Warrior's Pain (Cadi Warriors Book 4)(3)
“What the hell?” the officer repeated, sounding worried. He grabbed his gun, and turned to Riley. “You duck down. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Riley’s heart kicked into high gear as she huddled against the metal bench. The bright light pierced the windshield, homing in on the guard. When he slumped in the driver’s seat, she knew they were in trouble. Riley tried to evade the blinding ray, frantically tugging at the handcuff securing her to the bench.
Sweet mother of Jesus, was her last panicked thought, as tunnel vision overwhelmed her.
Chapter 1. Captured
Riley
Riley hid in the loading bay of the Miran Sona spaceship, reminiscing about the day the gangly, pale aliens changed her life. She had mixed emotions about the event.
The only certainty in life, is change.
Waking up at the New Earth colony, with its fresh air and wide-open spaces, was awesome. Riley didn’t have to worry about being some butch chick’s girlfriend, or going to the bathroom with everyone else watching. On the flip side, she was never going home again. And even if she could, she’d now be a fugitive of justice. That by itself was a bitter pill to swallow. What made things worse, was that the M’s expected her to get knocked up, to create the next generation of humans. It was all part of the M’s Brave New World experiment.
That is so not happening, Riley grimaced.
If it weren’t for her new friend, June, life in the colony would’ve become dull, fast. On Earth, they would’ve never been friends. June was a sweet, clean-cut, geeky chick, and Riley was a brooding artist, tattooed six ways of Sunday. Besides living a state apart, they moved in entirely different circles. But in the colony, they became fast friends, despite their differences. June had an ornery adventuresome side that called to Riley. And neither of them had the patience to deal with the social cliques that formed on New Earth.
June was the reason Riley now hid in the glass-domed loading bay of the M’s spaceship.
Let’s sneak aboard and take a look around. What could be the harm in that? Riley snorted.
In all fairness, June wasn’t entirely to blame. Riley had also been eager for an adventure. If either of them had known the spaceship was bound for a world populated with blood red demons, they wouldn’t be in their current predicament.
What do they say about hindsight? Jesus, how the hell do I get myself into these situations?
Riley peeked out from behind the boxes, then quickly ducked when one of the demons boarded the vessel. She covered her mouth, to keep the giant red behemoth from hearing her.
Hiding from hell spawn is not my idea of a good time. What the fuck were we thinking? Riley cursed as she covertly watched the red giant approach a pallet of supplies.
From where Riley hid, she had a good view of Spawn. Her eyes panned from the man’s booted feet up his thick thighs. She lingered for a moment on the distracting tail that snaked out below his kilt, before continuing her trek upward.
Spawn was ripped, although everything was in proportion, if you considered how damn tall and broad he was. The muscles of his back looked hard as steel. The peaks and ridges flexed with every lithe move Spawn made. The daunting view was partially obscured by a bandolier that crossed from one broad shoulder, over the valley of his spine, then hugged his obliques as it extended around his torso.
How many freaking knives does the man need? He could probably just tear his opponent to pieces.
Spawn wasn’t just armed to the teeth. He had more tattoos than a Yakuza crime lord. Despite being freaked out, Riley admired the intricate, swirling, black designs that covered his back, and extended down his corded arms.
It’s nice ink, she admitted.
The demonic man’s raven black hair was shaved short on the sides, but unruly up top. Riley doubted a smile ever graced his stern jaw. And if it did, it probably never reached his obsidian eyes. Spawn reminded Riley of Karl Urban in the Chronicles of Riddick, and appeared just as dark and dangerous as the character. He was the kind of figure that would haunt a girl’s dreams, making her question if it was a fantasy or nightmare, till she woke up breathless. Being this close to the predator had Riley’s heart pounding. She thought it was going to burst from her chest at any moment, and betray her location.
What the hell are Ion and Exo doing here?
Riley figured the Miran Sona were trading with the demonic people. But she couldn’t understand why they risked dealing with a planet full of warlords.
Once Spawn left the ship with the pallet, Riley let out the breath she was holding. She attempted to calm her shaking hands, before hesitantly inching out from her hiding spot.
“June, they’re gone,” she hissed, while keeping a wary eye on the entrance.