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“…and she said you were looking for your home. Is that true?” Aidan pried.
Onnika stiffened.
“She told you that?” came Caryn’s soft voice, an edge of uncertainty in it.
“You do know where the Pakovian homeworld is, don’t you?”
“The what?”
Lurching into the mess hall, Onnika snapped, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Caryn jumped in her seat, but Onnika’s anger was aimed at Aidan, who seemed entirely unconcerned by the rage-filled female bearing down on him. “You have no right to interrogate Caryn like this. Our business is none of yours.”
Aidan leaned back in his seat, looking too pleased with himself. “No one’s being interrogated. I’m simply having a conversation with a member of my crew.”
“We’re unwanted passengers, remember? Not your crew.”
“That’s not what the registry says,” he countered. “You’re not Pakovian, are you?”
Her stomach did a sickly flip.
Quickly recovering, she smiled as if that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. “Is that where you’re going with this?NotPakovian? What are we, then? Arcadian scatter monkeys?”
With a curious expression, Zeek leaned closer to Caryn, eyeing her ear cuff as he muttered, “Arcadian scatter monkeys hibernate this time of year.”
Onnika stepped between them as Caryn surreptitiously brushed her hair over her ears.
“Enough of this,” Onnika snapped. “Caryn, let’s go.”
Looking relieved, Caryn stood and they both turned…only to find a solid wall of silvery muscle in their way. It was a shock to the senses. One second Asher had been sitting beside Aidan, the next he was in another place entirely, glowering at them. “Captain asked a question.”
So startled was she by the sudden blockade that she didn’t think twice about reaching for her new blade and aiming it at the big man’s chest. “Back off!”
“Hey,” Zeek said in a piqued tone. “That’s mine!”
Oops. Busted.
Displaying more of that mind-boggling speed, Asher caught her wrist in one of his massive fists—the man moved like fucking lightning—and took the knife away from her with his other hand, returning it to Zeek hilt first.
“And I was starting to like you,” Zeek muttered ruefully.
“Sit,” Asher ordered, guiding her by the wrist to the chair across from Aidan.
Surrounded and seeing no other choice, she sat. Caryn did, too, trying to look innocuous.
Only then did Onnika notice the meat, bread, and what little was left of Caryn’s stir-fry spread out on the table. Her grumbling tummy whined for a taste.
Aidan raised a brow and gestured to the food. “Eat.”
She jutted her chin. “No, thank you.”
His narrowed gaze told her he didn’t like that response. With aggravated motions, he scooped food onto a plate and dropped it in front of her. “Eat something, Onnika.”
Stubbornly, she crossed her arms over her chest, earning a cold stare from him. He didn’t like being disobeyed. Well, he’d just have to get used to it.
He leaned back in his seat, mirroring her posture. For a long while neither of them spoke. Tension seemed to fritter through the air. No one moved.
Without breaking his glare, he ordered the others, “Finish your meal.”
