Chains of Desire Read Online Free

room, images of the past days
bombarding him. Images of the princess in chains haunting him. “We should have
never signed on to a fucking slave ship.”
    Micah looked up. “In case you forgot, we were only half a
step ahead of Gaylock. Better a guard on a slave ship than to have our own
asses chained in the hold.”
    Jarrod shuddered at the thought of being captured again by
Gaylock. He’d die before he went back in the mines.
    “And cheer up,” Micah went on. “With the payoff we’ll get
from this cargo, we can get the Galaxy out of the repair shop. We’ll be
setting up our trading post on Ceylon 7 before you know it.”
    Jarrod scowled. “Looking over our shoulders for the rest of
our lives.”
    Micah stretched back out on his bunk. “Nah. Gaylock’s lazy.
He’d never bother to look for us that far.”
    “You hope.”
    “I know.”
    Jarrod sank down onto the bunk he hadn’t bothered to make
since they took off from Noria over a week ago. “Fucking slave ship.”
    “Hey, if not them, it could have been us.”
    Maybe it would have been better that way. “They have no idea
what’s in store for them.”
    Micah frowned and stared at him for a moment. “Since when
did you get a conscience?”
    Since a slender princess with wide green eyes looked to him
for help.
    He couldn’t stop thinking about her standing there for
hours, naked and alone, her skin rubbed raw from the metal cuffs. He hadn’t
even gotten her anything to drink. She was probably thirsty.
    “Fuck.” He climbed off the bunk instead of getting some
sleep like he should have. He grabbed a tube of Marvel Cream from his locker
and shut off the lights. “Get some sleep,” he called over his shoulder before
he shut the door behind him.
    Leoh was dozing in front of the princess’s door, leaned up
against the doorjamb, his big bald head nearly resting on his shoulder. Jarrod
kicked Leoh’s boot with his own and the big guy jumped to attack mode before he
opened his eyes and saw Jarrod standing there.
    “Hey! Shift change?” He rubbed his eyes with his stubby
fingers.
    “Yeah. Go get some sleep.” Jarrod watched Leoh shuffle off
down the hall. He’d probably fall into his bunk and not even realize he got a
few extra hours of sleep tonight.
    Jarrod wouldn’t get any sleep. He paced in front of the door
for a moment, the tube of cream in his hands. He didn’t have to go back through
that door. He’d be doing more than his job just standing guard outside. Yeah,
that’s what he’d do. Just stand out here until morning.
    He turned and slapped his palm on the reader. The door slid
silently open. Jarrod stood in the doorway so the light from the hallway
illuminated the female body across the room. Somehow she’d managed to fall
asleep. She was leaning back against the wall, her chin resting on her chest,
her arms hanging heavily against the hard metal cuffs.
    Good. He didn’t have to be here. He’d leave her to her
dreams. Her nightmare would start soon enough.
    But before he could step back through the doorway, the
princess raised her head and opened her eyes. “Jarrod?” She stood up straight
and stepped away from the wall.
    Resigned, he entered the room and the door slid shut behind
him. He set the cream down and turned on the overheads. She blinked against the
bright light. He crossed to the sink and filled a small glass with water. She
followed him with her gaze, then cocked her head when he stopped in front of
her with the glass.
    “You came back to bring me water?” Amusement infiltrated her
sleepy tone.
    He glared at her. “You want it or not?”
    She stared at him for a long moment and his heartbeat kicked
up. She slowly nodded. He brought the glass to her lips and she drank eagerly,
not stopping until the water was gone.
    “Thank you,” she said softly.
    Her lips were wet and shiny again and Jarrod strode back
over to the sink, refilled the glass and drank, trying to slake his thirst. But
when the glass was empty and he