Nokx (The Sraibur Crew #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,114
eyes off the screen.
Harzt tensed, Violet laughed, and Pyix choked on air before he put himself between his first mate and the Sraibur’s security chief. Just in case Harzt took personal offense to the Earther’s observation.
Nokx focused on EJ. If Estelle wanted to provoke Harzt, that was her choice and she owned the consequences. He kept an arm around his mate’s waist as he watched his captain. “You want to return to the Sraibur?”
“Of course,” Violet said, before Faros could offer a different opinion.
But the captain heaved an annoyed sigh as he squeezed his mate’s shoulder. “Yes, Nokx. I would be pleased if you and your mate return.”
“Will you continue working with the Lovelace?” he asked. “Are their goals our goals now?”
“We’ve always had a confluence of objectives,” the captain said. “The Slasu will no doubt have a larger bounty on our heads, in addition to the Tyboli one, so we might as well cause as much damage to them as we can.”
Violet watched EJ before her attention shifted to Nokx, and he tensed so he didn’t squirm under her scrutiny. The lawyer saw too much, and he didn’t want his relationship with EJ dissected in public. But a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she linked her arm through Faros’s, despite the captain having his arms crossed. “EJ looks like she needs to rest, so why don’t you two recuperate here on the Lovelace, and we can meet to discuss plans in a day or so.”
“A lovely idea,” Bula chortled. She paced with her odd high steps toward the group and studied Violet. “And you know our dear Cici, our very brave Cici. You must tell us how she is, if she still has our gifts, whether her fierce protector is still protecting. She did many brave things to make this mission possible. And she looks so lovely in blue.”
Violet smiled, a genuine smile, and walked with the space chicken toward the doors. “She’s well. They’re back with the rebels, fighting the Alliance where they can. I’ll have to ask about the gifts, although she told me you and your sisters made some beautiful... costumes.”
Faros perked up as he followed on their heels. “Costumes? What kind of costumes?”
Nokx closed his eyes and rested his chin on EJ’s head. She hadn’t spoken in a long while. His chest felt tight. He hadn’t thought to explain what happened to him, when it paled in comparison to the betrayal EJ faced. But with her knowing... He took a deep breath. There was no telling what she thought. For once, she didn’t talk.
EJ didn’t move as Harzt shook hands with Pyix and nodded to the space chicken, then gave Estelle a long look before he strode for the doors. The other Earther appeared oblivious to his attention and continued working on the nav station as if nothing else existed on the bridge. Served the grumpy security officer right that the female he seemed interested in didn’t even notice him.
Nokx nodded to Pyix and the space chicken as he brought EJ into the corridor and tried to navigate back to her quarters. He’d gotten no more than two steps before Estelle joined them, craning her neck to get a glimpse of Harzt before he disappeared from view. “I’ll show you the way.”
So maybe she wasn’t as oblivious as she pretended. Nokx smothered a grin. Perhaps he could suggest a hostage exchange: he and EJ returned to the Sraibur, and Harzt joined the Lovelace. It seemed like a reasonable solution.
Chapter 52
EJ couldn’t breathe after everything Faros admitted and Violet revealed. Faros and the Sraibur had also been working for Bula and the Lovelace? They’d actually meant to come back for her? And Nokx... Nokx fought to keep her free, fought to get to her. Fought against his own crew to help her. He chose her over them, over his ship. The knot in her throat made it difficult to breathe and impossible to speak. It was difficult enough to put one foot in front of the other as Estelle led them back to where EJ had been staying.
The first mate nodded to them as she opened the door. “There’s a panel inside if you need food or clothing; there’s plenty in the ship’s stores, so take what you need. Bula recommended you both rest for at least half a day, but you’re welcome to explore the ship, use the gym, whatever else you need.”