Handsome Devil Read Online Free Page B

will be boring indeed.
    “ Let me get this straight,” she says, her eyes still wide. She seems to have trouble taking in new information in a reasonable fashion. “My sister tells your brother to take a hike and I get kidnapped?” She shakes her head. “How does that make sense?” A thought occurs to her. “Does my dad know? Oh shit, does my mom know?”  
    I tilt my head. She sounds more panicked by that thought than she did when she first spied me in her drinking establishment. A smile touches the corner of my mouth.
    “ Oh god,” she moans, burying her hands in her hair. “M'anu, you didn't.”
    “ Of course I did.”
    “ Do you know what you've done?”
    My smile grows. “Yes,” I reply with relish. I have provoked the formidable Moiria Jenner, former space pirate and one-time benevolent tyrant of a small planet. A fine figure of a woman with no moral barrier to bloodshed.
    And lusty, if her ten children are anything to go by.
    A worthy mate for one of my kind. More than one male bemoaned the news of her human. What she could see in a weak Earthling is beyond the understanding of my species. They are small and...I look at the halfling before me.
    My brow quirks. She will never be able to match the physicality of female Ferissians, but her ferocity is undeniable.
    She slaps her hands against her cheeks, another human mannerism that is both startling and confusing. Why is she hitting herself? Humans .  
    “ You're so dead,” she moans. “You've really done it now, buddy. When she comes to get me and blows up your planet, it's all on you. I'm not helping. I'd rather get my toe nails ripped out.” She glares. “Don't get any ideas though.”
    “ I look forward to it,” I inform her honestly. “The chance to tangle with your mother is an honor.”
    “ First of all, don't use the word tangle in reference to my mother with that smile on your face. It's just disturbing, and my dad is going to kick your ass for it. Second of all, this whole thing is twisted. Your brother wants my sister, so he sends his brother to kidnap one of my mother's other daughters so my sister will come and rescue me and get caught instead. Any way you spin this, Mom is pissed. Probably Betty too, but you never know with her. Does it seem smart to you to have your future mother-in-law angry with you? Huh? Tell me that.”  
    I shrug one shoulder. “Why should my brother concern himself with your mother's feelings? He should focus on his bride.”
    She slaps the metal bars beside her. “It's called respect, asshole. Never trust a guy who doesn't treat his mother well. Or his mother-in-law.” She narrows her eyes at me. “My sister said no. Deal with it.”
    I cross my arms over my chest and consider her. “Ferissians honor their mothers.”
    “ You expect me to believe that when you can't even let a girl say no? Ha.” She winces and grabs her forehead. “Ow.”
    My chin experiences the echo of an ache, reminding me just how she got that bruise on her brow. “You have a lot to learn, Agmoiria.” It is not my job to explain mating rituals to her. I will leave that to Feruz. My only task is to secure the youngest of Moiria Jenner's brood. Feruz's success depends on whether he can intercept his Bethina enroute.
    His plot, his problem. My part in this is all but done.
    I turn on my heel and put the Agmoiria out of my mind.
    My ship is small, able to be comfortably crewed by one but capable of holding up to four humanoids. There is an airdock, where I normally would keep a prisoner, but this is no ordinary bounty run. The Agmoiria is precious cargo. I moved the cage to the bridge in an attempt to keep my eye on her.
    Once the airdock is bypassed, there is a series of corridors. There is a commons area on the left. On the right is the main engine room. Further down the catwalk will find one in the portion of the ship with the living quarters. The rooms are fitted for my size, something I required when I purchased the vessel.