Rebel (The Cat Star Chronicles)

by Cheryl Brooks

  Creepy.

  Kim had done a lot of things she wasn’t proud of, and she had secrets she’d never shared with anyone. She would have to keep those thoughts to herself—no audible soul-searching, even in the middle of the night.

  “Um…can he still hear us?”

  “Not unless I call him, specifically.”

  “But he could listen to us if he wanted to, couldn’t he? I mean, how would you know whether he did or not?”

  He pointed at the linkpad. “That lights up when he’s online.”

  She was somewhat reassured until she remembered simply talking to Captain while she was in the shower. She hadn’t noticed any linkpads there. “How can you tell if he’s on when you’re in the house?”

  “He hears and sees everything in the house,” Onca replied. “Unless you give him a direct order for privacy. Not that I’ve ever needed to do that. Although there’ve been plenty of times when I had to tell him to shut up.”

  “Oh.” Even creepier. She hadn’t thought about a computer being able to see. He was probably still laughing at how skinny she was. Then again, there would always be someone to talk to. “Do you ever talk to him simply because you’re lonely?”

  “Who says I’m lonely?” He sounded defensive, almost angry.

  “No one. I just wondered.” He would be telling her to shut up before long, and he was probably regretting half the stuff he’d offered her. Still, she’d already asked a lot of questions, and as touchy as he was, keeping quiet might be a good idea.

  Unfortunately, her brain was buzzing with queries—most of them about being Zetithian. Here she was, sitting next to one of her own kind for the first time in twelve years, and he didn’t seem to want to talk to her.

  I should never have asked him to kiss me. He’d been okay before that. Considering what he used to do for a living, she wouldn’t have thought it was too much to ask. Then again, perhaps it was. Maybe he had to be paid to kiss people.

  Too bad I don’t have any money.

  ***

  Onca toyed with the idea of engaging the navigator function—with the cloaking device off, it would work now—but decided it was best to keep his eyes on the road. Inhaling Kim’s scent already had him primed; if he looked at her again, he would be purring in no time.

  Since he and Kim obviously needed a chaperone, he hoped he could convince Roncas to stay at his house while the girls were there. Not that he would ever tell her the real reason. He would never hear the end of it, and after that discussion about Captain, he didn’t want the computer to know why Roncas was there, either.

  Roncas might see the need and choose to stick around herself. As jumpy as Jatki was, she might be begging the Zuteran to do just that. He could only hope.

  Kim was right about one thing; he was lonely. Or at least he would be once he was home by himself all the time. He’d thought about planning a real vacation, getting Dax to take him from planet to planet, but he was looking forward to doing nothing for a while. He had never allowed himself to just be, and he wasn’t sure why that was. The closest he’d come to it was hanging out at the ranch after Jerden’s wedding. Terra Minor hadn’t appealed to him in the beginning—it was too tame a place for a bunch of guys who’d been cooped up on a starship all their lives. It wasn’t until he was lying on a chaise lounge by the lake that he truly began to appreciate the quiet, peaceful nature of that world.

  Rhylos was a busy, heavily populated planet. There were areas devoted to food production, but they weren’t anything like the wide-open spaces on Terra Minor. That brief respite proved how much he needed some down time, and the pleasant feeling he’d had while sitting around the campfire had been the primary reason he’d stopped booking appointments.

  But he had a mission now. A purpose. He would help Kim find her friends, then he would take her to Terra Minor to claim her portion of the trust fund. When she no longer needed his help, he could relax and enjoy his retirement.

  Until he got bored and lonely.

  No. He would fill up the days somehow. He could go for walks on the beach, swim in the ocean, stop by and see the guys in the brothel district now and then. Invite them to lunch. Talk over old times.

  And live in the past.

  Was that really what he’d thought about doing the whole time he was growing up on that starship? Again, no. He’d wanted to go places, do things, be…adventurous.

  Okay. So he also wanted to find a mate.

  Onca had kidded himself for years. Women don’t want me, so I don’t need them had been his mantra for the longest time. Every girl he’d ever taken an interest in had ignored him. He had even gone into the sex business to keep from getting attached to one woman in particular.

  Was working at the brothel his revenge? He couldn’t give it away, so he made them pay for it? And what was the “it” he was referring to?

  Sex?

  Love?

  Him?

  Maybe all three. He glanced at Kim before he remembered his determination not to look at her. She wasn’t crying, but he had obviously hurt her feelings.

  And I promised never to do that. Poor kid. He knew exactly how it felt to be rejected. Sure, she acted tough—she wasn’t defenseless by any means—but she was so tiny, so thin. Even Roncas’s silky tunic and slacks were too big for her.

  He had to make it up to her somehow. With any other woman, one good fuck would be enough to make her forgive him. This time, he had to come up with something else—and he’d better do it quick. They were almost home. If she walked in with that hurt look on her face, Roncas would have his hide. He didn’t have time to buy her a new dress, and all he had in his pockets were a few credits, a comlink, and a pulse pistol. She would probably appreciate any one of those things, but—

  “I’m sorry.” The words were out before he even knew why he said them. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I didn’t mean to. I’m just…”

  “Tired. Yeah. So am I.”

  Somehow he doubted that exhaustion was the only reason for her silence. “I’m really not as big a jerk as you probably think I am. This hasn’t been—”

  “Your typical day?”

  He blew out a breath. “You got that right.”

  “Mine, either.”

  Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze, stopping himself microseconds before raising it to his lips. Better not. That other kiss had caused enough trouble.

  Onca certainly couldn’t argue the fact that he’d been the one to do the actual kissing, either. Kim had only asked.

  Well…maybe that wasn’t all she’d done. But he could’ve resisted. Should’ve resisted.

  “Thanks for the kiss.”

  His jaw dropped. “Uh, you’re welcome.” I think.

  “For what it’s worth, you Zetithian guys kiss a lot better than Terrans. I’m not sure if it’s the fangs or the purring, but it was a good kiss.”

  Slightly stunned, Onca had no idea what to say. “I’m…glad you enjoyed it.”

  “I think I need more practice, though. Who was it you said had three sons about my age?”

  Onca glanced at her, half expecting her to have morphed into someone else. She was still the same girl, however, her expression every bit as guileless as her tone.

  “Uh…Cat and Jack Tshevnoe,” he replied. “You’ll probably meet them once you get to Terra Minor. Or maybe even along the way. My friend Dax has a ship, and he usually takes me anywhere I need to go. But if he isn’t available, I’m sure Jack will jump at the chance to be the one to bring you in. Speaking of which, I need to send out deep space coms to her and several other people. They’ll all be very happy to know you’ve been found.”

  “Didn’t know I was missing,” she drawled.

  Once again, Onca had to reassure himself that Kim still sat beside him rather than some imposter. He cleared his throat. “I guess that depends on how you look at it.”

  “Fair enough,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “Do you get a finder’s fee?”

  He
frowned. “No. What makes you think that?”

  “No reason.” She shrugged again. “Just a question.”

  Reaching the turnoff, Onca flew the speeder down the street toward his house. “Heads up, now. If you see any Racks or Herps, give a yell.”

  “Don’t worry. I will.”

  Two of Onca’s neighbors were out watering their flowers, but he saw nothing to arouse suspicion. Flying around to the back, Onca parked the speeder and popped the canopy.

  Kim’s gaze drifted up the side of the house, coming to rest on the third-story balcony. “If you’re the only one living here, how come you have such a big house?”

  “I dunno. Look around. See any smaller ones?”

  “Well, no,” she admitted. “But it seems like an awful waste of space.”

  He grinned. “Not anymore. I’ve got plenty of room for you and your gang—three bedrooms and a bathroom on each of the upper floors.”

  “Do all the bathrooms have waterfalls like yours? That was pretty cool.”

  “No. I had that one put in when I bought the place. I wanted something a little more Zetithian. The brothel has the same design.” Jerden and Tarq had come up with the idea of making the Palace as much like their homeworld as possible. Onca couldn’t remember Zetith at all, but he still felt more comfortable among the trees and waterfalls.

  Kim climbed out of the speeder. After giving the hem of her tunic a tug, she combed back her hair with her fingers. “Aren’t Zetithians always born in litters of three?”

  “Yeah. Your point?”

  She nodded at the house. “You’ve got enough room there for a wife and two litters.” With a wink, she added, “You’ve been planning ahead, haven’t you?”

  Chapter 8

  Planning ahead? For a wife and two litters? This time Onca caught his jaw before it dropped. He’d been gaping at her like an idiot enough as it was. “Not intentionally.”

  Kim nodded, but her sly smile suggested she didn’t believe him. She pointed to the far side of the house. “What’s that over there?”

  “A pond,” he replied. “The waterfall runoff goes through a purifier, then out to the pond, and then through another purifier before coming back in to the waterfall.”

  “So the pond is clean enough to swim in?”

  “As long as you don’t mind swimming with a giant turtle and some really big fish.” He chuckled. “The turtle loves company. If you tell Captain to stop up the drain under the waterfall, he’ll come inside and swim with you.”

  She cast furtive glances in all directions. “Do you think it’s safe for me to take a look at it now?”

  After conducting his own visual scan of the area, he nodded. “Sure, go ahead. I’ll, um, keep you covered.”

  Onca led the way with his pistol drawn, unsure whether to stick close to her or stay back so he could keep a lookout. The latter was probably the best option, but for some reason, he was reluctant to do so.

  The pond was shaded by a huge linwayla tree with trailing branches that nearly reached the water, its purple flowers interspersed with palmate leaves. The grassy bank sloped down to the water’s edge from the ring of closely planted tantuth shrubs. Onca opened the gate and ushered her inside. “The shrubs keep the turtle from getting out, and they’re a lot more attractive than a fence.”

  Kim touched the shimmering leaves with a tentative fingertip. “I’ve never seen anything like these before. They look like they’re made of glass.”

  Recalling that same delicate touch on his face, Onca felt his throat tighten. “Yeah. They come from Edraitia. Pretty, aren’t they?”

  “Edraitia?” she echoed. “Never heard of it.”

  “Really? I bet you’ve seen some of the natives. Blue skin and bushy red hair?”

  “So that’s what Peska was! She never told me—wouldn’t say why she was living on the street, either. She liked to draw—that is, when she could find something to do it with. She gave me some clay once. I made all kinds of shapes out of it until it was too dry to play with anymore.” With a wistful smile, she cupped a leaf in her palm. “I really miss her.”

  “Hopefully we’ll find her soon.” If Kim kept saying things like that, Onca wouldn’t wait until she received her share of the trust. He would give her everything he had. In fact, he wanted to do it right now.

  What is wrong with me?

  Shrugging off the odd feeling, he opened the automatic feeder and gave her a handful of fish food. “Here. Toss this in the water.”

  On cue, the fish surfaced and gobbled up every bit of it.

  “Wow. I see what you mean. They’re huge! Can you really swim with them?”

  “Yeah. They nibble at your toes a little, but they don’t actually bite. The pond’s not very deep—you’d be able to touch the bottom.”

  Laughing, she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with mischief. “See? You even have pets for your children.”

  “That’s funny. I thought they were my pets.” Her laughter triggered a slight pang in his chest as he tapped the dispenser for more of the food. “The turtle’s behind you.”

  To her credit, she didn’t scream when she turned around. The turtle crawling up the bank toward her was easily as big as she was and probably outweighed her. “I thought turtles were green, not orange.”

  “Most of them are. This one’s Delfian. They’ve got a lot of weird stuff there.” Not the least of which were the native humanoid females who had eight breasts. “He’ll eat right out of your hand, and he likes having his neck rubbed.”

  Kim held out her hand, and the turtle scooped the food from her palm. “Does he have a name?”

  Onca shrugged. “Not really. I just call him Turtle. The fish are called kalifins.”

  “Are they Delfian too?”

  “No. They’re a species of goldfish from a lake about two hundred kilometers south of here.” He nodded toward the pond. “Check it out.”

  She watched, openmouthed, as the kalifins swam together in perfect unison. After performing several spectacular leaps, they cut through the water with their golden tails fanned out above the surface, then turned on their sides and waved their long pectoral fins. “Did you teach them to do that?”

  “No. That’s something they do after you feed them. No idea why. Watch what they do next.”

  On the word, the fish flipped over onto their backs and skimmed across the pond with their bellies exposed and their tail fins cocked straight up in the air. Then they dove downward, disappearing into the water with one last wave of their showy tails.

  “That is so cool!” Kim’s delighted smile made Onca long to take her on a tour of the wonders of the galaxy. He’d seen a lot of them himself. Some close up, but most from pictures or holographic videos.

  With little else to do aboard the refugee ship, Amelyana had filled the heads of her collection of orphans with all the knowledge she could pack into them—those that were capable of learning, that is. She hadn’t been overly successful with Tarq, but he’d done okay for himself anyway. Onca still hadn’t figured out that “lacking in common sense” remark Roncas had made. Given enough time to figure things out, he considered himself to be quite practical. Then again, in view of what he’d been doing ever since meeting the tiny Zuteran, he couldn’t blame her for underestimating his abilities.

  He gestured toward the gate. “We’d better get inside now.”

  “Yeah.” She gave the turtle another pat on the head, then turned to go. “Thanks for showing me your pets.” Her expression grew wistful again. “Cassie had a pet trelink once. She said it came from a place called Talus Five. It was little and furry and had big eyes and a long bushy tail.”

  “What happened to it?”

  “Some of the boys from another gang stole it. I think they probably ate it.”

  “That’s terrible!” Onca protested.

  She shrugged. “They were hungry.”

  They passed through the gate, and Onca closed it behind them. “Cassie…she’s Davordian, you said?”r />
  “Yeah. She’s very pretty. They have nice eyes, you know.”

  Over the years, Onca had serviced hundreds of Davordians and nearly all of them were beautiful, their electric-blue eyes being their most fascinating characteristic. He hated to generalize, but most of them were sluts too. The brothels were full of them—males and females—both as clients and as providers. They didn’t mind being thought of as oversexed, either. Most of them seemed quite proud of that fact.

  “Why was she in a street gang?”

  “I’ve never been sure. She just showed up one day and asked if she could join up with us. I don’t know if she’d gotten lost or if she was an orphan or what.” She paused, frowning as she walked over to the house with him. “She liked boys a lot—she was also the first one of us to disappear. We all figured she found a guy she liked and went off with him. It wasn’t until Dalmet vanished that we started getting suspicious.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Peska went looking for them and never came back.”

  “Good thing you and Jatki were working together. Even so, the same thing could’ve happened to you.”

  “I know. But it was a chance we had to take.” Kim paused at the back door, glancing up at him with a mixture of fear and anger in her eyes. “It scares me to death to think of them being…hurt.”

  Onca knew exactly what she was thinking, and also why she hesitated. Becoming a prostitute out of necessity was one thing. Being forced into it was quite another. Aside from that, the possibility that her friends had been murdered was very real. He would never have thought of that before what happened to Audrey. He knew crime existed on Rhylos, but that experience brought him closer to it than he’d ever been—or ever wanted to be.

  “Yeah. I hope you never try that again. We’ll do our best to find them or at least figure out what happened to them. But you do realize, we may never know.”

  She nodded. “That’s what scares me the most.”

  Her subsequent shudder aroused instincts Onca had never given himself credit for having. Protective, possessive instincts. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until she stopped shivering. The whole “mate” issue crept back into his thoughts. Getting closer to her was wrong, and he knew it.