Free Pirate's Price by Aubrey Ross

nearly out of the plunging cups. After several firm tugs, the
upper edge barely covered her areolas.
    “It’s meant to display a hint of nipple,” he
commented with a wicked smile.
    “I’m glad you’re enjoying this.” She draped
the cloak around her shoulders and secured the clasp. As long as
she didn’t move she was covered, but each step she took would
display her legs. “What about shoes?”
    “Yours will have to do. You don’t want to
walk through the commercial tiers barefoot. Trust me.”
    “Trust you? Not likely.”
    She tried to push past him, but he caught
her upper arm. “You’ve never been to a place like this, Rana. It’s
dangerous. You need to stay close and keep your mouth shut.”
    Ignoring the argument welling inside her,
she snatched her arm out of his grasp and retrieved her
semi-mangled stockings. The pale pink more or less matched the red
lingerie and her shoes were white with a faint pastel pattern. It
was not an ensemble she would have assembled, but she’d had enough
of this cabin.
    She followed him through the ship, her
temper simmering. Several of the crewmen gazed at her with knowing
boldness and tension twisted her belly. No one on Devaunt would
dare look at her that way, even if her behavior warranted the
reaction.
    Halfway down the ramp her steps faltered and
apprehension sent a violent shiver down her spine. They were in a
dilapidated hangar, surrounded by scattered debris. Exposed girders
and rusted grillwork bisected the walls, while conduits and
insulated pipes crisscrossed high above her head. Was the entire
station this… well used?
    A maintenance crew ambled toward the ship
with tool carts and diagnostic instruments. Vik guided her across
the bay and motioned toward the raised walkway. She climbed the
alloy ladder with him close behind. Similar bays stretched off in
both directions. The air was cool, but unfamiliar scents made her
wrinkle her nose.
    As Vik predicted, no one paid her much
attention. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close
to his side. “Once we reach the Mall, you can relax to some degree.
Unfortunately, security randomly scans the public lifts, so we’re
going to take the scenic route. Don’t make eye contact and don’t
speak to anyone. Understood?”
    She nodded, more than happy to comply.
    The walkway widened and they emerged in a
clutter of portable stands and tiny shops. Her hood shadowed her
face and restricted her field of vision. Bursts of laughter cut
through the drone of overlapping conversations as he hurried her
along. She recognized several languages, yet others were
unfamiliar.
    “Are you buying or selling?” The raspy voice
came from her right, but Rana kept her head down.
    “Neither.”
     
    Vik’s brusque tone should have deterred the
speaker, so she gasped when a scaly hand pulled back one side of
her cloak.
    “Let’s negotiate now. Save us both the
auction fee.”
    “She’s not for sale.”
    She tilted her head and glanced at the
intruder while fear squeezed her heart. They had slave auctions on
this spaceport? Covered in gray-green scales, the intruder’s
reptilian features revealed little emotion. She snatched her cloak
out of his hand and moved closer to Vik.
    Pushing her behind him, Vik faced off with
the alien. “Get out of the way. She’s not for sale.”
    Tension escalated as the two men glared at
each other. Vik reached behind him. She thought it was a comforting
gesture until she saw the subtle bulge beneath his shirt. He had a
weapon tucked into the back of his pants!
    The alien hissed and turned sharply to the
side, allowing them to pass.
    “They sell slaves here?” she cried as they
climbed to the next tier.
    “They sell everything here, princess. I told
you this was a far cry from Devaunt.”
    The next tier drove that fact home with
undeniable impact. At a glance Level 7 was cleaner and less
cluttered than the seedy area they’d just departed. People strolled
along, relaxed and