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"You don't sound happy about it." His voice dropped to a purr. "I can make you happy."
Considering the way he was working this, working her, Torin had started to be happy his vantru was dead. Particularly, given the suspected age difference. Particularly, because Vrijheid was a place where bad people ended up. "You can make me happy by teaching me how the communications system for the station works."
"Not what I meant."
The panel by the door flashed green and in her peripheral vision, Torin caught sight of a Krai outside a closed hatch on one of the monitors.
Ressk.
She stood and went around behind Alamber's chair, one hand on his shoulder, keeping her body between him and the door. "But it's why I'm here. We'll start at the far end." No surprise the chair ran smoothly along the deck.
"What exactly did Big Bill hire you to do?"
As she swung him up to the section of control board farthest from the door, still blocking his view with her body, she leaned forward until she could have touched the curve of his ear with her tongue and whispered, "Not you."
"Too bad." His gaze dropped to his hands on the board. "You could do me during your free time."
This close she could see the fine tremble underlying his cocky delivery and she felt a little dirty watching him react as she growled, "You can do as you're told." But not as dirty as she would have had she let him talk her into applying the power he granted her to sex. Sitting on the deck, propped against the edge of the hatch, fighting endorphins and the hour to stay awake, Craig straightened as the exit to the station opened. He sagged in place again as Almon came through carrying a shallow box. As Almon crossed the docks toward the pod, Craig wondered if he should be worried. If the big di'Taykan decided to bail him up, he was in no condition to fight back.
On the ups, he had one less body part to have beaten than the last time.
The box turned out to be the bottom cut from a supply container. Inside, smaller containers.
Hair flicking back and forth, Almon stopped just before he'd have had to step over Craig's legs and peered into the pod. His hair sped up as he looked down and snarled, "Where's Nadayki?"
"Went to take a piss."
"I don't like you being alone with him."
"Yeah, well, I don't like being alone with you, so it seems neither of us can have what we want." He was still reacting to Almon's pheromones, but the effect had gone from painful to endurable.
"Smart mouth on you, Ryder." Almon set the container bottom down on the deck. "Maybe I should smack you in it a couple more times. Teach you to keep it closed."
Maybe I should have my girlfriend kick the crap out of you. Craig snickered. And now he's going to ask…
"What's so fukking fu
"You're just very predictable, mate."
"And you think you're…"
"Leave him alone." They turned together as Nadayki closed the hatch behind him and hurried across the dock. "I'm serious, Almon. Back off."
"He tried to kill you."
"Yeah, but he didn't."
"You're still limping." Almon sounded confused.
"Doc cut his toe off and fed it to Huirre. I win. Now move." He shoved the larger di'Taykan out of the way, and stepped into the pod. "I don't have time for anything if that's what you're here for. This fukking seal has fail-safes on the fail-safes."
Almon's hair flattened slightly. "I got you some takeaway from that kiosk you like."
"Give it to Ryder. He can divide it up." Hands in the small of his back, Nadayki stretched, moving his hips in a sinuous curve that-if he was translating the noise Almon just made correctly-put Craig on the same page as Almon for the first time ever.
"I didn't fukking bring it for him."
"Whatever."
"Nadi, dir sal veranin ka bor savitor."
"No." Dropping to his knees, Nadayki pulled out his slate.
"Nadi…"
Eyes locked on the Marine seal, Nadayki ignored him.
Almon growled something Craig didn't catch.
"He told the captain he'd have the seal open in eleven hours," Craig said quietly. Not because he gave a shit about Almon feeling rejected, but defusing the big guy's temper seemed like the smart thing to do. "He's good, but…"
"You saying he can't do it?"
"I'm saying you're a distraction he doesn't need."
"And you?"
"I don't smell like baby, baby, fuk me, do I? Besides," he added, as Almon's hand rose to his masker. "Captain's orders. I stay until he tells me to go." He leaned around the di'Taykan's legs as the air lock door opened. "And speaking of the captain…"
"What the fuk are you doing back?" Cho yelled, his voice echoing in the empty docks.
Craig thought about tripping Almon as he turned and headed for the air lock, but his sense of self-preservation kicked in at the last minute.
"No one's saying anything specific about Big Bill, but I heard that little freak Alamber is chasing after the gu
"Ex-gu
You keep telling yourself that like it matters. Craig kept his eyes on the drama across the docks while his hands worked over the nonreactive plastic containers. The captain all but dragged Almon into the air lock and although Craig could hear his voice, he couldn't make out the words. He sounded pissed, though. Good. Craig had a long list of body parts he'd like to see Almon lose. "So he responds to slutty authority?" Ressk asked, falling into step beside her as Torin crossed the Hub on her way back to the Heart. "I'm not judging," he added when she growled wordlessly. "It certainly seemed to work."
When Alamber had finally scented a Krai in the room, a growled command and Torin's grip on his chin had been sufficient to turn his attention back to teaching her the boards.
"Did you clear the codes?"
"I did. According to the station sysop, all our slates and yours and Ryder's implants don't exist."
Torin seemed to be having a little trouble breathing. She could talk to Craig. Now if she wanted to.
"Gu
"I'm okay." When he glanced at her injured hand, she used it to smack him lightly on the back of the head. "Good job."
Given the placement of the surveillance cameras, she waited until they were through the decompression doors and into the docking arm before she tongued her implant. If Big Bill was watching, the angle in the arm wouldn't allow him to see her fukking jaw muscles move.
"Our codes are blocked. If you can talk, it's safe."
She'd been trained to use her implant and not be overheard while surrounded by the enemy. Most civilians weren't able to subvocalize to that extent, but translating the mumble was part of the training. If Craig couldn't talk out loud… *Who the fuk is Alamber?* He sounded amused. He sounded alive.
Ressk grunted, and Torin realized she had a death grip on his shoulder.