An Unexpected Return by Jessica E. Subject Read Free Book Online Page B

There’s been an accident. We need to get to the hospes .”
    She wiped her eyes, then leaped from the bed. Nothing meant more to her now than the woman who’d raised her. Besides Jacobus, she had no one else. She never had. “What happened?”
    “An oroke. It stampeded through the streets…knocked her over. She smashed her head. Oh, gods.”
    If she took the time to comfort Jacobus, she would break down, too. Grabbing his hand, she bounded down the stairs and raced outside. As she ran, she tried to mind-speak with Kalara, but once again failed. With so many tourists around, they had to dodge to the alleyways to reach the hospes faster.
    The large minnica spire of the hospes loomed in front of her. The building was usually filled with tourists who pushed their bodies past their limits. What condition would she find Kalara in? Would she lose someone else she loved? With Jacobus still too distraught to tell her anything, she had to get in there and find out for herself.
    Nutrix rushed through the halls, traveling from patient to patient. In the waiting room sat Adamos, soothing those worried about patients.
    “Are you Xia?”
    She spun toward the firm, female voice. “I am.”
    “Follow me then.” Dressed in blue scrubs, the nutrix opened the sealed doors, ushering Xia in to the world beyond. Patients lay in beds attached to various tubes and monitors. The sexual energy zinging around the rest of the planet failed to penetrate this space.
    Coming to an abrupt halt, the nutrix glared at Jacobus. “I told you last time, sir, you are not recorded as family and therefore must wait outside.”
    His frenzied gaze turned hard and focused. He gripped Xia’s hand with more strength than she’d expected from him. Through clenched jaws, he spoke. “This woman is my wife. I am her husband. Just ask our daughter here.”
    Husband? Daughter? What’s going on?
    The nutrix fixed her steely stare upon her. “Is he your father?”
    Even given the seriousness of the situation, the question struck her as funny and she stifled a laugh. They believed her, a Terran, to be the daughter of an Elatian Adamo Mistress, but would not believe Kalara to have an Elatian husband, another Adamo at that?
    At the same time, were the two of them really married? That would explain why Jacobus frequented their house, only leaving to spend his nights elsewhere if Kalara had clients. But why hadn’t they told her?
    “Well?”
    Getting to Kalara her main focus, Xia eyed the nutrix . And Jacobus had as much right to be with her as she did. “Yes, he’s my father. They adopted me after my parents abandoned me.”
    Setting on her way again, the nutrix called over her shoulder. “Well then, let’s go.”
     
    ***
     
    Aris slammed his fist against the desk. “Where is Xia?”
    Two men stared back at him, the Elatian man who’d booked his original appointment with her, and the Mikashe he’d seen her follow into his suite not long ago.
    “I’d like to know the same thing, since she walked out on me.” The Mikashe glared at him. “You’re going to have to wait in line, buddy. She still owes me a blow job.”
    Aris saw only red and slammed his fist into the Mikashe’s nose. The man slapped his hands to his face, blood now spewing down his arms.
    “Gentlemen!” the Elatian cried. “There’s no need for violence. This is a peaceful planet.”
    Aris pivoted toward him. “I don’t care if that is her job. No one talks about my wife-to-be like that.”
    “Ah, so you’re the guy she’s turning down clients for?” The Elatian man strolled over and shook his hand, squeezing hard at the same time. “You’d better treat her right.”
    He clenched his jaw. “I will, but I can’t find her. She went into that man’s room, and I haven’t seen her since.”
    “Well, she walked out on me.” Accepting a towel from the Elatian, the Mikashe held it to his nose and inched closer. “She was just about to give me a…she’d just finished my massage