The Whore by Lilli Feisty Page B

Still bent, he looked up through his hair. “Sir, I truly think we are on the verge of discovering what you seek. Just one more venture—uh.”
    Another punch assaulted his abdomen. One more hit like that and the remains of Xander’s salt-cod breakfast would be spewed over Viven’s expensive exotic rug.
    Viven glanced to the small bowl of burning sage on his desk. “I am a forgiving man. I am a patient man. I paid you to do a job, and you have failed. Twice.” He waved his hand at a guard, and Xander was thrust forward until he was bent over Viven’s desk. Then there was a yank as his wrists were untied. The next thing he knew, Xander’s hands were pushed flat on the marble surface, held firmly by Viven’s minions. Xander struggled, but they easily overpowered him. And even if he could mange to free himself, the oafs had already disarmed him of the knives he kept strapped to his thighs at all times.
    Hadn’t you meant to brush up on your hand-to-hand fighting skills? He grunted. His knives were his weapon of choice. Fists were so...messy.
    But, as Viven picked up a lighting stick, Xander had a feeling things were about to get a lot messier.
    Fuck.
    Every muscle in Xander’s body tensed. “Sir, I assure you I’ll attain what you desire. I just need a bit more time.”
    Viven placed the end of the burning stick into the glowing sage. “More time. We all need more time, don’t we?” When the tip of the stick was burning with a small orange flame, he looked up. “I will give you more time.”
    “Great. Now I’ll just be on my way—”
    Xander tried to stand, but the guards tightened their grip, totally immobilizing him. “Not yet.” Viven held the burning stick so it hovered just above Xander’s right hand. “I want more.”
    “I understand.”
    “No. I don’t think you do.” Viven stabbed the fiery tip into Xander’s skin. He screamed. The burn pierced his hand, pain shooting out of each nerve and up his arm. He sucked in a breath as the stick’s ember died, buried in a small hole in his skin.
    Finally, panting, he regained his breath. His mouth still watered, and he experienced a nearly overwhelming urge to spit into Viven’s face.
    You’ve just been beaten in the gut, and had a burning stick put out in your hand. You’re restrained, and you have no weapons. Spitting in your Payer’s face probably isn’t a good idea at this juncture.
    Viven lifted the smoking stick out of his skin. “The way I see it, you owe me, Captain.”
    “Fine,” he bit out. “What do you want?”
    “What I originally hired you to acquire.” His pointy tongue darted out, and he licked his lips. “And more.”
    Xander stared into the black glasses perched on the Payer’s face. “What more?”
    “Your ship.”
    “No fucking way.”
    His outburst was rewarded with a kick to the back of his knee. His leg jerked forward, banging his kneecap on the marble of the front of the desk. Shit. Just because he was a pirate did not mean he wanted a metal leg. Still, he said, “With all due respect, sir, I can’t give up my boat.”
    Viven leaned back in his chair and nibbled on the clean edge of the burning stick. “You misunderstand me, Captain. It’s not just your ship I’m going to own. It’s your ship, your crew and you. The way I see it, you owe me. Big time. And seeing as you can’t possibly repay me, I’ll take my payment how I see fit. And how I see fit is to own you—and what’s yours.”
     
    “I hate it when you do this.”
    Brynn looked up from the men’s shirt she was currently buttoning. “I know you do, Ayla. But I’m nearly out of arre’tes, and with the docks as busy as they are tonight, I need to seize the moment.”
    It wasn’t a lie. Bryn’s tin of the cinnamon mixture she used for rolling blunts was running low. That and she needed to obtain the rare sea sponge she used for contraception. Contraception wasn’t allowed. Babies were immediately taken to the High Priestess and sent on a