That was what hurt the most.That Maxx had trusted a murderer to turn him into the same thing she was.Voluntarily.With intent.
“You know Maxx, Nera,” Axxel said calmly.“Youknowhim.He’s the same broody asshole as always, who loves rarely but entirely with both hearts.No difference.I’ve known him his entire life, and I see no difference.”
“Yeah.”I turned and stalked out.“And I knew Rain too.”
Despite my burning eyes and the fist-sized knot in my throat, I shoved all my emotions to the side, something I did often while doing this whole captain-y thing.Breakdowns were scheduled in five-minute increments inside the privacy of my quarters.Still, I leaned headfirst against the closed brig door to make sure to build up my figurative walls even higher.
Behind me, Mosely cleared his throat.“Captain, I have the—”
“Yep, do it,” I ordered, spinning and following the hallway to the bridge.
After a moment, Mosely called from the brig doorway, “He’s clear.”
Why wasn’t I surprised Axxel had been telling me the truth?I did not have an answer for that.
“Can I rearrange his face anyway, Picasso-style?”Mosely asked.
“You would be an even better good boy if youdidn’tdo that.”
“Waste of a day,” he muttered.
He might still get to do his weird brand of art all over someone’s face, especially if we put ourselves in the middle of an interstellar crisis.
Which I’d decided we were doing about two minutes ago for the sake of Roxxanne, an innocent, a girl I’d never met, but whom I knew enough about to realize she didn’t deserve any of this.She was probably so scared, and I hated that for her.
While a stranger couldn’t do much for her, the strength on this ship could.Mosely had a special way of making people sing, and if I sicced him on her almost-assassin, then Mosely would be a very good boy indeed.
Though what could we do that a whole planet of pissed-off Xenoxx warriors couldn’t do themselves?Well, one time during an interrogation, I got the cousin to the heir of an infamous fried chicken company to confess the eleven herbs and spices in their secret recipe.
My priorities are different than most other people’s.It’s fine.The resulting chicken, however, was stellar.
When I entered the ship’s bridge, Philip and Darc both turned to me with so much compassion that I wilted a little bit before shaking it off.
“Philip, send word over a secure channel to both the TV network forAlien Love Islandand that luxury cruise spaceship I almost boarded to let Maxx know that someone attempted to assassinate his daughter but that she’s fine,” I told him.
His eyes widened in alarm, but he quickly got to work.
“Darc, set a course for Xenoxx.We’ll leave in thirty minutes, but accidentally on purpose forget about telling Earth Space Fleet where we’re going,” I ordered.
A mischievous smile curved her lips, the same pretty pink as her hair.“Who’s Earth Space Fleet?”
Exactly the question I found myself asking, now more than ever.
Philip glanced at me, his fingers still flying over his keyboard.“What’s going on, Captain?I mean, other than what you just told us.”
“Oh, the usual,” I said, shrugging.“Several people woke up today and chose violence, is all.You know how it is when you run out of tacos.”
Darc sighed wistfully.“Tacos take your burdens.Tacos understand.”
“Damn right they do.”Nodding, Philip smiled up at the ceiling as if seeking approval from the taco gods.
Weird crew.It’s almost as if we didn’t get out much.
Speaking of… Only one thing left to do before we left, and that was go see a killer android about a certain little jar of pee.
Chapter three
Maxx
