the girl. Pulling his blade from
its sheath, he broke into a sprint.
Chapter Ten
“Zayn!” Ria tried to call him back, but he
was already running toward the men.
Damn him, she should have known playing hero
would be in his DNA somewhere. Drawing her pistol, she ran after
him.
As the men squared off with Lala, Zayn
called out. “Two grown men against a defenseless young girl hardly
seems like a fair fight.”
The men looked over their shoulders. Ray’s
eyes narrowed. “Stranger, you don’t want to get involved in
this.”
Clint nodded. “Besides, she’s not
defenseless. She’s more dangerous than everyone in this town put
together.”
Ria slowed to a walk, trying not to draw
anyone’s attention.
In a casual move, Zayn swiveled the knife in
his hand. “Look, just let her go and there’ll be no trouble.”
“Screw you.” Ray leveled his gun on
Lala.
Zayn moved so fast, Ria saw nothing but a
blur. He swung out at the other man and Ray’s gun hit the dirt.
With a cry, Ray clutched his hand to his chest, blood gleaming on
his wrist.
Clint spun, going for his own gun. Ria
stepped forward, her pistol aimed at his head. “Not a good
idea.”
“Time to go,” Zayn said to Lala with a
wave.
She skirted her destruction. “I’m good at
swift exits.”
Ria, Zayn and Lala backed away from the men.
Both were gritting their teeth, their fuming gazes on the trio.
Ria turned a corner, followed by the other
two.
“Well, it’s not every day a damsel gets a
rescue from a handsome stranger.” Lala shot Zayn a grin, eyeing him
up and down. Then she looked at Ria. “Thanks to you, too.”
Typical . Lala might be just a girl,
but she was female. Helpless to the Phoenix charm. “You’re
welcome.”
“If you ever need some help of the explosive
variety, then look me up. I’m Lastite Lala to my friends… Hmm, and
Lastite Lala to my enemies as well.” She broke into a fit of
laughter.
Ria fought to keep her face blank. The girl
really was crazy.
On the edge of town, they slowed. “Do you
have family near here?” Ria asked.
“Family? Nuh-uh.” Lala shook her head and
did a little dance. “Only Fuzzy and Fred.”
Zayn traded a glance with Ria. “Are they
friends?”
“My robots.”
Zayn ran a hand through his hair.
“Right.”
This young girl lived alone on this
god-forsaken planet. Ria felt a rush of sympathy. She’d had a rough
life but at least the Guild had fed her, clothed her, given her
some sense of belonging and security.
“Well, I thank you again for my gallant
rescue.” Lala bobbed in a curtsy. “But now I need get back to my
hideout. Bombs to make, things to blow up.”
Zayn released a long breath. “I can’t let
you do that.”
Lastite Lala raised an eyebrow. “Say
what?”
“We’ve come a long way to find you.”
A pout curved across the girl’s lips. “For
some reason, you ain’t looking so handsome anymore.”
“Look, we aren’t going to hurt you.” With
those lightning fast moves of his, Zayn whipped out some
electro-cuffs and slapped them on Lala’s wrists. “We just really
need you in order to complete our mission.”
Lala eyed the blue glow of the cuffs. “You
really know how to ruin a perfectly good rescue.”
“Sorry, Lala. Like Zayn said, we need your
help for a mission. After that, you’re free to go.” Ria looked
around the dusty street. A small group of cowboys loitered farther
down the road. “Maybe you’d like to move somewhere else. Somewhere
less…dusty.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Lala snapped the gum she
was chewing. Then she leaned down and spat the gum at the cuffs.
The pink glob stuck to the metallic surface.
There was a tiny spark of light followed by
a puff of smoke.
Ria coughed. Zayn waved to dissipate the
smoke. The electro-cuffs fell into the dirt with a plop .
“What the—?” Zayn exclaimed.
Lala shoved her hands on her hips. “I’ve
already had one set of idiots try and kill me today. I’m not
planning to finish
its sheath, he broke into a sprint.
Chapter Ten
“Zayn!” Ria tried to call him back, but he
was already running toward the men.
Damn him, she should have known playing hero
would be in his DNA somewhere. Drawing her pistol, she ran after
him.
As the men squared off with Lala, Zayn
called out. “Two grown men against a defenseless young girl hardly
seems like a fair fight.”
The men looked over their shoulders. Ray’s
eyes narrowed. “Stranger, you don’t want to get involved in
this.”
Clint nodded. “Besides, she’s not
defenseless. She’s more dangerous than everyone in this town put
together.”
Ria slowed to a walk, trying not to draw
anyone’s attention.
In a casual move, Zayn swiveled the knife in
his hand. “Look, just let her go and there’ll be no trouble.”
“Screw you.” Ray leveled his gun on
Lala.
Zayn moved so fast, Ria saw nothing but a
blur. He swung out at the other man and Ray’s gun hit the dirt.
With a cry, Ray clutched his hand to his chest, blood gleaming on
his wrist.
Clint spun, going for his own gun. Ria
stepped forward, her pistol aimed at his head. “Not a good
idea.”
“Time to go,” Zayn said to Lala with a
wave.
She skirted her destruction. “I’m good at
swift exits.”
Ria, Zayn and Lala backed away from the men.
Both were gritting their teeth, their fuming gazes on the trio.
Ria turned a corner, followed by the other
two.
“Well, it’s not every day a damsel gets a
rescue from a handsome stranger.” Lala shot Zayn a grin, eyeing him
up and down. Then she looked at Ria. “Thanks to you, too.”
Typical . Lala might be just a girl,
but she was female. Helpless to the Phoenix charm. “You’re
welcome.”
“If you ever need some help of the explosive
variety, then look me up. I’m Lastite Lala to my friends… Hmm, and
Lastite Lala to my enemies as well.” She broke into a fit of
laughter.
Ria fought to keep her face blank. The girl
really was crazy.
On the edge of town, they slowed. “Do you
have family near here?” Ria asked.
“Family? Nuh-uh.” Lala shook her head and
did a little dance. “Only Fuzzy and Fred.”
Zayn traded a glance with Ria. “Are they
friends?”
“My robots.”
Zayn ran a hand through his hair.
“Right.”
This young girl lived alone on this
god-forsaken planet. Ria felt a rush of sympathy. She’d had a rough
life but at least the Guild had fed her, clothed her, given her
some sense of belonging and security.
“Well, I thank you again for my gallant
rescue.” Lala bobbed in a curtsy. “But now I need get back to my
hideout. Bombs to make, things to blow up.”
Zayn released a long breath. “I can’t let
you do that.”
Lastite Lala raised an eyebrow. “Say
what?”
“We’ve come a long way to find you.”
A pout curved across the girl’s lips. “For
some reason, you ain’t looking so handsome anymore.”
“Look, we aren’t going to hurt you.” With
those lightning fast moves of his, Zayn whipped out some
electro-cuffs and slapped them on Lala’s wrists. “We just really
need you in order to complete our mission.”
Lala eyed the blue glow of the cuffs. “You
really know how to ruin a perfectly good rescue.”
“Sorry, Lala. Like Zayn said, we need your
help for a mission. After that, you’re free to go.” Ria looked
around the dusty street. A small group of cowboys loitered farther
down the road. “Maybe you’d like to move somewhere else. Somewhere
less…dusty.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Lala snapped the gum she
was chewing. Then she leaned down and spat the gum at the cuffs.
The pink glob stuck to the metallic surface.
There was a tiny spark of light followed by
a puff of smoke.
Ria coughed. Zayn waved to dissipate the
smoke. The electro-cuffs fell into the dirt with a plop .
“What the—?” Zayn exclaimed.
Lala shoved her hands on her hips. “I’ve
already had one set of idiots try and kill me today. I’m not
planning to finish
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