Why anyone would want an old blaster just because it belonged to some general from the first war between the Earth Republic and the New Earth Alliance didn’t make any sense to me. That and the fact people were willing to pay millions to own it in the first place. I mean, a blaster had to work or it was worthless. Then again, my feelings could have been clouded by the time I spent in the military. I’d seen the corruption first hand, and never wanted anything to do with it again.
Kyra was sitting in Ice’s lap as I walked onto the bridge. They must not have noticed me because Ice wrapped one arm around Kyra’s waist to trap her and then started tickling her with the other hand. Kyra fought against it but couldn’t get away and finally dissolved into fits of laughter as Ice pillaged her body with fearlessness. Finally Kyra fell silent gasping for breath, and Ice planted a kiss on her lips. She pulled gently away from her, Ice’s teeth just barely pulling against Kyra’s lower lip before they broke apart. It was probably wrong of me, but I could have watched them kiss for days.
Kyra stood up, and Ice slapped her ass before she walked past me. “Hiya, Captain.”
I just stood there with my mouth open looking towards Ice.
“Are we all set to go? I’ve got a hot date once we hit atmo,” Ice said, dropping me a sly wink.
Apparently it wasn’t only Samantha that wanted to screw with me today. What was it, have Drake fantasize about all the women he couldn’t have sex with day? If Gabe walked in with his shirt off and started making his pecs dance around I was going to lose my shit. Not that I’d ever been into dudes, but then I’d know there was a conspiracy in the works.
“Yep, the package has been sent, and the payment delivered. Get us off this shithole and onto the next one.”
“You got it, sir.”
Ice never called me sir. So either I’d finally earned a little respect, which was doubtful, or she wanted something from me. “Just spit it out already,” I growled.
“Captain, don’t you think it’s time we took a little vacation.” I just stared at her. “I mean it doesn’t even have to be somewhere good, just somewhere that we can park for a week and relax.”
She had a point. We’d been working for the last three months straight. That didn’t mean we didn’t have a lot of downtime flying between jobs, but still, you could only eat so many everything bars before you wanted to blow your head off. A vacation might be just what we needed. If there wasn’t a job within spitting distance of our next one then I’d let them have a week. We all needed it. Some time to recharge, and eat some real food.
Instead of just giving in, I thought maybe I’d make Ice work for this one. “I’ll think about it.”
Ice just winked at someone standing behind me. I turned in time to see Kyra pump her fist like she had just won the lottery. Shaking my head, I exited the bridge to the sound of happy squeals. Damn those ladies, they knew I was a pushover. They were probably already trying to plan out our destination choices. Maybe this time I’d try and surprise them.
I slid down the stairs and into the bunk I shared with Maze. She was already down there getting ready for bed. She was standing in front of the mirror only wearing a pair of panties as she finished scrubbing her face. I stood transfixed, just watching her as she bent down to wash the last of the soap off in the basin. Her breasts swayed gently as she splashed her face, but her butt barely jiggled at all.
“I see where you are looking, Drake, and I need to know one thing.”
Oh fuck, I was in trouble.
“Does my ass look amazing in these panties, or what?” She wiggled it a little from side to side.
Only the dumbest of all men would say or what, but for some reason, my brain had stopped functioning properly. I was still trying to get past all the blood traveling towards the lower half of my body to compose a complete sentence. Then it struck me that maybe Maze had overheard my comment to Samantha earlier, and was taunting me with it. I felt trapped. It was like all of the air was stuck in my chest, but I still couldn’t breathe. Is this what it felt like to have a heart attack? Maze must have seen the open O of my mouth and decided to take pity on me. That or she was trying to make it even worse when she started to wiggle around again.
I rushed forwards forgetting all about Samantha and her little display earlier. This was my woman, and she had the best ass in the business. Ok, so I didn’t actually spend a lot of time checking out female assassin’s slash soldier’s asses, but I was sure hers was one of the best. I mean once it got to the point a woman could kill you with a toothpick, well, you’d never tell her that her ass didn’t look fucking spectacular.
Maze pushed herself against me as I wrapped my arms around her. This time when she wiggled, it sent all the right messages to all the right places. She tilted her head back far enough that I got just a small taste of her lips before she spun around and tossed me onto our bunk.
Did I mention that super strength in a woman is a damned sexy turn on? Maze crawled on top of me straddling my waist, and then pinned my arms to the side as she kissed me.
“I see that you’re already standing to attention, Captain.”
“I’m ready to give you the full salute ma’am.”
Maze reached down between us and took me into her hand. “See that you are.”
Damn it feels good to be a smuggler.
Chapter 3
Captain Drake
Our next job was pretty simple. All we had to do was escort a madam and her stable of women from one city to another, and ensure they made their flight. It wasn’t the kind of thing we would normally even consider, but we were trying to stay out of the limelight for the most part. Easy jobs like this paid to keep the Talon in the air and gave the crew a little bit of spending money to throw around. It wasn’t going to help me retire, but I wasn’t sure I ever wanted too.
Still, this job was paying a little too well considering we weren’t more than an armed escort. That meant one of two things was going on. The madam either had credits to burn, or she was expecting a lot more trouble than she was letting on. If I had to lay down a wager, my credits would have been on trouble. That was just how things worked for us.
Gabe was waiting for me in the corridor leading towards the cargobay. He had a serious look on his face which let me know he wasn’t happy about the assignment I’d given him for today. I knew what he wanted, but I needed him watching our backs and not sixty pairs of tits. I know, how was I going to keep my mind off of them? Easy, I was bringing my girlfriend along for the ride.
“Captain, you have to reconsider,” Gabe said with a pout.
“Actually I don’t.” I swatted him on the shoulder as I walked past him. “That’s the best part about being the captain. I just give orders, and you have to follow them.”
“But, Captain.” Gabe paused trying to think of a good excuse of why he needed to be on the train with us. When he failed, he continued anyway. “Seriously, it’s sixty women that operate in a way I understand and completely support.”
“You mean you really like them expensive, available, and with no strings attached?”
“See, I knew you’d understand, Captain. That’s why I have to go.”
I turned to face Gabe placing one hand on each side of his head and forcing him to look me in the eyes. “I’m only going to say this one more time, and I’m going to try and word it in a way you can understand.” I waited until his chin moved just an inch in acknowledgment before continuing. “You, are, not, fucking coming.”
“Oh come on, you can’t even enjoy those girls anymore. Me, well, I’ve got an itch that needs scratching.”
“Well scratch it yourself. Then get ready to watch our backs.”
Gabe threw up his hands in frustration. “Come on, we haven’t been to a port with a decent brothel in months. I need this in ways you can’t fathom.”
I clapped him one more time on the shoulder before turning and walking away. I called out behind me. “Once we get them to the station, I’ll make sure you have enoug
h time to enjoy the wares. Just don’t forget they are our clients, so you have to pay for their time just like everyone else.”
“As long as I get some,” Gabe yelled before letting out a little whoop of joy.
I looked back once to see him standing in the corridor thrusting his hips violently into the air. Then he kind of spun ninety degrees to the side and did it again. I guess that was Gabe’s version of the I’m going to get laid dance. It was something that I never needed to see again.
Maze and Samantha were waiting for me in the cargobay. Maze had the door to the armory open, and weapons were laid out on a table in front of her. She was in all her gear looking every inch of the bounty hunter image we tried to project. Samantha was standing next to her in a plain dress that did absolutely nothing for her figure. She didn’t look happy about it and kept staring at the weapons and gear fondly.
I had to try and nip that in the bud before it became a problem. “Looking good, Samantha.”
“Fuck off, Drake.” She whirled around to face me and then moved right into my personal space in a blur. “I don’t understand why I have to play Suzy Homemaker for this to work.”
“That’s because when he asked me to do it, I told him to fuck off,” Maze said with a smile.
Samantha turned to stare at her. “I should have guessed.”
“Just one of the many benefits of being the captain’s number two.”
“If I had my way you’d permanently be number two,” Samantha said with a sneer.
I saw Maze’s hand twitch just a fraction of an inch. The last thing we needed was another incident. Just when I thought we had all come to some kind of understanding about our relationship status, things were getting heated. I knew Samantha was just trying to push her buttons, at least I hoped that was all that it was. Either way I couldn’t let this play out.
“That’s enough!” I probably didn’t need to shout it, but it added a certain dramatic effect to my words. “You’re going in undercover to watch the cars in front of us. It’s not supposed to be glamorous.” I turned and pointed towards Maze. “You’re with me.” Now that I had them both watching me, I noticed that one of them still looked pissed and the other was looking abundantly smug. “Gabe’s on over watch to make sure we don’t get any unexpected visitors. That’s the plan.”
“Fine, but if we ever do this again, I’m going undercover as one of the girls. I can’t stand wearing this shit,” Samantha said as she plucked at her dress.
Maze snorted as if she was thinking something not so nice about our vampiric friend. This time Samantha let it go, which I was thankful for. I grabbed two pistols and a shotgun from the stash of weapons before filling my pockets with extra shells and energy packs. You could never have enough ammo, especially when you were expecting a trap.
“Alright, we are five minutes out, and there is a local waiting to drive us into town.” I looked at the two deadliest women I had ever met. “Let’s make this run nice and smooth.”
“Captain.” Maze acknowledged tilting her chin in my direction.
“No one will get past me,” Samantha said, letting just a little bit of fang show in her smile.
What could possibly go wrong? I thought to myself as I double checked all my weapons and ammo. Unless the rest of the train was filled with enemies we were golden. I shook my head trying to banish the thought. I didn’t know if you could really think things into being, but if you could, an entire train of enemies wasn’t what I would have thought of. I’d have preferred a train full of pizza and french fries, with an ice-cream bar in the back. The first option was more likely, but a guy can dream, can’t he?
The drop-off and the drive into town went smoothly. We dropped Samantha off on the outskirts and drove straight to the station. She’d be able to close the distance quickly and having her seen with us was a bust. She looked a little pissed when we kicked her out of the back of the truck, but she’d get over it, especially if she got to break some heads. That kinda seemed to be her thing.
After we hopped out of the back of the truck the driver sped off. No doubt trying to distance himself from two people that looked like they were ready to start an entire galaxies worth of trouble. The sun was high overhead, and it was a little warmer than I expected. The huge leather duster I had on might have been a little much, but it made me look like a badass. It was surprising how many fights could be won with sheer confidence and a really bitchin outfit. If that didn’t work, well, that’s why I brought the guns.
Maze was playing her part well. She scanned the crowds as we moved towards the station, her head on an almost constant swivel. She looked like she could take this whole town on by herself. For the first time, I started to wonder what sixty hookers were doing out here in the middle of nowhere? This town didn’t look like it could support half that number, let alone the fancy kind we were hired to protect. Something was odd about this whole thing. It just didn’t add up.
Maze moved onto the train platform and then turned to watch the crowd behind us as I moved towards the lone enclosed building. I opened the door, and for a moment I thought it was possible I died or ended up in Shangri-La. If only I was still in the game, I would have been in paradise. It took me a moment to clear my head. The thoughts that kept running through it weren’t fit for public consumption. The only question I could think of to ask was, if this is what these women wore to travel, what did they wear to work?
The thing that brought me back from the edge was the frowning face of the madam that accompanied the women. She didn’t look happy to see me, or the fact that I was staring at her girls with wide eyes. She marched slowly forward, one hand resting gently on a cane. She must have been a real looker in her day. I bet men lined up for blocks just in the hopes of getting a word in. She had long white hair braided in a perfect ponytail and was wearing a black pantsuit that had to have been custom tailored to accentuate her figure. I hoped that I would look half as good as she did when I was older.
She stopped in front of me and tapped my chest with the top of her cane. “I expected a bit more when I hired the famous Captain Drake.”
“Well I expected your girls not to be grabbing so much attention, so I guess we can both be disappointed.”
She didn’t look amused but still held out one hand. She held it out palm down almost as if she expected me to kiss it. I reached out turning her hand gently so I could shake it. She pulled it away from me almost as if I had shocked her.
“I can see that you heathens have no class.” When I didn’t even acknowledge her statement she continued. “I am Colleen Hernandez, or as the women call me, Madam Colleen.”
“Captain Drake at your service, Ma’am.” I gave her a little salute.
“I thought there would be more of you,” Colleen said looking a little nervous.
“Oh there are.” I gave her what I hoped was a warm smile. “We might be a small crew, but we’ve got more than enough to handle this job as long as you were honest about the resistance levels we would be expecting.”
She blanched when I said that, letting me know instantly that she lied about what kind of trouble they were in on her application with the guild. I hadn’t really expected anything else; people were always underestimating the trouble they were in. That or they just didn’t want to pay more for the dangerous nature of the work they wanted to be done. Either way, I’d wait to see how it all shaked out before I decided if I would report her to the guild or not.
“I’m sure everything will be fine, Captain. We’ve done a lot to cover our tracks.”
I looked over the girls one more time. All of them were in bright clothes that showed a lot of skin. It was the kind of thing that would draw a lot of attention almost instantly and just about anywhere. In their case, unwanted attention. “Not nearly enough by the looks of it. Every idiot in this town is probably talking about your girls right now. Shit, some of them are probably snapping pictures and sending them to friends. I doubt there is a person on this planet that doesn’t know exa
ctly where you are right now.”
Colleen looked startled, as if she hadn’t even considered the possibility. “Well then, let’s hope you are half as good as you say you are.”
“Don’t worry, I’m better.” I thought that was going to be a nice parting line that would instill the madam with confidence until she spoke again.
“I’ve heard that before.” Colleen patted me on the shoulder and turned back to face the women in the room. “Time to get ready girls, we’ve got a train to catch.” The amount of squeals and bouncing that ensued was enough to make a man go blind.
Chapter 4
Captain Drake
Colleen was a real bear when it came to handling all her women. She had them rounded up and in line faster than I had seen soldiers get ready in the military. They walked out of the building with Maze leading the way and me in position behind the flowing sea of unbridled lust. Not a bad place to be all told, except for the fact I had to watch the crowd and not the women in front of me. Man, Gabe was really going to be pissed off that he missed this, so I’d have to rub it in, just a little bit. Only not where Maze could hear us.
The Madam had the last two train cars reserved for the ladies. I stationed Maze inside the last car with the women. That way we had a buffer between them and the rest of the passengers. My job was going to be to dissuade any passengers from entering the car in front of her position. The last thing we needed was a whole gang of looky-loos getting in the way if we were attacked.
Stepping into the normal passenger car for guard duty I noticed Samantha right away. Despite her worn dress and dour expression, she didn’t fit in amongst the locals. She was too clean and too young. This was roughneck country; everyone worked. If you weren’t dirty, you weren’t doing your part. I didn’t notice anyone paying her an abundance of unwanted attention, so maybe it was just me trying to find an excuse to look in her direction.
Smuggler's Legacy (The Galactic Outlaws Book 3) Page 2