and shells. She could see the awareness on his face. Awareness of their demise.
“Well, now that that is taken care of,” Sar said, “we can be on our way.” He grabbed hold of Kat’s wrists and pulled her toward the door. She wanted to kick him in the back and snap his spine in half. She hoped she’d get the chance.
“Get all the villagers in here, and barricade the door.” Grinning, he glanced over his shoulder at Kat. “We also need to take care of your boyfriend. Can’t have him following us, now, can we?”
Kat knew it was coming, but, still, the first punch across Hades’ jaw caused her to turn and jerk out of Sar’s grip. She didn’t get very far before Sar and his stupid partner were on her back, holding her down, forcing her to watch the beating. After Hades had finally fallen to the floor, Kat closed her eyes and gritted her teeth until she could taste blood in her mouth.
Sar would pay for that, too.
An hour later Kat was in the back of the Dwellers’ transport, chained to the roll bar. All the villagers were barricaded inside the church. Bound at the wrists behind his back, Hades was sitting on a horse tied to the vehicle, with a noose around his neck. The solid rope was tied securely over a thick branch of the tallest oak tree in the town square. He had survived the beating, but it was all for naught as he sat waiting to be hung.
His face was all cut up, his right eye swollen shut. Kat could tell he favored his right side by the way he sat on the horse. She imagined he had a few broken ribs. As she had watched them string up Hades, Kat agonized over how this could have been avoided. Was this her fault? Could she have saved him, the villagers, and herself all at the same time? Why did there always have to be a sacrifice?
With an aching heart almost too painful to endure, she held Hades’ gaze. She couldn’t turn away.
She respected him too much not to bear witness. And loved him too much not to stay with him to the very end. Yanking on the chain, she tried to break free. That did nothing but bloody her wrists. She pulled and twisted until she slumped to the metal bed of the vehicle, too exhausted and sore to stand.
Sar jumped into the transport and slid into the passenger’s seat in front of her. “It’s time to go, little Kitty Kat. Say good-bye to your boyfriend.”
Kat swung around her head and glared at Sar. She had some small satisfaction when he flinched.
“I will make you pay for this, rodent,” she growled low and menacingly. “Baruch will not be able to resurrect you from the tortuous hell I will put you in.”
Without waiting for a response, Kat turned back, wrapped her hands around the chain holding her to the roll bar, and heaved herself up. She couldn’t leave Hades while on her knees. He deserved her full attention.
“Kat?” Although hoarse and gruff, her name on Hades’ lips sounded like melodious music.
“Yeah?” She kept her voice even and calm, although she wanted to weep and rage until every last Dweller lay dead at her feet.
“This isn’t over,” he grunted. “I’ll find you again, and we’ll play ping-pong with these fuckers’
balls.”
Tears falling, she choked, “I can’t wait.”
“Tell me you love me one time before you go.”
Her heart clenched as if squeezed in his fist. She could hardly breathe with the agony of it. Tears streamed freely now. She was powerless to resist them any longer. She had been fighting with her emotions for far too long. For Hades she would release them. For Hades she would break down and sob. For Hades she would do anything.
“I love you.”
He grinned then. Through the blood, she could see the dimple at the side of his full, sensuous mouth wink at her. She had always loved his smile. It was sexy and mischievous, just like him.
Now it was full of love and sorrow. “I know.”
“How fucking touching,” Sar grunted. He stood up in the transport and waved his hand back and forth. “Too bad it’s for
“Well, now that that is taken care of,” Sar said, “we can be on our way.” He grabbed hold of Kat’s wrists and pulled her toward the door. She wanted to kick him in the back and snap his spine in half. She hoped she’d get the chance.
“Get all the villagers in here, and barricade the door.” Grinning, he glanced over his shoulder at Kat. “We also need to take care of your boyfriend. Can’t have him following us, now, can we?”
Kat knew it was coming, but, still, the first punch across Hades’ jaw caused her to turn and jerk out of Sar’s grip. She didn’t get very far before Sar and his stupid partner were on her back, holding her down, forcing her to watch the beating. After Hades had finally fallen to the floor, Kat closed her eyes and gritted her teeth until she could taste blood in her mouth.
Sar would pay for that, too.
An hour later Kat was in the back of the Dwellers’ transport, chained to the roll bar. All the villagers were barricaded inside the church. Bound at the wrists behind his back, Hades was sitting on a horse tied to the vehicle, with a noose around his neck. The solid rope was tied securely over a thick branch of the tallest oak tree in the town square. He had survived the beating, but it was all for naught as he sat waiting to be hung.
His face was all cut up, his right eye swollen shut. Kat could tell he favored his right side by the way he sat on the horse. She imagined he had a few broken ribs. As she had watched them string up Hades, Kat agonized over how this could have been avoided. Was this her fault? Could she have saved him, the villagers, and herself all at the same time? Why did there always have to be a sacrifice?
With an aching heart almost too painful to endure, she held Hades’ gaze. She couldn’t turn away.
She respected him too much not to bear witness. And loved him too much not to stay with him to the very end. Yanking on the chain, she tried to break free. That did nothing but bloody her wrists. She pulled and twisted until she slumped to the metal bed of the vehicle, too exhausted and sore to stand.
Sar jumped into the transport and slid into the passenger’s seat in front of her. “It’s time to go, little Kitty Kat. Say good-bye to your boyfriend.”
Kat swung around her head and glared at Sar. She had some small satisfaction when he flinched.
“I will make you pay for this, rodent,” she growled low and menacingly. “Baruch will not be able to resurrect you from the tortuous hell I will put you in.”
Without waiting for a response, Kat turned back, wrapped her hands around the chain holding her to the roll bar, and heaved herself up. She couldn’t leave Hades while on her knees. He deserved her full attention.
“Kat?” Although hoarse and gruff, her name on Hades’ lips sounded like melodious music.
“Yeah?” She kept her voice even and calm, although she wanted to weep and rage until every last Dweller lay dead at her feet.
“This isn’t over,” he grunted. “I’ll find you again, and we’ll play ping-pong with these fuckers’
balls.”
Tears falling, she choked, “I can’t wait.”
“Tell me you love me one time before you go.”
Her heart clenched as if squeezed in his fist. She could hardly breathe with the agony of it. Tears streamed freely now. She was powerless to resist them any longer. She had been fighting with her emotions for far too long. For Hades she would release them. For Hades she would break down and sob. For Hades she would do anything.
“I love you.”
He grinned then. Through the blood, she could see the dimple at the side of his full, sensuous mouth wink at her. She had always loved his smile. It was sexy and mischievous, just like him.
Now it was full of love and sorrow. “I know.”
“How fucking touching,” Sar grunted. He stood up in the transport and waved his hand back and forth. “Too bad it’s for
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