Corsairs - Straik (Corsair Brothers 3) - Page 142

I clear my throat, a little emotional at the thought. "This won't go on for a year." I won't let it. "And once this is done, we'll take some time off. Maybe settle on Risda for a while. It sounds like my uncle could use the help, and I think the crew could use an extended vacation."

Aithar's eyes light up with excitement, but Dopekh watches me curiously. "You'd give up piracy, sir?"

"Didn't say that. Just said we'd take some time off." I pull up one of the charts, pretending to look busy. "Difficult to be a fearsome pirate when you've got a crew full of females and children."

"More females, sir?" Aithar asks immediately.

So he noticed that slip of the tongue, did he? His thoughts must really be focused on the female back at Port. "Ruthie's not going anywhere," I point out. "And she and Kazex seem to be cozy. Dopekh's lover wants to come serve here, so it'd be unfair of me to prevent others from forming attachments, yes? And where there are attachments, there are children." I glance over at the two a'ani. "You think I'm going to be able to get out of this without all of you dragging a mate on board? I'm no fool."

Dopekh grins widely. Aithar practically jumps out of his seat in excitement. He thumps Dopekh's arm. "We should tell him about our idea."

Uh oh. "What idea?"

The two men exchange a look. "We just…there's not a lot of hang-outs in Port. There's one bar, and they serve like, two drinks and two meals. If you want to sit and talk with someone, there's not much of a choice. Might not be a bad idea to open a bar. Have a place where people can get drinks and food, play cards or sticks, and just…mingle."

"You think that's safe for the refugees that make up most of Port?" I inquire.

"There's plenty of us to ensure it's well-guarded and safe, sir." Dopekh lifts his chin. "We can take shifts running the place or guarding it. And Ruthie says she knows how to mix drinks."

Does she, now. This sounds like something they've all talked about. I wonder if Ruth has heard anything or if this would be a surprise to her, too? Something tells me it would. I know she talks with the crew and Ruthie, but this plan sounds recently hatched, and I know my mate has spent a lot of her time with her friends from the Star in the last week. She'll probably be hurt to be left out, but I doubt it's intentional.

The crew making plans for a more permanent settlement on Risda III isn't a bad thing. As much as I love adventuring across dangerous galaxies, it's occurred to me that it's not safe for my wife and child. If someone poisoned Ruth again or tried to take her from me…I shudder at the thought. It's true that my uncle will need help managing all the refugees. He's already swamped, and more displaced humans reach out to him constantly. Port has doubled in the last two years, he told me, and he anticipates the population continuing to grow as word of a human haven spreads.

A bar—and settling down for a few years—wouldn't be the worst idea. "It's got merit," I admit. "But for now, we focus on the task at hand—eliminating my mother and her probable ring of slavers."

"Of course, sir," Dopekh says staunchly. "We're a team. We wouldn't dream of abandoning you and Lady Ruth."

I smile over at them and then go back to checking the logs. "I do like the idea of a bar, though. It sounds like just enough trouble for a pirate crew looking to settle down."

They laugh, and I do too, because it feels good to think about the future.

It feels good to know I have a future that I'm excited for. And later on, when I return to bed and curl around my sleeping mate, I'm excited for what it holds. Even though I'm about to take a trip to hunt down slavers and illegal cloning labs—and possibly, eventually, my mother—it feels like I have a family at my side.

If the va Sithai brothers have taught me anything, it's that family works together to take down anything, and the bonds you make are stronger than anyone can imagine. I lick my finger and contemplate my sleeping wife's delicate ear, and then settle for kissing it, instead.

I'm not stupid, after all.

Tags: Ruby Dixon Corsair Brothers Fantasy
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