Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Then I exited my ship and stepped out to confront the bastard who had tried to have her killed.
TWENTY-NINE
NATALIE
I watched anxiously on the vast viewscreen that filled the front of Vik’tor’s ship, almost like a windshield in a car. But that was where the resemblance to a car from Earth ended. The controls looked extremely complicated and there were two sets of them—one for flying and one for moving around on land. However, Vik’tor handled both sets with the ease of long practice.
I sat up straighter in the cushy co-pilot’s chair and stared hard at the viewscreen as Vik’tor came into view. Ass-licks glanced up and an expression of fear flickered briefly across his face, only to be replaced a moment later with a look of obviously fake concern.
“Baron!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing out so late? Still searching for that little Blood Whore? I’m sure she’s long gone by now.”
“Yes, she seems to be,” Vik’tor answered. I could tell he was doing his best to sound natural but his blue eyes looked extra glowy on the viewscreen—a sure sign he was having some pretty strong emotions.
“Well, you’re really better off without her,” Ass-licks said. “I mean, her kind is nothing but trouble, right? Anyway, don’t you think it’s time you settled down with a proper Naggian female? I’ve heard that Ta’ti’ana expressed an interest in you. Maybe I should contact her people tomorrow, hmm?” And he raised his eyebrows expressively.
I frowned. I knew who Ta’ti’ana was—she was one of the most famous actresses in the Naggian entertainment scene. Although Naggian entertainment isn’t much like what you’d find on Earth—unless you’re strictly into tragedy. Every single one of their “entertainments” seems to end with the heroine dying alone on the ice after being abandoned by the hero. Rom-com material, it’s definitely not. Still, Ta’ti’ana was absolutely gorgeous by Naggian standards—tall and slender with long black hair and skin like “fresh fallen snow” to quote the gossip rags.
I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised that such a famous actress would be interested in Vik’tor—after all, he was the richest guy on O’nagga Nine. But it still caused me a little stab of jealousy to think of such a rich, glamorous, gorgeous woman wanting him. She was pretty much my exact opposite.
Well, Vik’tor didn’t go looking for her or save her from a pimp or kill anyone for her, now did he? I lectured myself. So just forget what Ass-licks says.
I turned my attention to the viewscreen again where Vik’tor was talking this time.
“So let me go through this again,” he said to Ass-licks. “You say that as soon as I left for my business meeting this afternoon, Natalie put on all her new clothes and just left—right?”
Ass-licks nodded earnestly.
“Absolutely! She wouldn’t stay, no matter what I said.”
“I see.” Vik’tor nodded thoughtfully. “And you have no idea where she went?”
“None,” Ass-licks said. “Like I said, she put on the new furs and told me she just wanted to ‘get off this frozen hell-hole of a planet.’”
Well, he wasn’t wrong about that I thought. I couldn’t wait to put O’nagga Nine in my rearview mirror. The only thing I would miss was Vik’tor.
“So, speaking of Natalie’s new clothes,” Vik’tor said. “The funny thing is, they still had their anti-theft tracking tags in them. Daw’snx left them on, just in case we wanted to return or exchange something.”
Ass-licks went suddenly pale—even paler than Naggians usually are—and swallowed hard. But he kept his voice level.
“Is that right? Then I imagine you found that she’d sold them to buy passage off planet.”
“Actually, no.” Vik’tor said, taking a step closer to the other male.
“According to the chief of security, the clothes—I’m assuming with Natalie in them—went all the way to Gaz’snx. Can you tell me where your crawler just came back from?”
“Came back from?” Ass-licks affected surprise. “Why, it’s been here all night. I just came out early to clean it up some. I, er, had a Blood Bride in it earlier and I wanted to make certain she didn’t leave anything inside that Dru’silla might find,” he added, winking at Vik’tor in a “man-to-man” kind of way. “You know how awkward that can be!”
“Yeah, pretty fucking awkward,” Vik’tor growled. “So you don’t mind if I have a look inside your crawler?”
“Not at all!” Ass-licks stood to one side and pressed a button in his hand, which caused both doors of the bright yellow tunnel crawler to lift up, like the wings of a bird. “Look as much as you like,” he told Vik’tor.
Vik’tor searched in the passenger side but I already knew what he would find—nothing. If my bundle of old clothes was still in there, Ass-licks wouldn’t have been so quick to let him take a look inside. But was there something…?
Using the controls, I rotated the view on the viewscreen. At first Vik’tor’s broad shoulders were in the way but when he straightened up I saw it again—a little white something sticking out from under the seat. But it was clear to me that Vik’tor hadn’t seen it.