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Burlesque had saved me. I’d met Madam Moonie by chance a few years ago in a club on Earth. At that point, I was a waitress barely getting by on tips. I worked constantly, exhausted all of the time. I dealt with disgusting men who saw anyone who worked there as objects. I constantly had to fight the owner for my fair share of tips. The club was the type where we were required to dance, and after my number, she’d pulled me to the side.
“How do you feel about going to space and traveling the galaxies?”
The answer had been easy. It was a dream to escape home. A dream to get off a dying planet and see the rest of the universe. Madam Moonie had given me a chance, and I owed her for that.
Because of her, I’d gained a new family. I had her and Stella. The entire crew and cast were like extended family, all of us working closely together. Sometimes there was bickering, but we all wanted the same thing.
To be the best burlesque show in the universe.
I hated the thought of them calling my mother to tell her I was missing. Even worse, abducted by an outlaw alien. Whenever it came to emergency contacts, Stella was always who I put down. She was more family to me than anyone else.
But, the situation was unlike anything I’ve ever been in before, so it was possible that they’d let my family know.
Would they even worry? Would they even care?
I felt the sting of the thought and then shoved it away. There was no use hurting my own feelings thinking about them. Still…
Even if I wanted to run off with Raider, I couldn’t. There were people that depended on me. I could never abandon burlesque or Madam Moonie. This was who I was and would always be.
He’d asked me if I ever missed having a home to come back to, but the ship was my home. And maybe, one day I could have somewhere permanent to fly home to. But, for now, my future was in the stars.
Raider shifted next to me, his chest vibrating with a low buzzing. His arms tightened around my waist, warmth flooding through me.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice husky. “And sad.”
“You can tell?” I whispered.
“Yes. What’s wrong, sugar?”
Okay, awake Raider had a sexy voice—but sleepy Raider? My pussy throbbed and for a minute, it was hard to even remember why I was upset.Come back to earth, Mari.
“It’s nothing.”
“Mmm. I know I don’t speak your language and we’re relying on our translators…but thatnothingis something.”
I was silent for a moment, contemplating what I wanted to say. I hadn’t ever spoken to anyone else about this in depth. Stella knew some of it, but she didn’t know all of it. I felt like I could trust him though, and for the first time in a very long time I found myself talking about the past.
“When I was fifteen, my mom sent me to live with someone else so that I could work and make money for the family. Ever since then, I’ve always sent money back to her for the kids. I have two brothers and two sisters, and have given her funds to help all of them grow up. They’re all grown now, though, and haven’t accepted money from me in some time.”
He growled, but didn’t interrupt. I drew in a deep breath and continued.
“I haven’t gone home in years. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve seen her, probably longer. I’m twenty-nine.”
He made a noise.
“What?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Human lifespans are so different.”
I made a face, twisting in his grip so I could look at him better. “What do you mean? How old are you?”
“In human years?”
“Yes, in human years,” I snorted.
“Well…” he drifted off, humming. “I suppose around three hundred years old.”
What the fuck?“My mate is an old man.”
