Born of Ice

She gave a wistful sigh. “Your girlfriend must be something else.”


“Yeah . . . she is.”

She reached up and toyed with his earlobe. “I hope she knows how lucky she is.” She leaned forward to blow and whisper in his ear. “For the record . . . you’re passing on one of the best fucks of your life.”

He almost whimpered as she walked away and headed for another guy. Sway’s right, I am a woman. Even worse, I’m whipped by someone I haven’t even kissed.

Disgusted, he turned around and knocked his drink back with one gulp, then motioned for the bartender to return. “Keep them coming until I’m unconscious.”



Alix lowered herself from the engine well and descended the ladder. That repair had been a pain in the butt. But at least it was done. Wiping the grease from her hands, she used her elbow to push the button to close the hatch.

She was so intent on making sure it sealed, she was oblivious to everything around her.

At least until someone grabbed her from behind.

Assuming it was Devyn, Vik or Sway messing with her, she didn’t react until rough hands squeezed her breasts.

“What are you doing here all alone? Stealing parts from someone’s ship for your father?”

Alix’s blood went cold at the sound of a voice that sickened her. Irn Soilent. The man who’d ruined her father and had cost them everything.

He tightened his grip on her, his hand sliding inside her shirt. “Now where’s that whore sister of yours? I still want a piece of her before someone else beats me to it.”

Shrieking in outrage, she attacked him.

Irn cursed as she busted his lip with her fist. “You worthless slut!” He returned her blow with one that caught her along the jaw. Her head snapped back so hard, it dazed her for a moment.

Until he went to hit her again.

She punched him in the stomach, wishing she had a weapon to carve his fetid heart out of his chest.

“Get her!” he snarled at the men who were standing nearby.

Alix panicked as she realized there were ten of them altogether. And while she was good in a fight, she couldn’t win against that number.

She ducked the first one to reach her and ran for the ship’s ramp. Another man cut her off.

Kneeing him in the groin, she shoved him away. But before she could step past him, a huge burly bear of a man grabbed her from behind and lifted her off her feet. He slung her around to face Irn, who glared his hatred at her.

Irn spat blood on the ground. “You’re going to pay for that, bitch.”

Alix tried to kick and twist out of their hold, but couldn’t do anything more than hurt herself. Even so, she didn’t let up as they laughed at her.

“Since when did you get discriminating?” Irn passed an evil smirk at the others. “I know she don’t look like much, but trust me, there’s enough of her to satisfy us all, and it’s free for our taking.” He moved to kiss her. Shrieking in anger, she tried to turn her face away.

He grabbed her chin to hold her still while the man behind tightened his grip on her arms, keeping her locked between them.

Just as Irn’s lips would have touched hers, his head was jerked back and he was spun about to confront the devil himself.

Alix froze as she stared into the face of Devyn’s fury. This was the man Merjack had described. Cold. Lethal. Terrifying.

There was no mercy in his dark gaze. Nothing in his expression except the promise of death to those who’d pissed him off.

One man went for him. Devyn raised his arm, blocking the punch before he slugged the man so hard, he fell to the floor whimpering. The next one to attack was flipped over Devyn’s back. Devyn slammed him on the ground and twisted his arm, breaking it. The man screamed out in pain.

Devyn turned and caught the next burly attacker by the throat. He shoved him into two more before he whirled on Irn again and backhanded him.

The man holding her shoved her to the ground before he bellowed and rushed for Devyn.

Devyn ducked his blow, then head-butted him. There were no emotions on Devyn’s face as he pummeled the man.

She pushed herself up, but before she could rejoin the fight, Sway and Vik were there. Irn’s “friends” ran off, leaving the burly man who’d held her and the man Devyn was trying to kill—Irn.

Sway pulled him off Irn. “Let it go, Dev. You’ve almost killed him.”

Devyn stomped Irn one more time before he snatched him up from the ground. He dragged Irn to stand in front of her and held him there so that she could see the rivulets of blood that ran from his brow, temple and nose. “You apologize to her right now, you animal.”

“I ain’t apologizing to no whore.”

Rage descended over Devyn’s face to such a degree that she was sure he’d murder Irn where he stood. “You don’t ever treat a woman like that. You apologize to her or so help me I’ll gouge out your eyes and shove them down your throat.”