Pirate's Price (10 page)

The amusement faded from Fibros’s
expression. “She was supposed to give me enough time to reach the
spaceport then contact me. I’m still waiting for the page.”

“How late is her check-in?”

“How long have we been here?”

“We should have brought her with us,” Vihlok
grumbled. He’d placed Kashi in the Jabulayni household cycles
before, hoping she could glean information for him. When she’d been
selected as Rana’s handmaiden none of them could believe their good
fortune. How would the princess react when she realized her best
friend was a spy?

“Yeah, kidnappers often bother with
servants. That wouldn’t have looked suspicious at all.” He rubbed
his eyebrows and heaved a frustrated sigh. “If she hasn’t commed me
by tomorrow, I’ll head back to Peronite.”

“Will the ship be ready by then?”

“Hopefully. This team is good, but she’s
getting old.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he added, “So am
I.”

“With age comes wisdom. Everyone knows
that.”

Fibros snorted. “Explain that to my
knees.”

“I’ll see if Rana has a way to contact Kashi
without shattering the illusion.”

“Won’t asking the question make her
suspicious of you?”

“Not necessarily. I already admitted there’s
a connection between you and Kashi. She doesn’t need to know the
rest. Besides, it doesn’t matter. If Kashi is in serious trouble,
the game is over.”

“Keep me informed.”

Vihlok nodded, then closed the link.

Raking his hand through his hair he returned
to the bedroom. They’d showered, again, before Rana crawled between
the sheets. She hadn’t been asleep that long, but this couldn’t
wait. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he brushed her hair back from
her face. She stirred in her sleep, unconsciously turning into his
light caress.

His chest ached. No other woman had ever
affected him as powerfully as Rana. Touching her felt natural and
he couldn’t explain why. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and
never let go.

“Sweetheart,” he said softly, “you need to
wake up. There’s something I need to ask you.”

Her lashes fluttered, then her eyes opened
and she smiled. His heart leapt at the beauty of her face. “How
long was I out?”

“Not long. Can you contact Kashi?” She sat
up and tucked the sheet under her arms. “Are you awake enough for
this conversation?”

“I am now. What’s wrong?”

“She was supposed to comm Fibros shortly
after we arrived. We don’t know that anything is wrong. We’re just
concerned.”

Rana swung her legs over the side of the
bed, dragging the sheet with her. “I’ll have to change my story.
All communications are recorded when we’re offworld.”

“We might be overreacting. That’s why this
is so frustrating.”

“If Kashi is in trouble, nothing else is
important. We can say I ran away with you or claim I wanted to
break the engagement without causing an interplanetary
incident.”

He was pleased by her selfless attitude. “Or
better yet, I’m your jealous lover and I’d rather hold you against
your will than see you married to another man.”

“That works too.”

Dropping the sheet, she strode naked into
the bathroom. Desire gripped his belly and heated his blood. They
had gone at it nearly nonstop since he’d kidnapped her. Shouldn’t
these cravings be easing by now?

She returned, dressed in a black bathrobe.
“Where’s the communications console?”

“In the sitting room.”

After activating the standard link, she
muttered, “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“It’s a prerecorded message stating that the
Devauntian delegation is en route to their home world.”

“That just means Vega is forwarding all
Devauntian comms. Can you link with the ship directly?”

“I’m trying.” She paged through several menu
screens before she said, “This system is really rudimentary. I
don’t think long range communications are a priority for most of
Bliss’s customers.” She tried several more access points before she
shook her head. “I can’t connect from here. But the fact that they
took off so abruptly could explain Kashi’s missed check-in.”

“Your mother rushed her out the door and she
can’t establish a link from the ship without being detected?”

“Exactly.”

Her logic was sound. He just wished there
was some way to confirm the conclusion. “How long will it take for
them to reach Devaunt?”

“Four to six hours, depending on which jump
gate they use and how hard they push the ship. Cruisers are built
for comfort not speed.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and
grinned at her. “They are initially.”

She turned from the console and looked into
his eyes, her gaze bright and assessing. “Who are you? Kashi
doesn’t rush in blindly. There has to be a reason she trusted
you.”

“Why did you agree to marry Vega?”

“If I explain what happened, will you tell
me who you are?”

After a short pause, he said, “Yes.”

“My father ruled with an iron fist, but at
least he provided for those entrusted to his care.” She stood as
well, staying just out of reach. “My mother thought only of
herself. She bled Devaunt dry and kept expecting more until I had
no choice but to seek assistance from an outsider.”

“The alliance with Vega would have
stabilized Devaunt’s economy?” Political unions had been forged for
less. Still, it upset him to think of Rana at the mercy of Vega.
The Peronite king was known for his ruthlessness.

“The price he agreed to pay for me would
have allowed my mother to change the most harmful policies.”

He licked his lips, hesitant to bring up the
obvious flaw in her strategy. “If she had squandered so much once,
what was to keep her from doing so again?”

“Me. With Vega’s backing, I would have been
in a better position to oppose her polices.”

He wasn’t convinced, but her motivation had
been pure and Vega was out of the picture. “What made you change
your mind about the marriage?”

“Vega has a male lover, actually he was
originally the queen’s lover and Vega sort of joined in. After they
gave me an in-depth demonstration of how it all worked, I knew I
couldn’t live that way.”

She was obviously skimming the surface and
he didn’t want to compound her pain. Still, it was important for
him to understand the root cause of her resistance. “You weren’t
willing to share Vega with his lover?”

“It was far more twisted than that. Vega was
aroused by reliving the original confrontation with his wife. He
wanted to humiliate and punish me each time he came to my bed. His
lover was even worse.”

He nodded and moved on. “Without Vega’s
assistance, how did you hope to curtail your mother’s
indulgences?”

“I contacted the leaders of the great
houses. If I can get four of the six to unite in support of me we
can challenge her policies. Even her cabinet can’t contradict an
edict from the council of nobles.” She rubbed her arms, looking
tired and a bit forlorn.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and
pulled her close. “How many of the leaders agreed?”

“Everyone agreed that changes need to be
made, but most of them were hesitant to take on the royal cabinet.
It’s my responsibility to convince them. I’ll start my official
campaign as soon as I return to Devaunt.”

“You won’t be ransomed for another five
days,” he reminded her with a wicked smile.

“It’s your turn, Mr. Pirate.” She returned
his smile. “Tell me who you are.”

The pirate eased Rana to arm’s length and
looked into her eyes. “I’m Vihlok Torral.”

Her mouth gaped and she snapped it shut.
“You’re related to the late emperor?”

“He was my father.”

She shook her head and twisted out of his
light hold. “That’s not possible. Both of his sons…” There had
always been rumors that his younger son escaped the renegades’
attack. There had been all sorts of rumors as solar cycles
passed.

“Yet here I stand.”

The memory locked and she closed her eyes.
The lilting music, the warm flicker of simulated candles, and the
dancing couple. It was all clear within her mind. Emperor Torral
and his lovely wife began each new cycle in each other’s arms,
dancing as their subjects looked on. The emperor smiled and his
blue eyes sparkled, filled with love and devotion.

Shame washed over Rana, shame and envy. “You
look just like him,” she whispered.

“So I’ve been told.”

“You’re heir to House Torral. Why would you
choose to live as a pirate?”

“My entire family was slaughtered on
Devaunt. The planet holds little appeal for me now.”

“What do you mean ‘slaughtered’? They were
killed during the course of a war they began.”

He scoffed, resentment freezing his
expression. “How did war result in the death of a woman, and a boy
who had not yet seen fifteen cycles?”

Her heart pounded and her lips trembled.
She’d always known her father was ruthless and ambitious, but she
hadn’t allowed herself to consider the depths to which he’d stooped
in his quest for wealth and power. “They were being transferred
from one location to another when renegades attacked.”

“That’s a nice story, Rana. I’m sure it
eased your father’s conscience to have you believe he wasn’t
directly responsible.”

“You’re inferring he was? Do you have
proof?”

He sighed and pushed his fingers through his
hair. “Our time together is limited. I don’t want to waste it
reviewing things that can’t be changed.”

“Answer the question,” she snapped. “How do
you know my father’s accounting isn’t true? You were even younger
than your brother.”

“I was thirteen and I know what really
happened because I was there. My mother’s scream woke me and I
arrived in time to see a Jabulayni butcher slit her throat. He was
one of your father’s personal guards not some renegade.”

She crossed her arms over her chest as tears
blurred her vision. “I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t want to believe
my father was capable of such brutality.”

“It was a long time ago and you are not
responsible for any of it.”

“I’m so sorry.” Tears escaped the corners of
her eyes and she quickly looked away. “How you must hate me.”

He cupped her chin and turned her head back
around. The haunted fury had left his gaze, replaced by…
tenderness? Could he honestly care for her knowing whose blood ran
through her veins?

“I wanted to hate you,” he admitted. “I
tried using this opportunity to exorcize my personal demons.”

“Please tell me there’s a ‘but’.”

“
But
you are not your parents. Your
willingness to sacrifice yourself for your people is proof enough
of that.”

Encouraged by his willingness to move beyond
the past, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to his warmth.
“How did Kashi know you were still alive?” He grinned and she
gasped. “You’ve known her all along. Kashi is a spy?”

“A harmless informant, who keeps me apprised
of what goes on back home.”

“‘Back home’? Some connection must linger or
you wouldn’t care.”

He was silent for a moment as he gently
stroked her face. “I suppose you’re right. But I have no interest
in overthrowing your mother. I refuse to sacrifice innocent lives
for any reason.”

“I’m proposing a political coup, not a
military offensive.”

His fingers curved around her chin and he
outlined her lips with his thumb. “You’re still mine for five more
days. After I’ve sated my hunger for your delectable body, we can
discuss our options.”

“Hey, mister, want ta go for a ride?”

Umar glared at the blue-haired woman, the
fourth whore to pose the question since he stepped onto the
pleasure tier. “I don’t pay for sex.”

“Too bad.” She arched her back and cupped
her high round breasts, while keeping the nipples visible. “My
prices are reasonable and my pussy is nice and tight.”

He snorted. “As often as you’re ridden, I
sincerely doubt it.”

Umar wasn’t interested in having his cock
sucked, at least not right now. He had a job to do. Still, the
talkative slut likely knew her way around the station and he had to
start his search somewhere. He paused and walked back to where she
lounged in the archway of a shop offering an impressive array of
sex toys and adult entertainments.

“Change your mind?”

“How long have you been on this
station?”

She tossed her long blue hair over her
shoulders and licked her lips. Her mesh dress displayed her
attributes without her actually being naked. “Why do you care?”

“I need information.”

“I have a minimum fee for any service.”

“I understand.”

Wrapping her arm around his, she pressed his
biceps against the side of her breast. She really did have fabulous
tits. He wondered if the indigo markings on her skin were natural
or some sort of decoration.

“We need to disappear for a few ticks or my
pimp will have my hide. I hope you’re not shy.”

They rounded a corner and Umar’s eyes
widened. Behind the building, every conceivable sex act was taking
place. Men with men, women with women, and every possible
combination. His whore laughed and pushed his back against the
wall.

“I have to at least give you a hand job or
the others will notice.” Before he could protest, her nimble
fingers unfastened his pants and pulled out his burgeoning cock.
“Very nice. Are you sure I can’t have a taste?”

“How are you going to answer my questions
with my cock in your mouth?”

Her hands went to work and Umar clenched his
fists. Damn, she was good. Firm grip, not afraid to pull. He could
just imagine what that practiced mouth could do. “How could someone
get through security without logging in?”

“Bribes are always good, but you’re a little
late. Didn’t you come off the public shuttle? Every person is
scanned as they exit the transport station.”