Page 17 of A Merciless Bargain
Alberus closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them with a growl. “That is good.”
“It is?” I asked in surprise.
“If I am correct that Bowyer Haled’s business was not going well, then Vadhea would know about that.” Alberus puffed his chest out in a display of confidence. “I will explain my business approach, including the routes and sources that I have access to.” He quit talking when Dane rejoined us.
“Vadhea would like to talk to you in person,” Dane told Alberus, who paled under his facial hair.
Maybe he wasn’t as confident as he wanted to appear.
“I will receive my full finder’s fee that Vadhea had assigned to you,” Dane said to me, “for bringing Alberus Kurn for judgment.” He gestured at the handcuffed Foulan.
“That’s wonderful,” I said, and I meant it. However…
“What about me?” Tendrils of anxiety snaked throughout my body, setting my skin on edge.
What would happen to me?
Chapter Ten
An hour later,another Enforcer collected Alberus Kurn to bring to Vadhea for judgment. I’d expected that Dane and I would travel to Magvu. Turned out that Vadhea had another Enforcer in the area. There was no reason for us to travel.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I said to Dane as we sat in the second-floor hideout where he’d previously handcuffed me to the bed. Now we sat next to each other on the couch. “I’m not that disappointed to skip the trip to Magvu.” Nobody ever wanted to meet Vadhea. Things did not always go according to plan in those scenarios.
“Nor am I,” Dane concurred with a frown. He had not been too pleased to learn that the Syndicate deliberately withheld information about my background. They had heard rumblings about business rivals on Foula, but couldn’t be certain whether that caused Bowyer’s death, or if I had done it for the money. That was why my Runner status had been ‘alive only’ for receiving payment.
“Now what? I still have time left on my contract with Bowyer. Except there is no more Bowyer.”
Dane smiled a wide, genuine smile that made my heart skip a beat. “I have news on that, too.” He passed his communicationdevice to me. “Read the message. It has been translated to English for you.”
I took the device from him, our fingers brushing. The backlit screen showed a brief message.
“Oh my god,” I mumbled before re-reading the message. It didn’t change. It was from the Collector who had facilitated my purchase by Bowyer.
The contractual amount promised to me by Bowyer Haled, to be paid at the conclusion of the contract, had been placed in an escrow-like account at the time of purchase. Given his death before the conclusion of the contract, the Collector would transfer the money before the next solar rise to a new account accessible only by me. The money was mine. “How is this possible?”
Dane answered my somewhat rhetorical question. “So that purchasers do not go back on their contractual obligations?—”
“Which would make the Collector look bad,” I interrupted.
Dane nodded. “The agreed-upon amount is placed in an account to be paid upon the conclusion of the contract.”
“Makes sense. A purchaser could decide to be a dick, but it could also happen that his circumstances could change.” I snapped my fingers. “Like his business starting not to do well.”
“Correct,” Dane said. “Obedients are not told about the accounts because the Collector and purchasers agreed that the risk would be too great that an Obedient might want to speed up the timeline.”
“Oh,” I said. “They’re worried an Obedient might kill their purchaser.”
“Yes. Since Vadhea confirmed to the Collector that you were not involved in the death of Bowyer Haled, there was no reason not to give you the money early.”
I leaned back against the couch, relief and excitement racing through me. All that money was mine now. After just sixmonths. I shook my head in disbelief. Not only was my life no longer in danger, I was free of all obligations. I could go and do whatever I wanted. I bolted upright and grabbed Dane’s hands.
He startled at the touch though did not pull away.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I gushed. “None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t believed me when I said that I wasn’t involved in Bowyer’s death. How can I ever repay you?”
Dane leaned forward to nip at my chin. “I know a way.”
My pussy clenched at the action and statement. “What would you like me to do?” I purred the question. Now that the danger had passed, we could act on the incredible sexual tension I knew I hadn’t been imagining.