To Love A Space Pirate (5 page)

Chapter 5

Carden sat in his chair staring out the window of his room. Thoughts of the human female refused to leave his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see her face and those gorgeous green eyes! There was something about the tiny human that made him want to pull her close and take her for himself. Never before in all his travels had someone affected him the way Elizabeth was affecting him. Carden “Scar Face” Swien could have the pick of any female, but his body was calling out to have only one. Elizabeth.

Even if he were a legitimate shipper, why would she want someone who was scarred for the rest of his life? The ugly mark on his face was a reminder to him of a past life that haunted him in his dreams nearly every night. Instead of going home after his escape, he chose to live a life of crime. He thought it was the best choice for him at the time rather than facing his family after so many lost years. He believed his father and family would not understand what had happened and would blame him for the trouble he ultimately caused Tarwick.

Long into the night, he sat thinking. Thinking about what he was going to do with the female. The desire to keep her for his use was strong but was it right? No! It was not right to keep her, but he wasn’t going to let her go. Hell, he hadn’t even contacted Tarwick yet with his demands. He wanted to keep her for as long as possible. He wanted to make her his! Time would be the only thing to ease her anger and resentment of him, but he had all the time in the universe. He was a pirate after all and could do whatever the hell he pleased!

Outside the window, he watched as the ship flew by a purple and white planet. The sights were familiar, so he knew they were getting close to home. Another day or so and they would arrive on Sheannor. The people would be happy to see them return and even happier with the supplies they were carrying. His stockpile was growing nicely, and he hoped, this time, he would be able to stay home longer. But, what would he tell Elizabeth about her ransom?

He went back and forth for several hours before he made up his mind not to contact the company who ruined his life. They didn’t deserve to know their employee was still alive and in his custody. Her ship was gone so Tarwick would assume she was killed in the explosion. But, what of her family? Did she have any? Was it right to keep her away from them? For one time in his life, he was going to be greedy and keep her for himself. He wanted to know how she would feel in his arms. He wanted to see her naked flesh as he moved over her. The only problem was how to get her to come to him willingly? He was not into forcing any female, but if he didn’t have her soon, he would go mad. Bad enough she was constantly on his mind, and it had only been two days! The amount of time he spent with her so far had only made his desire for her grow stronger. Maybe he should play the pirate act to the core and claim her as his prize!

His cock hardened at the thought of sinking into her warm flesh. Images of her riding him as he thrust up into her filled his mind’s eye. He wanted to hear her call out his name as he took her over the edge and filled her with his seed. He shifted in the chair to ease the bulge growing in his pants.

A knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts. “Come in!”

Faxon walked into the dim room. “Why is it so dark in here?” 

The sudden brightness made him shut his eyes. “I like it that way,” he muttered.”

“Well, I can’t see in here.” Faxon plopped his body down in the chair across from him. “What is going on with you?”

“What do you mean,” he asked on the defensive. He knew exactly what the doctor meant. Was it that obvious?

“Come on Carden. I have known you for far too long. The human is stirring up your blood. I can see it and so can the crew.” Faxon leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees.

“So what if she does? It’s no one’s business but my own,” he said.

“Have you even bothered to send the ransom?”

He looked at his friend then shook his head. “No, and I’m not going to.”

“What? Are you crazy? You just can’t keep her,” Faxon argued.

He snorted. “And why can’t I? I am a pirate!” He chuckled at the thought.

“You may be a pirate, but you are not a kidnapper. You have never done something like this before. What is it about her that stirs you?”

Fuck, he didn’t even know the answer to that question! “I don’t know. There is something telling me she is the one for me.”

“Carden,” Faxon started then paused. “She is human and needs to be returned to her people. She doesn’t belong with a bunch of wanted men. It is too dangerous a life for her to be involved in. Not only is it not fair to her but what about any family she may have? Do you want them to suffer the same your family did when they lost you?” Faxon was always the man of reason even when he didn’t want to hear it.

His anger was beginning to rise. “She will remain with me for as long as I say.”

“Then what? After you tire of her? Will you cast her to the side and move on to the next female? It is not a life for her,” Faxon said.

“Why are you suddenly so compassionate toward humans? They have never done anything for you.” He sounded like a child.

“Granted, humans and I don't exactly get along. But that doesn’t mean I want to see them harmed. Humans are fragile. Elizabeth is fragile. I am not even sure my treatment of her injuries with completely heal her. Our knowledge of them is limited to what we find out on our own. If the Galactic Council ever finds out you kidnapped a human and refused to return her, it would mean death for us all. Are you willing to risk everything for one human female?” The look on Faxon’s face told Carden his friend was sincere with his words.

“I don’t know. All I know is I want to keep her for the time being. She doesn’t need to know I didn’t send the ransom. Tarwick won’t pay, so what harm is there?”

“The harm is she should know the company she works for will not give two credits for her safe return.” Faxon leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest and waited for an answer.

“That piece of shit company is hiding something, and I am going to find out what it is. It is their duty to protect those who work for them at all costs. They should want to get back the employees who are taken away. Why are they so willing to lose their people as well as the cargo without question? How many others have they done this to?”

“Carden, I am sorry things turned bad for you when you worked for them, but that is all in the past. You have the opportunity to do the right thing and return her. It’s only going to bring you more trouble in the end.”

“We will see, my friend. We will see. For the time being, she stays with me, and you are not to utter a word about this. Is that clear?” It was unfair of him to ask this of his friend, but he needed time to figure out a way to make Elizabeth want to stay with him.

Faxon shook his head. “I will not say anything, but know I do not like what you are doing. I vowed to follow and work for you a long time ago, and I will not go back on my word. But, you need to tell her.” Faxon stood up.

“I will in time. You have my word,” he said. He stood up and faced the one true friend he had. “I just need some time.”

“Time is all I have for you, my friend. I wish you luck in your endeavor. You are going to need it.”

Both men laughed. Faxon said goodnight and left him to his thoughts again. It was going to be a sleepless night for him. He wanted to see his human again, but it would seem peculiar at this time of the evening to go down to the cells. His men would find out soon enough the human was his.

The next morning, he didn’t see Elizabeth as he said he would. He didn’t want to give her the idea he was anxious to speak to her. Instead, he met with several of his men to make plans for the offload coming up soon. He wanted to sort through the inventory and decide what he was going to sell. Most of the ships he raided carried only supplies and rarely coins or gold. Gaining access to credits was hard and would leave a trail of evidence he wasn’t willing to have traced back to him. The credits he would gain from the sale of the excess supplies would help to purchase other things needed that he was not able to get by raiding.

He was looking forward to some much-needed downtime at home. There was plenty enough for him to do on Sheannor and he couldn’t wait to get there. The completion of his house was his top priority this time around. It wasn’t too far off from being finished; it just needed a few more rooms and some added details. The distraction of completing his home would be good for him. It would keep him busy and his thoughts away from Elizabeth. But, if he wasn’t going to ransom her back, what was he going to do with her once they arrived on Sheannor? He would have to keep a close eye on her in case she made any attempts to escape. Unless he received an unexpected visit from someone, it would be hard for her to turn one of his people against him to take her back to Keplar 1. He would deal with her as soon as they landed.

Later that afternoon, he went to see her. He was going to finish his questioning of her whether she liked it or not. He stopped at the guard’s desk to view the monitor that watched her consistently for the last couple of days.

“What has our prisoner been up to,” he asked the guard on duty.

“Not much. Sleeps most of the time. Doc just left her about an hour or so again.” The guard shrugged his shoulders as if he was bored.

“Thanks. Lower the beams for me,” he instructed and walked to the cell.

He entered the cell and stopped. Elizabeth was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him. She must have seen the beams turn off and prepared herself for a visitor. He noticed how she tensed when she realized who was walking into her cell.

“How are you feeling today,” he asked to lighten the mood. The air in the cell was already thick with tension. The female looked ready to fly out of her seat and attack him at any given second.

“Better thanks to Dr. Faxon,” she said softly.

Her eyes watched him as he strode closer to her. “I would like to finish our little conversation we started yesterday,” he informed her and waited for her reaction.

“Whatever,” she threw back at him. She pushed her body back on the bed until she rested against the metal wall. Her legs folded beneath her, and her hands lay on her knees, tightly closed into fists.

He had to give her some credit. She was going to play tough, not wanting to be broke by a pirate. But, he would break her one way or another! He wanted to know about her, all about her. What kind of life was he stealing her away from? Did she have a mate or a lover back home waiting for her to return?

“Have you contacted my employer,” she asked first before he could say anything.

He drew in a deep breath. “Same protocol as last time. I ask the questions, you answer them.” He let the breath out slowly. “And, I will answer your question this time. I have not heard from them yet,” he lied.

She lowered her eyes and nodded but didn’t say anything. The thought of lying to her struck a nerve with him. It didn’t feel right, but he wasn’t about to admit the truth of the matter. Later, after he got to know her better, he would come clean. For now, though, he needed to play the hardened pirate role so many people thought he was.

“What should I do with you until Tarwick sends their response?”

Her head snapped back up. “How should I know? This is all your idea! Oh, I know! How about letting me go?”

The hopeful yet sarcastic look on her face made him want to laugh. Instead, he forced himself to remain unaffected by her emotions. “Sorry, that is not possible. You are worth something to someone. Who else might pay for your release?” He was digging for information. He wanted to know who might be missing her.

“My father will pay. I am sure of it. Just contact him at the Galactic Council and someone there will put you in touch with him.” Her eyes were round with hope.

“What does your father do with the Council?” It was interesting to know she mentioned the one organization he loathed almost as much as he hated Tarwick.

“He is one of the human ambassadors to the council. The Galactic Council trusts him and listens to him when he makes reports about situations occurring on Keplar 1.”

He thought for a moment. “That doesn’t seem like too hard of a job. Perhaps the council is just letting him, and your humans think they have control over their destiny.” The Galactic Council ruled the surrounding galaxies with an iron fist. Those who went against their authority often found themselves at the mercy of their wrath. Though the council would never admit to such wrongdoings, he knew exactly how hard the Council worked to keep their power intact.

“The Council has done many things for us since we arrived on Keplar 1. If not for them, we would have perished a long time ago.”

“Exactly. They saw an opportunity and took it. Another one of their tricks to get unsuspecting fools to follow their compelling ways.”

“Unlike you, who roams around stealing and kidnapping people.” She snorted and looked away from him.

Sadly, she was right. His actions over the years were not much better than the Galactic Council’s. The difference was, he stole to help those who were in desperate need. He didn’t conquer or lay down the law for his pleasure. The people who depended on him came from all different walks of life. Some had no one else in the entire universe who gave a rat’s ass about them. He brought them to a place where they were needed and could make a life for themselves without the stress of the Council hanging over their heads.