Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,18
the middle of a war zone and fighting for my life and he was seducing me. Life had taught me males of any species, couldn’t be trusted, but my girlie parts weren’t listening. Drawing on every ounce of will power I had, I snapped, “People are trying to kill us, or did that slip your mind?”
“It has not. The Bjarke have planted the thermite grenades. Once the shields are down, you and your furry friend will be transported aboard my ship,” Trayon rumbled.
“Were you planning on leaving Loki and Ivan behind?”
“No. They will be turned over to Zarek.”
A bone-jarring jolt rocked the earth. Kaboom! The fuel tanks abruptly ignited, and a fireball belched blazing shrapnel, bodies, and pieces of machinery high into the air.
Thwap! Bap-bap! Thop! I dodged the falling debris. Could this day get any worse?
Pepe growled menacingly.
A Yagga staggered out of the smoke, a laser pistol in one hand. “You! You did this.”
“I can’t take all the credit. I had help.”
The buildings began to shake violently.
“Cazzo! Earthquake.”
“No like.” Pepe gripped my jeans.
Instead of fleeing, the Yagga yelled, “Do you know who I am?”
“A rapist and murderer.”
“I am Dingle. I own this world.”
“Not anymore.”
“You have destroyed everything I built. Now you die!” Dingle abruptly grabbed his head and began to scream.
“Are you doing that Trayon?”
“No. Zarek has arrived,” Trayon groused.
Oh goodie.
The ground heaved and an enormous crater suddenly appeared. Buildings toppled into it.
Cold fear skittered up my spine. Not good. I picked up Pepe. “Are those shields down yet?”
Kaboom! Flames roared from the crater.
Little bodies unexpectedly clung to me.
“What? Who?”
“No leave us. No leave us.” A glittering blue light surrounded me. I caught a fleeting glimpse of a fireball rolling toward us and poof! I was standing on an icy cold transporter platform and Trayon was staring at me in astonishment.
Chapter Six
“What are you staring at?”
Trayon pointed at my legs. “Do not move!”
I looked down and gasped. I knew I had picked up some hitchhikers, but wow. There was a brown snake with a crocodile’s head and bright blue eyes coiled around my left thigh. A baby dinosaur chewed on my right pants leg. “Merda!”
Pepe cautiously sniffed them. “Me like.”
I guess that was a good thing. I had to admit the little dinosaur was cute as a bug.
The Askole drew an enormous sword. “I will kill the vermin.”
“What? Stop!” I threw my hands out. “We don’t kill babies.”
“It is a Rodan. None can be allowed to live.”
“It’s a baby.” I stiffened as something moved in my hair. Had I picked up an alien version of lice too?
“Our law is quite specific. All must be destroyed.” Trayon advanced toward me.
The Rodan whimpered and tightened its grip on my leg.
Pepe growled menacingly. “No hurt.”
I pulled my laser pistol. “You harm one scale on that kid’s head, and I’ll shoot you.”
“The Rodan have your brother.”
“So, you think this baby is the mastermind behind his kidnapping?”
Trayon’s tentacles knotted. “I am your mate, and you will obey me. Lower your weapon.”
“I guess you haven’t heard, but Earth women aren’t good at following orders and I’m not your mate.”
Trayon tapped his gauntlet. “Your weapons have been disabled.”
I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Cazzo! There was no way I could take Trayon in hand-to-hand combat.
“It will be a quick and merciful death.”
Murder was merciful? My temper flared to life and I dropped into a combat stance. I knew it was a dumb move, but I had to do something.
Trayon grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. “You cannot defeat me soft skin.” He took a step forward.
Voices in my head cried, “No hurt Tiny!”
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Web balls hammered Trayon, knocking him back against the console. Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! His sword arm was glued to the metal. Trayon roared his displeasure.
“Who did that?” Sharp claws dug into my shoulder. “Ouch!” I turned my head. Bright orange eyes peered at me. The little guy had a foxlike face, furry black body with bat wings and a long serpentine tail. How had I missed him? “You can shoot web balls?”
“Us do.” Two small, golden tarantulas tumbled down from my head and perched on my nose. “Him Draconic. Him called Adoz. Me LooLoo and she LeeLee. We Tabors. Rodan not like others. Different. We named him Tiny. We friends.”
“Free me,” Trayon bellowed.
“Not until I have your word you won’t hurt the kid.”
“I am bound by our laws.”
“Why don’t you use this time to think about how wrong it is to murder babies.”
A deep