Handsome Devil Read Free Page B

me, little human.”
    She spins. The bag slams into my face. I stumble to the side, pain exploding in my cheek. “That's payment for kidnapping me, Ferissian!” She rams her elbow into the joint between my shoulder and neck. I drop to a plank position, landing on my palms, toes balanced.
    She kicks me in the stomach. “That's for taking me from Alan Rickman!”
    I roll to the side and come up to my feet. This is still a game—a delightful, rough and tumble skirmish—but it is taking up too much of my time. I must get a message to Feruz soon, or this will all be for nothing.
    The game must end.
    I attack in earnest, feigning left and hooking my arm out when she dodges. She falls into my trap without a moment's hesitation. I wrap my forearm around her throat and haul her into my body, her crown slamming into my breast. She slipped her hands beneath my hold—impressive reflexes—but I am too strong. I squeeze and hiss in her ear, “Yield, female, before this becomes unpleasant.”
    I will not kill her. That is not my ultimate goal. I will do what is necessary to subdue her, however, and will cut off her air without hesitation if required.
    Her smell fills my nose. It is fruity and light, pleasing. I commit it to memory. One never knows when such information will be useful.
    She pants, both from exertion and the choice I have given her. The tattoo of her heart is tangible through her skin. I lock my other arm around her chest, securing her still further. She is still trying to break my hold. It will do her no good, but it seems the Agmoiria—literally translated, daughter of Moiria—will not relent without proof of my resolve.
    I apply steady pressure, carefully measuring each increment so as not to crush her trachea. She gurgles in the back of her throat. Her skin is turning a deep shade of red. “Yield,” I urge again. “I have already won.”
    Suddenly she goes limp in my arms, slumping down in dead weight. For the briefest of moments I am confused—did I miscalculate human fragility?
    Her hand slips from beneath my hold and falls to her side.
    And seizes my balls.
    She shows no mercy in her grip, squeezing and twisting until bright spots of light appear in my vision. Pain radiates through my torso and legs. I stumble back a little, but I refuse to roar. I shake her in warning.
    “ Let...go...” she chokes out, “and I will...too.”
    I could kill her. I could strangle her where she stands. It would be nothing. She would release me then. She can barely speak as it is.
    I grit my teeth, the thought of ending her growing more and more appealing. No, must remember Feruz.
    I look up at the ceiling and calculate the angle. It is not ideal, but it will have to do.
    In a quick motion I remove my arm.
    She sags, gasping, her grip loosening. I shove her to the floor by way of one palm between her small shoulders. She collapses with no resistance, on her hands and knees as she sucks in great gulps of air. “Jesus.”  
    Jaw tight, I adjust myself through the insulated trousers. I exhale, working through the pain until it dulls to an ache. If I had been an Earthling, she would have gelded me. Vicious female.
    I should have expected nothing less from the offspring of Moiria Jenner. A mistake I will not make again.
    I walk—yes, walk, it will take more than a feminine hand to emasculate me—to the computer panel embedded in the wall and strike one button. There is a hiss of air depressing and the cage lowers without hesitation, the soft clank of metal seemingly her first clue that all is not right. Indeed, she looks up with startled eyes, their curiously flat brown color betraying disbelief. “Are you serious?” she croaks.
    I smile at her. “Deadly.”
    The cage moves backward. The female scrambles to move with it lest she be injured, jumping to her feet and retreating until the cage comes flush against the wall opposite me. It locks into place, leaving the greater space free for walking. She takes in the bars and