“I do, and a whole-ass bottle of amberberry wine.”
“Would watered-down Rhean spirits do? We picked up some while we were in New Rhea.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Now I’m going to be that friend, because I love you and care about you.” Faith put on a stern face. “This guy’s dangerous, Maya. You don’t really know him. He didn’t just steal the shuttle. He murdered the guy. I mean, he deserved it, but still. And he wasn’t the only one either. He left a freaking trail of bodies on his way out.”
Maya bit her tongue. She’d watched Ranek take out two pirates, upping his head count. But he’d done it to protect her. He hadn’t gone out of his way for violence. He’d even let the unarmed one live. And not once had she felt unsafe around him.
“Maybe he did what he had to do to survive,” she finally said.
“Maybe.” Faith’s face softened. “But we don’t know the details, so please be careful.”
“I will.”
“And don’t lift off the planet because they are waiting for you. That little shuttle is defenseless. Wait for us to get there.”
“Okay, but we can’t stay here either; the pirates will be looking for us.”
“Secure the building and sit tight. We’re almost there. Gallus sent out a ship and a team when he found out about the delivery captain. He didn’t appreciate his assets being stolen. Grant and I tagged along. We left Butterball and Princess Peach with Gallus and Miranda the moment we realized he was going to Fortuna II. We’ll be there in a few hours.”
A Tallean male in a uniform stepped into view. “We must speak to Ranek and make sure he doesn’t ruin this mission. Where is he?”
Ranek
The plan was to “accidentally” broadcast Ranek and Maya’s location to send the pirates and the delivery captain toward the station so that when the rescue team swooped down, they could “kill two birds with one stone,” according to Maya’s friends.
Ranek didn’t like the way Faith looked at him, as if she didn’t trust him at all. He hated even more that she seemed to know exactly what and who he was when he himself couldn’t remember.
He also didn’t like the way the team leader sent by Gallus spoke to him like he thought Ranek was a petty criminal. Even worse yet, he’d offered Ranek credits to stay with Maya and protect her and the pup until they arrived.
It offended him. Ranek did not need payment to do his duty. “Maya is my mate. It is my responsibility, my honor, to keep her safe.”
The male had looked dubiously at him, like he didn’t believe Ranek at all. Ranek wanted to reach through the screen and punch the doubting fool in the face.
Maya must’ve sensed his righteous anger, because she’d grabbed his hand and squeezed it, letting him know that she was there. Then, when the idiot male mentioned again that he needed to stay and protect her when the pirates arrived, she spoke up.
“We already had a run-in with the pirates. Ranek fought them off very valiantly, and I’m certain he’d do so again if he had to. Is there anything else? Because you’re beginning to sound like a broken record.”
The male’s face remained passive, but daggers glinted in Maya’s eyes.
With nothing else to add, they ended the comm.
“Ignore them,” Maya said. “I don’t know your past, but I’ve seen who you are now, and I trust you.”
She placed a calming hand on his shoulder, and he relaxed. Her trust was all he needed.
“I will secure this station. There are only a few ways to enter. It should be quite defensible.”
“I think I remember some supplies in the storage rooms,” she said. “Let’s see if those are useful.”
He followed her since he didn’t remember the station's layout. As they walked, he told her about his call with Kean, omitting the part where his friend had claimed she could not be his.
“Will you come with me to Vosthea?”
Maya hesitated briefly. “I will, but after we figure out what’s happening with Commander Chaos and Gallus.”
Ranek frowned. “What do you mean?”
