Taking Liberty by Jodi Redford Read Free Book Online

the speaker boxes affixed to the wall.
    â€œReally, you two should get a room.” Loud guffaws followed the general’s quip.
    Talk about suck ups. The joke wasn’t even that funny. She shoved at Lucus and he rolled off her with a groan. A click sounded and they both turned their heads just as the door locked in place.
    â€œMake yourselves comfortable.” The general gave a magnanimous sweep of his arm. “In a few hours, we’ll test out the best feature of the torture chamber. I’m sure you’re almost as excited as I am.”
    Oh yeah, buddy. I’m so flippin’ excited, I could pee my pants . Unfortunately, her sarcasm wasn’t a complete lie. She stood a good chance of being embarrassed any second by her skittish bladder. Rini whisked a lank of hair behind her ear and glanced through the glass at General Quarrel. “What are you going to do to us?”
    He pealed a laugh that would be envied in any government-operated psych ward. “If I told you now, my fun would be ruined.” With that unhelpful yet chilling explanation, he waddled off.

Chapter Six
    Lucus leaned his head against the wall and stared at Rini. For some unknown reason, she was trying to squeeze through one of the cutouts in the wall. “What the hell are you doing?”
    â€œTrying to find a way out of here.”
    â€œBy stuffing our bodies through a six-inch diameter hole?” He propped one foot over the other and grunted. “Babe, unless you’ve got some radical weight-loss pills tucked inside those pockets of yours, it ain’t gonna happen.”
    She continued wiggling her arm. “Of course I know we won’t fit through the openings. I’m just testing the width and stability of the glass.”
    He used the toe of his boot to scratch the back of his ankle. “So what did you find out?”
    â€œUm…we’re screwed.” Rini pulled her hand out and grimaced. “This glass is deceiving. It’s much thicker than it looks.”
    â€œTerrific.”
    Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, she glared at him. “Why are you sitting there like a bump on a log?”
    â€œWhat do you want me to do? Storm the glass with my goddamn head?”
    Her hands slammed onto her hips. “Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt anything.”
    Oh yeah, she was a fucking laugh riot. He hefted to his feet and stalked towards the wall. She popped her fist through the opening again and fiddled with the prong-like apertures circling the hole. Pathetic as it was, her stroking motions titillated his baser instincts.
    He faced death with a raging hard-on. His ma would be proud.
    Rini continued swirling her fingers over the prongs. “What in the universe could these be for?”
    Lucus wiped the sweat from his brow. At the moment, he was convinced the damn things held no further purpose than to torment his overheated libido. “For God’s sake, would you stop doing that?”
    Pulling her hand back through the hole, Rini gave him a confused look. Luckily, she didn’t comment on his desperate plea or dripping forehead. Their gazes moved in unison when voices drifted down the corridor. A guard approached with a female Aquatican outfitted in a tight, navy blue jumpsuit.
    The female flicked back her seaweed-green ringlets and sniffed. “I don’t care what you say, Fimordan. Your tentacles were all over Saribeth.”
    â€œThey weren’t, Jeneet. I swear it. You know how Saribeth constantly throws herself at me. I was just trying to fend her off.” The guard’s ineffectual attempt to hug his companion was met with a sharp slap across his head.
    Lucus winced. Shit, that had to hurt. Bad enough being slapped by one hand. Try four.
    â€œIf you wouldn’t constantly show her your pleasure valve, it wouldn’t be an issue!”
    Rini shot a look at him and he shrugged. “Yeah, I’m thinking we don’t wanna know.” He