Burn was quick to slide away from me.That she didn’t jump out to follow Finn was a win.Maybe.
But it was Dax’s reaction that I was most interested in.I held very still, waiting for it.
He shifted in his seat but didn’t rush to get away from me.He turned to study me.
“Are you working for Blazer?”
My stomach did a nervous little flip.He was asking, not accusing.
“No.I haven’t in years.”I shook my head vehemently.
“Are you working for anyone else?”His gaze never left mine.
“Just you.”The words slipped out.
No surprise, Finn erupted again.“No fucking way she’s working for us.”
Support came from a surprising source: Burn.“She’s been doing some repairs around the ship.Earning her keep.”
He sneered.“Jesus, you must be a lousy lay if you can’t even earn your keep in Sarge’s bed.”
“Stand down, Dancy.”
I’d never heard Dax sound so cold.Not even when he’d discovered I’d stolen his ship.This was the ice-cold marine he’d been.I’d been damn lucky that the kinder, gentler Dax discovered me on his ship.
“She’s the one fucking everything up!”Finn pointed at me.
Every eye in the bar was on our table.I wanted to sink into the shadows, but that would be a retreat and I refused to give Finn the satisfaction.He’d think I was afraid of him and his accusations.
Yeah.Like that would ever happen.
I didn’t know how Dax would react to Finn’s refusal to obey his orders.As much as I’d like to see Finn get his ass kicked, nothing else good ever came out of a bar fight.
Moya took that decision out of Dax’s hands.“Sit your ass down and shut up or get the fuck out of my bar.”
Finn, the idiot, glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest.
Fuck.This was not going to end well.
With a flick of her fingers over her shoulder, the owner summoned two burly security guys.“Take out this trash.”
They each wrapped a big fist around Finn’s upper arms and picked him up.
Finn struggled, but the bouncers held firm.He might have been part of the space corps, but at the moment, drunk and pissed off, he was no match for the two men.With coordinated moves that spoke of lots of practice, they pivoted and carried Finn to the door.His feet didn’t even touch the ground.
“Fuck!”Burn slid out of the booth to follow him.“I’ll stay with Finn.”She glared at me.“You two finish up whatever the fuck we’re doing.”
Moya was watching me, so I swallowed my response.
“You planning to carry stupid shooters on the same ship as that one?”Her tone indicated that we were the stupid ones.
“He’ll calm down,” Dax said.The “or else” was unspoken.
With the booth open now, I tried to put some distance between Dax and me, but he wasn’t having it.His hand clamped down on my thigh.Okay.Guess I wasn’t going anywhere.
What would my dad say in this situation?“We need fast, high-value cargo.”
Moya looked between us.“Who’s running this show?You or him?”She directed her question at me.
