Page 13 of Primal Bond

But Finn trusted him, anyway. "It's about Rivek. He's your rival, right?"

Zanik clenched his fists. That bastard. "An understatement."

"You and Kelara were talking about him getting an edge on you. That he had more money than you expected."

Finn had been paying attention tothat? Zanik had thought that Finn's change of heart about escaping was because he'dheard he was getting sold, not because of gossip about intersector Borraq smuggler rivalries.

"Yes," Zanik admitted. "My men have been trying to find how he's been bankrolling his expansion into my territory, but he's keeping it very well hidden. I need to find out what he's got and where he's getting it. Now."

"He's raiding the human frontline for resources."

Zanik stared at Finn. The human met his gaze steadily. There was nothing but honesty in those rich depths.

"How could you possibly know that?" Zanik demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

When Finn answered, Zanik felt a chill run down his spine.

"BecauseIwas one of those resources."

Chapter six

The door closed with a soft hiss. Finn found himself alone with the imposing Borraq.

It had been his one trump card, his one piece of intel to bargain for what he wanted.

Now he just had to see if Zanik would bargain with him for it — or if he was just another Borraq who would take what he wanted and then throw Finn away.

Zanik’s icy stare bore into him, unrelenting and intense. “Start talking,” Zanik ordered, his voice a low growl. “Where did Rivek take you from?”

Finn swallowed hard, his throat dry. He twisted the hem of his too-large borrowed Borraq shirt. Memories he tried to bury surged forward. “Chi Tau 32. A small outpost near the human frontline. They hit us hard. Rivek’s men… they slaughtered everyone who resisted.”

Zanik’s expression remained impassive, but Finn could sense the weight behind his scrutiny. “And after that?”

“They took us to a holding ship,” Finn continued, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. “I heard them call it the Final Strike. We were... sorted. The strong ones, they were sold for labor. The others...” He hesitated, bile rising in his throat.

“Keep going,” Zanik pressed, his tone brooking no argument.

Finn clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. “The others were sold as pleasure slaves. Like me.” His voice cracked on the last word, the humiliation and fear from those days washing over him.

Zanik’s eyes narrowed, but his gaze didn't waver. “Rivek’s smuggling operations. Where does he run them from?”

“He has several hideouts. One’s near the outskirts of this sector. Another... we were held near the mining colonies in Twelve Prime. He moves constantly, never staying in one place for long.”

"How could you possibly know that?"

Finn dropped his gaze. "Rivek and his men… they didn't bother to stay quiet around us."

"And they did all this talking inside the slave hold?"

Finn grit his teeth. Didn't Zanik get it? "They pulled us out of there when they wanted us. Dragged us to their quarters… the mess… the bridge."

The memories of being hauled from one place to another, the cold metal of shackles biting into his skin, threatened to overwhelm him. Finn’s heart pounded in his chest, his breaths coming faster.

Zanik’s stare softened, almost imperceptibly. “That’s enough for now."

Finn blinked, surprised. He expected more questions, more demands. But Zanik’s retreat gave him a moment to breathe, to gather himself.

"There's one more thing I need," Zanik said, his voice low and controlled. "The name of Rivek's agents. He won't be peddlinghumans himself one by one like some sort of merchant. Who's handling his supply chain?"

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