Caillen held his hands up in surrender. “I don’t control the pirate brigade. Chay’s a paranoid sonofabitch—and deservedly so given the people out to slay him—so don’t cut those freaky eyes at me, looking for help with him. I got nothing useful.”
Sighing, Hauk opened the channel. “On my honor, the soul of Akuma, no harm will come to you or those who fly under your banner.”
Aniwaya’s voice dripped with suspicion and ridicule. “You telling me you’re the infamous Akuma wanted by the League and all the United Systems combined? Flying in that hunk of shit with a lowlife like Dagan? Boy, find another gullible fool. This one isn’t taking.”
Hauk growled in the back of his throat as frustration must have strangled him. Not that Caillen could fault Aniwaya for his skepticism.
Akuma meant demon. Each one of the five founding members of the Sentella had an alias they used to protect their identities and to keep their families safe from the wrath of the League and her allies.
Nykyrian was known as Nemesis or vengeance. Darling went by Kere or death. Jayne was Shinikuri, the spirit of death, and Hauk had chosen Akuma.
Because all of his family was dead, Syn had refused a moniker claiming he didn’t care if they hunted him down and killed him. But now in order to protect Caillen’s sister, he went by Shinikami—death wolf.
But only a tiny handful of people knew those names and who they belonged to. Divulging their real identities wasn’t something any of the Sentella did lightly which was why Chayden was crying foul. Caillen only knew them because he didn’t believe in betrayal in any way and they trusted him implicitly.
When Hauk spoke, his tone was that deadly tight one that effectively conveyed his ire. “Trust me, pirate. No unauthorized being would ever dare use my name.” He glared at Caillen who’d actually done that on the colony—oops. Good thing the Andarion loved him or they’d be locked in a death match over it.
“Sanctum Sentella, Aniwaya. On that you have my word and that is sacred.” With those two phrases, Hauk offered Aniwaya safe passage.
Aniwaya hesitated before he responded. “Thanks, Akuma. I’m trusting you with the safety of my men. If you back out on your word, take my life, not theirs.”
Hauk arched a brow at Caillen. “You’re right. He’s not real trusting is he?”
“He’s Tavali,” Fain said. “We’re no more trusting than the Sentella is. The price on our heads is every bit as staggering as yours and like you guys we tend to make more enemies than friends.”
Hauk nodded. “I get it.”
And that was why Caillen flew unfettered. While there was some safety that came from being aligned to a specific group such as the Tavali or Sentella, there was also a lot of crap and internal politics that could easily drag a smuggler or pirate into a mess faster than sleeping with an aristos’s wife. As a free agent, he could be “friend” to anyone without politics intervening.
The bridge door pulsed open.
Desideria finally rejoined them—wearing Caillen’s one clean shirt that he’d left out for her. For some reason he couldn’t name, he liked seeing her in it even though it swallowed her whole. It sent a strange surge of possessiveness through him.
Yeah, she could definitely borrow his shirts anytime she wanted and he hoped her scent stayed in the fabric…
Pausing by his chair, she yawned. “What’s going on? I heard a strange voice over the intercom, but I couldn’t understand what you were saying.”
Hauk grumbled a humorless laugh. “Nothing much. You just missed another near-death experience.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
Fain indicated Caillen with a jerk of his chin. “Luckily your boy knows people who carry a lot of guns. As long as he doesn’t sleep with anyone’s girlfriend again, we should be fine.”
Oh yeah, if they could freeze the smoldering look on her face as she glared at him, it could be sold as a lethal weapon on the black market and make them all rich. “Pardon?”
Caillen let out an annoyed breath. “Fain has a mental disorder that causes him to spout random stupidity for no apparent reason. It’s been a source of constant embarrassment for his brother since they were kids. Ignore him.”
Fain snorted in response. “I’ll remember that next time you need help, food.”
“Good thing I have Hauk’s number on speed dial then, huh, pun’kin?”
Hauk laughed.
Fain appeared to want to say something, but then seemed to change his mind.
Good, he was learning…
Desideria took a seat beside Caillen as they handled the landing. True to their words, she saw the familiar black fighter that appeared to be held by a brigade of pirates. “Are those what I think they are?”
Caillen winked at her. “Aye, Princess. They be pirates indeed.”
“And I take it they’re on our side.”
“Yes.”