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Behind him, he heard the hover door open as Scarlett got out to run into the wilderness. Grux roared and leaped at the approaching figures, determined to give her a chance to get away.
He threw himself into the fight, but the three figures—who turned out to be Jorvlens—tackled him to the ground. He struggled as hard as he could but couldn’t get free. Helplessly, he watched as the last figure ran past them, going after Scarlett.
She screamed as the bounty hunter grabbed her, and the sound of her terror gave Grux new strength. He rose to his feet, throwing off the Jorvlens and charging at Broga. Scarlett was struggling as hard as she could, trying to get away. Grux stared right at his enemy, feeling his whole body energized with a singular focus.
I’m going to kill you!
“Let her go!” he bellowed.
The bounty hunter turned toward him, his face still obscured by the thick robes, but a soft chuckle reached him.
What’s so funny?
Far too late, Grux heard the fast footsteps behind him. He was halfway turned around when he saw a dark shadow with something huge and heavy swinging above its head.
With no time to block the blow, a sense of massive impact and darkness rushed over him so swiftly Grux couldn’t fight it. He dropped like a stone, Scarlett’s screams ringing out over the abandoned road as the bounty hunter forced her into his hover and drove away.
Chapter 18
Scarlettwasthrownintothe vehicle with so much force, the air blasted straight out of her lungs. For a few minutes, all she could do was gasp as her whole body trembled under an onslaught of terror.
As they drove toward the airfield, Scarlett recovered enough to start fighting against the bounty hunter. She could tell from his cruel eyes he didn’t care about her suffering, but he needed to get her back to the Xoyosans in one piece if he wanted his reward.
After she landed a good punch on the side of his face, he pulled the hovercraft over with incredible force, making her hit her head on the window. She trembled, breathless with pain as he lashed her hands together.
The bounty hunter did not speak as he started up the hovercraft and flew to the airfield. She hoped that the royal guard might have been on alert, but her heart sank as he pulled her out of the craft and dragged her toward his ship.
They were far from the main docks in a private area with no security anywhere. The Lorr forces couldn’t help her now.
Scarlett tried to scream for help and the bounty hunter gagged her with a disgusted look on his face.
“You’ve been far too much trouble to me!” he hissed. “It’s a good thing you’re worth a ton of money! I’d beat you senseless just to get out my frustration.”
Scarlett was so affected by his words that she stopped fighting, and when he threw her down in a seat behind the cockpit, she didn’t move. She just curled up and let tears flow down her cheeks as they took off, powering into the dark sky away from Lorr.
Scarlett couldn’t stop thinking about Grux. The Jorvlens had hit him very hard, and he’d dropped so suddenly to the ground where he hadn’t moved again. She was sure he was dead, and that meant there really was no help coming.
How long would it take before the palace guard noticed they were missing? Would they find Grux, so far from the city on an abandoned road? Even if the blow hadn’t killed him, he would surely die if he was left there with his horrible injuries.
And I don’t think the Jorvlens will give him medical treatment.
The ship swayed slightly back and forth as they picked up speed and Scarlett let herself be lulled by the motion. She was exhausted from the fear as well as the exertion, and she could do nothing else to free herself.
If she wasn’t pregnant, she might have been able to attack the bounty hunter and try to turn the ship back. As it was, she was terrified of hurting her baby. She’d already had so many complications and she was sure daring midnight escapes—and capture—were not recommended in the last trimester.
Scarlett realized she must have fallen into a light doze when the landing craft jolted her awake. The bounty hunter did not speak as he hauled her down the ramp, barely letting her get her feet under her. To Scarlett’s horror, she realized he had landed right in front of the Flemlars’ estate.
I’m back on Xoyosis!
Any vestiges of strength she’d had in her bled away, and the bounty hunter had to practically carry her up the stairs to the main hall. Guards were stationed by the doors and throughout the complex, and Scarlett knew there was no escape, now.
The main hall was brightly lit, even though the hour was late. It was disorienting to Scarlett that she’d changed planets, yet it was still dark. Her blurry, tired eyes looked up at the head of the room and saw her jailers standing triumphantly over her.
The bounty hunter’s hand tightened on her arm. She was pretty sure he’d like to hurl her to the floor, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he cut off her bonds and gag.
He wants to get paid too badly.
“My money?” he snapped. When a huge bag of coins was dumped in front of him by a servant, he immediately let go of Scarlett. She stumbled, falling to her knees, only to be caught by a tall, broad woman in warrior gear.
