Read Online Tor (Women of Earth Book 2) by Jacqueline Rhoades - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jacqueline Rhoades
Ads: Link
they started as eight." He shook his head in disbelief. "I'd have bet my merrymaker an animal that big and ugly couldn't move that fast. Good thing I didn't. I'd be a eunuch. She came at 'em faster than a cheap whore blasts you off on a two credit blow. Tore one up and killed another." There was a viciousness to the Perithian's grin like maybe he enjoyed the show. He spread his hands. "And then there were seven, though number seven didn't look too good with that piece of bone sticking out of his leg."
Yep, he enjoyed it.
"There's more. One of them killed Mama with a handloader."
The Galactic Confederation had outlawed the primitive weapons, but most traders ignored the law and carried at least one. Tor had three buried on his ship and only carried one on his hip in frontier towns where the peacekeepers weren't GC. In those places, peace was more important than law, and a dead man couldn't testify to an illegal weapon's use. The weapons were loud and the percussive powder left a distinctive odor. Both left a residual message that disruptive behavior would not be tolerated.
Tor nodded. "We heard the reports. Three shots. Bad aim?"
Mohawk shook his head. "Thick skull. You gotta get them in the eye."
Tor glanced at the tail. "You're that good?"
Mohawk grinned again, this time in response to Tor's nod and lopsided smile of respect.
"All the ladies say so," the Perithian said with a smarmy grin before he went on. "One of them was pissed about it."
He repeated the conversation he'd heard while he cut chunks of meat from the tail and threaded them onto a stick.
"'Horny said no fire power.'
"The shooter says, 'Then let Horny get his ass out here and get eaten. All he does is drink, fuck, and eat. Makes us do the dangerous shit. '
"Skinny one laughs and says, 'I don't know about that. Fucking looked pretty damned dangerous the other night .'
'That was the warm up. Wait until we get to the other one, whipwick.'
'Horny ain't gonna get to it for a while, the way that spotted bitch got him.'
'Fucking bitch spoiled the whole damn night. Next one won't though.'
'Won't be a next one if we don't find those beacons and whoever came with them. Horny says don't come back without them.'
"Doesn't sound like their women are volunteers," Tor said. He closed his eyes.
"You're not taking Wynne in there." He'd started a second stick, but was no longer carefully threading the meat.
"They won't hurt her," Tor assured him in a voice so cold, Wynne found it frightening. He paused before he continued, impatient, but no longer alarming. "And that meat's already dead. Quit stabbing it. Prop it up here." He toed a rock closer to the fire. "Where'd you leave your pod?"
"On the beach."
"Then they know one of us landed safely. Wynne's beacon is still active. They'll need a boat to locate it and since it's open and empty..." He shrugged. "Mine's disabled. Let's hope they think the worst."
"What are you thinking?"
"That we need to find a way to get you and the princess off this damn rock."
"And what will you do, pirate?"
"Whatever I have to."
"There are at least eight of them counting that Horny bugger."
Mohawk cut another piece of meat from the hunk at his feet before passing Tor's knife back. He popped the raw chunk in his mouth and chewed on it while watching the rest cook.
Tor winced. "It doesn't matter how many there are. They have what's mine. And his name isn't Horny. It's Honarie."
"You know him?"
"Yeah, I know him."
The bony ridges that served as Mohawk's eyebrows rose and connected into a single continuous ridge.
Tor shrugged. "I've done business with his brother, Orax. They stole something from me and now I'm going to get it back."
Chapter 7
Again, Tor's voice was so hard and cold it sent a shiver up Wynne's spine and it made her more confused than ever about who this man was. One minute he was funny and charming, a sexy tease. While he wasn't handsome in the way that First Commander Roark was, he was certainly
Yep, he enjoyed it.
"There's more. One of them killed Mama with a handloader."
The Galactic Confederation had outlawed the primitive weapons, but most traders ignored the law and carried at least one. Tor had three buried on his ship and only carried one on his hip in frontier towns where the peacekeepers weren't GC. In those places, peace was more important than law, and a dead man couldn't testify to an illegal weapon's use. The weapons were loud and the percussive powder left a distinctive odor. Both left a residual message that disruptive behavior would not be tolerated.
Tor nodded. "We heard the reports. Three shots. Bad aim?"
Mohawk shook his head. "Thick skull. You gotta get them in the eye."
Tor glanced at the tail. "You're that good?"
Mohawk grinned again, this time in response to Tor's nod and lopsided smile of respect.
"All the ladies say so," the Perithian said with a smarmy grin before he went on. "One of them was pissed about it."
He repeated the conversation he'd heard while he cut chunks of meat from the tail and threaded them onto a stick.
"'Horny said no fire power.'
"The shooter says, 'Then let Horny get his ass out here and get eaten. All he does is drink, fuck, and eat. Makes us do the dangerous shit. '
"Skinny one laughs and says, 'I don't know about that. Fucking looked pretty damned dangerous the other night .'
'That was the warm up. Wait until we get to the other one, whipwick.'
'Horny ain't gonna get to it for a while, the way that spotted bitch got him.'
'Fucking bitch spoiled the whole damn night. Next one won't though.'
'Won't be a next one if we don't find those beacons and whoever came with them. Horny says don't come back without them.'
"Doesn't sound like their women are volunteers," Tor said. He closed his eyes.
"You're not taking Wynne in there." He'd started a second stick, but was no longer carefully threading the meat.
"They won't hurt her," Tor assured him in a voice so cold, Wynne found it frightening. He paused before he continued, impatient, but no longer alarming. "And that meat's already dead. Quit stabbing it. Prop it up here." He toed a rock closer to the fire. "Where'd you leave your pod?"
"On the beach."
"Then they know one of us landed safely. Wynne's beacon is still active. They'll need a boat to locate it and since it's open and empty..." He shrugged. "Mine's disabled. Let's hope they think the worst."
"What are you thinking?"
"That we need to find a way to get you and the princess off this damn rock."
"And what will you do, pirate?"
"Whatever I have to."
"There are at least eight of them counting that Horny bugger."
Mohawk cut another piece of meat from the hunk at his feet before passing Tor's knife back. He popped the raw chunk in his mouth and chewed on it while watching the rest cook.
Tor winced. "It doesn't matter how many there are. They have what's mine. And his name isn't Horny. It's Honarie."
"You know him?"
"Yeah, I know him."
The bony ridges that served as Mohawk's eyebrows rose and connected into a single continuous ridge.
Tor shrugged. "I've done business with his brother, Orax. They stole something from me and now I'm going to get it back."
Chapter 7
Again, Tor's voice was so hard and cold it sent a shiver up Wynne's spine and it made her more confused than ever about who this man was. One minute he was funny and charming, a sexy tease. While he wasn't handsome in the way that First Commander Roark was, he was certainly
Similar Books
