Captives of New Pompeii (16 page)

Quade cleared his throat and clasped his
hands behind his back. He gazed straight ahead but scanned the room
with his peripheral vision. A young woman was bound spread-eagle on
Xyell’s fancy rack, her head lolling on her shoulders. Quade’s
hands clenched and red hazed his vision. This had to stop. It had
to stop right now!

“I was otherwise occupied,” he told Xyell,
his voice tight and emotionless.

“I can just imagine how you were occupied.”
Xyell studied his face like a snake sizing up its next meal. “Has
she returned to Thrax, or have you kept her too busy for other
activities?”

“The only other person she has spoken with
is
Doctor
Thrax and—his assistant.” Felicia’s name almost
slipped from his lips, but he changed course just in time. Damn it!
He had to be more careful.

“Has she comed anyone, sent messages or
accessed the datastream?”

“Nothing, Sir. I suspect she’s curtailed her
activities because I’m there.”

Xyell shrugged. “As long as she stays out of
trouble and out of my way, that’s all that matters.” He looked at
the woman and lust ignited in his gaze. “Care to join me? There is
nothing more stimulating than someone else’s pain.”

“No thank you, Sir. I should be getting back
to my post.”

“Don’t forget this is a post. You are still
under my authority.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Sir. Will that be
all?”

Xyell waved him away and Quade didn’t
hesitate. He returned to Laetif’s cabin as fast as he could without
drawing attention to himself. She greeted him with a smile, but he
rushed to the companel and activated an encrypted link. “Send
security to cabin 914. Someone is in danger.” He sent the simple
message to Captain Thrax then paused. Should he contact security
directly? He didn’t dare. Security channels were monitored. There
was no way to send a message anonymously.

“What’s going on?” Laetif came up beside him
and slipped her arm around his waist.

“You don’t want to know.”

She chuckled. “I wouldn’t have asked unless
I wanted to know.”

“The fuckwad is being particularly horrible.
I couldn’t turn the other way.”

Her smile was warm and tender, which only
compounded his guilt. “I’m glad.”

He shook his head and stepped away from the
companel. “I’m a fucking coward. I should have done this days
ago.”

“Crossing Mikko is dangerous. You don’t have
to explain that to me. He could make you disappear with the snap of
his fingers, and that would leave your daughter at his mercy. I get
it, Quade. Probably better than anyone.”

“It shouldn’t matter!” He twisted away from
her comforting touch and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Why is
B’s life more important than the women he’s abusing? I’ve been
selfish, nothing more.”

“You took action now. That’s what’s
important. You did the right thing.”

“Will Thrax take the message seriously? How
will I know if—”

The door buzzer sounded and Laetif smiled.
“Sounds like Caleb got the message.”

As she figured, Caleb was in the hall. She
opened the door for him and he walked straight to Quade. “How long
has it been going on?”

Quade didn’t bother pretending he didn’t
know what the captain was talking about. “Did your men stop it? How
did you get here so fast?”

“I was in my cabin, so I dispatched the head
of security. He was a whole lot closer. He just reported what he
found.”

Quade squared his shoulders, preparing
himself for whatever action the captain chose to enact. “The cabin
was outfitted the day after we departed. Xyell has been
interrogating people ever since.”

“Interrogating? Is that what he’s calling
it?” Caleb shook his head, his disgust obvious. “Why the fuck did
it take you so long to report this?”

“Mikko has his daughter,” Laetif
supplied.

“That’s not an excuse,” Quade said before
Caleb had the opportunity to voice the criticism clear in his dark
green eyes. “I should have taken action as soon I saw that people
were being mistreated.”

“I agree, but I also understand your
hesitation.”

“What will happen to Mikko?” Laetif
asked.

“He’s on his way to the brig, but I have no
concrete reason to keep him incarcerated.”

“What are you talking about?” Quade snapped.
“That woman was barely conscious. Who knows how long he’s had her
in that cabin.”

“The survivors belong to Xyell. Legally he
can do whatever he wants with them.”

“That can’t be right.” Laetif shook her
head, eyes wide and tormented. “We have to do something.”

“I’ll keep him there as long as I can, but I
suspect before the day is through I’ll have a vidcom with Prince
Tarhee. He’ll remind me that
Ambassador
Xyell has diplomatic
immunity. I’ll have no choice but to release him.”

“That’s bullshit!” Quade stomped away from
the companel, too angry to remain still.

“And you can take your complaint to the
emperor because he is the only one with the authority to revoke
diplomatic immunity.”

“We cannot just turn a blind eye. There has
to be something we can do,” Laetif insisted.

Caleb smiled, his gaze shifting from Laetif
to Quade and back. “
We
can post guards in the hallway and
make damn sure Xyell knows every move he makes is being recorded.
Hopefully, that will keep him from hurting anyone else while he’s
on the ship. Of course, he could tell me to shove it and blithely
do whatever the hell he feels like. I have no authority to make him
behave.”

“Or we could just smother him in his sleep,”
Quade muttered.

“Don’t tempt me.” After a lingering look at
Laetif, Caleb glanced at him and said, “Thanks for the tip. I’m
glad you finally came to your senses.”

Shamed by the subtle reprimand, Quade
crossed to the viewport and stared out into the black vastness of
space.

Laetif came up behind him and wrapped her
arms around his waist. “Do you think the fuckwad will realize it
was you?”

“Probably. The raid was too coincidental.”
He sighed and crossed his arms over hers. “It had to be done. I
just couldn’t remain silent anymore.”

She squeezed him, communicating her approval
without saying a word.

The days flew by in a flurry of activity and
frustration. Felicia’s dreams were filled with shadowy impressions
and an inescapable sense of danger, but the images never
solidified, never allowed her to act upon her feelings. Aiden
patiently listened to her warnings, but she could offer him nothing
specific.

After the fourth dream, Aiden told Caleb
that something was wrong and the captain informed him that Xyell
had been arrested for abusing the passengers. Felicia was relieved
that he had been caught, yet the vagueness of her visions
frightened her. Was she being punished for the intimacies she’d
shared with Aiden? It didn’t seem likely, but the nagging concern
lingered in the back of her mind.

Each group of refugees who Felicia spoke
with reminded her how simplistic her life had been before the
evacuation. The refugees seemed innocent and helpless to her. She
could imagine how much more the contrast must affect the Fedorans.
They might not possess the omniscient power of the gods, but their
technology provided them with advantages that were nearly as
awe-inspiring.

“One more group then we’re finished for the
night.” Aiden told her.

She offered him a wan smile, unable to
muster any more enthusiasm. There were only four days left until
they reached Fedoros and Felicia’s anxiety grew with each passing
day. They spent their days together and slept in each other’s arms
each night, but whenever she tried to instigate sexual interaction,
he insisted she wasn’t ready.

Shouldn’t it be her decision when she was
ready to be with him? He intentionally kept them busy, working well
into the night, so they were both exhausted by the time they
hurried down the hall to his cabin.

They were ahead of schedule tonight and if
the last group went smoothly, they would reach the cabin two hours
early.

“We are way ahead of schedule.” He echoed
her thoughts “Maybe we should start on tomorrow’s—”

“No,” she insisted. “I need a break and so
do you.”

He exhaled then smiled. “You’re right. We’ve
earned a few hours of R and R.”

“R and R?”

“Rest and relaxation.”

She had something entirely different in
mind, but she kept the thought to herself.

The final group sat through orientation in
dazed acceptance. Felicia remembered all too well how it felt to
have her world ripped out from underneath her. She had been
assimilating the changes for almost two weeks and it still felt
surreal.

Aiden updated the log while Felicia
impatiently paced his office. “Let’s go. You’re going to wear
groves in the floor.”

They said goodnight to Shika and headed to
their cabin.

Felicia’s heart began to flutter in her
breast. Should she talk to him about her restlessness or make a
bolder statement? She had tried subtlety before with frustrating
results. His caution was honorable. He didn’t want to take
advantage of her, but ignoring the attraction smoldering between
them was dishonest.

Her dreams had stopped the day Xyell was
arrested. Laetif told her he’d been released, but apparently the
pressure Caleb was putting on him had halted his sadistic
behavior.

Following their usual routine, she took the
undershirt he handed her and walked into the utility room. He would
be in bed when she finished with the lights dimmed and she’d crawl
in beside him safely clothed in the soft, simple garment. At least
that’s how this scene had played out over and over since her first
nightmare… Was that what was bothering him? Was he afraid their
intimacies had unleashed her nightmares?

She quickly undressed and donned the
undershirt, motivated by the possibility. As she had expected, he
was already beneath the covers when she emerged from the bathroom.
His chest was bare and his gaze followed her with cautious longing.
His desire for her had not waned. She’d felt his erection pressed
against her buttocks too often to fear he’d lost interest.

“Are you ready to sleep or did you want to
watch a vid or something?”

“Or something,” she replied with what she
hoped was a sexy smile.

His eyes closed for a second then he said,
“Felicia, I don’t think—”

Knowing where that weary acceptance lead,
she quickly changed direction. “I need your help with
something.”

He sat up, clearly curious. “All right. What
can I do for you?”

She chose her words carefully, determined to
reach beyond his hesitation. “I feel like my life is in transition.
I am becoming a different person than the woman I was in Pompeii. I
am wiser, more mature, perhaps a bit more cynical. But I am
definitely more aware.”

“That’s all perfectly natural, considering
what you’ve been through.”

“I agree.” She moved to the bed and sat on
the edge, pivoting to face him. “There are many things I still do
not understand, but I am no longer frightened by the
transition.”

“I’m glad.” He reached for her hand and
pulled her closer. “I didn’t directly participate in what happened
to you, but I can’t help feeling responsible.”

“Then you agree that it’s only fair that you
help me complete my transition?”

“Of course. I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Good. I want you to couple with me.”

“Felicia.”

She placed her fingers against his lips,
halting his argument. “I need this, Aiden.”

“I gave in to my desire for you and you had
nightmares for days afterward.”

“My nightmares had nothing to do with our
activities. Xyell was abusing the passengers and I’m convinced
Perion is still alive. I’m not sure why my visions are so fuzzy,
but I do not believe it has anything to do with you.”

“You’re under an incredible amount of
stress. We literally changed your concept of reality. It’s no
wonder that your powers are a bit off.”

“I agree.” She paused, absorbing the
explanation, refusing to give in to her uncertainty. She wanted
Aiden, needed to experience the pleasures Laetif whispered about.
“This is the final obstacle in my recovery. Perion took something
beautiful and natural and made it dirty and despicable. I want to
reclaim that part of my soul. I will not be a prisoner to the
past.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? I will
do nothing that harms you.”

Rather than argue with him, she stood and
took off the undershirt. “I want to know what it means to be a
woman, and I want you to be my guide.”

He crawled out of bed and took her in his
arms. “You continually amaze me. I’ve never known anyone stronger
than you.”

His lips came down over hers and she wrapped
her arms around his back. Finally! She clung to him, flattening her
breasts against his chest. All he wore was a pair of black shorts,
but she wanted those gone as well. She tugged them down over his
tight rear end and he obliged her with a throaty chuckle.

“I will not let you rush me,” he warned. “We
will take our time and savor this.”

They kissed and caressed each other. The
freedom thrilled Felicia. She ran her hands over his back and
squeezed his hard behind. He pressed his cock against her belly,
letting her feel what she did to him. And through it all their
mouths meshed and melded, their tongues gently dueling.

He finally broke away, panting hard as he
fought for control. “Sit down on the edge of the bed. I haven’t
forgotten what I promised you.”

“That you would lick my pussy until I
scream?”

“Exactly.” She reached for his cock, but he
caught her wrist. “Not tonight. We focus entirely on clearing this
hurdle.”

She nodded and sat, uncertainty creeping
through her arousal. She wanted this, wanted nothing to distract
her from the pleasure of sharing these things with Aiden.