only hope that Violet followed through. Maybe that way Faros would learn his lesson, would learn that focusing only on what he wanted would destroy everything he’d built. Just like EJ had to face the same thing, staring into the dark expanse of space through the airlock. “She’ll leave you when she finds out what you did. If you both want to take that chance—since Gemma will get the fuck out of here too, don’t think she won’t—then fine. I’ll go. I won’t even ask you to let me escape. Just know that you’re doing this to yourselves.”
At least Gemma’s mate, Wyzak, hesitated.
Faros turned orange-red and scowled, jerking his chin at the transfer arm. “Enough of this nonsense. We don’t have time to argue like a bunch of fat marmox. Harzt, Wyzak—take her over, deliver her, obtain the reward. Everything as we discussed.”
A look laden with meaning passed between the trio but disappeared before EJ deciphered what it meant. She took a deep breath as Wyzak settled the survival hood over her head, then began the long walk to the transfer arm.
“You’re a coward,” she said over her shoulder, just before she stepped into the dark expanse of space on Wyzak’s heels.
The pirate captain didn’t have anything to say, or he waited until after she was gone to say it, because only silence answered her.
Chapter 30
Nokx
Nokx battered down the door with part of a chair he ripped from the floor. He didn’t care how much noise he made: time mattered more than finesse. By the time he peeled the door out of the way, one of the young ensigns stood in the corridor and stared at him with wide eyes.
Nokx’s eyes narrowed. “You should keep moving.”
For a long moment, the ensign hesitated. Maybe he guarded the quarters where they’d left Nokx, or maybe he just responded to the noise. It didn’t matter to Nokx. He didn’t want to injure the young warrior, but he would if the kid tried to stand between Nokx and his mate.
The ensign ducked his head and retreated, holding his hands up to show he held no weapons, and Nokx finished bending the door out of the way so he could step over it. He breathed hard, adrenaline pumping through him, and scanned the surroundings to figure out where the hell they’d stashed him.
Front of the ship, starboard side. Out of the way near the open barracks where the younger crew stayed. He had no idea what time it was but no one else stirred in that part of the ship. Not that it mattered. Nokx strode toward the back of the ship. He didn’t bother to move quietly or sneak around. Most of him wanted a fight.
If he ran across Faros... Nokx growled in fury, his jaw aching as he ground his teeth. He wanted to rip out his scales and stab his spikes through whoever crossed his path.
He made it to the loading bay at a near-run and burst through the door just as Izyk resealed the airlock on the transfer arm. Nokx growled as he strode in. “Where are they? How long have they been over there?”
Izyk’s dark eyebrows rose as he stood back, and his gaze flicked to the comms station where he normally worked. “Well...”
“Don’t try anything,” Nokx said. His scales flashed a red so deep it bordered on black. “When did they take her?”
The other warrior took a deep breath and moved slowly away from the airlock. “Few minutes.”
“How many?”
Izyk frowned. “Come on, Nokx, it’s...”
“How. Many. Took. Her?” Not that it mattered. Nokx searched for a survival suit so he could break through the airlock into the transfer arm. He could make it onto the Hollbrd and get her back. She wasn’t gone yet. If he moved fast, he could get to her.
“Wyzak and Harzt,” he said. Izyk sighed as he retreated farther, staying out of Nokx’s range. “It’s not what you think. Look, we have comms from...”
“Doesn’t matter,” Nokx said. He growled when he couldn’t find any of the safety gear. “Where are the survival suits? There should be at least another three.”
Izyk shrugged. “You don’t need to go, Nokx, if you would just wait...”
“She’s my mate,” Nokx said. He reached for the airlock. He could risk it without the survival suit. He couldn’t wait. The moment they handed her over to the guards, she’d disappear into the gen ship’s depths and he’d have to fight through the whole ship to get her. “You won’t stop me.”