assumed last night was a one-time thing, but now that today hadn’t brought farewell, I was unsure how to proceed.
“Veronica and I are going shopping,” I said. “Do you need anything while we’re out?”
“I’ll go with you,” Loch said.
“There’s no nee—” I started.
“I will go with you,” he said again. “That way I can pick up a few things, too.”
I was pretty sure he was using that as a thin excuse just to keep an eye on us, but I let it go. “How long until you’re ready?”
He shrugged on a shirt that clung to his damp chest and arms. Yum. “I’m ready now,” he said. “Unless you keep looking at me like that.”
Heat burned through my checks. So much for not making it awkward. “Veronica is waiting in the cargo bay,” I said.
“Too bad,” he said.
Too bad, indeed, but I made myself turn and head up to meet her.
Shopping took most of the afternoon. I bought enough supplies to last a month even if the food synth went down. It wasn’t typical, but I felt better with the backup, especially with all the extra people on board.
After we returned to the ship, I wrote a lengthy message to Bianca. I laid out all of my suspicions about the FTL drive and the Antlia sector, as well as my exact plan. If something went wrong and I was captured or killed, House von Hasenberg had to know what happened. With Rockhurst threatening war, it was more than just my life on the line.
The sun had just kissed the horizon when the proximity alarm alerted me that someone approached the cargo door. I pulled up a visual and found Rhys standing with three sleds piled high with various boxes and bags.
“Polaris, scan the immediate surroundings for life-forms.”
“One person detected in the cargo ramp quadrant,” the ship responded.
He wasn’t trying to smuggle someone else on board—I’d had enough of that, thanks—but he was bringing far more stuff than I expected. “Rhys is here,” I announced over the ship’s intercom. “I’m going to go let him in.”
By the time I made it to the cargo hold, Marcus lounged against the wall next to the door. He looked relaxed on first glance, but something in the way he held himself spoke of hidden tension.
“You okay?” I asked.
He straightened. “I’m fine.”
I refrained from rolling my eyes—barely—and opened the cargo door. Rhys ducked inside as soon as the door was high enough. He said, “Rumor has it that you’re on-planet. I don’t know if Richard is spreading it or if someone caught sight of you. Either way, it’s time to go.”
“Unless he wants to flush us out and catch us in orbit,” Loch said darkly.
“It’s possible,” Rhys agreed. “We should be ready to jump as soon as we take off. We’re close enough to the gate to request a jump point now and wait here until we make it through the queue.”
“I’ll request our jump after we secure the supplies. What is all of this?” I asked Rhys as he arranged his three sleds in the cargo bay.
“Just a few things I pulled together,” he said. “My personal pack is on top,” he waved a hand at a smallish rucksack, “the rest of this is for our journey. I brought the ammo you wanted, then decided if we were heading into hostile territory, we shouldn’t go unprepared.”
“Is there anything in there that I need to worry about blowing a hole in my ship?” I asked warily.
“You don’t need to worry,” Rhys said with a grin. “It’s the other guys who need to worry.”
“Fantastic,” I muttered. “Well, lash it all down in case we need to make extreme evasive maneuvers, then go find yourself a bunk. Crew quarters are on the middle level.” I remembered Lin. “And remember, anything you see on my ship is confidential.” I let a hint of icy warning creep into my tone. “Do not break my trust.”
Rhys lost his veneer of easygoing charm. He looked more like I remembered him from when we first met. He also looked more like Loch. “I owe you a great deal, Lady Ada,” he said softly. “And I respect you in equal measure. I will not betray you or your secrets. But do not threaten me again.”
I nodded once. “I apologize,” I said. Hopefully when he saw Lin, he would understand my caution. “And you owe me nothing,” I added. “Our debt has long been settled. If anything, I owe you.”