by Dixon, Ruby
“I was held up. Sorry. Bit of a snag at port, but it’s taken care of now. What’s the status of the job?”
A big hand lands on Adiron’s face and pushes him to the side. Mathiras leans in, scowling in my direction even as he holds Adiron away. “We’ve been waiting on you and all you can say is that you were held up? We need reliable partners on this mission with us.”
Adiron slaps at his brother, and off screen, I can hear another man chuckling. Ironic that these three idiots are talking to me about taking things seriously when they look as if they’re about to start arm-wrestling for control of the communicator like a bunch of children. “Like I said, bit of a snag. Is the job still available?”
“We’re approaching the Jintarr asteroid belt right now. You’re just in time.”
“I am?” I’m surprised to hear that. When we were talking about the job last month, there were no specifics. Just that the brothers were chasing down a rogue group of pirates and skin smugglers—slave traders. They have a personal vendetta against this group, but no one’s shared the details over the comm with me. Even so, they must have discovered something, because…Jintarr’s asteroid belt is not far away from Risda III at all. “You found the men you’re looking for?”
“Yup,” Adiron drawls.
“There’s an old mining station at Kafterra Prime,” Mathiras says, all business even as Adiron punches him in the gut. The third brother, Kaspar, goes around to Adiron’s other side and gets his brother in a headlock, one hand braced against Adiron’s horns to freeze him in place. They’re both grinning like keffing madmen while Mathiras tries to have a conversation with me.
These three don’t need another crew member. They need a referee.
“Kafterra Prime, okay,” I say. “Doesn’t ring a bell but I’m sure I can find it. You’re looking for a nav, right?” I did some navigation when I was back in the military, though it’s not my favorite thing.
Mathiras gives a sharp nod. “The station’s no longer in use and Kafterra Prime shows as abandoned. At least, it’s supposed to be.”
“There’s a distress signal on the moon, though,” Adiron adds, his voice choked thanks to his brother’s arm around his neck.
“That’s where we think the pirates are hiding out,” Mathiras says. “Sending out distress signals and luring in ships that come through. Seven vessels have gone missing in that particular sector in the last year. It’s obviously them.”
I grunt. “So the plan is that we swoop in and clean house?”
“Collect all those sweet, sweet bounties,” Adiron chokes out.
There’s something about that that sits wrong with me. Maybe those pirates are just trying to live a quiet life in a quiet place and keffing idiots keep showing up to try and collect on them. I think about my own troubles with that sort of thing lately and yeah, it just doesn’t feel right.
“We need a nav and another hand that’s good with a blaster,” Mathiras says. “Since we’re already in the Jintarr system, we can be at port on Risda to pick you up in a few hours.”
“You in?” Kaspar asks, releasing his hold on Adiron with a light slap to his brother’s cheek.
“Hours?” I echo. “That’s…”
“What?” Mathiras crosses his arms, frowning at me. “You said you’d be ready whenever.”
“I did,” I agree. But that was a week ago. I glance out the window as Piper comes into view. The floppy hat hides her face, but I watch as she pulls out a tool and pries open one of her drones, peering at the circuitry. I can tell by the look on her face that she has no clue what she’s staring at, but I can also tell that she’s determined to fix it, whatever the problem is.
She’s not the type to give up. Ever. She’ll just grit her teeth and get down to business. Admirable little thing.
“That’s too soon,” I say abruptly. “I need another day or two. Cleaning up some business here.”
“We’re not going to wait another week,” Mathiras warns, a hard look on his face. “If they get word that we’re heading in their direction, they might scatter.”
“Two days,” I tell him, nodding. I watch in horror as Piper leans over the drone with a hand welder. That’s the last tool she needs to fix a faulty drone and she’s going to destroy it if she’s not careful. “I have to go. Two days, all right?”
“What are we supposed to keffing do for two more days—”
I hang up before they can argue with me and sprint outside. Mathiras talks a big game, but if they need a navigator and a fourth for their head-hunting mission, they’ll wait two more days for me. I just need enough time to get Piper settled and then I can join them. It doesn’t feel right just running out on her hours after she sprung me from jail.
If I’m being honest with myself, it doesn’t feel right leaving immediately after last night…but I’m not gonna be honest with myself. I’ll help her fix a few drones, maybe help her wire a sentry system around the perimeter, and let her know I’m coming back in a few months and I’ll slide her some credits to help things along.
4
PIPER
I don’t understand Vordigar.
One moment he can’t leave this place—and me—fast enough. The next, he’s racing across the field to come and fix my drone. He takes all day working on my equipment, optimizing things and fixing burnt out parts that look like nothing to my uneducated human eyes. He’s unfailingly patient, too. As he fixes the drones, he tells me what he’s doing and shows me how to fix these sorts of things in the future. He wants me to learn, and I want to learn, and I appreciate it. I’m not sure all of it will stick, but I appreciate the information all the same.
For an ex-con, he sure does have a soft heart.
I watch him as I make dinner—more noodles, this time with a protein broth and savory spices—and he tinkers with a bit of equipment at the table. He’s sweaty and dirty from spending all day working on my farm equipment, dirty smears on his blue skin that blend in all too well with his riotous tattoos. His scars face me, but he’s not ugly. I think of the way he watched me last night as he came inside me, as he touched me and made me come.
He’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I’m blushing even as I think that. After years of alien captivity and being treated like less than a person, I’d come to terms with my fate. I knew no alien would ever look at a human as an equal, but I was hoping with a husband at my side, we’d come to an agreement and I’d happily trade my body for some security and to protect my farm. After all, it’s just a body. I’ve learned to mentally “go away” every time I’ve been touched in a way I didn’t want to be touched. It’s the only way to stay sane.
I didn’t expect Vordigar to be…kind, though. I thought he’d just climb on top of me, go to town, and then fall asleep. I didn’t expect him to caress me. To pleasure me. To ask what I liked. The idea was so foreign to me that I couldn’t even answer. I was too afraid of saying something wrong. I’ve learned that the best thing is to say nothing at all and hope for very little.
Instead, he gave me orgasms. One shattering orgasm after the next, and he made me feel…beautiful. Special. Like someone important. Someone who deserved just as much pleasure in bed as her partner.
It filled me with such joy that I’d woken up this morning, humming. I’d pictured our life together on the farm. I’d hoped for someone to talk to—nothing more, nothing less. A lifetime full of evenings like that one was…unbearably exciting. There’s no talk of love. I’m a realist. But if I have someone at my side to talk to, someone that looks at me like I’m a normal person, someone that smiles at me and touches me gently at night?
That changes everything.
It was too much to hope for, though. I fight back a knot in my throat. He’s not staying. He’s never said he would. Last night was just an aberration. In some ways, I wish it had never happened, because now I’m going to know what I’m missing.
Now I’m filled with yearning.
But there’s no place in my life
for things like that. I swallow the knot, clear my throat, and dish up a big bowl of noodles for him. I set it down in front of Vordigar and keep my tone neutral. “So when are you leaving?”
“Two days,” he says, putting aside the drone.
Just as quickly, the knot is back in my throat. Two days. What answer had I expected? What was the right timeframe for me to get used to the idea? A week? A month? My heart doesn’t want to be reasonable. Last night filled it with hope. Hearing that he’ll only be with me for two more days makes all that hope spill out and drain away. “I see.”
Vordigar gives me an intense look. “You don’t want to know where I’m going?”
I make myself a bowl full of noodles, because it gives my hands something to do. “Would you tell me?”
“Bounty hunting,” he admits. There’s a rueful note in his voice. “I’m not a fan of it, but it’s big money and the crew’s been waiting on me to go after one particular target.”
“Ah.”
“After that, I’ll have all the money I need to get back on my feet again. Maybe buy myself a small pleasure cruiser, visit a few scenic planets, take in the sights.” He shrugs.
I say nothing, poking at my noodles.
“You could come with me,” he says after a long moment.
I look up, surprised.
There’s heat in Vordigar’s gaze. He reaches over and touches my hand, his thumb brushing over my palm. “I know we just met. I know I’m not every female’s dream, but…I like you, Piper. And I don’t like the thought of leaving you. I want you to come with me.”
I blink at him. If I was a younger, more foolish Piper, I’d be head over heels excited at this offer. Leave Risda and a life of farming behind? See the galaxies? Be at his side forever? But I’m not that girl—she died a long time ago. The Piper of today has seen a lot of the universe, and none of it’s safe for humans. I shake my head, slowly. “This is my home. I haven’t had one in forever, and now that I have one again, I don’t want to abandon it.”
“You said you never wanted to be a farmer,” he cajoles me, a twinkle in his eyes. Like this, he’s so handsome—even though he’s a big, blue, horned alien and covered with tattoos and scars and I should be terrified. But I know Vordigar, and I know he’s safe. I’ve given him every opportunity to use me and take advantage of me, just so I know who he really, truly is—and he’s been nothing but teasing and kind.
He’s making this so hard. “You don’t understand,” I say stiffly. “Humans aren’t welcome anywhere but Earth. If I go with you, I’m not safe anywhere. There’s always going to be someone that’ll touch me, or try to steal me away, because humans aren’t important. You won’t be able to protect me. Not every minute of every hour of every day.” I shake my head. “Even if I wanted to go with you, I can’t.”
Vordigar nods. “I get it.”
I don’t know if he does. I don’t know if he ever will. But I smile at him and eat my noodles, because there’s nothing else to say. We eat in silence, and I keep thinking about his offer. To leave with him. To just…go. It’s so tempting.
“Thank you,” I say to him quietly. When he looks up at me, confused, I add, “For offering to take me with you.”
His mouth quirks in a devastatingly sexy smile. I don’t know if he’s handsome by mesakkah standards, but I love his grin and I love how ready it is. That makes him handsome in my eyes. “I admit my reasons aren’t entirely unselfish.”
I chuckle, toying with my noodles. “Does that mean you want to have sex again tonight?”
“You offering?” His tone gets low. Husky. Erotic.
I don’t trust my voice to answer. I look up at him and nod, my heart pounding. When he puts his hand out toward me, I take it.
I’ll think about the future in the morning. For tonight, there’s only Vordigar and pleasure.
VORDIGAR
I wake up with Piper in the bed next to me, watching me sleep. Her pretty face is always so serious, but she smiles shyly at me when I reach for her. I think about last night, how she came eagerly into my arms, full of trust and excitement at my touch. I made her come hard several times, and then took her roughly over and over, because I couldn’t help myself. There’s something about her that appeals to the feral side in me. Maybe it’s those little cries she makes when I’m deep inside her, or the look of wonder on her face as she comes. Maybe it’s the way she gazes at me when we’re done. As if I’ve made everything in her world just a little bit better.
I’m getting far too addicted to that feeling.
“Will you go into port with me today?” she asks, watching me.
I rub my eyes, wanting to drag her back down against me for another round of sex. Her gaze flicks to my mouth and she blushes, and it’s clear she’s thinking the same thing.
“You don’t want to stay in bed?”
Piper smiles. “I do. But I can’t. There’s too much to do.”
I grunt. I guess on a farm, there’s always something that needs to be done. No sleeping late or rolling around in the bed here. “All right. I’m getting up.”
“And you’ll go into port with me?” she asks again.
“What do you need in port?” I think about the shops there. “Supplies? Parts?”
She doesn’t hesitate. “I need to look for a new husband, and I’ll feel safer in port if I have someone at my side. So I can’t get taken advantage of.”
I stare at her, a little stunned. “You want me to help you go find a keffing husband? After leaving my bed?”
Her cheeks flush. “What we have together is…wonderful.” Her voice catches. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m in danger.”
“I said I’d send some credits back. Give me a month or two.”
Piper shakes her head and looks down at her hands. “You don’t understand, Vordigar. I might not have a month or two. The moment you leave…” She purses her lips, cutting off her own words. “It isn’t important. Look. I like you being here. I like it more than I ever thought I would.” She fusses at a piece of lint on the blankets. “But it doesn’t change my situation at all. You’re leaving in two days—one day—and if I don’t find someone to take me up on my offer, I know I’m going to lose my farm and my freedom. I can’t let that happen.” She turns those big brown eyes on me. “Please understand.”
I hate it.
I hate that she needs to go from my arms right into the arms of another. To marry him so he can get her pregnant. Last night we used plas-film again, and she gloved me in it without question. She won’t push her needs on me. She won’t trap me into getting her pregnant. She’s giving me a choice, because freedom is important to her.
Piper is mine. The timing’s all wrong, and even though this is fast, my mesakkah blood knows that she’s my female. The thought of giving her over to someone else fills me with helpless rage and frustration…but how can I ask her to risk her life? If she says two months is too long, I can’t ask her to wait for me.
She needs help right now.
And even though I’m going to hate every moment of it, I’ll go into port with her and help her find a new keffing husband. But first…I grab Piper around the waist and drag her back into bed. “I’ll go with you…soon.” And I slide my hand between her thighs so I can pet that silky soft cunt. “For now, you’re mine.”
“For now,” Piper agrees breathlessly, and clings to my neck as I touch her.
* * *
I’m in a keffing bad mood when we head into port a few hours later. Piper’s dressed head to toe in heavy, concealing clothing, and she pulls a buff-colored hood over her head as the air-sled lands. It hides her face and her expression, so I can’t see if she’s as openly frustrated to be here as I am.
I help her out of the sled and then wait. “Well? Do you want to go back to the jail and see if you can get another desperate convict? You can always tell them you need two farm hands and not just one.”
She tilts her head back and looks up at me. “I’m not sure. Did y
ou know those men?”
“The szzt was a murderer, so I wouldn’t recommend him. The praxiian—”
“Not a praxiian,” she says quickly. “It’ll have to be someone else.”
Right. She looks up at me hopefully, and I realize she’s waiting for me to come up with ideas. Is that why she wanted me to join her here? “You don’t have a clue where to start?” I ask.
Piper bites her lip and ducks her head, hiding her face from my view. “I was hoping you might know someone…kind. I don’t know many here. I mostly keep to myself. It’s all right. I can start asking around—”
I grab her arm when she starts to walk away.
She stops and turns to look at me, her eyes peeking up from that heavy hood. They’re so worried and yet full of hope and determination.
I can’t let her down. I bite back the sigh building in my throat. “I knew a few guys that did odd jobs here and there. They hung out at the spaceport tavern. Let me see if anyone’s around. If not, the tavern owner might know when they might be back.”
She gives me a brilliant smile, so full of appreciation for a keffing piece of scum like me that I feel unworthy. “I’ll go to the general store and pick up a few supplies while you do that.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if it’s safe for her to go about alone. For all that this is a farming planet, this port is just like any other port on the fringes of the universe—filled with seedy lowlifes and dangerous types. It’s a stupid question, though. She got around on Risda without me in the past. She’ll get around without me in the future.
I hate how much that thought bothers me, though.
I watch her until she goes into the store, and head toward the tavern. Port here on Risda isn’t more than a few private shipping yards, one general shipping lane open to the public, and a long row of shops that cater to the few people that live out here. There’s only one tavern, which means it sees a lot of the local sticks games and every male that’s looking for shady work passes through. I’ve been here several times myself in the last few months, and I mentally go through the list of the regulars. None of them are right for someone as delicate-yet-strong as Piper. She needs someone with a gentle hand but a fierce demeanor. She needs someone that will support her and care for her. That will take the time to touch her in the way that makes those dark eyes go soft—