A great deal. Too much, really. Tanin couldn’t blame the females for wanting to sleep.
He searched up some quick information on humans. Needing at least a basic understanding of what they required. They would only be with them for about a tenday – the time it would take to recharge, swing through subspace, then approach the keeper ship. Until he could turn them over, he needed to care for them.
“Captain?”
“Yes?” He responded without looking up.
“What are we going to do about Gissrn?”
“He violated his contract. Job is null and void. The peacekeepers can do whatever they want with him after we drop off the females. Dealing with him isn’t my business.”
“Perhaps I should have been more specific. What are we going to do about his fancy jewels in our storage compartment? They might have been distractions from the true treasures he was smuggling, but that doesn’t make them less real.”
Tanin gave his light form a look before repeating slowly, “Contract is null and void.”
“Excellent! I’ll split them up amongst the crew then. There’s enough there for each of us to get two, with sixteen left over that we can sell to improve the ship!”
Tanin smirked as he returned to his reading. “Doesn’t that just mean that you will get the extra sixteen?”
“Captain, please. The ship is my body, but we all share it equally. It’s for the good of everyone. And it will cost at least that much to get any descent repairs done on this thing.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. “Give mine to the females.”
“Sorry?”
“The two gems allocated to me. Give them to the females. For their trouble.”
Alred let out a long sigh. “You’re going to make me feel guilty for keeping mine.”
“I don’t need the credz. And if I buy their good graces, there’s more of a chance that we can get away from the peacekeepers without more than a cursory glance.”
Tanin imagined the look on Garnet’s face if she was holding that fiery red gemstone. Would she be excited? Suspicious? Grateful? He genuinely didn’t know, but he wanted to find out more than he wanted a shiny rock.
Oh, this was dangerous.
Tanin hadn’t truly desired a female in a long time. If he picked one for the night, he’d pick one he could afford and leave it at that. But he found himself actually wanting to dance. His limbs were tense with the urge to pose and show off for her.
Very dangerous. It would be best if he got them off his ship as soon as possible. Before he did something stupid. Like try to earn a smile from that feisty, brave little thing.
Chapter 8
Garnet
Waking up this time was almost as rough as it had been last time. But at least this time Garnet didn’t have to struggle to consciousness only to be immediately faced with danger. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room, but she knew where she was, and she didn’t have an immediate shot of adrenaline urging her to get up.
Probably because Goldie was right there next to her. There were two beds here, one against either wall, but they had slept together like they were children again. Partially for safety, in case something happened, but mostly for comfort.
Goldie was still sleeping when Garnet sat up, looking around. She kicked off her ankle boots by the door last night, next to Goldie’s lone slipper they’d brought back from the medbay. Though, apparently, the guy she’d kicked the second one at had returned it at some point while they were sleeping because it was sitting next to its pair like it had never been lost.
Frowning, Garnet grabbed her belly. She was hungry. It hurt, making her nauseated, as her belly cramped angrily. How long had it been since she ate? She genuinely didn’t know. Not even just because she had no idea how long she just slept, but because she didn’t know how long she’d been asleep before that, and the memories of her kidnapping were fragmented at best.
Garnet stood, stretching her sore muscles – it had to have been a while since they laid down because she was stiff on top of everything. As she worked out the kinks in her body, she turned around. Getting to know the guest room.
There wasn’t much to it. The two beds inside were probably a bit bigger than twin size – but that was more likely due to aliens being bigger than humans than any nod at luxury. She could take about two large steps between each bed, the room was that small. There was a set of drawers at the foot of her bed, and a door leading to a small bathroom at the foot of the empty bed. The toilet was in the shower, it was so small and cramped. They’d both used it last night – yesterday? She had no actual idea what time it was. It was a bit of a struggle.
But she didn’t mind that. Considering everything, she should probably just count herself lucky that she was waking up under her own power this morning.
Garnet wasn’t stupid. She knew that there was really only one reason someone would put a mind control collar on a species known for being sexy and making babies. She shuddered to think of the fate she and Goldie just narrowly escaped.
