RedeemingZorus by Laurann Dohner Read Free Book Online Page A

think will be broken when her spirit is. I doubt she’ll
take to captivity well. The human male will probably kill her quickly because
of excessive sarcasm.”
    “You have that much on you?” The captain’s gaze lowered down
Zorus. “If you do, I’m not seeing it, and I’m pretty sure, as tight as those
clothes are, I would.”
    “My people will pay you. Just tell them to add it to
whatever you’re being paid. I have the authority to authorize it.”
    Green eyes glittered. “I have a reputation you know.”
    “A hundred thousand is five times more profit than you’d
manage if you just delivered the woman. Take it or leave it.” Zorus glared at
him. “I won’t go any higher in price.”
    “And you want me to give her an opportunity to escape?”
    “Yes.”
    “That would mean giving her access to a life pod. We’re
ready to lift off and need to do that in the next ten minutes to avoid being
searched. If I just have someone carry her off the shuttle she’ll be located by
the authorities before the drugs wear off.”
    Zorus contained his irritation. “Fine. I’ll agree to a
hundred fifty thousand credits. That will more than cover the cost of you
losing a pod.”
    “Deal.” Captain Varel grinned. “I’ll order my men not to
give her another dose of the paralyzing drug and mark up the exits to the
nearest pod clear enough that she can’t miss them. In about three hours she’ll
be able to move again and my men will allow her to leave the ship without
interfering.”
    “Make sure there is enough fuel on the pod to allow her to
make it safely to Saturn. That is where she planned to go.”
    “Fine.” The captain nodded and turned away. “I’m going to
double-check that the funds are available before I allow her escape.”
    “You do that.” Zorus knew the council would agree. “Tell
them it’s a life debt payment I sanctioned. They’ll understand.”
    The moment the captain left, Zorus reached for the
ill-fitting clothing he wore to remove them. He’d repaid Charlie and she seemed
to be a resourceful human. She’d sworn vengeance on her brother and he didn’t
doubt she’d locate the greedy human once she reached Saturn and make him pay
for his treachery.
    * * * * *
    Charlie slowly regained movement in her fingers first and
then could stir her wrist. She had no idea how much time had passed but she’d
run out of tears. It really hurt that her brother had sold her to Gerald. It
shouldn’t have surprised her that Russell would do something so low but it had.
Family should mean something to him.
    Frustration and bitterness swamped her as she wiggled her
toes. First she needed to get out of this mess and then she’d hunt down her
dear brother, take her share of the money before he gambled it away, and then
she planned to start a new life without him. The promise to her parents seemed
irrelevant under the circumstances. If they were still alive to see how low
Russell had sunk they wouldn’t have asked her to look out for him in the first
place.
    The fact that Gerald played a part in this nightmare didn’t
surprise her in the least. He’d tossed her over for a rich woman who waved a
new life in his face but he’d wanted to keep Charlie on the side. She would
never allow him to touch her after he’d ripped her heart to shreds. He wouldn’t
have resisted an opportunity to get her under his thumb. Anger made her heart
pump faster, working the drug out of her system until she managed to move her
legs.
    It took time but she sat up. The dark room revealed nothing
but she remembered where the door was. She stood on unsteady legs and wobbled
forward until she touched a metal wall. By feel, she managed to find the door
and the panel next to it. Lights blinded her when she found the “on” button for
them.
    The shuttle had outdated technology, something she felt grateful
for as she used her fingernails to pop off the panel. She raised her knee to
retrieve the knife she’d stashed inside her boot. The