Abducted Read online

“Probably nothin’ you don’t already know. That he keeps his ‘treasures’ as he calls them, hidden away and it’s fuckin’ impossible to get in to see them unless you’re a wealthy investor who might buy one at an exorbitant price.”

  Sarden nodded. “I know all that. I’ve smuggled several shipments for the bastard but he’s never once offered to let me see his private collection, even though I’ve been in his compound twice.”

  “Excuse me,” I said. “Not to interrupt but if he sells his, uh, exhibits sometimes, why not just buy Sellah back? I mean…” I lowered my voice and spoke in Sarden’s ear. “Don’t you have enough money, er, credit from selling all that medical-torture stuff to Count Creepy? Especially since you didn’t have to pay to have the ship’s panels replaced?”

  “I thought about that but Tazaxx won’t sell to me.” Sarden sounded frustrated.

  “What? Why not?” I asked.

  “Because…” He sighed. “We had a…dispute over the last shipment I smuggled for him. Terrinian quarthogs. He wanted to pay less than he’d offered in the first place so I offloaded the whole lot to another merchant. Once you piss Tazaxx off, he’ll never deal with you again.”

  “But what about…I thought that was why you got me in the first place?” I said to Sarden. “So he would deal with you. Make a trade with you.”

  “That would have been different—a trade doesn’t involve credit changing hands,” he said. “It’s not the same thing to a Gord.” He shrugged. “But even so, I don’t know if he would have gone for it. He hates me—he’d be glad to cause me pain by withholding Sellah just because I want her back so badly.”

  “My employer is in the same situation,” Grav rumbled. “He offended Tazaxx and now he’s paying the price. Gords never forgive an offense—they hold on to a grudge like it’s fuckin’ credit.”

  “Wait—your employer?” Sarden raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t strike me as the kind who goes to work for a regular paycheck, Grav.”

  “Oh, I don’t—contract work only. I’m too much of a son-of-a-bitch to work with on a regular basis.” Grav grinned. “I’m a Protector now.”

  Sarden’s eyebrows went even higher.

  “You? A Protector?”

  “I’m fuckin’ hurt.” Grav put a hand to his broad chest. “You don’t think I’m Protector material?”

  “It’s just…surprising, that’s all.” Sarden shrugged. “But of course a male has to do what he wants with his life.”

  “Excuse me,” I said, butting in again. “But what’s a Protector and why shouldn’t your old friend be one?”

  Sarden looked uncomfortable but Grav answered me without hesitation.

  “A Protector is a sentinel for hire—I shield my wards from harm or in some cases, like my current job, I retrieve them when they’re in danger. I put my life on the line to keep them safe—but the position requires them to trust me completely.”

  “Oh,” I said. “So, kind of like a bodyguard slash rescuer?”

  He inclined his massive head. “In a way.”

  “But…” I shook my head. “I still don’t understand why you think Sarden thinks it’s odd for you to be a bodyguard…er, Protector.”

  “Probably because I’m also a murderer.” Grav spoke matter-of-factly, as though it was no big deal. I threw Sarden a glance from the corner of my eye and saw that his facial expression hadn’t changed. But his hand on my shoulder tightened and he drew me a little bit closer to his big body.

  “Ooookay,” I said at last, when the silence that had fallen between us was getting really uncomfortable. “Well, that’s not awkward.”

  “Just answerin’ your question.” Grav shrugged.

  “So who are you protecting now?” I asked. “You said it’s some guy who crossed Tazaxx like Sarden did?”

  “No, my employer isn’t my ward—he just pays the bills. In fact, I don’t ward males at all.”

  “You don’t?” I asked.

  Grav shook his head, the polished tips of his horns gleaming in the dim light.

  “Fuck no. Any male who can’t protect himself doesn’t deserve my help. I work strictly for females—I ward and protect those in danger—especially if they’re being threatened by a male.”

  He cracked his knuckles menacingly, making me suddenly glad I had girly parts. I wouldn’t want to be the guy he was after for mistreating a female, that was for damn sure.

  “That’s…very chivalrous of you,” I said, my throat dry. “But if you’re not protecting your employer, then who—?”

  “It’s my client’s granddaughter—only twelve cycles old. I warded her for over a year and then her grandmother decided to take her on a trip without me—something about the mysteries of femalehood…becoming a woman—I don’t know.” He shook his head in disgust. “Anyway, pirates attacked their ship. The grandmother was killed and my ward was snatched up and sold to Tazaxx for his damn zoo.”

  His face had gone cold as he told the story, the easy good humor disappearing from his white-on-black eyes and leaving them hard as stones.

  “Only twelve years old?” I whispered, feeling a surge of pity for the girl. “That’s awful! Is she…is she all right? Did they…?”

  “I don’t know exactly what they did to her.” Grav’s voice was a low growl. “I have to get her back first to find out. Then I’ll punish the ones who took her. And believe me, if they laid so much as a finger on her before delivering her to Tazaxx…”

  He seemed to grow bigger somehow, if that was even possible, and if I had thought he was scary before, well, he was freaking terrifying now. I wouldn’t have been the pirates who had captured and sold his ward for all the world. They were going to be in a universe of pain if Grav caught them and something told me he wouldn’t stop until he did.

  “And you think Tazaxx has her—your ward—in his exhibit?” Sarden asked.

  Grav nodded. “I know it. But getting in to find her is a problem.”

  “But…if there’s going to be an auction, couldn’t your, uh, employer just buy her there?” I asked. “And the same for Sellah—couldn’t you just buy her at the auction?”

  “Of course—if we were sure that Tazaxx had them marked to go to the auction,” Sarden said. “We don’t know that. We don’t know what he plans to do and he’s sure as hell not going to share his plans with me. He told me last time we spoke that he never wanted to see my face again.”

  His words sparked something inside me—an idea. It might be a really stupid idea, I wasn’t sure—but that didn’t keep me from speaking up.

  “Why does he have to see your face?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?” He frowned at me.

  “I mean, you said that he sells to wealthy investors sometimes, right? So why not pretend to be one and get in his compound that way?”

  “That’s a damn good idea,” Grav rumbled. “If you’ve got technology that will defeat his facial scanning software. If he recognizes you, you’ll be out on your ass before you even step foot in the door.”

  “Will this do it?” I asked, pointing at the Grubbian mask I was wearing. “I mean, can you use the smart-fabric to make something that will fool his tech and get you into his compound?”

  Sarden frowned. “Well, technically yes, the smart-fabric should be able to do it. That’s the reason it’s illegal almost everywhere.”

  “Well, then—that’s it!” I was starting to get excited about my plan. “Just have Al synthesize you a mask and go in pretending to be some wealthy entrepreneur with a taste for exotic females. You could buy Sellah and the other girl—what’s her name?” I looked at Grav.

  “Teeny,” he said promptly. “Teeny Kiv’orop.”

  “Right. Buy Sellah and Teeny right there and get them out before the auction,” I said.

  “It’s not that easy,” Sarden growled. “He won’t let just anyone in. Gords are very selective.”

  “That’s true,” Grav said thoughtfully. “You can’