by Abel, Regine
“It is warranted. Anton has been looking into the bastard,” I said through clenched teeth. “He’s only scratched the surface so far, but Luther is in deep financial jeopardy and multiplying the shady deals to extricate himself from the mess he’s drowning in. There are at least four more of his girls caught in a questionable contract, although Hope’s was the worst. Anton is building the case to evict him from the station without owing him the slightest compensation. But Luther has been wise enough to perform his illegal trade off the station, where my son has no jurisdiction.”
My com beeped, requesting my authorization for the funds transfer. As soon as I authorized it, I rose to my feet, feeling almost choked in the tiny space.
“Let me out of this damn closet of yours,” I snarled. “If you wish to continue doing business with me, you will set up a proper space for us to discuss in the future, or I will select our meeting place.”
Despite his smile, Roman still looked disturbed about my revelations as he stood up as well before approaching me. “You always have such a sunny disposition,” he said, slapping the back of my shoulder. “You just secured your woman for the next couple of years, and you’re about to rub it in the face of the bastard you just took her away from. So smile, you old grump.”
I harrumphed, not yet willing to let go of my grumpiness—in large part due to my lingering discomfort at having been so confined. I could handle almost anything except being stuck in small spaces or physically restrained. It drove me even more insane than I was.
Roman commed his driver to have him meet us out front of the building. But just as he reached a hand to call the lift, the broker paused then gave me an assessing look. I raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“I do not mean to pry into your private affairs,” the broker said carefully. “However, I would be failing in my duties by not reminding you that although Hope has a contraceptive implant, it is not calibrated for Braxians. Do what you wish with that information.”
I flinched. That thought had been at the forefront of my mind since my first time with Hope. With my rabid hunger, I had spilled my seed deep within her too many times to count over the past week. Her blossoming scent also hinted that she was entering her fertile season. The possibility of my seed taking root was high. I couldn’t even pretend that it had been fully subconscious on my part. To my shame, I’d done the same with Marla. After a few months with me on Braxia, she’d realized it wasn’t the easy life of constant partying she’d hoped for, and that I wasn’t swimming in wealth as she’d initially believed. But I’d been so smitten with her, I’d thought getting her pregnant would force her to stay, if only out of love for our child. What a fool I’d been.
And here I am repeating the same mistake.
“Is she aware?” I asked in a thankfully neutral tone, despite the tension stiffening my spine.
“We have not discussed the matter. I had planned on bringing it up at the moment of signing the contract, for which I’d assumed Hope would be present,” Roman said.
“She gave you power of attorney,” I said defensively. “And I want to surprise her.”
“Of course,” Roman said in a conciliatory tone, before pressing on the button. “My duty is now done. Let’s go say hello to Luther. I can’t stay as other duties call me, but I’ll be damned if I miss the ‘are you fucking kidding me’ look on his face when you drop that bomb.”
Chuckling, I entered the elevator, already reveling in that man’s future dismay.
* * *
Azoria, the same Dantorian female that had served us during our first visit to Bacchus, greeted us again. This time, I didn’t avoid drinking that Bacchus Special Roman was so intent on making me ingurgitate while we waited for Luther to come out of whatever call he was currently having. The deceptively sweet and mild-tasting mixed drink actually packed a punch after a few minutes when you least expected it. I could see myself messing with my clansmen with this, assuming I got them to get over the sweetness. Fruity and sugary drinks weren’t deemed manly enough and thus left for the females to enjoy.
I stared without seeing at a pair of females on the main stage performing an erotic dance together, my thoughts locked on my two beauties and the look on their faces once I would announce that they were now mine. Fear and excitement warred within me. I wanted to believe Hope would be genuinely thrilled, that it hadn’t been an act, that I hadn’t imagined the magic between us…
“I’ll call you back,” Roman said, ending the conversation he, too, was having on his com, pulling me out of my musing. “He’s coming,” he added for me, gesturing with his chin towards the hidden passage on the opposite side from the lifts to the suites.
A strained smile played on Luther’s lips while he approached us, a wary glimmer in his eyes as they flicked towards Roman. His gaze wandered over my shoulder—probably looking for Hope—before settling on my face. Luther’s welcoming expression faded at the sight of the feral grin I gave him. He made no effort to hide his concern as he stopped a couple of feet in front of the same high table we were sitting at.
“Mr. Aldriss? How can I be of service to you today?” Luther asked in a voice filled with tension.
I fished my com out of my pocket, pulled up the funds transfer confirmation showing him as beneficiary, and laid it down onto the table in front of me.
“You can help me by fetching the key to Hope’s collar. She no longer needs it,” I said smugly, indicating the com with my chin.
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Roman biting the inside of his cheeks not to laugh at Luther going through the first three stages of grief in a split second. Mouth gaping the owner of Bacchus stared at my com as if it had grown a head and limbs and was performing an Avean folk dance. He then shook his head, his eyes flicking between Roman and me, appearing to wait for us to tell him it was a joke. When we continued to stoically stare at him, anger rapidly took over his features.
“You can’t have her!” he snapped, abandoning any semblance of civility or deference. Teeth clenched, he brutally pushed the com away from him, towards me, as if he found its sight offensive—which he probably did. “Hope’s contract is not for sale. She’s mine. She will repay me, in whatever form I see fit! I don’t need your fucking credits. I will have my bank reverse the transaction immediately,” he said, fumbling to pull his own com out of his pocket.
“No, you slimy little worm,” I said with all the contempt he inspired me, not to mention a sliver of anger he would dare claim my female as his. “I don’t give two shits about whether you want to sell her contract or not. I already bought it. See, you may have screwed her over with that barely legal contract you trapped her in, you neglected to include an exclusivity clause.”
Rising to my feet, I circled around the table to tower over the human who looked scrawny before me. He cast a scared look at Roman who casually leaned back against the backrest of his chair before tilting his head to the side with curiosity. Luther glanced around the room, which was already quite packed despite the still early hour of the day. I couldn’t say if he was looking for help or trying to reassure himself that there were enough witnesses around that I wouldn’t dare raise a hand on him.
The fool. Didn’t they tell him I was crazy?
“You… You can’t buy her because she’s already sold to someone else,” Luther said swiftly, taking a step backwards. He nervously glanced at the room again, his pale complexion turning chalky with fear.
This time, it was my turn to scan the room. Luther was terrified—not that I cared about his state of mind—but my gut told me the source of that fear was within this room, and that it involved my woman, our daughter, or both. And that I deeply cared about. However, with many of the patrons having sensed an unfolding drama, too many of them were looking at us for me to pinpoint one in particular. Well, aside from a Sarenian who—contrary to the other customers who were watching with a certain degree of wariness—appeared tremendously amused by the scene.
“That’s a lie,” Roman inte
rjected while swirling his drink around the glass. “I checked the public registry before completing the transaction, and then sent the notice of acquisition payment to the Registrar. So, should you refuse to release a Servant that is no longer yours, I will be forced to file complaints for the twelve or so articles of law you will be infringing upon, a few of them criminal in nature. We don’t want that, do we?”
Luther’s mouth opened and closed a few times, and he appeared on the verge of hyperventilating. Under different circumstances, I might have felt sorry for the man, but his obvious distress pleased me tremendously.
“I will give you another female,” Luther pleaded with near desperation in his voice. For a moment, I actually thought he would get down on his knees. “No, two! I will give you two females, younger, fresher, to do with as you please. I can’t give you Hope. She—”
“What you will give me is the fucking key I asked for, or I will drag you by that scrawny neck of yours to go fetch it,” I hissed, taking another menacing step towards him. “You do not want to test me.”
For a split second, Luther appeared to want to continue arguing and pleading. Just as I was wondering if he’d lost his mind, Luther’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and he nodded, looking haggard. Turning on his heels, he walked away with the heavy steps of a dead man walking. I cast a look over my shoulder at Roman who was slowly approaching me, his gaze locked on Luther’s receding back.
“Is his fear over losing Hope or her daughter?” I asked the broker.
“Both,” he said pensively. “Whatever shady deal he was involved in, he’s clearly royally fucked. I suggest you keep a close eye on your females,” Roman added with a wary tone. “Desperate people do stupid things. And this fellow is beyond desperate.”
I nodded slowly, the same thought having crossed my mind. “We’re leaving either tonight or first thing tomorrow. Not that it matters all that much. Anton will be kicking him off Lilith Hive in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I trust you to finalize the outstanding deals on my behalf.”
“Most certainly,” Roman said with a smile. “I want to collect my fees.”
I snorted and shook my head at the silly man. His fees were quite steep, but the quality of his services justified it. If he recommended a deal, you could go in blindly knowing you’d make a ton of credits on the other side.
The weight of many stares lingered on me, but my eyes kept turning to the slightly glowing ones of the Sarenian. He didn’t stare more intently than anyone else, but there was some major tension between our peoples due to their semi-official alliance with the Guldans. Luther returning, looking sickly pale, drew my attention away from the disturbingly handsome face of the Sarenian.
“Is there no way I can sway you?” Luther asked in a last-ditch effort. “Whatever you may think of my contract with her, Hope means everything to me. I—”
“Give me the fucking key,” I interrupted, not in the least interested in his bullshit change of tactics.
I extended my open palm towards him and, with a pained sigh, Luther dropped the key in my hand with shaky fingers.
“Good day to you, Mr. Stromland,” I said, possessively fisting the key—which simply looked like a drop-shaped key fob—before turning on my heels.
Nodding in goodbye to Roman who would shortly be meeting with customers here, I left the parlor, eager to return to the hotel to break the news to my woman.
But I had a little detour to make first.
Chapter 8
Hope
All morning, I’d been rehearsing my speech to Krygor. Well, not so much a speech as much as the way I’d ease into the topic of my contract and the many reasons he had to keep Siona and me. But as soon as the door of our hotel suite opened, my mind went completely blank. Mouth dry, heart pounding, I ran a nervous hand through my hair and flattened the non-existent creases on my short, flowy, summer dress.
“Hope?” Krygor called out from the living area.
“Coming!” I replied, casting a sideways glance at myself in the mirror before leaving the bedroom.
The warm and welcoming smile on my face froze at the sight of the breathtaking female by Krygor’s side. At least 6’3, copper skin, the face and body of a goddess, with the longest, wavy, dark hair I’d ever seen, I initially thought her human until I noticed the cheetah-like spots alongside her neck, arms and legs.
Oh Goddess, a Veredian!
Under different circumstances, I would have been fawning over the stunning female of the legendary species. They had faced such incredible odds, rising from near extinction and enslavement at the hands of my people, to become the most powerful species in both Quadrants of the known galaxy. But she was everything Roman had warned me people wanting to buy Indentured Servants were looking for: exotically beautiful, young, fresh, and unique. Everything I wasn’t.
My heart shattered while my blood turned to acid in my veins. Throat almost too tight to breathe, I blinked to keep at bay the tears prickling my eyes as all my hopes and dreams fell apart around me. I’d truly fallen for my giant, and I’d foolishly believed he had genuine feelings for me. Knowing how devastated Siona would also be further compounded the pain clawing at my heart.
But I wouldn’t make a spectacle of myself.
Years of experience wearing the perfect hostess’ mask even while dying inside kicked into action. That was the one thing I could thank my Guldan upbringing for. No matter your pain, distress, and misery, it was a female’s duty to always put up a happy front in order to never embarrass or indispose a male.
“There she is,” Krygor said with the possessive pride and warmth he’d always displayed when looking at me. “Hope, this is Thesala, a friend. Thesala, this is my little Vaya, Hope.”
Baffled, it took every ounce of my willpower not to show my confusion. Instead, I played along, giving the stunning female a friendly smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Thesala,” I said, blown away that my words had come out so cordially—in fact, blown away that any word had managed to come out at all.
“The pleasure is all mine, Hope,” the Veredian replied with a gentle, sultry voice that made me feel even more inadequate before such perfection.
“If you would give us a moment, Thesala, I would like to have a word in private with Hope first before we proceed,” Krygor said in a kind voice.
The expression on his face when he looked at her was friendly and devoid of the lust and fire that usually burned within them when he gazed upon me. Was I jumping to conclusions too quickly? After all, the Veredians and Braxians had become strong allies since the sister of their military leader had married the Braxian king.
“Of course, no problem,” Thesala replied with a smile.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Krygor said with a grateful smile, gesturing at the plush leather couches in the living area. “And don’t be shy; help yourself to anything in the bar. We’ll try to be quick.”
Krygor possessively took my hand, which further added to my confusion. Refusing to give myself any false hopes, I docilely followed him as he led me back into the bedroom and closed the door behind us. Letting go of me, he walked to an inconspicuous panel next to the large, wooden dresser and activated a hidden sensor I hadn’t even realized existed. The panel slid open revealing a safe. Krygor held his palm up before it, and a pale blue light scanned it before the safe opened. He pulled out a flat and square dark grey box with an elegant brand name printed in swirling maroon letters on top—the traditional Braxian colors. I couldn’t read it from where I stood, even after he laid it down on top of the dresser.
“Come to me, Hope,” Krygor said in almost a whisper, the intensity of his gaze making me squirm.
Pulse racing, I complied, my knees feeling wobbly. I could barely breathe as I stopped a couple of feet in front of him, my eyes flicking between his. He cupped my face between his hands with infinite care. The tenderness with which he examined my features turned me inside out. Despite the fear gnawing at me, a flimsy flame rekindle
d on the dying embers of hope deep within me.
Leaning forward, he captured my lips in a slow kiss, devoid of the usual animal passion, but filled with something akin to love that had me melting against him, my hands fisting his shirt with near desperation. Too soon, he released me. I kept on clinging to him, my entire body shaking with a mix of fear and overwhelming emotions from that incredible kiss. No one had ever made me feel more cherished than he just had.
Krygor reached for something in his pants. I stared at his hand trying to see what the dark grey, flat, tear-shaped object between his fingers could be. And then he pressed it to the lock of my collar. My jaw dropped, and my eyes all but popped out of my head when it loosened around my neck. Krygor removed the wretched mark of Luther’s ownership on me and tossed it with disgust into the trash bin.
My hands flew to my liberated neck, rubbing it with disbelief while my mind—which had all but frozen—tried to grasp what that meant. I knew, and yet I didn’t dare to believe. As I stared speechlessly at my giant, mouth gaping, he reached out for the luxurious box on the dresser and opened it. Within, a thin, black leather choker with intricate patterns made of leather repoussé technique surrounded the central plated strands of nyrian crystal crushed into fine threads. And in the middle, a large gem matching my eye color had been inserted.
My lips quivered, and my vision blurred with tears of joy as Krygor raised the collar towards me. I stretched my neck and lifted my hair to ease his task while he clasped it on me.
“You will never see Luther again,” Krygor said in that deep, rumbling voice I adored. “I am the only male you will ever touch and dance for. You are legally mine, and I do not share what’s mine.”
“You bought my contract,” I said in a quivering voice, tears pouring down my face while a grateful grin stretched my lips. “I feared you were going to leave without me… without us.”
“I would never leave you behind, my Hope. Have I not told you how much you have pleased me?” Krygor asked, looking somewhat baffled.
