Page 55 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement
Apparently shehadanswered him.
When the Earth envoy finally rose to speak, the dowager cleared her throat delicately. Well, delicately but at full volume. “While the philosophy of worlds open or closed makes for wonderfully idle discussion over pixberrytea, Azthronos has been honored to provide material support for Blackworm’s victims after their awakening. And we will continue that support, of course. No doubt Earth’s envoy would like to take their citizens home now, as the journey is long and they have been away even longer, so we believe it would be best to officially formalize an agreement to oversee the dispensation of Blackworm Station. Weshouldengagetounitethe Black HoleBrideswith the bestchampionfor their fate andwedthese grand philosophies with practicalities to everyone’scredit.”
She nudged Raz, hard, in the ribs.
He restrained a wince, both at her sharp elbow and her even more pointed grasping for the station. She did it for the good of the duchy, he knew, just as she’d sent him away for the same reason.
He laidhis hand on her shoulder—part affection, part warning—as he stood. “The Duchy of Azthronos stands ready to defend its sovereign system, and unincorporated bordering space, for the good of the Thorkonos Galaxy and the security of the transgalactic community as a whole. Whatever assistance we rendered to the abducted Earther women was done in the spirit of our belief that all beings should be freeto choose their paths to the stars. We look forward to bearing witness to the flourishing future of the Black Hole Businesswomen, wherever their new space station may take them.”
“Wherever—” his mother sputtered. “She’s rightthere. Take her from right there.”
Shewas staring down the long length of the table at him, dark eyes wide. Slowly, she stood, matching him, though so far away.
“Thankyou to everyone here for having our best interests at heart.” Her voice wavered a moment on the word heart, then steadied as she continued. “Especially my sister and her partner who were key inactuallyfinding us.” She took a breath. “On the recommendations of counsel we’ve retained, the two conscious survivors of Blackworm’s criminal actions have assigned their shares of the space station tome.” Over the sudden buzz of the table, she added more loudly, “And I’ve begun proceedings to claim representation for the other two survivors currently in stasis. Blackworm took our choices away, but we’re taking those back, along with his space station.”
Raz straightened at his chair as the murmuring around him rose above her voice. Such a claim wouldn’t make her merely wealthy but powerfulin her own right. He bit back a little grin to see the shock on the Earth envoy’s face and the consternation from the galactic council reps. Those expressions rapidly turned considering as they contemplated their own best chances for working with this suddenlynotvictimized little space station heiress.
His mother hissed as he sank down beside her. “What are you doing? Get in there. You havethe best claim on the salvage. You were there first and all that.”
He shook his head. “Raynawas there first. And she didn’t really need to be saved.”
At the far end of the table, the other interests had risen and were clustering around her. He should probably assign her a guard from her own self-assigned guardians… But then she stiff-armed the hovering Earth envoy, and he remembered she knewperfectly well how to push people away and keep them at arm’s length.
Still, he caught the hivre’s glance and jerked his chin to one side. Ignoring his mother’s mutterings, he joined Jinn away from the uproar around Rayna.
“I’ll assign a sec-off detail to you for the length of your stay,” he told the hivre. “Just in case any of her prospective partners think they can pull another Blackworm.”
Jinn cocked his head, feathers bristling. “Like you did?”
Raz stiffened. “She chose me.”
“For the night of the ball only.”
Apparently she’d talked to her sister and this birdman more than she’d talked to him. “Indeed,” Raz drawled. “Which is why we are here. If you don’t need the security detail—”
“Her sister and I are all she needs,” Jinn interrupted. “And her own legal team.”
Raz nodded.“Yet the offer stands.” He gathered himself and turned to walk away, but he couldn’t force his gaze off Rayna, holding her own against all the factions, her sister glowering impressively beside her. When stabby Lishelle and sweet Trixie joined them, Raz had no doubt they’d be a force to reckon with.
“Tell her,” he said softly, “she doesn’t have to be strong all the time. The point of not beingalone is to share what you need with others.”
Jinn watched him with a raptor’s keen stare. “And she would’ve been not alone with you.”
Lifting one haughty eyebrow at the hivre, Raz twisted on his heel. “I told her that already.”
He strode out of the great hall, not responding to the dowager’s call or the nagging sense of eyes watching him go. It was be Rayna watching—he retained enough bloodchampion in his heritage to sense that threat. Not a threat to his body, maybe, but to his heart.
He’d kept his promise to her for one night of protection, one night of passion, and though he knew that had been his duty, it was cold comfort. As cold and dark and lonely as space.
***
He sent Nor to take charge of her security detail over the days of her haggling with all the interestedparties, and he didn’t give a larf what Dejo Jinn or Vaughn felt about it. They might think they were defense enough for Rayna and her friends, but with envoys and representatives and the Octiron crew following them around, they needed all the shielding they could get. And if Rayna thought that was arrogant of him, so be it.
Having the pirate captain in her entourage as a spy might’ve also beenpart of his intent.
Annoyingly, the half-blood captain refused to gossip about his ward.
“If you want to know something,ask her,” Nor growled when Raz commed him.