I’m not asking for much, just safe passage. You can keep the new medical booth and I … I’ll sleep in here with the rest of the cargo if you don’t have any other place for me. I can also pay you.” Jasmine turned and grabbed her bag. Hugging it to her chest, she said, “I have jewels.”
“Are you insane or merely careless? To come on a ship with strange men carrying jewels? What’s to stop us from robbing you blind, ravishing your body and throwing you out into deep space?” Reid’s chest heaved with deepened breaths.
She made a soft noise. He was instantly sorry, but didn’t take the words back. Harsh or not, they were true. Only an imbecile would put herself in the position Jasmine was in. She didn’t know him or the crew.
“Honor,” she said after a long pause. Her eyes dipped down to the floor. “Your honor will stop you from doing those things. You do have honor, don’t you, Ambassador? Or is your kind too primitive for such a concept?”
Reid’s gut tightened.
“The answer is no. We won’t be responsible for your safety. We’re very busy men.” Reid scowled. At that, Dev actually snorted with repressed laughter.
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility for me. I can take care of myself. All I ask is for safe passage to whatever your next port happens to be. I can find my way from there.” Jasmine hugged the bag tighter. Reid’s eyes narrowed as he saw her wrist. She moved her fingers to cover the bruise.
“Why?” he suddenly asked, the question not occurring to him before that moment. He’d assumed she wanted to come because of her attraction to him. Maybe he’d been wrong. There had to be more to Jasmine than he was seeing.
“I just need a ride,” she said, lifting her head. “Actually, Ambassador, I believe I’m talking to the wrong person. I need to speak with Captain Jarek. This is his vessel and … Dev, would you be so kind as to escort me to the Captain?”
“Yes, my--” Dev began.
“No,” Reid interrupted coldly. “I’ve already spoken on it.”
“Sorry, sir, but it’s the law of the sky. When in flight, the Captain’s in charge, unless there is a higher ranking nobleman,” Jasmine stated. She didn’t smile, but she looked irritatingly triumphant. Reid noticed that the woman never really smiled. It was a shame. She had the mouth for it. “I’m afraid that ambassadors are not higher ranking.”
“Reid!” Jarek’s voice bellowed over the intercom. “Get up here to the cockpit now. We’ve got trouble. We’re about to get boarded!”
Jasmine paled. Reid wondered at the expression. He reached for her, careful to drag her by her good arm as he ran toward the cockpit. He didn’t want her out of his sight.
“Hey!” Jasmine protested as she jogged behind him. “You have to be the rudest brute I’ve ever met. Let go of me this instant!”
“Sorry, your royal highness,” Reid spat, growling the mock title at her. “But, you said you wanted to meet with the Captain. Here’s your chance.”
Bars of artificial light glowed intermediately to light the long steel corridor. Reid sped past them so fast that they were only flashes of color. He barely heard Jasmine’s feet tripping on the metal floor behind him.
“Let go!” she cried, the irritation evident in her voice.
Reid came to a sudden stop at the cockpit, thrusting her ahead of him. Jarek glanced at her and lifted a brow in question. Reid merely explained, “Found our stowaway.”
“A ship hails us. They claim to be Federation Military,” Jarek said.
“Tell them we do not recognize Federation law,” Reid answered. Rick, in the pilot’s seat, chuckled and said nothing.
Evan, who was acting as copilot, said, “They’re waiting for our answer. We need to tell them something. If we don’t let them board, they’ve threatened to quarantine the ship.”
“What do you mean you’re not part of the Federation? Everyone’s part of the Federation treaties except for a few primitive
“Are you insane or merely careless? To come on a ship with strange men carrying jewels? What’s to stop us from robbing you blind, ravishing your body and throwing you out into deep space?” Reid’s chest heaved with deepened breaths.
She made a soft noise. He was instantly sorry, but didn’t take the words back. Harsh or not, they were true. Only an imbecile would put herself in the position Jasmine was in. She didn’t know him or the crew.
“Honor,” she said after a long pause. Her eyes dipped down to the floor. “Your honor will stop you from doing those things. You do have honor, don’t you, Ambassador? Or is your kind too primitive for such a concept?”
Reid’s gut tightened.
“The answer is no. We won’t be responsible for your safety. We’re very busy men.” Reid scowled. At that, Dev actually snorted with repressed laughter.
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility for me. I can take care of myself. All I ask is for safe passage to whatever your next port happens to be. I can find my way from there.” Jasmine hugged the bag tighter. Reid’s eyes narrowed as he saw her wrist. She moved her fingers to cover the bruise.
“Why?” he suddenly asked, the question not occurring to him before that moment. He’d assumed she wanted to come because of her attraction to him. Maybe he’d been wrong. There had to be more to Jasmine than he was seeing.
“I just need a ride,” she said, lifting her head. “Actually, Ambassador, I believe I’m talking to the wrong person. I need to speak with Captain Jarek. This is his vessel and … Dev, would you be so kind as to escort me to the Captain?”
“Yes, my--” Dev began.
“No,” Reid interrupted coldly. “I’ve already spoken on it.”
“Sorry, sir, but it’s the law of the sky. When in flight, the Captain’s in charge, unless there is a higher ranking nobleman,” Jasmine stated. She didn’t smile, but she looked irritatingly triumphant. Reid noticed that the woman never really smiled. It was a shame. She had the mouth for it. “I’m afraid that ambassadors are not higher ranking.”
“Reid!” Jarek’s voice bellowed over the intercom. “Get up here to the cockpit now. We’ve got trouble. We’re about to get boarded!”
Jasmine paled. Reid wondered at the expression. He reached for her, careful to drag her by her good arm as he ran toward the cockpit. He didn’t want her out of his sight.
“Hey!” Jasmine protested as she jogged behind him. “You have to be the rudest brute I’ve ever met. Let go of me this instant!”
“Sorry, your royal highness,” Reid spat, growling the mock title at her. “But, you said you wanted to meet with the Captain. Here’s your chance.”
Bars of artificial light glowed intermediately to light the long steel corridor. Reid sped past them so fast that they were only flashes of color. He barely heard Jasmine’s feet tripping on the metal floor behind him.
“Let go!” she cried, the irritation evident in her voice.
Reid came to a sudden stop at the cockpit, thrusting her ahead of him. Jarek glanced at her and lifted a brow in question. Reid merely explained, “Found our stowaway.”
“A ship hails us. They claim to be Federation Military,” Jarek said.
“Tell them we do not recognize Federation law,” Reid answered. Rick, in the pilot’s seat, chuckled and said nothing.
Evan, who was acting as copilot, said, “They’re waiting for our answer. We need to tell them something. If we don’t let them board, they’ve threatened to quarantine the ship.”
“What do you mean you’re not part of the Federation? Everyone’s part of the Federation treaties except for a few primitive
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