Marauder Page 11

  He lowered his boot to the floor but remained seated. “Then I’ll start making plans for an assassination. One way or the other I will replace Indrex on the Guiding Council.”

  As much as Indrex frustrated her, she did not want his death on her conscience. Toxyn was manipulating her, much as she’d manipulated Indrex. It was not nearly as amusing to be on the other side of the table.

  Refusing to be intimidated by his aggression, she quickly unfastened her gown and let it drop to her waist. She wasn’t ashamed of her body and she would not let him humiliate her. There was no way she’d let him touch her either, but he had yet to figure that out.

  Toxyn stared at her with open lust, his tongue extending to slowly wet his lips. “Now the rest.”

  Enjoying the game again now that she’d regained control, she slowly pulled her arms out of the sleeves and let the dress pool around her ankles. He eyed her boldly, clearly liking what he saw. Not giving him the opportunity to order her again, she turned around and displayed her back and behind, her sleekly muscled legs.

  “Come here.”

  She slowly faced him but remained where she was. “Do you approve of your purchase?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. Get over here.”

  She didn’t move a muscle, but raised her voice and called, “Arrista, come quickly. I have need of you.” Toxyn glanced toward the door and Isolaund quickly pulled up her dress, shoving her arms back into the sleeves as her lovely maidservant eased open the door. “Come.” Isolaund motioned her into the chamber.

  Arrista was young, but Isolaund knew she was sexually active. Isolaund wouldn’t have considered this unless Arrista was. “I would like you to act as my sexual surrogate with Lord Toxyn. Does such an arrangement appeal to you?”

  “That wasn’t the deal,” Toxyn snapped.

  “It is the only offer you’ll get until after our union. Only my bonded mate will ever enter my body.”

  Knowing full well that Isolaund had already allowed more than one lover into her bed, Arrista shot her a sidelong glance filled with questions.

  Toxyn didn’t look amused, but his lust-filled gaze was focused on Arrista. “Disrobe,” he ordered, his voice low and sensual.

  “Are you willing?” Isolaund persisted. Toxyn was handsome and not known for cruelty, just ruthless ambition. Besides he was Ayrontu. Most of the Niffal, the servant caste, considered it an honor to pleasure an Ayrontu. Still, Isolaund would not require this of any of her servants. Even the Niffal should control their own bodies.

  Arrista looked at Toxyn for a moment, then her pale cheeks brightened with a telling blush. “Yes, mistress. I’m willing.”

  With a tense nod, Isolaund turned and headed for her bedchamber.

  “HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW Rex?” Lanae asked with a warm smile.

  Thea paused before answering. It was a surprisingly complex question. The males had been gone for almost an hour and she and Lanae were quickly running out of small talk. Thea shifted on the hard-wood chair, fiddling with the pottery mug, which was empty now. She knew a lot about Rex, but yesterday was the first time she’d directly interacted with him. A lot had happened in those two days. Still, the honest answer was, “Not well. I know his reputation better than I know his true personality, and I’m quickly finding out that they are not the same.”

  “Very true. His notorious reputation works to his advantage, so he cultivates it. And don’t get me wrong, he can be ruthless when the need arises. Still, his first instinct is to compromise, even pacify. He’s surprisingly nurturing, especially for someone with Rodyte blood.”

  She was right. Rex could be nurturing. And yet he’d grabbed her throat and refused to let her leave the alley until he’d finished ravishing her. That was what it felt like, a ravishment. All he’d done was touch her, but she’d had the most intense orgasm of her entire life standing there, mostly dressed in an alley. Thea shivered, and tingling aftershocks assailed her senses. He was always so laid back, so good natured. It was hard to believe he was capable of that sort of aggressive intensity.

  Thea cleared her throat and asked, “How did you meet Rex?”

  “Goftar and I head the local agricultural co-op. The government controlling one of the co-op’s best customers levied unfair tariffs against all off-world trade, so several customers contacted us and asked if we would be willing to circumvent the spaceport authorities.”

  “So you needed a smuggler.”

  “Rex is one of the best,” Lanae stressed, her smile even brighter.

  “So he keeps telling me.” Despite her grumbling comment, Thea found herself smiling too. “What about Proktar? How did he end up on Rex’s ship? What Rex is doing isn’t legal. Did you want your impressionable son exposed to criminals?” One of whom had literally whipped him. Did Lanae and Goftar know about the savage discipline?

  “Proktar’s younger brother died in his arms when Proktar was fifteen. It was a horrible accident, but Proktar blamed himself. He lashed out at everyone and everything, becoming completely unmanageable.”

  Emotion tightened Thea’s chest. Such pain was all too familiar. “I’m very sorry. That must have been devastating for all of you.”

  Lanae nodded, but remained surprisingly calm. “Goftar and I were still grieving and we didn’t know how to help Proktar process the pain. We’d already lost one son and now our last child was slipping away. We were desperate. I’ve never felt so helpless. We knew he needed structure and an outlet for his rage, but the Linusian military has a terrible reputation for abusing their soldiers. The Rodyte military is even worse. So, as a last resort, we turned to Rex.”

  “I’m surprised Rex agreed to take him on. Turing a rebellious teen loose on a smuggling ship sounds pretty risky.”

  Lanae glanced away for a moment before she continued, “We’d known Rex for years by then and I knew enough about how he ran his ship to feel comfortable with the situation. Crewmembers aboard the Marauder only have a few rules to follow, but the consequences are harsh if anyone breaks those rules.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Thea looked down, pretending to study the contents of her mug even though it was empty.

  Lanae chuckled, the reaction unexpected enough to lift Thea’s gaze. “You’ve heard about the whipping, I take it.”

  Thea gaped. “How can you laugh about something so barbaric? I don’t believe in any sort of corporal punishment. Violence begets violence. End of story.”

  “I disagree. There are many people who need to touch a flame, to feel the burn, before they’ll believe it’s hot. Proktar knew what he was doing. He intentionally broke the rule, knowing he’d be whipped if he was caught.”

  “What in the world did he do?” Thea interrupted. She didn’t want to insult her hostess, but this was insane. “We’re talking about a teen. In many ways he was still a child.”

  “Proktar was nineteen when this happened, but I understand your point. I just don’t happen to agree with it. By the time he turned nineteen, Proktar was a man.”

  She hadn’t answered the original question, so Thea repeated it. “What did he do?”

  “They were transporting a variety of contraband for a very rich customer. Among the collection of items were some nearly priceless uncut jewels. Proktar had been assigned to security, so he stole his supervisor’s code and let himself into the hold. He pocketed a handful of the jewels, intending to buy a small ship of his own with the proceeds from their sale.”

  “How did they catch him?”

  “The supervisor knew Proktar had the code, and suspected what he’d steal. He told Rex and they just waited for Proktar to make his move. They were waiting in his cabin when he returned from the hold. I’m sure you can imagine the rest.”

  Thea shook her head. “That’s bad, but it still doesn’t justify whipping someone.”

  Lanae just smiled. “You didn’t know my son as he was back then. He needed something cruel to break through his misery. Four years had passed since the accident, but he was still locked in a
cycle of destructive behavior. Without that...brutal awakening, he might never have recovered. I thank the Divine Maker every day for sending Rex into our lives.”

  Setting down the mug, Thea scooted back from the table. In a way, her kidnapping was like that. She’d been so lost in guilt and grief that no one could reach her. Her barriers had cracked, weakened when she realized the head of the Resistance Force was really an alien, but she hadn’t even begun to think about her future until Arton took her away from all the pain. Far, far away.

  “You’re obviously in pain,”Lanae said softly. “Can you talk about it?”

  A few days ago the answer would have been an emphatic no, but Thea felt no overwhelming rush of emotion, just a persistent, empty ache. Maybe Rex was right. Talking about those she’d lost seemed to ease the ache. “Humans call it the LA Massacre. The battle born call it the LA Tragedy. Either way, I was one of those devastated by what happened that day.”

  “I’m sorry,”Lanae said softly. “I know nothing of the event.”

  “A desperate group of humans got their hands on an Evonti spaceship. They didn’t know how to control it, but they didn’t let that stop them from challenging one of the battle born ships.”

  “Oh dear.”Lanae pressed her hand to her throat. “Did one, or both of the ships crash into the location you mentioned?”

  “Just the Evonti ship, but it hit with such impact that it basically leveled one of Earth’s largest cities, along with several of its suburbs. Both my house and my place of employment were located within the impact zone.”

  Lanae reached across the table and squeezed Thea’s hands. “I’m so very sorry.”

  “With the exclusion of my grandmother, I lost my entire family that day.”

  “Were you soul bonded?”

  She wasn’t sure how to answer. “We were the human equivalent of bonded mates. We had two daughters.”

  Lanae came around the table, then bent to give Thea a hug. It felt a bit awkward, but it helped Thea fight back the tears. “Now I understand what attracted you to Rex.” She laughed as she returned to her seat. “Not that he’s not handsome and easy to be around, but your shared background must be a comfort to both of you.”

  Thea had a suspicion she knew what Lanae meant, but it felt rude just to blurt it out. “Do you mean because of his interaction with Proktar?” That wasn’t what Lanae had meant and Thea knew it. She just hoped the subtle prompt would lead to more information.

  Narrowing her gaze, Lanae tilted her head to one side and studied Thea. “Didn’t Rex tell you why he became a smuggler?”

  Thea shook her head. She’d seen pain in his eyes often enough to guess that he’d suffered a devastating loss. She just hadn’t been brave enough to ask him about it. “Why did he become a smuggler?”

  “Sorry, dear. It’s not my story to tell. But you should ask him. It’s important that you know if your relationship is at all serious.”

  Rex wanted her as his mate. He’d made that clear from the start, but was she serious about him. She needed to figure out the answer to that question before she made any more decisions. And before the pull made her irrational again. She still couldn’t believe what had happened in the market. It had been wild and reckless and...wonderful. A dreamy smile parted her lips and heat slowly crawled up her neck to blossom across her cheeks.

  “I know what that look means.” Lanae ended the sentence with a chuckle. “Someone is falling in love whether she wants to or not.”

  Thea wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone else, but deep in her heart she admitted that Lanae was right. Thea wasn’t even sure how it happened, but she was falling in love with Rex.

  Chapter Seven

  “What do you mean we have to stay here for a week?” Thea cried, eyes wide with disbelief.

  Rex took a deep breath before he answered. He’d known she’d be pissed, but he had no control over this. “I had no idea the process would take this long. Kage never said anything about it. In fact, Dr. Foronti didn’t even mention it until after he’d agreed to Kage’s proposal.”

  She closed her eyes and exhaled. She sat on the sofa in the cozy front room of Goftar and Lanae’s house. Rex hadn’t yet chosen a seat. He was too restless to remain motionless. They’d finished sharing the evening meal with their host and hostess. It was just past nightfall, which was on the late side for dinner, but still pretty early to go to bed.

  “I know this isn’t your fault,” Thea said as she opened her eyes, “but I was hoping to...”

  Not sure he wanted to know what she’d been about to say, he didn’t prompt her at first. But curiosity wore him down. “You really hoped to what?” Return to Earth? He tensed, more upset by the possibility than he thought possible. After what happened in the market, he’d presumed Earth was no longer an option.

  “I was looking forward to seeing Lily again. I’m worried about her.”

  It was doubtful that was what Thea had originally meant to say, but he didn’t confront her on it. “I’m sure she’s fine. Hurting her would be counterproductive to what the Outcasts are trying to do. They need her cooperation, not her fear.”

  “Sometimes fear leads to cooperation,” she pointed out.

  He shook his head. “Arton won’t hurt her.”

  “Arton? Don’t you mean Kage? Why did you immediately think of Arton?”

  Shit. Back peddling was pointless so he answered honestly. “He was looking at her the way I look at you. Arton wants a whole lot more from Lily than just her mysterious formula.”

  Thea looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Lily hates the harbinger. She’s told me so a million times.”

  “‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’”

  Thea’s brows arched nearly to her hairline. “Did you just quote Shakespeare?”

  He laughed. “I like his comedies much better than his tragedies.”

  “When and why did you read Hamlet? Fewer and fewer humans bother reading the classics anymore.”

  “I’ve had more than a few customers on Earth. I like understanding the context in which I’m operating.” He shot her a challenging look. “Some of my customers were even human.” When she continued to stare at him in shocked silence, he waved away the tangent. “Back to Lily and Arton. Is it possible all of Lily’s insistence is really attraction she’s not willing to admit?”

  She slumped back against the sofa, looking rather stunned. “After everything that’s happened today, anything is possible.”

  He sat on the sofa beside her and lowered his voice. Goftar and Lanae were in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from the evening meal. They’d both refused to allow their guests to help. “Do we need to talk about what happened in the market?”

  Her gaze immediately shot across the room, making sure Goftar and Lanae weren’t paying attention. They were still busy, but Thea didn’t look at him as she answered. “I’d heard about the pull. I just had no idea it would be so strong. I’ve never behaved like that in my life. I still can’t believe I...”

  He reached over and took her hand, relieved when she didn’t pull away. Unfortunately, she still wouldn’t look at him. With his free hand, he turned her head, lifting her chin until their gazes met. “I’m sorry if you felt out of control. I know it can be frightening to—”

  “That’s not what I felt at all.” She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “I’ve never felt so powerful, so sure of anything I was doing. It was intoxicating.”

  A slow, contented smile spread across his lips. “And that was just a taste, a glimpse at what it will be like if we bond.” He didn’t say more, not wanting to push his advantage and have her shut down.

  “I can’t believe I’m asking you this, but how would it work.”

  All sorts of racy suggestions popped into his mind, making his phitons tingle.

  Apparently guessing the nature of his response, she glared at him. “Not the actual bonding, you pervert. Afterward. What would my life look like if I let you claim me?”
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  His pulse accelerated along with his respiration. She’d never even considered this before. She’d been totally focused on escaping back to Earth. “That’s entirely up to you, up to us. Kage pays the bills, but I’m my own boss. I can arrange things however we want.”

  “There’s not much for me to do onboard your ship,” She shifted her gaze away from his face, but he allowed the retreat this time. She appeared thoughtful, not reticent.

  “There are several ways we could address your boredom. I could leave you on the Outcast planet with Lily and the other human females while I’m on short runs.” That idea didn’t seem to please her, so he suggested, “You could become part of my crew.”

  She smiled broadly, apparently amused by the idea. “I’d become a lady pirate?”

  “I’m not a pirate. I’m a smuggler. I thought we settled that last night.” His phitons tingled and he stretched out his arm across the back of the sofa lightly touching her shoulders. “Would you like another demonstration of how pirates behave?”

  Her brow arched and she stared deep into his eyes. “I think I was the one behaving like a pirate in the market. Well,” she shivered, “maybe we both were.” He leaned in, ready to kiss her, but she placed her fingers over his lips. “What would I do if I joined your crew?”

  “You said you were a clerk, or an accountant, back on Earth. Well, working for one employer has created a higher level of accountability than I’m used to providing. I need someone to document the movement of goods, my interaction with vendors, dispersal of the profits, and operating expenses. If you became literate in Rodyte, is that something you could provide me?”

  “Absolutely, but how do I do that? It was my understanding that the com-bots only translate verbal languages.”

  “They do, but certain Rodyte ships are capable of uploading blocks of information directly to the brain. That’s how I learned English. As you’ve noticed, the upload is more comprehensive than anything the com-bots can provide. Literacy is one common upload.”