“We don’t want to be anything like Blazer,” she continued.“He gives a bad name to all the other ex-military who want to go into a nice private cargo business.”
My hands tightened around the wheel.Had Burn noticed?If she did, hopefully she’d chalk it up to nerves.“He probably thinks he’s doing the right thing.”
She snorted.“Being known as a scoundrel across the galaxy isn’t an endorsement.”
Fuck it.“What exactly do you think he does?”
Burn sneered.“Whatever the fuck he wants.That’s the problem.He wheels and deals and makes governments look like asshats.”
“Governmentsareasshats,” I muttered, scanning the distance between us and the door.There was a surprising lack of activity around us.Please let that be a good thing.
That startled a laugh out of her.“But starting rebellions and selling arms to both sides isn’t a great look.”
Had my dad actually done that?Not that I knew of, but I didn’t track his escapades that closely.He appreciated profitandunderdogs, and you never knew which one would come out on top.
“Look, I don’t know who’s right or who’s wrong,” I said, still concentrating on piloting the shuttle.“But did you ever consider what those people might be rebelling against?Maybe they can’t feed their families on what the companies pay them.Maybe they just want to decide their own lives.”
“You flew with the guy,” Mercer commented from the back.“Are we supposed to believe that you don’t agree with him?”The guy from the rich family, with his charming take on the world.
Why were we having this conversation now?
“It was a job,” I lied.It was family.“Did you agree with everything the space corps did?”
Silence met my words.Not just from Burn, but from Mercer and Orion in the back too.
All of the sudden, I realized how alone I was with three heavily armed and highly trained professionals.
Dammit.This was why I tried to distance myself from my dad.Not because I didn’t agree with him—although I didn’t believe in everything he did—but because he’d raised me with a completely different set of rules and beliefs compared to most people.And they didn’t always like that.
I didn’t take the words back.That would be cowardly and I’d been raised to stand up for my beliefs.“Just because something is wrong doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do.”
That was Dad’s motto.Maybe it was mine, too?I didn’t really know.
“I’ll think about it,” Burn said.“Can we get out of the hangar now?”
More than happy to end this conversation, I steered toward the open doorway.I was still tense.The conversation, thinking about my dad, worry for Dax, making our escape path.I was going to need a drink when this was all over.
“How fast should I be going for Dax to get onboard?”
“A little slower than this.”Burn spoke first but the others echoed her response.
“Okay.I’ll slow down when we get through the door.”It was coming up quickly.I kept my speed and my course steady through it.Dax gave me a thumbs-up as we passed him.
I immediately dropped my speed.We were practically hovering in place.“Do you have him?”Worry for him crept into my voice.
Quiet murmurs from the back practically begged me to turn around, but I kept my focus on the controls.A couple of grunts and then Burn’s voice.“We got him.”
“Good.”I released my breath in a whoosh.Knowing Dax was safe on board significantly lowered my stress.Now only one of the people I cared about was still in danger.
Dax and Burn traded places.I glanced over at him, checking for injuries.“You’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said.“No need to worry.”
“I wasn’t worried,” I shot back so quickly it was obviously a lie.
He reached over and cupped the back of my neck.The warm, steady weight of his hand eased the last of my tension.
“Can I go faster now?”
