don’t want to do. We can have a trial period where we get to know one another without sexual relations if that’s what you want. We want you to be happy with us, Jeni. We want you to desire to stay with us forever.”
“I’d want to spend a couple of days getting things done here before I could go with you. Is that okay?”
Zin smiled. “That’s fine. We can take all the time you want. We have our own shuttle so you aren’t confined to the public shuttle’s schedule.”
Jeni looked toward the window. “Guys, I think I’ve made a decision.”
Jeff walked over to the table followed closely by Minov Laroche. “What’s it going to be, Jeni?”
“I’m going home with Zin and Kernz and see what happens.”
Minov smiled. “That’s excellent. You will be required to undergo a physical by Dr. Jtsar before you’re transported to Kilara.”
“Why do I need a physical?”
“To make sure you aren’t transmitting any type of disease to the farm planet. Several planets depend on the food raised there, so we have to be extra cautious about introducing anything new to them. It will also determine if you’re compatible with them to procreate.”
Jeni looked at her future husbands through lowered lashes. She hadn’t thought about having children with them.
Zin stood and pulled her to her feet. “All that can be determined later. Whether she is capable of carrying our children or not, she is our Laan Asawa, and nothing can change that.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “You’ll be coming home with us soon, flower, very soon.”
* * * *
Carl Dempsey twisted his portly frame and leaned back in his chair, studying his partner of twenty years. He envied Robert Ellison’s slender frame, but not the thinning brown hair mixed with gray on top of his head.
“What the hell are we gonna do now?” asked Robert.
Carl barked out a brittle laugh and rubbed his arthritic knee. “Unbelievable! Who would have ever thought some judge would give her a choice of prison or being some sex toy on another planet? It’s like something out of a fucking science fiction novel.”
“Focus, Carl. We’ve got to figure out a way out of this mess. Have you talked to David Kendrick yet? He’s supposed to be some kind of pioneer in the field of computer hacking. If anybody can trace what she did with the money, it’ll be him.”
Carl snorted. “He may be a pioneer, but he’s met his match in our Ms. Montgomery. He says she transferred the money through multiple banks outside the US. He trailed it through France, Germany, and Greece of all places, and then lost it. He’s still working on it, but he told me we shouldn’t get our hopes up.”
“Shit! I wish I’d killed that bitch when we had the chance. If you’d been thinking with your big head instead of the little one, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Robert walked over to the bar and poured himself two fingers of scotch. “If you’d done a thorough background check before hiring her you’d have discovered her connection to Linda Phelps.” He swallowed down the drink and closed his eyes for a moment. “But no. All you could see was another piece of ass you wanted to nail.”
“All right. I get the point, Robert. But it’s your damn fault we’re having to deal with the cops. If you’d had better control over that asshole accountant of yours he wouldn’t have jumped the gun and had her arrested while we were out of the country.
“He thought he was doing us a favor. The damn fool thought we’d be giving him a promotion for catching a thief while we were gone.”
“Instead of laying blame, we should be figuring a way out of this mess. If we don’t get that money back, we’re finished.”
Robert poured himself another drink and sank into the chair in front of Carl’s desk. “What do you think we can do now? She’ll very shortly be out of our reach. We can’t very well force her to tell us