Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,16

the next.” I shot him and watched as he disintegrated into a million fireflies. I might not be good with a sword, but they didn’t call me Deadeye for nothing.

A naked Yagga crawled towards me with a laser pistol in one hand. His three hairy penises dangled between his legs. “C’mer me pretty. You smell like a virgin.”

I kicked the pistol out of his hand. “Sic’em Pepe.”

In the blink of an eye, Pepe had latched onto his penises. Grrr. Grrr. Grrr.

The Yagga shrieked blue bloody murder as he tried to pull Pepe off his man parts.

Grrr. Grrr. Grrr. Chomp.

The Yagga let out a high-pitched squeal.

“You’re such a good…” A Rodan seized my cloak and dragged me out from under the table. “Hey! Let go! Having trouble… Breathing here.” I fumbled with the clasp.

Loki beheaded the Rodan.

Hot yellowish blood splattered my face. Ugh. That was just nasty. I wiped the icky stuff off.

A Yagga charged me like a rutting bull. I danced out of the way and threw my cloak over his head. “No, means no.” As he struggled to free himself, I snatched a bottle off the table and whacked him with it. A jubilant smile curved my mouth when he crumpled to the floor.

Loki dodged a flying table. “Jia! Stay behind me.” A chair whooshed by his head.

Not a good idea. Too many flying objects. I backed away.

A savage joy on his face, Ivan hacked his way through the remaining Rodan warriors.

I had to admit the brothers were good fighters.

Halvor the Betrayer erupted to his feet and backhanded me, knocking me over a table. The room spun around me. Not only were those funny little black spots back, but it felt like he had broken my jaw.

Energy suddenly poured into me and Trayon’s growly voice commanded, “Get up. You will not die today.”

The pain in my jaw vanished and I could see again. “I wasn’t planning on dying, but Halvor the Betrayer isn’t long for this world.”

“He will not live to see the dawn.”

“You’ve got that right.”

Halvor wrapped his arm around my waist and hauled me out the door. “You are my ticket off this hellhole.”

“No. I’m not.” I pressed my hands against his arm and lit him up.

He jerked back, convulsed violently, and dropped to the ground. Smoke rose from his blackened hair. Halvor’s hate-filled eyes locked on me. “Kill. You.”

“What kind of lowlife sells his daughter to a Yagga? Don’t you get it? Family is everything.”

“Worthless.” Letting out a shuddering breath, Halvor stopped moving.

Was he dead? I took his pulse. He was. I knew I should feel bad for taking his life, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Halvor was more of a monster than the Yagga.

“Do not mourn him. He was a traitor to his people, and he betrayed his own family,” Trayon said.

Exhaling a long breath, I took Halvor’s laser pistol. “True.” I hated killing, but when the Tai-Kok came to our world I had no choice. The war changed me, and I had done what was necessary to survive.

Phantom lips brushed my cheek. “Hide until I come for you.” The link severed.

Hide? I looked around. Where? Everyone was staring at me like I was the last chocolate bar on this hellhole.

Pepe trotted up and spat out what was left of the Yagga’s male parts. “Taste nasty.”

“I can imagine.”

Two heavily armed thugs ran toward me, yelling something in a language I didn’t understand.

“No habla alien.” I pulled a stun grenade off my belt, threw it at them and raced in the opposite direction. “Run Pepe.” I took refuge behind the remains of a wall with Pepe huddled at my feet.

An ear-shattering boom was followed by a blinding flash of light.

Pepe whined. “No like big bang.”

“Me either.” I rubbed my ringing ears and blinked rapidly to clear my vision. I grinned. The thugs were face down in the dirt. My grin died when more thugs poured out of a building. They weren’t kidding when they said females were valuable. Time to up the ante. I pointed to a large plasticrete barrier. “Get behind that Pepe. I’m going to make more big bangs.”

Pepe scampered away.

I yanked out two thermite grenades. “Wanna play catch?” I yelled. The thugs took one look at the grenades and fled.

“Where did you get those?” Loki yelled, running toward me.

“I stole them. Better take cover.”

“Are you mad?”

“Mad as a Hatter.” I set the timers.

Loki and Ivan sprinted for the plasticrete barrier.

“And I’m really tired of men thinking they own me.” I tossed