Naughty, Not Nice

By D.A. Stein

Will the Ghosts of Christmas' Past, Present, and Future be the key to his future?

 

Glock is a pirate. He supplies what is demanded of him and nothing more. But when he is tasked with kidnapping a human female and her two children, his normal get-in-get-out motto is challenged. Especially when he's stuck with his cargo when the deal goes south. And the heart he thought he'd sealed off starts to beat a little differently...

 

Kathy is a fierce mom with only one thing on her mind. Protecting her kids. But it seems the whole galaxy is out to get them as they are kidnapped from one alien to another. When the latest alien captor turns out to be a pirate, she wonders if she can't somehow escape yet another fate in slavery. But just when she thinks she's getting through to Glock, she's kidnapped again.

 

Now, with his prize cargo gone, Glock must decide if he wants to go after them. He is charged with another goal involving kidnappings. He has to decide which is more important at the moment. And when he does, borrowing his friend's ship to go after the sweet mother and her kids who have gotten under his skin, Glock is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas' Past, Present and Future. This spectre promises more visits to come and leaves Glock with only questions: What is Christmas? Who are these Ghosts? And will he be able to get Kathy and her kids back before it's too late? For his heart and their future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.A. Stein
• Release date: Dec 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393435280

Book preview

Chapter One

Kathy

O w! The back of my head thumps and bounces on the dark cherry hardwood floor, my hand lifts to the side where I imagine a lump might soon form or at least bruise. I lift my head, the house shudders and shakes, practically elevates up and down vibrating like a train runs through the room. We live in Southern California. My first thought is an earthquake and my daughter and son make me scream, Kalie! Adam!

My heart pounds an all-consuming metal rock drumbeat. I try to jump up but my body tangles in the sheet that fell with me and I struggle to extricate myself from the material that trusses me up like a body to be thrown off a train. I finally untangle myself, toss the sheet aside and scramble to my feet, my palm and soles of my feet slip on the just varnished slick floors. I claw my way on my hands and knees, sliding and cursing under my breath. And throw the door open to my five-year-old daughter’s room. She sits in her twin mermaid bed, her mermaid bear dressed as Mrs. Santa, I got her as an early Christmas present for Thanksgiving the other day. The doll is clutched In her arms, Kali’s dark blue eyes wide with dread and horror, her mouth opens but no sound escapes. Dread makes me clasp her and her bear to my chest and hurry back out and to my one-year-old son’s room. Dread makes me stand by his crib, still sound asleep, rocking and rolling not bothering him at all. His Rudolph plushie sings its heart out as it bounces against his crib doing its own wild dance. Well, I always said that boy would sleep through an earthquake. Here it is.

Setting Kalie down on her bare feet I grab Adam into one arm holding him against me, his cheek cradled against my shoulder, his mouth against my neck as his warm breaths puff against my skin. With my other hand I hold Kalie’s in a tight clasp. I dash toward the front door as Kalie whines, mommy shoes. I need shoes.

Exasperation stiffens my body as my breath puffs in and out in quick light gasps of apprehension. I examine the area in alarm. I beam a smile, bright as a rock star pumped up for his fans and my shoulders collapse to see her pink ballet slippers lying in the doorway of the family room where she left them. I have never been so grateful for a messy kid. I grab the slippers and a blanket off the arm of the sofa plopping them on top of poor unaware Adam and seize Kalie into my arms again.

I swivel to run out the door, but it’s still closed. Kalie honey. Open the door for Mommy please.

Bending down slightly so she can grasp the handle in her little hand, my heart races, the rumbles that roar and the ground that rolls underneath us, a nightmare. I want to throw my hands over my ears to try and keep the thunderous racket out, but my hands are full of my children.

My bare toes strike the jam and tears spring to my eyes at the biting pain that makes me want to curl my toes inward to protect them and almost makes all this too much to handle. I hobble out the door and down the wooden steps that lead to my entry. The damp grass soothes my feet and the stubbed toe. In the middle of my yard I stop and fall to my knees which throb when they collide with the hard ground even with the thick grass and watch as my house finishes shaking. Bit, by bit, by bit. I glance around at the other houses on my street and they are dark and silent. My mouth hangs open, my head slowly turns back to my house that gives another last buck and heave before it settles down. Now it is as quiet and dark as every other house on the street. Eerie even. Kalie clings to me, her face stuffed into my chest, tears dampen the tank top that I wore to bed. My sleep shorts leave my thick thighs bare.

She hiccups, her voice uneven as she asks, what was that Mommy.

Earthquake baby. Remember the little one we had a month ago?

That wasn’t scary. Her little body jerks as her hiccups slow to a whine and whimper.

Come. A deep gravely grunt comes from behind me. I try to pivot and see who said that but I hear Kalie scream. And the back of my head is whacked while millions of bright lights fill my vision as they elongate and blackness takes me away as my hands claw to stay awake. I need to save my children.

Where are we?

Ship.

Why?

Grunt.

Why? Kalie continues with her never ending questions, her voice impish and playful. That girl isn’t afraid of anything and I hope someday that won’t get her in trouble.

My eyes flutter open to stare into a rose-colored creature with Caribbean blue eyes with a slitted black pupil. I blink. Short brown hair. I blink again. And again. Still there.

Mommy’s awake. Her small palm pats my cheek, the brush of her skin on mine gentle.

Get back. He grunts, his voice raspy, sandpaper against the floor.

But Mommy’s awake. Kalie’s whine starts to edge to an eruption of fireworks and I clear my throat.

What? Why did you hit me? I croak, my voice dry and hoarse, my head turns from side to side not understanding where we are or what’s happening. Is this some joke?

Mom…mmmy. Her little hands clutch at my legs, she whimpers and sniffles, her bravery forgotten. My head feels unattached to my body and moves down to bob against my chest, my eyes half close. Adam blinks at me with his big brown eyes, lying across my upper body attached with a cloth that is wrapped around me. I don’t understand any of this. Any of what’s happening. How did Adam get trussed to me?

Kalie attempts to climb up into my lap, the welts her nails leave well with blood.

The creature’s blue eyes scan my scraped legs, the drops of blood that drip and a body covered with two children. He turns back to a light-covered panel in front of him, flicking switches that flash colors of blue, red, and green as he goes. My eyes can’t leave the psychedelic motions. Flash red. Flash blue. Flash red again. It’s like a car accident. I can’t look away.

Swiveling back in a chair that is attached to the metal-plated floor he sets his palms flat on his tree- trunk-sized thighs. That took my attention. My eyes are frozen on him. His rose-colored skin is covered in swirls and patterns of darker rose colors that appear to change with his moods. And he must be embarrassed at my scrutiny because red blooms on his cheeks that make the tattoos darken and change motif.

His body is large with defined pectorals and ridges to his abdominals. Is there even such a thing as an eight or twelve pack? His biceps and triceps bulge as they tighten to reach out for Kalie. Not my daughter.

My eyes widen and I try to turn the chair but it is frozen in position. He plucks her from my lap with his platter-sized hands and I try to grab her back but he plops her into another chair, tightens straps to make sure she stays in place. Stay.

Can he only make one- or two-word speech? He swivels in the chair again until he faces the control panel, flicks switches, lights flash on and off and suddenly the ship jumps and I’m pushed back into my padded seat as if a giant’s hand shoves me. A high-pitched wail shrieks and my throat becomes raw and I realize the noise comes from me. I try to close my mouth but my wide eyes cut to Kalie and her expression is the same as mine, tears stream down her cheeks. I glance at Adam, terrified how he’s taking this horror show but his plump cheeks have dark red spots and his dark brown eyes are sparkling with giggles. Of course he would love this. Sometimes I couldn’t believe he’s my child, he’s a perfect copy of my late husband. With his dark skin, black curls, and dark brown eyes. He’s always into something, like Daniel had been. I wish he could watch Adam grow up. And Kalie too. She’s my Minnie me. White blond curls, peaches and cream skin and dark blue eyes. Two children couldn’t be more different. Unfortunately there could be problems later in life for them, no one believing they’re siblings.

My wails turn to whimpers. I wish I’m braver but I work with what I have. This is beyond human understanding. A wish for some. A nightmare for me.

The creature’s or…alien I assume, face straightens out after my shrieks temper in tone and he glances at me with a knowing twist of lips on his face. Or maybe an evil smirk. Depends upon how you look at it. The ship shudders and now I’m afraid it is going to break apart, the shudders become audible as a grinding clangor squeals through the ship. I stare at him but he’s not afraid or nervous going about his business with efficiency.

My fingers grasp the arms of the chair, my nails dig and tear into the thick fabric. Oops. Holy fudge! I don’t know how much more of this I can take but watching Adam calms me a little and my calm does the same for Kalie.

The alien flips another switch and the shudders begin to tone down and I glance at a window I hadn’t noticed before. How beautiful. I had no words to describe this.

Streaks of bright colors flash by. Yellow, purple, and even shades of white. As the ship slows those streaks begin to become planets. Or what I think to be planets. I don’t know. Astronomy was never my strong point in school. Guess I should have studied it more.

The alien settles his huge rose body in his seat and pivots the chair in my direction again. His glower points right at me but I have no idea what he’s angry about. Oh. Maybe the god-awful shrieks. I wince when I remember them but I should be allowed. This is something beyond imagining to me.

He shoves his thick finger into his chest, Glock.

I blink not understanding at first. His eyebrows dip into a perfect V between his stormy eyes and