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“Her human is right here,” I call out, irritated. “And I’m not mad. You’re spying on us!”
“Nonsense! I would never,” Rhonda protests.
Bethiah takes one of the small, tacky-backed listening devices and sticks it just inside the cell, on Rhonda’s side. “Found this in my boot and another in the hall. How many of them have you hidden on the ship?”
Rhonda is silent, her wounded expression never faltering.
“Well?” Bethiah prompts.
“You’ve got me all wrong,” Rhonda says quietly.
“I bet I don’t. Why don’t you tell me who you’re spying for and what the real meaning behind this ridiculous chase is? We’ll let you pay our fees and we’ll even be so kind as to drop you at the nearest station all in one piece. Generous, if you ask me.”
“No,” Rhonda says, shaking her head. “This isn’t a ridiculous chase.” She stomps her foot like a child, glaring at Bethiah through the slot. “I need you to find Nerit! I’m not lying about that!”
“If that’s the truth, then why are you spying on us?”
She sighs, pursing her lips. “It’s called insurance. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
“Insurance?” I ask, but Bethiah waves a hand, shushing me.
Her gaze remains focused on Rhonda. “Insurance against what?”
Rhonda laughs bitterly, shaking her head. She pushes away from the door and takes a step back. “You name it. Insurance against you robbing me and dumping me on the nearest planet. Insurance against you murdering me, or reselling me, or any of those sorts of things. If I have information on you, you’ll actually help me. You think I survived this long without knowing how the game is played?” She crosses her arms under her breasts. “I may be many things, Bethy darling, but I’m not a fool.”
“I swear to kef, that name makes me want to tear your head from your shoulders,” Bethiah growls, her tail lashing. She’s getting agitated, I can tell, and that’s not a good sign for our conversation with Rhonda. So much for keeping the upper hand in things. “You expect me to believe that you’re spying on us just because you’re protecting yourself? I call shenanigans on that.”
Rhonda shrugs. “It’s the truth. I upload your conversations and misdeeds to an off-site location. If you help me out without abusing my trust, then I keep your secrets. I think it’s a fair exchange. And I’m serious—all I want is my beloved Nerit back.”
“Misdeeds?” Bethiah retorts. “No misdeeds around here.”
“You broke into a resort earlier,” Rhonda replies.
She…did?
“No, I tested their security for them and found it lacking,” Bethiah says, all confidence.
“And Jamef created a security feed loop. I listened to all of it, Bethy darling. But don’t worry. Petty crimes won’t be enough to cause a problem. That’s not what I’m talking about. You’re going to help me find Nerit, and you’re going to let me out of here.”
“You don’t have any room to make demands,” I chime in.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think both Jamef and Bethiah would get into a lot of trouble if someone found out they were harboring an illegal clone,” Rhonda says casually. “Now…are we working together or aren’t we?”
Bethiah snarls and lunges for the release on the door.
One Hundred One
BETHIAH
I’m going to kill her.
I’m going to wring Rhonda’s pretty neck once and for all, and I won’t feel any regrets. She can threaten me. She can threaten Jamef. Those sorts of things won’t stick. But if she blabs to the universe about who and what Dora really is…
I’ll space her right now.
Except I can’t…and that terrifies me.
Dora grabs my hand before I can hit the door release and barge in to strangle Rhonda. “No! Bethiah! Stop! She’s trying to goad you into getting what she wants.”
“Oh, does she want a strangling?” I snarl. “Because I want that, too.”
Dora tries to tug me away. “Bethiah. Listen. She’s not going to tell anyone what I am.” She puts her hands on my arms. “Humans aren’t exactly legal anywhere, are they? So if she marches up to the authorities and tells them that I’m illegal, they’ll thank her for it and then send her on to the nearest auction block. I can’t imagine that’s her end game.”
That makes me pause, because Dora’s right. Rhonda can’t sell Dora out without selling herself out…but Rhonda is also really good at landing on her feet.
I can’t believe I ever beat myself up for not being good enough for her. It’s idiotic.
“Come on,” Dora says, her voice soothing. “Let’s go talk to Jamef and see what he suggests. It’s been a long day for everyone.” She steps toward the door and holds a hand out to me. “Let’s go get our mate.”
Jamef will want to know what’s going on. He’s going to give me a keffing hard time for allowing Rhonda the viper on board, too. I bite back a sigh. “This is what I get for trying to do the right thing,” I grumble. “I need to stop being so nice.”
