by Aubrey Ross
“Over here, Your Highness. You’re safe now.” Caleb motioned with his head, both his weapons firmly fixed on Max. “Where is the other one?”
“The other what?” she asked as she cautiously moved toward Caleb.
“Your other kidnapper?”
She returned Max’s startled look. “How do you know about my kidnapping?”
“Are you unharmed? Shall I blast him for you?”
Her delighted smile infuriated Max. Was Caleb having fun with them?
“Your chivalry is admirable, Captain Thrax, but you have been misinformed. Max rescued me from the true villain. He was not involved in my abduction.”
“That’s not how it looked on the vid.”
“There’s a recording?” Max lowered his hands with a muttered curse. “I knew Dario was going to make a break for it, but I had no idea he would take a hostage.”
“At the first possible moment, Max overpowered Dario and brought me to you,” she said with a placating smile.
It took Caleb a moment to accept her explanation. He relaxed his arms and shoved the pistols into the holsters on each hip. “Glad to hear it. I hate killing friends.”
“We need to move,” Max reminded. “Dario’s buddies are not far away.”
Caleb ushered them onto the shuttle and took off as soon as they’d fastened their safety restraints.
“If I might inquire, Captain Thrax,” Naloni’s tone was polite yet a bit silky. “When and how did you view this recording of my abduction?”
“It’s all over the data stream. Everyone on Fedoros knows.”
“Fuck.” Max rubbed his eyes, dread pelting his weary mind. “Your father is going to have the same reaction. His men will shoot first and ask questions later.”
“I’ll take care of my father.” She reached over and squeezed his arm. “You did nothing wrong. This could be a very good sign. It increases the chances that recordings were made of all the other activities.”
He was less optimistic than she was, but pessimism was a benefit to no one. “You’re right. We’ll work it out.” Impossible odds had never intimidated him before. He was not about to start backing down now.
“Where am I taking you?” Caleb asked once the barrier was far behind.
“How long are you planning to be in port?”
Caleb glanced at her and smiled. “I have a supply run planned, but it can wait. I’m entirely at your disposal.”
If Max hadn’t known Caleb flirted with every female he encountered, he might have taken offense. As it was, the captain’s tone was playful and he hardly spared Naloni a look as he maneuvered the shuttle toward the spaceport on the edge of Akielesh, the capital city.
“Then please take us to your ship. I’ll try not to complicate your life for too long.”
“I thrive on complications,” Caleb assured. “Take your time.”
* * * * *
Caleb’s ship was perfect for smuggling, Naloni decided as they left the shuttle bay. The sleek yet sturdy design allowed for both speed and agility. It was quite a bit larger than she’d expected. It was far from new yet extremely well-maintained.
“Will you need one cabin or two?” Caleb asked as they neared an airlift.
“One is fine.” She smiled at Max, who had been suspiciously quiet during the shuttle ride. “We’ll need basic provisions, if that can be arranged. Obviously, this outing was not what I had planned.”
He showed them to a small but elegant cabin and lingered in the doorway as she looked around. “Breakfast was already served, but I can have a tray sent up if you’re hungry.”
“I don’t care for anything.” She looked at Max and he shook his head. “I have some people I need to contact, but it’s vital the link be secure.”
“Every transmission emanating from this ship is encrypted and untraceable. That’s standard op in my line of work.”
She offered him a polite smile. “I thought it might be.”
“The companel is in the desktop, but the signal can be projected anywhere in the room.”
“I’ll compensate you for the inconvenience of course.”
He grinned. “I would love to turn you down, but it’s been miserably slow the past couple of weeks.”
“Thank you for your assistance.”
He inclined his head and departed.
“What a charming man.” She watched for jealousy in Max’s gaze and he didn’t disappoint. The spark was subtle, but the comment had definitely annoyed him.
“Laetif certainly thinks so,” he grumbled.
“Caleb is Laetif’s lover?” She tilted her head and searched her memory. “Elaina told me Laetif sleeps with her hunky bodyguard.”
“I’m not sure if they all participate or if the bodyguard only watches. All I know is Laetif disappears for a few days whenever Caleb is in port.”
“Lucky Laetif.”
Max grabbed her bottom with both hands and yanked her against him, rubbing her mound against his burgeoning erection. The move was so primal and so possessive it sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. If any other man had dared to touch her so carelessly, she would have slapped his face. But this was Max, her Max. And she always felt a bit savage when he took her in his arms.
“Are you misbehaving so I’ll spank you?” Another shiver echoed the first. “Did our interlude in the tunnel leave you hungry for more?”
It had, but she wasn’t ready to admit it. There was still too much to do before they delved deeper into their rediscovery. “I need to contact Stevon.”
With a frustrated sigh, he let her go.
She ignored her rubbery knees and the heat gathering between her thighs as she crossed the cabin. She pulled out the chair in front of the desk and swiped her hand across the desktop, activating the companel. Using Stevon’s private access code, she held her breath until her friend responded.
“Damn, woman, am I relieved to see you.” He looked exhausted, purple smudges darkening his eyes.
“Have you been up all night?”
“How’d you guess?” He paused for an anemic smile. “The far more important question is, how are you? Were you mistreated by those goons? We recorded the whole thing and began circulating it moments after they took off with you.”
“So we learned when one of Max’s friends threatened to blast his head off.”
His gray brows drew together, creasing his forehead. “All right, I’m confused. Why are you still with Max? I thought you’d been rescued.”
She swallowed hard. Anything she said now became part of Max’s defense. It could also be twisted by their enemies to incriminate him. “Max knew Dario intended to make a break for it, but he had no idea Dario was going to use a hostage to accomplish it. At the first opportunity, Max overpowered Dario and we were able to escape.”
“Wow. Can I quote you on that?”
Stevon doubtlessly recorded all of his conversations. If she didn’t give him permission, the information would be “leaked” when it was most advantageous to his multimedia empire. “Please don’t. I’ve already granted you exclusive rights to the story. Timing is imperative in this entire situation.”
“I understand.”
Which in no way guaranteed his cooperation. She had to tread carefully. Stevon would make a formidable enemy if he ever chose to compromise the ideals he claimed to uphold. Attempting to convey casual interest, she asked, “Was anything else recorded or was the night a total bust?”
Stevon shook his head, his expression so conflicted she was unable to sort out the individual components. “Your kidnapping barely slowed things down. No one upstairs was even aware of what happened, and many of the ones who took off during the scuffle returned as soon as things calmed down.”
Her abduction and possible death hadn’t upset people enough to end their party? She rubbed her neck, unable to suppress her anger and disappointment. “Then you have vids of the upstairs sessions.” That’s why she had been at the festival. The rest was incidental.
&nb
sp; “What do you think I’ve been doing all night? Your darling brother was so distraught about your peril that he gave everyone discounts and encouraged them to schedule private sessions so there was no risk of interruption.”
Anger spiked through her other emotions, incinerating everything in its path. She was one of many, just another victim of his depravity. “So what’s our next step?” Stevon appeared to be as disgusted by the findings as she was and he had the massive legal team. Until his actions proved her trust was misplaced, she’d continue to cautiously follow his lead.
“It will take days to identify the people on the vids, but I hope to have a basic presentation ready sometime tomorrow.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression uncharacteristically dour. “I’ll run it all past legal then take it to your father. He’ll have exactly twenty-four hours to take action before the presentation goes live on the data stream.”
“I’m relieved that it wasn’t all for nothing.”
“I am too, but these vids are chilling. My people couldn’t stop anything that happened or they would have blown their cover. That didn’t stop two of my strongest from halting the abuse. It got that bad.”
Not knowing how to respond to the grim revelation, she nodded. “Thank you for everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I was inadvertently supporting this shit. I should thank you for ferreting out the truth before I was destroyed by what my business partners were doing.”
She terminated the link and sat back in her chair, mulling over all they’d said.
“Do you believe him?” Max came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “He became rich because of Gladiator Games.”
“He was rich before his involvement with my brothers, but your point is valid.” Max began to rub the tension from her neck and shoulders. She groaned then sighed and rested her head against his abdomen. “There is no reason for Stevon to indulge me unless he had concerns of his own.”
“Is he attracted to you?” His hands momentarily stilled.
“He might be trying to endear himself to me, but I’ve made it clear that I’m not interested.”
He lightly cupped her breast, her thin shirt no barrier at all between the heat of his palm and her sensitive nipple. “You would never be satisfied with a man like him. You are too rebellious.”
“And you can temper my rebellion?”
“I would never try to dampen your fire. I savor the heat and bask in the light.”
She smiled and leaned her head back, looking up at him. “Under all that ferocity, you’re a romantic.”
His brow creased and his eyes narrowed then he pushed away from her chair. “I know nothing of romance. My life is violence and death.”
He was clearly irritated by her comment, so she didn’t push the issue. “I’m going to contact Elaina. Would you like to speak with Theos?”
Max nodded but stayed to one side, out of camera range. She smiled at his techno-anxiety. Eventually all these gadgets would become natural to him, but that day was a long way off.
She entered the access code for Rebecca Tyndale, the name Elaina was using until the crisis was resolved. It took a moment for Elaina to respond and then she only activated audio.
“It’s Naloni and this link is secure, but I’m really craving valaspaberry wine.”
Elaina appeared on screen as soon as Naloni produced the rearranged password. “I can’t stand the stuff personally, but I’m sure glad to hear you say that.” Her smile was beaming and she appeared relaxed and happy.
“I don’t have to ask how you’re doing,” Naloni grumbled. “Exile agrees with you.”
“No, life with Theos agrees with me. I still miss my son.”
“Of course you do and hopefully you won’t be separated for too much longer.”
“The festival was last night. Were the journalists able to provide you with enough evidence to turn your father’s head?”
“Stevon is still compiling the various images into some sort of presentation, but—”
“Stevon Poliantus is helping you?” Elaina sounded doubtful and her gaze reflected her concern.
“He was the only one I could find with an invitation to the festival. I know it was a gamble, but I didn’t have any other choice.” Elaina looked as uncomfortable as everyone else who had learned of her choice in partners. Was she the only one who believed Stevon capable of doing the right thing? “Every indication points toward his sincerity.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“So do I. Is Theos there? Max would like to say hi.”
It took nearly as much coaxing from Elaina to get Theos in front of the camera as it did for Naloni to lure Max into the desk chair. As soon as they saw each other, however, all their reservations fell away. They extolled the wonders they’d seen and expressed concerns about all the friends still trapped within the energy barrier.
“We better go.” Naloni finally halted the lively conversation. “The longer we maintain the link the greater chance there is that someone will take notice.”
“I thought the link was secure,” Max said after she terminated the connection.
“No one can tap in and hear what you’re saying, but no signal is truly untraceable. I’m sure Captain Thrax has made it extremely difficult to uncover the origin of the signal, but there is always someone out there persistent enough and skilled enough to unravel the misdirection.” He stood and gave her back her seat. “One more call then I’m yours for the rest of the evening.”
“And if I want you for longer than one evening?” His gaze warmed and brightened, smoldering with blue intensity. “Can I make a counteroffer?”
She kept the chair between them, not trusting herself to complete her last task if they touched. “I’m always open for negotiations.”
He sighed and his gaze focused on her mouth. “I have so little to offer you. There is no way I can give you the things you’re used to having.”
The hopelessness in his tone angered her. She leaned closer, drawing his gaze back to her eyes. “Do you think so little of me? The things I long for are not possessions and luxuries. I’ve had everything money can buy my entire life, and the only time I was truly happy was when I was pretending to be a slave.”
“I want to believe that. I’m trying to believe, but when returning to your ‘real’ life is no longer an option, I know you’ll resent me.”
Chapter Seven
Emperor Sineth Olla strode along the line of people kneeling in front of him. His boot heels snapped out his agitation against the marble floor of Tarhee’s elaborate villa. Sunlight streamed in through open archways and still Sineth could barely focus through fury’s red haze. “Where is my daughter!”
“We believe she slipped beyond the barrier, Sire.” Mikko Xyell’s voice was barely more than a whisper and his head bowed respectfully. He was far more composed than Tarhee, which made Sineth hate the ambassador even more. His son was a disappointment on every level, and this man had enabled Tarhee’s abominable behavior every step of the way.
“If she passed beyond the barrier, her GPS chip would have become visible to my scanners again.” He felt as if he were speaking with simple-minded children, explaining concepts that should have been self-evident. “The city is surrounded by my troops, and we have not stopped scanning the perimeter since I learned she was in danger. Her abductors must have her hidden somewhere inside this abomination.”
“We thought so as well,” Xyell went on. “That’s why we minimized the intensity of the barrier until only a visible facsimile remained. Then we scanned the entire city, section by section.”
“Then where is she?” He rolled his eyes and started back down the row. Imbeciles! He was surrounded by useless, spineless shadows of Fedorans! The magistrate—handpicked by Tarhee. Captain of the city guards. And… His gaze connected with the only woman in the room. Laetif Xyell, the ambassador’s wife. Her eyes shone with cunning and fear. Not the hopeless sort of a person trapped by circu
mstance, but the fatalistic gleam of someone with something to hide. “You!”
She immediately lowered her head, but he strode to her and grasped her chin, raising her face until she looked at him again. “Where is Naloni?”
“I don’t know, Sire.” Her tone was steady enough to convince him, to a point. She might not know Naloni’s location, but she knew a whole hell of a lot more than she had said thus far. “I’m not even sure why you summoned me. I have little to do with my husband’s affairs.”
Sineth snorted. “So my investigators tell me. You’re too busy fucking your bodyguard to keep tabs on your husband.” To her credit, Laetif maintained eye contact and kept her mouth shut. “My investigators also told me you are likely a pivotal member of the resistance.” Her husband glared, but it was obvious he was not surprised by the news. “You have this one chance only to earn my mercy. Answer me truthfully and I will not lump you in with the rest of these fools.”
“Of course, Sire. I will help in any way I can.” Her expression calmed and her head raised, her chin lifting away from his fingers.
“Do you know the men who took Naloni?”
“I know one of them.”
“Max is my doctore, Sire. He has—”
“Silence!” Sineth glared at Xyell, and he obediently bowed his head. He turned back to Laetif and said, “Tell me about Max.”
“May I speak with you in private? The information I possess is potentially damning to everyone involved. I do not want to endanger—”
“It was not a request, young lady. Tell me everything you know and tell me now.”
“Yes, Sire.” She licked her lips and hesitated. Was she afraid for herself or was this protectiveness somehow noble? Could she genuinely believe in this “resistance”?
“Guards.” Sineth motioned toward the others. “Take them all to Detention Center Three. They are all to be held for interrogation.”
“Father!” Tarhee twisted away from one guard only to be trapped between three more. “You cannot mean to throw me in a cage like a common criminal!”
