9. Hazel

9

Hazel

How the hell did I end up in this situation? I kept asking myself that question again and again. Either way, Valmore wasn't responsible for this. He did everything to protect me from the kidnappers. He risked his life to stop Jesse and the others from violating me.

Now he was a prisoner along with me. He was as much a victim in this as I was. At least he had the wherewithal to convince them that I was his mate. They wouldn't mess with me as long as they believed that.

I had almost wished it was true too. That we were mates. It felt good whenever we were together. I only wished I could convince him that he did the right thing by acting this part for my sake .

Instead of acting like he did the right thing, he acted despondent. I kept stealing glances at him out of the corner of my eye, but he kept his eyes closed.

I wondered if he believed me when I said I had already been thinking of him in that way. And now that I knew what his mouth tasted like, and I knew what his cock felt like inside me… The attraction was stronger than ever.

A thrill went through me as I remembered what he felt like plowing into me on the mess hall table. Would I ever get to be with him again like that?

After what felt like ages, exhaustion caught up with me too. I stretched out on the floor and shut my eyes, falling asleep instantly.

I woke up in near-total darkness. I looked around for Valmore. He was no longer on the floor next to me. I sat up and noticed him standing by the porthole.

The light from outside lit up his features as he peered through it into the corridor outside. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing. They're changing the guard. That's all. Palu is out there now. Kasik is gone."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Are they going to feed us, or leave us to starve? "

He leaped away from the door. "Kasik is coming."

The lock slammed back and the big guy, Kasik, opened the door. He waved his laser rifle at us. "Get up and come with me if you want anything to eat or drink."

Valmore helped me to my feet, and we inched out of the cell. Five kidnappers lined the corridor. They all aimed their weapons at us. "Move it," Kasik said. "If you don't eat now, you won't get another chance until tomorrow. It's your choice."

Valmore kept a firm grip on my hand as we headed off down the corridor to the sanitation block where they took us after the incident in the mess hall.

The kidnappers held both of us at gunpoint while Valmore and I took turns in the bathroom. Then they marched us to the mess hall.

Instead of letting us go to the serving counter ourselves, they made us sit down at a table. Kasik brought us each a tray from the counter. He set the usual food in front of me and the usual slab of meat in front of Valmore—except that the meat had been completely cut up.

Valmore took one look at it, shrugged, and started stuffing the food into his mouth with his hands.

I ate more slowly while I looked around the mess hall. Half the crew from yesterday was gone—somewhere—operating the ship, no doubt.

"Did you contact the IPA yet?" Valmore asked.

"Not yet," Kasik replied simply.

"Why not?"

Kasik shrugged. "Orders."

Valmore and I exchanged glances. Why would the crew delay contacting the IPA?

"When do you think you will contact them?" I asked.

Kasik's eyes flickered to my face, and he slumped. "How should I know? I don't make the decisions here. You'd have to ask the captain. He's keeping me in the dark as much as you." He jerked his rifle toward the exit. "All right, let's go."

I shoveled down the last mouthfuls of food and guzzled as much water as I could muster before Kasik and his friends marched Valmore and me back to our cell. Better to be fueled up in case we got an opportunity to escape—not that I was counting on that happening.

Neither of us said anything until the door clanged shut to our impromptu prison. Kasik looked at us through the porthole the way he usually did, then took his position beside the door.

Valmore peeked through and scanned the corridor .

"How is it looking out there?" I ventured. "How many are stationed to guard us?"

"Five. They aren't taking any chances." He crossed the cell and sat down next to me. "We better sit tight and see what happens. There's no use making an escape attempt until we have some reasonable assurance that it will work."

"Why do you think the captain hasn't contacted the IPA yet?"

Valmore shrugged the same way Kasik did. "Who knows? Maybe he got a better offer."

My head shot up. "What do you mean—a better offer?"

"Maybe someone offered to pay more for us than they're asking from the IPA."

"Who would do that?" I heard my voice rising. "Who would pay over ten million credits for us ?"

"Maybe the new buyer has a use for us that goes beyond ten million credits in profit. Maybe someone wants us for something other than extorting money from the IPA. It's better we be honest with ourselves about what might be really happening."

I swallowed hard. I didn't want to think about it.

"I can't think of any other reason they would delay demanding the ransom."

My blood ran cold. Only heartless criminals traded in living people. No one would want to buy us except for some horrible purpose out of my worst nightmares.

Valmore was right. If the crew didn't contact the IPA soon, I would have to start thinking the worst too. Making an escape attempt would become the smartest move, even without being sure it would work.

I tried to remember the ship's layout. I knew almost nothing about it, but Valmore did. I turned to ask him when the lock shot back again. The sound echoed through the bare chamber and startled me.

I jumped, but when the door opened, I saw it wasn't Kasik this time. It was Jesse. I narrowed my eyes at him as Valmore snarled. "What the hell do you want?"

Jesse waved a laser pistol at him. "Get up. You're coming with me."

"Why should I?"

"You know why," Jesse fired back. "Now get up. Hurry."

I glanced over at Valmore. What did Jesse mean by that? You know why . That could imply a lot of things, none of which were good.

Valmore kept his attention locked on Jesse. He didn't see me. "I'm not going anywhere. You won't separate me from my mate."

My hair stood on end when he said it. His voice betrayed no trace of deception. Did he really mean it?

"No one will bother your mate. We all know better than that. I'll lock her in so she's waiting for you when you get back."

"Did you contact the IPA yet?" Valmore demanded.

"There's been a change of plans. You might want to hear about it, but if you don't, you can sit here and wonder. I don't give a shit." Jesse turned away like he was about to leave.

Valmore glanced over at me, but I couldn't read his eyes. He let his hand drop over my wrist, gave it a squeeze, and got to his feet, stepping out of the cell.

Valmore dipped a slight nod to me from outside, then Kasik slammed the door between us. The porthole provided me with one last view of Valmore's face before the lock engaged and he vanished.

A chill fell over the compartment after Valmore left. I didn't realize until now that having him near me gave me so much strength. I shivered and hugged my arms around my chest.

Why did the crew want to isolate Valmore from me? I might've believed they just wanted to weaken us, but Jesse's remarks cast a question mark over the entire situation.

What did he mean when he said Valmore knew why they wanted to see him? Did he know something about their plans beforehand? Was it possible that Valmore would… betray me?

I shook those thoughts out of my head. I couldn't start thinking like that just because they took Valmore out of the room. He took my safety more seriously than any bodyguard. He had proven already that he would die for me. I just had to trust in him.