by Sadie Carter
“It appears that my employer paid for the two of you with counterfeit credits.”
“So the slave traders are chasing us?” Liula asked.
“Yes. They want the two of you back.”
Rastian glanced at the two of them speculatively.
“Uh-uh. No way.” She waggled her finger in his face. “You are not going to hand us over to them to save your bacon.”
“Save my what?”
“Your backside. You hand us over and you can say goodbye to our deal. No credits, no fur, oh, and some very angry Zerconian warriors who know your name and will come searching for you.”
When he blanched, she knew she had won.
“Let’s just find a place to hang out until Dex gets here,” she suggested.” There must be some place we can go.”
Rastian spoke over his shoulder to Stinky, who still clung to him. They appeared to argue for a moment then Rastian sighed and nodded.
“There is a place. Come. Follow me.”
***
“Seriously? First a sex club, now a whore house?” Zoey placed her hands on her hips as she glared up at Rastian. “I’m no prude, but this is getting a bit ridiculous.”
“My employer deemed this a safe place for us to hide.”
“Your employer is an oversexed little freak and if he doesn’t stop staring at my mother-in-law like that he’s going to be choking on his own balls.”
“What are balls?” Rastian asked.
“Figures that neither of you have any.”
She snorted as she paced the elaborate bedroom they’d been put in. There was a four-poster bed in one corner with a velvet bed cover—how the hell did they keep that clean?—a matching velvet chaise in the corner, and a large wardrobe against the wall.
At the moment, Liula was perched on the sofa with Stinky sitting on a plush armchair across from her. He watched her intently, every so often licking his lips.
Gross.
Liula stood and strode towards her. “Must we stay here?”
“It’s safe here. Apparently.” She scowled at Rastian, who just shrugged.
“Could we not at least have our own room?” Liula asked.
“They charge by the hour,” Rastian replied. “We used the last of our credits paying for this room.”
“Counterfeit ones?” she asked sharply.
He just shrugged morosely.
Zoey swore under her breath. “Send Dex your details. Get him to wire some credits.”
Rastian nodded and moving over to the chaise lounge, he sat and pulled out his tablet.
Liula grabbed Zoey’s arm. “Zoelle, we really should not be here. I believe this place is a, well, that’s not for your ears.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. “We’re in a whore house, Liula. A place where people come to pay for sex. I know what it is. I’m not a child.”
“I apologize.” Liula’s face closed down. “You act so immature sometimes I forget you are an adult.”
“And sometimes I wonder how you managed to raise such an amazing person as Dex.”
Liula’s eyes widened.
“Listen, Liula. No matter what I do, I will never be good enough for Dex. I get it. But soon you never have to see me again. So let’s try and at least be civil until then.”
“I do not wish Dex to leave.”
“I know you think this is all my doing, but I actually tried to talk Dex out of leaving. He is the one who wants to go.”
Liula appeared confused. “But why? Everything he loves is on Zerconia. His family. His people. His heritage.”
“Maybe it’s his heritage that he’s trying to break free of. You all talk like being Emperor is this great, wonderful thing, but how can he be a ruler when he has no power?”
“What do you mean?”
“Every suggestion Dex has made is shot down. Any changes he wants to make are vetoed by your mate and the council. He’s being suffocated by rules and regulations.”
“He wants to change everything.”
“Not everything. Just the stuff that needs changing.”
“If we were to allow him to make changes he would stay?” Liula asked.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t speak for him.”
“But he listens to you.” Liula eyed her. “I don’t know why. You do not seem all that intelligent or mature. But I will admit you do have courage. Some females would have broken down by now. Zerconian females have grown used to being heavily protected. They wouldn’t know how to fend for themselves. You do.”
Wow. Was that actually a compliment?
“You’ve done pretty good yourself,” Zoey admitted.
“In the beginning, I was willing to wait to be rescued. But I do remember a time when our females were strong, when they were fighters.”
“You were a warrior?” Zoey asked with surprise. Liula was always so proper, without a hair out of place, her dress impeccable, well, other than right now that is. She could use a shower and a change of clothes. They both could.
“No.” She shook her head with a small smile. “Our males could never allow that. But we were trained. We could defend ourselves if necessary. We didn’t need to be escorted everywhere we went.”
“I understand that those Coizils attacking your women was terrible. But forcing a whole planet to basically go into seclusion is suffocating. Dex just wants what is best for your people.”
“He can’t do that if he does not stay.”
“And he can’t stay if no one will allow him the power to make changes.”
Liula wandered across, glaring at Stinky, who reached out his hand to brush her ass as she walked past him.
She moved over to the large wardrobe then turned to face Zoey.
“I will speak to my mate and the council if you will convince Dex to stay.”
Zoey shook her head. “I will talk to Dex. But he has a mind of his own. You should know that. You raised him.”
Liula drew herself up. “Yes, I did. I raised him to live up to his responsibilities. To be who he was born to be. He only changed when he met you.”
Zoey sat on the floor. No way was she sitting on that bed. Who knew what kind of germs were breeding on it?
“I’m done arguing,” Zoey said tiredly. You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met and you’re going to believe what you want to believe.”
“I believe you can convince Dex to stay and I am willing to give you whatever you wish to achieve this.”
Drawing her legs up to her chest, Zoey rested her forehead on her bent knees. “Really? So you’ll stop throwing other women at Dex? You’ll cease trying to get me to leave him? No more bribes, threats, or bullying?”
“Yes, to all those things. I will attempt to accept you as Dex’s mate. If you can get him to stay.”
Zoey stared up at her, blinking as her vision blurred. She really needed some sleep. Nausea bubbled in her stomach and a headache throbbed in her temples.
With a sigh, she leaned back against the wall behind her. Rastian was still working on his tablet while Stinky had slumped back on the arm chair, asleep.
“I can’t promise anything, but I will talk to him.” She was still uneasy about Dex leaving Zerconia for good. Yes, she’d left her home behind to be with him. But what had she really given up? A career that was going nowhere and a few friends.
Dex would be leaving behind much, much more.
But whatever he decided, she would stand behind him. His happiness was what really mattered.
“If that is the best you can do—”
“It is.”
“Very well.”
Liula turned and grabbed hold of the wardrobe doors, opening them. “What is this?” She stepped back, sounding shocked.
Christ. What now?
Tiredly, she climbed to her feet and stumbled over. “What is—oh shit.”
Zoey gaped at the wardrobe that wasn’t really a wardrobe at all but more of a storage cupboard. Inside, hanging from the walls of the cupboard, were an assortment of whips, paddles, a
nd canes. She pulled open a drawer. Inside were a collection of handcuffs. The next drawer down held some silken scarfs.
“Is this a torture chamber?” Liula asked, her gaze wide.
Zoey shut the wardrobe doors and turned to scowl at Rastian. “Of a sort. Was this the only room available?”
Rastian had the grace to look embarrassed. “I believe the owner placed us in my employer’s usual room.”
She should have guessed.
Dex, please get here soon.
Chapter Fifteen
“Get away from me, you disgusting little creature.”
Zoey silently groaned. Could she pretend to still be asleep?
A loud slapping noise made her flinch then Stinky said something in a clearly angry voice.
Nope, she guessed not.
Zoey sat up with a yawn, pulling herself onto her feet. She swayed slightly but managed to find her balance after a moment. How long had she been asleep?
“What’s going on?” she asked, glancing over to see that Rastian had positioned himself between Stinky and Liula, who were glaring at each other.
“I woke up to find him pawing my breast!” Liula pointed at Stinky like there was any doubt who would be pawing at her.
Zoey scowled at them both. “It’s probably the only breast he’s touched that he didn’t have to pay for or that didn’t come out of a bucket of chicken.”
“He touched me without permission. I demand he be punished.”
“Off with his head!” Zoey ran a finger over her neck.
“That might be a bit harsh,” Liula relented.
Zoey strode over to Stinky, breathing through her mouth as she grew closer. Was his stench actually starting to enter her pores? “Listen, buddy. She’s not your type. She’s not inflatable. If you want to get laid, then crawl up a chicken’s ass and wait. Got it?”
Rastian turned to her. “Would you like me to translate that?”
“I’m tired, hungry, and really grumpy. My patience is at an end. So the three of you need to tread carefully.”
She pointed at Stinky. “You, leave my mother-in-law alone. Rastian, contact Dex again. I need to know where he is.”
Please let him be close; she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
As Rastian moved over to his communicator, there was a loud banging on the door and a female stepped inside. Her blue-tinged skin and long, lizard-like neck, coupled with her three eyes proclaimed her to be a Beaton.
She spoke a few words with a slight hiss. Rastian nodded.
“We must leave. They have found us.”
“What? How?” Liula asked.
“No time for questions, let’s go.” As they ran out of the room, they could hear angry voices from the floor below then the sound of someone stomping up the stairs. The female who had come to warn them beckoned them down the hall.
Stinky must be a really good customer if they were willing to help them out this much. The female led them down another set of stairs, through the kitchen, and out into a back alley.
“Come, this way,” Rastian said and raced off, Stinky once more on his back. As they rounded the corner onto the street, he came to a sudden stop. Zoey slammed into him, falling back onto the ground.
She winced as she scraped the palms of her hands on the hard ground.
“What are you do…oh shit.” She trailed off as she glanced around Rastian to find the slave trader who had bought them scowling at them furiously. Beside him stood the woman who had shown them into the whore house.
“Looks like they’ve been chatting,” she stated as Liula helped her to her feet.
Glancing behind them, she saw two of the slave trader’s guards step up behind them, surrounding them.
“What do we do?” Liula whispered. “Should we yell for help?”
“I don’t think there’s much of that going around,” Zoey answered as the guards moved in. One guard reached out and grabbed her arm roughly. Zoey kicked out at him, screaming in anger. She attempted to fight, bringing her knee up between his legs. Nothing. Who the hell knew whether his balls were even there? Supposing he even had some.
Nearly two feet taller than her and outweighing her by probably two hundred pounds, she knew she had little chance of fighting her way free. But damned if she was going to go down without at least trying. She hadn’t gotten so close to freedom just to wrap herself up in a bow and give herself over like a present.
“Let her go.”
The voice didn’t penetrate her panic-stricken mind for a long moment. Not until she was dropped unceremoniously on the ground—damn, she was going to be so covered in bruises people would think black and blue was her actual skin tone—and she found herself looking up into Boris’s face.
No, it wasn’t Boris. Boris didn’t talk. And this guy had green eyes, not purple. It was his twin. Except the guy next to Boris’s twin looked like him as well. Triplets? Okay, was she seeing things because there were a lot of guys that looked eerily similar to Boris surrounding them.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Sometimes we’re a nightmare. But right now, we’re your saviors.”
“Right. Glad we cleared that up. Nightmare and savior. I feel so much better now that I know exactly who you are.”
He ignored her, turning away to talk to the slave trader who was actually backing away, his hands held out in supplication.
Huh? Did the slave trader know these guys? Because he was acting frightened.
Not-Boris said something and the other man stopped moving and nodded. Suddenly Not-Boris grabbed Stinky, pulling him off Rastian’s back and throwing him over to the slave trader. Not an easy feat. Stinky might be short, but he was hefty and Not-Boris had just flung him through the air like he was a tennis ball.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she asked as one of the slave trader’s men grabbed Stinky, flinging him over his back.
“He cheated the slave trader.”
“Maybe, but he’s a slave trader. He’s scum. You can’t just hand Stinky over.”
“Stinky?”
“Yeah, you know, because he smells like he bathed in a dead, rotting carcass then rolled around in decaying vegetation to dry off. Surely you can smell him?”
“Slave trading is legal on Locali. He has a legitimate claim.”
She didn’t like Stinky. He was grabby, smelly, and a cheat. But he had saved her.
“You can’t let him take him. I owe him.”
“Let him go, Zoelle,” Liula interjected. “He is not worth your angst.”
“Please,” she begged Not-Boris. “I will owe you one.”
“Owe me one what?”
“A favor. I will owe you a favor.”
“You will be in my debt?”
She nodded and he turned to speak to one of his companions in his own language. It was beautiful, lilting. Almost mesmerizing. When he turned back, Zoey had to shake her head to get herself to concentrate.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Kian will retrieve him and return him to you. What about him?” He nodded at Rastian.
Zoey sighed. “He’s with us too.”
He nodded. “Come with us.”
“Sure, why not? Let’s see where the night takes us. Surely it can’t get any worse.”
As dawn broke, Zoey, Liula, and Rastian were escorted into a large, underground bunker. It was cool and surprisingly clean with a few chairs down one end and a tiny kitchen and dining table at the other end.
“Nice place you have here. Minimalist.”
“These are temporary lodgings,” Not-Boris replied. “We do not require much. Please sit.”
She sat on the hard bench seat and Liula sat beside her. “You will be richly rewarded for coming to our aid,” Liula stated. “But please tell us who you are.”
Their rescuer sat and turned to Zoey, ignoring Liula entirely. Zoey bit her lip to stop herself from smiling.
“You said I remind you of another male.”
“Yes, I
thought you were twins except you have different eyes and your face is a bit rounder than his is.”
“Oh, that is who they look like,” Liula stated. “That crippled male that follows you around.”
“He is not crippled,” she defended.
“Crippled?” he asked.
“What is your name?” she asked.
He frowned. “My name is Klaran. You describe our lost brother yet his name is not Boris.”
“Oh, that’s just what I called him when he wouldn’t tell me his name. He’s your brother?”
“We are not related by blood. But we claim each other as family.”
She felt the same way about Giz. And Boris. She didn’t know what she would do if he chose to go with these guys.
“You all look the same, though.”
“Outsiders struggle to tell people of our race apart,” he told her.
“He doesn’t say anything,” Liula interjected. “He is mute. And crippled. His left arm is useless. Why my son allows him to guard his mate, I cannot understand.”
“Boris is an excellent bodyguard!” Zoey scowled at Liula. “Don’t listen to her.”
“He is injured?” Klaran asked.
She frowned. “Yes, we’re not sure how, but his left arm no longer works properly and he has scars on his face and body.”
Klaran looked up at his companions. They were silent yet she got the weird feeling they were communicating with each other. She shrugged, putting it down to lack of sleep.
“Is that a problem?” she asked.
“You owe us a debt. We demand that you return our brother to us.”
“I can’t just hand him over like he’s a pet or something. Boris goes where he wants to go.”
“He is not your slave?” Klaran looked surprised.
“Of course not! I don’t own him.”
“Then why has he not returned to us?”
“How the hell would I know? Maybe ‘cause you guys have some phobia about scars.”
“We have no phobia. We are his family. He should be with us. Where is he? We must retrieve him.”
“I think he’s on his way here. With my mate. They are coming to rescue us.”
Klaran nodded. “Then we will wait.”
“Do you have a communicator or something? How else will they find us?” she asked.