To Love A Space Pirate (16 page)

“No, thank you. Water will do,” she said.

The rest of the dinner progress in relative silence. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and wait for the next five days to pass. It was a much-needed relief when Bork finally escorted her back to her room.

She stood in front of the round window and gazed out at the stars. As much as she loved it out here, she wanted to return to the little moon she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life on. She felt foolish now for walking away from Carden when he came clean about what he did. That alone told her he was not the man Bork was talking about. There was something about Carden that drew her to him. For the most part, he was still a mystery to her, but she wanted to solve that mystery and find out what kind of a life Carden had before becoming a pirate. Sireni obviously adored the man and would do anything for him. Her time on the moon had allowed her to interact with the people who cared and worked for him. Most seemed happy and content with their lives. No one ever expressed any discontent, at least not in her presence. There still was the fact that someone poisoned her but whoever it was had not tried anything else even when Carden was gone all those weeks.

Elizabeth thought about the tiny life she was carrying. She had planned on telling Carden about the baby as soon as they sat down to eat but it never came to pass. She didn’t believe Bork and his claims that Tarwick sent him to find her. Something about the man gave her the creeps and put her on edge. By the time she returned to her room, she was positive Bork was lying.

It was growing very late by the time she made herself climb into the bunk built into the wall. The thin mattress didn’t offer much comfort, and the blanket was stiff and coarse. She wondered when the last time it was all washed and decided very quickly she probably didn’t want to know.

Sleep eluded her for several more hours. She finally fell into a fitful sleep that she awoke from several times during the night. It was going to be a long five days until she could get away from this ship and its creepy crew. The only good thing about it was she had plenty of time to think of a way to free Carden and get them both off before they reached Keplar 1.

Chapter 18

His head was splitting when he came to. He was lying on a cold metal floor and was chained to the wall. Where the fuck was he? The last thing he remembered was seeing was a strange man enter his bedroom and rush him. He searched his mind to recall what happened and came up empty handed. He didn’t have a clue to who held him captive.

He pulled on the chains holding his arms above his head. He couldn’t feel them, so he assumed he had been out for quite some time. The cell he was held in was dimly lit and cold. He could hear movement outside his prison cell but didn’t want to draw attention to himself until he knew who he was dealing with.  The voices grew louder as whoever it may be walked toward him. The sound of the door unlocking gave him enough time to prepare for his visitors.

Light flooded in and blinded him in the one eye he could open. A tall individual ducked his head and walked in. “I am glad to see you are awake. I hope you are enjoying your accommodations.”

Carden tensed. He knew that voice. For nearly ten years he had to listen to Bork as his captain ordered him around. He thought he had seen the last of the vicious pirate when he escaped.

“What do you want, Bork?” His hands balled up into fists. He strained against the metal pinning him to the wall.

“Carden, are you happy to see your old boss after so long?” Bork chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy laugh.

“Do I look happy to see you?” He watched as Bork walked up to him then kicked him hard in the gut. His breath left him in an instant. Dots danced before his eyes as he struggled to pull in some air. After the initial shock, his lungs inflated with some much-needed air again. He coughed then spit out the bile that rose up from his stomach. He closed his eyes until the sickening feeling left him.

“How the fuck did you escape? Did someone else help you,” Bork asked as he leaned against the wall.

He coughed again. “What does it matter? No one helped me to escape. I managed all on my own.”

“I see. Well, let’s just say, you will not be able to escape this time. I have someone who wants to meet you and prosecute you for your crimes.” Bork pulled out a knife and ran it along the edges of his fingernails.

“My crimes! What about yours? What makes you think you are untouchable?” Bork was responsible for countless crimes that he never was caught and prosecuted for. Either Bork was extremely good at avoiding capture or someone within the Galactic Council was turning a blind eye to his misdeeds.

“My actions are not in question; yours are. Stealing from Tarwick and kidnapping one of its employees will carry a stiff sentence. Especially, once I give my report on the condition I found the female in.” Bork didn’t bother to look up from his chore.

“Elizabeth will never go along with your lies. She was never in any danger,” he said in defense of himself.

“Your prisoner was more than happy to come with me when I entered your house. She looked relieved to be free from her captor. She has already given a statement on what you forced her to do and the conditions she was kept in. I had to give her a sedative to calm her down once we reached my ship. She was so grateful to be on her way home finally. Her ordeal is over, and she can’t wait to see you pay for your crimes.” Bork pushed away from the wall and headed for the door. “I think I will check on my guest and see how she is faring. Maybe, she might need a shoulder to cry on. Who knows?” Bork laughed hard this time, and it made Carden want to strangle the ass.

“Don’t you touch her!” He yanked at the chains as hard as he could with little effect. If only he could get out of his bindings, he would have a chance of escaping the bastard’s clutches again and finding Elizabeth. 

“We will see how she reacts once I have her in my arms. She looks like she needs some tender loving care after being in your possession for so long. Was it worth taking her for yourself?” Bork poked at him then turned abruptly and left his cell. The door slammed shut, and the lock was engaged.

Carden hung his head low. Bork was a cruel son of a bitch but was any of his words true? Was Elizabeth happy to be returning home? Upon his return from his last run, he told her the truth about what he did. Her reaction was pretty much what he expected, but he did not expect her to walk away. He left her alone while he returned to the ship to help Harrow offload the supplies and store them. Needless to say, Harrow was surprised by his quick return but did not question it. Together they worked to get the job finished.

When he returned to the house, Sireni was there to greet him with a smile. She spoke to him for a few minutes then left him to his own accord. He didn’t seek out Elizabeth as he headed to their bedroom to take a shower. He would give her as much as she needed to come to her decision. He hoped with all his heart she would remain with him, but he promised he would take her home if she chose to leave.

Bork stormed in and took away his chance to hear her decision for himself. He didn’t trust the man to be telling him the truth, but there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that Bork was stating the truth. The entire time he spent with Elizabeth she told him how she felt. She never hid her feeling from him as far as he could tell. While he was up in the bedroom, he could hear her moving around the house and talking to Sireni. He was tempted to step out of the room to listen to the conversation going on downstairs, but he was afraid he would hear something he wasn’t going to like.

Carden leaned his head back against the wall. The chains holding him in place rattled loudly in his ears. Images of Bork with his arms around his mate infuriated him to no end. If he ever got loose, he would kill the bastard this time! He was young and foolish when he escaped the first time and hoped he never saw Bork again. This time, he knew better. Bork would continue to haunt him all the days of his life until either he took the pirate out or Bork killed him. Either way, one of them was going to die very soon.

~~~~~~~~

“I want extra for bringing Scar Face in,” Bork said to Gunyo. He placed the call earlier and was now in the midst of arguing with the one who controlled the money.

“I never agreed to that. You took it upon yourself to capture the pirate. If you have something to gain by taking the pirate for yourself then so be it. Tarwick only wanted the female returned.” Gunyo sported a smug look on his ugly face.

“Nevertheless, I want extra, or I do not deliver the woman,” he demanded. He would keep to his threat if Gunyo refused to make good on his request.

“How dare you threaten me! As soon as you arrive, I could have you arrested and put on trial for the many, many crimes you have committed.”

“And what about your part in all of this? I am sure Tarwick would be interested to know one of their top men has been in cahoots with a known pirate for several years now. Do you think I haven’t saved any of the information shared between us? Your ass would be put away for a very long too.”

Bork wanted to laugh when he saw Gunyo visibly pale with his new threat. He wasn’t willing to play games with the man. They were both as crooked as they came and he would rat the man out in a heartbeat. His main priority was to self-preservation. His ship and his men were the only things that mattered to him and if he had to dump the human and the Kiot, he would.

“You will deliver the female and the pirate to me. I will arrange for more funds once both are in Tarwick’s custody.”

Bork glared at Gunyo and gathered he was lying. Tarwick should be interested in catching the one responsible for their missing ship and not just their employee! Gunyo was a heartless fool who was only thinking of himself and what he could gain or lose with the arrest of Carden.

“I will see you when we arrive. I expect the payment to be deposited in the usual account, or I will not deliver them.” He ended the transmission and sat back to think.

He didn’t trust Gunyo even though they had been working with each for nearly two decades. They stood to lose a great deal if Gunyo tried to pull a fast one when he arrived on Keplar 1. He needed to come up with a plan to ensure his ship’s and his men’s safety. He would not go charging in without an escape plan in place. Gunyo would have something up his sleeve, and he was counting on the fool to do so. Carden may get a reprieve from the Galactic Council’s justice system, but he would not get one from him.

Chapter 19

Over the next five days, Elizabeth spent most of her time in the room assigned to her. Without much to do, she would stare out the window and think about the man held captive somewhere on this ship. A few times she ventured out of her room to see if she could locate Carden, but each time she was halted by a crew member. Bork must have assumed she would try and free Carden since she felt as if she had eyes glued to her at all times outside her room.

On the fifth day, the ship entered her home galaxy and sped toward Keplar 1. She was anxious to see her home and parents again but not happy about disembarking without Carden. She didn’t want him thrown into another prison cell! Her bosses at Tarwick would have to listen to her if she had any hopes of saving Carden from an unknown fate.

The door to her room opened without warning. She turned around to find Bork standing there with a grin plastered across his face. “We are nearing your planet if you care to have a look.”

She nodded then followed behind him as he guided her up to the bridge of his ship. She was impressed by the sheer size of Bork’s lookout point. Her entire ship could have fit inside the bridge with room to still move around! She didn’t realize over the course of the last few days, how big the man’s ship was.

Spread out before her was a sight that lightened her dark mood. Keplar 1 spun slowly on her axis as she greeted them. The swirl of colors took her breath away every time she approached the planet. It was one of the reasons why she wanted to become a pilot. She loved the sights flying had to offer. She didn’t think she would have been content never to leave the ground or be stuck behind some desk in an office. No, she wanted to fly and see the universe!

“We will be departing in a few moments,” Bork said.

She turned to face him. “What about Carden?” She didn’t want to leave without him.

Bork snorted. “The prisoner will be escorted down to the surface after you are safely turned over to Tarwick.” He reached for her arm and started to pull her in the direction of the door.

“No,” she shouted and pulled out of his grasp. “I want to see him!”

Bork’s face turned dark and grim. “That is not possible. I will not give him the chance to talk to you. He will stop at nothing to protect himself.”

“You’re lying! Do you really think I am that stupid to think Carden would think so little of me?”

“He is a ruthless pirate and deserves no special treatment, Ms. Riley.” He roughly took hold of her again and pulled her off the bridge and down the hallway.

She fought him all the way, but she was no match for the much larger man. His hand alone was three times the size of hers, and when she looked up at him, she had to crane her neck all the way back.

Tears prickled at the back of her eyes as she stopped her struggles. She would never see Carden again. Tarwick would make sure he was punished to the fullest extent of the law and sent away to a prison camp on a faraway moon. She would never have the chance to tell him about the baby that grew inside of her. Her heart broke with each step she took. If only things could have been different! If only she had told him about the baby when he was kneeling in front of her begging her for forgiveness! It would never come to pass now. She would have to raise their child alone.

The shuttle that was to take her back to her family was waiting for her to climb aboard. The pilot was already in his seat with the engine running. She plopped down in the first seat and strapped herself in. Bork moved to the front to join the pilot and sat down. She felt the shuttle lift off the ground and start its forward movement out of the larger ship. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. She lost the only man she was positive was made for her. It took her some time to come to that conclusion, but she believed it wholeheartedly.

The things Bork tried to convince her were true of Carden she knew to be lies. He may be a pirate, but he was a different kind of pirate. He didn’t go running around the universe killing and stealing simply for the pleasure of it. He took from those who could afford to lose it, even though it was still wrong. He rescued people from certain doom and brought them to his home and vowed to care for them. What kind of man would do that?

  It took longer to get to the meeting point than she thought it would. She peered out the front window and watched as the pilot hesitated to land the shuttle. What the hell was going on?

“Land,” Bork instructed. “But be ready to take off at my go. I got the feeling Gunyo is going to pull a fast one.”

Gunyo? What was Bork talking about? Gunyo shouldn’t have anything to do with this situation. The owners of Tarwick should be the ones personally handing her abduction case.

Bork left his seat and headed in her direction. “Come one. This is your stop.”

Reluctantly, she released her seatbelt and stood up. She stood behind Bork as he opened the side door of the shuttle and looked out. Outside, she got a quick glimpse of Gunyo and a few other men she didn’t recognize. Where was her father? He should have been here to greet her at the very least!

“Where is the female and the pirate,” Gunyo yelled from his safe distance.

“Where’s my money?”

“It will be transferred as soon as I take custody of the pair. Not before!”

“Then we do not have a deal, Gunyo. I told you what would have if you tried something!”

She heard the anger rising in Bork’s voice. How stupid could Gunyo be?

“Give me the female! You can keep the pirate!”

Elizabeth stuck her head around the big man to look out. There was no other indication this was a rescue. The place should be packed with officials from the Galactic Council, the owners of Tarwick, her father, and news cameras! The only thing she saw was Gunyo and a small party of men brandishing weapons their way.

“What the hell is this, Bork?” She was scared to step off the shuttle. Something was not right. She never liked Gunyo and the strange way he acted most of the time. He was proving himself untrustworthy by his actions here today.

“Unfortunately, human, I do not know. This is not how your transfer was supposed to go.” Bork pulled out a weapon he had hidden in the waistband of his pants. “She doesn’t get off until the funds are transferred! I told you to make the deposit as soon as we arrived in orbit and it has yet to be done.”

“I do not have to follow your orders. Either you send the female out, or I will be forced to send my men in and take her by force. The other prisoner will be killed along with you. Our working arrangement has come to an end I am afraid.” Gunyo motioned to the men standing behind him. “What will it be, Bork?”

Elizabeth looked on horrified with what was about to take place. These two crazy fools were willing to kill each other all for the sake of money! This wasn’t happening! She had to think fast and come up with a solution or she would be killed as well because she didn’t think Gunyo was going to let her out of the shuttle alive. He was hiding something and would go to any extremes to keep it quiet.

“Mr. Gunyo,” she yelled. “Where is my father?”

“Hello, Ms. Riley. Your father was unable to make it here. I am here to escort you to your debriefing then you will be allowed to speak to him. But, first we need to take care of some official business. If you would step out of the shuttle and over to me, we can start the process.”

She saw the flick of his wrist as he gave the signal to start his attack. Bork blocked her way out of the shuttle. A bullet skimmed by her head and hit the seat across from the doorway. She screamed and jumped back to get out of the line of fire. Bork pressed his large frame back into the shuttle and fired into the approaching band of men. Another bullet found its way into the shuttle and pinged off the metal frame of the roof and embedded itself in the hull of the ship. Any more like that and the shuttle wouldn’t be able to take off! She needed to do something if she wanted to get out of there alive!

She scanned the cabin of the shuttle. The pilot was still sitting in his seat waiting for orders. Frantically, she looked under the seats for some weapon she could use against Bork or Gunyo if he got inside. Her plan was to get Bork out of the shuttle then demand the pilot to take her back up to the ship. From there she would work out a new plan on how to get Carden free from his cell.

Her hand landed on something that felt like a metal bar. Giving it a hard tug, she pulled out a crowbar, an odd thing to find on a shuttle but she didn’t care. It was going to be the one thing to save her. The gunfire outside the shuttle increased as Bork fired back at Gunyo’s men. A loud scream told her Bork managed to land a hit on one of the men.

With her weapon clutched in her hand, she crept up behind Bork. He was distracted enough not to turn his head and see her standing right next him. She brought the heavy object up over her head then, with all her might, she brought it down on the top of Bork’s. He instantly turned to face her then crumpled to the floor half way in the shuttle and half way out. The men outside must have seen him fall and assumed they had killed him because they began to move in quickly.

Panic set in as she pushed and shoved the heavy man the rest of the way out of the shuttle. His body rolled down the few steps it was to the ground and landed with a thud. She hoped she didn’t kill him! The thought of killing another being never set well with her but she would do if it meant saving herself.

“Takeoff,” she screamed to the pilot.

“What? Where’s Bork,” he demanded as he twisted in his seat.

“He’s dead, and if you want to die too, I suggest you fly this thing out of here. It’s a trap and Bork fell for it!” She pulled the door closed just as the men outside reached it. Their fists pounded on the outside frame. The sounds of their shouting filled the cabin as the shuttle began to lift off the ground.

She raced to the front to make sure the pilot was doing as she said. Thankfully, he must have been scared of dying because he quickly took off. Their ascent was fast and at a steep incline. She had to grab onto the seat she stood behind to stop herself from slipping backward through the cabin. Once they were sure they were free of the gunfire below, he turned to face her.

“What the fuck happened to the captain,” he demanded to know.

“They shot him. Gunyo set up a trap. He was never going to pay what your boss wanted. He probably even planned on killing both of us too so there wouldn’t be any witnesses. Gunyo is a sly business person and should never have been trusted.” As the shuttle leveled out, she slipped into the seat next to the pilot.

“Are you sure Bork was dead? Where is his body?”

“I saw him go down right in front of my eyes. He fell out the door. There was no time to pull him back in with Gunyo’s men closing in. I’m lucky I got the door shut before they reached it.” She still held her weapon in her hand, but she kept it out of the pilot’s line of vision.

“Why would you want to go back up to the ship when you could have gone with the Tarwick man?”

“I told you already, Gunyo didn’t have intentions of letting us live. If he had, my father would have been here to see me arrive safely. I hate to admit it, but Bork was wise in suspecting Gunyo.”

The shuttle left Keplar 1’s atmosphere and raced back to the ship. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest as she watched the big ship grow as they drew closer. What was she going to do once she was back on board? Surely, the other men on the vessel wouldn’t welcome her with open arms and would want to know what happened to their captain.

“You have to help me,” she blurted out before she even realized what she said.

The pilot gave her an odd, confused look. “What do you mean, I have to help you? I follow Bork’s orders, not yours.”

“Bork isn’t here anymore.”

“Shit! I know that, but that still doesn’t mean I have to help you. Someone else will take over the command of the ship and pick up where the captain left off.” He stared at her with growing curiosity. “What do you have to offer if I decide to help you?”

“I don’t have anything to pay you with.” She thought for a moment about what she could use to entice the man to help her gain her and Carden’s freedom. “Are you with Bork willingly? Or were you forced to do his dirty work?”

“That is none of your business.” He stiffened in his chair.

She nearly jumped for joy when she saw the man’s reaction. He was definitely not there by choice. “What if I tell you, I can help you out of the situation and bring you some place where you can start a new life?”

“Yeah right. Once you are caught up in this business, there is no getting out unless you are dead.” He looked away.

“No, I promise. I can help you if you help me. Please, you have got to help me, I am begging you!” She wasn’t beyond begging at this point. This one man may be the only individual who could help her get Carden out of the cell and onto another long-range shuttle. She wouldn’t want to try and convince another higher up crew member to take her and Carden back to Sheannor. “Tell me something. What did you do before you started working for Bork?”

The man snorted then laughed out loud. “Work? Do You call this work? How about you call it forced labor? The only reason I was chosen to fly this shuttle with you in it was because I am expendable. It doesn’t matter to most of those men on board if I live or die.”

“How long have you been with them,” she asked in a softer voice.