Rebel (The Cat Star Chronicles)

by Cheryl Brooks

  Chapter 15

  “I’ve got good news and bad news,” Val said as Onca and Kim entered the kitchen.

  Jatki and Rashe were already seated at the table. Roncas flitted around the stove like a frantic moth.

  So much for keeping our little tryst a secret.

  Rashe’s bland expression gave nothing away, but Onca knew better. Noting Kim’s wobbly gait, he put a hand on her back to steady her. “Let’s hear it.”

  Val spun around on his barstool to face the others. “The good news is—I couldn’t find any indication that any girls have been sold recently.”

  “And…?”

  “The bad news is—I couldn’t find any evidence that they weren’t.”

  Kim’s mouth flew open. “What? I don’t get it.”

  Damn. “He means he couldn’t hack into the system at all.”

  Val nodded. “Which proves they definitely have something to hide.”

  Onca pulled out a chair for Kim and helped her to sit before scooting it up to the table. “So we can assume the girls are there?”

  “Maybe not those particular girls,” Val said. “But with firewalls like these, I’m guessing they’ve got a whole bunch of ladies who need rescuing.”

  Roncas ladled out a bowlful of stew from the smaller of the two pots sitting on the stove. “Are you sure all that security isn’t there simply to protect the identity of their customers? Plenty of our clients at the Palace didn’t want anyone to know they’d been there.”

  Rashe snickered. “Didn’t want their husbands to know, you mean. This place could be locked down for that same reason.”

  “The original system at the Palace was adequate defense against all but a determined search,” Val said. “This goes way beyond what I set up for your scheduling logs.”

  Roncas set the bowl on the counter next to Val and gazed up at him with adoring eyes. “And we never had another problem after that.”

  She was practically cooing. Unfortunately, Val didn’t appear to notice she had served him first.

  “Do you think you could hack into the system using their equipment?” Onca asked.

  “Not sure,” Val replied. “The trick would be catching them with their files open.”

  “Yeah. That would be a trick, all right.” Rashe shook his head. “Especially since we may have to risk crashing the gates.”

  “We do have the Darconians on our side,” Onca pointed out. “But I still think I could get in as a client. At least we’d have some idea what was going on.”

  Roncas twittered right on cue.

  Onca held up a hand. “I know what you’re going to say, Roncas. We’ve been through this before, and it won’t happen. I have no intention of fucking a bunch of helpless women—whether they want me to or not.”

  “Yes, but if you’re inside and there’s a raid, you’d look just as guilty as the other clients—and being a brothel owner yourself kinda destroys your credibility as an upstanding citizen.”

  “Maybe, but the odds the cops would raid the place on the same night we’re there are astronomical—and even if they did, they certainly wouldn’t catch me in the act.”

  To be honest, he had an idea he might never be capable of offering sex on demand again—at least, not without Kim nearby. For Jerden to imprint on Audrey’s scent had taken years of intimate contact. Kim’s potent aroma had done it to Onca in a matter of hours. He could have pinpointed her precise location in the room with his eyes closed.

  Had Kim been anything other than Zetithian that wouldn’t pose a problem—at least, not for her. She could have gone her merry way and perhaps fallen for one of Jack’s boys while Onca ran the risk of never being aroused by another female again.

  But she was Zetithian, and if they remained together much longer, neither of them would ever respond to the scent of anyone else. Would she resent the fact that she had become mated to him before she met another Zetithian male? With his education, Onca should have had a clearer understanding of the biology involved, but he’d never dreamed the bond could develop so quickly. Would Kim accuse him of taking advantage of her ignorance?

  Maybe. Although there was some consolation in knowing she couldn’t be stolen from him by Larry, Moe, or Curly.

  Deeming it best to move on to another topic, he asked, “I don’t suppose we’ve received any replies to the deep space coms I sent out?”

  “Only one,” Val replied. “Lerotan Kanotay says he’ll get here as soon as he can, but he’s a long way off.”

  “Which means that Jack and Dax are even farther away or they would’ve responded by now.” Onca glanced at Rashe. “Sure we can’t recruit the twins? We could confuse the hell out of the enemy with them.”

  “I dunno,” Rashe said. “They’re real wusses when it comes to laying their lives on the line. Not sure we could trust them not to turn tail and run.”

  “Okay then. I’ll go in as a client—they take walk-ins, don’t they?”

  Rashe chuckled. “Yeah, dude. They aren’t quite the high-class place yours was.”

  “I’d like to see this brothel of yours sometime,” Kim said. “You say it’s full of trees like your bathroom?”

  “Yeah, only a lot bigger, with sections of the floor that float up into the trees. I still haven’t decided whether to sell it or lease it. Considering its location, a brothel is about all it could ever be. This district isn’t exactly the greatest spot for a home for street kids.”

  Not unless he wanted a business as shady as the Den. Besides, the pheromones in the air down there would have the kids fucking each other in a heartbeat—not exactly a huge drawing card. Well…it might be for some, but certainly not all of them. Kim and Jatki had good reasons for avoiding that region in favor of the lower-end commerce district. The subliminal advertising there only made you want to buy the cheap stuff, not fuck anyone in sight.

  Roncas gave him a push toward the table. “Sit down, Boss. Your soup’s getting cold.”

  Seeming to take this as a hint, Val picked up his spoon. “Smells great, Roncas.”

  “Thanks,” Roncas snapped. “I made yours with nuts instead of meat.” Apparently Val was a tad late with his compliment. Even her subsequent coo held a trace of annoyance.

  Onca knew the feeling. Nothing was quite as frustrating as unrequited love—unless it was not knowing what was going on in the mind of the object of your affections.

  Right now, Kim was simply eating her lunch. Was she thinking about how much taller she might have been if she’d had sufficient food while growing up? Or was she still lost in the afterglow of sex? He knew a couple of Mordrials who could tell him precisely what her thoughts were—not that he would ever have the guts to take that route.

  Talk about something that would piss her off…

  He picked up his spoon and tasted the stew, which was almost as good as what he made himself. “This is really good, Roncas. Thanks.”

  “My, my,” she drawled. “For once, you’re displaying a tiny smidgen of tact.”

  A retort had almost reached his lips when he turned it into a grin. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

  ***

  Kim let the banter between Onca and Roncas pass by without comment, enjoying the hum of the voices around her. So far, this had been one of the best days of her life. She had already learned to read a little better, she’d had a marvelous time with Onca, and the stew was filling her stomach quite nicely.

  If she hadn’t been so worried about her friends she would have said she was…

  Happy.

  Most people took that kind of happiness for granted. Kim savored every moment of it. Her only regret was not fucking Onca for the stew he’d given her yesterday, which would have made her even happier.

  Maybe. A lot had happened since then. She had even eaten enough to make the distinction between Roncas’s cooking and Onca’s. His stew had tasted better. She would never tell Roncas that, of course. She was a little surprised Onca hadn’t.

  He seemed to have mellowed—more
so than a good night’s sleep could explain. Jatki seemed different too. She was acting, well…normal—like she’d grown up in a home where she felt safe and protected and had never lived on the street.

  Kim studied Onca out of the corner of her eye. His hair was beautiful and he was very handsome, but even that didn’t explain why watching him chew and swallow was so fascinating or why simply sitting beside him made her feel so good. She longed to put down her spoon and smother him with kisses.

  Am I in love with him?

  That was one explanation. Two days ago, she wouldn’t have given up food for anything, especially a kiss.

  But two days ago, she hadn’t met Onca. He hadn’t rescued her—or Jatki—yet, and sex with anyone was something to avoid rather than crave.

  And she did crave him. Too bad she had to be content to sit beside him instead of sitting on him with his lovely ruffled penis buried deep inside her. The stew was tasty, but Onca was better.

  The comlink dinged and Val spun around to check it. “Looks like a hail from the Jolly Roger.”

  “Thank God,” Roncas said. “Now we’ll get some decent help.”

  “You keep saying that like the rest of us are completely worthless,” Onca said. “Rashe, Wings, and I could probably handle this by ourselves.”

  The look Roncas gave him said otherwise. “Before you guys go off half-cocked, let’s hear what Jack has to say, shall we?”

  Val tapped the link. “They must be closer than we thought. It’s a video com.”

  Onca shot Roncas a quelling look. “Do not say anything.” He was practically growling at her. Kim couldn’t blame him for that. Roncas picked on him every chance she got. Clearly, she had never fucked him or she wouldn’t feel that way.

  Val passed the link over to Onca, which at least gave Kim a better vantage point.

  A woman with short dark hair appeared on the viewscreen. “Hey, bucko, how’s it hanging?”

  Onca chuckled. “Just fine, Jack. We weren’t expecting to get more than a text message from you.”

  “You reckoned without Larry,” Jack said with undisguised pride. “That boy’s a whiz with a comlink. So, what’s all this about a rescue mission involving a Zetithian girl? Have you found her yet?”

  “Yeah. Actually, her friends are the ones we need to rescue.”

  Jack scowled. “You lied to me, bucko. You know how much I hate that.”

  “Would you have come if I’d said we were trying to find a Levitian, a Davordian, and an Edraitian?”

  “Maybe. What happened to them?”

  “Kidnapped and sold into slavery,” Onca replied. “At least, that’s what we think.”

  “I’d have come anyway,” Jack declared. “Can’t stand that shit. So where is this Zetithian girl?”

  “She’s here at my house.” Onca angled the viewscreen slightly—away from Kim.

  That gesture along with his tone of voice put Kim on the alert. He seemed evasive for some reason.

  “Glad you’re keeping her safe,” Jack said. “Makes you wonder how many others are out there, doesn’t it?”

  “Sure does.”

  “I hear you gave up the sex business.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Onca lifted his chin. “That’s right.”

  Definitely defensive.

  “Glad to hear it. You’ll live longer. So tell me about this girl—or let her tell me about herself.”

  Onca hesitated, his posture becoming more rigid by the second. Taking in a deep breath, he blew it out slowly as his gaze slid toward Kim. “She’s right here. Talk to her.” He tilted the viewscreen again, this time in the other direction.

  Kim’s first direct view of Jack caught her just as her jaw dropped.

  “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” she exclaimed. “You really are just a kid.”

  Kim was about to call on Captain to vouch for her again, but Onca spoke first. “She’s small for her age.”

  Jack snorted. “Small for what, a fifteen-year-old?”

  “She’s twenty-two,” Onca snapped. “And I can prove it.”

  Onca only sounded pissed. Kim’s blood was beginning to boil. “I can’t help it if I’m small.”

  “Maybe not,” Jack conceded. “But that’s unusual for a Zetithian. Might be a genetic defect of some kind. We’ll have to get that checked out before we pair you off with anyone.”

  Kim was really ticked now and would have shouted a retort if Onca hadn’t intervened.

  “Aw, lighten up, Jack,” he drawled. “She’s had a tough time of it—not enough food or anything else for most of her life. I’m sure her genes are perfectly normal.”

  Jack shifted her focus back to Kim without missing a beat. “Twenty-two, huh? Good age for my older guys—or even Tisana’s. Hers are sixteen and mine are eighteen. I’m sure you’ll like one of them.”

  Kim was prepared to hate them on sight. “We’ll see about that. I mean, I do have a choice, don’t I?”

  “Of course you do,” Jack said. “We aren’t talking about arranged marriages. That shit doesn’t work with Zetithians anyway. I just want you to know you have options.”

  A young Zetithian male with long black hair appeared behind Jack and peered at the viewscreen. “Don’t make her mad, Mom. She’s really cute.”

  Rashe laughed. “That’s what I told Onca.”

  “Onca?” Jack’s eyes widened in frank disbelief. “He’s too old for you, kiddo—aside from the fact that he probably won’t ever settle down. You’d be better off with someone else.”

  “I’m not that old,” Onca protested.

  Apparently Jack disagreed. “Onca, sweetheart—you might not be too old for a twenty-two-year-old Terran, but in case you hadn’t noticed, Kim isn’t human, and you’ve got fourteen years on her.”

  “Have I missed something?” Kim asked.

  “Humans age faster than Zetithians,” Jack explained. “Do you really want to hook up with a guy old enough to be your father?”

  Kim barked out a laugh. “Beats having a fourteen-year-old father. But enough about that. We need help finding my friends. We think they’ve been kidnapped and taken to a brothel called the Den where they’re either being used or sold as sex slaves. Will you help us?”

  Jack nodded her approval. “I’ll say this much for you, kid, you’ve got your priorities straight. And yes, we’ll help you. But I can’t fold space or alter time. We’re about three days from Rhylos.”

  “Leroy’s coming too,” Roncas put in. “He didn’t say where he was, though.”

  Jack scowled. “That’s because he doesn’t want to admit he’s been selling guns to the Luxarians—and if that’s where he is, we’ll get to Rhylos ahead of him. I doubt if you’ll need his kind of firepower anyway.” She winked at Kim. “Situations like this require a more subtle approach.”

  Kim doubted that Jack had ever taken the subtle approach to anything in her life. “I don’t think we should wait that long. My friends might be sold offworld by then—if they haven’t already.”

  “She has a point,” Onca said. “We’d already decided that if you weren’t close by, we’d go ahead without you.”

  Jack ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. “I can’t argue with your logic, but damn, I wish you’d wait for us. If you let anything happen to that kid, your ass is grass.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Onca practically spat the words at the viewscreen. “I’ve got a plan that won’t put her at any risk.”

  “Mind telling me who will be at risk?”

  “Me,” Onca replied. “I’ll—”

  “And how is that better?” Jack demanded.

  Onca sighed. “Look, Jack. I’ve sired a bajillion kids. No one needs me anymore.”

  Kim’s mouth fell open. “That’s not true. No one is expendable—and siring children is not the only thing you’re good for.”

  “Really? As I see it, that’s all any of us are good for,” Onca said. “That’s why we need to keep you safe until you’ve had a few
litters. Preferably with several different men.”

  “Are you crazy? I don’t want anyone but—” Kim caught herself before finishing that declaration. Something had changed—and not for the better.

  Jack cleared her throat. “Not sure that’s possible with a Zetithian girl. You know how they are.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll bet you can find a way around that, Jack. Right now, we’ve got bigger fish to fry. If you can’t get here, we’re going ahead as planned. Tonight.”

  “Didn’t give me much leeway, did you?” Jack said with a sardonic smile. “Makes me wonder why you even bothered to send out the com.”

  Onca nodded toward Kim. “She needs a ride to Terra Minor. You can pick her up when you get here.”

  A sharp pang pierced Kim’s chest. Onca sounded so cold and abrupt. To hear him talk, he had never given a thought to loving her and didn’t care if he ever saw her again. He’d made no promises about staying together forever, but surely he wouldn’t hand her over to Jack without a backward glance. Not after making love with her.

  Would he?

  One call from this Jack person, and the happiness Kim had so recently discovered evaporated. Poof. Gone in an instant.

  Like my family. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she barely heard the rest of the conversation between Jack and Onca. She didn’t care what happened now.

  I should’ve known better. Nothing lasted forever, but was he truly that heartless? Could he make her feel that kind of joy without forming any kind of attachment to her?

  Of course he could. For him, sex was simply his livelihood, his trade, his occupation. He was used to fucking women once and never seeing them again.

  Too bad Kim wasn’t used to being one of those women.

  “I’ll get there as quick as I can,” Jack was saying. “In the meantime, you all be careful.”

  “We will.” Onca’s finger was poised to terminate the link.

  “Hold on a second.” Grabbing the comlink, Kim angled it toward her. “That boy of yours. What did you say his name was?”

  “Larry.” Jack grinned. “Handsome fellow, isn’t he?”

  Chapter 16

  Onca felt like he had just signed his own death warrant. The one girl he had ever felt anything for, and he’d tossed her to someone else.