Allie exchanged glances with first Shank and then Ben. Yep, Copta had pretty much settled the whole debate. In all the months Allie had served on the ship, she couldn’t remember Copta saying more than three words that didn’t have to do with spare parts, requisition orders, or training manuals. But when she decided to have an opinion, she really had one.
“I’m with her,” Ben said, and then he closed his eyes.
Allie pressed on her lip again. “I kinda hate you for being able to sleep right now,” she pointed out. The base of her throat had that tickle that generally meant something was trying to come back up.
“Get stuck in the field under fire for three months straight on a Security Central ship. You’ll learn to sleep when you can and not to worry about impending death until it’s poking you in the side with a blaster.” He quickly pushed up on one elbow. “Not that we’re in any impending danger,” he hurried to say. “This is a passable plan, better than most of the SC plans I got ordered to follow. I’m just saying that my Danger button got worn out a long damn time ago.”
“Ben,” Becca said softly, the sympathy clear in her voice.
Right now Allie envied the man a lot more than she pitied him. Actually she didn’t feel sorry for him at all.
Glancing toward Shank, she expected to share a conspiratorial look with him, a quick roll of the eyes or a gentle sigh that meant they were thinking the same thing. Instead, he looked back at her with the dark gaze of a stranger. With every emotion gone from his expression, she could see the dangerous man who usually hid under a layer of quick laughter and easy contentment.
Her stomach churning, she turned and sat on the cot next to Copta. When Copta reached out and caught her hand, the shock made Allie suck in a quick breath.
“I am still asexual,” Copta said firmly.
“Good for you,” Allie said, and when Copta still held her hand, Allie curled her fingers around that warmth and tried very, very hard to avoid the tangle of emotions that seemed to wind through her guts when she thought about Shank.
Chapter Four
“Up! Up! Up!” one ofthe guards yelled as he hit the jail bars with a baton. Ben was the only one who didn’t jump out of his skin. Allie had sort of fallen asleep, dozing between Copta and Becca as they sat on the only bunk in the cell. Now she was not only awake, but also aware of her heart beating so hard and fast it sent flashes of pain through her chest.
“The lieutenant come for us?” Ben asked without getting up from the bunk. He just stared at the ceiling like the whole mess was beneath him.
“You’re being transferred to a temporary holding area closer to the ships. We don’t have room for you here,” the guard answered. This guy wasn’t even trying to lie well. Four men and a woman followed the guard into the narrow space outside the cells.
Lacroix pushed himself up to his feet. “Are you going to have the other assholes in those cells? We weren’t the aggressors. Those guys in the bar attacked one of us. You can’t blame us for defending our own crew.” His nose flared, which usually meant he was trying hard to look angry. Allie took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.This was the plan. Ben finally sat up.
“You’re being charged with disorderly conduct, property damage, assault, and intimidation,” the guard said, his eyes on the paperwork in front of him. The five newcomers, none of whom were in any sort of uniform, studied them through the bars. Shank raised his chin and stared back.
“I don’t know,” Ben said with some humor. “I didn’t get a chance to properly intimidate anyone. Get those jerks back here, and I can do a far better job of it.”
“Shut up,” one of the newcomers ordered. He pulled plastic tie cuffs out of a pocket. “One at a time, approach the bars and turn around, your hands behind your back.”
“Where’s our ship officer?” Shank demanded.
