Plundered (Raider Warlords of the Vandar #2) - Tana Stone Page 0,2
the crew with an actual cabin, but it was still like a tin can. The attached bathroom was so cramped that I preferred using the communal one down the hall, even though neither had enough water pressure lately for a decent shower.
“I’ll get you fixed up soon,” I told the ship as I thumped one hand against the wall. “As soon as we get Astrid back, I’ll take you in for a full work-up.”
I didn’t know how I’d pay for that, of course. Once I paid the crew and got supplies, there was rarely anything left for upgrades, or even repairs beyond basic maintenance. Not that I was complaining. Not every twenty-three-year-old woman had her own ship, and I knew how lucky I was to have her.
Lucky was the right word, since I’d won the old freighter in a card game. I’d learned how to gamble from an old card sharp who liked for me to sit on his lap while he taught me. That had been all he liked and all he required, and I’d been more than happy to sit and smile and soak up his knowledge. Not all males asked for so little in return.
The tricks he taught me were the reason Astrid and I hadn’t starved, and the reason my sister had never been forced to do any of the things I’d done. Even now, there were few gamblers in the sector who could match my skill. Plenty tried—the powerful aliens hated the thought of being bested by a human female—but they never won.
I pulled open an inset drawer, digging around for something clean to wear. Since our ship’s water pressure wasn’t working properly, that meant laundry had also been put on hold. I made a face when I realized I’d worn every item in my drawer several times already and none of them smelled clean. If we didn’t find Astrid soon, we’d have to stop just because the crew would smell too ripe.
I found a navy-blue button-down and pair of pants that didn’t seem too bad, shaking them both out and laying them across the foot of my bed. Opening another drawer, I let out a relieved breath. At least I still had clean underwear.
Despite the fact that I was the captain of a freighter and a deadly gambler, I had a drawer filled with lacy panties and bras. It was my one indulgence and nod to femininity. I tried not to think of the fact that many of the sets had been gifted to me by males who were grateful for my attentions. I told myself that I was using them more than they were using me, and why shouldn’t I get something nice in return?
I found my favorite black bra and panties, rubbing my fingers over the sheer fabric and the delicate lace edging before putting them on. These I had bought for myself, which was probably why they were my favorites.
“Today is the day,” I said out loud, even though there was no one to hear me. “Today we find Astrid.”
I said these same words to myself every day, but every single day I believed them. I had to. If I thought that I would never find my sister and save her from the violent raiders, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. If I even allowed myself to imagine her on the warlord’s ship for a second, fear would claw at my throat. Fear that she was being forced by that huge, tailed Vandar, who’d eyed her like she was a meal.
I shook my head again, banishing those thoughts from my brain. My baby sister was fine, and when I tracked down that horde, I would get her back and make sure nothing bad ever happened to her again. Not that I had any idea how a single junky freighter was supposed to force a Vandar horde to do anything, but I would deal with that problem when I had to.
“Captain!” The voice of my first officer crackled over the rusty comms system that fed into my room.
I pressed a panel by the door. “This is Tara. Go ahead.”
Static filled the air before he spoke again. “Captain, you should come to the bridge as soon as possible.”
My pulse quickened. “Have you found my sister?”
“Not exactly.” More static. “More like a Vandar horde has found us.”
Before I could ask him anything, the ship shook violently, sending me sprawling to the floor. Shit. Were they firing on us?