Just the thought made me unhappy.
Frowning, I studied the cargo hold while she escorted the dockworkers off the ship.It was tidily organized.The straps lashing the boxes to the base were anchored through bolts in the flooring.
The stupid shooters took up three quarters of the cargo hold.The warning labels caused me a few heart palpitations, but I reminded myself that Lacy and the dockworkers were pros.The cargo was as safe as it would get.It was up to me to deliver it safely.
No pressure.
Lacy closed the external cargo-hold door.The hold was darker with cargo, with deeper shadows.
“Problem?”Lacy asked as she skirted the stupid shooters and made her way to me.Even the sounds in the hold were different, muted.
“What’s all that?”I pointed to a small stack of boxes near the door that led to the rest of the ship.
“Supplies,” she said.“Fortunawasn’t stocked for a full crew.I picked up shelf-stable supplies that should last you a while and fresh food that will need to be consumed over the next few days.The perishable stuff is already in the mess.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”
A blush tinged her cheeks and she looked away.
I slipped my finger under her chin and gently lifted until she faced me again.“Thank you.We wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.We’ll learn, but I appreciate you picking up the slack.”I shifted my hand so my palm cupped her cheek.“I couldn’t have asked for a better ship thief.”
“Borrower,” she said with a laugh.
My thumb ran over her cheek and she leaned into it.
The door to the corridor opened and someone stepped heavily into the cargo hold.Lacy stepped away from me.I dropped my hand to my side.
“Everything’s locked down,” she said, her voice slightly husky.“You want to check it out?”
I shook my head.“I trust you.But while we’re in transit, I’d like you to walk me through the process.We’ll need to know in the future.”
If I had my way, it would be nice to know the process, but we wouldn’tneedto know because we’d have her.Now I just had to convince my crew.
“Anytime,” Lacy said.
“Well, I want to check her work.”Finn’s belligerent tone and combative words came from the shadows.
I’d known he was there.His heavy tread gave him away, but I hadn’t expected the vitriol.
“Knock yourself out.”Lacy curled her fingers into fists.“The stupid shooters are tied down as required.If you do anything, if you touch them, anything that happens is on you.”She pointed at him in emphasis.
He’d stomped toward the cargo, but at her words, he tucked his hands in his pockets.I exhaled the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“C’mon, Finn.Let’s go.We’ve got a departure time soon.”
Ignoring me, Finn walked from one end of the stacked boxes to the other and back again.Thankfully he didn’t touch anything, but my worry didn’t stop until he was back at the door.
“He doesn’t do well with change,” I told Lacy quietly as I followed Finn to the stairs.
“He doesn’t do well with me,” she countered.
“You’re new,” I said.
“Pfft.Make as many excuses as you want.That won’t stop him from being an asshole.”
“No, he’s definitely being an asshole.”This wasn’t the Finn I knew.The one I trusted to have my back no matter what.If I didn’t find out what was going on with him, this trip was going to be a nightmare.I changed the subject.“Are we ready to leave Rigel Naught?”
Lacy stared at me like she was going to say something.Then she nodded and looked away.“Yeah.The cargo is secured.We can stow the supplies while we’re underway.You have the delivery coordinates?”
