Free Marauder Kronos: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Mating Wars) by Aya Morningstar

while a second set of tendrils snatches the two peacekeepers into the elevator with Kronos and me.
    Ramu’s eyes widen in confusion, as his target is gone, and he’s now floating toward empty space.
    Malcolm’s teal suit grabs hold of Ramu and holds him suspended in mid-air. Jerky has deployed dozens more tendrils, which hold the two peacekeepers helplessly to the ground in front of me.
    Malcolm scowls at me. “You’re with them.”
    I nod.
    “Give me back my men,” he says, “and – ”
    “And you’ll let us go,” Kronos says. “No one has to get hurt.”
    From the airlock on the peacekeeper ship, I hear Delphie’s voice. “And we get Ramu back, too?”
    “Damn it!” Malcolm snaps. “Rekai assured me they were detained!”
    “Delphie is the best engineer in the solar system,” Kronos says, pride filling his voice. “And she’s with me, too. Now get your ass in the elevator next to ours and go down.”
    “How do I know you’ll let my men go?”
    “We’re pirates with heart,” Kronos says. “So we’re going to steal some shit from your ship – that’s the pirate part – but we’re not going to hurt your squad.”
    “I could take a few of you down with me,” Malcolm says. “The human is awkward with the biosuit.”
    “The human?” I spit. “My name’s Minna, and the suit’s name is – ”
    Kronos puts his hand over my mouth. He hisses into my ear, “Don’t give him any information.”
    “We don’t want to hurt anyone,” Kronos says. “But we will if you force our hand.”
    Malcolm nods. “I’ll go down the elevator like you asked. But I’m taking this asshole with me.” He twitches his tendrils, shaking Ramu.
    “Kronos!” Delphie shouts from the airlock.
    “No, we get him back,” Kronos says.
    “You do,” Malcolm says. “As soon as my men reach the outer rings, I’ll send this one back up to you.”
    “Don’t trust him!” Delphie shouts.
    “Deal,” Kronos says.
    “If he goes back on his word,” I whisper to Kronos. “Delphie will be furious with you.”
    “I have to put my crew first. Ramu is still a merc,” Kronos says.
    Malcolm propels himself toward the elevator, dragging Ramu with him. “I’ve fallen in with the wrong crowd before, Minna,” he says. “When you realize the mistake you’ve made, call us.”
    He disappears out of my line of sight, and I hear the elevator beside us hum.
    Delphie blasts out of the airlock now, and she’s furious.
    “You asshole!” she shouts, flying toward us.
    Kronos catches her, but she punches and kicks him, propelling herself back away from him with every landed blow.
    “When we get Ramu back,” Kronos says, grabbing Delphie by the ankle before she floats entirely away, “he’ll have to train you for zero-g combat. Or maybe start with basic physics. You’re terrible at both.”
    “Send those guys down,” Kronos says. “We don’t want Malcolm to think we’re fucking him over.”
    “Let them go, Jerky,” I say.
    The tendrils throw the peacekeepers into the elevator, and Kronos slams the button, which sends the elevator back down to the outer rings.
    “All right,” Kronos says. “Delphie, go back into that ship and start taking what we need. Make sure their ship is still functional, but – ”
    “You’re going to order me around now?” Delphie asks.
    “I’m going to watch for Ramu coming back up,” Kronos says. “Minna will help you carry stuff out.”
    “What if he doesn’t come back up?” I ask.
    “Then I’ll go down and get him,” Kronos says.
    Delphie lets out an angry snort, but that seems to appease her enough. She jumps off the ground and floats toward Malcolm’s ship. “Come on, Minna.”
    I follow her, letting Jerky propel me.
    By the time I get inside the ship, Delphie is already grabbing stuff.
    “Ramu and I already scouted out the ship. There are lots of rations and some extra weapons. We can siphon off some fuel, too, if we have time.”
    “We’ll get Ramu back,” I