Extrication Read online

“You like it, little dove? I will give you more later. You will be begging.”

  Like bloody hell I will.

  She accepted the glass of wine Four handed her. Looking up at him, she smiled wanly and noticed the flash of anger in his eyes as his gaze rested on the hand beneath the thin material of the bodice.

  “Your companion is an exquisite specimen, General,” Nimera told Four. “I hope you do not mind me tasting her wares.”

  The curious stares of the guests nearby the podium did not escape Two, or the whispers. Mortified, she endured his hand, but then he pulled her toward him, almost onto his lap, and his head dipped down. Shoving the material aside, he bared her breast and gazed at it, while still massaging and pinching her nipple.

  Two shuddered inwardly, her stomach roiling as the fat lips approached her nipple.

  “Women should not cover their beauty.” Nimera looked up at Four and grinned, while he pushed the material away from her other breast. There she sat, exposed, unable to do anything for fear of angering the man. Filthy, disgusting, dirty-minded swine... His head was right below her face, the greasy smell of his hair sickening her.

  He was about to claim a nipple. Two steeled herself, but then Four spoke up.

  “General, the guests are staring,” Four said carefully.

  Relief flooded her body when Nimera drew back to respond to Four’s warning.

  “I do not care. If it were up to me, all the women would disrobe completely. Maybe I should order it.”

  A loud gong sounded. Nimera let go of her breasts and stood, hauling her up with him. She began to pull the material back over her breasts, but he stopped her.

  “No, my dear. I am hungry, but for more than food. I want to feast on you while I eat.”

  Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. I can’t believe this. How fucking embarrassing! Everyone is staring at me.

  He took her arm and guided her down the podium toward the doors that led to the palace dining room. Her face felt hot. She was sure it was as red as the velvet material on the chairs around the lengthy table. Holding her head up high, she walked beside him to the very end.

  There were two ornate chairs with a little gold crown on top of the backs, one for the king and one for the queen. He pushed her to one of the chairs, then sat beside her. Four was allotted the chair just to the right of her. His blue eyes were as dark as the sea. She knew he was furious at Nimera’s actions, at the open display of her nudity.

  Anger. Another emotion they were not allowed to give into but were taught to feed on to complete a mission effectively. Was Four feeding on his rage? Would he be able to help her get rid of this revolting bastard? Did he carry a hidden weapon of some kind?

  “I cannot wait until after the ball. After we eat, we shall go to my quarters.” Nimera reached and groped a breast while devouring a chunk of meat with his other hand, ignoring the utensils next to his plate. Grease dribbled down his chin, onto his uniform.

  He was truly a pig in more ways than one. Two smiled and nodded. “I can’t wait to be alone with you,” she said in a sultry tone. “Let us eat first.”

  “I promised her father I wouldn’t let the princess out of my sight,” Four said, looking directly at Nimera.

  Two picked at her food. She couldn’t eat for the life of her. So many eyes were on her. The male guests at the table especially kept ogling her naked bosom, the females delicately averting their gazes, their whispers continuing.

  “Then you shall be witness to our coupling,” Nimera spoke with a full mouth. “If she pleases me, I might just keep her and after the crowning, make her my queen.”

  “General, maybe you should wait until after the ball,” Four suggested carefully. “The princess’s father, King Onkaru, would frown heavily upon coupling with the princess before nuptials have been performed.”

  Is that even a real name? Two was surprised at his ingenuity. She was even more surprised at Four’s attempt to stop the seduction. But to kill the swine any other way would be an impossibility. Schultz had been right that she could not have killed him from a distance. She searched her memory for a planet called Afrania but couldn’t come up with anything. It had to be a fictitious planet, along with a fake king and princess.

  “We shall return to the ball afterward. The guests will not miss me for a short while. And then after the ball, we have the whole night,” the pig said in his raspy voice.

  Like fucking hell you’ll have the whole night.

  Two took a deep gulp of her wine. It was not a liquid she was used to having. They’d never been allowed to have any alcohol in the Institute. That delicacy was reserved for the doctors and the staff only. Though she didn’t really like the taste of it, she found it calmed her somewhat.

  “Don’t drink too much of that,” Four warned softly. “We can’t have you drunk.”

  “She can drink as much as she wants, General. Do you not you know a woman who is drunk is an angel in bed?” Nimera promptly handed her another glass filled with wine.

  Dinner lasted quite a while, but not long enough for her. She toyed with the food Nimera kept heaping onto her plate. What it all was, she had no idea. It smelled good. She took tiny bites, and though it tasted delicious, she dawdled. When Nimera finally finished eating and rubbed his belly, he turned to her. “Come, my dear.”

  “I am not finished... I—”

  “I will have food brought to the royal quarters. Come.” He stood, and taking her arm, pulled her up, then draping his arm around her neck, his hand plunging to her breast again kneading it hard and pinching her nipple, he steered her from the dining room into a lavish lobby. She heard Four’s footsteps behind them.

  Nimera guided her up a wide staircase covered in red carpet, and down a hallway to double gilded doors, a gold crown above each door. A guard was posted on each side. She wondered if these were royal guards, or if they were Nimera’s men. Had he imprisoned all of the king’s soldiers, too? Probably. The king’s guards would not just have allowed Nimera to waltz in to take the royals prisoner. One of the guards opened the doors, and Nimera steered her into the royal quarters and to the bedroom. She hardly had time to admire the surroundings.

  Nimera busied himself taking off his boots and uniform until he was naked. He pulled the gold satin covers back and laid on the bed, his gaze never leaving her. “Dance for me,” he ordered.

  Two almost puked at the sight of him, his blubbering belly, fat little arms and legs, and the still flaccid, repulsive object between his legs. Dance? With no music? Okay, now it begins. The art of seduction.

  She imagined music and began to sway, swinging her hips seductively, trying to avoid looking at the lump of fat flesh on the bed. A mountain of lard, that’s what he was, a contemptuous filthy swine!

  “You! General, take your uniform off,” Nimera ordered.

  The fire in Four’s eyes was unbelievable. Two thought he’d explode for sure, but he kept his cool and began removing his boots and uniform.

  Averting her gaze away from the fat pig, she looked at Four instead. And he was something to admire. Now standing naked, his cock fully erect, he was a magnificent specimen. Muscular, pecs to drool over, rippled abs, he actually sparked something within her. It was an unusual sensation, one she’d never felt in her life. A shiver ran down her spine. A burning settled in her loins and her pubic area throbbed. Butterflies danced in her stomach, and her heart sped up. Focusing on Four, she continued to sway, her back to the bed.

  Maybe the swine knew his shortcomings and by telling Four to strip hoped that watching the handsome man with his muscular body would really ignite her passion. Passion? She never knew she possessed any, until now. She truly felt an unfamiliar desire as she gazed at Four.

  “Turn around, woman. I want to see all of you. Strip for me.”

  For just a moment she’d forgotten about the general, and the reason why she was doing this. She undid the metal band beneath her breasts and tossed it next to the bed, then she
undid the clasps that held her cloak and let it drop to the floor. Slowly, still quasi-dancing and swaying, she slipped the straps off her shoulders, then ever so languidly, slid the dress down her hips until the material slithered to the floor. Her sandals were last.

  “Pivot for me. I want to see you from all angles,” Nimera barked.

  Keeping her eyes on Four, she spun lazily. Four’s cock pulsed gently against his abdomen. Never in her wildest dreams could she have conjured up the feelings he aroused within her. The area between her legs continued to throb. A fire ignited in her abdomen, and her skin prickled.

  She desired this man. She’d read about sex between a man and woman but in the most clinical sense. She’d never felt any arousal while reading about it, neither had the articles ever fired up her imagination. This... this was so different. To see a live naked man, and not just any man, no... a hot, sexy, specimen, with eyes that devoured her, displaying a hunger she welcomed, opposed to the greedy gaze of the pig on the bed.

  “Come here,” Nimera ordered, his voice low and husky.

  With reluctance, she walked as gracefully as she could to the bed. She glanced at the metal belt to make sure it was within reach before climbing onto the large mattress. She noticed the limp flesh at his groin had finally grown into something resembling a man’s erection. She almost giggled, because his cock was curved and looked like a question mark. Nimera grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. He stroked her face with a still greasy hand, then grasped her breasts and squeezed them hard, instantly dousing the fire in her loins and stopping the yearning to go to Four to touch him.

  “You are something out of this world. I have never seen or met a woman so beautiful. You are perfection itself. Get on your hands and knees,” the pig told her.

  He has to be kidding. No. That’s not the position I want you in, pig. But Two did as she was told.

  When she was on her hands and knees, Nimera spread her legs wide. Utter embarrassment flooded her now. Preparing herself for his onslaught, steeling herself, trying to blank out her mind she prepared herself for his entry, but she was surprised when only his hands assaulted her. His fingers entered her, causing her to gasp at the sudden invasion.

  “A virgin!” he shouted as his fingers dug deep within. “Perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more. Robert, you have done me a great service in bringing Chandra to my party. You will be well rewarded! Come and stand beside the bed. I want to see her take your cock into her mouth.”

  Good. That meant she would be close to the side of the bed and she could reach down to retrieve her dagger. Four stood beside the bed. Nimera pushed her to crawl to the edge of the bed, his fingers never leaving her. She felt his drool land on her buttocks and almost puked.

  Four’s cock poked at her lips. She parted them and allowed him to push his hard member into her mouth. He tasted good, of musk, of sweet nectar, pushing the pig behind her almost to the back of her mind.

  Thankfully, the bed stood very low. Four pumped slowly into her mouth. She heard his heavy breathing, but this was not romantic, not even erotic. It was horrifying. She reached down and grasped the belt and pushed the small button to release the slim dagger.

  Nimera spoke in a raspy voice while his fingers continued to rotate within her. “I will save the best until the night after I make you my queen.”

  Then she felt his cock pressing against her anus. No... not there... He pushed hard. It hurt like blazes.

  Anger consumed her at the invasion of her body, a fury she didn’t know she possessed. She grasped the hilt of the dagger tightly in her hand, let go of Four’s cock, swiveled, and aimed straight for the pig’s heart.

  Surprise painted Nimera’s face as she plunged the blade deep into his chest. He gasped, his slack lips falling open to let out a scream, but too late. Two withdrew the blade and plunged it into his chest again and again.

  “Take this, you filthy little bastard. Swine! Pig! And this, and this...” Two kept stabbing until Four took her hand and stopped her.

  The fat little man fell forward onto the bed. Two crawled away from him and off the bed, the dagger still in her hand, blood dripping from the blade. Angry tears soaked her cheeks, tears not only of anger but also of shame. Four awkwardly took her into his arms, and for a few moments, she felt safe.

  “Shhh... Calm yourself. He cupped her chin and tilted it to gaze into her eyes. “It’s over. The piece of shit is dead.”

  Two took a deep shuddering breath and pulled herself together. “Mission accomplished.”

  She stepped away from Four, wiped the blade on the sheets, cleansed the blood splatters off her body, then gathered her clothes and got dressed while he did the same.

  “We need to get out of here.” Four grabbed a dagger from the sheath on Nimera’s uniform and stuck it in his belt. “I don’t see any other weapons.”

  “So, you’ve decided not to activate the microchip? And how do you suggest we leave? If we come out of this room without him, the guards will be suspicious.” She concealed her own knife within her metal belt.

  “The balcony.” He gestured to a set of double doors near several plush chairs and a table laden with fruit and wine.

  “Great. We’re on the second floor, and I’m hardly dressed for climbing.” She screwed up her face. She’d give anything to be wearing one of her usual bodysuits. She hiked the dress up to her thighs and tied a knot in the skirts. At least it would be out of her way when they made their descent. “You remember what I told you, right? This assignment is a one-way street. I’m not willing to die for the world authorities or anyone. If you want to risk activating your implant, go ahead.”

  But what an utter waste that would be...

  “I’ve thought carefully about what you told me. No, I’m not going to risk my life. If you’re right, that the implants will kill us, I think they’re supposed to find our bodies here, and the explanation would be that I impersonated the real general, and you were my accomplice. There would be no questions. Assassins found at scene of crime. Case closed. We have no families and would never be missed. We’ll make our escape from the palace and find somewhere to hide out until this mess blows over.”

  “We’ll become targets. I’m sure when Schultz and Schmidt find out, they will send someone after us.”

  “Let them send some of the others to find us. We’ll soon enlighten them.” He took her hand and led her through the balcony doors. “Come on. The more time we waste here, the more likely we will get caught.”

  Chapter Four

  Bracing her hands on the guardrail, Two peered down to the gardens below. Walkways lined with flowers and trees were laid out in a maze pattern. In the center of the winding trails stood an elegant gazebo. Frothy purple flowers dripped from vines that wound around the columns. Below, the balcony was supported by tall pillars much like those she encountered when she exited the portal.

  “Easy. We just slide down.” Her gaze returned to the shadowed walkways. The gardens appeared to be empty, and the maze of shrubbery would help to shield their escape.

  “I don’t see anyone.” Four hoisted her onto the rail. “You first. With a bit of luck, they won’t find Nimera until tomorrow morning.”

  Two climbed over the railing and hanging by her hands felt with her feet for the pillar below. She grasped it with both legs, then slowly lowered herself until she could wrap her arms around it. She slid down slowly. When her feet touched the balustrade, she swiftly climbed down to the ground and crouched between the bushes. Looking up, she watched Four do the same to land beside her.

  “Before we continue, my name is Starla.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “A pretty name for a beautiful woman. Mine is David.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Damn, the man was handsome as hell. “You remembered your name, too?”

  “Yes, I was six, almost seven, when they took me. David Buchanan.” He shifted a branch and trained his gaze on the pathways. “Come on. We can use the
maze to our advantage. The gazebo will provide some cover while we gather our bearings.”

  Keeping to the shadows, they moved from bush to tree, carefully making their way to the center of the garden maze. Starla breathed a sigh of relief once she stepped behind the curtain of leaves and flowers draped around the pavilion.

  “They took you? I don’t remember my last name. I was five. I don’t recollect how I got to the Institute, but I do have memory flashes of my parents.”

  The images haunted her. To think she had a family once, that someone out there may have cared for her—possibly loved her—hurt. For a fleeting moment the memory she’d experienced when June slid the dress over her head swept through her mind. Was it a real memory? Or did it come from one of the books she’d read?

  “All I remember is that one day they came to my house and took me away in their vehicle.” He brushed his hand through his hair, his expression unreadable, though his eyes blazed blue fire. “I never told the bastards I remembered. I had a small part of who I was left, I wasn’t about to let them wipe my mind again.”

  She reached up and touched his cheek. She couldn’t help it. Even though they were conditioned to suppress their feelings, she understood his pain. “I didn’t tell them either. I wanted to be someone, not just a number.”

  “I remember where I lived. The address, the phone number we had, and my parents. I had a younger brother and sister. Enough about that for now. We can talk about it later.” He turned away to study the courtyard. “How much do you know about this planet, Starla?”

  Not enough for her taste. The mission had been sprung on her with no real time to prepare, and if it were up to Schultz and Schmidt, she would be dead now instead of trying to escape.

  “Besides the language? Not much. I studied it a bit after Schultz told me where I was going, but not sufficient to give us an escape route. There wasn’t much of a map among the material they put on my tablet. The palace is on the outskirts of the capital. First, we need to get off the palace grounds, then out of the city.” She adjusted her cloak around her shoulders and scrunched her nose. “You need to get out of that uniform, and I need to get out of this dress. We’ll stand out like sore thumbs.”