Nobody – God or Aurelian – could resist such beauty for so long, even with duty and pride on the line.
Allie looks back and forth between the three of us. I sense resignation from her.
“Please,” she stammers. “Would you at least let me gather my things?”
Kitos gives Daccia a sharp glance. “She’s very smart, brother. Her ‘things’ could conceal a weapon.”
I look at Kitos, then to Allie, and finally back to Kitos. I’m wondering what he sees in her that I don’t. This woman is obviously as smart as a whip – but I’ve seen no suggestion of violence coming from her. This woman’s weapon is her body – and quite a weapon at that. She’d trick, connive and con – not resort to brutal violence, like I or my battle-brothers would.
There’s a hard knock on the door behind us.
“Spur says you can look at the goods – but if you want to sample them, it’s an extra thousand-credit fee.”
The voice belongs to the Toad. I snort – his voice is nervous. That disgusting creature clearly doesn’t relish being the one that has to get between three horny Aurelians and an attractive woman. He’s probably used to being the biggest, most threatening creature in this club; but he knows we Aurelians could break his body without breaking a sweat.
I snap my head to Daccia. “We have only three thousand credits. We might need to fight our way out of here.”
The leader of our triad grunts. We’ve negotiated the private viewing of a female we said we might buy as a slave. Now she’s here with us, we’re all just barely holding back our mating rage. It’s hardly the best example an Aurelian Law Enforcement officer can set.
5
Kitos
I need to think quickly.
My battle brothers are even more clouded by lust than I am – and I’m barely holding on to reason.
We’ve got a henchman on the other side of that door – one who is never going to believe we’re Aurelian Law Enforcement. Hell, if I didn’t have a badge in my pocket, I’d doubt we were right now. We might as well have gone Rogue, the way we’re leering at Allie with lust in our eyes and raging erections in our suit pants.
“Daccia,” I telepath. “We can’t waste time. We need to make a break for it.”
Our leader snarls, but he knows it’s true. In terms of the practicalities of that – well, there are three of us, and only the Toad can stand up to any of us physically.
But our concern is that if we try to take Allie from this place by force, Spur and his human henchmen might start shooting – and our charge might be injured or killed in the exchange. This is bad for two reasons:
Firstly, that when Aurelian Law Enforcement capture a prisoner, they become fully responsible for him or her. If Spur or one of his men killed or injured Allie, we’d be the ones held responsible.
Secondly, given the lust she’s inflamed in us, would any of us three be willing to let Allie get hurt? Or let her death or injury go unavenged?
No – which means we have to protect her.
Okay – onto the administrative side of the issue. That needs to be resolved before we can bust our way out of here.
I turned to Allie, and growl: “I am Officer Kitos, and by the power vested in me by the Aurelian Empire, I declare you under arrest.”
Still in Daccia’s lap – barely dressed in that bra and skirt – Allie’s eyes flash with a mixture of anger and outrage.
I continue speaking:
“Allie Tabber, you’re arrested on three charges of theft in excess of 100,000 credits, plus two charges of fraud, and one charge of inciting rebellion.”
Rebellion. That’s the charge that amounts to ten years of her twenty-year sentence. Rebellion can mean anything from trying to mount an insurrection to simply escaping a planet when you’re on the list of criminals.
Allie’s lip trembles. I see right through her, even if my battle-brothers can’t. She’s not a weak, vulnerable girl like she pretends to be. She’s a dangerous vixen.
Allie Tabber was able to fool three Elites – fucking Elites. It wasn’t just any Aurelian triad she’d infiltrated and stole from. They were the highest of the high – part of the upper echelon of Aurelian society. They lost their riches at her hands, and then their status for shaming their rank by falling victim to her deception.
Allie Tabber is the most alluring female I’ve ever laid eyes on – but I won’t let the same fate befall me, or my battle-brothers.
“You take the girl,” telepaths Daccia. I step forward and grab Allie in my arms, lifting her from our leader’s lap.
Still sporting a tent in the front of his suit pants, Daccia bolts forward – breaking down the door with one massive kick.
6
Allie
One moment I’m being read my charges.
The next I’m being grabbed.
I don’t even have a moment to think of my next move before one of these huge aliens – the one called Kitos – snatches me up, out of his leader’s lap, and throws me abruptly over his shoulder like I’m just a child.
Before I can process that indignity, Daccia leaps up and slams his foot against the door of the private room – smashing it open and obliterating anything behind it.
As the dust settles, I gasp – seeing Obbit laid flat on his back in the hallway.
Obbit – the five-hundred-pound Toad, who’d pinned me to the wall earlier like I was nothing. That burly Aurelian just knocked the enormous Toad down like he weighed less than I did.
As satisfying as it was to watch Obbit whimpering on the ground, I realized it was bad news for me.
I’d been utterly wrong in my read. From their huge erections,
