Chapter Six: Ronan
Ronan tapped his fingers on the console as he read the information one of his contacts had sent him. After nearly two standard months, he finally had firm information on where Bethy Chase was. It wasn't encouraging. They'd have to go further away from the core worlds than he had ever before.
He had made a promise to Erica, though. He wasn't going to give up on her cousin just because it was going to be difficult. They were too invested in each other now. And not just because they were sharing the bed. Ronan simply couldn't imagine his life without her.
The comm unit flashed silently, indicating an incoming call. Ronan glanced over his shoulder. Erica was still sleeping, twisted in the blankets, her hair adorably mussed. He closed the doors to the cockpit and answered the call.
Dyme Lirreb, CEO of the Planchet Corporation, appeared on the screen. He was a Rlabek. The Rlabek were toad-like creatures with warty, slimy skin, wide mouths and bluish tongues. They were known for being extraordinarily stupid, which Lirreb had used to his favor, being an outlier among his kind. He was smarter than most aliens in the United Species and had quickly risen to power through it.
Today, Ronan considered him one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy. He had power, he had the United Species backing him up. Only warlords with massive fleets of their own, like the T'shav Zon or his son Tom, stood a chance against a CEO like him.
"Mr. Lirreb," Ronan greeted, keeping his face expressionless.
"Ronan. I hire you to get me information and you destroy it?" The man's toady face was yellow with anger.
"Which I informed you was a possibility when you hired me. The upfront payment was to ensure that if you could not have the information, then nobody could. The second payment was for delivery. Obviously, that is not going to happen. Yes, you don't have what you wanted, but you must remember that neither do the Ruizers."
"Not good enough. I want my money back."
"I don't do returns. I was very clear about what to expect, I never guaranteed that you would receive your information. If you want, I can give you a discount on further services."
Lirreb leaned forward, his bulging eyes narrowing. "Why would I hire the imbecilic moron that lost my information in the first place?"
"I'm also good at assassinations."
Ronan ended the communication and set the comm to reject calls. His skin crawled, but there was nothing to be done about it now. If the idiot didn't read the terms and conditions before signing, it wasn't his fault. Lirreb would just have to deal with it. Although perhaps giving the man a small refund, when he could afford it, would be wise. Either that or just kill him.
He opened the cockpit doors to find Erica stumbling out of bed, slipping on her red dress. He grinned at her, earning a sleepy smile back. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she joined him in the cockpit. Ronan put Lirreb from his mind. He was with a beautiful woman, why worry about what might happen?
He kissed her gently. "I found Bethy."
Erica's eyes lit up. "Really? Where is she? How do we get her back?"
"She's on a planet controlled by the Walian Corporation. While I consider them one of the better corporations out there, the planet is far from the core worlds, and not under the protection of the United Species. What the corporation does there is highly secret, but it's generally assumed that they are conducting hybridization experiments. It could be to help interspecies couples have children or to build super-soldiers. Either way, they aren't going to be happy with us just waltzing into their territory."
"But we have to try." Erica's gaze was steely as she looked at the screen. "How long until we get there?"
"A few days." Ronan squeezed her hand. "We'll get her back. But…"
Erica's head whipped around and she narrowed her eyes at him. "But?"
"You should prepare, in case—"
Her face went white.
"In case she ended up liking the man who bought her," he finished lamely. "You know. Something like what happened to you and me."
Erica shook her head firmly. "The fact that we get along is a total fluke. Besides, I saw the person that bought Bethy, and trust me, she would never go for him."
"A big, scary looking man?" Ronan gave her his best roguish grin.
"A man. Bethy's a lesbian. And like I said, you were a fluke. What if the man who bought her doesn't care? What if…" She trailed off, twisting her hands. Ronan put his hands over hers and met her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek. "I've been trying so hard to tell myself that we could get her before it's too late. But what if it isn't? You said it's an experimental planet. What better than use a human, the species that all other species are descended from and still share DNA with, to try to fill in the genetic gaps and create hybrids? We're the only ones that can carry hybrid babies."
Ronan cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, wanting to reassure her. "Erica, I promise. If anything has happened to your cousin, I will destroy whoever hurt her. I swear by the star that birthed my soul."
The ship went black.
Erica let out a surprised shout but Ronan jumped to his feet. Everything was utterly silent. The ship was dead in space. Which could only mean one thing. He cursed, fumbling in the darkness for his blaster. When the screech of metal attaching itself to the hull echoed, he cursed again. This could not be happening. Not even he had such terrible luck!
"What's happening?" Erica's voice was pitched with fear.
"Pirates. Slavers, most likely. There's a gang of them that specializes in this type of technique. Stay behind me."
He felt Erica's hands on his skin and she hissed. "I can't see anything in the da—"
There was a thump and hiss as the cargo doors were forced open. Blinding lights flashed towards them. Erica screamed, her hands leaving Ronan's body. He threw an arm over his eyes, pain stabbing in his brain. He let off a few wild shots before hands clamped on his wrist, yanking his arm behind his back. The gun was taken from him. A knee to the stomach had him collapsing to one knee, wheezing for breath.
When his vision cleared, he saw a tall Odap standing over Erica. Her arms were held behind her back by a T'shav, but she still fought. She was a fighter. It was one of the things he loved about her. But right now he wished she wouldn’t. They had to play this smart to get out of this situation.
"Erica. I finally found you, my dear." The Odap beamed. "When I went to pick you up from the bridal agency, I was told how a T'shav had stolen you."
Erica glared at him. "It was the 'bridal agency' that stole me. Ronan is my husband, so let us go now."
Ronan would have laughed at Erica's spitfire bravado, but the situation was too grave. Guns pressed into the back of his head. The Odap was looking at Erica with clear lust. How could he get them out of this one? He swallowed hard.
If the Odap had purchased Erica from the bridal agency, it could only mean one thing. They had double-booked her sale.
"I am your husband," the Odap said, his voice growing deeper with threat. "I bought you fully legally. You are my wife."
"Touch me and die!"
The Odap shook his head. "I'll have to break this rebellious streak of yours. Space the T'shav and take the human to my chambers."