Free Bought His Life by Aleka Nakis Tia Fanning Page A

straight up when I saw the sky rip open, torn asunder as if someone decided to gut the heavens. Then there was a flash of bright light and a small spaceship popped out!”
    Kimber choked. Beer spewed from her lips and sloshed back into her glass. Some dribbled onto her lap. Shit .
    “Yep, popped out like the sky gave birth to it. Then the gash closed. Moments later, the spaceship exploded.”
    She put down her glass and grabbed a napkin off the bar, using it to dab the wet spots on her shirt and jacket.
    “Damn aliens didn’t get in alive this time, but I thought it right to let you know the truth, since you’re a fed and all, and probably have experience with this stuff. I would have told the cops, too, but I knew they wouldn’t believe, nope, so I said it was a plane. But you government types know about them invaders. That’s why you were sent to question me, right?”
    Captain Murphy downed his glass of whiskey. She leaned over and inspected the old fisherman’s head.
    “What you looking at, lass?”
    “I just wanted to see if you cracked your skull open when you fell.”
    There was a moment of tense silence.
    The fisherman exploded with laughter. “I like your sass, young lady. Reminds me of my late wife, Katie, except for the hair. Her hair was as red as flame. But I tell you what, her eyes were like yours, all emerald and gold and a’burning. Make a man crazy.”
    Kimber smiled. It had been a long time since someone had complimented her eyes.
    “But I have to leave now. The sun will be setting soon, and I gots to be on me boat before that happens. Great fishing to be done when the sun is setting.”
    Captain Murphy placed two twenties on the bar. “Here you go, Frank. Get the lady a last drink and keep the change.”
    The bartender, a man of few words, nodded.
    “It’s been a real pleasure talking to you.” Murphy tipped his dirty white captain’s hat and walked off.
    The bartender placed another beer in front of Kimber. She looked at her two and a half glasses and sighed. Her day had been so worthless she wondered if she should cut her losses and drink every drop, then go home. She was no further in her investigation than she’d been that morning.
    Before she could move from the stool, a large bald biker in tight jeans and a leather vest strutted up beside her. He leaned against the bar and smiled, showing her a row of ragged teeth.
    “Well, hello there, sweet mama. What’s a pretty lady like you doing here all alone?”
    Besides violating her personal space, he smelled. She turned back to her beer. “Not interested.”
    Loud guffaws filled the area behind her.
    Damn, they had an audience.
    “Oh, now why would you go and say such a bitchy thing like that? You don’t even know me or what I could do for you.”
    Kimber grabbed her beer and took a swallow. “I said I wasn’t interested.”
    The biker placed his hand on her knee. “Why? Do you already have man? If you do, I’m sure he can’t make you cream like I could.”
    Ugh, disgusting. “Perhaps.”
    Smelly biker dude licked his lips. He slid his hand over her pants until it reached the top of her thigh, then began rubbing slowly, letting his finger’s roam to the inside of her leg.
    Kimber put her beer down and moved her hand to cover his, giving him her best come-hither look. The audience behind them whooped and hollered.
    The biker smiled in victory. “I knew it. Your man doesn’t give you what you need.”
    She was about to break the biker’s hand when someone came up on the other side of her.
    “I beg to differ,” said a deep familiar voice.
    Lawson?
    He wrapped long fingers around her wrist and yanked her off the barstool. Like some tough-guy hero from an old Hollywood movie, he curled her arm behind her back and drew her to his rock-hard chest. Holding her tight as her body arched backward and her breasts crushed against him, he used his free hand to gently tilt up her chin.
    She knew he was tall, but she literally had to crane