Page 83 of Tempting Cargo

Ending things with Shohari was the last thing I wanted.

I swallowed hard. It hadn’t helped that two nights ago, wehadbeen intimate. She’d been angry at Tokki, spoiling for a fight, and I’d been happy to give her the release she needed. But the way she softened in my arms afterwards, letting me stroke her, kiss the back of her neck, made me ache with how much I wanted that every night. Every day. I wantedher, wanted all of her.

The following morning she’d been gone before I woke, and I hadn’t caught sight of her until the afternoon.

It was too early for lunch, but I needed food as well as a drink. I hadn’t hung around for the discussion yesterday, but after days of being caught up in my own head at any quiet moment, I decided I would. Maybe the distraction would help.

The drinks machine hissed, but animated voices drowned it out. I wasn’t the only frustrated one. Tokki and Shohari still spoke like they’d spent this past week going round in circles, unable to agree on a plan.

“I’ve got word from the bounty hunter,” Muzati said, and I’d forgotten she’d engaged one. “TheCrown of the Voidis definitely a dai Yakri ship, definitely a trading vessel.”

Shohari’s breath whooshed out of her. “How has she managed it? It can’t have ever entered Orith’s atmosphere.”

“Well, however she’s done it, your mother’s rival controls an illegal second trading ship. It’s quite exciting. He said they take reasonable precautions to hide their identity, but not as many as they should. Which—”

“As if arrogant that nobody will realise or care.” Shohari flicked a headspine. “That certainly sounds like an Orithian madame.”

Tokki’s eyes lit up, his body animated. “You said a way to sway factors in our favour in the enclave would make a difference? This is it, Shohari.”

Rather than sharing his excitement, her eyes narrowed. “And how exactly do you propose we use this information?”

“You use it as leverage over your neighbours to help us, of course.” Tokki spoke as casually as he would if the chrya pods needed filling up.

Shohari’s voice was like ice. “Are you suggesting I blackmail them?”

The shaa’ith flicked his nails against each other. “Like I said, it’s leverage.”

“Absolutely not.” Her face flushed a dark magenta, and her hands clenched into fists on the table. She held herself so taut, I worried she was liable to snap at any second

“But it’s a—”

“It isnotup for discussion. We find another way.” Her chair clanged to the floor, and she quaked with the effort of holding herself back.

“Then why did you bother investigating it?” Tokki’s voice rang out to Shohari’s stiff back as she stormed out of the galley. He turned to me, eyes gleaming with frustration. “What is her problem? Can you talk to her?”

Fighting all my urges to go to her, I didn’t answer him straight away. She was stubborn. Hurt. Betrayed. Traumatised, even. But her shortsighted thinking could cost us too high a price.

I sighed. “She won’t go for it.”

Tokki was on the cusp of anger, holding it in every tight muscle, each one an echo of my own. “It’s too risky without another angle, and this could tip the balance in our favour. How can she not see that? She wants it to be perfect but won’t entertain a major strength we have?”

I got why he was incredulous, but he couldn’t see past the logic of the situation. “Have some fucking compassion, Tokki.” My chair clattered down next to Shohari’s, and I stalked to the window. “Have you any fucking idea what she’s been through?”

The grey swirls of voidspace were neutral and dispassionate. I missed the stars.

I huffed out a breath, fogging the glass. “We find another way.”

The words felt hollow, even though the fire, the need to back her up, to protect what was important to her, burned in me.

“Don’t be foolish, Garrison. Do you think we aren’t going to shoot anyone, either?”

“If we have to, we will.” I kept my voice controlled. “It’s like we said. Aim for peace, but prepare for war.”

Knowing it would drive a further wedge between us, I said, “I’ll see if I can talk to her.”

I couldn’t help feeling by the end of this, Shohari was going to hate me.

Shohari