by Paige Tyler
She tried not to look at the men and women waiting to bid on her as the guard led her onto the dais and secured her to one of the pillars. That strategy worked up until the prospective buyers came over to take a closer look. Every time one of them cupped her breasts or squeezed her ass, she felt like spitting in their faces.
It didn’t help that Rommel stood off to the side, a smirk on his face. She glared at him with the full force of her hatred, but that only seemed to amuse him even more.
Finally, she just ignored everyone and everything in the room and thought of Slayter. She remembered how he’d made love to her the night before, and pictured about how handsome he’d looked lying there in bed that morning. The memory brought tears to her eyes and she cursed herself for not waking him up before she’d left. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye.
“And now, ladies and gentleman, we’ve come to the last slave being offered for today.”
Teyla jerked out of her musings at the auctioneer’s words. She looked around and realized all the other women had been sold while she’d been lost in thought. She was the only one left.
Behind her, a guard disengaged the energy beam securing her bound wrists to the post, then led her up to the auction block in front of the dais. She stepped up on it obediently, standing there while he engaged the energy beam that secured her bound wrists to the pillar behind her.
She stared straight ahead over the heads of the men and women in the crowd, not wanting to see which one among them bid on her, when a commotion in the back of the room drew her attention. She watched as someone pushed through the crowd in an effort to get to the front of the room. Her heart stopped as she caught a glimpse of dark hair and broad shoulders, afraid to hope. Her eyes were playing tricks on her. There was no way it could be Slayter. But as the man finally succeeded in shoving his way through to the front of the room, she saw that her eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on her at all. It was Slayter, all six-foot-four leather-clad feet of him, and he looked mad enough to spit laser fire.
As he strode into the open space in front of the auction block, half a dozen of Rommel’s men stepped forward and leveled their weapons at him.
Teyla caught her breath, terrified they would shoot, especially since Slayter was already reaching under his coat for what had to be a pistol even as Genoone and Deran burst into the room brandishing weapons of their own. Relief flowed through her at the sight of the red-haired man. She’d been so afraid Rommel’s men had killed him.
None of the men managed to get a shot off, however, thanks to the guards and their laser rifles, which were pointed at Slayter, Rommel and their men.
“Drop your weapons now!” one of the guards ordered. “All of you!”
Slayter and Rommel both hesitated, but then finally nodded at their men to obey. As soon as they did, two of the guards hurried forward to collect their guns.
The auctioneer rose to his full height behind the podium, his brows drawing together. “Weapons are strictly prohibited outside the gates of the spaceport. I could have you all executed. What is the meaning of this?”
“This woman belongs to me.” Slayter gave Rommel a scathing look. “This bastard kidnapped her from the market down by the spaceport.”
“He’s lying!” Rommel protested.
Teyla craned her neck to look at the gray-haired auctioneer. “He’s telling the truth,” she shouted. “My father gave me to Slayter as payment for a debt so he could sell me at auction.”
The auctioneer frowned at Slayter. “Is this true? Did her father give her to you as payment for a debt?”
Slayter gave the man a curt nod, his mouth tight. “It is.”
“And you have something in writing to back up your story, I presume?”
“No,” Slayter said. “It was a gentleman’s agreement and she came with me willingly.”
The auctioneer let out a heavy sigh. “Well, that certainly complicates matters. Without proof, I have no way to know if you’re telling the truth or not. House rules dictate that a sale must be made once merchandise is placed upon the block.”
Teyla furrowed her brow. If Slayter couldn’t prove ownership, did that mean Rommel would get to keep the money from the sale since he was the one who had brought her there? She couldn’t let that happen.
She looked at the auctioneer again. “But I can corroborate Slayter’s story. Isn’t that just as good as having something in writing?”
The man gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid not, my dear. Slaves have no voice within the walls of the auction house.”
Rommel slanted Slayter a malevolent look. “I could just kill him. That would make the issue less complicated, wouldn’t it?”
Teyla’s heart crept into her throat when she saw the thoughtful glint that came into the auctioneer’s eyes at the pirate’s words. Surely, the man wasn’t going to take Rommel’s suggestion seriously.
The auctioneer nodded his head. “That would indeed resolve the matter. It has been a long time since anyone has chosen such means to resolve a dispute, but a duel is completely within the rules, as long as you both agree.”
The man looked at Slayter. Teyla held her breath as she waited for his answer. He had to see she wasn’t worth losing his life over. But to her chagrin, he nodded.
“I agree.”
The auctioneer inclined his head. “Very well. If everyone else would clear a space.”
He motioned with his hand and the crowd gathered around Slayter and Rommel stepped back, giving them room.
Teyla stared at the two pirates in stunned disbelief. She’d heard dueling still existed in parts of the galaxy, but she never dreamed she would actually see one, much less be the prize the two combatants fought over.
“It can’t be much of a duel without weapons, can it?” Slayter pointed out as he took off his coat and handed it to Genoone.
“He’s right,” Rommel agreed. “Unless you intend us to fight hand to hand.”
The auctioneer gave them a placating smile. “House rules expressly forbid any personnel other than the guards to carry weapons of any kind in the auction rooms. You can imagine how that would cause concerns in the heat of a bidding war. However, we do pride ourselves on providing an unsurpassed purchasing experience, so I’ll bend the rules a little just this once.” He motioned to one of the guards. “Two shock rods, if you would, Lieutenant.”
The man gave him a nod, then relieved two other guards of the six-inch-long batons they carried at their waist. At a touch of the button, a three-foot-long beam of energy sprang out from each of the rods. Teyla’s eyes went wide. She’d seen a guard prod one of the slaves with the exact same thing earlier when the woman hadn’t moved fast enough for his liking. From the cry of pain she’d let out, the energy beams could cause some real damage.
“Standard house rules apply, gentleman,” the auctioneer said. “The duel will continue until one of you drops his claim, loses his weapon, or is otherwise unable to continue. You may begin when ready. And please, mind the paying customers and the merchandise.”
Teyla couldn’t seem to breathe as she watched Slayter and Rommel circle each other warily in the space in front of her. Slayter was bigger and taller than the other pirate, but she worried Rommel wouldn’t fight fair. If he said or did something to distract Slayter, the duel could be over before it started.
Slayter was the first to attack. He lunged at Rommel, bringing his shock rod down in an arc at the other man’s head. Rommel immediately blocked the blow. He might be smaller than Slayter, but he was surprisingly fast, and Teyla gasped as he spun out of the way.
Below her, the two men swung the shock rods at each other over and over. Most of the time, they ducked each other’s strikes or smacked their weapons against each other with a sizzle and pop of electricity, but every so often, their attacks hit home. When that happened, they grunted in pain, and if the blow caught them on the exposed skin of their arms, an immediate welt showed up, evidence of how painful the energy beams could b
e. Teyla cringed every time Rommel struck Slayter, not wanting to watch, but afraid to look away.
While Slayter and Rommel both appeared to get in an equal number of blows with their shock rods, Slayter seemed to be able to handle the pain better than the other pirate. Teyla almost cheered as Rommel visibly swayed on his feet when Slayter connected with his shock rod yet again.
That was when Rommel must have decided Teyla would make a good shield because he moved as close to the auction block as he could without actually climbing on top of it with her.
Slayter immediately froze. He glowered at Rommel. “Stop hiding behind her like a coward and come out here and fight me like a man.”
Rommel laughed. “What you call cowardice, I call quick thinking.”
Without warning, the pirate lunged past Teyla to get to Slayter. Slayter stepped back, avoiding the blow, but Rommel’s shock rod grazed the exposed skin on Teyla’s midriff. She let out a cry of pain as tears stung her eyes. Damn, that hurt. How had Slayter taken dozens of shocks with that thing?
Slayter’s gold eyes blazed. “You sonofabitch!”
“Come at me again, Cardona, and she might get zapped a few more times. Completely by accident, of course.” Rommel grinned. “Why don’t you just drop your weapon and forfeit now.”
Slayter didn’t move, but Teyla could see from the look in his eyes that he was considering Rommel’s demand. The room seemed to be holding its collective breath right along with her. Jaw tight, Slayter lowered his shock rod.
“Slayter, no,” Teyla moaned. “Don’t let him do this to you. The money from whoever bids on me is rightfully yours.”
Slayter lifted his head to lock eyes with hers, and the look she saw in them made her think he was about to do something very stupid. Or very brave.
She only had time to shake her head before Rommel let out a bellow and thrust his shock rod at Slayter as if he intended to shove the energy beam through his heart.
Teyla screamed, sure the shock rod would burn a hole right through Slayter’s chest, but he moved faster than she would have thought possible, sidestepping the blow just in time so that the energy beam slid harmlessly under his arm.
She sagged with relief against the pillar only to gasp when Slayter lowered his arm to trap the energy beam between his chest and biceps. It popped and sizzled, filling the room with the sound, but while the pain must have been intense, Slayter didn’t even blink.
Rommel tried to yank his weapon free, but Slayter was too strong. Holding the shock rod immobile, he grabbed Rommel’s forearm in a tight grip and twisted it violently to the right, wrenching the weapon out of the pirate’s hand. It flew across the room, sliding dangerously close to the crowd of onlookers, who quickly backpedaled in an effort to get away from the thing.
Without a word, Slayter released Rommel, then walked around the auction block Teyla was standing on, bringing his shock rod down on the other man’s head and slashing it across his face. Rommel flew backward with a strangled cry to land in a heap on the floor.
Teyla craned her neck to see Rommel holding up one hand in surrender, an angry, red welt on his ugly face, hatred and defeat in his black eyes.
The auctioneer cleared his throat. “I believe the issue of ownership has been resolved.”
Giving Rommel a scornful look, Slayter shut off the energy beam emanating from the shock rod and turned to Teyla. Behind him, Rommel scrambled to his feet and threw himself at Slayter, a short dagger appearing in his hand, aimed at her lover’s unprotected back.
“Slayter, watch out!” she cried.
But Slayter must have been expecting the underhanded move because he spun around and grabbed the pirate’s wrist, twisting it sharply. Rommel howled in pain, the dagger that had been mere inches from Slayter’s chest moments before falling uselessly to the floor.
“You sneaky piece of shit,” Slayter snarled. “I should take that knife and shove it up your—”
“That won’t be necessary.” The auctioneer glanced at the guard who had distributed the shock rods before. “Lieutenant, if you would be so kind?”
Without a word, the guard lifted his pistol and shot Rommel in the head.
Slayter released his hold on the pirate, a stunned expression on his face as Rommel crumpled to the floor. Slayter wasn’t the only one taken aback by what had just happened, Teyla noticed. Everyone in the room was staring down at Rommel’s lifeless body in stunned disbelief.
“I distinctly remember saying that weapons were expressly forbidden in the auction room,” the auctioneer said. “Rules must be followed.”
He motioned to two of the guards, waiting patiently while they unceremoniously picked the dead pirate’s body and carried it from the room before continuing.
“Since we have resolved the issue of ownership, we can now resume with the auction.”
Slayter turned to her, his tawny eyes filled with that same emotion she’d seen the night before. “There isn’t going to be an auction.”
Teyla’s brow furrowed in confusion. “There isn’t?”
“No,” he said. “I’m taking you home.”
She blinked. “I—I don’t understand.”
He reached up to gently cup her cheek. “You deserve to be a man’s equal, Teyla, not his slave.”
She felt her pulse quicken. “B-but what about the debt my father owes you?”
“It’s been paid in full. Even if it wasn’t, I could never sell you. Not after realizing how I feel about you.”
She held her breath, afraid to hope. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you, Teyla.” He smiled up at her. “I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
The words, so heartfelt and without hesitation, made her feel warm all over, and if she hadn’t been secured to a damn pillar, she would have jumped off the auction block right into his arms. She couldn’t do that, but she could still tell him how she felt in return. She opened her mouth, but the auctioneer’s booming voice cut in.
“I’m sorry to interrupt such an emotional moment, but I need to clarify one minor point. There is most definitely going to be an auction, sir.”
Slayter dropped his hand, his brows drawing together as he fixed his gaze on the man. “You don’t understand. I don’t want to sell her anymore.”
The auctioneer’s mouth curved. “That’s very romantic, it really is. But unfortunately for you, once merchandise has been placed on the auction block, it must be sold. It’s in the rules.”
“I don’t give a damn about the rules,” Slayter snapped.
“Well, we do. Rules are the very foundation of our business. Imagine if owners pulled their merchandise off the block whenever they felt like. It would ruin our reputation.” The auctioneer waved his hand. “Let us commence with the bidding. Do I hear five-hundred credits?”
Slayter took a threatening step toward the podium, his expression hard. “I said she’s not for sale and that’s final.”
Half a dozen guards immediately stepped between him and the auctioneer, their rifles leveled at Slayter.
The auctioneer’s mouth tightened. “Sir, as the owner of the merchandise, you have every right to be present during bidding, but if you attempt to prevent the sale of this woman, I’ll have you dragged out of here. If you resist, you will be shot.”
Teyla’s heart squeezed in her chest. To come all this way, to find the man of her dreams and fall in love, then have it all taken away because of some damn bureaucratic rules. There had to be something they could do, some way to make the auctioneer change his mind.
She looked at Slayter, silently willing him to come up with a solution. From the fury on his face, though, she feared he was about to do something that would only likely get him killed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Genoone and Deran looked like they were ready to join him in whatever insanity he had planned.
The auctioneer picked up his gavel and held it poised above the podium, seemingly oblivious to the threat. Instead of picki
ng up where he’d left off, though, he lifted a brow at Slayter.
“Since you seem to have some desire to retain possession of this lovely woman, I assume you’d like to open the bidding?”
Slayter frowned. “I can buy her myself?”
“Of course. Obviously, it’s not regularly done, but this is a free and open auction. Anyone may bid on the merchandise. However, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to use cash or the equivalent if you don’t have a credit account established with our establishment.”
“I don’t.”
“Then what is your opening bid?”
Slayter dug through the pockets of his breeches, as well as the ones in his coat. “One-hundred-and-thirty-two credits.”
Teyla held her breath. That wasn’t anywhere close to the five hundred the auctioneer had tried to open the bidding with before. She only hoped the crowd had been moved by Slayter’s declaration of love and wouldn’t outbid him.
“Two-hundred credits!”
Teyla scanned the sea of faces, trying to figure out which man had spoken, and saw a tall, thin blond-haired man step forward. Her blood froze in her veins as she recognized him. He had lingered near her during the inspection period before the auction, running his fingers up and down her arm and telling her how much he would enjoy bruising such fair skin.
He gave her a mocking grin. “Glare at me all you want, girl, but I’m no fool. It would be a crime to let beauty such as yours go for such a pittance.” He glanced at Slayter. “If he doesn’t have the money to afford you, then he doesn’t deserve you.”
Teyla saw Slayter’s jaw clench, and for a moment she was afraid he was going to launch himself at the man. Genoone and Deran must have thought so, too, because they were frantically searching their pockets. Beside them, the rest of his crew was doing the same. Teyla hadn’t even seen the other men come into the room and could only watch in disbelief as they shoved what money they had on them into Slayter’s hand.
Slayter quickly counted it. “Four-hundred-and-seventy credits.”