Scam the rich who would be too embarrassed to go to the police. She always
selected marks like John. Basically nice guys who were too naive to check her out or become vicious. She never touched anyone who might be vindictive. That would be too dangerous. Some of the rich would think nothing of sending assassins after her. They didn’t care about the money. But they wouldn’t let anyone put one over on them.
She’d made a fortune in the last few years. She’d seriously considered retiring but then this opportunity had dropped on her. She’d made the mistake of being overconfident and now she was trapped.
She looked up to meet Gage’s intent stare. She quickly looked down. Maybe he
hadn’t recognized her.
Her hope was shattered when Gage stuck his laser pistol in his thigh holster and
started walking toward her.
“Tara,” John said, obviously getting agitated, “what do we do?”
“John, go stand over there.” She jerked her head, indicating that he should move
away, behind where she now stood. “I’ll protect you. It’s me he wants.”
“But I can’t just abandon you.”
Tamara threw him a quick glance. She hadn’t expected him to protect her and the
sight of him trying to be brave touched her. She placed a hand on his arm and in a low, tight voice said, “I know this man. It would be better if you didn’t make it so obvious we know each other.”
John gulped and moved away from her.
Tamara turned back to Gage. He’d nearly made his way through the crowd. Only a
few people stood between them. Tamara briefly considered fleeing but she knew she
was doomed. She straightened her back and held herself stiff. Gage stopped just a
breath away.
“Suzette, Mary, Elizabeth, Jane and now Tara. You’re a woman of many names. It’s
taken me a long time to track you down. You shouldn’t have used your real last name darling. That was a mistake that will cost you.” He grinned the teenage-boy smirk he used when he knew he’d won.
Tamara’s eyes widened as Gage rattled off the list of aliases she’d used over the
years. She hadn’t wanted to use her real name on this cruise but she hadn’t had time to get documentation that would hold up to the vetting process. The opportunities offered by the trip had been too good to pass up. She’d been greedy and now that greed would come home to haunt her. Gage not only knew who she was, it sounded as if he’d come here specifically looking for her.
No point in trying to scam him. She sighed and tilted her chin, “Hello, Gage.”
She wanted to cringe as he moved behind her but she wouldn’t give in to her fear.
She stayed rigid as he circled an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. She’d forgotten just how large and hard he was. How could she have forgotten?
He was a head taller and he easily dwarfed her. His musky scent enveloped her,
triggering a tightness in her chest.
He hadn’t softened in the years they’d been apart. He was stronger now. The arm
around her waist felt like steel. She could feel his cock pressing against her back. In the past, she’d managed to hold him off. They’d never had sex. She didn’t think that was likely this time.
He bent his head and his deep, raspy voice whispered in her ear, “Did you really
think I wouldn’t recognize you? I’ve been tracking you for three years. You’re mine now and you’ll pay for what you did to me.”
Tamara frowned. What was he talking about? But before she could question him, he
continued.
“Did you really think you could escape me forever?” He flexed his arm,
emphasizing her vulnerability.
Tamara’s heart thumped. She’d seen this side of Gage before but never aimed at
her. He was angry with her. What was his problem? He shouldn’t be this angry.
She’d left him but she’d left the score behind too. A few million should have bought off his anger at her leaving. They’d never promised to stay together. She’d never given in to his seductions. His ego wasn’t that fragile. Sure he’d wanted her but simple wanting didn’t account for the rage she felt emanating off him.
He bent his head and nuzzled her hair while he whispered, “Say something
darling.”
His arm around her waist tightened until she found it hard to take a breath. What
should she say? She knew that one wrong word would trigger him. Then his rage
would explode in a blazingly fast physical action. An action that was often devastating to the target of his anger. She had to stay calm. She had to reason with him.
“Why are you so angry with me Gage?”
His arm tightened more and Tamara’s ribs felt like they’d crack soon.
“You know why. No one steals from me. I know you’re a liar. I know you’re a con
artist. Yet I still trusted you. How stupid was I? Did you laugh at me like you do at that
mark over there?” He kissed the side of her neck. “Did you really think I’d let you get away with stealing our score.”
Shock kept Tamara motionless. She’d left with her clothes and nothing else. Stealing the score? Is that what he thought she’d done? No wonder he was so angry. She hadn’t touched it. She’d left it sitting for him. But if he didn’t have it, who did? She had a sinking feeling she knew what had happened but Gage would never believe her.
Gage circled a hand around her throat. He didn’t tighten it but Tamara’s gut
clenched. She couldn’t fight him so she did the only thing possible. She leaned her head back against his chest, exposing her neck even more. For a moment, she felt protected by his hard body until she yanked herself back to the present. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say. You know I’m not strong enough to fight you. You’re in command Gage. Do what you will.”
She felt Gage’s muscles tighten and thought she was doomed. But then he relaxed.
“You’ll not escape that easily.”
Gage motioned to one of the other pirates. “Finish up here. I’ll meet you back
onboard. Make it quick.”
The man nodded.
“Where’s your stash? Show it to me,” Gage said.
“It’s too soon. I don’t have anything.”
“I don’t believe you. You always have something. You can willingly surrender it or
I can play rough until you do surrender it. Either way, I’ll get it.”
Tamara thought about delaying. She knew the pirates couldn’t stay long. The space
police would have received the alarm from the cruiser. They’d be here soon but not
soon enough to help her, she realized. Gage wasn’t going to leave her here so there was no point in leaving her stash to be found by a cleaning crew. Besides, if she cooperated maybe she could keep herself in one piece long enough to escape without too much damage.
“Darling…?”
“It’s in my cabin.”
“Then let’s go get it.” He dropped his arm and grabbed her hand, engulfing it in his large one. Not hard enough to hurt but firmly enough that Tamara knew she couldn’t escape.
Tamara led the way back to her cabin. Neither one spoke. Gage’s grip on her wrist
didn’t loosen. Once in the cabin, she pointed to the air vent.
“Get it,” Gage said. He released her wrist and stood in the doorway.
Tamara pulled over a chair and turned the screws to loosen the vent. She dropped
the cover plate to the floor and reached into the dark opening.
“Darling, be very careful of what you pull out of there.”
Tamara looked over her shoulder to see Gage aiming his pistol at her. “You don’t
need that,” she said. “You know I don’t do guns.”
“Things change and I don’t know how much you’ve changed yet.”
Tamara frowned and pulled out a tiny brown cloth sack. She jumped off the chair
and held it out to Gage.
He shook his head and said, “Open it.”
Her heart nearly broke as she spread her stash on the bed. She knew he’d take it all.
Three years of work going to enrich him just grated. She nearly braved the laser pistol but instead she kept her face stoic as she watched him examine her collection.
She always converted everything to gems. They were small, easily concealed and
quickly negotiable. All were good to excellent. The handful of sparkling white, blue, red and green gems were various sizes. The combined worth could have bought a small ship. Why hadn’t she just retired? Why had she tried for this last heist? She’d been foolish.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been a busy little girl but where is it, darling?”
“Where’s what?”
“Did you think I’d just let you walk away with the Dialor Gem? Where is it? Did
you sell it?”
“I never touched the gem. I left Sigil with nothing but the clothes on my back. I
didn’t take it Gage.”
“You really think I’ll believe that you were that close to a fortune and you walked away with nothing? Besides, if you didn’t take it, who did? There was no one else there.
Don’t lie to me. The score was gone and you were the only person who could have
taken it.”
“I wasn’t…” Tamara trailed off as she realized Gage didn’t know she wasn’t the
only person who could have taken it. Randall Fells had been there. He could have easily walked off with the loot. But how could she tell Gage that she’d left when she saw the cop. That might be almost as bad as him thinking she’d stolen the score. And why would he believe her? Randall was a space cop. If he’d seen Gage, he would have
arrested him. But Gage was here, not in jail, so that bastard must have stolen the score and left Gage to blame her?
Typical. If Randall had arrested Gage, he wouldn’t have been able to walk off with
the score. She wanted to tell Gage her suspicions but his temper was too uncertain.
Better to wait. Besides, would Gage believe her? Would he believe that a space cop was that bad? Maybe. There was no love lost between the authorities and space pirates.
Maybe she should wait until Gage was in a more receptive mood.
Before she could say anything else, the alarm blipped once.
Gage tapped the communicator in his ear. He didn’t say anything and he didn’t
take his eyes off Tamara. He didn’t give her a chance to escape. She’d hoped that, if she gave him her stash, he’d let her stay here. He tapped the communicator again, turning it off.
“Repack it.”
Tamara poured the gems back into the bag.
Gage held out a hand. She gave it to him and he tucked it in his pants pocket. “Let’s go,” he said, waving the pistol toward the door.
“And if I say I don’t want to go with you?”
“You can say anything you want but it won’t change the outcome and, if you fight
me, I’ll stun you and carry you. Your choice.”
Tamara hesitated then sighed. He’d do it. He rarely bluffed and she was certain he
wasn’t bluffing now. “Can I at least take my bag?” She pointed under the bed.
“You won’t need clothes, but sure, bring it. I’ll search it later. I’m sure you have some interesting things in there but don’t try anything. Grab it slowly.”
She reached under the bed and pulled out her go-bag. She slung it over her
shoulder then they left the cabin. They walked along a corridor, headed back to the pirate ship. At the airlock she knew she had to try one more time. Once she was onboard his ship there’d be no escape. “Gage, you don’t need me. You have all my
stash,” she said.
“Oh, darling, that’s just a little side benefit. You’re the one thing I really wanted from this ship. It’s time for us to play. I’ve wanted you for too long to let you go now.”
He waved his arm, motioning her forward.
Gage led Tamara through the airlock and onto his ship. It was newer than the ship
he’d had when Tamara had known him. “New ship?”
“Mercury with a few upgrades.” He smiled down at her.
Tamara stumbled. “How did you get it?” All the Mercury ships were military issue.
They weren’t sold to private owners because their configuration was strictly for war and defense and their weapons could easily blow apart any civilian cruiser. No wonder Gage had been able to board the luxury cruiser so easily.
“Friends in the right places.” He chuckled. “The same way I found you. Come
along, darling,” he said, wrapping his hand around her arm. “Let me show you my
lair.”
“I’d rather have a tour of the ship.”
“I’m sure you would but we’ll save the tour for another day. Right now, I want you
well secured until we finish this operation.”
She really hadn’t expected him to agree. They both knew it would be harder for her
to escape if she didn’t know the ship layout and she’d never seen the specs on a
Mercury vessel. They were top secret. She’d never made the effort to find them.
Why should she? She never expected to be aboard one.
Gage led her to a lift. Once inside, he moved to stand in front of the controls. Then he leaned against the wall and watched her through narrowed eyes. His surveillance was unnerving but she stood stiff and pretended to ignore him.
They went up but she couldn’t see how far. All she knew was that the exit was
down. The lift opened to an alcove. Gage exited the lift. Tamara hesitated. Gage looked back over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at her. She sighed and exited into the alcove. Gage smiled then placed his hand on a flat, shiny surface beside the door. A light flashed and the only door off the entryway whooshed open.
She walked in and stopped. The captain’s quarters looked more like a suite in a
fancy hotel than a spaceship cabin. One entire wall was a series of viewports. Each port was small but combined they gave the impression that the entire wall was glass. She could see the Luxor Astra off the bow. It hung in space like a silvery shimmer with no hint of anything wrong.
“The military takes good care of their officers,” Gage said. “And even I was
surprised by the fact that they provided such a convenient prison.”
Tamara cast him a startled glance. His cold smile was unsettling. He stood in front of another door, cocked a finger and motioned her toward him.