Chapter Twenty-Three
“Shut up, Jess,” Kane said.
He was tired of hearing her voice. She’d been bitching and complaining nonstop for the past…what had it been? Four days?
“Don’t you dare talk to me,” she said. Squaring her shoulders, she took two steps toward him, jutting her finger out. “Your dick is the reason we’re in this shithole to begin with. If you’d been able to keep it in your pants we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
That’s it.
After every one of her fuckups, he had kept her on his team. No more.
JB stepped in front of him, successfully blocking Jess from his view. “Ignore her.”
“Why? She’s right,” Kyle added.
Seeing nothing but red, Kane pushed JB out of his way. JB fell hard against the prison bars as Kane went to Kyle. Ryan and Eli both sprang from their seats on the floor and grabbed his arms, holding him back from Kyle.
“This cell is too fucking small for this bullshit,” JB said.
“Tell that to our pussy-whipped captain,” Kyle barked.
Kane growled low in his throat. Kyle wanted to fight. Well, today was the perfect day for one. Kane pulled and pushed against Ryan and Eli, who staggered against his weight. “Let me go.”
JB swung, hitting Kane with a heavy crack on his mouth. Kane fell with a thump. Momentarily dazed, he shook his head.
Kane pushed away Eli’s outstretched hand, jumped up and wiped his arm across his lip. Blood stained his shirt and clouded his mind. He growled again.
“I’m sorry, man, but I had to knock some sense into you,” JB said.
“I’m not spending another minute with those two assholes,” Kane said. “As a matter of fact, I’m tired of all of you.”
This was the perfect time to get away from them all—for good. The crew was cramped into one cell because they didn’t want to separate from Jess. The rest of them could protect her. It wasn’t his job anymore.
Kane started for the bars. “Guards! I want a new cell.”
JB, Ryan and Eli formed a line in front of him. “Kane, man, get a grip. We’re all in this together.” JB nodded toward the guards at the station outside their cell. Although the two guards hadn’t moved, they watched everyone intently. “They can’t know Jess is a female,” he whispered.
Kane seethed in anger and looked past the men to Jess. She wore male clothing and boots, successfully. He wanted to give her up, but no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He went to the far corner and dropped to his butt. Fuck them.
Honestly, he didn’t know who he should be more upset with. Jess for pointing out his mistakes or himself for allowing them to happen.
He hated to admit it but Jess and Kyle were right. If he’d been able to keep it all business, they would’ve collected their ransom weeks ago.
Getting the information about her home planet wouldn’t have been too hard. He could have tortured her aides. They would’ve given up every piece of information he needed. Or better yet, he could’ve tortured the princess. He could’ve pulled out her perfectly manicured nails, one by one. That would’ve done the trick.
And yeah, because of him they were sitting in a dungeon and he was pining for a female out of his league and who was a fucking alien to boot.
He couldn’t have hooked up with a princess back on Earth. What the hell had he been thinking of, thinking to hook up with one from a different planet?
Even now, she probably sat on her throne. Doing whatever princesses…no, queens do. Kissing up to her husband. Promising him she would never run away again. His only solace? She would also have to explain why she let a human pirate pop her cherry.
* * * * *
Sa’Mya stood at the entryway to the dungeon. All she had to do was go through the large bolted door and walk the short hallway to the cells. The structure had a guard station in the middle with the individualized cells along the walls in a semicircle so everyone was visible as all times. She was nervous. Visibly nervous.
She had not been able to communicate with Kane since leaving The Vengeance. She had wanted to at least talk to him, tell him what was going on. Let him know she was working on their freedom. But Jor’Dan had forbidden it. On more than one occasion, she had sneaked to the dungeons and each time the guards had stopped her. They had refused her admittance. Until now.
Taio had given Jor’Dan strict instructions that the pirates had to remain in the dungeon until after the Galactic Council had made their decision. Taio and Jor’Dan hadn’t trusted her not to free them. And they were right not to trust her. Because if the Galactic Council’s decision had been differently, she would’ve found a way to do just that.
When she saw him last, Kane had turned his back on her. But now he would listen to her. Not only had she secured his freedom, but all their crimes had been absolved as well. She also had more good news for him. She could offer him and his crew something they had not had since being taken from Earth. She could offer them a home and a legitimate line of work.
Jor’Dan had assigned them all personal quarters, even Jess. Against Jor’Dan’s wishes, Kane’s quarters were close to hers. She hoped one day soon he would eventually move to hers, permanently. The crew could get rid of the heap of a vessel they had stolen and start fresh with Mercanis Shipping and Hauling.
Sa’Mya nodded once. On her signal, the guards opened the large doors. The creaking made her blood chill. Her heart suddenly beat faster and harder. Her steps sped up. They had been in the dungeon for far too long.
As she reached the main structure, the guards stood at attention. Sa’Mya gave them a short nod before scanning the cells.
She found them. They were all crammed into one cell. JB sat with his back leaning against the bars and Jess sat on the opposite side, staring out to her. She could see other bodies within the cell and assumed all were present and accounted for.
Sa’Mya turned hard to Jor’Dan. “You assured me they would be taken care of and comfortable while we waited on word from the Galactic Council.”
“They have—”
She looked at the cramped cell. “But…their living conditions,” she said, low.
“Queen, they were each given a cell with food, clothing and water. They have chosen to stay together in the one cell.”
Sa’Mya faced the cell and stepped forward. The two guards stepped in time with her.
She put up her hand, stopping Jor’Dan from following her. “I’ll go alone.”
“I should go with you.”
Jor’Dan wasn’t as tall or big as Nebin but he had proven himself as her protector, putting her safety above all else. “No. I’ll be safe. They won’t hurt me.”
She slowly advanced. No one stood to greet her as she approached. Jess narrowed her eyes as she came closer to the bars.
“Open the doors,” she said to the guards at the station.
The opening doors hummed as they were activated. JB and Jess moved out of the way and stood.
Jor’Dan and the other guards that were at her back took a few steps closer. She held up her hand once again.
“How have you all faired?” she asked. “Is everyone okay?”
“Besides being in prison? I think we’ve all seen better days,” JB replied dryly.
“Do you need food? Water?” She peered toward the back of the cell.
Kane.
She could see the outline of his body sitting against the wall. Her heart quickened.
“We don’t need anything from you,” Jess sneered.
“What about clean clothes and bathing?” Sa’Mya said. “I can order both once we go to the main palace.”
JB straightened. “Main palace? Are we leaving the dungeon?”
“Oh yes. The Galactic Council gave everyone a full pardon.”
“Now why would they do that?” Kane asked. His hard and cold voice was directed at her.
“King Taio is a member. He was able to persuade them to forgive all of your crimes.”
“Just like that.” Kane snapped his fingers. “You convinced some king that doesn’t know us to help? But then again, I do remember you being quite persuasive.”
Her face flushed. She ignored him, embarrassed. “The Galactic Council has one condition of your release.”
At that, Kane stood and advanced out of the shadows. He looked bad. He had stubble on his cheeks and chin. His hair was stringy and dirty and he had a swollen lip with dried blood crusting over it. “Do tell. The suspense is killing me.”
She hesitated. He wouldn’t like her answer at all. “I’m responsible for all of you.”
He glared at her. “Are we your slaves?” he ground out.
“No…no of course not.”
“Then we’re free to go?”
Kane stood in front of her with his legs widened and his hands on his hips. The others had begun to congregate behind him.
“Yes. But…I have given you sanctuary here. You don’t have to leave. I have my kingdom back.”
“Oh, I had almost forgotten. You were hiding from your uncle.” He looked around the dungeon. “It’s funny, but I didn’t see you in a cell next to ours. So I’m guessing that was a scheming lie too?”
“I didn’t lie. He was killed. Don’t you see? You don’t have to run anymore. I don’t have to run anymore.”
“If we are free to go,” Kane said, cutting off her rambling, “then we’ll take our leave. We don’t need or want your hospitality. Any more…kindness just might kill us.”
“But—”
“But what, Princess?” Kane snarled. “Tell me why should I stay here? Why would I trust my life to a liar who betrayed me?”
“I didn’t betray you. I sent a message to King Taio. I needed his help. I never would’ve imagined that my uncle would’ve intercepted it. Please…stay.”
“Why would I do that? I don’t trust you.”
She inhaled sharply. “I made a mistake, Kane.”
He advanced on her and she shrank under his piercing eyes. “Did you figure that out after you got what you wanted? Tell me, how many males did you have to fuck to reclaim your kingdom? Were they as good as me?”
Sa’Mya shook her head. “There was no other.” Her legs swayed under her.
Jor’Dan stepped to her side and placed an arm around her waist, holding her steady. “That’s enough.” He turned to face Sa’Mya. “His behavior cannot be permitted,” he whispered.
Kane’s gaze shifted from her to Jor’Dan. “Oh, I see.” He smiled viciously, stepping away. “We’ll leave now, Princess.”
“The Ga…lactic C…council,” she stuttered, talking over Jor’Dan’s shoulder. “The conditions of your release state you have to work for my transport company.”
Kane’s laugh bounced off the concrete walls and echoed throughout the musty dungeon. “We didn’t escape one kind of slavery to be forced into another. No, thank you.” Kane breezed by her. She stood unmoving as the others filed past, one by one. “How the hell do we get out of here?” Kane asked no one in particular.
“We need our vessel, Captain,” Ryan said.
Kane swiveled to face one of the guards. “Do we still even have a vessel?”
“You would need to speak with the queen,” Jor’Dan replied coldly.
Sa’Mya touched Jor’Dan’s arm lightly, silencing him from saying any more.
Kane stopped cold. “Queen,” he snarled. His lips set in an unfriendly smile.
Jor’Dan let out an animalistic growl. His gaze locked on Kane.
Ryan stepped in front of Kane. “Princess, I mean, Queen Sa’Mya. May we have our vessel, please?”
“It…it should still be available.” Sa’Mya held back her tears. She led the way out of the dungeon with her guards behind her and Kane and his crew trailing. She kept her chin up and back straight. If he wanted to leave, he could leave.
He wasn’t her prisoner. He wasn’t her slave.
Halfway to the transport room, Jor’Dan said, “My Queen, we can see them to their vessel.”
“Thank you, Jor’Dan,” she replied tightly.
She turned down a corridor leading to the royal suites and listened as the guards and crew continued past her.
“Can we walk any faster? The sooner we leave the better.” Kane’s words cut her heart in half.
She stopped and leaned her back on the wall. She dropped her face to her hands. As the tears fell, she slid to the floor.
She had missed the opportunity to tell Kane that the time spent with him had been the best in her life. She was whole and complete with him. She needed him. She loved him. She wanted him to stay by her side.
Instead she let him walk out of her life.
She had no idea how long she sat crumpled and crying before strong arms gathered her and carried her to her rooms. Only when she was laid on her bed did she catch a glimpse of Jor’Dan quietly shutting the door behind him.
He left her alone to wallow in her self-pity. She curled in a tight ball and cried until she finally fell asleep.