Not since she’d acquired other skills. She might dress flashy, but that was her choice. Never hurt to keep men focused on her body instead of her brain—although it did get boring trying to have conversations with males who were speaking to her breasts or even lower down. “And second, I’m not exactly welcome on planet.”
“Why not?” Darkrunner asked.
With a sigh, she cocked her head and pulled the woven leather choker away from her throat, revealing the scar there, and the inked ident symbol over it. Her mark of shame, and even though it was part of the plan, humiliation still crawled through her middle at having to show it.
Darry’s arching brows flew up. “Chipped as an undesirable? What’d you do, bite the High Governor of Serpentia?”
She showed him her teeth in a mirthless smile. “I wish. I was a guard on a big cruise ship. Got mixed up in a plot to steal the ship. Turned out my man was gonna kill everyone on board, but forgot to share that part with me.”
Darkrunner’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What ship?”
Okay, this was the tricky part. She must reveal her connection, however negative, to LodeStar and Logan Stark. But now that the ganger knew who she was, he could run a background check and find out anyway.
“The Orion ,” she said. “A LodeStar vessel. I guess you heard about that, huh? Don’t worry, my ship-stealing days are over. They catch me doing something that big again, they’ll execute me.”
“Fuck me, you tried to steal a LodeStar ship?” Darry asked, his expression hovering between derision and delight. “That took balls.”
She shrugged, watching Darkrunner. He regarded her in silence, broken only by the winds howling outside, and the swift tappity-tap of his fingers on the butt of a sleek laser weapon holstered on his belt. Her gaze dropped to his lean hands, which bore tattoos as ornate as those on his face, and a ring on every finger. She wondered what those rings would feel like on her skin.
His inspection stretched, her nerves along with it until they were nearly to the snapping point. She clenched her jaw against the urge to scream at him to refuse her if he was going to, but just get it over with, when he finally moved.
“This is Darry,” he said, indicating the blond man. “He’s my second. This is Dalg. If I decided to take you, you can stay at least till we reach Serpentia. Trix should be back on her feet by then, and we’ll see.”
“Great.” She was nearly in. “Ah, what will I be doing exactly?”
Darry gave her a wolfish grin, sauntering closer to her, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. He wore tight leather pants and skin shirt as well, the hue of bitter chocolate, under a green vest. He was attractive in a cocky, boyish way, but not as hot as his silent, brooding boss.
“What Trix does, of course. She takes care of all our needs. She’s especially good with her mouth.” Darry’s thick, gold-tipped lashes drooped as he looked at her mouth. “I could put those lips of yours to good use.”
“You can try, earther. Like I said, I whore for no one.”
“Oh, I will,” he promised.
Scala bit back a laugh. Hard to be angry with any guy with that much mischief in his beautiful eyes.
The Mau laughed soundlessly. “This I’d pay to watch,” he rumbled. “Ship’s guard, you said? Bet you know some fighting moves. Watch out, she’ll rip you a new one, Darry.”
She wasn’t here to make enemies. She gave Darry a look under her lashes. “I just like to make my own choices, that’s all.”
He winked. “I’m even better at persuasion.”
“Right,” she said, grinning back at him. “So really, what is the post?”
“This isn’t a pleasure cruise,” Darkrunner said. “I’m … searching for someone.”
A thrill of excitement ran over her skin. He was letting her in on his goal, so he must mean to hire her. “Is this someone going to be happy to see you?”
He shook his head slowly.
She shrugged. “I’m
“Why not?” Darkrunner asked.
With a sigh, she cocked her head and pulled the woven leather choker away from her throat, revealing the scar there, and the inked ident symbol over it. Her mark of shame, and even though it was part of the plan, humiliation still crawled through her middle at having to show it.
Darry’s arching brows flew up. “Chipped as an undesirable? What’d you do, bite the High Governor of Serpentia?”
She showed him her teeth in a mirthless smile. “I wish. I was a guard on a big cruise ship. Got mixed up in a plot to steal the ship. Turned out my man was gonna kill everyone on board, but forgot to share that part with me.”
Darkrunner’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What ship?”
Okay, this was the tricky part. She must reveal her connection, however negative, to LodeStar and Logan Stark. But now that the ganger knew who she was, he could run a background check and find out anyway.
“The Orion ,” she said. “A LodeStar vessel. I guess you heard about that, huh? Don’t worry, my ship-stealing days are over. They catch me doing something that big again, they’ll execute me.”
“Fuck me, you tried to steal a LodeStar ship?” Darry asked, his expression hovering between derision and delight. “That took balls.”
She shrugged, watching Darkrunner. He regarded her in silence, broken only by the winds howling outside, and the swift tappity-tap of his fingers on the butt of a sleek laser weapon holstered on his belt. Her gaze dropped to his lean hands, which bore tattoos as ornate as those on his face, and a ring on every finger. She wondered what those rings would feel like on her skin.
His inspection stretched, her nerves along with it until they were nearly to the snapping point. She clenched her jaw against the urge to scream at him to refuse her if he was going to, but just get it over with, when he finally moved.
“This is Darry,” he said, indicating the blond man. “He’s my second. This is Dalg. If I decided to take you, you can stay at least till we reach Serpentia. Trix should be back on her feet by then, and we’ll see.”
“Great.” She was nearly in. “Ah, what will I be doing exactly?”
Darry gave her a wolfish grin, sauntering closer to her, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. He wore tight leather pants and skin shirt as well, the hue of bitter chocolate, under a green vest. He was attractive in a cocky, boyish way, but not as hot as his silent, brooding boss.
“What Trix does, of course. She takes care of all our needs. She’s especially good with her mouth.” Darry’s thick, gold-tipped lashes drooped as he looked at her mouth. “I could put those lips of yours to good use.”
“You can try, earther. Like I said, I whore for no one.”
“Oh, I will,” he promised.
Scala bit back a laugh. Hard to be angry with any guy with that much mischief in his beautiful eyes.
The Mau laughed soundlessly. “This I’d pay to watch,” he rumbled. “Ship’s guard, you said? Bet you know some fighting moves. Watch out, she’ll rip you a new one, Darry.”
She wasn’t here to make enemies. She gave Darry a look under her lashes. “I just like to make my own choices, that’s all.”
He winked. “I’m even better at persuasion.”
“Right,” she said, grinning back at him. “So really, what is the post?”
“This isn’t a pleasure cruise,” Darkrunner said. “I’m … searching for someone.”
A thrill of excitement ran over her skin. He was letting her in on his goal, so he must mean to hire her. “Is this someone going to be happy to see you?”
He shook his head slowly.
She shrugged. “I’m
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