Her eyes flash and she pushes away from me. "Like hell I do."
That's better. I like her best when she's angry and spitting fire. I don't know what to do when she's sad. It makes me feel…helpless. I grin at her as she shoots another defiant look in my direction. "I seem to recall—"
Another throat clears, this time louder than before.
Kef me.
I've forgotten all about Dopekh so quickly. One hint of the female's distress and I lose my keffing mind. I'm a mess. I close my eyes, willing myself to pay attention, to focus on the fact that my men need to see me give Ruth back to Dopekh or else they're going to think it's fine for everyone to have a human companion. "I brought Dopekh here for you," I tell her loudly. "Save your kisses for him."
"Ah, Captain," Dopekh begins.
"We broke up," Ruth interrupts, her voice all confidence. "I'm surprised he didn't tell you."
"Broke…up?" I blink. "I do not understand this phrase."
She pulls out the knife I gave her earlier and toys with it, holding the handle out to me. "We decided to go our separate ways. He and I figured it wouldn't work."
My heart surges—and so does my cock. Calm, I remind myself. Remain calm. "When did this happen?"
The female shrugs. "Earlier. Did you want this back or do I get to keep it?" She waves the knife at me, her eyes gleaming. "Because I'm happy to keep it."
"You need no blade to protect yourself. Your tongue is sharper than anything I could hand you." When she laughs, I grow dizzy. "Explain to me more of this 'broke up.' I do not understand. You are mated."
Mating is forever, isn't it? Mesakkah tend to cleave to one partner and then remain attached for the rest of their days. It is rare that you find a mesakkah who has had more than one mate…and I just do not understand. How can she change her mind so quickly about him?
Ruth shakes her head. "It doesn't have to be forever for humans. And Dopekh and I…it just wouldn't work out. We want different things."
"More like the same things," Kazex murmurs.
Dopekh makes a pained sound.
It is that sound that makes me turn around. He looks anguished, my good, sturdy former head of security. Always loyal, always willing to be the last to abandon a fight. I cannot do this to him. I put a hand on his shoulder. "My friend. I am so sorry."
He looks over at Kazex with a helpless stare. "I…"
"Oh my god, enough with the games already," Ruth says suddenly. "Are we going to dance around this forever? We all know it. Dopekh is gay, okay? I'm his beard."
Gay? Beard? I turn around to look at her.
"Don't you fucking make this weird," Ruth tells me, her hands on her hips. "Being gay is totally normal. It shouldn't be some big secret."
"Was it a secret?" Kazex adds, his voice full of amusement. "I thought we all already knew."
"You did?" Dopekh sounds stunned.
Ruth's eyebrows go up.
"Yeah, no one cares." When I turn to look at Kazex, he shrugs. "We figured if we were getting paid in humans, maybe you could get a nice-looking male or something."
"Wait, what?" Ruth says sharply. "Who the fuck is getting paid in humans?"
"The crew," Kazex continues.
"No one is getting keffing paid in humans," I bellow. "And someone tell me what the kef a beard is?"
35
RUTH
Even though I feel terribly guilty at outing Dopekh, we can't let these games continue. I'm worried Straik will decide he wants to flirt back and try to get rid of my friend. Given that he's got the mother from hell, I don't know how he'll react. I’ll apologize to Dopekh when I get a chance, but for now, I need to detangle him from the situation entirely and get Straik to focus on me.
So I shoot Dopekh an apologetic look and then move forward to flick an imaginary bit of dust off of Straik's pectorals. I give him my most winning smile. "So no one's getting paid in humans? You're positive?"
Straik grabs my hand, giving me a wary look. "You're manipulating me."
Busted.
He shoots an equally irritated look at Dopekh. "And you have lied to me." He looks over at Kazex. "And you…either you're stubborn or hard of hearing, but no one's getting paid in humans. I will not have my freed crew enslave anyone. At all. Understand?"
Kazex taps two of his fingers together in an almost sheepish gesture. "We wouldn't enslave them. Just, you know, mate them. We'd be real nice."
"You son of a bitch," I snarl, forgetting to be sweet and sexy. His words make me see red. I lunge at him, shaking Straik's grip free. "We're not fucking hamsters you get at a pet store. You—"
Straik nabs my wrist again, quick as lightning, and before I can jump on Kazex and beat the crap out of him, the pirate lord snags me bodily, tossing me over his shoulder. "We'll discuss this in my chambers. No one's buying an enslaved human. Spread the word."