“This ain’t no joking matter, girlie.The men who might have the parts you want didn’t get them legally, if you get what I’m sayin.’You don’t want to be messing with them.”
“In and out,” I promised.I leaned close.“Is our ship safe?”
He was quiet a long moment.“Long as you and your crew don’t go missin’, it should be fine.So make sure you don’t.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I ain’t done nothin’,” he said.“Just business.You get those parts before dark.You want to be in your ship when night falls around here.”
I nodded.
“It’s the big hangar on the edge of town,” he said.“I can’t stop you, but I wish you’d reconsider.”Standing abruptly, he shoved his tablet in his pocket.Over my shoulder, Burn and Dax watched him go.
49
Lacy
Afternoon had fadedinto evening by the time we received the supplies from the man in the bar and had stowed them away.
“I didn’t expect you to actually buy anything.”Burn had helped me carry a load down to the engine room.Now she watched me put the parts away in their assigned places.“I thought the list was just for show.”
There’d been some argument when the rest of the team realized that I truly intended to purchase the supplies.The price had been good, even sight unseen, and I’d rather have the spares to rig a solution than only have a broken part.Compared to what they had earned from the delivery of the stupid shooters, what I’d spent was just a drop in the bucket.
I latched the storage unit so supplies wouldn’t go flying during sudden moves.“Oh, I was serious,” I said.“Everything on the list were parts and supplies I’d prefer to have on hand in case of emergency.Floating in space because a part broke and you couldn’t repair it?”I shook my head.
“Thanks for the nightmare fuel,” Burn said.
“You shouldn’t have to worry now.The ship has spare parts to cover almost everything.All you’ll need is a qualified mechanic to replace them.”
Burn’s hand on my shoulder stopped me when I would have walked past her to the exit.“Lacy, about that...”
I didn’t let her finish.“Please don’t distract me right now, Burn.We’re so close to finding my sister and I’m hanging on by a thread.”
“Okay.”She frowned.“But we need to talk.”
“Sure.We can talk.After.”I looked at her hand.She removed it reluctantly.I really didn’t need the reminder that I wasn’t the ship’s mechanic.Finn was.Finn, who had months of rehab ahead of him.
Dammit,Fortuna’sengine room felt like mine.But it wasn’t and I had to remember that.
Burn followed me back to the mess, where everyone was supposed to meet.“Are you ready for this?”
Was I ready to go on a raid to try to rescue my sister who may or may not be on this planet?Absolutely not.I’d never admit that to anyone on this team, though.
“Sure,” I said brightly.
“Liar.”Burn’s gaze held sympathy.“You can stay behind, you know.We can loop you in via comms.”
Jaw set, I shook my head.“No.I have to be there when you find her.”My dad would never forgive me if something happened to Layla because I didn’t go.I wouldn’t either.
“It’s okay to be scared,” she added.“No one on the team would think less of you.This is our job.We’re used to it.This is way out of your comfort zone, I bet.”
The shock of Burn being nice to me was too much.“I’m terrified,” I admitted, although I hadn’t intended to.
“Of what?”she asked.
“Everything.What if my sister is there?What if she isn’t?What if someone gets hurt?”I shook my head trying to snap out of it.“I feel so useless.”
“You’re not useless.You’re smart.Strong.You wouldn’t have gotten this far otherwise.”
