Page 29 of On a Rogue Planet
“So, I’ll go in as a fighter.”
“Look CenSec, you came to us for help. We need to plan?—”
“I just suggested the plan. I go in as a fighter.”
“We can’t go in half-cocked?—”
Mal slammed her palms on the holo-table. “Stop it!”
Both men went quiet.
“What else do you know about Rhage?” she asked Dathan.
“They bet heavily on the fights. Each fighter is expected to put up a lot of money and…”
“And?” she prompted.
“A woman.”
“What?” This from Eos. “They bet women?”
“Scum,” Nik said darkly.
“I’ve found another record,” BEll chimed in. “There are no female Rahl.”
Xander was scowling. “I don’t recall seeing any female mercenaries.”
“They mate with females of other species, but only have male offspring,” BEll added. “That’s why women are valuable prizes to them.”
Eos cleared her throat. “I could go with Xander?—”
“No.” Dathan’s voice was low and deadly quiet. “You’ve already been auctioned once. I won’t have you up for a bet.”
Mal saw Eos shiver and knew her cousin-in-law still had nightmares from the time she’d been kidnapped by slavers in the Devil’s Nebula. Luckily, Dathan had rescued her.
“I’m sure Ria would be happy to go in,” Niklas suggested. “We’d have to wait for her and Zayn to get back.”
“We can’t wreck their honeymoon.” Mal knew those two deserved their happy ending. They’d both been through too much for them to be called back ahead of schedule from their honeymoon. Her thoughts flickered briefly to Traxan and the smoke rising above Haxx. Whatever crazy fascination Mal felt for Xander, it didn’t stop her wanting, noneeding, to help Centax.
She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“No.”
“No way!”
Dathan’s heated refusal rolled off Malin. But Xander’s quietly whispered word sent shivers down her spine. She turned slowly to look at him. His eyes were glowing green.
“You want the Antikythera back, right?” she said.
“Yes. But you will not set foot on Rhage.”
“It’s the best option.” She tilted her head. “Besides, what do you care, anyway?”
“Mal, I know you’ve helped with a few hunts before, but this is a bit beyond a simple hunt,” Niklas said.
He wasn’t protesting outright, just using logic and facts to try and get to her. Classic, Nik.
