brute ... “I can’t see.” I’m too busy crying.
“About time.”
“Huh?” That didn’t make any sense. In fact, nothing was making any sense at all.
“Blood tears,” someone said right at her shoulder.
She felt heat begin to creep up her limbs. “What?” A humming filled her ears. The heat in her body pulled at her and made it difficult to think.
“Her eyes are going; she’s late for her second dose.” Sobehk sounded far away. “Let go, kitten.”
Her arms dropped from around his waist. She was supposed to be doing something ... going somewhere.
“She’s going under.”
“I see it.” She felt Sobehk turn her and lay her across his lap. “Give me the syringe.”
Sleep crashed over her.
Something punched into her heart, from very far away.
* * * * *
Fallon awoke disoriented and bent over on her stomach with her wrists pinned behind her back. It took her a moment to realize that she was being carried, draped over a warm broad shoulder, with her head down a muscular, naked back. Her gaze was irresistibly drawn down a long white braid swinging above a flexing muscular ass in skintight pants. It was a really nice ass, too ...
Then her body started protesting, loudly. She groaned as every bruise, ache and strain from the last three days suddenly howled for attention. She shifted uncomfortably. For some strange reason there seemed to be a hard knot at the base of her breastbone that was particularly annoying.
“Finally awake?” The deep voice was more than familiar.
Fallon closed her eyes. She would be ogling Sobehk’s backside. Terrific ...
“Before you get any thoughts about trying to leave the ship, we left the station about an hour ago and are currently in jump space.”
Oh, shit! For a full breath, panic surged through her. The panic was abruptly squashed by practicality. She had known that her career would probably end in being caught by somebody. She just hadn’t thought she’d get caught by someone she’d kissed. Pain in my ass ... She flinched. Her ass was still sore from her reaming.
She seriously thought about wriggling out of his hold just on principle, but there wasn’t anyplace to go, not on a ship this small. And I’m just too damned tired ... Her stomach gurgled, and she winced. ... And hungry. She honestly hoped he planned to feed her sometime soon. She lifted her head and found that she was being hauled through a semi-dark, narrow, arched passageway walled in unrelieved black. “Where are you taking me?”
“The facility. You’re incredibly filthy.”
She snorted. “I should be; I’ve been sleeping in the under-city sewers for the past few days.”
“Oh, so that’s where that charming aroma came from?” He sounded revoltingly amused.
Fallon curled her lip. So she smelled like a cesspit; nice of him to point that out. “I did it to avoid a big white-haired brute that wouldn’t get off my ass.” She felt a smile bloom with sudden memory. “When I dove into that last sewage pipe, the look of total disgust on your face was absolutely precious. You really hate getting your pretty armor all dirty, don’t you?”
“ You are in enough trouble already. Are you sure you want to add to it?”
“I figure I’m about as deep as I can get already, so why hold back?” Fallon’s belly gurgled again. She shifted. Her stomach was not at all happy being draped over his hard shoulder. “Are we there yet?”
“As a matter of fact ...” He stepped through a narrow oval door, knelt, and tilted her back, depositing her onto her feet. “Yes.”
Fallon teetered unsteadily on her bare feet. They were in a compact, black-walled bathing facility with an enclosed water stall that would fit two, but no more. The commode and the sink were both lidded and designed for gravity and zero-g.
Sobehk set towels on the counter, then turned and reached for her.
She back-pedaled into the wall where the door used to be.
He snorted. “Relax; I’m just checking your