A male voice came from inside. “What are you doing here? He told you where to sleep, Morna. He will punish you.”
"I need to speak with him.” Morna’s voice was low and urgent. "It's important.”
The voice shifted to a chuckle. “You do like the whip, don’t you?”
“Someone asked me about the princess. He needs to know."
“I will convey your message.”
“No!” The door slammed in her face.
I watched Morna argue with the guard. He did not raise his voice or speak unkindly, but he also would not allow her to pass. Morna stood there for a moment as if trying to gather her thoughts. Then she turned on her heel and disappeared down a hallway I could not see from this vantage point.
“You there. Female. What are you doing here?” The guard’s deep voice bellowed down the hall. I’d hadmaybeone eye and a whisp of hair in view.
He wasn’t just big, he was sharp.
I knew I needed to report this to the guys. I had to get out of here. Only one thing left to do--bluff.
Putting on a mask of innocent bafflement, I walked straight up to the guard and looked at the floor, everything in my posture non-threatening. Submissive. As if the almost nothing of a sheer, red nighty, g-string panties and an almost nothing push-up bra weren't enough to clue him in to my status in the club. "I'm so sorry, Sir. It’s my first time here. But I took a wrong turn. I was too afraid to ask for help. I just kept going and now I don't know where I am."
"Do not worry.” His voice was kind, even if his body was frightening. “I cannot leave my post, but I will summon someone from within to escort you back to your master."
"My mate." The words tumbled out of me and I hoped that somehow a mate would offer even more protection in this place than a master would. It appeared I was correct.
"One moment, my lady. Please, come in. I will call a replacement and walk you back myself."
"Thank you, Sir." I still had not looked him in the eye. I did, however, get a rather long look at the growing bulge in his pants.
Were all Viken hung like horses? Good god.
"My pleasure, my lady." The guard opened the door and led the way inside.
I shouldn’t go in alone. I knew that. But this wasn’t my first assignment. However, it was the first time I’d walked into an unknown space without my gun. And not just any unknown space. Oh, no. This one had to be on another freaking planet in a sex club. Shit, my mother would be rolling over in her grave. She’d thought running drugs for a cartel had been dangerous. At least when I did that, I’d worn clothes.
The guard was tall and muscular—seemed they were all built big on Viken—but much older than Mal, Geros and Kayson. Probably twenty years older, if I had to guess. The lines of scars on his forearms and neck made me think he’d been a soldier at some point.
“Stay here, my lady, while I inform the others.”
“Of course, Sir.” The last word was like acid in my mouth. Every time I had to say it to this Viken guard it got worse. It was nothing like saying it to Mal. No, calling Mal Sir made me want to purr like a kitten, crawl into his lap and let him take care of me. Or fuck me. Or order someone else to do it. Whatever he wanted.
Just like Geros. He’d been so desperate to fuck me I’d feared he was going to have a stroke. Every muscle in his body had been tense, his blood vessels bulging from his temple and neck. I’d given him a gift and that made me really, really happy. Which was freaking weird, but when was the last time anyone other than my boss had asked me for anything.
Too damn long. Years. Maybe a decade or more.
I really was losing it, feeling sorry for myself and my pathetic, lonely life when I should be looking for clues.
The place felt empty. Not like no one occupied the space, but as if even the walls were afraid to make a sound. I crept quietly down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. The big guard’s footsteps were loud. Heavy. I would hear him before I would see him. I knew I had to be careful – if I was caught snooping around the apartment, I’d be in a lot of trouble. Maybe. Depended how easy the big guard was to dupe.
I passed by a few closed doors, eyes scanning for any signs of movement. But so far, everything was quiet. I took a deep breath and kept moving forward, my hand on the entrance panel to what looked like a study on Earth. Or a personal library.
Thankfully, the door made almost no sound as it slid open. I peered inside. The room was dimly lit, I she could make out a few pieces of furniture. I crept inside, my eyes looking for any clues. I spotted a photograph on the mantelpiece and picked it up, studying it closely.
Just as I was about to put the photograph back, I heard a noise behind me. I spun around, my heart racing. But it was just a creature of some kind, agile like cat, and about the same size. Some kind of pet sauntered into the room. I sighed in relief, but my heart was still pounding. The creature eyed me with curiosity and stayed close. Which was a good thing. If I was caught back here, I could blame it on the creature somehow. Say I heard it crying?
Did these things make noise? Damn. I’d have to say I just saw it running or something.
I continued to search, looking for anything that might link the owner to the VSS or the princess. I rifled through drawers and opened closets but found nothing. Just as I was about to give up, I spotted a small box tucked away near the very back of a shelf inside a small, tucked away cabinet in the corner of the room.
