They’d also apparently stashed half his larder for later.This should be enough to keep us fed for a week. Now if I could only a find a way off this ship.
That made Lyk frown. He didn’t want her eager to escape his ship. In fact, he was hoping for the opposite. Having never fallen hard for a woman before, Lyk was unfamiliar with the tidal wave of feelings he was now experiencing, but one thing he knew for certain: Allandria was his and there was no way he was letting her go.
In one smooth motion, he unlocked the door via the touchpad and entered, his gaze immediately seeking out the woman he desired more than money, notoriety, or power. She turned her head, meeting his eyes with a confidence he’d seldom seen in a female. That confidence only served to turn him on even more. He could feel the blood rush to his cock and had tosteel himself to avoid an erection that would be visible beneath his tight pants.
“I’m glad to see you’ve eaten,” he said, making a show of glancing at the piles of crumbs on the small table he’d left them at. “If you’d like to follow me, I will take you to your quarters.”
Allandria stood, turning to face him. “Quarters won’t be necessary. You can drop us off at the nearest colony or space station and we can find our way from there.”
Lyk looked down at her. “I’m sorry, but we won’t be making any stops until we reach the outpost at Nexus 8.”
“Then we’ll get off there.”
Biting back the urge to grab the female, sling her over his shoulder, and carry her back to his quarters until he could fuck all thought of leaving from her mind, Lyk pulled out a chair and took a seat. They might as well get this discussion out of the way now.
“I’m going to give you ladies the same offer I gave the remnants of Rigellus’s crew. I can drop you off at the outpost and give you enough credits to find your way to the Rings, or you can stay on my ship and become members of my crew.”
Allandria burst out laughing, but her sister looked confused. “Join your crew? You mean, become a pirate?”
Lyk nodded, which only made Allandria laugh harder. “Stop,” she gasped. “You’re killing me.”
“Not everyone considers it a ridiculous offer. My men are well fed and have plenty of credits to illustrate the benefits of their choice.”
“Credits earned by thievery! Why would anyone consent to become a criminal?”
“You must admit, playing by the rules isn’t guaranteed to improve your life. With risk comes reward.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be rewarded for stealing from innocent people.” Allandria’s tone was arrogant, her grin more sneer than anything.
“I don’t rob the innocent.” He didn’t like the edge in his voice, but she’d struck a nerve. “I target other criminals, like Rigellus. People who have too much and made it in ways that hurt others.”
“Rigellusdiddeserve what he got,” the blonde muttered, almost as much to herself as to Lyk and her sister.
“My sister and I aren’t criminals, and your gang didn’t hesitate to steal from us.”
“For the thousandth time, I never stole from you, and neither did my men!” After their talk at the plant, Lyk had gathered together his men, demanding that they tell him if they’d had any interactions with Allandria or if anyone had stolen an object from a young Territhian female. No one had.
“And this is why we won’t join your gang. Because you’re a liar. I’ll never again give my allegiance to someone I can’t trust.” Allandria’s tone was as cold and stiff as steel.
That was when he heard it. He hadn’t gone looking for it, but he couldn’t help but overhear it. Maybe it was the little bit of Kara’s empathic powers that rubbed off on him. The blonde’s face heated, and as clearly as if she’d spoken the words, he could hear them in her mind.I wish she’d give up on that necklace. I’m tired of feeling so guilty all the time.
Lyk probed deeper, surprised to discover that Allandria’s sister was the one who’d taken the necklace and blamed it on the Raven’s gang. He withdrew before worrying about her motivation. It was a matter between her and her sister, and he didn’t like to intrude in people’s minds.
The mystery was solved, but Lyk wouldn’t expose the female. He sensed this was something the siblings needed to resolve between themselves. No stranger to inter-sibling strife, Lykknew better than to get between the two sisters over a matter that was clearly highly sensitive.
Still, it was clear he’d never convince Allandria to stick around if she still thought he’d stolen something from her and lied about it. Maybe he could help things along without his efforts beings seen as interference.
Turning to the blonde, he gave her a polite grin. “My name is Lyk. May I ask your name?”
She blinked several times, then spoke haltingly. “My… my name is Evie.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Evie. Your sister is under the impression that a member of my crew has taken something that belongs to you both. An heirloom of some kind. Is that correct?”
Evie nodded, and he could see a blush starting to stain her cheeks.
“Allandria has, as of yet, refused to tell me what kind of heirloom you are missing, although I have promised my support in finding the lost item. Could you describe it to me?”
While her sister rolled her eyes, Evie nodded and started to sketch out the details of the missing item. “It’s a necklace. It’s very old. The chain is silver, and it has a charm at the end with a small button recessed in its surface. If you press the button, the charm lights up. It’s been in our family for as long as anyone can remember.”
