Stealing Coal (21 page)

his gaze flicked to Jill’s. “Yes. He regretted giving you to Darren and had no idea that

asshole would abuse you. He wanted you with a man he trusted without question,

someone who’d never hurt you in any way. That’s why he chose me.”

Jill had no words. None.

“It’s going to be fine,” the captain swore softly. He gave her a soft smile. “I’m going

to take care of you and keep you safe. I’m so damn glad I found you, Jillian. I’ve been

told so much about you from your dad that I feel as though I already know you. Your

aunt knew about the pact. Mary didn’t tell you?”

“She died on the
Viking
right after Dad’s crew turned on us.” Jill still couldn’t

believe what the man said. It had to be some kind of sick, cosmic joke, but then anger at

her father set in. “He had no right to tell you I’d marry you.”

“I promise I’ll make you happy, sweetheart.” The captain gave her a soft smile.

“She’s not your sweetheart.” Coal’s voice deepened into a rough, harsh tone. “I’ll

kill you if you come any closer to her.”

The captain’s shocked gaze glanced between Jill and Coal, paling again. “Shit.” He

took a step back as his attention jerked back to Jill. “Call him off. You have nothing to

fear from me.” He cleared his throat. “Are you sleeping with that?”

“Him,” Sky ground out. “We’re not things. We’re people.”

The captain turned his head to shoot a frown at Sky. “Sorry.” He faced Jill again.

“It’s fine with me if you allowed him to touch you. I’m not angry. You did whatever

you had to do to survive. Nobody needs to tell me what a miracle it is that you’re still

alive.”

Flint moved forward suddenly. “Can we have councilman Zorus now? You can

resolve your issue with the female after he’s been returned to us. We are ready to pay

you.”

Captain Varel hesitated. “On one condition.”

Flint growled under his breath. “We already made a deal. We hired you for a price

we intend to pay when you return him to us.”

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Laurann Dohner

“I’ll allow your man to come aboard after you transfer the payment if I can talk to

Jillian alone.”

“No,” Coal snarled. The hand gripping the weapon tensed.

“Holster your weapon,” Flint ordered. “Now, Coal. That’s a direct order.”

Jill rubbed Coal’s arm. “It’s okay.” She frowned at the captain. “Why do you want

to talk to me?”

“No,” Coal snarled again but he put away the gun. “You aren’t speaking with him

without me present.”

“And that’s why I want to talk to her alone.” Captain Varel turned his attention to

Flint. “Her father and I were best friends for over thirty years. If she wants to stay with

you then I’ll accept that happily. I just need an assurance that’s what she wants.” The

captain jerked his head in Coal’s direction. “With him acting that way, you should

understand my need to ask her questions without the fear of him intimidating her. I

won’t believe what she says with him ready to shoot me if he hears something he

doesn’t like.”

Jill opened her mouth to tell him that was plain stupid and how Coal wouldn’t do

that but Flint spoke first.

“Do you believe he knew your father, Jill?”

Her gaze locked on the captain. He appeared about the right age as her father had

been, perhaps a few years younger, but he knew she looked similar to her mother. She’d

heard that from her aunt her entire life. The sisters had different coloring so the guy

couldn’t have just seen her aunt and assumed they resembled each other. Her aunt had

been blonde with dark-green eyes while Jill’s mother had strawberry-blonde, almost-

red hair and bright-blue eyes. He also obviously knew about Darren’s abuse and her

aunt’s name.

“He called you his pumpkin,” the man said softly. “When you were born, your hair

looked more orange than anything else.”

“I believe him,” Jill announced. “Only my father would have shared that story and

only with someone he trusted. It’s also just like my father to have tried to give me to

another man in marriage. He always had an annoying way of thinking he knew what

would be best for me no matter how misguided it turned out to be.”

Flint hesitated. “You will not undock with the
Jenny
but I will allow you to speak to

her privately after you return the councilman to us. Once he is safely aboard we’ll send

her to talk to you on your ship…alone.”

“No!” Coal glared at Flint. “He could harm her.”

“He knew her father, they were friends, and he seems reasonable. I understand the

logic of him wishing to speak to her without us present to sway her answers.” Flint took

a deep breath. “He won’t undock from us and it will alleviate any concerns he may

have.”

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Stealing Coal

Jill realized Coal looked about ready to snap. Killing the captain who had

possession of the cyborg would be bad. The crew would probably kill the cyborg in

retaliation, attack the
Jenny
, and the captain had a much better ship than her shuttle. She

stepped forward and turned to face Coal.

“He won’t hurt me, Coal. I’ll be fine. It’s one short conversation and then I’ll be

right back.” Her voice lowered. “I need you to trust me, calm down, and don’t lose

control, okay?”

She watched him take deep breaths, emotions battling across his handsome

features, and it touched her how worried he obviously felt for her. She forced a smile

and nodded at him.

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple showing, and rage finally won dominance in

his expression. “A short conversation and if you aren’t back soon,” his gaze lifted to

narrow on the other shuttle’s captain, his look turning ice cold and deadly, “I will come

for you.”

“Good enough.” Relief had her relaxing. She nodded at Flint. “We have a deal.”

Captain Varel backed up. “Transfer the payment and I’ll have your man come

aboard. I’ll be waiting for Jillian on the other side of the docking sleeve. No harm will

come to her. You have my word as a gentleman.”

Jill resisted rolling her eyes. Her father never hung out with men of good standing

or even decent people. She didn’t think the guy posed a threat to her though. Big Jim

wouldn’t have trusted just anyone. She inched closer to Coal and faced the docking

doors, curious to see what a cyborg councilman looked like.

“Payment is transferred,” Onyx said softly. “Check your account.”

The captain gaped. “How? You haven’t gone near a terminal.”

Flint sighed. “We don’t need to. Please check your account. You’ll find the payment

transferred.”

One of the captain’s crew lifted a pad to enter commands to their bank. It only took

a few seconds for him to get confirmation. “It’s been paid in full. I signaled for them to

transfer him.”

“Your man is on his way.” Captain Varel smiled at Jill. “I’ll see you in a few

minutes when you’ve had time to catch up with your friend, Jillian.”

She didn’t correct the guy who obviously thought she knew the councilman. She

watched the crew of the other shuttle back out of the
Jenny
’s cargo hold. The tension in

the room seemed to grow stronger instead of lessoning. Flint turned to meet Jill’s gaze.

“Zorus isn’t friendly toward humans. Why don’t you please go wait in the

hallway?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

He frowned. “Fine. Stay far away from him.” His gaze shifted to Coal. “Don’t allow

her to speak to the councilman. It will only make him irritated and you want that family

unit request to be approved easily. He’ll have a say in it now that he’s back.”

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Laurann Dohner

Jill held her tongue but a dozen questions filled her head. She glanced around the

room, seeing a lot of tension. Sky walked toward the other door to meet the councilman

and show him to his room. Jill had been asked to give up her room in order for the man

to have privacy. She’d agreed since it seemed important. If she were going to live with

cyborgs, she didn’t want to start by pissing off some bigwig in Coal’s world.

All of a sudden, a tall, black-haired cyborg strolled into her cargo hold. A human

woman followed him, looking a bit stunned and perhaps frightened. Flint and the man

spoke but Jill couldn’t hear much at all. They kept their tones soft and with her all the

way across the room with Coal mostly blocking her, only a few words were

distinguishable.

“Why does it look as if they are going to deck each other?” she whispered softly to

Coal.

He backed up, touching her, and lowered his tone. “Councilman Zorus isn’t well

liked. He’s made enemies.”

“Well, he is some big-shot council guy. I’ve never met a politician yet that I liked

but somebody has to do that job.”

The new cyborg walked across the cargo hold, moving closer to them with the

human woman in tow but instead of opening the door to the corridor to lead the couple

to the captain’s quarters, Sky suddenly blocked the door. The couple stopped. The

woman looked irritated and yanked against the hold of the cyborg who gripped her.

She jerked out of his grasp.

“What did he mean about buying me?” The woman definitely didn’t sound happy.

The black-haired councilman turned his gaze on her. “I had to buy you from the

humans to obtain your release.”

Coal tensed when it seemed the human and the council guy started to argue about

how much he’d paid for her and she wanted to repay him. Jill’s eyebrows rose. The

council guy intimidated her but the woman stood up to him, though he towered over

her. He looked mean, cold, and then he ignored her, asking which shuttle they were on.

The woman grabbed the guy.

“Talk to me. How much do I owe you?”

Flint ignored her too, explaining to Councilman Zorus that the ship belonged to Jill

and that she and Coal were a couple. He also explained why they’d needed the shuttle

to get them closer to Earth and gave Zorus a message the council had asked Flint to

relay. A bored expression remained on the other cyborg’s features. He finally nodded.

“I want clothing and a secure com link to the council.”

“Fine.” Flint moved closer. “Who is she and what do you want done with her?”

“She belongs to me.” The new cyborg stated. “She isn’t your concern.”

The tension level in the room jumped by leaps and bounds. Even Coal seemed to

turn to stone. Jill didn’t know why it alarmed everyone so much but she knew she

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Stealing Coal

didn’t like someone saying they had bought and now owned another person as if that

woman didn’t have a say in the matter.

Sky suddenly moved. “Give her to me, Councilman Zorus. I’ve taken enough of

your shit for you to owe me. I’ll even buy her from you.”

Their voices lowered too much for Jill to hear but she could see raw anger on Sky’s

features. They argued softly and then suddenly Sky lunged, nearly slamming his chest

against the councilman’s. His words rang clear in the cargo hold.

“You’re a sick bastard who gets off on killing humans. You even made a few of

them believe you were their friend before you attacked. You’re the one who demanded

all humans be made nothing but property on our planet and you’ve tried to order every

female killed who hooked up with one of us. I’m sorry you survived, if you want the

truth. I’d have been happier if you’d died on Earth. I won’t stand by and watch you

turn on this female. You’ve killed your last damn human.” He pushed Zorus hard. “I

want ownership of her and I’ll fight you for it.”

The human woman backed up as the two men went at each other. Jill gasped,

stunned at seeing two cyborgs exchanging punches. Coal spun, an arm gripping her

waist, and she suddenly found herself pinned against the bulkhead with his body

pressing her tightly against it. She had to wiggle a little but when she finally freed her

head enough to peer around him, what she saw made her gasp.

The human woman had a weapon aimed at the cyborgs, a terrified expression on

her features, and the councilman yelled out a warning for no one to fire. He threatened

to kill anyone who shot the woman. The crazy guy then stepped directly into the path

of her weapon, shielding her from the other weapons pointed at her, including Coal’s,

which he’d drawn, then twisted to take aim, keeping Jill pinned at the same time.

“Move out of the way. We don’t have a clear shot.” Flint ordered Zorus.

“Let her shoot him,” Sky offered. “Just don’t kill her. Aim for her shoulder so she’ll

survive. She’s just scared.”

The crazy new cyborg didn’t move but instead spoke softly to the woman. Jill

strained to hear the conversation but she was too far away. Whatever the cyborg said

had the woman’s hand wavering, the gun lowering slightly but not enough not to shoot

him if he came at her. Jill pushed hard on Coal.

“Let me go. I can talk to her. She’s scared and I don’t blame her.”

“Stay out of it,” Coal whispered. “It’s a dangerous situation. I don’t want you hurt.”

Frustration had her biting back a curse but sudden movement drew her attention.

The woman had been distracted by something. It gave the councilman an opportunity

to lunge. He tackled the smaller woman and both of them hit the floor. Jill saw the man

tear the weapon from the woman’s fingers and then yell out.

“Get a medic. Her head is bleeding.”