women on Romaydia. Harley threw her the coin he’d intended for the boy. “See Zorm gets this.” He wanted to add ‘please’, but that word didn’t fit the image of Pardua’s right-hand man.
The woman’s eyes, expressive in their innocence, widened. “Thank you for caring, sir.” She disappeared, leaving Harley standing in the crowd, solitary yet not alone, remembering the bittersweet taste of a kiss with a woman who was the one being who could threaten his life.
When he straightened, he was surprised to see Violette facing him. She closed the distance between their bodies and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Pretend you want me,” she whispered into his ear.
“The only problem is, I don’t,” he muttered. His hard-earned reputation as the Murrach’s right-hand man wouldn’t suffer in the slightest if he indulged in some pleasure. “Get back or I’ll have you arrested for interfering with Lord Pardua’s officer,” he said harshly.
“I don’t think you want to do that,” she said, her voice muffled against his jacket. She tucked her cheek against his shoulder, apparently attempting to kiss him and lure him into her temptress’ lair. “Don’t you want to know where the lady you’re searching for is?”
Taken aback that she knew what he was doing, Harley would have stepped away, but she held on with a relentless, long-nailed grip. “Don’t you want to know? The information wouldn’t cost you anything.”
“Not even protection for you and yours?”
“Nay. The Murrach’s safeguard is only for those he considers important. He thinks nothing of women like me.” She paused, as if carefully choosing her next words. “And I have no one here.”
Her statement cut through his heart like a knife through ice, but he refused to feel compassion. It wasn’t his responsibility to take care of her. Pretending indifference, he shrugged. “What is it you know of this woman?” he growled.
Violette’s jasmine perfume floated around him, light and feminine. “She is with the Ashtari negotiator, under his protection.”
Harley stopped himself from grinding his teeth. So he’d been right. The Ashtari had probably been shielding Odessa as they strolled along the public area. Had Odessa sought the tiny man’s protection? Why?
“I mean, she is now under his shield of invisibility. I saw her go under.”
He’d figured as much. “Why are you telling me this?”
“She is of the opinion her boyfriend will come back for her, but I know better. He will not return. I don’t want her to be stuck here. Like I am. Or like the others. Despite what you think, the Murrach toys with his women before he consigns them to a life of prostitution or kills them. The women here spend years hoping their knight in shining armour will come along and save them, but that rarely happens. If some alien takes one of us off-station, no good comes of it. When he becomes bored with her, it’s easy enough to place her in an airlock and let the air out. Would you want that to happen to your woman?”
Harley heard no self-pity or regret in her tone. What he did hear was the concern she demonstrated for the others who were barred from leaving. Yet what had made her state she believed Odessa was his woman? “How did you arrive here?” he asked out of curiosity. He could do nothing for her without compromising himself.
“That is of no consequence to you,” she said, maintaining the ruse of trying to seduce him. She stroked his cheek with a whisper-gentle hand and traced a feather-light path down his thigh. He felt nothing sexual as a result of the act.
“If I helped you get off the station?” he offered, fully intending to keep his promise. He disliked the station and its dark, hostile atmosphere.
“I am here for my lifetime. I accept that, but there are those who cannot or will not accept this type of living as their fate. I try to help them because they can’t help themselves. They are the ones who need your
The woman’s eyes, expressive in their innocence, widened. “Thank you for caring, sir.” She disappeared, leaving Harley standing in the crowd, solitary yet not alone, remembering the bittersweet taste of a kiss with a woman who was the one being who could threaten his life.
When he straightened, he was surprised to see Violette facing him. She closed the distance between their bodies and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Pretend you want me,” she whispered into his ear.
“The only problem is, I don’t,” he muttered. His hard-earned reputation as the Murrach’s right-hand man wouldn’t suffer in the slightest if he indulged in some pleasure. “Get back or I’ll have you arrested for interfering with Lord Pardua’s officer,” he said harshly.
“I don’t think you want to do that,” she said, her voice muffled against his jacket. She tucked her cheek against his shoulder, apparently attempting to kiss him and lure him into her temptress’ lair. “Don’t you want to know where the lady you’re searching for is?”
Taken aback that she knew what he was doing, Harley would have stepped away, but she held on with a relentless, long-nailed grip. “Don’t you want to know? The information wouldn’t cost you anything.”
“Not even protection for you and yours?”
“Nay. The Murrach’s safeguard is only for those he considers important. He thinks nothing of women like me.” She paused, as if carefully choosing her next words. “And I have no one here.”
Her statement cut through his heart like a knife through ice, but he refused to feel compassion. It wasn’t his responsibility to take care of her. Pretending indifference, he shrugged. “What is it you know of this woman?” he growled.
Violette’s jasmine perfume floated around him, light and feminine. “She is with the Ashtari negotiator, under his protection.”
Harley stopped himself from grinding his teeth. So he’d been right. The Ashtari had probably been shielding Odessa as they strolled along the public area. Had Odessa sought the tiny man’s protection? Why?
“I mean, she is now under his shield of invisibility. I saw her go under.”
He’d figured as much. “Why are you telling me this?”
“She is of the opinion her boyfriend will come back for her, but I know better. He will not return. I don’t want her to be stuck here. Like I am. Or like the others. Despite what you think, the Murrach toys with his women before he consigns them to a life of prostitution or kills them. The women here spend years hoping their knight in shining armour will come along and save them, but that rarely happens. If some alien takes one of us off-station, no good comes of it. When he becomes bored with her, it’s easy enough to place her in an airlock and let the air out. Would you want that to happen to your woman?”
Harley heard no self-pity or regret in her tone. What he did hear was the concern she demonstrated for the others who were barred from leaving. Yet what had made her state she believed Odessa was his woman? “How did you arrive here?” he asked out of curiosity. He could do nothing for her without compromising himself.
“That is of no consequence to you,” she said, maintaining the ruse of trying to seduce him. She stroked his cheek with a whisper-gentle hand and traced a feather-light path down his thigh. He felt nothing sexual as a result of the act.
“If I helped you get off the station?” he offered, fully intending to keep his promise. He disliked the station and its dark, hostile atmosphere.
“I am here for my lifetime. I accept that, but there are those who cannot or will not accept this type of living as their fate. I try to help them because they can’t help themselves. They are the ones who need your
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