The warriors climb down off the pallet and I use my holographic lock pick to break the code on the huge crate. We watch in awe as the sides slowly unfurl to reveal the treasure hidden inside. A hoard of gemstones comes spilling out onto the floor.
I motion for the warrior leading this mission to take his bonus first. He bends down and carefully selects what he wants. Each crew member takes what can fit in one hand. The rest will be sold, and my crew will be paid equally. The crew members who risked themselves always get a bonus share.
I watch with pride as each warrior picks through the pile of treasure for whatever catches his fancy. Some will sell their bonus to provide luxuries for their families, while others will save theirs for dowries or dole them out to the females in their lives. At last I kneel to take my share of the bounty. Running my hands through the pile, something catches my eye. I see several gemstones that reflect the color of the rainbow. These are incredibly valuable, so I gather them up and round out my handful with a variety of other precious stones. Standing, I pivot around to see my crew’s smiling faces. Sliding the gemstones into my pockets, I ask cheerfully, “Are we ready for Pralor Six? Where the drinks are cheap and whores are willing!” My words are met with a boisterous round of cheering and thumping of chests.
Lehar comes to accept the responsibility of sorting, counting and stowing our latest haul. Of course, he will get a bonus to compensate him for the backbreaking and tedious work.
“Do you have any specific instructions, sir?”
Dropping one of the rainbow-colored stones in his hand, I flash him a smile. “These are worth more than the rest. Reserve them for the ship’s safe. They should be enough to power the ship and keep us in repairs for at least a solar year.”
“As usual, I will separate out your sire’s cut from the remaining stones.”
“Someday very soon the stupid fucker will be paying me tribute.”
“I can hardly wait, sir. Shall I gift Alana and her daughters?”
“Absolutely. It always royally pisses my father off when I send them trinkets.”
“He’s a possessive bastard.”
Slapping him on the back, I agree. “That he is, my friend. Happy counting.”
Frowning, he responds dejectedly, “There’s nothing happy about sorting and grading thousands of stones, sir. I’ll be lucky to spend a day in the sunshine on Pralor Six, much less enjoy a professional seductress.”
I turn on my heel and stroll towards the door. Glancing over my shoulder, I see him standing there staring at the gemstone. “You should take a double bonus for missing shore-leave to sort this out.” A gigantic smile spreads across his face. Since he’s grading the stones, his two handfuls will be of the finest quality. It’s a generous bonus but Lehar has more than earned it.
I open the door to the lower hold and seek out the room we’re keeping the brooder in. She’s sitting on the floor with her back against the far wall, a blanket wrapped around her small frame.
“I thought you might have forgotten about me.”
“That’s not likely. You’re one of the most fascinating females I’ve met in a very long time. We’re stopping by Pralor Six. My warriors are going stir crazy. They need to blow off some steam.”
“Well I guess I won’t be seeing anyone for a while. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll just sit right here, rationing my food and hydro packs.”
Sighing, I shake my head. “Why are you always so dramatic?”
“Why are you here, Tarion the Great?”
“I don’t appreciate you mangling my name.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re not.”
“I know.”
I grin. “Love the honesty, my pretty.”
“I’m not yours, I’m mine.”
“You’re under my protection for the time being and I have an offer for you.”
“No, you can’t whore me out on Pralor Six. I’m aware that you probably think you’ll make a small fortune, but you won’t. After I maim a few of them, you’ll end up paying more than you earned.”
That’s my fierce new female. “I’ve decided this cold lonely cell is no place for a woman of your obvious charm.”
Snorting a laugh, she comes to her feet and begins moving towards me. The hopeful expression on her face makes my chest ache.
“I was thinking that if you promise to behave yourself, I might let you stay in my quarters. We can fool around or not. We’ll see how it goes. What do you think of that offer?”
“Yes. I’m dying to see your quarters. The fooling around or not is an obvious bonus.”
“Not so fast. I have a few ground rules.”
“Anything, you name it.”
Cooperation is her middle name right now it seems. “No going through my things, stealing or hogging the bedding. In fact, you sleep on the floor.”
Her enthusiasm wanes a bit. Chewing on my bottom lip, I look her over. Was she really that excited about sharing my bed? I wouldn’t have thought that would interest her at all after the last dressing down she gave me.
“No running around the ship unescorted. No stealing. No fraternizing with my crew. No complaining to them or trying to get them to let you escape, either. Also, no talking about what goes on behind the door to my quarters.”
“I agree to those terms.”
I stand staring at her as she slides the blanket off her shoulders and steps closer to the door. For one brief second, I have the worst feeling that this is going to go very poorly.
Her voice draws my attention. “I’ll do everything you say. I promise I won’t screw this up for you.”
Her voice sounds earnest, and she looks like she’s being truthful. I reach over and place my hand on the scanning plate and a blue light begins to scan my finger and palm prints. I feel a tiny prick as the unit matches my DNA. “Release
