Merchandise by Angelique Voisen Page B

okay, baby. You’ve done your
part, and now it’s our turn.” He continued to soothe her, stroking the length
of her spine until she calmed down.
    “Do you trust us?” the Hadarian asked in a soft voice.
    He didn’t appear concerned by the
chaos occurring in front of them. None of them were. Farr’s harsh voice and the
concerned murmurs from the crowd faded away. The only sound J heard came from
the harsh thudding of her heart as the Hadarian gently
touched her. He brushed the curve of her left cheekbone, the line of her jaw,
and the column of her throat with his fingertips. His fingers shook, betraying
a hunger he obviously tried to hide from her.
    These two wanted her, J realized
with shock, wanted her with a consuming hunger so stark it was almost painful.
Worse still, the way her body leaned and hungered for more of their touches
told J her own hunger was a haunted reflection of theirs.
    “I trust you,” J whispered,
surrendering the gun to the Hadarian .
    “Thank you.” The Hadarian relieved her of her task of pressing the gun to
her forehead. For a moment, fear clouded J.
    “You wouldn’t dare kill her,” Farr
sneered.
    The Hadarian didn’t look daunted one bit. “Shall we make a bet, Farr? Will you risk losing
your expensive captive in front of your entire people for the sake of your
pride?”
    Farr looked like he’d been struck.
Gael whispered something furiously in his ear while his men looked clearly
unsettled.
    Gods of the Galaxy. Did she horribly misinterpret the
situation and the prisoners planned on using her as a means of escape?
    Another painful migraine pounded at
her head again. The Cobrini dispelled any inkling of
panic by molding himself against the curve of her naked back. Fog-like memories
slipped into her mind, still all smoky and insubstantial, but J realized she
did know the touch of these two men and the sound of their voices.
    “I can see through your ruse,
traitor. I’ve watched your sordid little moment in the holding cells. You and
your Cobrini lover value this Breeder as much as I,”
Farr said, his tone a mixture of distaste and something else J didn’t expect.
Jealousy, and not of the mild variety either. Farr’s usually handsome face
became contorted with fury.
    The pressure of the metal barrel on
her forehead increased, but fear and worry no longer misted J’s mind. She swore
she’d see this episode through the end and finally unravel her mysterious
connection to these two men no matter the cost.  
    The Cobrini behind her spoke. “Like you said, Farr. We space
pirates don’t have many morals to begin with. When you shove a man in a cage
and leave him there to rot, he can grow really desperate, and men without
options learn to be creative.”
    His voice dropped, so only J could
hear his next words. “We’re going to make a run for it inside the temple.
Sorry, we’re going to use you as a shield again.”
    J understood. She made sure her
voice sounded shaky and terrified but loud enough for Farr to hear. “Please,
you’re not really going to kill me?”
    “Sorry, but you’re collateral
damage, female.” The Hadarian’s steady hand clicked
the safety of the plasma revolver.
    “No! She’s mine,” Farr howled,
ignoring the protests of Gael as he broke from the safety of his men.
    “Time to go,” the Cobrini announced, and without warning, tossed her over his
broad shoulder like a sack of flour.
    “Don’t shoot! You might risk
shooting her!” Farr shrieked.
    Reduced to a spectator, J watched
the commotion from the Cobrini’s shoulder as they ran
into the confines of the temple. Inside, torches lit a cavernous hall supported
by vast columns. J spied towering marble statues of Hadarian deities. They passed stunned golden faces of acolytes, priests, and armed
temple guards. The guards probably hadn’t been prepared to deal with escaping
prisoners and a naked female Terran .
    “Don’t just stand around!” Farr
thundered. “Sound the temple bells.