Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,41

ever known, she felt no sentiments toward any part of it. Her gang would undoubtedly jump at the chance to come with her.

If Moe was right about this trust fund and that there was a home waiting for her on Terra Minor, that was probably the best place for her to go.

Or it would have been if she hadn’t met up with Moe.

His presence changed everything, and she still wasn’t sure how to feel about him, or what she should do. Was she supposed to go with him wherever he went? He used to have a ship, but now it was gone. How could he replace it if he’d already spent his share of the money? He talked like he had money in a bank somewhere. She had no idea how that worked. Surely he hadn’t made a deposit while he was here on Haedus Nine. Or maybe he had. He’d talked like he’d been paid a large sum for the delivery he’d made, and while he’d had a substantial amount of credits in his wallet, there wasn’t that much. Did depositing money on one world mean he could access it elsewhere? Did banks communicate with one another from planet to planet?

God, I feel so stupid.

It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know how the galaxy worked. She’d never truly been part of it. Her mother had taught her as much as she could, but her education had also been scanty, and anyone working as a hooker usually did so because there were no other options. Here on Haedus, Delaroh had worked in a bar. If she’d done any sex work, Klara hadn’t known about it.

“You haven’t a clue how people feel about you and your gang, have you?” Moe said, interrupting her thoughts. “Tell me, have you ever actually spoken with any of the locals?”

“Not for a long time,” she replied. “We keep to ourselves.”

“I’m guessing your mother was something of a heroine for refusing Pelarus, and you’ve taken it a few steps further. First by stealing from him, and then by competing with him for gladiators. You’re a rebel and you don’t even know it. I’ll bet you have quite a reputation around here. What’s surprising is that no one has ever said anything to you.”

“That’s because I have no reputation,” she insisted. “If anything, I’m an outlaw who the local merchants would love to see thrown in a dungeon or the arena. They’d probably cheer like crazy when some vicious bastard finally killed me.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” he said. “I truly do. Your wanted posters are probably covered with graffiti from your admiring supporters.”

Narrowing her eyes, she studied him for a moment. He seemed sincere, but what he was suggesting couldn’t possibly be true. “Where are you getting this crap? I don’t have any supporters, admiring or otherwise.”

“I think you’re wrong,” he said. “Let’s do a little experiment, shall we? Let’s walk to the bank and see what happens.”

“Out in the open?” Even Temfilk seemed aghast at such careless behavior. “No way!”

Nexbit brushed the handle of his pistol with trembling fingers as though ensuring he hadn’t dropped it. “We’ll stun any Nedwuts we see, right?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Moe said. “But if we don’t run into any, we should be fine.”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

“Nobody bothered you in that bar,” he said, with all the patience of an adult explaining a difficult concept to a child. “If they had, I’d have noticed, because I was itching for a fight. I’m guessing even after you stunned me, nobody lifted a finger to stop you from dragging me out of there.” His intense gaze never left hers. “Did they?”

“We didn’t drag you,” Nexbit said helpfully. “I morphed into a Terran and carried—”

“That’s irrelevant,” Klara snapped. With an apologetic glance at the Sympaticon, she continued, “Nobody stopped us because they either don’t care enough to get involved or they lack the courage to intervene.” Moe couldn’t be right. No possible way.

Moe shook his head slowly. “I don’t believe that’s the reason. I believe their lack of interference is actually a sign of respect.”

“Moe, are you sure those stuns didn’t rattle your brains?” To his credit, Temfilk sounded more concerned than sarcastic. However, Klara was inclined to agree.

“My brains are fine.” Moe sat back on his heels. “I’m an outsider. I can see what you don’t see. Tell me this: has anyone aside from Nedwuts ever come looking for you?”

Frowning, Klara thought back over the past year or