She didn’t wait to see his reaction. Tish turned and bolted. She needed to reach the relative safety of the main station.
She didn’t get more than two steps before she slammed into a flesh-and-blood mountain who hadn’t been there a moment ago.
He wrapped one arm around her, probably to steady her before she bounced off him. She shoved at his chest, trying to put some space between them, but he didn’t move. Not onefraxxingcentimeter. She tipped her head back and got her first look at him.
He was human, male, and huge. He scowled down at her, his dark hair falling over his eyes. His expression was made more terrifying by the scar that ran from his temple to somewhere beneath the dark scruff of his unshaven jaw.
This man radiated menace like a plasma drive emitted heat.
She needed to run, hide, or scream for help.
Before she could decide which of her panic-fueled impulses to act on, the idiot she’d struck in the face found his voice.
“Fraxxoff, asshole. Find another one. This bitch owes me.”
For the briefest of moments, the big male’s scowl softened slightly. Then he winked at her. She didn’t understand why, butthat small movement gave her a spark of hope that things would somehow be all right. She gave him a ghost of a smile and hoped he understood.
Then he raised his head and glared at the guy who had accosted her.
“She doesn’t owe you anything,” he said. His voice was deep and rough, like an engine slightly out of tune.
“Shefraxxinghit me!” the other man’s voice was muffled, and she realized it was probably because he had his hand over his broken nose.
She started to turn around and see for herself, but the big man locked the arm still holding her, keeping her in place.
“I know she did. And if you don’t leave, I’ll hit you again,” he said in that low, growling voice.
“Fraxx you.”
A new voice entered the conversation. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? The lady said she wasn’t interested. Now stop swearing at strangers and find something productive to do.”
Tish jerked her head to her right to get a look at the new arrival. He had sandy blond hair, roguish good looks, and a dangerous smile. This one was almost as big as his friend. No. Not a friend.Batch-brother. Well, that explained their massive size. She’d somehow been rescued by two of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. Which was nice and all, but it left her with one question. What would they want in return?
CHAPTER TWO
Mace didn’t want trouble.What he wanted was a half-dozen slices of Flek’s premium double cheese pizza. He’d been about to leave the ship when he heard the confrontation happening on the other side of the door. Faced with a choice between waiting for the situation to end before leaving the ship or getting involved, he’d gone with his gut—and his hunger—and stepped into the fray.
He’d made it out in time to watch as the blue-haired human female lashed out with an impressive strike that pulped the human male’s nose.
To her credit, the female hadn’t stuck around to see what happened. The second she struck her target, she turned and bolted for safety. That plan had failed because he was blocking her escape path. He’d been so invested in the drama he hadn’t moved out of her way. He should probably feel badly about that.
He didn’t.
It had been a long time since he’d held a female in his arms and longer still since one had looked at him without revulsion or fear. When he winked at her to try and calm her nerves, she’d actually smiled at him.
“I thought we were going for pizza?”Xaber sent the comment via their internal link. His batch-brother sounded more amused than annoyed.
“There’s been a slight change in plan,”Mace sent back.
“I can see that. Did you also change our vow about not fighting other beings’ battles anymore?”
“I did not.”
“Uh-huh. Later, you can explain to me why our rule doesn’t apply to this situation.”Xaber’s tone was drier than moondust as he appeared at Mace’s side.
Mace didn’t reply. They had other matters to deal with right now. The first issue was the waste of oxygen still standing in the middle of the corridor, wailing about his broken nose as he bled all over his shirt. Despite the distracting presence of the female, Mace tracked everything going on around him—from the hum of the overhead lights to subtle body language that told him none of the idiot’s friends were interested in getting involved. His enhanced senses gave him a clear picture of what was happening and what would likely happen next.
Satisfied that this would end without more violence, Mace leaned forward and snarled at the male. “Get gone. Now.”
