Her father, Egarious Toole, would have loved this place. He’d have been right at home with the card sharps on her left and the alcoholics at the bar. But it would have been the prostitutes he’d have gone home with, provided the drug dealers didn’t get to him first and sell him something that would have left him unconscious, on the bathroom floor.
She winced at childhood memories neither she nor her sister could quite purge. There were just some images of parents no child should carry.
Her father half-naked and covered in his own filth was definitely one of them.
‘Course hers were mild given that Hadrian would have witnessed the massacre of his. All things considered, she was lucky. When her father had finally died from his excess, she’d seen it coming for years and hadn’t been there for the grand finale.
Still, it had hurt. But once the initial shock had passed, it’d been a relief to not have to deal with his drama anymore.
At least that was what she told herself.
In reality, he’d still been her father and a part of her had loved him. Had wanted him to be the father she’d deserved and not the broken man the universe, rough circumstances, and bad luck had made him.
As she swept her gaze around the crowded room, she tapped Hadrian’s arm. “Thank the gods you let me stop and use the restroom on that outpost. I shudder at what the ones here must look like.”
Hadrian laughed. “Yeah. Even I wouldn’t try for it, and I don’t have to squat.” He paused at the bar.
A gnarly orange-skinned alien appeared. “What can I get you?”
Jayne didn’t hesitate with her order. “Dysentery on tap with a wedge of salmonella. Maybe a side of tetanus.”
This time, Hadrian laughed out loud.
The alien bartender wasn’t so amused. “You ordering or just going to insult my place?”
“Neither.” Hadrian held up a wad of creds. “Tell Sheridan the favor he owes his cellie has come due.”
The bartender scowled at the money. “He’s liable to toss that in my face.”
“He won’t.”
“He does and I’m coming back and kicking your scrawny ass.”
Jayne didn’t speak as he ambled off. “You sure about this?”
“Nope. This guy . . . he really is liable to shoot us. According to my brother, he’s a cantankerous ass.”
“Just what we need. More shots to dodge.” Shaking her head, she moved to stand by his side so that she could scan the crowd. Hadrian looked so out of place. “Then again, we’re lucky no one’s shot at us yet.”
“Meaning?”
“You look like an uptight Enforcer and I look like my sister. I’m surprised they let us in. Even more surprised they haven’t thrown us out.”
“Because no one’s looking at me.”
Jayne glanced around and realized he was right. “You expending more powers?”
“Yes, and it’s making me sick to my stomach.”
“Careful with that. You pass out and I might leave you here.”
“Chance I’m willing to take.”
She was about to comment when the surly bartender returned. “He’ll see you.”
Without another word, he led them through the crowd to a small room in back.
Jayne wasn’t sure what to expect until she stepped into a shabby, dingy room where an interesting Ritadarion sat in front of an expensive computer set up that no one would have ever attributed to such a rank establishment.
