Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
“Zayn!” Ria tried to call him back, but he was already running toward the men.
Damn him, she should have known playing hero would be in his DNA somewhere. Drawing her pistol, she ran after him.
As the men squared off with Lala, Zayn called out. “Two grown men against a defenseless young girl hardly seems like a fair fight.”
The men looked over their shoulders. Ray’s eyes narrowed. “Stranger, you don’t want to get involved in this.”
Clint nodded. “Besides, she’s not defenseless. She’s more dangerous than everyone in this town put together.”
Ria slowed to a walk, trying not to draw anyone’s attention.
In a casual move, Zayn swiveled the knife in his hand. “Look, just let her go, and there’ll be no trouble.”
“Screw you.” Ray leveled his gun on Lala.
Zayn moved so fast, Ria saw nothing but a blur. He swung out at the man and Ray’s gun hit the dirt. With a cry, Ray clutched his hand to his chest, blood gleaming on his wrist.
Clint spun, going for his own gun. Ria stepped forward, her pistol aimed at his head. “Not a good idea.”
“Time to go,” Zayn said to Lala with a wave.
She skipped over to Zayn, skirting the giant hole. “I’m good at swift exits.”
Ria, Zayn, and Lala backed away from the men. Both were gritting their teeth, their fuming gazes on the trio. They turned a corner, and the men and the smoldering hole disappeared from view.
“Well, it’s not every day a damsel gets a rescue from a handsome stranger.” Lala shot Zayn a grin, eyeing him up and down. Then she looked at Ria. “Thanks to you, too.”
Typical. Lala might be just a girl, but she was female. Helpless against the Phoenix charm. “You’re welcome.”
“If you ever need some help of the explosive variety, then look me up. I’m Lastite Lala to my friends… Hmm, and Lastite Lala to my enemies as well.” She broke into a fit of laughter.
Ria fought to keep her face blank. The girl really was unique.
On the edge of town, they slowed. “Do you have family near here?” Ria asked.
“Family? Nuh-uh.” Lala shook her head and did a little dance. “Only Fuzzy and Fred.”
Zayn traded a glance with Ria. “Are they friends?”
“My robots.”
Zayn ran a hand through his hair. “Right.”
This young girl lived alone on this god-forsaken planet. Ria felt a rush of sympathy. She’d had a rough life, but at least the Guild had fed her, clothed her, given her some sense of belonging and security.
“Well, I thank you again for my gallant rescue.” Lala bobbed in a curtsy. “But now I need to get back to my hideout. Bombs to make, things to blow up.”
Zayn released a long breath. “I can’t let you do that.”
Lastite Lala raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”
“We’ve come a long way to find you.”
A pout curved across the girl’s lips. “For some reason, you ain’t looking so handsome anymore.”
“Look, we aren’t going to hurt you.” With those lightning fast moves of his, Zayn whipped out some electro-cuffs and slapped them on Lala’s wrists. “We just really need you in order to complete our mission.”
Lala eyed the blue glow of the cuffs. “You really know how to ruin a perfectly good rescue.”
“Sorry, Lala. Like Zayn said, we need your help for a mission. After that, you’re free to go.” Ria looked around the dusty street. A small group of cowboys loitered farther down the road. “Maybe you’d like to move somewhere else. Somewhere less…dusty.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Lala snapped the gum she was chewing. Then she leaned down and spat the gum at the cuffs. The pink glob stuck to the metallic surface.
There was a tiny spark of light followed by a puff of smoke.
Ria coughed. Zayn waved to dissipate the smoke. The electro-cuffs fell into the dirt with a plop.
“What the—?” Zayn exclaimed.
Lala shoved her hands on her hips. “I’ve already had one set of idiots try and kill me today. I’m not planning to finish the day off with a kidnapping.”
“You blew up the cuffs.” Ria stared openmouthed. “Are you crazy? You could have blown off your hands.”
The girl shrugged. “It’s a new prototype I’m testing. Chewing gum that doubles as an explosive.” She grinned. “Worked a treat. Now, I need to be going.”
She’d skipped three steps down the street before coming to a hard stop. Ahead, the group of men had neared. They all stood, legs spread wide, hands poised over their holsters and hats pulled low. There was a jostling in the crowd as two men moved forward.
Clint and Ray.
“Not good,” Lala murmured.
No, not good. Ria went for her pistol.
“Put it down,” Clint called out. He gestured to his associates. Three men held rifles aimed at Ria, Zayn, and Lala.
Ria’s chest felt heavy. Her mind churned as she tried to see a way out of this. Damn. Left with no choice, she set the pistol on the ground.
“Now, Lala, I’m through with you and your crazy antics.” Ray sliced a hand through the air. “Time for you to meet your maker.”
Lala sniffed. “Screw you, Ray Baker.” The girl snatched something from her pocket and rolled it toward the group of men.
The small black ball bounced once, then rolled up and hit Ray’s boot. “What the fuck—?”
There was a huge flash of light.
“Explosives!”
“Bomb!”
The crowd dived and scattered. Ria skittered backward, her shoulder slamming into Zayn. He gripped her waist to steady her.
A huge ball of smoke engulfed them all. Ria coughed. The stuff worked its way down her throat and stung her eyes.
“I can’t see,” a cowboy yelled.
“I can’t breathe,” another rasped.
As the cowboys panicked, Ria grabbed Zayn’s arm and pulled him to the ground.
Fresher air hit her lungs and she gulped in large mouthfuls. She heard Zayn dragging in air as well.
“I don’t think Lala is as crazy as she makes out,” Ria said.
“I don’t know. I think you can be a genius and be crazy at the same time.”
The smoke slowly cleared.
Ria scanned the street. “Dammit.”
Lala was gone.
“Slippery little thing,” Zayn said. “Probably how she’s survived so long on her own.”
Scarred boots stepped into view. “Lala might be gone, but we also have a score to settle with you.”
Ria looked up. Ray towered above them, with Clint and their cronies standing behind him. “Look—”
Two men grabbed Zayn’s arms and hauled him up. Before Ria could say anything, Clint slammed a fist into Zayn’s gut.
He groaned and jerked in his captors’ hold. Another fist. Then another.
Ria felt a familiar calm descend. No one was going to hurt him.
She swiped out with her leg. Ray tumbled back, arms wind-milling.
As he fell, she exploded upward, swinging a fist at one of the men holding Zayn.
Still moving, she chopped a straight palm at the other, hitting him in the throat.
He stumbled back, choking. Zayn stumbled as well, wrapping an arm around his middle.
“Zayn!” She lost her concentration. How badly was he hurt? Too late, she sensed someone behind her and spun. They were close. Too close.
Ray slammed a rifle butt against her head, smashing it into her temple.
As the world went gray, she felt herself falling. She saw Zayn struggling, yelling, his hot blue gaze on her.
Then she felt dust under her cheek before darkness descended.
Heat seared through Zayn’s brain and body. He tried to swallow but his mouth and throat were dust-dry.
Flame-burned son of a… Had he and Dathan been on a kila bender again?
His head was throbbing hard, a bouncing beat that sent pain zinging through his skull. He forced his eyes open. Bright light speared into them, and he squeezed them shut again. It took him a minute to slowly open them again and focus on what he was seeing.
The bouncing wasn’t in his head. He’d been tossed over the back of a horse, his wrists tied so tight that the rope dug into his skin.
He swallowed back some curses. Below him, he saw the rocky terrain of the desert.
He lifted his head. The sun was heading down toward the horizon, baking everything in its path.
Diablo. Memories rushed back in. Ria. Where was Ria?
Frantic, he looked around as best he could from his awkward position. He spotted Clint and Ray seated on horses ahead of him. They had two extra horses on long leads, trailing behind them. When Zayn saw the feminine body draped over the other horse, he released a long breath.
Then worry pounded into him. She wasn’t moving. Was she okay?
He tested the restraints. They were solid. For now, he wasn’t going anywhere. Besides, he really needed to assess how bad his injuries were. He remembered some rib-shattering jabs to the chest and gut before a blow to the back of the head had equaled lights out.
And Ria. She’d gotten a damn hard blow to the head.
He forced the panic down. She was a Guild assassin. She’d be fine. She had to be.
It felt like hours later when Ray and Clint stopped the horses among a stand of straggly trees surrounded by a high canyon. The rocky walls were striated in every shade of red. The setting sun hit them, turning them a bloody scarlet.
Zayn remained still and listened to the men muttering about making camp for the night. The next second, he was dragged roughly from the horse and dumped on the ground. The drop made fire tear through his ribs, and he clamped down on his lip to stop an agonized groan from escaping.
Ray dropped Ria’s dead weight down beside Zayn and stalked away. The men set about creating a fire and setting up camp with the ease of long experience. They ignored Zayn and Ria.
For now.
“Ria? Ria?” He kept his voice low
She didn’t move.
He managed to scoot over beside her. With a nudge, he rolled her over and he sucked in a breath.
One side of her face was covered in dried blood.
As best he could with his bound hands, he searched for the wound.
There. A bloody gash on her temple. He probed it a bit, was gratified by a tiny groan.
It wasn’t too bad. Might scar without a medscope, but it wasn’t life-threatening.