Marine's Queen, The by Susan Kelley

Author:Susan Kelley
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: hot read, space pirates, queen, futuristic, fiction, romance, soldier, forbidden love, new concepts publishing, genetic engineering, royal princess, marines, marine, magical elixir, duty verus love, scifi
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing

Chapter Eleven

“Captain Jak Sontu, this is my personal bodyguard, Joe.”

Sontu looked Joe over with a sour expression, still fuming over the security breach the previous night.

Joe stood at attention. He wore a black shirt and pants that exhibited his lean, muscular form and reminded intimate parts of Callie’s body of their early morning activities. She’d purchased the uniform for him when she’d bought her own new attire at the trading outpost. His shirt needed only the silver teardrop emblem to be a perfect representation of Giroux military pride.

Sontu’s sighed and nodded. “As you wish, your highness. Hopefully we’ll learn to work together.”

Callie took her seat on the raised chair she used to receive visitors. Joe moved to her right hand, and Jak stood to her left. “Who waits to see me first, Jak?”

“Minister Cresbol.”

Callie’s mood wilted. Her minister of diplomacy had held the post since Callie’s father’s day. Why hadn’t she replaced her before now?

“If I may speak freely, your highness?” Sontu asked.

“Of course. You know I value your opinion.”

During Callie’s father’s rule, Sontu had only to guard against thieves who would try to steal elixir. It wasn’t his fault that Giroux was unprepared for the threats it now faced.

“I’ve already told you most of what she’s done but not all the details. She tried to push through some changes in policy while you were gone.”

“Such as?”

“Who we export to and what items we tax on import. She levied terms of service to a number of craftsmen to fix her own residence.”

“She’s permitted that.”

“Over a hundred men?” Sontu shook his head. “She also tried to sit on your chair and receive petitioners. I stopped that but not before her hirelings and my guards clashed.”

“Hirelings?” Joe spoke for the first time.

“Two men she keeps by her side, claiming she needs personal protection when she meets with outworlders. One is Bran Foy, a mercenary if ever I met one. The other is a sneaky sort called Emer Mast.”

“Mast?” Joe stepped in front of Callie, his sudden tension making her scalp tingle.

“You know him?” Sontu asked.

“He works for hire. Kidnapping or assassination.”

If Sontu wondered, as Callie did, how Joe knew this, he didn’t ask. “I’ll have him seized immediately. There’s likely something in the Galactic Criminal Data Base about him.”

“He does most of his work for the Galactic Military Ministry,” Joe said. “He’s not considered a criminal. The best way to deal with him is to kill him before he kills you.”

“That would make us no better than he is,” Sontu sputtered.

“Why do you think we’re better than him?” Joe asked, genuine puzzlement in his tone.

“Gentlemen, if we arrest him or kill him, they’ll only send another one. Whoever they might be. We might not recognize the next one. Better the enemy we know.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Sontu protested.

Callie turned to Joe. “Is this Mast fellow better than you? Can you protect me from him?”

Joe didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “I can, but I’d rather kill him.”

“You can kill him later.” Callie gestured to Sontu.

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