Page 9 of Healing Creek (Arena Dogs #3)

Chapter Five

Grace watched crewmember number thirty-two walk over to where two former slaves were gathering a group to return to the ship’s slave hold.

Number thirty-two, Nimish Adams, didn’t look happy about it.

But with two Arena Dogs, one Dreat, and several armed humans in the room, he and the other crew that had been allowed into the assembly hall weren’t likely to resist.

“These prisoners have already been screened for aggression,” Samantha had explained that morning. “Those that resisted or gave our people any trouble during the takeover are being held separately.”

Creek had still been at her side when she’d provided that explanation.

Grace wasn’t entirely sure whose benefit it had been for.

Regardless, it had helped her stay calm when Creek left her there to be questioned by Samantha.

She didn’t feel singled out. Samantha was questioning everyone…

except those deemed unsafe. Was Ghost among those still locked up or was he even still alive?

The next crewmember on the roster was already getting up from her chair when Grace raised a hand to signal a pause.

Grace put the tablet she’d been holding on the table in front of them then looked to Samantha and Diablo, standing over her shoulder.

“Do you mind if we take a short break?” She’d noticed Samantha was looking tired again.

The woman had flagged several times during the day.

It was possible with everything going on that she hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before.

It hadn’t been the best night’s sleep for Grace.

She’d stared worriedly at the shapes of the men and women all around her even though she knew Ghost was unlikely to be among them.

Still, she’d watched, waiting for him to slip out of the shadows until she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

Then she’d tossed and turned with nightmares about Jenny until Creek had reached out and taken her hand in his—the rough, scarred skin of his fingers tickling against the pulse in her wrist. Only then had she been able to truly rest.

Samantha looked over her shoulder. “Lo, could you get us some refreshers?”

Diablo gently tugged a few strands of her hair as he nodded and walked toward the array of beverages set out on a table along the wall.

Samantha waited until Diablo was speaking with Mercury, who’d also been watching over them from that side of the room, before speaking.

“Thank you. If I’d asked for a break, they’d have called everything to a halt for the day.

We’d be a day later in getting this hulk of a ship underway and we really need to get her moving again. ”

If they went into skipspace, faster than light travel, Ghost wouldn’t be able to get her off the ship until they returned to regular space again. “Why is that important?”

Samantha put a hand on her lower back and stretched. “Just in case Morgan had friends in the area. We don’t want to be sitting in the same spot if they come looking.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” It wasn’t the first time she’d surprised Grace with her knowledge. All day she’d been interviewing the crew like a pro. “Where did you learn so much about running a ship like this?”

Samantha chuckled. “My father ran an indie freighter and, I know I don’t look like it, but I’m a trained pilot and I’ve worked on ships bigger than this one. And smaller. I intend to get our own crew before we use the Abundance to free the Arena Dogs back on Roma.”

It was an ambitious goal, but they were confident.

Maybe they could really do it. Samantha’s plan to get her own crew explained why she’d told the current crew they wouldn’t be held for long.

Grace needed to find Ghost before that happened and was afraid of what that would mean.

He was her only hope of saving her sister.

Grace didn’t even know if Ghost was still alive.

He could have been killed during the takeover.

Or he could be hiding somewhere on board.

He could even be hiding among the more dangerous prisoners.

She hadn’t mentioned Ghost to Samantha that morning.

She’d done her best to be as vague as possible about… everything.

She was sure Samantha had been suspicious, so she’d been surprised when she asked her to help out by keeping notes as they questioned the crew, looking for people who had useful skills and would be cooperative.

Samantha was so kind. It seemed like a million times today that she’d considered telling them about Ghost and about her sister. She could ask for their help.

Diablo set the refreshers in front of them and Samantha reached up to stroke his chest. “Thanks, love.”

He captured her hand and pressed it over his heart.

Grace turned her gaze away and sipped her drink.

Her gaze landed on the next crewmember. The woman had twisted in her seat.

She pulled a furry animal from her jacket.

Grace’s heart thudded heavily when she realized it was a ringtail.

A common comfort animal, but also trained for use by tool slingers.

Their agility and ability to grasp things made them good for simple search and fetch tasks in tight spaces.

Grace ran her small fingers through the ringtail’s soft coat. Its body was warm against her chest as she carried it to the transport cage. “Please, Mother.”

“Gracey, we agreed. You were to take care of the animal and make sure it didn’t get out of your suite.”

“He was barely out at all. Jenny found him and brought him back.”

Her mother shook her head. “I told you that you wouldn’t be able to handle it.” She lifted the cage and started toward the door. “You said you could take care of it on your own. Not with Jenny’s help. She has her own responsibilities.”

Tears tracked down Grace’s cheeks.

“Grace?”

“Hmm?” Grace blinked. Samantha was handing her the tablet with the crew roster.

“Ready to get started again?”

“Yes, of course.” Grace gave herself an internal shake. She needed to handle her own problems, on her own time. For now, she would help her rescuers.

***

Creek’s second day of freedom had been long and exhausting.

It had started with delivering Grace to Mercury and Samantha in the assembly hall where they were screening the Abundance ’s crew and sorting out who could be trusted and who was needed to run the ship.

Creek had spent the day working with the Dreat to maintain the security on the ship.

He’d purposefully not thought about Grace.

He hadn’t thought about her when Knock had ribbed him about having an admirer.

He hadn’t thought about her when the familiar ache in his hand and shoulder had flared up again.

And he definitely hadn’t thought about how the stars had reflected in her eyes last night when he walked past a viewport.

It was late when he passed through the area near the assembly hall and decided it would be good to check in with Mercury.

It was just coincidence that it allowed him to check in on Grace at the same time.

He found the pack leader supervising his mate’s interrogation of the crew—those who had been deemed safe enough to be around her.

The hall was a large room with rows of seating.

Grace was helping with the screening, sitting at a table with Samantha, a small portable tablet in her hand. Diablo stood at Samantha’s shoulder.

As if she could sense his presence, Grace looked up and their gazes caught.

Creek had found a fresh change of clothes, but she was still wearing the same outfit from the day before.

He scowled at the thought that she’d been stuck there all day.

He should have done something about her clothes that morning.

Grace looked away. Her action made his heart thud heavily, but it was for the best. She wasn’t his concern.

As Creek made his way to Mercury, he noted how the Dog stood straight and confident as he watched his mate sitting among the members of the crew at the other end of the hall.

His eyes rarely left her despite his second standing guard next to her.

There were fewer crew now than there had been that morning when he dropped Grace off with them.

The freed slaves had accompanied those deemed a risk or not needed to the slave hold.

Some had been cleared to resume their duties under guard.

The moment he arrived at Mercury’s side the Dog wasted no time focusing on the one topic Creek wanted no part of.

“Samantha found Morgan’s file on her.” He meant Grace, of course.

“It isn’t much more than basic facts. A description and a schedule of her movements.

” Mercury turned to face him fully. “Morgan set out to capture her, but her file didn’t have anything about who he might contact for ransom. Nothing about her personal accounts.”

“She said her kin would pay the ransom,” Creek suggested.

Mercury nodded. “Samantha said her last name, Hobbs-Venter, suggests she is related to a wealthy family know for science, technology, and exploration. And yet, she is still here.”

Creek grimaced. Mercury was right to be suspicious. He knew that.

Mercury turned back to watching his mate. “When we offered to contact them, she said she didn’t want us to do that. Samantha and Lo think she’s hiding something.”

“She’s afraid.”

“Mmm,” Mercury made a sound of agreement. “But afraid of what? We haven’t harmed or threatened her.”

It wasn’t as if Creek hadn’t come to the same conclusion. But she was no threat to them. She was only a danger to his solitude.

Even now he wanted to go scoop her up into his arms and keep her safe. A good reason to stay as far from her as the ship would allow.

“What do you ask of me?” The pack leader wanted something.

They’d fought together to take the ship, and the Dog had listened to Creek’s input on ship security, but they were not pack and he needed to remember that.

It was just like when he’d been with the resistance.

They’d tolerated him but did not see him as a brother.

“Samantha said Grace seemed comfortable with you,” said Mercury. “Encourage a friendship with her. Get her to talk, to open up. Give us enough reason to trust her as you do.”

He bristled at the too accurate reading of him, but how could he refuse the Dog responsible for his freedom?

“It’s your choice, Creek. I lead my pack with their consent. Not by force.”

And he’d seen their love and loyalty for the Dog. Heard stories from Jupiter during their captivity.

Mercury kept his eyes on his mate as he spoke. “If you don’t feel comfortable with this plan, Lo will take your place. It might take longer to learn—”

“No. I’ll do it.” He kept his response insistent but respectful.

He didn’t like that idea at all. He didn’t understand Diablo’s place with Mercury’s mate.

If their bond was only a pack bond, he was free to take a mate of his own.

And that troubled Creek more than it should.

“I’ll find out what she’s hiding.” He grimaced again.

Mercury grunted and his lips tilted in the hint of a smile. “That’s good.” He clasped Creek’s shoulder. “Because the only way Lo would get her to talk would be to frighten the hell out of her.”

Creek huffed out his displeasure at the thought and for being maneuvered into agreeing.

“Thank you for doing this.” Mercury’s hand on his shoulder squeezed.

“But first, assign two Dreat to aide Jupiter and his mates. They are sorting out the slaver’s guests and guards still being held in the auction hall.

Feeona has released those who could pay what she is calling a tax and she’s ransoming the others to their families.

To help fund our cause. A clever woman who will be a great asset in our fight. ”

Creek nodded. And, though he’d not personally needed the death of those they’d captured, he felt some satisfaction that they were being parted from their precious credits.

“And then,” said Mercury, “find your new quarters and get some rest. I’m told you were injured worse than we thought yesterday.”

“I’m fine. I saw the medic last night.”

“Yes, I heard our mysterious guest helped the medic while you were there.”

Creek could only nod in agreement.

“Good. When we are done here, my Samantha will make sure your female is taken to a good accommodation and provided for. In the morning, you can escort her to the med-bay. She’s going to be working there for us.”

He would do as Mercury asked. So much for staying away from Grace.