Apparently, the female didn’t take kindly to his form of cordiality. “There’s been no mistake. Give it back to me.”
Celdrake chuckled next to him, amused by the interaction unfolding in front of him. He wasn’t the only one. The barkeep was riveted by the exchange, and the waitress wasn’t hiding her delight either. Lyk made a mental note to have a stern chat with each of them.
“I don’t have it, whatever it is you think you lost.”
“I didn’t lose it!” Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining with indignation. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “You stole it. And your lies aren’t going to make me go away!”
Lyk admired her spirit. He was a dangerous man, yet this small female had no fear of him. She repeatedly poked him in the chest with her index finger to accentuate her point, and every touch made sparks of electricity light up his insides. Where every woman before her had failed, this spitfire succeeded.
She’s charmed the Raven.
He grabbed her hand, meaning to bat it away. Instead, he held it gently, unable to help himself. “Listen here, little girl. I’ve been called many things in my life, including a thief, but in this case, the name doesn’t fit. I don’t have whatever you’re looking for.”
“I’m not a little girl,” she growled, unamused by his condescending tone. She ripped her hand from his grip and grabbed the drink he was still holding in his other hand. Without hesitating, she tossed it straight into his face. Then she turned on her heel and walked right out of the tavern.
Celdrake and the barkeep had twin expressions of shock on their faces. Without warning, Celdrake burst into high-pitched laughter. Doubling over, he clutched his stomach as he howled his delight.
Muriel came over, offering him a rag with a chuckle. Lyk mopped at the brew that splattered his face and the front of his clothing. Despite his dousing, Lyk was elated.
Who was that female? And how do I see her again?
When Celdrake managed to get control of himself, he asked Lyk about the encounter. “What did you do to that one? I’ve seen some scorned females in my time with you, Captain, but never one you pissed off so excessively. What did you do? Fuck her sister?”
Lyk rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know that female.”
“Your reputation precedes you, it seems,” Muriel said.
Celdrake put an arm around her, leering down her top. “The Captain is a bit of a playboy, but you seem like the type to need a one-woman man.”
Muriel removed his arm and gave him a knowing look. “And that man isn’t you. I’ve seen you parade down the street outside with a woman on each mechanical arm.”
Celdrake laughed. “What can I say? You’re twice the woman that either one of them is.”
Lyk cut through their small talk, his focus still on the female who’d had the audacity to throw a drink in the Raven’s face. “Who was she?”
Muriel shrugged. “She’s not the type to come into a dive like this. But I have seen her around the neighborhood a time or two in the last few months. She works odd jobs, probably trying to make enough to keep a roof over her head, like most of us.”
“Do you know where she lives?”
She shook her head. “I have seen her down at the Pede Plant, though.”
Lyk hid a grimace of disgust. Some beings considered the giant centipede a delicacy, but he couldn’t stand the things. They not only gave him the heebie-jeebies, but the meat reminded him of rancid flesh. The thought of going to the centipede processing plant made bile rise in his throat.
Still, if she were there…
“I can help keep that roof over your head, pretty one,” Celdrake said into Muriel’s ear. “I’m very generous.”
Muriel turned away with a laugh. “I know exactly how generous you are. In the last three years, you’ve left exactly two credits in tips. So forgive me if I find your brand of generosity lacking.”
She swished away, leaving Celdrake shaking his head. “I love it when they play hard to get. Don’t you, Captain?”
Lyk didn’t answer. He was still considering his earlier interaction with the human female.What of hers could she think I have?
Although it was likely unwise, he made up his mind to solve the riddle of the missing heirloom. Lyk wondered why she thought he had whatever it was she thought he had. She’d called it an heirloom. That would mean it was likely something old, something with personal significance.
If Muriel was right, the female didn’t have two credits to rub together. Which meant whatever was missing, it couldn’t be that valuable or she certainly would have sold it now to pay the rent.
Unless… Unless it’s so valuable that she couldn’t bear to part with it unless her life depended on it.
