Taking Liberty by Jodi Redford Read Free Book Online Page B

look skyward. “God, I know I haven’t exactly been a model citizen. But do you think maybe you can just take me out with a quick brain aneurism?”
    Rini banged against the glass, catching the attention of both Aquaticans. “Jeneet, girlfriend, don’t let him walk all over you like that!”
    â€œ Girlfriend? ” Lucus ducked beneath the cascading water and sloshed to Rini’s side. “Hate to break it to you, babe, but getting chummy with the enemy isn’t going to save our asses.”
    â€œThat’s where you’re wrong. It’s precisely what’s going to get us out of here.” She kicked at the wall, stirring up a small wave. “Listen, Jeneet, I’ve known males exactly like Fimordan. They only care about themselves. Before you know it, they’re stomping all over your heart and leaving you with the shattered pieces to pick up. Alone—while the bastard goes about his life like nothing happened. Like he didn’t just send your world toppling off its axis.”
    Lucus stared at Rini’s profile. Either she was freakishly good at improvisation or she’d been majorly burned a time or two. Shit, no wonder she flattened me with her ninja moves. She probably hates my entire gender .
    Her scrutiny moving to him, Jeneet shuffled closer to the glass. Righteous anger seethed in her sea-foam eyes. “Is he one of the males you speak of?”
    Rini flicked him a quick look before shaking her head. “No. And surely you don’t want to snuff the only decent male on your planet?”
    â€œI don’t know. How big is his pleasure valve?”
    Ignoring his sputtering choke, Rini held her hands roughly nine inches apart. Well, at least she didn’t shortchange him.
    Smiling like she’d just hooked the biggest fish in the ocean, Jeneet trotted to the hose room and reached for the lever. Fimordan’s tentacle slapped over hers. The two battled for supremacy of the lever. Meanwhile, the water rose at an alarming rate, almost reaching Lucus’s upper thighs.
    Rini maneuvered around the water spray and pummeled the glass, apparently still intent on cheerleading the showdown between Jeneet and Fimordan. “Kick the low-down bastard in the balls. If he has any.”
    Lucus cocked his eyebrows. “Jesus, remind me not to make you mad.”
    Rini ignored him and kept her attention centered on the power struggle waging across the corridor. “Come on, Jeneet. Show him the true meaning of girl power.”
    A shrill, fingernails-on-chalkboard shriek rang from the female Aquatican and she gave a vicious tug. She stumbled back, the lever clutched in her tentacles. Her tiny lips blossomed into an O. “Whoops.”
    â€œOh shit.” No sooner did the words leave Lucus’s mouth and a fierce rumble convulsed through the hoses, followed by an icy torrent. One of the jets nailed Rini and pulled her in its undertow. When she didn’t immediately surface, he dove after her. Grasping her waist, he dragged them both above water.
    Rini gasped, holding onto him with a bone-crushing grip. “This probably is a bad time to bring this up, but I’m a lousy swimmer.”
    Keeping her anchored at his side, he slammed his fist on the wall, praying the combination of his pounding and the stress from the pumping hoses would fracture the glass. The water kept pouring in, forcing him to tread furiously to keep both he and Rini afloat. He could feel the spastic pressure of her chattering teeth against his collarbone.
    â€œI-I’m s-sorry. This-s all my f-fault. Should have mentioned sm-smashed crate.”
    He slid his hand from the glass and hugged Rini tighter, trying to calm her. “Babe, give me some of the credit. I’m the one who agreed to smuggle it.”
    â€œTr-true.”
    The water level kept steadily climbing and Lucus glanced skyward. His gut gave a kick. If he reached up, he’d be able to touch the