by Aubrey Ross
The Chrysalis shuddered and pitched as each new volley found strategic marks. Ivy rushed to the master console, franticly rerouted power. Sparks erupted all over the bridge. Acrid smoke stung her nose and alarms blared.
“We just lost our forward shields. Another blast will tear us apart,” Bluz informed her in a disbelieving rush.
“Come about!”
“Is your pride sufficiently appeased?” the Chameleon asked.
For just a moment, the undulating image stilled and a sleek frigate loomed before them. “Holy shit,” Ivy muttered. Outclassed was the understatement of the year. A beam of light slashed across the bridge and understanding tore through her. The Chameleon had to lower his shields for ship to ship transportation.
Jazz shouldered Kade aside and took up a position at her flank. She reached for her pistol and found the bracket empty. Humiliation joined her rioting emotions. Kade had set the gun on the floor as he pulled down her pants. This couldn’t be happening!
Four soldiers in full battle armor materialized before them. Bluz got off one pulse before his gun was blasted out of his hand.
“Drop your weapons and lock your hands behind your heads,” one of the soldiers ordered. She couldn’t even tell which one. They looked identical with their mirrored faceplates and contoured armor.
Everything within her rebelled, but she didn’t even have a gun! One of the soldiers stepped forward, his pistol aimed right at her face. She heard the heartbreaking thunk of alloy hitting alloy as her crew laid down their weapons. Jazz was the last to give in. She kept her hands at her sides, glaring at the soldier in front of her.
“Captain Slane, I presume,” the soldier said. “Your crew will be released as soon as we’ve loaded the ore, but my boss wants you to transport back with us.”
“No fucking way!” Jazz lunged and the soldier backhanded him. Jazz’s head snapped to the side and blood streamed from his lip. “She’s not going --”
“If you interfere or attempt any form of rescue, she will be killed.”
Fear turned her mouth to ash. The pirates would soon have the ore. What did the Chameleon want with her? Clenching her fists until her nails bit into her palms, she used anger to drive back her panic. As long as her men were safe, it didn’t matter what the pirates did to her. None of her crew had expected to survive the attack. Maybe this wasn’t so bad an outcome.
Kade stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the soldier. “I offer myself in exchange for Captain Slane. I’m a Vontralirian. If your commander is familiar with Palonti, he should know what that means.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Don’t. I’m…” Not worth it. She finished the sentence in her mind. Then, annoyed by the weakness, she cleared her throat and said, “I’m responsible for every person on this ship. That includes you.”
The soldier reached around Kade and pulled Ivy toward him. “I have my orders.”
Jazz kicked the soldier’s gun out of his hand, the unexpected attack freeing Ivy. Bluz was half a step behind. Pressing in close so the other soldiers couldn’t fire without hitting their leader, the brothers twisted and yanked at their prey. His armor made blows counterproductive. Kade tried to keep Ivy behind him, but she scrambled for the soldier’s displaced gun.
“Enough!” One of the other soldiers fired a shot precariously close to Ivy’s head.
The leader shoved Bluz backward and kicked Jazz in the stomach as he jerked out of their grasp. “Are you all insane?” The question sounded more like a snarl than actual speech. He snatched his weapon off the floor and motioned Ivy toward the center of the bridge. “You were so fucking anxious to join us,” he said to Kade. “You’re coming too.”
When she hesitated, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into position. Kade followed without objection and Ivy shot him a confounded glare. Why was he giving in so easily? Why the hell had he volunteered in the first place? She was too jaded to believe nobility had driven his actions.
“Promise me you won’t come after me,” she said to Bluz. “That’s an order. Am I understood?” His eyes narrowed with wily speculation and she realized her mistake. “No one is to attempt a rescue. Get the hell out of here.”
Her men watched in helpless fury as the soldiers created an untidy cluster surrounding her. Light blinded her and tingles erupted all over her body. Consciousness faded and darkness swallowed the light.
* * *
Traborn Morel stood at the security station aboard the Retribution, his gaze fixed on the main vidscreen. He watched Ivy struggle with the guards attempting to restrain her as tension gathered in his abdomen. His emotions were convoluted. He couldn’t begin to decipher them. For nine long years he’d avoided this feisty beauty, insistent in his belief that their chance at happiness had come and gone. So why did fate keep tossing her into his path?
“She’s a wild one,” Shiilok said from the archway. His tone reflected equal parts amusement and respect. He tucked his helmet under one arm and motioned Kade into the small room.
“You have no idea.” Traborn shifted his attention to his passenger. “Welcome aboard. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to arrive on Palonti in time to avoid all this drama.”
“No harm done; at least to me.” Kade nodded toward the vidscreen, his gaze bright with concern. “Was that really necessary? You’re being well compensated for your trouble.”
“The captain and Ivy go way back,” Shiilok said. “This reunion is way overdue.”
“My decision to sneak aboard her ship inadvertently delivered her into your hands. I insist she be treated with respect.” Kade met Traborn’s gaze with unflinching expectation.
Annoyed by Kade’s attitude, Traborn turned back to the vidscreen. “Don’t make it sound so dire. I could have snatched her at any time. I’ve known where she was for years.”
“Then why complicate the present situation?”
“Why do you care what I do to her?” Traborn turned on Kade, fists planted on his hips. “You know nothing about her.”
“I know she’s earned the respect of her crew. They were ready to die for her.”
“Any blockade runner would rather die than be apprehended.” Suspicion boiled inside Traborn. Ivy dealt almost exclusively with the potentate and the potentate owned Kade. Maybe Kade’s choice in escape vessels hadn’t been random at all. “Don’t be fooled by her pretty package; Ivy Slane is no saint.”
Rather than backing off as Traborn had expected, Kade moved closer. “She believed I was desperate enough to do anything, yet she treated me with respect. I will not have her --”
“This is my ship! You paid for safe passage out of Palontian space and that’s exactly what you’ll receive. Anything else that transpires is none of your business.”
They glared at each other for a moment, then Kade relaxed his stance. “May I speak with you privately?”
Traborn had forgotten his first officer was still in the room. Without breaking eye contact with his obstinate passenger, Traborn said, “That will be all, Shiilok.” After the younger man left, Traborn closed the privacy panel and waited for Kade to speak.
“You are aware of my vocation.”
It wasn’t a question, but Traborn replied, “I’m not in the market for a sex slave.”
“I am not, nor have I ever been, a slave.”
“And I’m a ‘privateer’ not a ‘pirate.’ What’s your point?”
“If you’re not interested in my services, I would like to… participate in Ivy’s punishment.”
Traborn laughed. He folded his arms across his chest and studied the other man. “You’d like to supervise her punishment. What did she do to make you so protective?” Kade just stared at him, refusing to rise to the bait. “I don’t know why I’m explaining myself to you, but you can put your fears to rest. Ivy is safe with me.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t give a damn what you believe.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “On second thought, why not? It might be entertaining
to see how well she performs for an audience.”
“I will not allow you to hurt her,” Kade warned.
“Shows what you know, Vontralirian,” Traborn scoffed. “Ivy is into pain!”
Chapter Four
Ivy jerked on the alloy cuffs imprisoning her wrists and ankles. The restraints secured her arms over her head and spread her legs wide. Though the guards had only removed her boots, the position left little doubt that the Chameleon had something other than interrogation on his mind.
Kade’s description proved accurate. Even struggling with her captors and disoriented from the transport beam, she’d been struck by the sleek alloy walls and state of the art instrumentation of the sophisticated frigate. The pirate ship was fast and deadly. Apparently piracy was more lucrative than smuggling.
Had her stubborn crew departed as ordered or were they concocting some reckless plan to rescue her? And where the hell had the pirates taken Kade?
The subtle whoosh of the privacy panel interrupted her rambling thoughts. She closed her hands around the cables extending from the cuffs and buried her fear behind icy resolve. Regardless of what happened now, her crew was safe -- if they’d followed her command.
Two firm steps brought the person into the room, then they stopped. Another set of footfalls sounded before the privacy panel closed. Her stomach cramped and air froze in her lungs. Being raped by one man would be horrific. If the Chameleon intended to share her with his crew, she wasn’t sure she could survive. The guards had leered and even “accidentally” brushed against her breasts and ass. Still, they had left her fully clothed, awaiting their commander.
“Hello, Ivy.” Time paused as the familiar voice echoed through her disbelieving brain. “Are we having fun, yet?”
She’d been chained facing the wall. She twisted and strained, trying to see behind her. It couldn’t be. Traborn was dead! “Who are you? What is… Let me see you!” With deliberate steps he moved into her field of vision. Her heart thudded painfully, while her gaze searched his face. The same strong features and those night black eyes. His wavy hair was shorter now, but the warm brown color was the same. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Clayton told me you were dead.”
“And you believed him?” Traborn’s gaze iced over in an instant. “Why would you accept one word that bastard said?”
“I didn’t,” she cried. “I watched the security feed. I had it tested for tampering. I interviewed the guards and --” She gulped in air, torn between elation and fury. “Why did you allow me to believe… Where have you been all this time?”
“Fate loves her little ironies, doesn’t she?” Sarcasm dripped from every word. “I was fighting for survival on Limbaria’s penal moon, when the Palonti revolt made someone with my skills and dubious connections valuable. The Sabrotine Federation managed to find me. Why couldn’t you?”
“That’s not fair.” She swayed, the unforgiving cuffs biting into her wrists. “I had no reason to look. I attended your memorial.”
Traborn made a dry derisive sound. “Were you the only one there?”
“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting like I set you up or something. I had nothing to do with what happened to you.” She didn’t see accusation in his eyes, just hostility and desire. “I mourned your death for ages.”
“Then you’re a fool.”
“Maybe I’m a fool, but you’ve known I was alive this entire time.” Her heartbeat stabilized, leaving a faint pounding in her head. “Why wait nine years to find me?”
He moved closer, menace glistening in his gaze. “I don’t think you understand the situation. I didn’t ‘find’ you, Ivy. I captured you. You’re a blockade-running thief and I’m a Sabrotine privateer. You’re a prisoner of war.”
She glanced at Kade, needing a moment to compose her expression and attempt to order her thoughts. Traborn was alive! Despite his hostility, regardless of the possible danger, a flicker of hope sparked to life within her heart.
The shock gradually receded and logic returned. His expression was anything but welcoming. “Why did you have me brought here?”
Traborn looked into her eyes and flashed a predatory smile. “For my pleasure, of course. Isn’t that what pirates do? Ravish and pillage, rape, and plunder?”
An intoxicating combination of lust and dread cascaded through her body. Her breasts felt heavy and sensitive and her aching pussy was more than ready to continue what Kade had begun. How could she respond to Traborn? She’d been so sure of his affection. He’d claimed to love her, yet he’d allowed her to mourn his death for nine long years.
With a wicked chuckle, he outlined her mouth with his index finger. “That’s not fear I see in your eyes. Would you like to be ravished by a pirate?”
She shook away the sensual daze. “You’re working for the Sabrotine Federation?”
“I’m authorized by the Federation to enforce the blockade and recover illegally exported merchandise.”
“Which means you can steal whatever you like as long as it belongs to Federation enemies?” Kade asked with a droll little smile.
“Basically.”
“I’m not a Federation enemy,” Ivy objected. “I claim no political affiliation.”
“For the past three years you’ve worked exclusively for Potentate Chaya. That makes you fair game.” He shot Kade a sidelong smirk. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I can see how you might rationalize it that way.”
Traborn’s role was relatively clear, but Kade’s presence made no sense. “What is Kade doing here?”
“When he realized my intentions toward you were anything but honorable, he insisted on participating.”
She gasped and searched Kade’s expression. There was no lust or lechery in his gaze, just compassion and… tenderness? “Why did you volunteer to take my place?”
“The Vontralirian are taught to honor females, to protect and cherish them. It was my duty to see to your safety. It is my duty still.”
She might have believed him if he hadn’t insisted on “participating” in her ravishment.
“So, here’s the deal.” Traborn drew her attention back to him. “It will take approximately three days to reach our destination. If you willingly submit to my every desire, without question or hesitation, I’ll release you as well as Kade.”
Submission required trust and she no longer knew this man. How could she surrender her body when she saw no trace of the man she’d once loved? “I don’t know if I can.”
Kade moved up beside her, gently stroking the side of her face. “If he will allow my assistance, would you welcome my touch?”
She licked her lips and closed her eyes. Was this the first test? Traborn had never been willing to share her with anyone. But that was before. How did he expect her to answer? Was he waiting for her refusal, hoping for a show of loyalty? Three days. If she could find it within herself to submit for the next three days, she might survive this ordeal.
Ivy’s hesitation annoyed Traborn. He was more convinced than ever that these two were lovers. He had no idea why he should care, but the thought of them together angered and intrigued him. “I’ll not only allow your participation,” he told Kade, “I expect your complete obedience.”
“And you’ll have it, as long as your commands don’t endanger Ivy.”
He narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a disapproving line. “I thought we already settled this. There are no conditions to obedience. Either you agree or you leave.”
“Then I agree.” Traborn couldn’t decide if he was relieved by Kade’s capitulation or if he wanted to punch the younger man in the face.
Turning to Ivy, he felt desire grip his soul. She haunted his dreams and fueled his fantasies. Each time he convinced himself he was over her, he’d hear about her latest adventure or catch a glimpse of her on some wanted vid. The Federation could nullify his charter at any time, so he guarded his identity with meticulous care.
Ivy had always longed for independence. H
er instantaneous refusal to come away with him was proof of her priorities. By the time the Federation recruited him, Ivy had realized her dream. Even if that dream had landed her on the wrong side of the war, he hadn’t been willing to rob her of the life she’d always wanted.
Until fate thrust her back into his path. As soon as Kade uttered the word Chrysalis, Traborn knew he could no longer resist their inevitable reunion.
“What about you?” Traborn asked her. “Do you accept my conditions?”
“What choice do I have? I’m the one in restraints.”
“You can spend the next three days in a holding cell and I’ll collect your bounty when we reach port.”
“There’s a price on my head?” She was clearly astonished by the news. “When did that happen?”
“About a year ago. The amount has been raised twice. No one ignores the authority of the Sabrotine Federation without drawing their attention.” He shrugged and leaned against the back wall of the tiny cell. “The only reason you’re still on the loose is your ship’s ability to cloak.” She didn’t need to know about the times he’d intervened on her behalf, using his influence to convince the Federation she was basically harmless. She stared off into nothingness, clearly lost in thought, so he brought her back on track. “What’s it to be? Submission or incarceration?”
“That’s not much of a choice.”
“It’s the only one you’ll get.”
“Why would you turn her in?” Kade asked. “You clearly don’t need the bounty.”
“She’s an enemy of the Federation. It’s as simple as that.”
“If you say so.” Skepticism rang in his tone.
“What do you want me to do?”
Her softly spoken question sent lust stabbing through Traborn’s abdomen. His muscles clenched and his cock hardened from semi-erect to full attention. Despite the restraints, this room really wouldn’t suit their needs. Besides, he wanted her willing submission, not passive resignation. He released the cuffs with a voice command and turned toward the archway.
