He grunts and tosses the blanket back over me. His gaze moves back to the a'ani. "This is disappointing of you, Dopekh, but I suppose it is natural to be curious about humans. What about the mutiny?"
I make a frustrated noise in my throat. "Oh my god, there's no mutiny! It was all me! I came over here to spy on you!" I shake my head at him, incredulous. "Worst mistake of my life, because I should have stayed on the Star to die with my damn friends—"
That earns me a finger in my face. "They're not going to die," Straik snaps, interrupting. "Quit saying that."
"You abandoned them on a broken ship! Heading towards an ice field! What part of that sounds like everyone's going to totally be okay?" I shout at him. "You're killing them by abandoning them!"
"Not abandoned!" he bellows. "We're going back for them."
"When?"
"As soon as I figure out what to do with all the slaves I've somehow acquired!" He rakes a hand through his messy hair, wild-eyed. "As soon as I figure out who in my keffing family has decided to peddle flesh to restore our fortunes! As soon as I figure out what the kef I'm supposed to keffing do with myself now that I keffing know the keffing truth! After all of that! Then we'll go back! Satisfied?"
I blink at him. He's yelling in my face, utterly impassioned, but…I don't hate what he's saying. "You promise?"
The look on his face is downright incredulous. "I don't want them to die, either. I just need them to stay where they're at while I figure things out." He stabs a finger in my face again. "And then I am dumping you and your friends onto my uncle's planet and I hope I never, ever have to see another human face for as long as I live."
"It's mutual! If I ever see another blue face, it'll be too soon!"
"Good!"
"Fine!"
Dopekh watches us argue. He glances back and forth, and when we're both glaring at one another, he takes a step forward. "Shall I take myself to the brig, sir?"
"Yes," Straik snarls, but his gaze remains on me.
"Shall I take the human with me?" he continues, voice mild.
That makes Straik straighten. He frowns, looking over at Dopekh. "Nothing about this has changed. She's staying right where I can watch her."
I narrow my eyes. It's almost like…he wants me to stay. Is it the arguing? Is that it? Or is it my boobs of doom?
If it's the latter, I might be safer in the brig after all.
16
STRAIK
The female isn't yelling anymore.
I don't know how to act if she's not screaming at me. I rub my aching wound, the surface still covered with the glue patch that seals it shut. She's not one to be underestimated. If she's quiet, it means she's planning something. I need to figure out what, so I can stay one step ahead of her at all times.
When she glances over at me, I stiffen in anticipation, waiting for the next explosion. I must be insane, because I'm practically humming with excitement. I'm ready for the next challenge she presents.
But she only adjusts the blanket around her nudity with a delicate hand. "May I please go to the bathroom now? I've shared all my secrets and have no more leverage." She tugs on the cuffs at her wrist and gives me an expectant glance. "I held up my end of the bargain."
That's what she calls holding up her end of the bargain? Her frantic confession once Dopekh started to spill his guts? I want to laugh in her face, but I almost wonder if this is another set-up. If that tricky mind of hers is planning something else. And I…kind of want to see it.
"Don't try anything," I tell her even as I move to the side of the bed. "My guards are just outside this door."
"I just want to pee. Seriously."
"I don't trust you. I'm certainly not going to leave you alone for a second. Nor am I going to turn my back." I press my thumb to the cuff, deactivating it, and I step back to wait.
Am I…disappointed? All she does is rub her slender wrist and glare up at me. She gets to her feet, wrapping the blanket around her body like a cloak, and marches toward my lavatory. Of course she doesn't need to be told where it is. She's been spying on me for days. I guess it's time I return the favor. Ruth opens the door to the lavatory and then pauses when I follow directly behind her.
"Seriously?" she asks.
"You think I trust you?" I scoff. "You've stabbed me, headbutted me, and crept around in my ship for days without me being aware of your presence. I don't trust you in the slightest, so no, you are absolutely not going to get time alone in my lavatory. You haven't earned it." I cross my arms over my chest and lean in, waiting for her to attack.
Ruth smirks. "Fair. But if you have a pee fetish, just say so." She tosses the blanket aside and saunters into the lavatory, naked as can be, then sits down on the toilet with a flourish and a toss of her hair.
"You're the one that keeps bringing it up. Maybe you're the one with the pee fetish," I point out, even as she does her business. I keep my gaze averted because I'm no monster. This is a vulnerable moment for her and all I want to do is make sure she doesn't attempt anything.
She finishes up and washes her hands in the sink, then splashes water on her face. After that, she picks through the thick, absorbent plas-hand-towels, finding just the right one before she uses it to dry her hands. When I continue to hover a few steps behind her, she scoops up the blanket, tosses it around her shoulders as if she's a queen instead of my prisoner, and saunters back into my chambers like they belong to her.
Amused, I follow behind her. I'm tense, waiting at every moment to see if she's going to bolt, but she only returns to the bed and eyes the cuffs with distaste. "Will you believe me if I say I won't run away?"
"Yes. After all, there's nowhere for you to go," I point out. "But that doesn't mean you won't try to stab me, or garrote me, or any number of other unpleasant things. So back into the cuffs you go."
"I suppose that's fair." She holds her delicate wrist up, waiting on me, and she sighs when I clasp the cuff back around it. "Can I ask you something?"
Here we go. Here's where she bargains with me. I knew this was coming. "I'm not interested in you trading your body for freedom, so don't even ask."
Ruth stares at me, her lip curling. "I wasn't offering. I was going to ask you why it's such a big deal if the a'ani fall in love."
Oh. That…doesn't match what I thought she would be asking about. I put my hands on my hips, pacing beside the bed as I consider. Is that why she's on this ship? She's in love with one of the a'ani? Or him with her? Suddenly it makes sense. "It's not a big deal. What gave you that impression?"
She shrugs, adjusting the cuff and then settling the blanket over her body again. "Is it because they're slaves, like me?"
"They're not slaves." I practically spit the word at her, offended. "I don't know what made you think I'm keen on enslaving people, but I purchased my men and freed them. The ones that remain here as my crew are here because they wish to be. Because I pay them well. Not because they are enslaved."