Vol Brod shrugged. “I had planned on doing that long before I had you two taken. I couldn’t afford to have them say anything, no matter how much I paid them.”
“To think, you went to all that trouble simply because I had you put away?”
He chuckled. “Oh, I was highly pissed at the time, let me tell you! There I was, at the brink of the most lucrative deal I’d ever made, and you busted me. You testified against me, and I got six years for it on K’ro Kriall. Six years.” His face suddenly darkened with anger. “I had six years to come up with the perfect scheme to get my revenge. Six years to make up for all the money I’d lost. Thanks to you and your lover, I have more creds now than I’ll ever be able to spend, even if I live to be a hundred and fifty!”
“But why me?” Safan gasped. The sharp blades were so close to him, every breath he took meant a bit of skin was filleted from his body. Blood puddled under his feet.
Vol Brod laughed again. “When I approached the Kronners with my deal, they begged to include you. It seems they’d had some run-ins with you in the past over some illegal cargo, or something like that. They noticed you the moment you entered that bar on Cura-Cura.” He looked at Maurra.
“So everything you had planned came together that night.”
“Actually, no. You see, I really had planned on having you fuck a Par Matta, but when I got a good look at the Ellinod’s package, I knew I’d found the perfect partner for you.”
Maurra placed her hands on her hips. Vol Brod’s plan had come together so well. She closed her eyes, refusing to think about how this nightmare could have been different if the Kronners hadn’t had a grudge against Safan and Vol Brod had found a Par Matta.
“All right. So I’m guessing your plan now is to dispatch me and Safan as quickly as possible so you can get back to spending the unholy amount of money you earned selling subscriptions so people could watch us fuck.”
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. I thought I’d let you watch the Ellinod get diced into fine mulch. Then, after the rest of my crew get here with their weapons, we would see how long you could hold out before we manage to penetrate that shield of yours.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Maurra asked. “What if I try to stop you first by freezing your minds?”
Vol Brod threw back his head and laughed heartily. At the same time, he gave a gesture with his free hand, and three beams of white light struck her shield’s outer shell.
“Go ahead, psion! Go ahead and try! Everyone knows that psions can’t penetrate their own shields. The moment you drop yours to try and stop me, my agents will get you.”
She raised her arms until they were straight out in front of her. Her hands were cupped with the palms facing out. A sword of blue light connected her forehead to her fingers. Maurra narrowed her eyes at the man.
“Hey, graghole. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but that bit about not being able to penetrate a shield? That only applies to the regular JoJos. To the Joramansu. Guess you didn’t know I’m a Jurasu Roja, did you? Do you know what that means, you piece of grot shit?”
Before he could reply, she sent out a burst of concentrated psychic energy. The beam slid through her shield and struck Vol Brod squarely in the face. The man’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and his body dropped like a discarded coat. Maurra turned to look at the three aliens, who suddenly stopped firing and took off running out of the building.
She shut down her shield as the little blue orb on her forehead continued to whirl and dance. Walking over to where Vol Brod lay in a paralyzed heap on the floor, she reached out with the toe of her boot and nudged his cheek where it was lying against the floor, lifting his face until his eyes were directed at her.
“It means I was a level red JoJo,” she finished telling him. “Top one percent, you worthless piece of snot. Next time, do your homework a little more thoroughly.”
Reaching down, she found the control for the Volpter’s Cage tightly clutched in his hand.
“Maurra.”
She gave the Ellinod a warm smile. “Don’t worry. I have total control of him.” That being said, she mentally ordered the cage to shut itself down. The shearing blades fell onto the floor and shattered into harmless bits with the sound of tiny bells. Safan swayed in relief. Wordlessly, she strode over and put her arms around him to keep him from collapsing. He held her tight, pressing his face into her hair. Several moments passed in silence.
“Close call.” She leaned against his warm chest.
“Yes.”
“So what’s our next move?”
She felt him sigh. “We could take him back to Ellinod for trial…” His voice tapered off. Maurra leaned back to look up at him.
“What’s the penalty for kidnapping an Orgoran?” she asked.
Safan grinned. “Life in the mines.”
“Gee. Is everyone who breaks the law penalized with life in the mines? Remind me not to spit on the sidewalk.”
“That’s a level three.” He smiled at her. “The mines are only for capital one offenses.”
“Like screwing someone of the wrong species?”
“Yes.” He nodded in Vol Brod’s direction. “We could take him in, but it would do no good. Our justice system won’t condemn unless there’s proof. Like you said earlier, it would simply be our word against his.”
“What about his word against his?” Her smile grew wider by the second.
Safan frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Why do you think I took my sweet time before knocking him out? I needed to get everything in his own words.” Reaching underneath her breast, she pulled out the little communications capsule. “Lorri, did you get all that?”
“Yes, Captain,” the ship replied.
“Play back first ten seconds for verification, please.”
There was a click.
“Another point for your side, JoJo. Oh, excuse me. I meant ex-JoJo. But even stripped of your designation, you’re a powerful enemy. Powerful and deadly. Speaking of stripped, that outfit does nothing for you. I much prefer to see you naked.”
“He has a point.” He bent to kiss her. “I certainly prefer you naked.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Tramer Vol Brod began screaming for leniency even before the Grand Justice on Ellinod gave him life in the Bansheer mines.
“You can’t do that! I’m not Ellinod! You can’t sentence me to that place!” He fought the guards who grabbed him by his arms, and struggled as they easily carted him away to a holding cell to await transport. “I protest! I was set up. You can’t do this to me! She recorded me without my permission. She illegally froze my mind, and she can’t do that because she’s not a JoJo anymore. I demand real justice! I order you to let me be judged by someone of my own species!”
Maurra smiled and gave a little wave goodbye as Vol Brod disappeared behind the closing doors.
“Safan Bieret Alvvi om Diroo.”
He turned to face the Grand Justice. Maurra remained beside him, despite the fact that she was not Ellinod. Her presence here was unprecedented, but if anyone had protests, no one had voiced them.
When she and Safan had arrived on Ellinod, they had immediately taken Vol Brod and the incriminating audio to the Grand Orgoran Station. In a few short days, they’d been ordered to present themselves at the hearing.
Two elderly Ellinod headed the Grand Justice. Their skin creased into a thousand folds across their bodies and their hands trembled, but their voices were firm and their eyes were bright. Age and infirmity apparently did not affect the minds of this species.
“You have brought to light the truth about your abduction and forced intimacy,” one judge intoned. “However, the truth also remains that you consented to have sexual relations with a non-Ellinod female.”
Safan nodded but remained silent. Any additional word or gesture he made at this point would be detrimental to his case.
“The initial ruling to strip you of your ti
tle of Orgoran stands. Neither will you be able to hold title on any job or acquisition, other than what you are naturally entitled through your family namesake.”
Safan nodded again. Family namesake? What did that mean?
“In regards to your sentence, sending you to the Bansheer mines, we have taken into account your past history and work record as Orgoran. We have taken into consideration the cost and danger you took to bring Tramer Vol Brod to justice, in order that he may serve his sentence for the needless deaths of the Kronners. Therefore, it is our decision to reduce your sentence to time served.” The Grand Justice muttered something to his co-judge, then turned back to them. “Justice has been served. Justice has spoken. You are free to go.”
She stood in stunned silence as the two Ellinod got up from their seats and left the room, along with the small group of spectators who had been watching from the back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one Ellinod crinkle his—her?—nose at the sight of the scars running down Maurra’s bared back. Safan had requested that she wear this outfit. Showing her mating scars proved she had accepted him as her mate, and gave her the right to be with him wherever he went on the planet. Including beside him during the final sentencing.
She looked up at Safan and grinned. “That’s it? It’s over?”
“Yes.” He let out a deep sigh of relief. “It’s over. I’m no longer an escaped criminal. Come.” He placed a hand to her back and began to lead her out of the building.
“Hey, explain something to me. What did that judge mean by family namesake?”
“What?”
“He. Or was he a she? Anyway, that judge said you would not be allowed any sort of title except what you were naturally allowed to have through your family namesake. What did he or she mean by that?”
Safan stopped once they were outside and turned to look at her. His large, warm hand continued to rest against her back, and every so often she felt his fingertips gently caress the scars.
“It means I still have my family title and wealth.”
Her jaw dropped. “Your wealth? Are you telling me you’re wealthy?”
“It is a prerequisite for being Orgoran.”
“Are you telling me we were never in danger of starving to death?” Anger sent little flashes of heat into her face when she thought of how worried she had been about their lack of funds. Safan held up his free hand to halt her tirade.
“At the time you rescued me from the mines and we landed on Vias Daruggah, I had a few meager creds of my own that I’d kept hidden away, but that was all. And that was all I would have until I could contact my family again and have them deposit more funds.”
“There was an international bank on Vias Daruggah.”
“True. But I told you, I couldn’t do anything until I contacted my family.” He paused to give her a moment to cool down, then added, “I have never lied to you, Maurra.”
“But we could have starved to death. We could have run out of fuel in the middle of sp—”
He kissed her. A long, slow, toe-tingling kiss that made her smile when he drew back.
“All right. Now that I have your attention, we have a decision to make.”
“I’m listening.” I’m listening with a creamy wetness rolling down the insides of my thighs because of what your kisses do to me.
“You do understand that I can no longer hold any position of authority.”
“Neither can I.”
“Which means we need to find some sort of employment to help support ourselves, and find it quickly.”
“What kind of job would we be good at? Why can’t we live off of your family money for the time being? I think we’ve earned ourselves a little vacation.”
Safan gave her a bemused look. “To access any additional funds, I have to be gainfully employed. It’s—”
“A prerequisite?”
He chuckled. “A requirement.”
“All right. Any suggestions?”
“I was thinking, because we’ve both been in law enforcement, and we have the training—”
“And I have the power.”
“We would make a great pair of bounty hunters.”
Maurra raised an eyebrow. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“I’m very serious. Think about it. Bringing in the bad guys is what we do best. We just won’t have to wear a uniform. What do you think?”
“I think you may become the brains of this outfit.” She giggled. “All right. We’re going to be bounty hunters. What do you suggest we do first?”
He gave her a little push in the direction of the space port. “First, we go to the market and get you a decent translator.”
“If there’s a first, there has to be a second.”
“Second, we need to look into getting the ship’s toilet lowered. You can’t keep using a stepladder every time you need to use it. And third—”
“There’s a third?”
“Yes.” He stopped, turned her around and pulled her against his body until he enveloped her in his embrace as he kissed her again. His thick erection pressed into her belly. She wriggled her hips and earned herself a breathy groan. It wasn’t until his lips nuzzled hers that she was able to speak.
“I’m all for the third. What are we waiting for? In fact, I have a better idea. Let’s make number three our number one priority. The rest can wait a while longer.”
“I like your suggestion.” He released her but kept one hand on her back as they continued to walk back to the ship.
“Oh, one more thing I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Maurra said. “How did your horn get all twisted like that?”
“I got caught up in a bar fight,” he admitted. “Off duty. I think I might be prone to them.”
She looked up at the chagrined expression on his face and burst out laughing. The feeling of joy remained with her until long after sunset, when exhaustion finally claimed them both.
About the Author
Linda loves to write romance with a fantasy or science-fiction flair. Her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel. By day she is a kindergarten teacher, wife and mother of two who lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf Coast. But at night she delves into alternate worlds filled with daring exploits and sensuous, erotic romance.
Linda is the author of numerous bestsellers, and in March 2010 Whiskey Creek Press Torrid named her Author of the Year.
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Copyright © 2011 by Linda Mooney
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