LyonsPrice by Mina Carter Read Free Book Online Page B

redder.
    Wonder if his head will actually explode? Archon
mused over the commlink. Can I shoot him?
    Lyon almost squawked, but managed to hold it in. They were
both trying to drive him nuts. No, you cannot shoot him. We’re in a corridor
with eight heavily armed marines, and one rifle between us.
    “For a Fleetie, you’re very well informed, Captain.”
    Despite his dislike of most humans, he had to give credit
where credit was due. Besides, there was something about the man. He had a
no-bullshit, cut-right-to-the-chase attitude that appealed to Lyon. Had
circumstances been different, he was the sort of guy Lyon would have tried to
build a friendship with.
    I’ve got a rubber band and a paperclip in my pocket, if
that helps?
    Archon?
    Yeah?
    Shut up.
    The human smiled. “Thank you. However, you haven’t answered
my question. I do apologize for pushing you…but time’s a-ticking.”
    Lyon opened his mouth. The usual demands for weapons and
supplies hovered on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t ask for any of them, even
though Redemption Bay was like a black hole for such supplies. Instead the
words that came out his mouth surprised him as much as it did everyone else.
    “Her,” he said, pulling Samara around into view. “I want
her.”
    Lyon ignored her outraged gasp, his attention on the
captain.
    “Two minutes, thirty-five seconds to self-destruct,” the
computer reminded them.
    Marisol–Lees’ dark-eyed gaze flicked from him to the petite woman
next to him and back again. Cold calculation showed in his eyes.
    “Just her? Nothing else? You’ll relinquish control of the
ship. No…hidden surprises?”
    Lyon shook his head. “Nothing. We’ll leave you in peace.”
    “Done. Hawkins, stand down. Let these people leave.”
    “Excellent, pleasure doing business with you, Captain. Have
a nice day,” he added, starting to walk toward the hatch as the marines backed
up.
    “You can’t do this!” Samara blurted out, seeming to
regain her voice as he tugged her toward the boarding access and, beyond it,
his ship.
    He couldn’t wait to get her aboard. The first thing he
planned to do was hole up in his quarters for…oh, a month? Yeah, a month should
be long enough. Maybe.
    He stopped so suddenly she ran straight into his back. Looking
over his shoulder, he ignored the quick smirk that ghosted over Marisol–Lees’
face.
    “Okay, what’s the problem?”
    “This is kidnapping!”
    His eyebrow lifted slightly. “Your point?”
    Hawkins chose that moment to pipe up. “With all due respect,
Sir. Are you just going to let these filthy creatures take her? She’s human,
for crying out loud, she doesn’t deserve this.”
    Can I shoot him now? Archon begged. Plllllllease?!
    Before the captain could say anything Samara rounded on the
corporal. “Filthy creatures? How dare you? At least they don’t sleep
around…yeah, I know all about you and Jessica. And Annette…or was Amanda before
Annette?” She smiled sweetly. “Just tell the girls you sleep with you’ve got an
STD, would you, sweetheart? Makes it so much easier to treat.”
    Oh. Crash and burn, baby. She’s good. Can we keep her?
    Hawkins went red and started to make a strange spluttering
sound as the captain choked. Lyon didn’t know whether it was a sound of outrage
or suppressed amusement, but he didn’t hang around to find out. In one swift
move, he leaned down and threw her over his shoulder.
    Ignoring her shriek of outrage, he headed for the boarding
hatch before either she or Archon could say anything else and screw the
situation up any more than it was already.
    “Cael, get us ready to move and cancel the self-destruct.”
He clambered through the boarding tube with an ease that belied the fact he was
carrying a wriggling, shrieking wildcat.
    “Archon!” he bellowed, suddenly becoming aware that the
Gemini hadn’t followed him. “Stop antagonizing the humans and get your butt in
here!”
    Aye, Colonel, just…dealing with something. Be