Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1 by Randolph Lalonde Read Free Book Online Page B

was completely gone. “When she told me you
were alive yesterday, that the UCA found you, I finally revealed that
I had known for months. I’ve never seen her so surprised in my
life, but she trusts me even more now that she’s seen that I didn’t
try to escape and find you myself. What was it like out there? Master
Kort tells everyone that it’s a lawless, no-man’s land. He says
raiders attack all the time, and the UCA is losing everywhere.”
    “It’s dangerous,”
Aspen said. “But as soon as I met people who needed me, I started
making friends, making money. Do you know what happened to my
friends?”
    “They’re in transit
on one of the slow freighters. Safe for now, it’s an out of the
way, numbered system. I couldn’t find out what kind of operation
the Countess has going there. We can get to them.”
    “So you want to
escape with me?” she asked excitedly.
    “I’m absolutely
terrified, I’m not too proud to admit it, but I can’t stay here,
not with her. Staying when I knew you were out there, alive, and
devoting myself to the Countess and her companies was the hardest
thing I’ve ever done. She has the largest slave trade in history,
and I had to close some of the deals that made it grow. There are
days when I can’t stand myself. I haven’t been able to find out
what she’s planning next, not specifically, but I know it was
important to get you back, and to keep us together.”
    Aspen stroked his back.
“We’ll undo what we can, maybe steal some of what’s hers for
ourselves.” The kiss that followed was slow, long and luscious.
    “The Fleet Feather is
always delivering and picking people up, it’s our best chance. I
get alerts whenever someone new lands, I’m the Countess’s man for
greeting new guests. I’ve been planning this for months, I even got
a snapshot of the entire estate’s database using General Grave’s
access codes.”
    “God, you’re going
to make an amazing criminal,” she said, pressing against him for a
moment before turning around. She kissed him over her shoulder as she
guided his hands to her stomach.
    “Why does that sound
so exciting? “he returned her kiss as she moved his hands down
slowly. “I like you more this way, curvy,” he said between
kisses. “Wild.” His touch echoed his appreciation, following her
form down over her hips, then slowly upward.
    The shower door was
flung open, and a quick, strong hand yanked her out by the arm. “None
of that, you brats,” she heard Master Kort grunt as he dragged her
from the bathroom. His unnaturally broad features exaggerated his
grimace as he dragged her through the next room then out into the
hall. “What’s this on you? Disgusting slob!”
    She knew he was talking
about the dye that had come loose from her skin, but Aspen didn’t
bother explaining. Her worry over what might happen next was the only
thing on her mind. “Let me go!”
    “And a slut,” he
said, shoving her through a bedroom door across the hall. Aspen
stumbled and fell at the foot of a massive bed. “I may not have
found you before the UCA, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let
you ruin the Countess’s plans for you now that you’re here. You
see these guards?” he said, gesturing to the armoured pair standing
at her doorway. “You’re on their leash now. Like their little fat
dog. They will tell you where you have to go and when, what you have
to do and with whom. They report directly to me, and if you misbehave
in any way, I will punish you. It will be savage, and it will be
public. Now wash yourself, and get six hours of sleep.”
    Aspen scowled at the
door for long minutes after Master Kort was gone and it was closed.
She was completely aware that, out of most of the slaves in service
to the Countess, her situation wasn’t so bad, but being told what
to do by a master had her raging inside. Aware that anyone could be
watching, she got up and made her way to the shower. It was identical
to the one in Larken’s