Kraven (VLG Series Book 2) (2 page)

“My name isn’t asshole,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “And I’d move if I weren’t still in pain.”

Bat blushed. She heard her sister and that Drantos guy speaking softly, though she couldn’t make out the conversation. She wiggled under the asshole sprawled over her but he didn’t budge. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it when she tried to get out from under him, judging by his sadistic expression.

Movement out of the corner of her eye had her turning her head to see Drantos rising to his feet from behind the seats where she and Dusti had been sitting. His long hair looked even wilder and messed up than it had before the crash. His dark blue gaze met Bat’s before he fixed his full attention on the guy crushing her.

“Are you going to just lay there on top of her or are you going to get up? It’s no time to take a nap, Kraven.”

“Go to hell. I think she crushed something vital when she squeezed my dick. I’m trying to recover. She’s got nothing on a cock ring, that’s for sure.”

Drantos shook his head with a chuckle. “You’re going to give her a bad impression if you don’t watch your mouth.”

“Like I give a damn what she thinks,” Kraven grunted before climbing to his feet.

Bat took a deep breath, shifted her body gingerly to make sure everything worked, and then glared up at Kraven while she frantically shoved at her skirt to lower it over her thighs. She knew he’d gotten a good view of them since he didn’t bother to hide where his focus lay. Anger ignited hotter inside her.

“Stay there, woman. I’ll put you back on your ass if you get up—and you keep those iron hands to yourself. What are you? A masseuse?” His chin lifted and he shot Drantos a dirty look. “The bitch has strong hands. I swear she injured my dick.”

Bat ignored him, struggling to her feet. She glowered at the man, who gave her an angry look right back. “Why did you grab me like that? What the hell is your problem?”

“I was
protecting
you. I’m Kraven. You can thank me later, by the way.”

“Thank you?” She was outraged. “You’ll be lucky if I don’t have your ass arrested for sexual assault, battery, and…hell, bad hair! Move out of my way. I need to check on my sister.”

He curled his full lips to sneer at her. Bat responded by shoving him. He stumbled back a foot, until he hit the side of one of the seats, and she tucked in her shirt that had pulled from the waist of her skirt. “Pervert,” she hissed.

“Bitch,” he retorted when she glared at him.

Her emotions all over the place, the urge to slap him made Bat’s fingers itch.
Nobody calls me that—and he’s done it twice
. She flipped him off. He softly growled.
Damn animal
, she thought.
Overgrown idiot.

She reached for the back of her head, suddenly noticing the throbbing sensation there, and hoped she wasn’t bleeding. Her hair pins were gone, the bun torn down into a tangled mass of a ponytail, and she found a painful lump on her head. She bit back a curse but was grateful it didn’t feel wet.

She needed to check on Dusti. Bat tried to get around Kraven but he shot a hand out and pushed her back, hard enough to make her stumble, his palm squarely hitting her breast.

His brother was talking but she didn’t hear the words; she was far too angry.

Kraven gave a jerk of his head. “I have the women.”

“Have
this
, you jerk,” Batina spat.

She lifted her leg, tore off her shoe, and threw it as hard as she could at his face.

Her aim ended up being off. The shoe struck his chest, then bounced to the ground. But he
did
stagger back with a stupefied look on his features, which gave her a little satisfaction. It also let her reach Dusti when he staggered back a step.

Pure joy filled her at seeing her sister safe. She hugged her instantly, relieved. Worry came next. She frantically studied Dusti for injuries but didn’t see any visible ones.

“It’s okay, Bat. I’m okay. Are you hurt?”

Bat eased her hold on her a little. “Nothing a good drink won’t fix. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Dusti nodded before turning away. Bat didn’t miss the way her sister’s delicate features twisted in horror, her skin changing from pale to absolute white before she swayed on her feet.

Bat followed her gaze to witness the horrendous sight where the side of the plane used to be.

The opposite wall had been torn open during the crash. A corpse with a missing arm remained strapped into his seat, soaked in bright red blood, and it made her knees weaken. She’d seen worse in photos from crime scenes, even in video evidence, but the real thing looked a hundred times more horrific.

Dusti gagged and the sound jerked Bat out of her stupor. She latched on to her, spun her until their gazes locked, and prayed she could hold her sister together by appearing calm. She was far from it on the inside, but she’d become a pro at hiding her emotions.

“Look at
me
and not that.”

The tears that filled Dusti’s eyes broke Bat’s heart. She’d always tried to protect her sister, but nothing could shield her from reality at that moment.

“Oh God,” Dusti moaned.

“I know.” Bat nodded. “We survived though.”
Give her a bright side; rally her to stay strong
, she thought, caressing her cheek. “We’re Dawsons. We’re tough, remember?” Bat inhaled sharply. “ Just take deep breaths. In and out. Remain calm. It’ll be fine. We both made it. We’re okay.”

“Sit down,” Kraven ordered, his tone irritated. “And I’ll spank you if you hit me with another shoe, you little hellion.”

What an insufferable ass
, she seethed. Bat was trying to help Dusti and this prick picks
now
to fuck with her again? She released her sister and spun, her middle finger going up. She was pissed enough to nearly make her see red. “Take a hint and get away from me, you perverted bastard. You should have picked another woman to molest.”

He leaned closer, his anger clear. “I saved your life,” the jackass spat. “I covered your body with my own to
protect
you, Cat.”

I’m going to kill him
, Bat silently swore.
No jury will convict me
.
I deal with guys who know where to hide a damn body. My clients owe me big time for keeping their vicious, murdering asses out of jail.

“It’s
Bat
, you moron. B.A.T. Back off, asshole. I refuse to deal with you right now. Can’t you see my sister is freaked-out? I’m trying to calm her down.”

“Crazy as a bat or bat-shit crazy. It fits.”

She would have slapped the rude bastard but Dusti’s shaky, frightened voice stopped her cold.

“Let it go. Let’s help the injured.”

Right. Calm down. Dusti’s seen enough bloodshed
. She shot a dirty look at Kraven, her furious gaze promising retribution later, before she pulled herself together enough to address her sister. “He’s irritating me and he felt me up!”

“That’s the least of our worries.”

Bat was chagrined. She needed to keep Dusti’s mind occupied to distract them both from the nightmare they were living at that moment, and being bitchy and combative wouldn’t help.

“You’re right. I’ll ignore the big ape just for you this one time because I’m in shock too. I hope I’m not as pale as you look. You’re doing a hell of a ghost impression.” Bat cringed. “I shouldn’t have said that, considering the circumstances. Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s help out. People are hurt. Just breathe and focus on that, okay?”

She released Dusti to smooth down her jacket and her fingers touched something small and hard.
My cell phone! I can call for help! I can get us back home!

Excitement at the idea made her heart race. She’d gotten her sister into this mess by using guilt to make her travel to Alaska to visit their grandfather, but now she would fix it. She pulled the phone out and inspected the slim case that fully enclosed it, which looked perfect. Her hands shook badly; she hesitated before checking the phone itself until she got her nerves under control.

Dusti peered at her with a hopeful look. “Do you think you’re going to get a cell phone signal out here?”

Bat knew there were cell towers all over most of the United States, but she didn’t know about Alaska. She hoped there’d be a signal. She didn’t even want to consider the alternative, because she needed to rescue her sister. She couldn’t live with the guilt otherwise. She’d taken enough from Dusti already when she’d put her career first.

“I hope so.”

Fumbling the case open, she got a glimpse inside—and the phone had been crushed into a mess despite the protective shell. The glass screen had cracked in too numerous fractures to count, and it didn’t even light up to indicate the battery worked.

No!
Bat silently screamed.
This can’t be happening. I put her on this plane with me and I can’t let her down now.

A snort from Kraven made her head slowly rise until she met his gaze. The bastard looked amused.

Her grip on her tenuous control snapped. She knew it has happening, understood why, but the situation was too much. “You broke my phone with your gorilla-sized body!” She waved the phone in his face. As she did, the screen completely came apart, pieces of it falling to the floor.

She froze inside and tried to say something, anything, when the implications of not being able to call for help slammed into her brain. “You owe me a new one! Give me yours.”

Did I really just say that?

I did
, she acknowledged, wincing at how lame and petty she sounded, and took a calming breath.
Get a grip
, she ordered her brain.

“It’s in my bag.” He pointed up to where the overhead cabinets had once been. “Wherever that is now.”

Bat stared at the destruction of the plane, taking in the fact that some of the cabinets had been sucked away at some point. It was a miracle they’d survived.

She knew she was in shock. Focusing on the ridiculous—including the annoying man—was keeping her from freaking out. It was a basic human reaction.
Avoidance
.

“Oh God.”

Damn!
Bat winced.
So much for avoiding.
“I know! I can’t dial 9-1-1.”

“Shut up, Bat,” Dusti snapped. “
Look
. Oh my God.”

Bat stepped up next to Dusti in the narrow aisle to see what her sister gaped at in the back of the plane.

It wasn’t there anymore.

It had been torn away entirely, and the sight of forest where the bathrooms had once been made Bat fight to keep bile from rising. Whoever had been in the last few rows of seats were just gone too. Debris, broken trees, and one lone seat were scattered in the path of destruction caused by the plane’s crash and long slide along the ground.

Blood covered what used to be a human being, still strapped into the seat. Bat realized she’d grabbed hold of her sister’s hand.

The long-haired biker guy, Drantos, suddenly stepped into the aisle farther down, busy helping a fellow passenger. His big frame blocked most of Bat’s view of the path of horror. She hoped Dusti couldn’t see it anymore either. The man’s dark blue eyes appeared haunted when he lifted a hand to run fingers through his shaggy, wild hair. He slowly approached them.

“There are ten survivors besides us in the cabin. Most of them will make it but I’m doubtful about a few. One of us should go hunt up the back of the plane to see if any of those people made it. We also need to check on the pilots.”

“Fuck,” Kraven sighed from behind Bat. “What a damn mess. I’ll go search for the tail section of the plane.” He paused. “You watch the bitches. The one in the dress suit is a terror, so don’t turn your back on her.”

Bat wanted to scream. People had died, they had no way to contact help, and guilt over bringing Dusti along on the trip nearly overwhelmed her. Dusti hadn’t wanted to come, but she’d practically made her.

On top of everything, this Kraven guy seemed determined to piss her off. She knew how to deal with anger. She spun on him.

“I’m going to rip off your nuts if you call me a bitch one more time.”

Dusti tugged hard on her hand. “Batina Marie Dawson, enough!” Tears shone in her eyes when Bat glanced at her. “I know bitchiness is your defense mechanism when you’re scared or mad but please
stop
! I can’t deal with it right now.”

Then alarm struck Bat fast when Dusti started to collapse.

Her features paled to a chalky white, her legs giving way beneath her, and Bat lunged to grab her around the waist to try to prevent her from keeling over. She took Dusti’s weight but knew they were both going down, even as she continued struggling to keep them upright.

That long-haired guy came to their rescue. Bat released her when his thick, beefy arms took her sister’s weight, and allowed him to cradle Dusti, which he did seemingly without effort. The guy looked as if he were a bodybuilder.

She panicked when she realized what had to be wrong with her sister.