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Onnika set her gaze on Aidan, her would-be murderer. His responding glower was cold and deadly. She couldn’t read his true intention, which could mean he was undecided. Participants died all throughout Phase Nine. Thanks to hergreat idea, she and Caryn were registered with this ship, considered to be crew, and therefore subject to the dangers of the race. If they disappeared, they’d just be one more statistic. No one would be surprised. No one would miss them. It would be as if they’d never existed.
Things had gone wrong for them before, but this was bad. Even Tag wanted them alive. Had they escaped his grips only to meet their end here and now?
Caryn’s gasps grew gargled. When their eyes met, Caryn mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
That silent apology tore at Onnika’s heart. She might defer to Caryn’s direction, but she was always the one leading the charge. Attempting to purchase a ship of their own long ago had lost them what little credits they’d saved. Stealing to feed their bellies had gotten them locked up. Escaping prison had made them invaluable to Tag and his crew. Her attempted murder of Tag had them on the run, leading them to this new low. Her headlong actions had put them in danger more often than not.
Caryn’s face darkened to a purplish color as her nails dug into the silver-hued flesh around her neck.
Awash in terror for her sister, Onnika turned to Aidan and begged, “Please. She can’t breathe.”
Aidan’s gaze dropped to her quivering lips, then he looked away, seeming to lose a bit of his rage. “Ease up, Ash.”
Instantly, Asher loosened his hold. Onnika watched anxiously as Caryn sucked in breath and her color returned.
“I’m okay, Onnika,” Caryn assured, her voice cracking. Onnika slumped in relief.
“Onnika.” Aidan repeated her name, rolling it around his tongue. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t gut you both right here.”
Her own ire reared up. “Because it would be messy.”
The blond man snorted and quickly tried to cover it with a cough.
Aidan was not amused. “A thiefanda smartass. Do you know what they do to thieves on this station? It isn’t pretty.”
She’d heard the rumors. Every station had their own set of rules, some more harsh than others. This station leaned toward the harsh. But what choice did she have with Tag on their trail? It was either steal or sell themselves, and that wasnevergoing to happen.
“So…are you going to turn us in? Or kill us yourself?”
As he contemplated that, Onnika saw her own stark expression reflected in his eyes. Even knowing she was at the mercy of this man, she hated that she looked so frightened.
She knew the moment his decision was made; his intent emerged as if from smoke.
She stifled the urge to sigh with relief.
Finally, he said, “You’re lucky I have neither the time, nor the inclination for either.” To Asher and the redhead still holding a gun on Caryn, he ordered, “Get them off my ship.”
“Uh,” Lear finally spoke up. His actions and silence convinced Onnika he wasn’t the captain he’d claimed to be, but some lower rank. This man Aidan appeared to be in charge. “You canna let them off the ship.”
“And why the hell not?”
Lear nervously scratched the back of his neck before replying, “Because I registered them as crew.”
Dead silence filled the room for a second, then a curse slipped from Aidan’s lips.
“What is the problem?” Asher asked.
The redhead answered. “The rules state that all registered participants must be on their assigned ships at the start of the race. Tossing them out before we take off will result in disqualification.”
The silence that sliced the air was suddenly interrupted by a loud buzzer and a reverberating announcement indicating the start of the race.
A barrage of loud booms followed. Were those engines firing…or explosions?
“Uh, guys,” an invisible voice sounded over the com-system. “Why aren’t we moving? You do realize the race just started, right?”
