Dax
“Just pull the bandage off, Dax.”
I stopped fiddling with the comms and swiveled in my chair.Burn lounged in the bridge’s doorway.“What?”
She rolled her eyes.“You’re calling Mercer and Orion, right?So we can pick them up?”
“Yeah.”It had been one of her conditions to leaving Finn and bringing Lacy with us.I’d agreed.Not just because I wanted Lacy with us, but since we had no idea what we’d face when we found Lacy’s sister, more people—and more skills—were better.
“Then just do it.Sitting here all wishy-washy won’t make it any easier.”
I winced at her words.I’d always considered myself a man of action, but she was right, dammit.“What if this turns into a clusterfuck?”
She opened her eyes comically wide.“More than it already is?”With a shake of her head, she continued, “Then who the fuck would you rather have at your back?No one?”
“You’re just full of little wisdom nuggets today, aren’t you?”I groused.
She flashed me a mischievous smile.“Today?I think you mean always.”
I laughed and gestured toward the seat.“You want in on this call?”
“Sure, why not.”She dropped into the navigator’s seat, while I steadied myself and pulled up the comms.
I keyed in their codes and waited while the system connected.
Mercer picked up first.“Hey, Dax!How’d the delivery go?I saw the bank numbers.Nice job!”
“It was a hell of a learning experience,” I said as I stared out into space.
“That sounds like a story,” Mercer said.“Everything okay?”
Blowing out my breath, I answered the best I could.“More or less.”
“What’s more or less?”That was Orion joining the call.
“The delivery,” Burn said.
“What’s that mean?”Orion growled.
“We made good money, but Finn got hurt, and we ran into a problem.”
I hated Lacy being categorized as a problem.
Mercer immediately slipped into medic mode.“What do you mean, Finn got hurt?How badly?Where is he?I’m on my way as soon as we end this call.”
I tried to keep up with the questions.“He was crushed by a piece of cargo.It looked pretty bad, but the medical staff at the mining planet assured me they would give him the best care.And we want you to join us.You and Orion.But not for that.”
“Then for what?”Mercer’s tone was clipped.
“For the problem,” Burn drawled.“Dax acquired a stowaway and we haven’t been able to get rid of her yet.”
What the fuck?I mouthed to Burn, but she turned away.
“A stowaway?”Mercer asked at the same time Orion said, “She?”
“Dax likes her.Even though she stole our ship.”Burn had wanted Mercer and Orion to know the truth from the start, but I hadn’t expected it to come out like this.
“What the hell, Dax?”
