by KD Jones
Luck would have it that her sister, Lydia, called to invite her to come and visit her on the GCFA ship, and she was going to refuse but she remembered that the new head of security—Rachel Kegan—used to be an agent for the Intergalactic Department of Justice (IDJ). She would have resources and contacts that could help break this case wide open. If she could just get some evidence of what was happening, she could take it to the courts and have a judge order the return of the girls.
From what Olivia could find out on her own, she suspected that the girls were being used for sexual intentions even though they were too young and it was against their own laws. She also believed that someone on the Venetian council approved of this. All the families she had met had been in similar situations, having multiple daughters, not wealthy, and parents under strain to care for them.
The IDJ had rules, one of them being that they couldn’t simply go into a protected planet, which Venetia was, and do investigations without some kind of proof or evidence that something illegal was going on. She would have stayed on Venetia even if it meant her getting fired, but her father’s position was being threatened if she didn’t leave. She loved her father. He did the best he could for her and her sister. Olivia didn’t want him to be hurt by his halfsie daughter nosing around.
Tomorrow she was supposed to meet with Rachel and her second-in-command of security, Trig Roberts. This wasn’t something she could walk away from. If what she thought was actually happening, young girls were having their innocence ripped from them involuntarily. They were defenseless and needed someone to stand up for them. It was the right thing to do.
She left the pool room and headed down the hall to the elevator. One of the security guards gave her a lingering look. Olivia rolled her eyes and ignored him. There was no way she looked attractive at that moment, but all the males she had ever known didn’t need much encouragement from her to get that reaction. A simple smile could make them emboldened to approach her and ask her out. She had to keep her reactions reserved and never look directly in their eyes.
She rode the elevator alone. Not many were up at that hour. That’s why she chose that time to do her laps. She also didn’t have to share the pool with anyone, meaning she could wear whatever she liked. If others had been there she would have worn a one-piece, more modest bathing suit.
The doors to the elevator opened and she exited. Her sister’s suite was down at the end of the hall. It was pretty luxurious with two bedrooms, a living space, kitchen, and the largest bathroom she had ever seen. It was like a VIP room or a presidential suite.
As she approached the door it suddenly opened and a tall bulky man exited. He had black hair, dark eyes, and blue skin—a Plutian. He spotted her and gave her a look from head to toe, undressing her with his eyes.
“Well, hello, beautiful. What’s your name?”
“Not interested and my last name is Never.” She pushed the door open and slammed it shut. Her sister looked up from the couch in surprise. She had on a silk robe that only reached a fraction above her mid-thigh, and Olivia knew she was completely naked underneath.
“I didn’t realize you were out. Where did you go?” Lydia asked, adjusting her robe.
“I wanted to clear my head so I went swimming.”
“But no one else is up yet.”
“Exactly. I didn’t have to deal with any other people.”
Lydia sighed with frustration. “It’s hard to believe sometimes that we’re even related. Why are you so antisocial?”
Olivia shrugged as she took a seat across from her sister. “I like people, but I don’t feel the need to mix with them all the time.”
“Is it the shy thing or the sex thing? Because—newsflash, sis—not everyone wants to have sex with you.”
“I never said they did. I just don’t like being looked at that way.”
“How do you know if you never stay around a man long enough to let anyone actually see you?”
“Look, I’m not like you or the other Venetians. I never have been and never will be. I am not free with my body and can’t just be with anybody without caring about a thing.”
“Is that what you think? That I give my body to every man who wants it or pays for it?”
Olivia chose not to answer because, no matter what she said, it would not help matters. She’d always had a hard time relating to Lydia. She loved her older sister with all her heart but they were too different.
“Olivia, do you think that I am working for someone? Maybe you think that the GCFA owns me and I have no say in what I do or who I do it with.”
“Isn’t that how it works here? The GCFA hired you to have sex with its clients and fighters.”
“No, that is not what is going on here. I don’t work for the GCFA. The sex therapy business is completely mine. I give a discount to their fighters but everyone pays for services. I am also very picky about the clientele. If I find any signs of abuse in the person’s background check, they are on my blacklist for life. I have Venetians who work for me but they have every right to deny taking on a client for any reason and they are not required to have sex.”
“I didn’t know…” Olivia felt like a self-righteous asshole.
“That’s because you didn’t want to know. You never asked and until now you never made an attempt to come here and see me. But you didn’t come just to see me, did you?”
Lydia deserved the truth. “You’re right. Seeing you wasn’t my only reason for coming here.”
“Spill it.”
“It’s about a case I am trying to investigate but hit a wall. I thought your security team with their connections with IDJ could help me.”
“What’s the case about?”
Should she tell her? So far the Venetians she had told all refused to believe her. “I believe Venetian girls under the legal age are being taken and abused sexually.”
“What? That’s impossible. We have very strict laws about that. You have to be wrong about this.”
“I would love to be proven wrong. Anyway, if your friends can help me get the answers, then the case could be cleared up quickly. I’m sorry for using you to come here.”
Lydia started to let her off the hook. “It’s okay…actually, no it’s not okay.”
“Lydia, I’m sorry…”
“If you want my forgiveness, you have to do something for me.”
“What? Clean your suite? Wash your clothes?”
“Go on a date.”
“What? A date? You have got to be kidding me!”
“Nope, if you want Rachel and Trig’s help and my forgiveness for using me, then you have to agree to go on a date with a male of my choice.”
“This is ridiculous. I’ve already got an appointment with Rachel later this morning.”
“If you want her help, you’ll agree to my conditions. You’re on board this ship because of me. I will call them and cancel your appointment if you don’t agree.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes and grumbled, but had no choice. She had never seen this conniving side of her sister before. “Fine, but I’m not having sex.”
Lydia smiled with a wicked gleam in her eyes as she stood up. “Oh…and you’ll wear what I tell you to.”
“This is fucking ridiculous.”
“Make sure you get some rest. I don’t want you to have bags under your eyes when you go on your date.”
“I hate you!”
“You can borrow my high heels, too.”
Fuck me! Not the high heels.
Chapter 3
Later that morning
Olivia wore her dress pants and a silk button-up shirt with her hair pulled into a tight braid that hung down her back. She got off the elevator and headed toward the security wing of the ship. She hoped that Rachel and Trig could help her with their connections to the IDJ because it felt like she had hit a roadblock or dead end.
“Miss Mann?” A large handsome human with the most beautiful mocha skin called out as he came up behind her.
She turned to smile. “Yes?”
“I’m Trig Roberts. Rachel is running a little late this morning. She’s suffering from morning sickness but it only lasts about an hour. I’ll take you to our conference room. Would you like me to order breakfast while we wait?”
“I would appreciate that. I haven’t had anything to eat yet.”
“What about coffee?”
She shook her head. “I love the smell of it, but I’m part Venetian and coffee affects us in the worst way.”
“Orange juice?”
“Yes, any natural juice is better for me.”
She walked with him, and when she waited for him to open the door, she looked behind her and her eyes locked with Phoenix, who stood at the other end of the corridor.
“After you,” Trig said, opening the door and waiting for her to enter.
She turned away from Phoenix and went through the door. “I am very impressed with your ship. It’s much bigger than I thought, and the facilities and amenities are amazing.”
“The GCFA wants to make sure that our fighters, staff, and guests have the very best. Have you had a chance to eat at one of our restaurants yet?”
“Not yet. Lydia has been a cooking maniac. I’m her little sister and she always thinks I’m starving or not taking care of myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister, but she can be a bit overwhelming.”
“I have a pretty big family, too, so I get it. Whenever I visit my grandmother she insists on making a huge feast, even if it’s just the two of us. Let me call and order breakfast. Do you eat meat?”
“Oh yes, I’m no vegetarian. I love eggs and bacon.” She placed her portfolio on the table and pulled out her notes. She didn’t want to leave anything out.
*****
“Phoenix, get your mind in the game here!” Talon yelled.
He had come down for a practice match with the other fighters. Tomorrow night they had an event at the next space station. Talon was their trainer today because Rage was with his mate, Rachel, comforting her through her morning sickness. It seemed pretty weird to him that breeding females got this mysterious sickness. If it was so bad that it required their mate to be by their side, why would the females go through something like that voluntarily? Perhaps it was Rage who overreacted to the situation because he loved his mate and couldn’t stand to see her in any kind of pain. The male was definitely whipped.
Phoenix’s practice match was with Hammer, the huge Byclops halfsie. It wasn’t exactly an even match because Hammer was twice his size. His mind wandered, which was a mistake while in a fight, even a practice one. He grunted when Hammer lifted him with one hand and slammed him down onto the mat. All the air went out of his body. He stayed still until he gained his breath. Hammer reached out a hand to help him stand.
“I won’t continue this match if you can’t concentrate. I could hurt you if you are distracted.” Hammer growled. For such a huge male, he cared whether he hurt his fellow fighters unnecessarily. Hammer was even gentler when it came to his mate and his kids. Seeing him with his family was a shock to most, but after being around them a while, it was hard to imagine him any other way. However, stepping into the cage with him gave a person a painful reminder that Hammer was just as tough a fighter as anyone else.
“I’m fine.” The truth was he had been distracted. Ever since he caught sight of Olivia walking the corridor with Trig Roberts, he couldn’t stop wondering what they were meeting about. Trig was mated to the female fighter Zara the Amazon. The two were very close so Trig wouldn’t be stepping out and seeing another female. Zara would kill him if he did.
Hammer crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Take a break and come back when you’re ready to fight.”
He looked at Talon who was also glaring at him. “I’ll go run on the treadmill.”
As he turned to go to the weight room, he saw Nigel standing at the entrance to the gym, motioning for him to come over. Great, his least favorite person wanted to have a chat.
“What do you want, Nigel?”
“I have made a dinner appointment for you this evening to discuss issues on your contract.”
“What issues?”
“You left some information out that needs to be completed.”
“Lia didn’t say anything to me about it.” He loved using the nickname for Amelia. It drove Nigel crazy.
“She was not aware of it.”
“Who am I meeting?”
“A new lawyer that the GCFA is giving a test drive to see if we want them to be more permanent.”
It sounded really off to him. Why wait this long to correct the contract? The GCFA had a ton of lawyers working for it and usually Amelia and Nigel handled the contracts directly.
“It won’t take long to correct, and the dinner and anything else you need tonight will be on me.”
“Really?” Nigel was offering to pay for the meal. He was tempted to accept and charge a bunch of food just for the hell of it. Yeah, the expression on his face when Nigel got the expensive bill would be priceless. “You know what? Fine, I’ll go.”
“Second level restaurant, 8:00 p.m.” Nigel walked off and left him standing there more confused than ever. What the hell was Nigel up to?
*****
Olivia took a sip of her juice. Rachel had arrived but had immediately started filling her plate up with food. She waited patiently for her to be seated.
Rachel waved her hand. “Go ahead and talk. I’ll eat and listen.”
“I’m a lawyer working for a law firm that specializes in human and alien rights. I got a call from a family on Venetia that their two daughters had been taken under a guise and I suspect they are being used as sex slaves. I have other families who have come forth to tell me similar stories.”
Trig leaned forward with interest. “Explain how you came up with that suspicion.”
She went into detail about Venetian protection laws and how no one was considered old enough for sexual relations until twenty-one. “These girls were too young and should have been protected by the law.” She pulled out the contracts she had gotten from all her clients where they signed the rights for their children to be taken to the supposed camp.
Rachel read the contract, shaking her head. “I can’t understand why these parents were so eager to sign over their kids.” She reached down to rub her now-distended pregnant belly protectively.
“They are all poor families and the camp offered free tuition and food. It would have saved them a lot of money to let them go.”
Trig held up one of the papers that had the camp information on it. “There’s not much to go by. You did a great job finding out every detail you could. Even putting on here dates, times, and locations that the parents were approached. Let us talk to our contacts with the IDJ to see if we can come up with any other information.”
“I’m worried. Some of them are as young as twelve. The longer these children are missing, the less chance there is of them being found.”
Rachel looked at her sadly. “That’s true, but the IDJ is good. The reason I came to the GCFA was undercover searching for something similar, a sex slave ring but for adult women. We were able to recover a lot of the missing women, but unfortunately there were those we couldn’t locate or were found dead. Every case like that has a trail. We’ll find it.”
“I know I don’t have to caution you on how this investigation needs to be done in secret. If it gets out too soon, the girls could be moved. Also, the Venetian council has already refused to hear any of the cases like this unless I have witnesses and evidence. They’re very private about what goes on there.”
“We’ll let you know what our contacts find.”
“Thank you.” Olivia stood and left the room. She felt that she had a better chance now to find the missing children since she wasn’t working the case alone. She had someone who believed her and was willing to help. It gave her real hope.
She hurried to the elevator to go and put her portfolio away. She was supposed to meet h
er sister for shopping on the first level to get her a new outfit for tonight. Ugh! Just the thought made her steps slow. She did not want to be going on this date. Maybe she could act like a total bitch and the guy would run from the restaurant, never to be seen again. She smiled thinking that was a perfect plan.
Lydia was waiting for her outside the shop with an envelope in her hands. “What’s that?”
“Something I need you to take on your date tonight. We’ll discuss it later. Right now we have to find a dress then get your hair, makeup, and nails done.”
Olivia put up her hand. “Wait a minute. I never agreed to get my hair and stuff done.”
Lydia put her hands on her hips. “I haven’t seen you very much in the last couple of years, even though I have asked and asked for you to visit, and you can’t spare one moment to bond with me getting all pretty?”
“I’m just not that type of girl, Lydia. You know that. I prefer easy and comfortable to high fashion.”
Lydia’s eyes started to water. “I only wanted to do something special for my little sister.”
Oh crap…not the waterworks. She couldn’t handle her sister when she cried. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it.”
Lydia’s tears dried up instantly. “Great! Let’s go find the perfect dress that will go with my red fuck-me heels.”
Olivia gasped. “Your what-what heels?”
“My red high heels. You’ll love them,” Lydia reassured her.
She had a feeling she was getting more than what she had signed up for. Maybe coming here had been a mistake. “By the way, who’s the guy I’m supposed to go on this date with?”
“He’s one of our newer fighters. Sexy as hell.”
She felt a prickly sensation run down her spine. “His name, Lydia. What’s his name?”
“Phoenix.”
Oh my God! Phoenix was scorching hot and so not right for her. This was going to turn out badly.
Chapter 4
