Invasion of Her Heart (11 page)

“Ah, the cavalry has finally come home,” the man stated with sarcasm. He stared back at them from beneath a disheveled mop of sun-streaked, chocolate brown hair. His eyes, black as the hearth fuel stone used on Azutu, met Jaxxon’s with assurance. He kept one sinewy arm across Venus’s breasts. “So you two are the warriors my servants have been talking about.”

“Randle, I presume?” Jaxxon gauged his chances of rushing the fiend before he could hurt Venus.

The man offered him a wide, somewhat maniacal smile. “Maybe you do have feelings for me after all, my sweet.” He kept his voice smooth and even. No hint of wariness or tension resided in it. He nuzzled Venus’s ear, who grimaced as if she were about to vomit. “You must think about me often if you’ve told your friends about me.”

“Let go of her,” growled Volund, his voice full of menace. “Don’t make us kill you.”

Randle burst out laughing, the sound deep and genuinely amused. Crow’s feet deepened around his eyes. “You? Kill me? I don’t think so, especially not with a razor-sharp blade to your lover’s throat and two Bone Eaters at my back.”

As Jaxxon studied his opponent, he noticed the top of a strangely shaped pack on the man’s back.
Is that another weapon?
Slowly, Jaxxon lowered his hand to the Slicer at his hip and assessed every article of clothing Randle wore for hidden weapons. Dirty blue pants clung to the man’s slim hips and lean legs. If he possessed a weapon, he had to have it hidden in the back pockets, or possibly the inner compartments of the leather vest he wore over his mostly bare torso.

“I wouldn’t try for your weapon, if I were you.” Randle pushed the blade tighter to Venus’s throat, and a couple beads of blood slipped down her skin. Her eyes widened and her expression of disgust and anger changed to one of fear and anxiety. “Besides,” Randle continued like he was talking to his best friend, “from what I understand, those energy pulses slice through everything they’re aimed at so you wouldn’t want to take the chance of hurting Venus too, would you?”

Frantic to free Venus from the fiend’s hold, Jaxxon swept his gaze over the room, looking for any ideas that might jump out at him. He could take out the Bone Eaters, which would give them a better chance of fighting Randle and freeing their mate.

Although it wasn’t a solution to the problem, an idea of how to turn things to their advantage formed in Jaxxon’s mind. Standing so closely to Volund allowed Jaxxon to push his elbow into his brother’s ribs. Volund looked askance at him, and Jaxxon nudged him again, signaling he was about to try something. Volund quickly shut both eyes at once to confirm he understood.

“Now, let’s discuss my terms.” Randle sneered at them. The confidence in his voice infuriated Jaxxon even more.

“We will not discuss anything with you,” Volund snapped. “Release Venus now.”

“If you don’t want me to hurt Venus, you’ll discuss what I want.” A black look spread across Randle’s face, his eyes aflame with indignation. “I want Venus as my woman, I want control of this building, and I want you two to go back to whatever planet you came from.”

Quickly, Volund drew his Slicer and aimed it at Randle and Venus the same instant Jaxxon dropped to one knee, jerked his weapon from the holster, and fired an energy ball at the Bone Eaters by the door. The ball flattened and cut through the monsters in two seconds. Their torsos slid off from their waists and plopped onto the floor with a wet sound, followed by their hips and legs toppling forward across each other. Fluids flowed across the carpet, saturating it.

“You bastards!” Randle hissed, his face contorting into a mask of pure evil, his black eyes afire with insanity. Venus started to struggle against him, but more pressure on her throat with the knife knocked the fight out of her. Randle peeled his lips back, baring his teeth in a grotesque leer. “Do you really want me to kill this delicious woman? Do you have any idea how few human women are left on this planet?” As he talked, his voice grew louder, his tone more desperate.

“Yes, we actually are aware of the numbers,” said Jaxxon. He slowly rose to his feet and advanced on Randle. He had to keep his temper in check and think clearly. “That’s why we’re here, and within the hour, more like me and my brother will arrive on Earth, but they’re bounty hunters who will be given the duty of finding and killing you. If you give up now, we’ll allow you to live the rest of your days in a prison instead of ending your life.”

“Sorry, guys.” Randle looked from Jaxxon to Volund and flashed them a white, toothy smile. “That’s not an option for me either. I prefer a quick exit instead.” With that, he sheathed the big knife through his belt, spun on his heel with Venus tightly in his arms, and propelled her toward the big window a few feet away.

“Stop!” Volund shouted as he moved in unison with Jaxxon.

With Volund at his side, Jaxxon lunged after Randle and Venus. The moment Randle reached the window, he leapt against it with Venus still in his arms. She let out a scream that rivaled that of any banshee as the glass shattered and they plummeted over the window ledge.

“No!” screamed Jaxxon. Fear unlike anything he’d ever felt before forced him to the windowsill. He didn’t want to see his mate’s broken body, but he peered down anyway.

The odd pack on Randle’s back shot a wad of something white into the air.

Attached to ropes, the shiny cloth opened, caught the wind, and floated them to and fro along the streets between the building. Relief nearly knocked Jaxxon off his feet.

“I’m betting he’s heading to our ship,” Volund stated once he joined Jaxxon at the window. We have to trans-shift and meet them there!”

“Surely he can’t get into the ship,” said Jaxxon.

“I wouldn’t count on it. When I went back for fresh clothes earlier, I noticed my Trans Shifter was missing. I thought I had left it here in these quarters, but a quick look around the room has not revealed it.”

“Schizma!” He whirled on Volund. “If he leaves with Venus, there’s no telling what he’ll do to her or the world he travels to!”

“Even worse,” Volund stated, “Randle could alter time to become something more disastrous than what’s already happened, so we better move fast.”

The anxiety in Volund’s voice shot a spear of white-hot fear through Jaxxon’s gut.

***

The sun was setting, and shadows loomed over the streets. Worried about other Bone Eaters, Venus glanced around as they landed on Broad Street with a thud.

The homemade parachute swished across the pavement behind them. Randle detached the chute, unsnapping it from his harness, then hefted Venus over his shoulder. A heavy mist filled the air, indicating the night would soon be bombarded with vicious thunderstorms. Venus could kick herself for not having her weapons with her. She still couldn’t believe Randle had gotten the jump on her. The look on Volund’s and Jaxxon’s faces when they’d appeared in her quarters would’ve scared any normal man, but not Randle. Insanity and arrogance powered his psyche.

Little pieces of glass had peppered her arms, legs and face, and Randle’s arm around her ribcage must have cracked at least one rib when he’d hit the glass pane with her. She was in considerable pain and serious trouble. There had to be a way to get to one of her weapons stashes—but how?

“Just wait until we’re alone.” Heading to Volund and Jaxxon’s ship, Randle jogged with her over his shoulder. His jarring movements drove pain through her ribs. She moved in acute discomfort as Randle’s hard shoulder knocked the air out of her lungs with each bounce. Venus tried to concentrate on a method of escape, but all she could do was hang on and pray for him to stop and put her down.

Sweat rolled down her face, blood smeared her body, and she smelled like she’d been rolling around in sour rags.

Finally, Randle halted for a minute to rest. A rumble shook the ground as a lighting strike hit in the city’s main square close to where they stood. Venus jerked and knew instantly it was a mistake as more pain tore through her.

Randle cupped the cheek of her ass. “Did you think cutting one of my balls off would stop me from fucking you? Well, you’re mistaken, my sweet Venus. Now my cock is hard all the time because all I can think about is you and how you’ll feel when I finally take you as my woman. And since you punctured the other one with that scalpel, I may not be able to have children, but I sure can fuck as long as I want, and I’m going to fuck you until you forget any other man. You’re my woman and no one else’s.”

Venus noticed the slender rod Volund and Jaxxon used to shift from one point to another. It now hung by a clip attached to a belt loop next to the big knife. A cold chill swept up her spine. What else had Randle stolen from her men? She didn’t have time to check as Randle took off jogging again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Volund’s pets tracing Randle’s every step. He tensed as he noticed them, too.

Venus reached down and unsnapped the teleportation device without Randle noticing. Glancing around, she saw her target and threw the Trans Shifter into an empty cement water fountain as they passed it.

A loud humming sound issued from above them. She craned her neck to see a ship, similar to the one Jaxxon and Volund’s came in hovering a couple hundred yards above the street. Randle stopped suddenly, his foul, angry words sprinkling the air, and reached for his hip.

“What the fuck?” He threw her to the ground and then searched for the device she’d chucked into the crumbling fountain.

As Venus hit the ground, her back made contact with a sharp metal edge of what was left of a park bench. A piece jutting from the rusty frame punctured the muscle above her buttock. She felt blood trickling from the spot as she screamed.

Every part of her protested in pain. Never had she been in so much agony. Venus grabbed her back, rolling face first into the grit strewn over the asphalt. She lay there panting, trying to quell the misery plaguing her. Black boots stepped in front of her.

“What did you do with it, bitch?” One of Randle’s boots made contact with her cheek, and Venus slapped both hands over her face, curling up in a ball as she tried to roll away from him.

Randle let out a startled cry and jumped away. Venus’s ears still rang from the vicious kick to her head, but she heard the growls of Ino and Ka coming from somewhere behind Randle.

“This isn’t over, bitch,” he snarled. “I’ll still have you. That’s a promise you can bet money I’ll keep.”

Chapter Eleven

Soft fur brushed against Venus. She cringed. Snuffling and the whimpering of animals permeated the pain clouding her mind. Finally, she realized Ino and Ka had chased Randle away and were now trying to comfort her. Her body ached everywhere, but thank God Randle was gone…for now.

“Oshki, contact Volund and tell him we have their mate,” a male voice rumbled next to her. “We need to get the female to our ship to repair her physical damage. Her life signs are not good. Her vitals are distressed.”

A large man knelt next to Venus and brushed the hair out of her face. He peered down at her with deep-set fuchsia eyes, his long hair a soft pink that heightened his odd and vibrant eye color. If Venus hadn’t been in so much misery, the stranger’s appearance would’ve startled her. Gulping for air and simultaneously trying not to throw up, she shut her eyes.

“Hello, Venus. My name is Miln and I’m here to help.” He gently lifted her into his arms.

Venus cringed as the sensation of teleporting assailed her. The visitor transported them into a bright, sterile-looking room. Miln placed her on a hard, cold table that smelled of alcohol. It looked like a hospital room. The only sounds were the faint hum of the ship’s engine and the movements of the men around her.

“It’s cold in here,” she whispered, shivering. Venus tried to breathe, but with each breath, more pain flowed through her.

“You’ve lost too much blood. Volund and Jaxxon are here now. They will heal you.” Miln stepped back as Volund’s worried face moved into her line of vision.

Venus tried to smile and reach for him, but pain incapacitated her. Never had she been so glad to see their faces. In that moment, she realized she couldn’t live without her two men, no matter how different they seemed from Earth people. Somehow, some way, if she survived, she would make their life together a happy one.

“We are so sorry we didn’t protect you better, Venus.” Volund moved a long, clear instrument over her body and frowned.

“It appears that when her captor leapt through the window with her,” said another stranger, who stepped alongside the table, “that he literally used your female as a shield, and a battering ram. Our sensors detected very little damage to the assailant’s body.”

Volund’s face clouded with anger. “One way or another we’re going to kill Randle!” He closed his eyes, obviously struggling to calm his wrath. Finally, he opened his eyes again and stared into Venus’s. He continued passing the glowing instrument over her body. “Jaxxon, we don’t have long. She’s losing too much blood and is laboring to breathe. One of her broken ribs has punctured a lung.

There is glass sticking out everywhere over her skin, and one shard has cut into her femoral artery, so most of her blood loss is from that particular wound.” He set the clear medical tool aside and grabbed a syringe from Miln’s outstretched hand. He shook his head. “Venus’s left cheekbone is also fractured.”

Jaxxon twined his hand with Venus’s and squeezed gently. “I know you’re hurting, Venus, and that you don’t like the little environite barbs—or what you call needles—but an environite strip will help the healing process. Also…well…we need to change you in order to save your life.” He reached up with his other hand and picked several pieces of glass from her face. “Not only will the change cement our bonding, but it will help aid you in healing faster once you’re restored to normal. Do you understand? Just squeeze my hand if you do.”

Pain, terror, and love collided together inside her. Venus wanted to live her life with her men, but hidden deep inside was her fear they would tire of her after so many years of living. Closing her eyes, Venus squeezed his hand, knowing she had no choice.