Page 8 of Auctioned to the Convicts
How wrong she was. She was more valuable than any water turbine, compressor, or vein of zurlite on the entire planet. Every man in this crowd wanted her, including Ren. Those expressive, dark green eyes of hers alone could make a man do things he wouldn’t otherwise do, like spending all his credits to buy her at auction.
Ren had more than enough credits, but he needed that carbon dioxide converter and a replacement for the gamma shield that cracked, not to mention a stabilizer actuator or he would never get off this damn rock.
The woman strode up to Dresden as if he were a new guard who didn’t know how to deal with Level 4s yet, or worse, Level 5s. She was smart this one, taking not only Dresden but The Company by the balls, putting them in a position they hadn’t been in before, and forcing an issue, all within the rules.
Technically, she was right in that she had no impact on profits here. She could challenge.
She just wouldn’t survive it. She’d be better off accepting her fate, going with Griggs before he hurt her in a challenge.
Hell, who was Ren kidding? The way that animal looked at her, he’d damage her even if she willfully submitted to him, and no one would stop him. Dresden was the only law on Narkos, and he didn’t give a shit what the prisoners did to one another as long as they met their quotas. It’s the very reason Ren had never joined a unit, despite the many offers. He didn’t want to be drawn into their turf wars or held responsible for the stupidity of another. When a man pissed off Dresden, the manager came down hard and members of a unit shared in punishments.
Ren was much better off as a solitary. No one got past his security at his house, not without getting fried. Add that to the fact that he was in charge of safety at the mines, no one bothered him. The miners’ lives depended on him.
“Let her fight. Let her fight,” the men around him chanted.
She turned to the crowd, lips opening as if she was stunned by the support. He’d tell her the truth if it would make a difference. Thecolonistsonly wanted her to fight because if she managed to survive, they all thought they’d have a shot at taking her. If she went to Griggs’s unit, then she was lost to all of them. No one went up against Griggs and his men.
“I’m inclined to allow you to fight,” Dresden said.
Ren’s entire body tensed. The asshole couldn’t be serious, could he? Ren didn’t care how much of a fighter the woman might be, Griggs had at least a hundred pounds on her. The man would shred her, and then he’d fuck her in front of everyone just to teach her a lesson.
“She can’t challenge me,” Griggs objected.
Hell, the only voice of reason in this crowd was Griggs. Ren searched the faces around him, looking for a challenger, someone to stand up on the woman’s behalf. None of the miners would go against Griggs. He ruled those mines. Ren would challenge the miner himself except he wasn’t sure he could win. No, he was pretty damn sure he’d lose, his life. Furthermore, what would he do if he won? She’d be in constant danger from the other miners here. She’d be a drain on his time and energy, possibly his credits. It would take more credits to keep her safe. Either way, she’d be a drain on his resources—fucking Company rules.
“She has the right to challenge,” Dresden ruled.
“I can’t fuck her when she’s dead,” Griggs shot back, even as the woman scurried away from him.
Dresden raised a brow, amused. “Then don’t kill her. She’s no good to the colony dead. As you said, Raines,” he addressed the woman now, “You are an extra pair of hands.”
“I’m not interested in her hands,” Griggs said.
The crowd burst out in laughter.
Dresden wasn’t doing a good job of containing his own smirk. Ren had to admire the woman, though all the color drained from her face. She wasn’t backing down.
“I don’t care how this challenge goes down, Griggs, but let’s be done with it,” Dresden said. “We’re wasting time. Finish this, just don’t kill or damage her too severely. She’ll be a part of your unit, so ensure she’ll be in shape enough to make her quota, or your unit will be punished. Is that understood?”
Griggs grinned. “Oh, she’ll submit, or she’ll suffer, but she’ll be alive to make her quota.”
“Very well then. The challenge has been rendered and—”
“I’ll fight in her place,” a man shouted from the crowd. A new arrival, a man almost as big as Griggs, except this one had a determination in his eyes—and he didn’t fear Griggs. The challenger wore black, top to bottom, and definitely looked out of place with his short, cropped hair. Military, no doubt about it.
He could defeat Griggs.
The woman pushed through Dresden and Griggs and reached the edge of the dais. Wind-swept hair blew across her face. With one hand, she pushed the lush mass of hair back. Griggs extended an arm to block her, but she dodged him, sneaking under his arm and jumping off the dais.
Never in all Ren’s life had he seen a woman’s face light up as it did when her eyes found the challenger in the crowd. Ren relaxed. She had a chance now, and Ren could stay out of it.
“That’s not good,” Vaughn said next to him.
One of four doctors on Narkos, Vaughn was a solitary, like Ren. They’d worked together professionally, usually to confer on how to improve conditions in the mines for the miners. Healthy workers meant higher yields. Together they’d searched for ways to get clean air down to the lower levels and ways to protect the miners against the rash caused by the lichen that thrived in the dark mines. They still hadn’t solved how to prevent zurlite dust from igniting the lichen in the mines, producing a deadly gas that ate through the filtered gas masks The Company provided.
“What’s not good?” Ren replied. “The new guy’s military from the look of him. He can beat Griggs. And, for whatever reason, she approves of him.”
“The man’s injured. See how he’s listing. He’s trying not to clutch his ribs, but he’s definitely favoring his left side. Given the bruises on his face, I’d say he’s been in a fight or two recently. Probably the transport guards.”
