She heard a bang followed by cursing.
“Fucking hell, where is it?”
Alexa stepped into the doorway to find Daniels rifling through cabinets at the back of the room.
“What are you doing?” she accused.
Daniels jumped, fear exploding in his eyes. When he caught sight of her, he straightened, stepping away from the drawers he’d been digging through. “Dear.”
“What are you doing?” she asked again, looking around the room pointedly. Multiple cabinets and drawers were open. Cabinets and drawers she would die to scrounge through herself to discover the secrets within.
But instead, it was Daniels doing it. Her lips pursed as her curiosity skyrocketed. Straight through the roof and into outer space.
“It’s not what it looks like.” He raised his hands. “Captain asked me to fetch his glock.”
She wasn’t buying it, not at all. “He needs another gun to pick up vaccines?” She’d seen Hysterian leave with a laser pistol.
“Don’t ask me why our captain wants another weapon. It’s not our place to question him.”
Fucker. I caught you red-handed.
“Right,” she agreed. “So he sent you into his quarters to retrieve it.”
Daniels scowled and pushed past her, striding out of the room. The door didn’t close behind him. Alexa turned, not wanting to lose sight of him. He was sneaking, like she was, but she didn’t know why he would be.
And that posed a problem. A big one.
If Daniels had an agenda, then they were bound to tangle. Why did he have an agenda? Was he looking for something of Hysterian’s or was he after the Cyborg like she was?
Alexa’s heart thundered. Were there others Hysterian had wronged? There had to be. She just never thought about it. Did everyone on the ship have an agenda?
Her eyes watered, staring at Daniels, unable to blink.Impossible.
But now Daniels had been caught, and cornered prey was the most likely to strike out. She finally blinked.
Daniels was halfway down the hallway toward the crew quarters when she spoke. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He stopped. “I’ll fucking kill you if you tell him,” he said, not turning back.
It wasn’t what she was expecting, but Alexa wasn’t surprised. “Tell me why you were really in his room.”
Shoulders stiff, his empty hands clenched at his sides. “None of your business, Dear. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut and stay out of my way. What I’m after doesn’t concern you.” He started walking again and went into his quarters, leaving her alone outside Hysterian’s room.
Alexa stood in the corridor for a few minutes, replaying what had just happened. Was there really someone else who had an ulterior motive? Though whatever Daniels was after, she had no idea whatsoever.If he wants Hysterian dead…then I might have an ally.Alexa shot down the thought the moment it went through her head.
I have no allies.
She couldn’t trust Daniels, not for a second. He could turn on her, use her, offer her up as a scapegoat if things went sour. And if Daniels had no intention of killing the Cyborg, she was practically putting herself naked on a platter if Daniels betrayed her.
For all she knew, her crewmate was just curious, snooping on a being who was viewed as a God to many people. Maybe he was looking for something to steal and sell to the highest bidder.
Maybe he was a Cyborg hater, seeking a way to undermine him.
Whatever Daniels was doing, it was best she kept out of it. Safer if she did so. The last thing Alexa needed was someone out to silence her when there was no possible escape.
Suddenly, theQuestorgot a little smaller. Alexa shook herself, forcing her body to move. She’d fallen into her head, waiting for Daniels to come out of his room and threaten her again, to see if he did something else. Fight or flight wasn’t something she dealt with often. Now that her curiosity was waning, all she wanted to do was run.
But…
