Page 86 of The Prisoner's Gambit
At that the crowd let out a genuine cheer. His plan was working.
“And the arena floor—once it has been cleaned—will be open to all. Come enjoy live music and dancing for all!”
He waved to his closest aides to make it happen. They literally ran into the tunnels to replenish the concession areas as quickly as possible and secure instruments and musicians to make the impromptu party happen. Once the music started people would hear it outside the arena and come to investigate. And those would be paying consumers, more than making up for the round of free drinks supplied to the others.
They would make an absolute killing from all of the sales.
“Now, as a gift to the new couple, I offer Bodok and his mate the Imperial Suite at the Chizzin Towers.”
That he had already paid for the suite for himself for some post-bout festivities, using tournament funds of course, no one had to know. To the rabble this was an exorbitant gesture and would buy him goodwill throughout the city.
This whole evening had just become something so different than he’d ever expected. And all because of the underestimated Pokri fighter. He watched as his guards escorted Bodok and Maureen from the arena, genuinely hoping they had a most wonderful night. It was most certainly deserved.
The Imperial Suite was situated on the top floor of the tallest residential structure in the city. It spanned two levels and even had its own indoor waterfall feature. The walls opened to the sky all around but a force field kept out the wind and maintained a perfect temperature at all times. It was also charged in such a way that while appearing clear from the inside, it provided as much privacy as the residents desired from the outside.
Given what Maureen and Bodok had in mind, they would be wanting a fair bit of that, even if they might have had some slightly exhibitionist tendencies.
“Enjoy yourselves, and congratulations,” the guard said as he ushered them into the suite and closed the door behind them.
Bodok and Maureen’s Infalas were crackling with energy, their runes bonding them with a shared energy too powerful to overcome. But even so, a pall hung over Bodok’s head.
“What is it?” Maureen asked, resisting the urge to take him in every way possible.
He looked at her, a mix of passion and sadness in his eyes. “I am a killer,” he said, shame clear on his face. “Can you forgive me?”
“What? He was trying to kill you. You did what you had to do.”
“But perhaps I could have subdued him another way.”
Her gaze hardened. “You were surviving, Bodok. We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t done what you did. And how exactly did you manage that? He was supposed to be the best of the best.”
Bodok took a deep breath.
“I have not been entirely forthcoming with you,” he said sheepishly. “I was taken prisoner by the Raxxians, yes, but it was a targeted abduction.”
“Targeted? How do you mean?”
“I am a person of some…worth, on my world.”
“Worth?”
“I have caused the loss of many Raxxian colonies before realizing the way of violence was wrong.”
“You’re in the military on your world?”
“I-I commanded the special operations division tasked with handling aggressive incursions into our sphere of influence. But I retired from that life and moved on to a much greater purpose. I was charged with training the royal children to protect themselves.”
“You’re a bodyguard?”
“More than that. A teacher, residing in the royal palace. The goal was to enable the prince and princess to fend for themselves if the need arose. And in so doing, I no longer had to kill. I never thought I would be required to do so again.”
Maureen felt his remorse at taking another life. It was almost palpable how distressed he felt. She rested her hand on his chest, the jolt of heat in her belly flaring anew as she touched his Infala. She saw his pupils dilate and knew full well he felt it too.
That, and the enormous bulge that sprung to life in his trousers made it quite apparent. His attention shifted to his blood-spattered clothing.
“Come on,” Maureen said, taking his hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
She stripped him bare, her fingertips caressing his rippling muscles as she removed his clothing and tossed it aside. She pressed her mouth to his chest, her tongue licking circles on his sweat-salty nipples. They grew hard between her lips as goosebumps formed on his skin.
