They had to be Funkai. Crap. As the silence grew thick as the air around them, she tried to think of everything she knew about the sect. Yes, they supposedly had strange sexual practices, but most of it had never been proven. The sexual laws on Earth in the early twenty-second century had left them ostracized. A couple years after they left, most of the restrictions had been repealed. What she did know was that they were monogamous. Once a couple had paired off, they stayed together, and no one encroached on either’s territory. A plan was forming in her mind, but if Brady got pissed and screwed it up, they’d end up in a heap of trouble.
“We’re just passing through.” Brady’s voice wasn’t as casual as the comment implied. There was an edge there, as if he knew they were in for a fight. She looked at the men again. He was probably right.
“You need our permission.” This was said by the tallest of the group. He broke eye contact with Brady and smiled at her. Blond hair, pale green eyes, and a muscled body made him an attractive man. She found herself returning the smile. Brady stepped in front of her.
“Mine.” His voice was deep and threatening.
The leader’s smile vanished. “We’ll see about that.”
Brady bristled at the tone, but she knew he would lose a fight with the three men. One-on-one, he could take each of them; but even with her help, they still had another one. He wasn’t thinking straight, because he was worried about her.
She leaned forward so she could whisper in his ear. “Brady, it’ll be okay. Trust me.”
For a second, she thought he might fight, but finally he relented with a curt nod. Two of the men walked forward and tried to separate them.
“I think you need to think twice about touching her.”
Both men looked toward the leader and he nodded. Brady allowed her to go in front, and he followed as the two other men flanked him.
The leader slowed so that she could walk beside him. They were of the same height, especially with her boots on.
“My name is Walter.” His voice was a charming purr. She almost laughed in his face. First of all, he was acting as if they were getting acquainted under regular circumstances. Maybe they were for him, but this was beyond absurd. But then, when she was in Brady’s company, anything could happen. The second thing she thought of was that Walter was not a name a man wearing a loincloth and walking barefoot would be called.
She cleared her throat. “It’s very nice to meet you, Walter. My name is Liberty.”
His eyes widened. “Liberty Wainwright?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Your father’s named Sterling?”
She nodded. Her heart fell to her stomach.
“Have you met him?” She couldn’t keep the desperation out of her voice.
“Yes, two... three months ago. Was looking for some legend.” His voice told her he didn’t think much of her father’s pursuit.
“Was he with anyone?”
He frowned. “I would rather talk about you.”
“I haven’t seen my father. Brady and I are looking for him. He’s been missing.”
“He had an older gentleman with him. And a young man. I remember they argued over something, but they all left together the next morning.”
“A younger man?”
He pursed his lips, apparently not happy with her question. “This man you are with. Did he speak the truth?”
She sighed. Men were all the same. Once their dick was involved, they had a one-track mind. “Yes.”
“Then why do you need to know about this younger man?”
“My father has been missing, and anything we can find out is important. It could lead us to him.”
He nodded, his eyes sparkling with admiration. “Are you sure you’re with him? Smart females are hard to find around these areas.”
She bit the inside of her lip. It was that or scream at him. “Yes, I’m with him. Now, the younger man?”
Sighing, he glanced at Brady, then looked back at her. “Yes, he was a bit of an ass. I have a feeling that he’d never been on a trip like this one. He complained all the time about the weather, the food.”
Her pulse accelerated, her mouth lost all moisture. A shiver of dread crawled down her spine.
“Anthony Freemont.”
* * * * *
As they rounded a bend in the road, Brady noticed a few scattered buildings. The structures were modern, resembling many of the homes on Earth. It seemed odd that a bunch of men who dressed like cavemen lived in probably the most modern village on the whole freaking planet. Just their luck.
He scowled at his two friends and then at Don Juan, who’d been kissing up to Libby since they started off. His gut burned. If he thought it would do any good, he’d stomp up there and push his way between them. He knew the two men on either side of him would lay him flat on his ass if he even tried. And from the look in Libby’s eyes, she had a plan.
She laughed at something Don said. Brady curled his fingers into his palms. Dammit. What the hell did she think this was? Prom night?
The man on his left chuckled. “Our friend here is worried Walter is charming his woman.”
Figured they would be captured by a barbarian named Walter. He snorted. Libby turned and gave him a warning look, then turned back around. What the hell was up with that? Did she think he was some little boy who couldn’t behave? Like he would get them in trouble because he was jealous?
Shit. He was jealous. Even while they were together, he’d never had a problem with jealousy. Not because he thought no one was interested in Libby, but he’d been so sure of her love that he knew she would never cheat. She laughed again. The sound of it usually sent his body humming. This time, however, his blood heated. The urge to grab her by the hair and drag her off so that all of them knew she was his, almost overwhelmed him.
He counted backwards from ten. Walter brushed a lock of her hair back over her shoulder. This time he counted backward from twenty. He knew she had a plan and charming Walter was part of it. It didn’t make it any easier to watch some jackass manhandle his woman.
As they walked into the village, there was little activity except a few stray children playing. Of course, they stopped and stared at two strangers being led through their isolated community. The Funkai usually kept to themselves, unless you trespassed on their land. And he’d avoided the area on his other visits to the planet. They just didn’t have time to waste.
They walked up the steps of the largest structure in the center of the village. Large Roman columns lined the front of the building, which gave it a look of being a city hall in any US city. Once inside, they were led down a hallway that was lined with offices. As several people passed them, he noticed they were dressed as if they’d just walked out of an office anywhere on Earth. Business suits, dresses... they looked normal.
They reached a set of double doors. Walter leaned over to whisper in Libby’s ear, and she nodded. He slipped through the doors. She turned and walked toward Brady.
“This is rather odd, isn’t it?” When she noticed his guards were paying attention, she flashed them a smile. Brady would be amazed if they didn’t drool. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude. But everything I’ve read about your civilization is that it’s primitive. It’s odd to be captured by men in loincloths and then be led into a modern village.”
“You have read what we want the world to think.”
She started and turned. Brady looked over her shoulder. Their newcomer was a man in his forties, dressed in a tailored suit. Unlike their friends, he wore his hair short, and if Brady had seen him anywhere else, he’d think he was just a normal businessman. He was tall, and his dark hair had threads of gray. His bearing told Brady this was someone important.
The newcomer studied Libby, then moved toward him and his guards. The smile he shot Libby was filled with sexual interest.
Brady stepped forward to stand beside her. He half expected their captors to grab him, but they didn’t do anything.
“You
must be Liberty Wainwright. Walter was right -- you are beautiful.” Brady glanced at Libby and noticed the blush. Was every freaking man here going to be after her?
“Yes, I am.” She extended her hand. The man took it and kissed her hand before releasing it. Her face turned a brighter shade of pink.
“A pleasure. My name is Jason Funkai. I’d say I was sorry that you have been put in any discomfort, but that would be a lie. It is not that often we get such pleasant company.”
The man’s tone was filled with lazy sensuality. He didn’t even bother to hide his interest.
Libby, God bless her, ignored it. “This is my associate, Brady St. James.”
The man’s gray gaze showed a flicker of acknowledgement of his name, but he kept his attention focused on Libby.
“I’ve heard of you, Saint. But the impression that Walter gave me was that you were together.”
“We are.” Libby sounded confused by this line of questioning. Hell, Brady wasn’t sure what was going on either.
“No matter, right now. I understand you’re looking for your father. There isn’t much I can tell you about him. He was here for a night and left the next day. Pleasant man.”
Sterling had been here? Brady shot her a look, but she wasn’t paying attention. All her attention was for Funkai. She showed no surprise, leading him to think she might’ve known about her father being here. Why hadn’t she told him?
“Now, why don’t we go in and meet the council. With these developments, there might be a longer discussion on the outcome.”
“Outcome?” Brady asked.
“Yes. Walter gave me the impression that you two were together, but since you are just working together... well, there will be some discussion about Ms. Wainwright’s future with the Funkai.”
Funkai smiled at Libby, and Brady knew that he’d meant that he wanted to keep Libby for himself.
Well, crap.
* * * * *
Libby shifted on her chair and sighed again. She glanced over at Brady, who was still pouting about her slip-up earlier. The mistake wasn’t going to be easy to untangle, but if he would talk to her, they’d have a plan. Instead, he’d told her she was an idiot and refused to say anything else since they’d been led into a waiting room.
Even though she silently berated herself for the mistake, she thought Brady was being completely unsympathetic. The news that her father had been here, and been with her ex-husband, had thrown her for a loop. She’d wanted to get Brady alone to tell him, but now he was sulking like a little boy. And, really, what was she supposed to say when they asked her? She had no freaking idea what Brady was. Other than a pain in the ass.
“You know, you could have let me speak.”
She looked over at him. His arms were crossed over his chest, his gaze straight ahead, and he was frowning.
“So, you’re speaking to me?”
He shot her a derisive look. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that you should be in charge. Well, in this area, you are dead wrong, lass.”
He was really angry. He hadn’t raised his voice, but his Irish lilt had slipped into it. That only happened when he was aroused or angry. Very angry.
“Oh, and you were doing such a good job of it.”
“These people are different. They expect the man to wear the pants.”
Anger lit through her. “So I was supposed to let you fuck it up.”
“Fuck it up? Fuck it up? What do you call this?”
“A minor setback. We’ll be on our way tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “No, lass. They mean to keep you.”
She’d suspected that, but she knew she could get them out of it. It would require Brady to not act like an ape. She glanced at him. They could be in some trouble.
Before she could say anything, Walter came through the door. She blinked. The loincloth was replaced by a conservative suit, his hair bound at the base of his neck.
“Ms. Wainwright.” He glanced at Brady. “Saint. Mr. Funkai and the rest of the board are ready to see you now.”
Libby and Brady stood to follow Walter through the door. Brady placed his hand on the small of her back to usher her through the door. The room they entered was round; a large horseshoe table sat in the middle and was occupied by ten gentlemen. Jason Funkai sat in the center. There wasn’t much light in the rest of the room, but the table seemed to be under some kind of spotlight.
“Ms. Wainwright. Saint. Please come forward.”
As they walked forward, Brady took her hand and pulled her closer to his side. He leaned down. “Go along with me on this one, Libby.”
She nodded because she knew that he would have to take charge. The Funkai seemed to have built the illusion they wanted the world to see, but there was one thing that wasn’t a lie -- this was a male-dominated society. Years in the field had taught her to respect their hosts, unless it was a matter of life or death.
Funkai took charge of the meeting. “We’ve been discussing the issue of Ms. Wainwright.” His gaze dropped to their joined hands, and she could feel the tension spike another notch. He didn’t like what he saw. “There are several interested parties who would like to court her.”
“Court her?” Brady’s tone was derisive. “You call capturing women and keeping them against their will courting?”
Several of the board members shifted restlessly, unhappy with Brady and his comments.
“This is not our way. Yes, we have been known to bring women here, but they are never forced to do anything they don’t want. But we do give our men a chance to convince them to stay. We’ve been known to return women, but we like to keep up the idea that we are barbarians, to keep others out.”
They were hiding something. The only reason to keep people from coming into their community would be to hide something. But what, if not their strange sexual practices?
“Really? I hear you’re sexual deviants.”
This produced some grumbling from the board.
Jason held up his hand and it stopped. “Yes, we do practice some bondage. That is it. But we are not here to discuss that. What we are here to discuss is Ms. Wainwright’s immediate future.”
“She’s with me.”
“She said she was your associate.”
Brady’s lips stretched into a humorless smile. “You know women; they like to think they’re in charge.”
Funkai smiled. “Well, be that as it may, since she is without a partner, we feel she should stay and get to know a few of our men.”
She inched closer to Brady, not liking this conversation at all. The modern, educated, independent woman in her wanted to scream that she could take care of herself. But there was another voice that just wanted Brady to take care of it all and get them the hell out of there.
“She’s mine.”
“I understand your conviction, Saint. But the truth is, we have had people do this before, and later we find that it was merely a ploy to get the woman away.” Funkai studied him, then glanced at her as if coming to some decision. “I think we can let you go.”
Giddy relief poured through Libby. They were going to be free. Each minute that ticked away was another minute that her father could be in danger.
“You think?”
“You say that she is yours.” Brady nodded curtly. “And all we ask is that you prove it.”
Chapter Ten
Brady sat drinking some sort of wine that tasted like elderberry, and studied his host. Once Funkai had an agreement from the board, Libby had been whisked off to prepare, and he’d been treated like an honored guest. More and more, these people confused him. Or it could have been the wine. Since his second glass, he’d lost count of how many he’d had, and his head was floating five feet above his body. There was also a hint of sexual tension humming through him.
“Your Ms. Wainwright was not happy when she left.” Humor laced Funkai’s words.
Brady grunted. “Libby likes to run the show.”
“Yes. She is a man
aging woman.”
There was no derision in his voice, as Brady would have expected from a man who lived in this society. He studied the man, taking more note of his appearance. He’d been right about his age, somewhere in his mid-to-late forties. He ruled the clan here with an iron will that Brady had to admire. Even if the dickhead had been after his woman.
“I would think that would be a drawback.”
Funkai’s lips curled. “There is something to be said about a spirited woman.” Good God, was there ever. “And you’re gullible if you believe all the stories.”
“You admitted to practicing bondage.”
His smile deepened. “Well, there is also something to be said for having a woman who likes to be tied up and spanked.” The image of doing just that to Libby sent a roll of lust rushing through him. He set down his wine. “But we perpetuate that image to keep people out.”
The wine had clouded his thoughts, and the thoughts of spanking Libby weren’t helping, but he started to piece things together bit by bit. “You’re hiding something valuable.”
“A way of life.”
“No. Something that makes you rich.”
Funkai laughed. “I’d heard you were a smart one. Yes. Saint, you are talking to one of the wealthiest men this side of the zone. And all of us here share the money. My grandfather had been an important man on Earth -- rich, powerful. But when they started to restrict sexual practices, trying to legislate personal lives, he knew he had to leave.” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of wine while his gaze became unfocused. “When he happened on this area, he found a metal that was so precious, he knew people would pay a fortune for it.”
“Naper steel? You are the people behind Naper steel?” The metal was one of the strongest ever forged, but no one seemed to know from where. There were agents who handled the sales, but where it originated had been a secret since it hit the market.
“Yes.” His gaze focused on Brady again. “We take from this planet, but we do not destroy. If people found out, if this leaked, they would destroy this planet. They would tear down the forests, killing God knows how many species just to make their money.”
Charming the Snake Page 9