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“Lord Nerit didn’t order an escort.”
“So he is staying here?” Bethiah tsks. “If you’re hiding him, you’re doing a terrible job, my friend.”
And with that, she pushes her way into the room.
I’m starting to learn that Bethiah’s method of piracy and bounty hunting is one percent skill and the other ninety-nine percent is sheer bluster. The male steps aside, frowning as Bethiah swaggers into the hotel room, looking around.
“Why would I be hiding him?” the male asks, following after Bethiah. He glances at me and then continues to chase after her. “Lord Nerit il’Aiven is a very important male who lives a just and honorable life. There is no reason for him to hide.”
Some bodyguard. Lord Nerit should get his credits back. I enter the apartment after them, more to keep an eye on my mate than anything else. The quarters are an utter mess, with discarded drink vessels all over every surface and the remains of food wrappers in a pile on one table. My sensors light up with Lord Nerit’s traces all over the room, leaving no doubt in my mind that this is the right place. It looks as if he’s been having a grand time for several days now, if the smell of old booze and sex in the air is any indication. I’m surprised he’s not in a lord’s quarters, but maybe that’s part of his hide-out plan.
Or maybe he just prefers to spend his credits on drinks instead of his quarters.
“If there’s no reason for your lord to hide, then why do we have a bounty to find him?” Bethiah takes a look around the room and then gestures at the private quarters, where the bed will be. “Is he in there?”
“Wait, you’re a bounty hunter? I thought you were an escort?” The guard glances between the two of us. When Bethiah heads for the door to the private quarters, he chases after her. “Stop it, female. He’s occupied!”
“Bethiah,” I call out, my tone full of warning. The male is getting anxious, and the last thing I want is an anxious poorly trained security guard chasing after my mate with a blaster. “Stop for a moment, love.”
She turns to me, her eyes bright. “Aww, you called me ‘love.’ My heart’s melting.”
“I figured you wouldn’t stop if I called you a keffing blowhard.” But I temper my words with a smile.
“All this dirty talk is getting me worked up,” she tells me with a wink. Then, she gestures at the door to the private quarters again. “Do us all a favor and make this easy. Go get your boss.”
The guard crosses his arms over his chest and plants his feet in front of the door, protecting it with his body. “I’m not doing anything until you tell me what’s going on.”
He’s not reaching for his blaster, and that’s the only reason I don’t pull mine. I give them space, but move forward anyhow. Just in case.
“No one’s in danger. This isn’t a robbery.” Bethiah gestures towards the door with her chin. “We have a bounty for Lord Nerit il’Aiven. To bring him back alive and well, of course.”
“Is he in trouble of some kind?” The male looks between Bethiah and then me.
“He’s missing,” I say.
The guard takes this in with surprise. “He…he isn’t missing.”
“According to his human slave, he is. He abandoned her on a space station and she’s afraid for his life.”
Recognition dawns on the guard’s face, along with dismay. “The pretty flame-haired human? Ronta?”
“Rhonda,” Bethiah corrects. “But yes, that’s her. She’s paying a hefty fee for the return of her beloved lord.”
The guard groans and rubs his neck. “Not this shit.”
This shit?
Bethiah glances over at me, and I shrug. I’m just as lost as she is.
He holds up a finger, indicating we should wait, and then knocks on the door to the personal quarters. “My lord,” he calls out. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem.”
All is quiet for a long moment, and then the door whooshes open. An older mesakkah male with a soft body and an imperious expression comes out, tucking a robe around his waist. Behind him, I can just make out the sight of a dark-haired human female naked in the rumpled bed.
A female that is obviously not Rhonda.
Lord Nerit il’Aiven takes one look at the two of us and then groans. “Not again.”
Not…again?
The guard nods. “Rhonta is up to her old tricks, my lord.”
One Hundred Fifteen
JAMEF
Bethiah and I exchange a look.
She speaks up first. “What do you mean, Rhonda is up to her old tricks? This isn’t a legit bounty?”
Lord Nerit looks annoyed, his arms crossed over his slender chest. “Oh, I’m sure it’s legit enough. She hired you and she’ll pay you. But it’s harassment to me all the same.” He waves a hand at the two of us. “She does this with her allowance. Every time I try to sneak away to have a quiet moment, she declares that I’m missing and sends bounty hunters after me to bring me back to her.”
