Page 46 of Stealing Mercury (Arena Dogs #1)

Carn stood, his chair scraped loudly across the floor as he shoved away from the table. “We aren’t being sent anywhere.”

The crew members at the far end of the room all got to their feet, but the captain remained seated and waved them off. “It’s an offer gentleman, not an edict. You’re free men here. You’ll do as you choose. I didn’t help relocate thousands of refugees because I was looking for folks to oppress.”

Samantha turned to face Carn. “I know you have no reason to trust me. I know I’m not a Dog. But I do keep my promises, Carn, and the captain may be able to help me do that.”

Carn eased back into his seat. “I didn’t say I don’t trust you.”

Samantha stilled as if his words struck her unaware. It squeezed Mercury’s heart to think she didn’t feel certain of their trust after all they’d been through. He stroked a hand along her thigh to urge her to continue.

She nodded, almost to herself then turned back to the captain. “I can’t tell you how much your generous offer means to me. What we need most right now is a way to get back to Roma without being seen.”

Knock pounded a fist on the table, making it shake. “Why in hell would you want to go back there?”

Samantha scowled. “Seems someone got left behind.”

Mercury let satisfaction slip over him as her careful word choice scored a hit on the man. Knock’s mouth tightened. Real regret or anger that she wouldn’t let him off the hook?

“Okay,” said the captain, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “What’s your plan?”

“I’ve heard a lot of the runners had a captain’s closet. If the Gwendella had something like that, I thought it might give us a chance of getting into the port undetected.”

“All of you,” asked the captain.

Samantha nodded. “Plus one more on the outbound journey. It should help that your last port of record will be Sedona instead of Haverlee. I doubt Owens or many of the Alliance port workers would even know Sedona and Haverlee are on the same planet.”

“Allendson’s Port Chief there now.” She narrowed her eyes. “But you knew that.”

Samantha licked her lips. “I don’t expect him to be a problem.”

“No,” said the captain. “I don’t expect so.”

The serving woman brought another pitcher of whatever the captain and her crew had been drinking and extra glasses.

The room went quiet as she poured out glasses for Samantha, him and his brothers.

The woman put a hand on his shoulder as she leaned across him to fill his tankard.

He shifted his shoulder to discourage the woman.

She moved on to Lo, but not before Samantha noticed the woman’s touch.

When the serving woman left the room again the captain sipped her drink then spoke again. “I do have a closet and it should meet your needs. We’re not scheduled into Roma, but I can arrange something. Roma’s not so far off our route that it would raise suspicion for us to detour there.”

“Perfect.” Samantha’s response to the news that her plan was coming together seemed subdued.

He reached for her, but she avoided his touch in favor of adjusting her mug as if the precise angle of the handle required all her attention.

Was it Hera on her mind or did she think him so fickle as to be distracted by the serving woman’s touch?

He didn’t know how to reassure her, so he returned to the task at hand.

“You didn’t mention this closet before,” he said as softly as his rough voice would allow.

“I wasn’t sure and I didn’t want to count on it.

” She wrapped her hands around her mug. “Some indies have a smuggler’s hold—a compartment built into the floor of the ship’s decking.

It’s hidden and shielded, so goods can be smuggled without being detected even by sensor sweep.

The closet works on the same principle, but it’s built into the walls and it’s hooked into the environmental controls. For carrying people, not cargo.”

Mercury said, “We could hide in this closet?”

“Yes. Even if Owens sends in a search team, we’d be safe.”

Satisfaction warmed his veins. “Good. That is very good.”

“Now,” said Samantha. “We just have to come up with a plan to get to Hera and get her out.”

“Leave that to me. We’ll handle that part of things.”

“I might be able to help with that,” said Knock. “I’m pretty good with a security hack.”

He didn’t like the idea of Knock becoming involved, but when he looked to Samantha she nodded. “He’s better than me... by far.”

“Very well.” Even as everything was coming together better than he could have hoped, Mercury’s spirits flagged.

They’d left Hera twenty-six days earlier.

If Drake had told the truth, she might already be dead.

If he’d lied, then she might have been given to another pack for breeding.

They might have to kill more of their kinsmen to re-claim her.

And if neither case were true, there was still the impossible task of freeing her.

Even if all went perfectly, he might lose Samantha.

He knew she didn’t expect to stay with them after they were truly free. No, there was little to celebrate.

When the planning was done and they headed back to Samantha’s childhood home, she held him back to speak with him in private.

“There is something I want to talk to you about.”

“What is it, courra ?”

“On the Gwendella , things will be different.”

He held his silence, not sure of her meaning.

“The Gwendella has a large crew and plenty of space. I’ll take a crew berth, they’ll expect it. I’ll make sure the captain arranges for a guest suite for you, Lo, and Carn. This will be better for everyone.”

She wanted to keep him at a distance. He’d thought they’d been getting closer, but perhaps the thought of having a new identity changed things.

“This will not be better for anyone.” He wanted to demand she acknowledge his claim to her, but he knew that would do no good.

“But it’s your choice.” After they had done what they must, he would convince her that she belonged with him, with his pack.

They would find new ways. Ways that she could live with.

Because he no longer wanted to live without her.