Meta despised it just as much as she despised having her hair and makeup done. Jayne had heard the shouting and crashing of one of her fits as she tried to escape yet again. When Meta got in line, she told them, proudly, that they were only able to manage it with four men holding her down and with her hands and feet tied.
“What if I get someone mean?” Sophie asked quietly as the three watched the next slave walk onto the stage. They couldn’t see the crowd, but they could see the auctioneer, who spoke quickly and happily, beaming. He spoke in a different language, but Jayne could tell from how fast he talked just when things were getting exciting, or when the woman wasn’t getting a good enough bid. “What if I don’t get bid on at all? What will they do to me?”
“Trust me, you’ll get bid on,” Jayne said. She wanted that to sound reassuring, but it didn’t sound that way when it came out. While it was scary to think of Sophie in the hands of the smugglers, who knew who would take her up? “You look beautiful, both of you do.”
“Do you have a plan yet, human?” Meta asked grumpily.
Jayne kept her eyes on the auctioneer. “We might have to play this safe-“
“I don’t play safe,” the warrior princess interrupted forcefully.
The brunette turned her head. “Well, this time, you’re going to have to. If we run now, they’ll shoot us. And who knows how suspicious our new owners will be when they first get us?”
Sophie bit her lip, but refused to cry. She’d told Jayne that they’d had to re-do her makeup three times because of her fits. The woman that had worked on her almost gave up and the smugglers had to hold her back from smacking Sophie with a brush. “So what do we do?”
“Meet me at the very tall building in exactly thirty days from now. At noon,” Jayne said, “And in the meantime, try to earn the guy’s trust. And get whatever resources you can. Okay?”
Any talk of revolting was put on pause as the woman ahead of Sophie was sold. Sophie’s breath caught in her throat. “I can’t do this,” she whimpered.
Jayne grabbed her shoulders and turned the girl around. “Sophie, I promised I would get us out of this, and I mean it. Just smile and nod for thirty days, and then we can put this all behind us, okay?”
Sophie nodded before she was forced onto the stage. Jayne watched as she put on a bright smile. She’d never seen the girl look so happy, and even though she knew it was fake, she actually almost believed it. “She will have to do more than just smile and nodding in thirty days,” Meta muttered. Jayne’s eyes briefly met hers, but then looked away. She couldn’t handle the judgment of the princess.
When Sophie entered onto the stage, there was a change in the air. Jayne listened as bodies rustled and men shouted their bids for her. The auctioneer didn’t sound surprised, even egging the bids on even more. She was going for much more than the girl before her, but that was what Jayne expected. Sophie was young and beautiful, and that smile... It made Jayne wonder just how bright and happy her real one was, when she was actually happy.
She tried to peer past the corner of the wall that obscured her vision of the crowd, though Jayne knew she wasn’t technically allowed to be seen, ruining the surprise for the audience on who was next. But she wanted to see Sophie’s winner, to see if he at least looked decent. A voice called out a number, though, and as the auctioneer spoke faster and faster to finalize the buy, Jayne realized it was a female that had called it out. One that sounded young and petite.
Would she be going to a woman, then? Jayne almost let out a sigh of relief. Though she had no idea who the woman was, it seemed more secure than some burly, grimy man. Jayne only had a brief stint of being with women, and she remembered that the few she had were very considerate lovers. If Sophie was going to get a month of that, she could maybe ease herself of some of the guilt.
No one else spoke after that bet, though the groans and noises of upset were very clear within the crowd, sighs of disappointment that they’d lost. Jayne and Sophie’s eyes met briefly before a blonde, thin woman in a very professional dress suit walked onto the stage and claimed her prize.
Then, it was Jayne’s turn.
“Good luck, human,” Meta whispered from behind her as the auctioneer looked towards her side of the hallway expectantly.
Jayne took a deep breath. She felt sick, like bile was going to rise from her throat. Her lungs almost felt deprived of air, though she was trying her hardest to maintain a regular breathing pattern. Her legs were like jelly, but her feet and arms felt like lead. Just smile and nod, Jayne told herself, giving herself the same pep talk she wanted to give Sophie, It’s only thirty days… Thirty days, and then you’ll have everything you need. Smile and nod for thirty days, Jayne.
Each step felt like a step closer to her death sentence, and though it probably only took her two minutes, if that, to get into the right spot just a few feet away from the auctioneer, Jayne felt her final walk as a free woman was almost hours. As she took her spot, she tried to smile, though she doubted it was anywhere near like Sophie’s.
There were at least fifty males there, and a couple of females, all sprinkled around the room. Each had a hand on their wallets and another on a goblet full of alcohol. The auctioneer was fat, with a beer belly, but he kept his hair well-groomed, greased back and mustache styled into fine, curling points. Jayne only looked at him briefly before she focused on the back wall, keeping her lips turned up in a tight smile.
She could hear the man talking, could hear people from the crowd shouting back their own bids, but Jayne didn’t process a single thing, though she knew she should have. Her mind drifted to her family, far away and probably wondering where she was, her co-workers and friends, who all had told Jayne she was stupid for hanging around those bad neighborhoods so much. They didn’t know yet that she had gotten into trouble for not listening to them, though they would soon.
She even thought of D’Anil. She didn’t see him when she first walked out on the stage. Jayne hadn’t seen him since the night before. It wasn’t like her to have one-night stands, but she’d been in a rough spot. He was her last act of freedom, and he was a pretty great one at that, though she hated to admit that about one of the smugglers who’d brought her here. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Jayne had almost convinced herself the night before that he was different.
Until he left her to the hounds.
Jayne realized she’d been standing up on the stage for quite a while and glanced briefly at the auctioneer, being brought back into the moment. He seemed excited. She looked back to the crowd, and saw the man that called on her.
He was older and completely unfamiliar. But clearly, he was wealthy. She could tell that by the fineness of his clothing. When their eyes met, Jayne realized they were so dark, it was like they were almost a pure black. He smiled at her mischievously, and it caused her stomach to drop. What did he have in store for her?
“700 imdallions,” the man bid, licking his lips.
Jayne’s smile almost dropped. She didn’t want him. She didn’t want whoever this man was. She didn’t care if he was the best lover on this goddamn planet. She didn’t want to be his. But no one else raised their hands or their voices. This was it. That was who she was going to have to please for the next thirty days. Some dirty, older man with a fine suit and a thin mustache, and dark, greasy hair.
“1,000 imdallions!” another voice shouted from the back of the room.
The crowd looked all around them, trying to find the source of the bid. But Jayne had a feeling she knew who it was, just as a dirt-covered man with shaggy, brown hair began to push his way towards the front. “1,000 imdallions?” the auctioneer repeated, getting a nod from him.
D’Anil. Heat rose to her cheeks. She didn’t know whether she was angry to get someone who had abandoned her to the mistreatment of others or if she was happy to get someone that she actually knew, somewhat. In reality, Jayne only knew his name, and his first name at that.
Her eyes darted back to the previous bidder. He was
n’t smiling anymore, his lips, which were still wet, set in a deep frown. Triumph surged through Jayne as his chest fell in a sigh, and he waved his hand dismissively. 1,000 imdallions… She had no idea what that meant, worth-wise, but she was happy enough that it was more than what he was willing to pay for her.
And then D’Anil. Their eyes met as he started to walk up to the stage to claim his prize. Jayne blushed, wondering if he was only doing this because he’d “tried the product” the night before. She looked away, down at the ground, as his hand found her back and guided her away from the auctioneer, people clapping all around them.
“Why?” she asked him, unable to help herself. Jayne chanced a look, tilting her head up.
He wasn’t looking at her anymore, jaw tight. “If you keep asking questions, I’ll bring back the gag.”
Jayne swallowed. It was hard to tell if he actually enjoyed her company or not during their travels, and even when he bought her, it was hard to tell if he wanted her around. “I think it’s a legitimate question, D’Anil.”
The man looked down at her, cocking his eyebrow in warning. She was sure he would have said something clever or mean, but he was interrupted by the intrusion of two other people. Jayne didn’t recognize them, though both were beautiful, a man and woman. They looked wealthy, both in rich colors, reds and oranges, and light fabrics. Both were covered in jewelry and manicured in their looks. The man had tanned skin, his eyes a startling blue, and his dark hair was kept short.
Jayne didn’t try to look too long, but she could see he had the muscles of a fighter, as disguised as they were underneath his fancy clothing. The woman, meanwhile, was femininity incarnate. She had the hour-glass figure that every woman wanted, full lips. Her blonde hair and gray eyes made her look cold, but everything else was so warm that Jayne was left confused on whether she wanted to make friends with the woman or just stand in jealous awe of her.
“I see you finally bid, my friend!” the man smiled cheerfully, bringing D’Anil in for a hug, reluctant on D’Anil’s side, and clapping him on the back, “About damn time.” His eyes roved over Jayne. “And a good choice, too.”
“What are you even doing here, Kani?” D’Anil asked, annoyed. It wasn’t the same kind of annoyance that he had with Jayne, she noticed. There was a familiarity between the two that it seemed almost like Kani was the little brother pestering his older sibling.
Kani shrugged at the question. “Little birdie told me you were helping with the slave trade now. Thought I might check up on you, since you practically avoid me.” He didn’t seem hurt by it, still smiling. “And Phreema had the idea of working as a vendor at one of these things. We’re swimming in profits!”
“You’re going to get yourself caught,” D’Anil said.
The other man laughed. “By who? The law?”
“Slave trade is illegal within the Milky Way,” Jayne interrupted, speaking for the first time in the conversation. Her fingers were tightened into fists on her dress, and embarrassment started to flush her by the looks of surprise from the other three. They’d all forgotten that she was there, apparently. Clearing her throat, she continued. “The Empire wouldn’t approve of this, and it is punishable by law.”
Kani stared at her for a minute, blinking slowly. His smile stopped until he looked back over to D’Anil. “Seems you’ve got a talker, friend. Good luck with that one… But as you know, slave trade has been a tradition here since the beginning of our history. The law has looked past it for thousands of years, and they will for thousands more.”
“Besides, Master Kani hasn’t bought anything,” Phreema smirked, “He is a simple merchant taking advantage of a social gathering.”
“And you tell me I’ve got a talker,” D’Anil said. His eyes met with Jayne’s and nodded his head. “I have to make my payment, and then we’re leaving. Don’t make me chase you down again.”
Jayne nodded, leaving Phreema and Kani behind as she followed her new master to the payments area. She couldn’t leave yet anyways. What did Kani mean that the law looked past the slave trade? They couldn’t possibly… Maybe the city could, but for the Empire not to notice? Especially if they were stealing from the other planets?
The only thing Jayne felt good about was the fact that they seemed to confirm that she was in the Milky Way, which definitely meant they would be under the jurisdiction of the Empire. Now, she just had to find someone that would listen to her and put a stop to this all.
She was still trying to come up with a plan when he was given a cord to wrap around her waist, when he tied it around her and discreetly held it by the small of her back so that it would hide it. “Where are we going?” she asked, almost numbly, as her mind tried to work in six other different ways.
“We’re going to my home,” he answered, not making her fight for the answer this time.
Jayne appreciated it, the fact that he called it his home. It wasn’t her home. And she was going to leave as soon as she could figure out a way to get home.
Chapter Five
D’Anil still didn’t have a reason for why he bought Jayne. He’d spent all his reward money for her, and for what? To take her away from the disgusting man that almost got her? He gave up the idea that he was a hero a long time ago, after the first time he killed a person purely for money. D’Anil also didn’t know what to do with a slave, besides the obvious. And he hadn’t lain with Jayne since the night at the fire. Everything was stiff, strange, for the first month.
That was mostly his fault, though.
He was always terrible with any form of relationship. Jayne was trying. She continued to ask question after question about him, about his childhood, his friends, his family. D’Anil didn’t answer all of them. In fact, he didn’t answer most of them. But as much as he liked to pretend he hated her questions, as the days flew by, D’Anil was realizing that Jayne was becoming a comfort.
Coming home to find someone there, with a meal already made and the house clean, it was something he hadn’t experienced since he was a young boy, since his mother was alive. Even having someone else’s voice fill the normally silent apartment he had in downtown Dlahik was a pleasantly surprising plus to having a slave, especially one that talked as much as Jayne did.
Jayne, meanwhile, was trying her best to keep up the nice act. She counted the days, knowing that Meta and Sophie were waiting for her to meet them. She wanted to tell them that it wouldn’t work, though, that this city’s government wasn’t going to do anything. But maybe they just had to try. And while she was playing nice, she found herself slowly making a home out of D’Anil’s place.
It was small, and when she first got to it, it was clear that he only treated it like a pit stop. The place looked barely lived in, no food in the kitchen, and no decorations.
She told herself it was to stave off the boredom when she would start to decorate, leaving the underground flowers she picked in a glass on a table in the living area, or spreading an extra blanket on the couch. And sometimes she would get rewarded by him, by a smirk or soft smile that D’Anil wouldn’t catch in time. Jayne could see it for just a second, and the fact that he tried to disguise it immediately afterwards made it that much sweeter.
As awkward as they were, they were building a home together.
That night, when D’Anil walked through the door, he expected what he’d gotten for the past month. He expected warm lights inside the house, sounds from the kitchen, and Jayne coming out with an easy smile on her face.
Then she would ask him how his day was, he would avoid telling her the details of the most recent job he did, and he would ask her how her own day was. Which would consist of nothing except for speaking to a neighbor or the letter carrier or how she would need him to go with her to the market to get things. Instead, when he got home, the house was quiet. It even seemed… Colder.
He shut the door behind him and locked it, discarding his coat by the door. D’Anil used to come home caked in dirt from the outside jobs, but since getting Jayne, he
’d taken up more jobs in the city, ones that didn’t require him to leave for days at a time. And that meant his clothing would just be a little damp from the cave air, if anything.
Lately, he’d been trying to take some pride in his looks, and as he stood by the door, eyes darting around, he even self-consciously brushed his fingers through his thick, messy locks to seem more presentable. “Jayne?” D’Anil called out. What if she’s escaped? Would he chase after her? Or leave her to the authorities?
A noise from the kitchen made it so that D’Anil didn’t have to answer that question. “Jayne, are you in there?”
“Yeah,” she called back. He heard something in her voice that was different, his feet carrying him forward.
She was sitting at the table with a piece of paper in her hands. The bronze color of it told D’Anil it was a newsletter from the city. They handed them out every two weeks, to every citizen. D’Anil normally perused through them, but he hadn’t had the chance to read this one. Facing away from him, her face was obscured, unreadable. D’Anil looked over to where dinner was sitting. It looked like soup, the bread unsliced. “What’s going on?”
Jayne shot up, hastily wiping at her eyes and sniffling. Though she turned in his direction, her eyes avoided his, not wanting D’Anil to see the red puffiness. “Nothing!” she lied, “Just dusted earlier, and I’ve been bothered by that all day. It’s fine.” She finally looked up, smiling and moving over to the food. “Dinner?”
He frowned, going to the table slowly. “Sure,” the alien replied, fingers finding the newsletter. As Jayne busied herself with making his plate, he read through the information.
There was a story on the case he helped with, the one Alem had him kill three different witnesses for. No surprise… He won, D’Anil thought to himself. In the story, Alem would have had to pay 5,000 imdallions for the damages done to the families on the Outside. And I should start asking for a pay raise.
Alien Romance: Stranded With The Alien Assassin: Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Alien Romance, Alien Invasion Romance, BBW) (Celestial Mates Book 3) Page 4