelevant thud.

I go through the guards the same way a weed whacker goes through a stick of butter. Human blood and Thrakin protective goo coats my scales as I rampage up the building. Most people have the sense to get out of the way of a fire-breathing alienmoving up floor by floor, going through every single guard and door in gluts of flame.

The authorities have been alerted, I am sure of that. The building will be invaded behind me with all manner of law enforcement in a matter of minutes and humans will expect me to face justice. I don’t care. I only care about Lyric and getting to her before Simon kills her.

When I get to his office, the doors are wide open, the interior side splashed with blood. The secretary is cowering beneath her table, and Simon and Lyric are in his office.

He has her by the throat and is slashing at her with his other paw, his claws making rough passes across her clothing. She tried to dress like a businesswoman, but the cotton layers are nothing against the incredible sharpness of those claws.

“SCOWL!”

I thunder his name in a voice that promises the end of all things.

He turns toward me, and I see that his mane is flecked with blood. Lyric is still alive. I can tell that from the gasping, rattling breaths she is taking. But she is wounded. Badly. I have failed in my most fundamental duty. I have not kept her safe. But I can yet save her life.

“Stay away from me,” Simon says. “If you take one step closer, if you breathe so much as a curl of smoke, I will snap her worthless neck.”

“I’m not here for her,” I lie.

“Then why are you here?”

“I am here for my family’s land. I am here to have the deeds returned. I am done with you, Simon. I have given you more than we agreed.”

Simon smirks and drops Lyric. It takes everything I have not to run to her in an instant, but I need him further away from her before I turn him into a leonine barbecue.

“You’re right,” he says. “I have. And I suppose, aside from fucking the worthless little wretch, you served me well enough. Very well. I will sign your lands back to you this moment, but then you will turn around and you will leave me to my prey. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Lyric’s eyes plead to me from the floor while Simon goes to the safe behind his desk and begins to rifle through his papers. Her words about ensuring I get the deed ring in my ears, even though this feels so completely wrong. I had to get him away from her one way or another, and this ruse works as well as anything, but every moment she lies bleeding on the floor is another moment I am in the most complete agony not being able to tend to her.

It seems to take forever for Simon to shuffle through and find what he is looking for. He has deeds and titles to many lands, worlds, and souls. He owns so much more than he has any real interest in owning. What I am asking for is nothing to him, and he gives it to me with a grinning smile, the papers that have kept my family in servitude in their very homeland. He hands them to me with a complete casualness, as if he were handing me a flyer. These are the documents that will free everybody I have ever loved.

“You have what you want, and I am sure you know the police are on their way. Go now. Take the roof. There’s a hovercar up there. Take it to the space port and go back to your home world. You’ll never hear from me again. You’re free. Leave me now, to finish what I started months ago.”

Simon has always known me as a person of honor. I have served him for many years. I have allowed him to exploit many starlets without question, and that is why he does not see what happens next coming. He does not know how important Lyric is. He does not understand her significance to me.

I tuck the deed into the back of my pants, and I unleash a torrent of flame at Simon Scowl, burning his mane from his face instantly. His scream is entirely satisfying, and it is only the first of oh so many screams I intend to draw from him.

Lyric

Zayne begins to break Simon. Bit by bit, he takes vengeance for me, for myself, for my wounds, for his family. It is a terrible, vicious, gruesome, animal sight. And it is justice. I am in so much pain, and I am so scared. I do not know what will happen next. I do not know that I will survive my wounds. But I do know that justice will be done, and that Zayne will do it for me.

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