She needs help right now.
And even though I’m going to hate every moment of it, I’ll go into port with her and help her find a new keffing husband. But first…I grab Piper around the waist and drag her back into bed. “I’ll go with you…soon.” And I slide my hand between her thighs so I can pet that silky soft cunt. “For now, you’re mine.”
“For now,” Piper agrees breathlessly, and clings to my neck as I touch her.
I’m in a keffing bad mood when we head into port a few hours later. Piper’s dressed head to toe in heavy, concealing clothing, and she pulls a buff-colored hood over her head as the air-sled lands. It hides her face and her expression, so I can’t see if she’s as openly frustrated to be here as I am.
I help her out of the sled and then wait. “Well? Do you want to go back to the jail and see if you can get another desperate convict? You can always tell them you need two farm hands and not just one.”
She tilts her head back and looks up at me. “I’m not sure. Did you know those men?”
“The szzt was a murderer, so I wouldn’t recommend him. The praxiian—”
“Not a praxiian,” she says quickly. “It’ll have to be someone else.”
Right. She looks up at me hopefully, and I realize she’s waiting for me to come up with ideas. Is that why she wanted me to join her here? “You don’t have a clue where to start?” I ask.
Piper bites her lip and ducks her head, hiding her face from my view. “I was hoping you might know someone…kind. I don’t know many here. I mostly keep to myself. It’s all right. I can start asking around—”
I grab her arm when she starts to walk away.
She stops and turns to look at me, her eyes peeking up from that heavy hood. They’re so worried and yet full of hope and determination.
I can’t let her down. I bite back the sigh building in my throat. “I knew a few guys that did odd jobs here and there. They hung out at the spaceport tavern. Let me see if anyone’s around. If not, the tavern owner might know when they might be back.”
She gives me a brilliant smile, so full of appreciation for a keffing piece of scum like me that I feel unworthy. “I’ll go to the general store and pick up a few supplies while you do that.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if it’s safe for her to go about alone. For all that this is a farming planet, this port is just like any other port on the fringes of the universe—filled with seedy lowlifes and dangerous types. It’s a stupid question, though. She got around on Risda without me in the past. She’ll get around without me in the future.
I hate how much that thought bothers me, though.
I watch her until she goes into the store, and head toward the tavern. Port here on Risda isn’t more than a few private shipping yards, one general shipping lane open to the public, and a long row of shops that cater to the few people that live out here. There’s only one tavern, which means it sees a lot of the local sticks games and every male that’s looking for shady work passes through. I’ve been here several times myself in the last few months, and I mentally go through the list of the regulars. None of them are right for someone as delicate-yet-strong as Piper. She needs someone with a gentle hand but a fierce demeanor. She needs someone that will support her and care for her. That will take the time to touch her in the way that makes those dark eyes go soft—
I growl as I stand in front of the automated door. The barkeep looks at me oddly and then goes back to wiping down the counter. There’s a familiar male at one of the few tables, but he’s not right for her. From what I know of his species, females are not equal. I don’t want anyone taking a single bit of Piper’s freedom away from her. The barkeep will know more, though. Maybe he’ll know someone that fits the bill and is willing to marry a human in a hurry. Even so, I can’t bring myself to go inside and ask. Not yet.
I turn and glance down the winding one-lane street of the port as an air-sled with a loud fan rumbles past. It blocks my view of the general store, but when it finally moves past, I see there’s a big, all-too-familiar form lurking outside the store. A praxiian, judging by the cheek tufts, pointed ears, and the enormous, slightly hunched shoulders. His tail flicks back and forth in a predatory way, and he stares inside at…something.