unwanted

chapter twentyfour

unbowed

She thought her ass was in the clear. She got back to the bowels of hell with no problem.

After making sure Jai got the left-over meat, she went to work. Maybe it was foolish to hope but right now the hope of seeing Julian was the only thing keeping her going.

They had never spent so much time apart. Not knowing if he was okay, not talking to him was killing her.

She scrubbed the dirty, grotesque floors with a vengeance while she thought of all the things, she would tell him when she saw him again. He needed to meet Slenzer and Jai.

Once she found Julian then they'd be able to find a way off this ship.

Slenzer had shown no signs that she'd been worried when Jess didn't return but that wasn't her way. She would keep her worry to herself now that she had returned safely. Glitter girl gave her two cents then she stood back to see what you would do with it.

Zonsonee had looked less than enthused with her for being gone and now every time they were in a room together, he watched her.

That was something else her and Julian could figure out once they were back together. Finding out what that mark meant and finding out why everyone with that mark felt like they needed to protect her.

No one ever talked while they worked. No one hardly ever talked at all during the daylight hours and they only talk in low tones once they were all closed in at night, but it was still the silence that let her know that something wasn't right.

Looking up, her eyes met the raour who had been eyeing her yesterday. She was young, pretty. One of the smallest and cleanest raours that she's seen. Her look suggested pure anger.

Maybe it was too late, but Jess looked down anyway. Crap on a stick and bake it. This was not going to end well.

"Stand."

She sneaked a peak around while she did. The other two scrubbing girls apparently had run for it. The only one still in the room was the old lady who stirred the pot to make sure the jurdolo juice didn't burn.

Her head was down, and she didn't acknowledge anyone. Smart chick.

Once she was standing, Jess kept her eyes on the other girl's boots. There were two other pairs of boots with her and they were larger.

The smaller girl walked around Jess, eyeing her up and down.

"I could take her with both arms tied behind my back."

"I should hope so. Your mom would disown you if you couldn't."

The girl in front of her stiffen at the comment and her hands balled into fists.

"Did you see how she looked at you, Raraja? I don't think this slave knows her place."

"She will by the time I'm done with her."

She knew the blow was coming, she just didn't know what to do about it. Fighting back would probably mean death. Standing there and taking it wasn't who she was. In the end, she remembered she didn't have to do anything.

The fucking girl hit hard. She felt her cheek flay open the same moment the alien chick grunted in pain.

Smirking was a bad idea. Looking at the other girl was another.

"Raraja?"

"She has powers even with the collar."

The biggest of the three moved Raraja out of the way and reared back a meaty hand to hit Jess with.

"I wouldn't do that." Jess warned.

The big ox got in two punches before she went down. Jess was barely able to stay on her feet and there was ringing in her ears.

"Korna, order more fighters and put her in a cell."