A disturbance by the bar made both Talbot and Thorn look back towards the barman, who was attempting to argue with two officious-looking individuals determined to approach them.
“I had better go now. It would not do for us to be seen together.” Talbot looked nervous, studying the nearest slumbering drunk in some detail. “But do take my advice, Helena. Return as Area Commander to your old quadrant. Carry on working on the occasional mission for me. If you only knew how useful you are to us, Commander Thorn.”
The barman’s voice was now raised well above a normal volume. “They are obviously Elite Fleet. If you are wrong and there are repercussions, I do not want them descending on me as part of a clean-up exercise.”
It seemed like a prudent time to leave. Nell looked down at the cuff of her distinctive Galaxy Elite Fleet travelling jacket.
“Have you a ship in dock, Talbot?” Nell turned her attention back to her drinking companion, but he was gone. He had vanished as if by magic. It looked like she would have to wait for the passing freighter bound for Port Luz, after all.
The two officious-looking individuals had given up arguing with the bartender, and were advancing on her now lone position.
“Madam Commander Thorn?”
“Area Commander Thorn,” she corrected them automatically.
“The docking scan shows that you are chipped, Area Commander Thorn.”
Nell’s stomach dropped to her boots. That did not sound good.
“What do you mean, I’m chipped?” she asked in a disgusted tone.
“It means you are biologically tagged, Area Commander Thorn. You are owned.”
“That’s impossible. I’m a GEF officer.”
“GEF not exempt. Never near here. Here you are on the outer edge of the Rim. Rim exempt,” said the second official, obviously unused to trying to communicate with an inhabitant of the Inner Galaxy Worlds.
“I have no idea what you are going on about,” Nell responded, gathering up her bags. She started with the one that contained her weapons.
“What my colleague is trying to say is that we are obliged to report your whereabouts to the person who has registered an interest in your location and is named on your tag.”
“And who would that be?”
“That information is confidential.”
“Well, as I am not tagged or chipped or whatever it is that you think I am, it is also irrelevant. I am a Fleet officer. Am I talking to two complete and utter idiots? Watch my lips—you have made a big mistake.”
“Of course, it is most likely an error.” The more competent official bowed slightly, indicating that she should precede him and clicking his fingers at the barman, who actually scurried in to gather up the remainder of her luggage with no need for a second bidding. “We will do the necessary checks and no doubt all will be resolved before your transporter arrives.”
Nell could do nothing but fume silently. She damned her associates at Sector. No doubt this was their petty attempt at some form of revenge, in addition to getting her offloaded in disgrace from the Sector Commander interviews.
If they thought this would be the last of it, they certainly did not know her, or her reputation. She would make sure they regretted the day they’d ever crossed her path.
“If I miss my transport, I and the Galaxy Elite Fleet will hold you both personally responsible for my absence from my scheduled meetings.” Which were actually about refitting her ship and not that critical, but she did not need to tell them that. The second official fingered his collar nervously, but the gentleman who had done most of the talking so far was made of sterner stuff.
“I am confident, Madam Commander, that all will become resolved long before your connection ever gets here,” he assured her unctuously, rubbing his hands as he did so.
Chapter Six
“Excuse me? Hey…is anybody there?” Nell paced up and down, “Can anybody hear me?” No one answered. “I need to leave now!”
She did another circuit of her waiting room. It was small and locked, so not much different from a cell. The vengeful thoughts of how she would return one day in an Elite gunship and raze the facility to the ground made her feel little better. She stood briefly, head bowed, one arm braced against the cold, grey wall. “Hey!” she finally bellowed.
The ringing in her ears from the hollow echo of her voice meant she almost missed the sound of the door to her room being opened.
“Hey, yourself,” came a familiar voice.
Nell spun on her heel to face its owner. Her memory had not let her down.
“Rowe?” Nell could not help but take a step back.
He looked sinfully gorgeous. Muscular, far fitter than he had when she’d last seen him. He was dressed from head to foot in black, and his eyes seemed much lighter, almost silver. Rowe said nothing more, but simply stood looking at her, arms crossed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice husky from bellowing at her gaolers.
“I’m here to collect something.”
“Is that so?” It took a moment for her to recover enough from her shock to realise what he had actually said.
Her jaw dropped in disbelief.
“You can’t surely mean…me?” She backed away from him, shaking her head. “You?”
Nell was furious. She had been kept waiting for hours in this awful room, had missed her connection to Port Luz, only to find she had been detained by the very person she had been obsessing about for months.
Whilst she had been losing sleep, Rowe had obviously been doing very well for himself!
In her worst nightmares she had envisaged him back on Egalita Prime, back in the hands of the slavers, close to death once more.
“You bastard!”
With a screech of rage, she launched herself at him. Rowe backed away as it soon became clear that she was no diminutive cat-fighter. She was a Fleet-trained combat specialist.
Having dodged two dangerously low kicks, Rowe ran out of space. As Nell came at him with all her weight behind a punch-kick to his kneecaps, Rowe threw his body to one side and shouted as he hit the floor.
The tiny room was flooded by people, and Nell found herself knocked to the floor and pinned face down. She twisted and pulled in every way possible but was unable to free herself.
“Get off me!” Restraints were fitted that pulled her elbows and upper arms towards her spine and a sonic gag was produced, whereupon a whole new fight started as Rowe’s associates attempted to get the gag into her mouth. Rowe finally stopped them with a mere shake of his head.
Spitting bits from her mouth, she turned her head as far as she was able to glare at Rowe. “You are a complete and utter bastard. How dare you?” Helena could not even get the words out without stumbling over them. “Why?”
“Why?” The beautiful brows were raised. “Would you be surprised if I said I found myself concerned for your future safety?”
“Yes!”
“Then maybe I have not done it for that reason alone. Maybe it’s partly to do with you being about to hand me over to Rim assassins for disposal, not so long ago?”
“That is not true!” Nell said. “I was taking you to a prearranged rendezvous in order to save your life.”
Rowe bent at the waist so he could reply quietly into her ear.
“That is not what I heard.”
“So you’re just going to believe what you have been told?”
“Yes.”
“And so you”—she swallowed a ridiculously painful lump in her throat—“you had me…”
“Chipped?” He straightened. “I had it done while you slept. It was injected into one of your gorgeous buttocks, if you really want to know. It would seem you didn’t feel a thing.”
“You had someone do that to me?” It must have been recently, when she was participating in the Sector Command try-outs. “How dare you?”
“Now you are simply sounding repetitive, sweetheart.”
“Did you know I would be coming here?”
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“No, I didn’t. It was only a matter of time until you wandered far enough into Rim territory to be picked up.”
The man played a long game.
Angrily, Nell rolled to one side and back again in an attempt once more to free her hands, with no luck.
“What now, Rowe? You know I can pay you to release me.”
“How much do you think your freedom is worth?”
He really did seem convinced she had attempted to betray him, but maybe she could buy her way out of trouble, then convince him she had been relocating him in good faith.
“I could secure you a small fortune in gold and crystal ziosite.” She finally rolled over onto her back and stared boldly up at him. She had nothing to lose. “Tempted?”
“I am…” His smile was slow. “But not quite in the way you imagine.”
The restraints bit into her shoulders, immobilising her arms as far as her elbows, forcing her breasts forward as her back arched.
“Ah, Nell.”
Rowe stared down at her from on high. His guards kept her pinned down, the hard stone floor of the facility biting into the flesh of her hips, knees and shoulders.
“Then what is it that you do want?” she finally asked.
The handsome, indolent silver gaze slid over her from head to toe and back, until he met her eyes once more. “I want you.”
“Me?” Nell could hear the break in her own voice. She damned it as a sign of weakness. “What on earth do you want me for, Rowe?”
Suddenly realisation dawned. “Oh, you mean as a hostage.”
“No, not as a hostage, or as a bargaining chip.” Rowe’s grin was calculating. “I simply need you—quite desperately, in fact.”
Nell was pulled roughly to her feet, and for the unlikeliest moment she was glad to have others supporting her, as she felt her legs were not likely to be up to the task.
What for? He must think I’m more than I am, Nell thought frantically, way more.
She studied his face as if she might find the answers there.
What do you want me for, Rowe? My Fleet knowledge? Do you think I know as much as Talbot?
Rowe stared back, his expression flitting briefly from satisfaction to what almost looked like hunger.
Is it personal? Nell felt a jolt of surprise. She had had some uninspiring intimate relationships in the past, mainly because her focus had always been work, her career, to succeed on her own merits. Nell had never used her looks to sleep her way to the top, although she was well aware that Fleet gossip said much to the contrary, not helped by her using her reputation to cover her covert activities for Talbot. Her brassy blonde hair, her preposterously long eyelashes and layers of cosmetics were far less about attraction and more about protection. Her appearance was part of her personal armour. The fact remained that her strange relationship with Rowe had been different from anything else she had ever experienced, right from the start.
“Rowe, don’t do this.” Nell caught his gaze, and held it. “You are kidnapping a Fleet officer. They’ll come after you.”
“You would be advised to listen to her.” It was the official that had originally apprehended her, nervously twitching to one side of Rowe’s associates. He did not seem so confident now in his decision to hold her and notify the man who was now orchestrating her abduction.
When the GEF came looking for her, they would start with this facility and he knew it.
“It’s not worth it, Rowe.”
The silence was unnerving.
“Go. We’ll say nothing more. It’ll be as if nothing has happened. After all, Rowe, I owe you. You saved my life and the lives of my crew when you stopped that assassin. I’ll get the chip removed myself.” She nodded towards the restraints. “Take these off before you go and it’s finished.” Nell turned her back slightly and gave a sad smile. “We’re even.”
What followed was a long, drawn-out pause, then a slow hand clap that stopped abruptly after five.
“Nell.” Rowe grinned as Nell looked up at him. “Well done, it’s been some time since I’ve been rendered speechless. Nice work.” He nodded briefly to his henchmen. “Bring her here and hold her.”
“Rowe!” Nell fought against him as much as she could, yet still a silver collar was placed about her throat. “Take it off!”
“It’s to keep you safe.”
“It’s a nerve collar!”
“Now who is being ridiculous?”
As he fastened it, Rowe’s face was subject to myriad expressions—desire, possession, amusement.
He looked her up and down.
“I’m not scared of the Fleet.”
“Of course you aren’t.” Nell grimaced with discomfort at her bonds as she spoke. “You obviously have a death wish as wide as a…”
Rowe silenced her by placing a hand across her mouth. “Nell, you are coming with me. We have unfinished business.”
“Unfinished business…? Now, hang on one damned moment!” Nell struggled against the weight of her gaolers’ hands on her. “You can’t just roll up on a world and cart someone off for sex, Rowe!”
“Why not?” he pointed out reasonably. “After all, that’s what you did.”
Chapter Seven
Nell had no idea where she was.
They’d travelled deep into Rim space, far deeper than Nell had ever been before. So deep that Nell was convinced they were probably off the charts possessed by the Elite Fleet. Despite his threats and talk, Rowe hadn’t touched her, but had spent all his time at the controls of his ship, or at least that was what she’d been told by the crew who brought her food.
Everyone on Rowe’s ship gave her a wide berth, not hostile, but not particularly friendly either. They ensured that, although her door was not locked, she did not get farther than the end of the narrow corridor that ran past her cabin.
Nell had been sleeping with one eye open, waiting for Rowe to walk through her door. It left her alternating between a state of intense excitement at the prospect of him repeating anything like her experience after the assassination attempt, and supreme irritation at his ability to shake her composure. She could scarcely sleep, and, when she did manage to persuade her body that it needed to rest, her slumber was filled with lurid dreams. Rowe naked, Rowe starting towards her with that certain glint in his eye…ugh! At that point, she would usually lurch awake. However, it was slowly dawning on her that she may have got things quite spectacularly wrong. It was not personal at all, particularly as Rowe had yet to show himself. What she had not anticipated was that the disappointment would be quite so gnawingly acute.
If he didn’t want her for sex, what did he want her for? That question alone was enough to make her think she should leave at the first opportunity, but the worst aspect of this whole affair was that she had no choice but to stay.
He saved my life and a Thorn always repays a debt, she had to remind herself grimly. It was that damn assassin’s fault, Nell fumed to herself. If he hadn’t already been dead, she’d have killed him herself.
Rowe finally made his appearance with her full dress uniform over his arm. He stood watching her for a few minutes before tossing the pile of white and gold clothing onto her bed.
“What’s that for?” Nell enquired politely, not even bothering to fully open her eyes. The rush of desire that flooded her body as he stepped into her room would surely show if she looked at him. Someone must have gone through her copious luggage to secure the items that he had just brought in.
“Do you even know what it is?” he asked her.
“Educated guess”—she opened up one eye and looked down—“and…I was right.”
“Put it on,” Rowe instructed her. “We’re going out.”
“How exciting, and where are we going with me looking so fine?”
“Try guessing. You seem to be good at that.” He was tense. One could never describe Rowe as nervous, but there was a definite sense of being battle alert about him on this occasion.
What was going on?
They were currently docked at a space station deep within the perimeters of Rim space that was obviously an important conference hub. Nell had no idea how long they had travelled to reach this place, but her experienced eye had instantly noted the size and firepower of each of the craft present as Rowe had brought his own ship in to dock. She recognised some older, ex-GEF craft that had likely been captured by Rim inhabitants during cross-border skirmishes.
She shuddered. It was a timely reminder of just how unpopular the GEF was in these parts, and now Rowe was about to dress her up and parade her in all her glory around enemies, old, new and potential. Like a piece of prize livestock.
Now she really did want to know why.
* * * *
Nell was right about the unpopularity of the Galaxy Elite Fleet. As she trailed round after Rowe, there was no mistaking the surly stares that followed her. People muttered behind their hands as she walked past, and at least three people looked as if they were about to spit on her, but Rowe’s presence seemed to be sufficient to make them hold their fire.
For now, thought Nell, keeping her head down and nervously fingering the collar that had stayed round her neck since Rowe had ‘collected’ her from the border of GEF space.
“Leave it,” Rowe told her sharply. “It signifies you are under my protection and chipped. I don’t want people getting ideas.”
Nell shuddered and dropped her hand as if it had been scalded.
A tall, dark-haired man stepped in front of them, halting their progress.
“Fleet, Rowe? You must be getting desperate for company.”
“Dominic,” Rowe acknowledged the man curtly. “It’s been some time.”
“Indeed.” He turned his attention to Nell, studying her uniform with interest. “You are a long way from home, Commander.”
Nell Thorn Page 3
