Confusion filled the cyborg’s face, and Lyk could see that he was wavering. Then the hostility roared back. “This still doesn’t explain why you’re going after me now? You want this ship back? If so, you’re going to have to take it!”
Zelup held his hands up, palms out. “You’ve got the wrong idea. We don’t care about the ship. We care about you.”
Lyk had never seen his brother smile so widely and filed the image away to tease him about later. “If you hadn’t picked this exact moment to mutiny, we risked losing everything. Your captain was getting suspicious, hence that whole diversion with the shuttle, but things were starting to fall apart. You distracted him at a crucial time. Well done.”
Celdrake’s brow was furrowed, his expression vacillating between shock and pride. Lyk glanced at the viewport, where the flashes of color still blurred past.We’re going to reach the juncture soon. We need to reverse course before he gets there.
Ally looked at him, her expression confused, but she quickly blanked her face and turned back to the viewscreen. “We could always use a smart guy like you on our team. I’d love to workclosely with you myself.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and ran a finger slowly up and down the portion of her chest exposed by the coveralls.
Is she flirting with him?His Vartik instincts kicked in and he started to struggle to his feet.How dare she flirt with him? I’ll crawl through that fucking screen and kill the cyborg for even thinking of touching her perfect body.
Zelup shifted, putting his boot in Lyk’s chest and knocking him backward, then planting that boot on his torso to hold him down. “What do you say? Come back to Vartik, testify against your former Captain, and we’ll name you and your crew as a member of our patrol. It pays well, and once our people learn of your efforts, you’ll be hailed as a hero by the Vartiks.”
Lyk could tell their ass-kissing was having an effect. But time was running out. He struggled against the force of his brother’s weight on him, causing Zelup to frown down at him.The juncture, he mouthed, and Zelup lifted his head so slightly, no one would notice.
“Not to rush you,” he said, his shit-eating grin equipped, “but we’re coming up on the place where the wormhole splits. I’d like to have your decision before then, as we need to get the prisoner back to the home world.”
“It’s tempting,” the cyborg said, his grin genuine. “But I’m an outlaw at heart. I don’t see myself adjusting to being on the side of the law.”
“Just give us a chance to persuade you,” Ally purred, her husky tone causing Lyk to struggle again. “And if you decide not to join up with us, you will have at least been able to enjoy the feasts and parades in your honor, and a few more… intimate events.”
Celdrake was practically leering at Ally now. Lyk let out a roar and shoved his brother’s leg off him with too much force,causing Zelup to stumble. He rose to his feet and shouted at the screen. “Don’t you fucking dare! She’s mine, Celdrake! Mine!”
Zelup tackled him, knocking him to the floor while multiple other crewmen joined in to subdue him. Lyk groaned as they rained down blows on him, feeling sick when Ally started to clap while she laughed at him.
“I suppose I could at least visit your planet.” Celdrake’s grin was arrogant. He looked down at his console. “Reversing course.”
Lyk relaxed at last, going limp, and Zelup’s crew backed off at last. Zelup gave the cyborg a thumbs-up, then suggested Celdrake follow his ship back to Vartik. “Few outsiders have been allowed to visit Vartik. You’re going to get a lot of attention.”
“And not just from me,” Ally said with a wink, blowing a kiss at the screen.
Celdrake pretended to catch the air kiss and put it in his pocket. Lyk fought the urge to throw up in his mouth.
When I get my hands on that asshole, I’m going to beat him with his own metal limbs.
CHAPTER 24
ALLY
Ally dropped to her knees next to Lyk as soon as the viewscreen went dark. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” She stared daggers at Zelup. “You didn’t have to hit him so hard!”
Zelup laughed. “Of course, I did, or that guy would have never bought it.” Zelup grabbed Lyk by the joint of his electro-cuffs and pulled him to his feet. Turning off the current and freeing Lyk’s hands, Zelup gave his brother a pat on the back. “Thanks for that little show of jealousy, brother. You really helped sell it.”
“It wasn’t a show,” Lyk growled, pinning Ally with his gaze. He loomed over her, his expression fierce. “You belong to me.”
His possessiveness did something to her insides, but her rational mind protested. “Nobody owns me,” she snarled, shoving against him. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the officer’s lounge having a stiff drink.”
As she stalked off the bridge, she heard Zelup’s laugh echoing behind her. “Good choice, brother. She’s perfect for you.”
The layout of Zelup’s ship was identical to Lyk’s, so it was easy for her to find the officer’s lounge. She hit the pad butit blinked red, causing her to curse. One of Zelup’s crew was walking past, so Ally flagged him down. “Open this door for me.”
“I’m not an officer,” he said, then resumed his trek down the corridor.
“Godsdamit,” she muttered under her breath, then hit the pad again. Still red.
Remembering what her sister had done to get them off of Rigellus’s ship, Ally leaned over and let out a huff of air over the locking pad.Maybe I can confuse this thing enough to get the damn door open.
“What are you doing?”
