Free Second Chance by Rebecca Airies Page B

mistaken for a prostitute—a cheap one at that. She didn’t think she would ever get used to wearing such revealing clothing.
    “Can’t I just have my boots back?” Laci knew the answer, but she had to ask. They would decide everything for her if she let them.
    “No, they were destroyed when we took care of your pants.” Darion seemed delighted and much too cheerful as he imparted that information.
    “You must prove that you can be trusted before we give you more choices in your attire.” Alek bemusedly watched the angry color rise in her cheeks.
    She wanted to strangle them both. “I’ll probably be stuck wearing these things for a while then.” Laci slipped into the delicate-looking spiked heels. She buckled the straps and then stood. She flipped her hair back over her shoulders, put her hands on her hips and glared at the two grinning oafs. “I hope you’re happy. I look like a whore.”

41 Rebecca Airies
    “No, you don’t.” Darion frowned, his back stiffening. He looked offended. All that was missing was his finger shaking in her face. “You look sexy, soft and enticing. The clothing has nothing to do with it. It’s just pretty wrapping. You’d look sexy in a shapeless dress that covered you from your neck to the tips of your pretty little toes.”
    “As to being happy, yes, we are.” Alek walked over to her and took her hand in his. “Happy is a vast understatement. Joy and bliss come closer to describing the state of our emotions at finding you. I woke countless times during the night wondering if this was yet another dream.”
    “You’re with us. We have been looking for you and then you just stumble upon us. I haven’t been so happy, so content, in a very long time.” Darion’s smile held an almost frightening intensity and sincerity as his eyes roamed over her face. “But you won’t believe such a proclamation, just yet.”
    “That reminds me.” Laci tugged at her hand that was engulfed by Alek’s. “How did you find me? It should have been impossible. That planet was so remote that it was known only by a number designation.”
    “Ah, little Laci,” Darion chuckled as he strode over to her. “You carried the means inside you.” His arm curled around her waist. “We ensured that we would be able to find you before we had taken you down to Viaga. We weren’t willing to chance waiting for another accidental meeting.”
    Laci wondered if he was lying. “What are you talking about? I checked myself for trackers at least four times. There were none on me. When I returned home, I was checked by others as well.”
    “We didn’t activate it until about six days before you came to X-R321. Until then, it wouldn’t have registered on any scanner. It emitted no signal, was totally inert.” Alek’s lips crooked into a lopsided grin. “We hoped to find you at your base. There are many men who search for their mates.”
    “You…” Laci’s body tensed, her fist clenched ready to swing at one of them. They had played with her like a big predator did with its prey. She had thought she was free, that the first capture had been a mistake, but they had just been waiting to spring their trap. This she could no longer deny.
    Darion’s arm tightened around her waist. “I’m willing to let you vent your anger, but I won’t go through another tirade like last night’s battle. Struggling and cursing us will do you no good. You know this. Now, if you walk beside us—peacefully—we will answer a few of the questions you have.”
    It was a tough choice. She wanted to yell at them and hit them, but she did have some questions. She weighed the importance of the questions against her anger. They were just stubborn enough to deny her the answers if she didn’t cooperate with them.
    With obvious reluctance, she relaxed. It was a matter of priorities. She’d ask her questions. She could yell and fight later.
    “Where did you put the tracker?” Laci narrowed her eyes. The choices were many