Page 5 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement

But if her abduction was real, if the stickyblood on her arms was real… She feared the black hole was real too.

A whimper from behind her. “What’s that?”

Rayna twisted to follow the shocked stare of one of Lishelle’s rescues. Cruising slowly across their view from the opposite side of the atrium was…

She let out a shuddering breath. A freaking spaceship.

They were in outer space.

A sound boomed through the atrium, seeming to comefrom the scintillating darkness outside, rattling right through the glass. Rayna flinched, then froze as the sound repeated and, after a few beats, the booming resolved into words. Words she understood.

“Blackworm Station,” the accented masculine voice announced. “You are bordering on sovereign Azthronos space in clear violation of intergalactic accords. Stand down. Do not attempt to flee, orour plasma cannons will disable your stabilizers and you will be subject to the dubious mercies of the singularity.”

“What? Abductedandpunked?” One of the other women snorted, although Rayna couldn’t tear her gaze from the sleek, silver ship to see who spoke. “I can’t even.”

“At least it’s nothim,” Trixie said, a fractured note of hope cracking her voice.

Rayna swallowed hard. Whoever itwas, she’d make sure she was never trapped again.