“She was my nanny growing up. We kept in touch over the years. When my parents kicked me out, she was the one who helped me find an apartment. She’s like my mother. I asked her to come to Gamamine and she did, even though I could barely pay her.”
She took a deep breath, sighed, and looked down. “But even so, I looked into her communications, family, and finances. I’m not proud of it, but Lin’s life was on the line. She’s clean. I trust her completely.”
I nodded. “What’s your plan now? And how can I help?”
She leaned forward, her face wary. “I need to stay mobile for a while before we settle or Hitoshi will be able to pick up the trail. I was hoping you would allow me to book passage with you.”
“That’s a really bad idea”—I felt obligated to point it out—“as I already have two Houses after me and this is a stolen ship. It’s not safe.”
“No, but nowhere is safe for me right now. You know better than most the reach a High House has. Hitoshi can find me wherever I go unless I obscure the trail completely. And you have reason to stay hidden, too.”
“I’m not saying no. But you should think about it for a while longer. I have a contact on this planet who could likely whisk you away to safety.” A brilliant idea occurred. “In fact, why don’t you come to dinner with us?”
“I don’t—”
“No, this is perfect. You can meet Rhys and see if he offers a safer alternative to traveling with me. I don’t want you to feel trapped into this decision.”
Veronica raised an eyebrow with a cool look, and she was once again the capable businesswoman, leaving the scared mother behind. “This is not a decision I made lightly,” she said. “I had planned to take this route as soon as I agreed to help you.”
“Just because you planned it doesn’t mean you won’t feel trapped,” I said gently. “I know what I’m talking about. Just come to dinner and see if Rhys can help. You don’t have to agree to anything or even tell him who you are.”
“Very well, I will attend. What should I wear?”
She had on dark pants and a pretty green blouse. “Your current outfit is perfect. I already told Rhys I’d be wearing this,” I said, indicating my clothes. I stood. “We leave at seven.”
Chapter 16
I messaged Rhys that we’d have an extra for dinner from one of my burner accounts, then made my way to the mess hall. I almost stopped short at the door when I saw Marcus sitting inside, but then I remembered this was my ship, dammit. I gave him a shallow nod of acknowledgment then made my way to the food synth. I didn’t feel up to real cooking, even if we had the ingredients.
The synthesizer could produce just about any food under the sun. I punched in an order for grilled cheese and french fries with a glass of sweet iced coffee—comfort food at its best. My stomach rumbled at the thought.
A small rectangular box, the food synth ran off the ship’s power and converted energy into matter. Another, larger synthesizer should be somewhere down in the maintenance area to produce spare parts for the ship or anything else we might need. Synth technology and formulas were both strictly controlled by the Consortium.
A happy ding announced my food was ready. I opened the door and pulled out a perfectly toasted sandwich and crispy fries. Simple foods almost always came out perfect. Complicated foods were trickier because there were a limited number of formulas available and everyone expected a slightly different taste. Many people raised on freshly prepared food thought the synth food tasted off.
I pulled my food and drink from the synth then ran into another problem—where to sit. Loch sat at the first table facing the door. Sitting at the second table would put me behind him and out of his view, but it also reeked of cowardice.
Before I could decide, Loch pushed out the chair next to him and tilted his head in invitation. I sat, hyperaware of him next to me. He shifted in his seat, and I snuck a glance. He stared at the table as if it held all of life’s answers.
I ignored him and dove into the carb-laden goodness on my plate. I promised myself I’d be healthy tomorrow.
After a few minutes, he broke the silence. “Rhys and I have known