Chapter 40

Chapter

Forty

R ixx stood slowly, gauging how quickly he could drawn his blaster and which Zevrian to shoot first.

The Zevrian who had spoken to him grunted and lowered his blaster to point at Zala. "I wouldn't try it, Dothvek."

Rixx stopped breathing as Zala backed into him, her fear palpable. He was fast, but he was not fast enough to shoot them all and ensure that Zala would not be hurt.

Rose let loose a string of curses behind him, but even she did not try to shoot at the aliens.

"Run," he said to her in a hush. "I will handle this."

She choked back a dark laugh. "My job is to get you to the shipyard, not turn tail and run."

Rixx valued her loyalty but hated that she was caught up in this because of him. No one deserved to die for him, especially not Zala.

"When did you pick up all these females?" The Zevrian tossed his long brown hair off his shoulder and emitted a guttural laugh, the sound something between choking and gargling rocks. "I did not know your kind like them so young." Then he licked his lips. "I hope you're willing to share."

Rage surged through Rixx at the idea of these brutal creatures touching Zala. He would tear them from limb to limb before he let them near her.

The Zevrian's eyes popped wide. "He doesn't like that." He nudged one of the Zevrians next to him. "I guess he doesn't like to share."

The alien who'd been nudged growled as he eyed Zala. "We'll change that."

Rixx forced himself to keep his fury in check, but he was distracted by a growing throb of emotion that was not his own. Was he picking up Rose's anger? She was doing little to hide her fury—it practically radiated off her—but it wasn't anger he was sensing. He knew that Zala was terrified but it wasn't her childlike fear that was melding with his own emotions.

It was Myrria.

Rixx did not know where she was , but she was close and she was pulsing with a protective rage that almost made his own knees buckle. If only he could sense where she was…

His thoughts were cut off by a blur of quickly moving figures behind the Zevrians. Screams tore through the air as the Zevrians spun to face their attackers. Rixx used the distraction to push Zala behind him and out of the firing line.

"Take her," he ordered Rose as he pushed Zala into the woman.

She did not hesitate or question him. She grabbed the girl and darted down the alley and around the corner.

Rixx trend back, lifting his blaster to shoot one of the Zevrians. But his blood went cold when he saw Myrria being held by her neck with the nozzle of a blaster jammed into her ribs.

The Zevrian holding her was bleeding from his cheek, and Rixx noticed a female with blood trickling down her chin. Then he realized that she was the same female who'd opened the door for him at the pleasure house Zala had sent him to for sanctuary.

His gaze drifted to another female with unmistakable blue hair being held at blaster point. He knew her too. She was the madam. Myrria had brought friends from the pleasure house with her to find Zala.

Rixx then noticed one of the Zevrians lying on the ground with blood pouring from his neck, which appeared to have been ripped out entirely. He'd been right to be wary of the female who ran the door at the pleasure house. It was obvious that her spiked teeth were deadly.

"You can shoot me," the Zevrian said, wincing with every word, "but that means I take this one with me."

He shook Myrria like a doll made of cloth, and Rixx had to bite his bottom lip to keep from crying out.

He could still feel Myrria, but she no longer hummed with fear. Zala was no longer at risk, so her fear for herself was muted with relief.

Rixx understood her so well he could not speak. She did not want to die, but it mattered more to her that her daughter live. With a jolt so powerful it made his gasp, Rixx realized that he felt exactly the same.

He would rather Myrria survive than him. He would never be able to live with himself if she was harmed. He would rather die for her than live without her, and any torture at the hands of the Zevrians would be worth it if she was unharmed.

"Let her go," he rasped.

The Zevrian's black eyes narrowed. "You think you hold the power here?"

"You want me?" Rixx turned the nozzle of his blaster to the side. "Then take me, but release the females."

The Zevrian's brows peaked. "You for them? You will come without a fight?"

Rixx clenched his jaw. He had been so close to escaping, so close to returning to his crew. But this was what he had to do, what he wanted to do. "I will."

Myrria managed to shake her head. "No."

Rixx was not sure if the regret that stabbed him was his or hers, but it overwhelmed any fear. He walked slowly toward the Zevrians, his gaze locked on Myrria. "I have no regrets. Take Zala and go."

Not without you.

Rixx could hear her words as clearly as if she'd spoken them out loud. It is the only way.

He stopped and dropped his blaster, letting it clatter top the ground. The Zevrian shoved Myrria to the side, grabbing Rixx and ramming the blaster into his ribs.

"Leave them." The Zevrian barked to his crew mate and yanked Rixx toward him. "Let's go."

I love you.

The words echoing in his head made Rixx whip around to get a final glimpse of Myrria, but they had rounded the corner. She was gone.