“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 howawkwardthat 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.
“You see?” Ass-licks threw out his hands. “Nothing.”
His bald-faced lying made my blood boil. I knew that Vik’tor had told me to stay in the ship, but I just had to saysomething.
I rose and pushed the button that opened the ship’s door.
THIRTY
VIK’TOR
“You see?” Azz’lx said, throwing out his hands. “Nothing.”
I felt a growl of frustration rising in my throat. I knew he was guilty of having Natalie driven away and trying to have her killed andheknew he was guilty, too. But I needed to be able to prove it. I fully intended to fire the fucker, but if I didn’t have good evidence of what he’d done, he could take me to court and make things difficult.
Suddenly, the door to my ship opened and Natalie stepped out.
Azz’lx stared at her as though he’d seen a ghost. Which as far as he knew, she was, since he’d given orders to have her killed.
“Wh-wh-what isshedoing here?” he finally got out, in a quavering voice.
“Yeah, whatareyou doing out here, baby?” I asked, frowning pointedly. I had wanted to keep her in the ship so she would be safe in case Azz’lx got any crazy ideas.
“Just proving a point,” she said coolly. She stepped up to the passenger side of the tunnel crawler and leaned down. Reaching under the seat, she pulled out what looked like a little white cloth package.
“What’s that?” Azz’lx asked blankly.
I was wondering the same thing myself, but Natalie was quick to answer.
“It’s the snack I packed myself after we ate breakfast together,” she told me. “See?”
She unwrapped the napkin and I saw the crumbled remains of the multicolored pies and a few of the little cakes we’d had during our first meal together. It was funny to think that had been just yesterday. It seemed fucking years ago, which I guessed wasn’t surprising considering everything we’d been through since then.
“You see—she was stealing from you!” Azz’lx exclaimed triumphantly.
“No, I wasn’t!” Natalie denied. She looked at me. “I just wasn’t sure if you were really going to want to keep me around so I…I wrapped a few things in a napkin just in case you decided to send me back down to the Central Hub.”
“As if I’d want to let you go, baby,” I murmured, putting an arm around her.
“Will you listen to yourself!” Azz’lx demanded, glaring at me. “’As if I’dwant to let you go’,” he mimicked savagely. “This Blood Whore hasbewitchedyou! You need to get rid of her before she empties your entire bank account and takes over your building!”
“Why, you nasty little man!” Natalie lifted her chin, glaring at Azz’lx. “You think I’m trying to do away with Vik’tor and take over his money and property? Well let me tell you—I wouldn’t care if he owned all of O’nagga Nine, Istillwouldn’t want to stay here! The only thing I want is to get back home to Earth and to never see this miserable ball of ice again!”
I stared at her uncertainly. This was definitely going to put a crimp in any future relationship. My business and my home were on O’nagga Nine. There was no way I could leave it.