“The laws of the slave sale are governed by the world the sale was made on, which means it falls under Krase law. Finoc—the council of Finoc—could only reprimand me if I tried to take you there, which I wouldn’t. They simply wouldn’t let you onto the planet and that would be the end of things.” Ranic lifted his hand and kissed it, just like Jarrett did to him when he wanted to reassure him. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we have to return. They gave us passage so…”
“Maybe it’s not a bad thing.” Jarrett wanted to stay positive, but his gut was telling him that a slave seller didn’t demand his customer and his product return unless there was something gravely wrong. “It might be good news.”
“Perhaps.” Ranic looked down at the floor then flashed surreptitious looks around their bedroom.
“What?” Jarrett leaned close. He knew that look. That was the expression of a man who had law breaking on his mind.
“What if we don’t go?”
“You mean run for it?”
“Yes. We could take the passage they sent, go halfway, sell the rest of the passage, and then…” Ranic’s voice trailed off and it was clear he hadn’t thought his plan out beyond that.
“Where would we go?”
“To your Earth.”
Jarrett considered. “Could we get passage there? I mean, it’s not like humanity has an open-door policy with aliens.”
Ranic frowned. “Wait. You mean Earth was not conquered?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Jarrett had been totally enjoying his vacation, but if the whole planet had been conquered, he was pretty sure he would have heard about it.
“How were you given into slavery?”
“I wasn’t. I was scuba diving, facing my imminent death, and then suddenly I was naked on that stage. Why?”
“Because you can’t steal slaves. They have to be given in tribute or won by conquering lands. You were literally plucked out of the water and sold.” Ranic’s expressive eyes looked utterly defeated. “That’s why they want you back. You and the others must have been taken illegally.”
“Well, then, I’m a free man who can go and do what I please.” Frankly, things were sounding better and better to Jarrett.
“I don’t know. I have a terrible feeling that there’s something very wrong.”
“Well, just because you feel that way doesn’t mean it’s true.” Although, Jarrett felt that way, too. Like he’d told Ranic earlier, he’d learned to trust his gut even when it pushed him to do the craziest things. But he didn’t want to trust it now. “I say we call them and find out what’s up. That way, we aren’t near to where they can grab us and make us do something if we don’t want to.”
Ranic nodded, and they sat silently for a time. Jarrett wanted to rail at something or someone because it simply wasn’t fair that after a lifetime of following the rules—hell, he didn’t even cheat on his taxes—he finally found exactly what he’d been looking for and now someone wanted to come in and muck it all up.
“If there has been law breaking, they might simply have us taken into custody and brought to them anyway. Krase is fairly liberal, but when their laws are broken, they can be brutal.” Ranic shivered. “In the bidding room, there were two Krase warriors. I would hate to end up in their custody.”
“What do these guys look like?”
Ranic described them as eight-foot-tall, four-foot-wide, maroon monsters with pointed teeth and cocks so massive they had evolved a bracing device known as a strosan to hold their erect cocks up for penetration.
“And they were bidding on humans?” Jarrett feared for his brothers. It sounded like only the biggest human in the world would be able to take on a horny Krase warrior.
“They fought very vigorously over them.”
“Maybe something happened to one of them and they want all the humans back to make sure we’re safe or something.” That sounded so unlikely Jarrett almost laughed at himself.
“No, I don’t think so. From what I learned about the slave trade on Krase, once a slave is sold, his or her master can do anything, even kill the servant if they wish.”
“But only for good reason?” Jarrett asked hopefully.
“For any reason. For no reason. Because of a whim. Slaves have no rights but what their masters give them. That’s why I don’t think this calling back is about you, but more about me buying you.”
They debated the issue a bit more, but in the end they called the auction house for further details. Since there was a huge time differential due to the vastness of space, they simply couldn’t have a face-to-face discussion about things. Basically, he and Ranic composed a message and then had to wait hours for the response.
“What will we do while we wait?”
Jarrett grinned, and Ranic tilted his head. “Oh. That.” Ranic matched his grin. “Haven’t we done enough of that?”
“We’ll never do enough of that.”
After completely messing up the bed and taking another shower, they were back where they had started out with Jarrett sitting on the edge of the bed watching Ranic pace. While observing his mate, Jarrett let his mind wander off to that moment deep in the azure waters of the Caribbean. He remembered checking all his equipment while they were onshore because it was something that had been drilled into him when he was getting certified. He’d checked it personally, not because he didn’t trust the company he was going out with, just that it was part of his preparation to dive. Everything had seemed in perfect condition. Sadly, things eventually broke, and there was nothing to be done about it.
“Oh, God. What if that’s what the problem is?” Jarrett’s gaze dropped to the woven leaves that were fashioned into a rug. The pattern was complex and interesting, almost as much as the problem he was working over in his mind. Everything was joined together in a mind-bendingly intricate way. Time and history like dominoes that if someone took one out of line, nothing would fall the same way.
“What problem?” Ranic continued to pace. He liked movement to dissipate his tension while Jarrett preferred to sit still and contemplate. It told him again that they were a good pairing.
“I think I was supposed to die.” Jarrett looked up in time to see an expression of horror consume his mate’s face. “I was going to drown in that water. Nothing would have saved me. Maybe that’s why Krase wants me back, because I’m not supposed to be here.”
Ranic opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He took a deep breath that hitched, but he didn’t cry. God, he probably had sparkles in his tears and looked beautiful when he was in torment. Not that Jarrett wanted to find out anytime soon. He much preferred to see his handsome husband laughing.
“I might be wrong.” But Jarrett’s gut was telling him he wasn’t. It seemed as soon as he hit on the idea, it simply wouldn’t leave.
“Then we can’t go back.”
“It was an invitation, right? I mean, they didn’t order you to come back…”
“It was more of a determined invitation.” Ranic frowned. “By law they can’t make us go back.”
“Then we have to figure out where we are going to go.” Jarrett stood but didn’t know exactly what to do with himself so he just stood there, hands on hips, wondering how to thwart a planet full of scary creatures who strongly suggested they return.
“I can sell my suit. That way we’ll have money.”
Jarrett nodded, but they would need a way to have money coming in all the time. “Do you still have the spaceship?”
“I do. I have it for another few days on the rental, and then I have to return it.”
Ranic used a different word, but his translator used days so that Jarrett would understand. It was a remarkably useful device.
“I’m certain there’s a tracker on the ship, though. They must have some way to find it so people don’t simply steal it.”
“I think the fact it’s a piece of shit probably prevents that most of the time.” It was the equivalent of the Ford Pinto Jarrett had driven off to college because it was al
l the car he could afford. Like Ranic’s spaceship, it was a piece of crap, but it got him where he needed to go. “Will it get us to Earth?”
“Do you think it’s wise to go there?”
“Why not?”
“I would think it would be the first place they would look for us.”
“Not necessarily. If you bought me and they know what you are, then they would think we would go where you wanted to go, not where your humble servant wanted to go.” Jarrett moved closer to Ranic, but he set off pacing again so Jarrett leaned against the wall to watch.
“I do not think we should run from Krase warriors.”
“Who said anything about them? It was an invite from the auction house, not the Krase government.”
“Yes, however, the auction house is on Krase.”
“But we didn’t break any laws.” Except Jarrett had a terrible feeling that not dying when he was supposed to broke some kind of powerful time law. Maybe the gremlins who enacted such deaths were furious they’d been cheated and even now they were hunting the galaxy, looking for him so they could finish him off. Jarrett shook his head. He’d obviously seen way too many sci-fi shows. People died, but people escaped certain death, too. Maybe his malfunctioning tank would have started working again. Or someone else on the tour would have come and shared air with him so he would have lived. Since he’d been taken before the situation had played out, no one could really say what would have happened. Like him, they could only speculate. The only certainties in life were death and taxes, and since he hadn’t died, no one could say it was a foregone conclusion.
“We didn’t break any laws, but the slave trader clearly did.” Ranic stopped pacing when there was a subtle tap at the door. His shoulders slumped.
“Let me.” Jarrett let the drone in, and this time he stayed close so he could hear exactly what was said. The first time they’d been given a message, it was in a kind cadence of someone who had worked in customer service for a long time. This was not in that tone of voice. This was delivered in the no-nonsense tone of a king issuing a directive. Their presence was requested, but the situation was urgent and one that could not be discussed over such a vast distance. They had to return to Krase, or the auction house would have no choice but to get the authorities involved.
When the droid was done delivering his message, he floated out of the room, and Jarrett closed the door behind him. He took up his place on the bed while Ranic returned to pacing across the floor. They didn’t speak for a long time, probably because neither one of them knew what to say.
“I don’t want to take you back.” Ranic’s voice was very quiet but strong.
“I don’t want to go back.” Jarrett matched his tone.
“Then we will have to run.”
Chapter 10
Ranic had never broken any laws. He’d never even come close to doing so, yet in a very brief span of time, he’d managed to break several, and kept right on breaking more. But he didn’t revel in being a criminal. In fact, he hated it. He felt as if he was always going to be looking over his shoulder, waiting for the stern hand of justice to slap down on him and take him away to a dark cell. The only reason he kept pushing forward was because of Jarrett.
He turned his head from the pilot seat and looked at his slumbering mate again. Ranic would do anything to stay with him. Being a law-abiding citizen of the universe wasn’t nearly as important as being with the man he loved. He couldn’t think of anything he wouldn’t do for him.
Ranic knew he loved Jarrett almost as soon as he saw him on that stage. No wonder he hadn’t been able to go through with his plan to engage him in a fight, let him win, and then by his victory he would have the right to penetrate him. It was a stupid plan. Ranic realized that now. But when he’d been close to Jarrett and had seen his kind eyes and the way he was so open to everything, Ranic had spilled the truth.
“And that’s what made him mine.”
Ranic considered telling the truth again to the auction house, but he feared what they would do. If Jarrett was slated to die that day on his world, then Ranic feared the authorities would have no choice but to kill him so that there would be no issue with time or history or whatever letting him live would cause. Jarrett wasn’t likely to be a great historical figure someday. He was just an accountant who liked to scuba dive. A man like that didn’t matter in the greater scheme of time, but he mattered desperately to Ranic.
After a lifetime of fear and self-loathing, hating himself so much for being so different, Ranic had finally found his place in the vast universe. He was exactly where he should be with exactly who he should be with. No one could ever convince him otherwise. After what he’d shared with Jarrett on Aeirall, he couldn’t return to Finoc. He’d be miserable there, especially if he tried to mold himself to a life that didn’t suit him.
“I am with the man I’m supposed to be with.” Ranic reached over and grasped Jarrett’s hand.
Jarrett stirred and blinked at Ranic. Rather than anger at being woken, he smiled. “Are we there yet?”
“No. Quite far from it.” Ranic checked his star charts again. Earth was very far from the civilized portion of the universe, which was why so little was known about it.
“Is the ship okay?”
“Everything is fine. I just was lonely.”
“Aw.” Jarrett squeezed his hand and then looked out. “I thought it was going to be so exciting to fly in a spaceship. It always is in the movies. But the reality is it’s like a very long car ride and there are no pit stops to pee on the tires or get junk food.”
“Do you want to stop?” Ranic did not ask if he wanted to pee on the tires because he wasn’t too sure what that meant.
“Not unless we need to.”
“I mean stop altogether.”
“We have no choice but to keep going, really.” Jarrett sighed. “I think our plan is a good one.”
“I guess.” Ranic thought it sounded rather uncertain, but Jarrett was so sure it would work.
“You don’t sound enthusiastic.”
“I want to be with you no matter what.”
“But?”
“But…” Ranic trailed off and shrugged. “I don’t see how we won’t be seen by your fellow Earthlings when we land. I don’t see how we can hide this ship. I don’t see how—”
“Strange things happen out in the woods all the time. You said yourself that if you land with the engine going but not emitting thrust it will mess with any radar.”
“And your world doesn’t have anything more sophisticated than that?”
“Not pointed all over the sky.” Jarrett didn’t sound too sure, and that was what bothered Ranic. If his people panicked, they could blow them both up and that would be the end.
“Besides, it’s not like they have antispacecraft missiles pointed all over the atmosphere. If we go in like you said, we can land out in the desert.”
“I thought you said the woods?”
“Either way. We’ll decide when we’re closer, I guess.” Jarrett shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal when it certainly was. “We can hide the spaceship there in case we ever need it again.”
“But the elements would ravage it.” Ranic looked around at what Jarrett rightly called a rust bucket. It was barely held together now. A few years in a harsh environment would destroy what little of it was left.
“Then I guess we better hope we don’t need it.” Jarrett lifted Ranic’s hand to kiss, but Ranic pulled away before he could. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Ranic grimaced. Together they’d looked everywhere for a tracking device but hadn’t been able to find one. Every moment that they got farther from where he said he was going, Ranic figured the antitheft device was sending a progressively more distressing call.
“You might have said so before we started off.” Jarrett straightened in the copilot seat.
“I tried, but you were so certain that this would work.”
“I am
sure. This will work.” Jarrett crossed his arms and glared out at the blackness of space, but he didn’t look totally convinced.
“Please don’t be angry with me.”
“I’m not. I’m—I’m angry with me.” All the fight just washed right out of Jarrett. He slumped in the chair, and his taut arms fell to his sides. “I don’t have any clue what I’m doing. It’s like selling your suit. I didn’t know what to do. I just did my best. Fuck. We probably got ripped off.”
“It was a fair amount.” At Jarrett’s dubious frown, Ranic soothed, “Really. What he gave us was about what I paid for it, so that’s good.” Actually, it had been much less once he converted the money, but he didn’t want Jarrett to know.
“It’s not just that.” Jarrett sighed, and he reached over for Ranic’s hand, which he gave so they could clasp them tightly together. “It’s that neither one of us is much good as a criminal.”
“I was thinking that before I woke you up.” Ranic weaved their fingers together and apart a few times. He found the motion soothing. “I’ve been afraid since we left Aeirall. Well, no, I was afraid there, too. Even while we were plotting out what we were going to do, I was afraid. I’m just—it took me years to decide to buy a slave to indulge myself so now, with this, it all seems to have happened rather fast.”
“I’m so sorry.” Jarrett left his chair and settled on the armrest of the pilot seat. He wrapped his arm around Ranic and then leaned into him. “I don’t think either one of us really thought this through.”
“Well, we’re on course now. I guess there’s not a lot we can do but keep going.”
“What’s between us and Earth? Are there any good worlds?” Jarrett looked at the star chart, but it was obvious from the perplexed look on his face that the information displayed there was meaningless to him.
“There are a few places, but most are fairly xenophobic.”
“They don’t like outsiders?”
“Not particularly.” Ranic checked the chart again, but there just wasn’t anywhere that would work for an Earthling and a Finoc. The few places that had tolerable atmospheres had limited technologies. Those that were more civilized were sharply intolerant of outsiders. What made matters worse was that they were both males. A lot of worlds would kill them just for that, never mind the fact they weren’t of the same species. At least on Earth, Jarrett had a plan for masking what Ranic really was. If they could land, they could make his plan work. The main problem was landing without dying or being promptly taken into custody.
Enslaved by a Rebel [Sold! 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 7
