Chapter Nineteen
JB swiveled his chair to greet Kane as he entered the bridge. “We’ve got trouble, Captain.”
Kane made his way to his chair. “What’s the problem?”
JB shifted his gaze to Jess’s back.
What the hell did she do now?
“Jess sent out a ransom demand to the princess’s uncle.”
Kane stopped in his tracks. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Jess jumped slightly. “I only did what you should’ve done a long time ago. We need to get our gold.”
Kane made a beeline straight for her. JB jumped in front of Kane to cut him off. “That’s not all. She’s married.”
Kane quickly recovered as his footing caught on the floor. Married? “Who’s married?”
“Princess Sa’Mya. Her husband Antony replied to the demand Jess sent out.”
Kane grabbed his chair and eased into it, feeling as if he’d been hit. How could that be? Sa’Mya had been a virgin. The blood stains on his sheets didn’t lie.
“Her husband? Not her uncle? Are you sure?” He stared out into the abyss of space.
“He posted the bonding contract. It’s her husband, all right.”
The princess has a husband.
She lied. No, not really. They never talked about her being married. He shouldn’t care anyway.
“Jess, you are so fucking insubordinate. I should kick you off my vessel right now.”
“Why, because of that alien whore? I made the right call,” Jess said defiantly.
“Dammit!” he snapped. “It wasn’t your call to make. Not now and not ever.”
“What are you most upset about?” Jess asked without facing him. “That she’s married or that I sent out the demand?”
Gut punch.
Both of Kane’s hands gripped the armrests. His fingers dug into the leather. He willed himself to stay seated. He wanted to jump up and run to his cabin. Demand to know her reason for deceiving him. Married—why hadn’t she told him?
“She doesn’t mean anything to me.” Isn’t that what he’d told Sa’Mya moments before? “What bothers me more is that you’ve disobeyed a command. I can’t have anyone aboard this vessel as insubordinate as you are.”
Jess whipped around. “But…you can’t mean…?” Her gaze shifted wildly from Kane to JB.
Jess would have to leave the vessel now. She was a loose cannon. She’d take them all down with her if he didn’t do something about it.
“Captain,” JB said.
Kane held up a hand. “The damage is done. Tell me about the ransom demand.”
“Jess asked for a transporter full of gold,” JB replied.
At least Jess hadn’t skimped them on that end. “Well, we aren’t going to take him up on his deal. We already made one with Sa’Mya.”
“What,” Jess yelled.
Kane glared at her. “Don’t you dare say anything more,” he seethed. “You weren’t supposed to contact anyone.”
Jess’s face turned red and she turned around, giving him her back.
“Kane,” JB said. “Are you sure? This seems like a guaranteed deal. Her husband said that he would need time to collect the gold but he would get it to us. If we don’t take this one we’re still trusting Sa’Mya.”
“Do you still trust her?” Jess said under her breath.
Kane’s focus stayed on the abyss. He and Sa’Mya hadn’t shared anything but sex. Right? How was she going to explain the sex to her husband?
Antony, I’m so sorry, she would say, batting her eyelashes, but I let a human fuck my brains out. He smirked. Her husband would have large shoes to fill. He wasn’t a lightweight in that department.
Ha. Puny-dick alien.
There was still one unanswered question. He didn’t know much about her species and what they determined as bonding. But he had been Sa’Mya’s first…and only.
“They’re rich, right?” Kane asked.
“Extremely,” JB responded.
“Tell her husband that there’s been a change of plans. We want two transporters full of gold. We’ll milk them for all they’re worth.”
“Gold.” JB clapped his hands together and rubbed. “Sorry Jess, but when I get my share I want to be dropped off at a brothel and picked up in a week. No, make that two.”
“I don’t care what you do. I don’t give a fuck anymore,” Jess replied. The guys visited the brothels every chance they got. She didn’t mind, but she preferred not to talk about it with them.
“Why do you want to go there JB?” Kane asked. “So they can spike your drink with a drug that makes you think you’ve been fucking every female there?”
JB rolled his eyes. “You would have to bring that up. That fucking piss-poor brothel. How was I to know they weren’t sanctioned?” He slumped in his chair. “You’re right. Bad plan, I’m never going to get any pussy. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you let us say goodbye to Moira and Yazmine the proper way. The Vengeance way.”
Jess snarled.
Kane shook his head. “Absolutely not. We need to stay alert. The last time I gave everyone free rein, nothing got done.” JB blew out a heavy sigh. “Okay. This last time,” Kane said, feeling sorry for the crew.
Kane had to admit, ever since he put his foot down, the guys hadn’t complained once. At least the females were onboard and willing participants. They were able to joke about it now but rescuing JB from that brothel had almost gotten Kyle killed.
JB clapped. “Great. We’re about to be rich.”
After this was all over, Kane planned to go somewhere quiet. Get some fishing done. Maybe visit Jori, his former crewmate and his wife, Yeyet. So far, Yeyet was the one alien he didn’t want to throttle.
It shouldn’t upset him that Sa’Mya was married or bonded or whatever. They had an arrangement, nothing more. A business relationship. His problem? He’d tainted Anna’s memory for Sa’Mya. That’s what pissed him off.
Impulse won this mental war. Kane started for the door. He had a princess to talk to. “JB, give me an hour then call a meeting.”
“What’s on the agenda?”
“Jess.”
* * * * *
“We made contact with your husband.” He had thought of nothing else as he made his way to his cabin.
She was playing solitaire. The smile she wore as he entered disappeared from her face. “I’m not bonded.”
“Really? Tell that to the guy who’s negotiating your ransom.”
She stood and walked toward him. Her coloring seemed to change before his eyes, from golden to green. “What…what do you mean? What ransom? We have a deal.”
A bit of guilt tried to creep its way into his heart. “Jess contacted your home planet.”
She opened his eyes wide, shook her head. “You must be mistaken. I never told you where I’m from.”
Kane leaned his shoulder against the wall. “You’re Princess Sa’Mya Lacolil from the planet Laconia.”
Her legs seemed to waver beneath her. “Which one betrayed me? Moira or Yazmine?” she whispered.
He crossed his hands over his chest. “Neither. We’re not as dumb as we look. We know how to find out information. We’ve known for a little while.”
“Why didn’t you turn me over before now?”
He raised a shoulder. “You were willing to negotiate the terms. But now it seems that your husband Antony is tripling your offer.”
She balled her fists. “Antony! That’s my uncle’s son.” She scrunched her brows. “I wonder what my uncle hopes to gain from this lie,” she said, talking to herself.
“He posted a bonding contract with your signature on it. But it doesn’t matter who he is. He’s the one forking over the gold.”
“I can’t believe he’s perpetrating that lie.” She paced. “My uncle will come for me.”
“Tell me what’s going on. I’m tired of your games.”
“My parents were killed when I was five, leaving me the heir to the throne. My Uncle Umar has served as my advisor, overseeing the operations of the kingdom until I come of age.”
“On your twenty-fifth birthday,” he interjected.
She stopped and slumped in the chair. “Yes. I had to leave Laconia. After I’m queen I can take control of my planet and Uncle Umar is legally no longer my adviser. I become of age.”
“Yeah, but why run? Once you become queen you can get rid of him.”
“I could tell that my uncle’s desperation was growing and I was right. He forged a bonding contract between me and his son. With that he can continue to rule Laconia and I’ll remain a prisoner on my own planet.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth from the beginning?”
She twisted her hands. A bead of sweat formed across the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t trust you.”
“And now?”
She refused to meet his gaze. “I was right.”
His heart slammed in his chest. She might as well have slapped him. It had the same effect. “I see.”
“You contacted my home world after we struck a deal,” she said, finally looking at him. “What do you want me to believe Kane? Should I trust you? Will you keep me from my uncle until after I’m queen?”
“You don’t trust me, but you want me to trust that you’ll uphold your end of the bargain and pay us after we take you home?”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t go home without adequate help. Take me to Sonis. King Taio will help me get rid of my uncle.”
His mind raced. His help wasn’t adequate. He didn’t know exactly how to feel about that. “Why would this king help you?”
“He owes me a favor for releasing him from our bonding contract.”
“Wait. You were supposed to be bonded to another?”
“Yes, I needed Taio’s protection against my uncle. It didn’t work out though. He was in love with the human Eva.”
He snorted. “First me then King Taio. It seems as though you have males at your disposal.” She was the spoiled brat he thought she was. But somewhere along the way he’d forgotten.
“And Nebin. He will help me as well.”
She had fucked him to stay aboard his ship. What else was she willing to do? Would she also fuck King Taio for his help as well? His heart hardened. “By any means necessary, heh?”
She tilted her head. “Yes.”
That was her angle. She’d use anyone to get what she wanted. She’d kept him like putty in her hands, biding her time as it ticked closer and closer to her birthday. When she was done with him, there’d be others to fill his shoes.
“Why should I believe anything that you’ve told me or that you’ll even keep your end of the bargain?”
“You have to trust me.”
“I don’t trust any aliens. You forget that aliens killed my wife, my children and enslaved us.” He smirked and shook his head. “You have a lot to learn about humans, Princess.” He initiated the door release and backed out. “We don’t forget.” He didn’t stop as she continued to call out for him.
She stood in shock, her gaze fixed on the closed door. Returning to her uncle would be…disastrous.
Uncle Umar had gone too far with his scheme to rule her throne. In her uncle’s eyes, Antony could do no wrong. Antony, who preferred to keep his whores strung out on synthine. Antony, who with his spineless disposition preferred to have his guards whip and punish the palace staff for the smallest offense. The last such offense had been that his clothes were not perfectly tailored to fit his skinny ass.
It wasn’t unheard of for relatives to marry, especially on planets ruled by royal families. Laconia was different, royal matches were made of love bonds. She would have a love bond.
She had to make Kane listen to reason. He had to contact King Taio. King Taio would surely understand her situation and help her. Kane was delusional if he thought her uncle was going to give away gold in exchange for her. Her planet had war vessels three times the size of The Vengeance.
She pressed her time-keeper. Four more rotations until her birth cycle. Kane needed to leave this airspace, go to Thalassa, anywhere to hide from her uncle. Angry or not, he had to listen.
Sa’Mya stepped in front of the communication panel, determined to argue her point.
The door slid open.
She jumped back, ready to stand her ground with Kane.
Empty.
She froze, looking at the open door in disbelief. Kane had forgotten to engage the lock. She didn’t know who the assigned guard was, but he wasn’t there.
She found her courage and slowly walked forward. Her heart beat fast. She anticipated the door would close and lock at any moment. Sa’Mya stepped over the threshold into the empty corridor.
She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable. Alarm bells, lights flashing, shouting, anything alerting Kane and his crew of her presence outside of the cabin.
Instead murmurings of passion came from Moira and Yazmine’s cabin.
She glanced left then right. No one came for her. She finally let out a sigh of relief. The door closed behind her. The air on her back caused her to startle and jump. Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling a nervous scream.
She could leave but could she return? Sa’Mya took one large step to the right, out of sensor range, then stepped back. To her relief, the door slid open. If she moved fast, she could find one of the communication rooms and return long before Kane found her gone.
She needed to get a message to King Taio. She prayed Moira and Yazmine were keeping the crew busy. Cautiously, she proceeded down the corridor. Right now she had to save herself, her kingdom and foolish Kane.
She finally found the small sub-communications room and entered, willing the door to close quickly behind her. Although she hadn’t gotten caught, her adventure hadn’t been easy. There was a standard for vessels of this size. The bridge housed the major communication station, and smaller communication stations were located in the middle and rear. This was to ensure that if the bridge were ever compromised, the crew could signal help from other vantage points.
Her only problem now would be to send an outgoing message without alerting whoever was monitoring the bridge. But she had no choice. She might get caught and she might not. Either way, she needed King Taio’s help.
She entered the message data and prayed to the Ancients as she released the communication. She prayed the message found its way to King Taio sooner rather than later.
She took the absence of alarms as a sign of success. She made her way back to Kane’s cabin, using the same unobstructed route she had taken to escape. She entered hesitantly. A sigh of relief crossed her lips when she found the cabin empty.
She did it. Now all she had to do was wait.
* * * * *
On a planet not too far away, another person let out a sigh of relief.
“I found you, little princess.”