Free Tor (Women of Earth Book 2) by Jacqueline Rhoades Page A

risk involved. If the risk is too high, the deal is off."
    "Do you carry people?" Wynne asked cautiously. She wanted him to say no, never. People aren't merchandise.
    "The Sky Hawk isn't a passenger vessel, but yes, I occasionally take on passengers if they're headed in the same direction as my cargo. And yes," he paused to give her a significant look, "Once in a while, I'll carry a Bride. It's cheaper to ship them with a load of goods than to hire a private passenger carrier." He shrugged. "Mostly they're a pain in the ass with all the weeping and whining. Not worth the fee to ship them, but it's good for trade. Bring a man his Bride and you've got his business for life."
    "Did you ever think that maybe there'd be a lot less weeping and wailing if those poor women weren't shipped against their will?" Wynne asked, outraged on behalf of those unknown Brides.
    "Who said anything about it being against their will? They signed up with the bride broker. They made the agreement. They board my ship of their own free will. It's not my fault they all get weak knees when the deal is done. By the time they get where they're going, it's all over, but in the meantime, I'm the one who has to listen to them wail and my crew whine about the wailing."
    "Then what about the Brides on the Romer II?" she asked. "They didn't go willingly."
    "That wasn't my doing," he said as if he was tired of hearing it. "Orax came to me with a deal to ship a dozen brides. I told him there was no way I'd ship that many. Like I said, the Sky Hawk's not a passenger vessel and shipping Brides is a pain in the ass."
    Wynne cocked her head to the side. Chin tucked into her neck, she frowned. She didn't say a word. She didn't have to. Her look said it all. Tor threw up his hands.
    "All right, I admit it. When he upped his price per head, he caught my interest." Her frown deepened. "Hey, do you know how much it costs to keep a cargo ship in the air? I've got a crew to feed, and I pay them a damn sight more than they're worth. I have docking fees, fuel, maintenance..." he listed, but saw she wasn't buying it. "I backed off when he wouldn't tell me when and where they were to be picked up or delivered."
    Wynne nodded, mollified. At least the man had some sort of moral code. "You knew it was illegal," she concluded.
    She wasn't sure why she should feel so relieved at this evidence of conscience, but the tenseness between her shoulder blades finally gave way. To hide her relief, she rummaged through the small pile of supplies to find the pouch of protein cakes.
    And then he had to go and spoil it by looking at her like she was a kid who didn't understand the facts of life.
    "Illegal's never been a problem, Princess, but I won't put my ship or crew out there on any plan that isn't mine." He waited until her frown was back again and fully formed. "And I draw the line at sentient trafficking."
    "So you were on the Romer to stop them," she said to lead him in the direction she wanted him to go. For some reason she didn't understand, she needed him to be one of the good guys. He disappointed her again.
    "Sorry, Princess, but I'm no hero. I don't give a damn about those Brides. I was on the Romer to get my ship back, maybe find my crew, and get a little payback while I was at it."
    Wynne knew he didn't give a damn about the meat, either, but he poked, prodded, and turned the charring sticks, letting the juices flow from top to bottom before putting them back over the fire. A world class chef supervising the cooking of some exotic delicacy couldn't have shown more care and concentration. It was a delaying tactic and she knew it.
    She patiently waited it out, never taking her eyes from the squatting figure. It wasn't hard. Stooped low as he was his pants tightened across a pair of very healthy looking thighs. She could almost see the bulging outline of the muscles beneath. No softness there, nor in his backside either. Not too big and not too small, the butt resting on his heals