Corsairs - Straik (Corsair Brothers 3) - Page 33

Well jeez. "So we're back to being enemies?"

"No." He rakes a hand through his hair and starts pacing again. "Yes. I don't know."

His mood is all over the place. "Can I just point out that you seem a little stressed?"

Straik shoots me a look. "You'd be stressed in my situation. Look at things from my perspective. I might or might not have a mutiny. I might or might not be party to a very large slaving ring. I am now responsible for over a hundred human slaves and clones—or both. The head of my house won't receive me, my mother wants me to commit mass murder, and I have a human female wandering all over my ship as if she owns it and is seducing my crew. What part about that is supposed to relax me?"

He already suspects I'm seducing his crew? Am I really that obvious? "Seducing your men?" I joke, laughing to distract him. "You're giving me a lot of credit."

"Dopekh is crew. He's going to be difficult to replace if you woo him away from service onboard the Eye." Straik rubs his chin, thinking. "He's a good male and a steady crewmate."

"I don't think he's going anywhere," I point out helpfully, knowing Dopekh will probably shit a brick if he finds out that Straik thinks he's leaving. "In fact, I don't think you have reason to distrust the crew. From what I've seen and heard, they're very loyal to you, even if you fucked over my friends. They're still choosing to serve you, right?"

He looks at me with narrowed eyes. "That's what you came in here for? To reassure me that my crew isn't plotting against me?"

"Maybe I felt sorry for you?"

It's the wrong answer. His expression grows wintry. "Sympathy for your captor already? Just yesterday you were trying to carve my throat open."

I have to play this carefully. "And yeah, just yesterday I didn't know you were planning on going back for my friends. Since then, we've talked a little, I've learned your mother is pure evil and your crew loves you. You've also uncuffed me, fed me, given me time with my lover," I choke on the word a little, but he doesn't seem to notice, "And now I'm walking around free on your ship. If you're willing to let bygones be bygones, why can't I? As long as we're on the same page, that is."

He studies my face as I speak, and I expect him to interrupt or to say I'm full of shit. Instead, he stares thoughtfully at my mouth. And he keeps staring at it so intensely I get flustered.

This plan of mine might be working a little too well.

26

STRAIK

I should be angry at her. Ever since I've discovered Ruth on my ship—kef, even a few days before—she's been making my life a mess. Nothing's gone right for me since we discovered the Buoyant Star and its “crew.” When she's smiling and sounding reasonable like this, though, it's hard to be upset.

She can even be winning when she wants to be. I see now why Dopekh is in love with her. Give it a few more weeks and most of my crew will probably be dancing along to her tune. I suppose it's a good thing that we should make it to Risda III in the next day or so. It won't give her a chance to win anyone else to her side.

I study her thoughtfully. She sits across from me, her mood light and flirty, and she seems to be…happy. I've seen more smiles from Ruth in the last hour than I have since I've met her. "Why are you here?"

Her expression falls, and for a moment, I feel like a keffing ass. Then I remember that she stabbed me.

Ruth shrugs. "I need to make sure you take me back to my friends. If that means being your buddy, then I'll be your buddy. And right now, you look like you could use a buddy."

"I need no one."

"Mmm." She nods as if unsurprised by my response. Her hands go to her knees and she rocks in her chair. "Then I suppose the emo hairdo is just because you wanted to change things up?"

I touch my hair, frowning. I really should do something with it before I see my uncle, or he'll know the turmoil going through my mind. "My grooming is none of your business."

"If you say so." She leans back in the chair and laces her fingers over her stomach. "So you're not sending me or Dopekh to the brig?"

"Correct." I don't see the point. If keeping a short leash on her keeps him under control, so much the better. Though I would argue that her leash is short. Sometimes it feels as if she's running everything…and it hasn't even been a full day since I freed her. It just seems…wrong. I don't know.

Tags: Ruby Dixon Corsair Brothers Fantasy
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