“It sounded more like you were warning them, not me.”
“Well, sweetheart, since they’re dead and you’re alive, you obviously heard me.”
“Stop calling me sweetheart,” she growled.
“Tell me your name, and I’ll never call you sweetheart again.”
“Klara Tavock.” Judging from her tone, telling him probably cost her some tooth enamel.
“That wasn’t so hard, now, was it, Klara?” Moe would’ve tapped his chin if his hands had been free. “Klara Tavock… It even has a nice ring to it, although Klara Vladatonsk sounds pretty good too.”
“Hmm… So how did you escape the last time?”
“If you’ll leave the room for a minute or two, I’ll do it again.”
“You seem rather sure of yourself.”
“About some things. Not everything.” Case in point, what would happen when he escaped his bonds only to have her stun him again. Contrary to popular belief, multiple stuns could give the recipient one hell of a headache. That last one the Nedwut hit him with must’ve been a heavy stun. Given the surly nature of their kind, he was surprised he was still alive.
“You’re sure you could get off this planet?” At last, a hint of interest colored her voice.
“Absolutely. You just watch me, sw— um, Klara.”
“Me and my friends?”
“That depends on how many friends you have.”
“Only the ones you already mentioned.”
He exhaled sharply. “I’m good with the Norludian and the Sympaticon. Don’t much care for Racks.”
“I won’t leave—”
“But if you insist, we can take them along,” he added before she could finish.
She stomped her foot. “I don’t know why I’m even listening to you. You’re only trying to save your wretched hide.”
“Can you blame me? This hide may be wretched, but it’s the only hide I have, and I’m kind of attached to it.”
At last, the sound he’d been waiting for, a chuckle—albeit a tiny one—escaped her. “Show me how you got loose and I’ll let you keep it.”
“Okay, but I hope you have a strong stomach. Some people get really weirded out by this.”
“Go ahead,” she said. “I can take it.”
Moe couldn’t see what was tying his feet to the wall, but he was already close to getting his hands free. A few dislocated joints in each hand should do nicely, although he had to admit, it sounded more like breaking bones. Lying on his back made it easier, enabling him to use his own weight as a tool. Once the joints gave way, he slid his hands from the bonds and sat up. His feet were held by a simple manacle. If he’d had something to pick the lock with, he would have taken that route. As it was, he freed his feet in the same manner he’d used with his hands. Seconds later, he was on his feet facing her as his joints popped back into place.
Despite the gun she had pointed at him, she appeared to be impressed, if a little green around the gills. “A remarkable talent.”
“Comes in handy now and then,” he admitted. “Gives my mom the willies whenever I do it, though. She’s human, or it probably wouldn’t bother her so much. Terrans tend to be a little on the squeamish side.” He held out a hand and smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Moriconthan Tshevnoe, although most people call me Moe.”
Chapter 4
Klara ignored the hand he held out to her, as well as his smile, or at least tried to. He was attractive enough when unconscious. Awake and smiling, he was—
She gave her head a shake, hoping to banish that thought before it had time to take root and grow. “The only Terrans I’ve ever encountered are the bouncers in Turel’s bar, so I’ve never noticed that particular trait. Perhaps only the females are squeamish.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Moe argued. “I met a guy once who was just as freaked out as Mom. Of course, the fact that I was able to escape meant he lost a bet, so it might have been the money he stood to lose. I’ve never really been sure.”
“I’m assuming you had witnesses,” she drawled.
“Of course. That sort of thing doesn’t work well if done in seclusion. Not on a bet, anyway. There have to be observers, preferably impartial.”
“Perhaps you should’ve had me ask one of my gang to observe.”
He waggled an admonitory finger at her. “Ah, but then I would’ve been outnumbered.”
“So?”
His shrug was a study in nonchalance. “This next part would’ve been more difficult, but not impossible.”
A second later, he’d pinned her against the wall, his glowing eyes barely a hand’s breadth from hers. In another second, her pistol was in his hand. Klara had never seen anyone of any species move that fast. She hissed out a breath. “You weren’t moving that quickly when you were fighting with that Herp—or with me.”
“Didn’t need to,” he said with a grin. “Most of the time, I try to keep a lid on the speed. It’s more effective when my opponent isn’t expecting it.” Releasing her hands, he stepped back. He might’ve been smiling, but he didn’t lower the weapon a single millimeter. She couldn’t blame him for that. Had she been in his place, she wouldn’t have trusted anyone, either.
She heaved a sigh. “So what do we do now?”
“That’s up to you, Klara. I can walk out of here alone or you can come with me—bring your gang if you like—but I am not staying here any longer than absolutely necessary. All I want is to get my ship back and get the hell out of this sector—maybe even the quadrant—and never come back.”
Oddly enough, his goal was similar to hers. Klara had been hoarding credits for as long as she could remember. The trouble was, even on this filthy little planet, nothing was free, except her current digs in the Barrens. Anyone who’d ever claimed it as property was long dead.
Oh yes, she would leave Haedus Nine without a backward glance. But first, she wanted to find out who’d sent a pack of Nedwuts after her and wring his neck. As it happened, she had a pretty good idea who it might have been.
Still, the Nedwuts hadn’t succeeded in capturing her, and if this Moe character was being truthful, she didn’t have to live this way any longer. Going after Pelarus would only be for revenge, however satisfying that revenge might be.
“You don’t really want to stay here, do you?” he prompted.
“No. I don’t.” The problem was trust. She had no reason to trust this man. But by the same token, she didn’t have any reason not to trust him.
He took another step back. “You go ahead and think on it for a while. I’m in no hurry.”
“Where is this Terra Minor?”
“It’s in the Terran Quadrant,” he replied. “Nice planet with a decent climate and comparatively little crime. You could buy a farm or start a business there. Or you could go to Rhylos. Trust me, you’d fit right in on Rhylos. The place is crawling with Davordians.”
“I’ve heard enough about Rhylos to know I’d prefer to stay away.” Everything on Rhylos was beautiful and expensive, and with the no-holds-barred approach to commerce, most people left that world considerably poorer than when they arrived. “If this wealth you speak of is real, I have no desire to lose it as quickly as I acquired it.”
“Okay, then. What about the Davordian homeworld?”
“That’s a possibility, although my mother never regretted leaving there to work in a space-station brothel, if that tells you anything.” The Davordian government consisted of multiple monarchies that were constantly vying for power, and given the promiscuous nature of the natives, fucking one’s way into influential positions was practically a global pastime. Unfortunately, palace intrigues and petty rivalries often led to murder. Her mother never explained why she left her homeworld, but Klara could only assume self-preservation had been a factor.
He nodded as though he understood. “I get that,” he said. “But there isn’t a space station in the entire sector. How did you wind up here?”
“My mother thought giving birt
h to her children on a planet with more room to run and hide than on a space station would be safer, but with limited funds, this was as far as she got. Unfortunately, since Haedus Nine is the only inhabited planet for hundreds of light years in either direction along one of the lesser trade routes, the spaceport still gets a fair share of interstellar traffic. The bounty hunters found us anyway.”
They’d had help, of course. Branethan Pelarus had made no secret of his desire to bed her mother, Delaroh, in the wake of that attack. Klara had always suspected him of using the Nedwuts to rid Delaroh of her children, perhaps thinking that without the reminders of the Zetithian man with whom she’d been so enamored, he might actually stand a chance. He was wrong. Delaroh had often remarked that no man, especially not a Vessonian with slanted ears and hideous cranial ridges, could possibly compare with a Zetithian.
Several years passed before another Nedwut had aimed a shot at Klara, only to hit her mother when Delaroh attempted to shield her sixteen-year-old daughter from the pulse blast. In the ensuing chaos, Klara had somehow managed to escape, winding up in the Barrens, where she had teamed up with Temfilk and his fellow outcasts.
Klara and her gang had been at odds with Pelarus ever since. In the past, they’d been content to simply steal from one of his many businesses whenever the opportunity arose. In recent years, she’d fought against him more openly, competing with him for gladiator prospects, in addition to firing on any Nedwut unfortunate enough to cross her path. Since the majority of the Nedwuts on Haedus Nine were in Pelarus’s employ, he didn’t appreciate this any more than the Nedwuts did. In fact, she was fairly certain he was the one offering the reward for her capture. That she was wanted alive made it even more interesting.
Klara had been told she was even more beautiful than her mother. Pelarus hadn’t had a chance with Delaroh. Temfilk had been the one to suggest that Pelarus might want Klara as his concubine, which was a prospect even more horrifying than being killed by Nedwuts.
At the moment, however, being held at gunpoint was a more pressing matter. Moe had already proven he could not only escape but could also move faster than her or any of her gang. With that kind of speed and agility—not to mention courage and resourcefulness—he could win thousands of credits in the arena. The question was whether he was willing to kill for those credits. Somehow, he didn’t strike her as the killer type. Case in point, his treatment of her and her friends. Therefore, he probably wouldn’t participate voluntarily.
So much for that.
Even so, beating Pelarus at his favorite sport would go a long way toward evening the score between them.
What am I thinking? He’s responsible for the deaths of my family.
Humiliation wouldn’t be enough.
Only his death would suffice.
“What’s it gonna be?” Moe prompted.
“I’m still thinking,” she snapped.
He huffed out a breath. “I don’t need to wait for you, you know. This scene could easily play out the way it did the last time—minus the Nedwut interruption.”
A study of his face revealed no trace of doubt, nor did she feel any herself. He would stun her and leave her there—and she would miss her best chance of escaping from Haedus Nine. Revenge against Pelarus was nothing compared to that. But she would be no man’s subordinate. “You’re suggesting we join forces, right?”
“If that’s the way you want to put it, yes. But just so we’re clear, I’m not going to be anyone’s prisoner or slave—or even pretend to be. Equal footing or I’m outta here.”
The conviction in his tone and the fire in his eyes should’ve terrified her. Instead, it made her mouth water, forcing her to swallow before she spoke again. “Define equal footing.”
“I want my stuff back. All of it. I want my pistol recharged, and I want your promise that neither you nor any member of your gang will try to pull a fast one on me again. If you agree, I’ll help you any way I can. But one hint of duplicity and the deal’s off.”
Considering what she’d done to him, this hardly seemed sensible. He had to want more. “You would help me for simply returning what I took from you?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
There had to be a catch. There was always a catch. In her experience, nothing was ever free. “Yes, it is. But after the trouble I’ve caused, why would you help me?”
His eyes widened, and a moment passed before he replied. “Because there aren’t many Zetithians left. We have to stick together and help each other whenever we can.”
A world-weary sigh nearly got the better of her. She quashed it like she’d done so many times before. “That sounds so simple.”
One slanted eyebrow rose. “You got a problem with simple?”
“No.” To be honest, simple sounded perfectly marvelous. If only… “It’s just that nothing ever is. Simple, I mean.”
“Sometimes all it takes is a little trust.” With that, he finally lowered the pistol, leaving her almost as stunned as if he’d pulled the trigger.
Judging from what Moe had heard of her history, Klara had only trusted a handful of beings in her entire life. Trusting a stranger—one who would normally only have been worth the price she could get for him—wouldn’t be easy for her, as evidenced by the indecision written so plainly on her features. He could end up being worth so much more to her than she ever imagined. A lot more. But if she couldn’t trust him, none of that would happen.
“What’s it gonna be, Klara?” he asked gently. “Yes or no.”
For an instant, her expression of dismay made her seem lost and vulnerable. Then the moment passed, and she drew herself up to her full height, any softness in her demeanor turning to steel, rendering her posture as rigid as the tight smile she gave him. “Very well. I accept your terms.”
The glib acknowledgement on the tip of his tongue would’ve ruined their tenuous agreement. “You won’t regret it,” he finally said. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Her stance softened ever so slightly, and he could’ve sworn he saw a few tears swimming in her eyes before her gaze shifted downward. Clearly, she was no stranger to regret. He only hoped he could bring himself to trust her as much as she now seemed to be trusting him. She’d already stunned him once, and while she’d technically rescued him from the Nedwuts, she’d also used that opportunity to make him her captive once again.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…
Whether joining forces with her was a good move or the worst decision he’d ever made, only time would tell. For now, what he needed most was information.
He cleared his throat. “I still don’t get why Nedwuts would bother posting a reward for you when all they have to do is keep out of your way.”
She shrugged. “Apparently they want revenge.”
It was all he could do to keep from rolling his eyes. “My mother has probably killed more of them than you have, and as far as I know, they’ve never offered a reward for her. What makes you so special?”
“Not special. Just…persistent.”
“So you’re saying you make a habit of hunting them down?”
“Not exactly. I stumble across them all the time.”
“Yeah, well, they may be greedy bastards who never seem to have enough money to go home and stay there, but they aren’t stupid.” Narrowing his eyes, he studied her for several moments before he spoke again. “The original bounty on Zetithians was paid by one very rich, powerful, and insanely jealous man. The Nedwuts were only in it for the money. I still can’t believe they’d give up any of their earnings to stop you from killing them.”
“They may be offering a reward, but there’s no guarantee anyone will ever actually pay it, is there?”
“Probably not,” Moe agreed. “But the idea of even offering a reward seems out of character for them.”
“Perhaps I know them better than you do,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
Moe knew an evasion when he heard one, although he wasn’t sure why sh
e would even attempt to lie to him. “Suit yourself, but I’ll probably find out anyway. Got one of your wanted posters?”
She stole a glance at him. “Wanted posters?”
“You know… A picture of you with the caption Wanted: Dead or Alive, the reward offered, and where to claim it stuck on every wall and light pole?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen anything like that. But rumor has it they want me alive.”
“Even more interesting. They’re planning to torture you to death?”
“You could call it that.”
She still wasn’t looking him in the eyes—further proof she was lying. “Mind telling me who else you’ve pissed off?”
“Lots of people,” she replied. “But the Nedwuts are the only ones willing to pay for my capture.”
In all his life, Moe had never heard of Nedwuts paying for much of anything, their flagrant tendency toward thievery being just one of the many reasons why most people wouldn’t even allow them to set foot on their planet. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair—or tried to until he remembered he’d put it in braids. “Okay. If you say so, but for the record, I don’t believe a word of it.”
Her careless shrug suggested she didn’t care if he believed her or not.
“I guess the next step is meeting the rest of your gang,” he said. “And please, no secret signals to tell them to shoot me. Got it?”
“Got it,” she replied.
“Just keep telling yourself it’s easier to work with me than against me,” he urged. “Plus, you’ll profit more from our alliance than you will if you go it alone.” Hoping he’d covered all the bases, he aimed the pistol at her and waved a hand toward the door. “Ladies first.”
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