Ulf gave her an affronted look. “No, but I wouldn’t have put it on the old woman if I thought she would be hurt.”
Old? Raine nearly laughed out loud at the alien’s misperception.
“No, you just made it impossible for her to fight you.”
“We didn’t want to betray our location to the Olggans. We were trying to take you to safety.”
She was becoming sick of them saying that. Why were they so determined to get them on their ship? Was it dinnertime?
It was useless to argue with the big jerk when they were surrounded by the other aliens and a severed arm had just landed on her tennis shoe. Gagging, Raine raised her foot to shake the arm off. A dark red smear of blood was left behind.
I guess red blood is universal, she thought inanely, fighting back the tide of hysteria rising within herself.
“Are you okay, Tayla?”
Pale, Tayla nodded as she straightened, unable to talk. Raine couldn’t blame her. It was everything she could do not to vomit when an unattached head with sightless eyes went soaring into the air like a macabre volleyball.
Both she and Tayla stood with frozen feet when Ulf started chopping away at the grey and black aliens.
“Move!” Ulf bellowed at them when they didn’t immediately hurry through the area he had clear for them.
Stiffly, Raine was able to make her feet move when she saw he had cleared a path to another burnt-out car, next to the one Piper was hiding inside of.
Moving farther away from the fighting between the two groups of aliens, she was tempted to use the chance to escape, but couldn’t bring herself to leave Piper in the other car.
Tayla noticed the direction she was staring at and didn’t put up any resistance when Ulf forced the car door open to urge them inside.
“When you have the chance, take off. I’ll stay with Piper,” Raine whispered to Tayla.
“Fuck that!” Refusal was written all over Tayla’s features. “I’m not going back without her, either.”
The safety of the car was questionable, but anytime one of the grey and black aliens drew close, Ulf would swing his ax, and then he would return to protect the car.
“I thought the other ones were scarier, but the ones with the axes are shredding them to pieces.”
Raine had to agree with her. Tayla didn’t seem to be angry at the big alien who had held her electronic device. In fact, Raine caught her staring at him admiringly. They are a sight to behold, Raine thought, unable to take her own eyes off Skars.
“The red eyes are spooky, but I’m feeling it.”
Raine let her eyes slide away from Skars and back to Tayla. “You’re the one who blamed my hormones for wanting to come back,” she snapped.
Tayla shrugged. “That was Piper.”
“She was repeating you.”
“I can’t wait until Emma sees them. I’ll have to warn her off my He-Man.”
“He isn’t a He-Man; he isn’t even human,” Raine reminded her.
“As long he has the body part I’m most interested in, in the same general vicinity, I don’t care.”
“You’d sleep with one?” Raine couldn’t believe what Tayla was saying.
“Hon, I’ve slept with worse.” Tayla lifted an amused eyebrow at her. “Much worse. I don’t know why you’re looking so shocked. I’m not the one who snuck off and married one of them.”
“I didn’t marry him,” she denied, embarrassed that Tayla had heard Skars call her his wife.
“Pfft,” slipped from Tayla lips. “I have a feeling that hunk of burning love thinks you’re really married. But if you’re not interested, I might give the other guy a pass and focus on your soon-to-be ex.”
“How about we worry about getting Piper the hell out of this mess, and ourselves, instead of worrying about whose pants you want to get into?” she snapped.
“Jeez. Jealous much?”
“I’m not jealous. I’m just concerned for Piper.”
“Me, too!” Tayla snapped back. “May I remind you that you’re the reason we’re in this mess? Both Piper and I would still be asleep if you hadn’t snuck out. I’m just trying not to freak the fuck out because I’m scared.”
Raine felt terrible immediately. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
If anything happened to Piper or Tayla, it would be on her shoulders alone. She had to do something other than cower inside the car.
Raising her head, she saw the fighting had gotten much worse.
“You should go help your friends!” Raine encouraged Ulf, who stood close beside the car.
A loud snort came from Ulf, who blocked their only exit out of the car without having the Jaws of Life handy. “They don’t need my help. If you are thinking of escaping again, I wouldn’t. The Olggans are just playing with us.”
Raine moved her head to the side so she could see around Ulf’s massive body.
“You mean this could get worse?”
“Já,” Ulf replied grimly.
Raine turned over every way they could escape, but with Piper in the other car, it made it much more difficult. If she could convince him to bring Piper to their car, at least that part of their escape would be easier to achieve.