Retribution (Kall Alien Warriors #3) - Sue Lyndon Page 0,11

warship, the Tammusha, carrying the human female over his shoulder. He had planned to kill her in the courtroom and then immediately depart Earth for planet Kall. His duties on Earth had come to an end and he wished to bring Shessema’s body home for burial.

Yet here he was, bringing the human female called Layla with him.

He told himself he wasn’t showing her mercy. That he truly was going to make her suffer, that he hadn’t just uttered such threats in the courtroom because it was expected.

But when he recalled the sight of Layla kneeling before him, tears streaming down her face, his steps faltered, and he paused on the ramp.

Her tears had affected him. So had the coldness of her fear when it hit his nostrils. His wrist comm started buzzing but he ignored it, figuring Merokk was trying to contact him with more pleas for the human female’s life. He didn’t wish to speak with the ambassador or anyone else right now. He wanted to secure his ship for takeoff and leave this forsaken planet.

He tightened his hold on Layla and marched up the ramp. He hurried to the bridge and issued the command for departure, then watched for a moment as his crew scrambled to obey his orders. Several males shot him strange looks, clearly surprised that he’d brought the human aboard.

Once he was satisfied that the warship would take off soon, he exited the bridge and headed for the brig.

He ignored the guilt that settled on him over leaving the small human female in one of the cold cells. Layla was his prisoner. It was where she belonged.

The corridor narrowed as he reached the brig and the air noticeably cooled. He scanned the ten empty cells and decided to place her in the farthest one, at the very end of the hallway. It was also the largest cell and the only one that contained a separate bathroom, complete with a shower and sink. He called out a verbal command for the door to open and carried her inside. Then he tossed her onto the bed.

She landed with a shriek and struggled in the hood he’d placed over her head. Once she removed it from her body and sat up, an uncomfortable sensation spread through him at the sight of her fear. Her entire form was shaking, and tears coated her face.

Guilty, he told himself. She’s just as guilty as her husband.

But Merokk’s words came back to him, damn the male. The ambassador claimed not only was she innocent, but she was a respectable female too. Coming from Merokk, that was high praise. His wife aside, Merokk didn’t associate with humans or hold a particular fondness for them, and this realization gave Zamek pause as he stared down at Layla.

He walked closer and the coldness of her fear hit him again. He inhaled deep but found no enjoyment in her fear. This angered him because he didn’t understand it.

Shouldn’t he want to torment her and scare her and eventually kill her?

He growled as he reached her.

She curled up in the corner, trying to evade his touch, but he sank down on the bed and grabbed her by the back of her head, twisting his fingers tight in her hair. She gasped and winced, a pained look crossing her face.

“How is it that you speak my tongue?” he asked, giving her a slight shake. “Not many humans speak the common dialect of Kall, yet you can speak the dialect of Sumlin District.”

Her tear-filled dark brown eyes met his. “I-I specialized in Kall language and culture in school,” she said, “and I spent two years on the Kall homeworld. I’m considered a top Kall expert among my people and I used to work closely with the President of the United States.” She swallowed hard and his gaze was drawn to the delicate lines of her throat.

She was so tiny, it wouldn’t take much effort to squeeze the life out of her.

Yet he still hesitated to hurt her.

He loosened his grip on her hair, though he didn’t let her go. He’d never been so close to a human female before, let alone touched one, and he found himself surprised by her softness and her beauty.

Guilt and self-hatred visited him a moment later, because he definitely shouldn’t be assessing her attractiveness.

“I knew exactly what would happen to me when I learned what Michael had done. I’ve read about the Kall Custom of Retribution.” Though still pale with fear, curiosity sparked in