“What makes you ask that?”
“Taube keeps trying to show you how I’m a bad man.” I shrugged. “Like you didn’t already know. But she’s giving you living examples of it. Is this the same?
“With Eva’s request, she’s bringing you into a discussion that you don’t need to be in. One that you’ve never been in. If anything, you’ve chosen not to be in it your whole life too.”
“Like the Irish would let their women join crews.”
Her derisive sniff had me shooting her a look as we pulled up at a stoplight. “What’s Star if not on a crew?”
“She’s unique.”
“Aurora works?—”
“Aurora’s also unique,” she said wryly. “AndSicilian.”
“Do you remember I told you about that time I was kidnapped?”
“What about it?”
“And how that situation came about because of how sexist the council used to be?”
“You’re not sexist.”
“No. But everything’s unique until the first instance is in the past.” Her lips firmed so I shot her a wink and teased, “Wanna be on myStidda?”
“You’d… want me there? As part of yourStidda. What do you call them? AStiddari?”
That she didn’t outright jump in refusal took me aback.
“Well, no. Because you’ve made it clear several times that you don’t like the lifestyle,duci.”
“But there’d be a place for me if Iwantedto work with you?”
That she persisted with this line of conversation had me pulling onto the side of the road as soon as traffic permitted.
When we were parked, illegally, in a loading bay, I turned to her, one arm on the wheel. “Liunissa?”
“I don’t want to be on yourStidda, Stan.” She laughed. But it rang false. “I’m asking, if Idid, would you have me?”
Perplexed, I assured her, “Of course, I would.”
“Because I give good head?”
I corrected, “Thebesthead.”
“Okay.” This time, her laughter rang true. “I give the best head. Enough for me to be a part of yourStidda?”
“No. Because you’re damn smart, your healing skills are a boon, and you’d be close.”
“What do yourStiddarido?”
Confused by the question, I rubbed my jaw. “Mine tend to… use their hands a lot.”
“Which means they’re more prone to accidents?”
“That’s one way of describing it. What’s this about, Kitty?” I’d genuinely been teasing but clearly she wasn’t.
“I don’t know.”
