I fixated on him, memorizing every detail I could see. The only sign of royalty present on his body was the house crest embroidered on the wrists of his shirt. He strode through the room, stopping to speak to each woman as he came to them, which if I had to guess, I’d say surprised his guards. They looked at each other with raised eyebrows before chasing after him.
Next to me, Nancy, a girl who had come for rehabilitation a week after me, sighed. “You don’t suppose he’s here to find a bride, do you?”
Why would a prince come to Master’s of all places for a bride? We were valuable and given a second chance at life, but we weren’t—or at least I wasn’t—virginal. A prince of the realm could have his choice of women, meaning he’d likely select someone who’d never shared anyone else’s bed. My baby kicked me hard in the ribs, reminding me once again of his presence. Cooper Jackson would never have to raise another man’s illegitimate offspring.
Nancy looked so…hopeful. Her hands were clasped in front of her, fingers entwined like she might start praying soon. Her eyes were wide and her bottom lip quivered with excitement. If the prince did come to select a bride, he should pick her. Whatever she’d done before to end up in rehab, she’d be a loyal wife. Outside of Farrah, who hopefully happily basked in the rightness of her union, Nancy constituted the kindest person I’d met.
She’d give away her last crumb of bread if someone needed it.
The prince finally made his way over to us and stopped. He addressed Nancy first, which was just fine with me, considering I didn’t have a clue what to say to him. Addressing royalty hadn’t been in our studies yet. I imagined most people never faced this problem.
“Are you feeling all right?” Cooper raised his eyebrows while he waited for Nancy to answer him. She opened her mouth. Painful seconds passed before I understood she wasn’t going to respond. My friend had become a landed fish, mouth hanging open, with no sound coming out.
I took her hand in my own. “I’m sorry, Your Highness,” I responded for her. There was no way he hadn’t faced this problem before. Freaking out the general populace had to be par for the course. “She’s overwhelmed by your presence.”
Cooper didn’t immediately turn his attention to me. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and I wondered if something I said, which I meant entirely respectfully, had made him angry. I dropped Nancy’s hand and retreated a step. The Nobles had protections under the law that the rest of us didn’t. It hadn’t concerned me much when I’d read about them. Then again, I never thought in a million years I’d encounter any, other than Wanda.
The prince could strike me, and he’d be within his legal rights to do so. I didn’t know if I’d ever taken a hit from a man, and I didn’t want to start out my new life getting knocked around by a member of the nobility. I had to protect my baby.
He finally stared straight at me, but when he did so, the anger in his regard immediately cooled. His hand shot out like he intended to grab my arm, but then dropped to his side.
“Don’t be afraid.” His voice was low, cool, and steady. “I’d never hurt you. I’m surprised you picked up on my distress. I assure you, any anger I have is directed far away from this compound.”
My anxiety dropped immediately, and my breathing evened out. The baby reacted, kicking, rolling, and jolting me all once. He hadn’t liked me getting so upset. I grabbed my stomach, as if I could calm him from the outside—as if I could soothe my unborn son.
Cooper stared at my moving hands. The same muscle in his jaw ticked again. “Please. You’re well? The baby…”
“I think he is fine, Highness.” I was glad I still had my voice, since Nancy had yet to utter a word. “I did get nervous. My apologies. I’m not used to people…um, men. I think the baby is well.”
He ran a finger over his lips, drawing my attention to the cleft in his chin. What would it feel like to stroke him there?
“You think?” His words captured my mind, forcing me to the present.
“I’m sorry?” What did he mean?
“You think the baby is okay? You don’t know?” He rocked on his feet. “What do the doctors say?”
“I haven’t seen any doctors. He moves all the time. I’ve been trying to keep healthy.”
Why was the prince even asking me about my health care? Why would he care about me or the baby? The Nobles took an interest in their subjects, particularly female ones, but this seemed like it was too far. How much longer did I have to stay before I could go to my room? My head pounded. Between Geoff’s strange interactions with me, and now Prince Cooper, the men I met were not acting as I’d been told they would.
I had to make sense of things, and I didn’t have Farrah to help me see the way.
“Rudolph.” The prince whirled around, his voice booming through the room.
Master’s leader stood twenty yards away from Cooper, and he jumped when Cooper bellowed his name. It might have been my imagination, but Rudolph paled when Cooper turned his gaze to him.
“Yes, cousin?”
“Why has this woman not seen a doctor? She’s pregnant. She’s been through an ordeal. It would seem to me that the very minimal amount of care you could provide her would include a prenatal visit once a week from a medical professional.” He advanced on his family member. “If you don’t see to her, so help me, rules and agreements be damned, I’m taking her with me and we’ll handle our family’s situation on Ochoa. Despite what you might think, I am not powerless. I’ll eat you alive.”
“Sir,” one of Cooper’s guards called out behind him. He immediately stopped talking. He sucked in a breath and his body vibrated like he’d been struck. Cooper nodded once in the direction of his guard. “I’ve got it under control.”
In a move I’d never have imagined, Rudolph fell to his knees in front of Cooper. “I apologize, cousin. This was a huge oversight. I’ll see that it gets fixed. First thing in the morning, the girl will see a doctor.”
“See that she does. I’ll be here at noon. If she’s not been tended to, she’s coming with me. Do I make myself clear?”
Rudolph nodded quickly, his neck making a crack with every motion. Cooper turned away from him and stormed out the way he had come in, followed by his guards, who again hurried to catch up with him.
Nancy sucked in a breath and looked at me. “I guess he really likes babies.”
I might never draw breath again. The baby kicked me, hard, right in the ribs. My son didn’t like what happened any more than I did. Why had the prince caused such a scene, and what would happen to us because he did?
* * * *
An alarm blared to life. I jumped out of bed, my heart racing, hands shaking, and ears ringing. What was going on? I’d never heard such a loud alarm before. Had the rebels gotten to us?
A loud boom from one of the bombs exploding outside resonated louder than even the alarm, and the vibration lurched me forward. I fell to my knees. I could hardly breathe. I couldn’t stay upright. This wasn’t normal. There was something wrong with that sound. My baby kicked wildly, and I silently apologized to him. No unborn soul should have to manage the constant ordeal we did on what seemed like a regular basis. Who knew what hell I’d put him through before I’d come to Master’s?
The door to my room swung open, and Geoff stared at me. “Shit. You’re on the floor. I’m sorry. It had to be this loud. It won’t do permanent damage. It resonates at a frequency intended to disable, not destroy.”
Even though he shouted, I barely understood him. We were under attack. Why was he talking about nonsense? What was he wearing? He didn’t look right. He wore camouflage cargo pants, and a black T-shirt that barely stretched over his muscled chest. A camo handkerchief covered his hair.
He strode toward me. “I’m sorry, Melissa. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. I’m calling an audible.” I didn’t know what that meant but it didn’t sound good. “To a certain degree, I’m making this up as I go along instead of following directions. I swear, we’ll get away. You can count on me
, sweetheart.”
Geoff picked me off the floor, carrying me like a baby. “Where are you taking me?” I shouted over the ringing in my ears.
“Away. I hope you believe me when I say that if we’d had any inclination this was possible, that you were here, you’d not have had to endure this for even as long as you have.”
“Leave me alone.” I struggled for a second before breaking into tears. I didn’t want him to drop me, it could hurt the baby. Struggling too much didn’t seem safe. This couldn’t be happening. I had to stay here. This man planned to take me from my salvation. Who would want me now? Would Master’s even take me? Could I be mind wiped more than once?
“Shit, Melissa. Are you crying?” He said the last word like it tasted bad. “We’re almost out of here. Don’t cry. Fuck.”
A thought dawned on me, and strange as it seemed to even consider, while he rushed across the hall with me in his arms to who knew where, I asked him anyway. “How are you on your feet?”
If he put me down, the blasting sound would knock me on my rear.
“I have implants to protect me from the assault on my inner ear.”
Implants?
“Comes in handy when I’m blowing up the Nobles. Don’t want to go deaf when I’m done.”
His words plowed through my mind. We rounded a corner, went through a door I’d never seen before, then into a holding dock of some kind. There were boxes, equipment I couldn’t make out, and a shuttle bearing the royal insignia I’d noticed on Cooper earlier.
I had to face the truth before it was too late for me. “You’re stealing the shuttle from the prince? And we’re getting on it?”
“Dear old Cooper is locked in his room, thanks to the security alarm.” He actually laughed. Was he sick in the head? How did he find anything about this situation funny? “He’s not getting you. I can’t allow it, end of story. We need off this planet before my guys can get here, so we’ll meet them halfway.”
“Geoff.” My throat had gone dry. I could barely speak. “You’re a rebel aren’t you?”
“Only Nobles use that word.”
We were up the plank of the shuttle and onto the small ship before I could ask more. Geoff set me on one of four seats available and strapped me in.
“Maybe I don’t need to say this, maybe I do. If things were different, I’d know. If you make any moves to get out of here, Melissa, I’ll have to knock you out. I don’t want to risk the baby. Please don’t make me.”
He knew my name, and I’d never told it to him. A rebel was kidnapping me.
For the life of me, I didn’t know why.
The shuttle rose from the ground, and my stomach went with it. I puked.
If things could get worse, I didn’t know how.
Chapter 3
What’s A Whore?
IF I’d thought throwing up all over myself bad, having Geoff help me clean up was worse. Of course, I had to wear my stench for more than an hour. We had to get to safe space, and stealing a royal vessel meant there were very few safe places to actually hide—the insignia on the side made it stand out. Even in the vastness of space, the authorities would find the vessel. He’d told me not to move and, considering I’d found myself entirely at his mercy, I wasn’t going to argue. My ears quit ringing about ten minutes after I lost the contents of my stomach, so at least I could hear again.
Before he could let me out of my seat or find me a washcloth and clean clothes, he had to get rid of the tracking device. Or at least that’s what he told me before he disappeared further into the shuttle to disable the device, leaving me time to stew.
We were on a stolen spaceship. Geoff was a rebel. He’d kidnapped me. I’d thrown up. I’d never, ever in a million years get an acceptable husband, or find a father for my son. Tears slipped from my eyes. I’d be lucky if I could return to whatever lifestyle I’d had before, considering the mind wipe erased whatever skills I might have had.
The shuttle was small but beautiful. The seats were ivory colored leather with gold seams carving a diagonal design. The interior was black and red with squares on the carpet and the siding. The Nobles were wealthy, and their transportation displayed their opulence. I suspected the seams on the chairs were actual gold thread, because something about the way they sparkled…
How did I know what real gold looked like? Why did I remember fabrics and metals, yet I didn’t know anything about me?
My son kicked, and I patted the spot on my stomach.
“Does that hurt? When the baby moves?” Geoff appeared from behind me, holding a few towels and what looked like clothing in his hands.
He sat on in the pilot’s seat across from me. Our knees touched in the small space.
“He kicks. I pat. It’s more like affection.” I’d never vocalized that before, but once I said it, the words resonated as truth. I already loved the baby inside me. I had to somehow make things right for him. Geoff must have a reasonable bone somewhere in his body.
He unhooked my seatbelt and made a face. “I’ll get that cleaned after I get you done. Sorry you got sick. Must be from the pregnancy.”
“I’ve never flown in space before. Maybe it doesn’t agree with me.” The baby hadn’t made me sick one day at Master’s.
He met my gaze for a moment before glancing away. “Raise your arms, I’ll pull the T-shirt over your head.”
“No.” I had to draw a line, and he needed to know what it was. “Only my husband will get to see me with my shirt off.”
Geoff rubbed his chin. “Okay. Hands up, shirt coming off.”
“Are you listening? Do we not speak the same language? I said no. You aren’t taking my shirt off.”
He stormed out of the cabin. “Then get it off and get into the new clothes. We don’t have time for you to slow the engines by using the shower.”
My body, stiff from sitting still as long as I had, complained from the sudden movement but I yanked my dirty clothes off and managed to maneuver into the ones he’d brought me. They were men’s apparel, made for one of the Noble guards. I tugged on the pants which would never stay put if I had to move fast. I used the towels he’d brought me to scrub at my face and the little bit of the chair I’d destroyed.
Turning, I stared at the controls. If I had a clue how to use any of the equipment, I’d get myself back to Master’s immediately.
“I’m done.” I called while I walked out of the cockpit and into the sitting area with my laundry. He sat, leaning his elbows on his knees. He didn’t look up at my entrance and he shook his left leg slightly. Without changing his stare at the floor, he pointed toward the end of the room.
“There’s a laundry basket.”
With a nod I made my way over there and got rid of my dirty clothing. As he was already in a foul mood because I didn’t want to get naked in front of him, I had nothing to lose by speaking my mind. He might even decide I wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Geoff.” I sat across from him. He finally met my gaze.
If he felt any emotion, it didn’t show on his face. His features remained passive. “Yes?”
“Why are you doing this?”
He rubbed at his eyes. His movements—the sitting, the rubbing, the sighing—suggested exhaustion. Maybe this whole trip would prove to be a case of a truly tired guy making a bad set of decisions. All of it could still be undone.
“I made a vow three years ago.”
“I…” I wanted to speak exactly the right words. “What vow could you have taken which required you to take me off Master’s and push me back into my old life as a whore?”
He jolted. “That’s a terrible word.”
“I agree. I hate it, but, sometimes we have to use the disgusting terms when they’re appropriate.”
Geoff raised his gaze to meet my own. “What’s a whore to you? What does it mean when you say it?”
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know.”
He shook his head. “I’m serious. A whore is the same as a prostitute, which is a
woman who takes money for sex. There isn’t a woman alive who has to do that, unless she chose to do so for some reason. If a woman really gets herself in trouble, she can line up as many wealthy men as she wants and pick one as her husband. There’s a business transaction element to it, but I wouldn’t call it being a whore. Sometimes, on Ochoa, a man will sell his daughter to the highest bidder. That’s also not her fault, so it doesn’t fit the definition.” He shrugged. “And, let’s say a woman does decide to earn some money selling herself? Maybe even then she has a reason. Who are we to judge her? Are any of us without sin altogether? For that matter, who the hell decides what is and what isn’t sinful?”
I didn’t like his answer or having him pick apart what my teachers have instructed me in for months. “The fact remains that women who get involved with rebels are whores.” As soon as I uttered my ill-advised sentence, I wished I could take it back.
He didn’t respond for a long time. Geoff had gone utterly still. I’d never seen a person not move as acutely as he did, so all I could do was stare and wait for what I believed could be a huge explosion.
“This is hard,” he whispered. Before I could reply, he grabbed me by the fabric of my too-large black guard shirt, and tugged me toward him until he planted his lips on mine. I gasped, and he pressed me closer against him until my large stomach squashed against his chest. He claimed my mouth. I wished I was stronger, so I could shove him away or bite him. Instead, my body heated so fast, all I could do was cling to him and hope I’d survive the experience without melting away.
He cupped the side of my face. The texture of his heavily callused fingers as his thumb caressed my skin sent jolts of electricity up and down my spine. The baby jumped, and it jerked me to reality. I could easily lose myself in his kisses, and then where would I be?
I had to stop this craziness before it was too late for me and my baby.