Tiger of Talmare Read Online Free Page A
Author: Nina Croft
spaceship?
Eventually people had forgotten, and he'd clawed his way back up, and then Talmare had happened.
From hero to monster.
At the thought of Talmare, the familiar rage flooded his mind. Damn Pieter Sanderson. Pieter had pretended to be his friend. Would probably still be pretending if Zach hadn't found out what he was up to. He could still scarcely believe it. He also couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to go to Pieter with what he had discovered. Tried to reason with him, but back then, he hadn't seen the whole of his plans.
The man was a megalomaniac who would turn the civilized world into chaos in his ego trip for power. But he'd set Zach up well and true. Zach had heard what they were calling him, "The Tiger of Talmare". He knew what he was accused of.
He remembered Mel's words, "eating flesh", she'd said. Christ, did people really believe that? Did she believe it?
It was just as well that there had been a delegation from the Intergalactic Agency on Talmare at the time, or Zach was sure he would have ended up dead. He'd surrendered himself, and even Pieter wasn't stupid enough to challenge the Agency. Yet. Though Zach knew the time was fast approaching.
Still, it looked as though Pieter was going to get his chance to finish him off after all.
Would the little pirate really hand him over to be killed?
Probably.
And was she going to leave him here, like this, for the whole journey?
It seemed likely.
Though "little" wasn't a good word to describe her, except compared to him. She was tall for a woman, and very striking, unforgettable really.
He'd recognized her immediately; her blue-black hair might be short now, but those eyes were unmistakable. He remembered the feel of her under him. No, she wasn't his type, but it had felt pretty damn good all the same. She might not be soft, but she was definitely all woman. And her lips had been soft when she kissed him. Well, kissed him back.
That had felt pretty damn good as well.
He glanced down his body and realized that while his nerves might be paralyzed, it was doing nothing to stop the blood flow.
A shadow passed the cell door and paused. A face peered in, and he swore softly.
He'd never been a particularly modest man, but the idea of lying here, stark naked, with a stiffy, completely unable to move, was not his idea of fun. He forced his thoughts on to something unpleasant, anything to get his body under control. Pieter Sanderson, the governor of Talmare. That should do it. Pieter and his maniac plot to take over the Universe.
The face disappeared, but over the next couple of hours, it was replaced by a series of faces, all female, all peering in at him like he was some sort of zoo specimen. One even waggled her fingers through the glass and grinned. He was sure he recognized the same faces over and over again—at least one of them was green, and that was hard to miss.
The first couple of times, he shouted. They took no notice, and after that, he did his best to ignore them.
Finally, what seemed like a long time later, he heard the door click open. He rolled his eyes in that direction; ready to tell her exactly what he thought of her and her ship and her crew and anything else he could think of. But it wasn't her.
It was another woman, a redhead, with bright green eyes and freckles across her nose. Zach remembered her; she had been with Melissa Stark when she stole his ship. She entered the room warily, as if expecting him to leap on her.
Chance would be a fine fucking thing. She carried a bundle that she placed on the bed, and she turned to go.
"Hey, wait."
She paused and turned back slowly. Looking down at him, her gaze skimmed his body before returning to his face. A slight smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Yes?"
"Is she going to keep me like this forever?"
"Mel?"
"Yes, Mel. Is she going to leave me here?"
She raised a
Eventually people had forgotten, and he'd clawed his way back up, and then Talmare had happened.
From hero to monster.
At the thought of Talmare, the familiar rage flooded his mind. Damn Pieter Sanderson. Pieter had pretended to be his friend. Would probably still be pretending if Zach hadn't found out what he was up to. He could still scarcely believe it. He also couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to go to Pieter with what he had discovered. Tried to reason with him, but back then, he hadn't seen the whole of his plans.
The man was a megalomaniac who would turn the civilized world into chaos in his ego trip for power. But he'd set Zach up well and true. Zach had heard what they were calling him, "The Tiger of Talmare". He knew what he was accused of.
He remembered Mel's words, "eating flesh", she'd said. Christ, did people really believe that? Did she believe it?
It was just as well that there had been a delegation from the Intergalactic Agency on Talmare at the time, or Zach was sure he would have ended up dead. He'd surrendered himself, and even Pieter wasn't stupid enough to challenge the Agency. Yet. Though Zach knew the time was fast approaching.
Still, it looked as though Pieter was going to get his chance to finish him off after all.
Would the little pirate really hand him over to be killed?
Probably.
And was she going to leave him here, like this, for the whole journey?
It seemed likely.
Though "little" wasn't a good word to describe her, except compared to him. She was tall for a woman, and very striking, unforgettable really.
He'd recognized her immediately; her blue-black hair might be short now, but those eyes were unmistakable. He remembered the feel of her under him. No, she wasn't his type, but it had felt pretty damn good all the same. She might not be soft, but she was definitely all woman. And her lips had been soft when she kissed him. Well, kissed him back.
That had felt pretty damn good as well.
He glanced down his body and realized that while his nerves might be paralyzed, it was doing nothing to stop the blood flow.
A shadow passed the cell door and paused. A face peered in, and he swore softly.
He'd never been a particularly modest man, but the idea of lying here, stark naked, with a stiffy, completely unable to move, was not his idea of fun. He forced his thoughts on to something unpleasant, anything to get his body under control. Pieter Sanderson, the governor of Talmare. That should do it. Pieter and his maniac plot to take over the Universe.
The face disappeared, but over the next couple of hours, it was replaced by a series of faces, all female, all peering in at him like he was some sort of zoo specimen. One even waggled her fingers through the glass and grinned. He was sure he recognized the same faces over and over again—at least one of them was green, and that was hard to miss.
The first couple of times, he shouted. They took no notice, and after that, he did his best to ignore them.
Finally, what seemed like a long time later, he heard the door click open. He rolled his eyes in that direction; ready to tell her exactly what he thought of her and her ship and her crew and anything else he could think of. But it wasn't her.
It was another woman, a redhead, with bright green eyes and freckles across her nose. Zach remembered her; she had been with Melissa Stark when she stole his ship. She entered the room warily, as if expecting him to leap on her.
Chance would be a fine fucking thing. She carried a bundle that she placed on the bed, and she turned to go.
"Hey, wait."
She paused and turned back slowly. Looking down at him, her gaze skimmed his body before returning to his face. A slight smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Yes?"
"Is she going to keep me like this forever?"
"Mel?"
"Yes, Mel. Is she going to leave me here?"
She raised a
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