A burst of energy struck the hull near enough to travel through the floor and rattle Cassia’s bones. As the ship rolled in an evasive maneuver, she hung on tightly while her body skidded sideways. Screams filled the cargo hold, mostly coming from their new guest.
If Arabelle belonged to the Zhang mafia, that explained why Doran’s reputation as Daro the Red had backfired. Pirates weren’t exactly at war with the mob, but both groups were territorial. Every once in a while someone would sneak a toe over the line, and the other side would bring down the hammer. That meant the Zhang operative they’d just busted had two choices: close up shop and return to Earth, or kill the witnesses before word got out.
Cassia swore to herself. “We have to scan her,” she shouted. “We can’t hide if they’re tracking us.”
“Be my guest,” Kane shouted back, clearly in no position to help. He resembled a man stretched on a torture rack, both arms spread wide between Arabelle and the floor strap.
Arabelle’s red brows formed a slash over her eyes. “I’m not bugged! And I didn’t ask to come here with you people!”
Cassia fought to maintain her sweaty grip on the stairs. Before she could give the matter any more thought, the Banshee’s signature shriek pierced her eardrums, and the ship rocketed forward with enough velocity to pry her fingers loose. She slid across the floor until her back hit the wall, knocking the wind out of her.
For what felt like an hour, she stayed pressed there by acceleration. Then the ship slowed and lurched to a stop, sending her into a roll in the opposite direction.
She landed on her back, blinking at the dancing ceiling lights. All motion had ceased, but it took a few seconds for her body to get the message. Soon the engines powered down, and her ears detected a harmony of high-pitched ringing and low groans of pain. She pushed to her elbows and instantly regretted it. They were bruised, much like the rest of her.
Peering across the hold, she found Kane sitting up, massaging one shoulder and frowning at Arabelle, whose arms were still locked around his waist. Solara crouched near the opposite wall, one of her eyes swollen half shut. She rubbed Doran’s back while he pressed a palm over his lips in an obvious effort to keep from vomiting.
The whole crew was battered and shaken, but Renny only had eyes for Arabelle when he appeared at the upper landing. His boots formed a blur as he flew down the stairs. In the time it took Cassia to blink, the captain was kneeling by Arabelle’s side, delicately brushing the curls back from her face.
“Belle,” he crooned in the gentle voice of a parent rousing a child from sleep. “Baby, are you all right?”
The redhead smacked away his hand and tried to sit up, without success. “Don’t touch me. And don’t call me baby”—she thrust a finger at him—“ever again.”
Renny cradled her shoulder long enough to help her into a sitting position, then released her and flashed both palms like a robbery victim. “Belle, I know you’re upset.”
“Upset?” she screeched.
Cassia raised a hand. “The rest of us are fine, thanks for asking.”
“I feel upset when I stub my toe,” Arabelle raged on. “Or when someone tries to steal my shoes while I’m sleeping. Upset doesn’t describe how it feels when a man says he loves me and then leaves me behind to cover his debt!”
“Debt?” Renny’s mouth dropped open. “What debt? I only left—”
“Because you picked Ari Zhang’s pocket,” she finished. “I know. You told me in your letter. But when Zhang couldn’t find you, he sold me to pay for what you took.”
“Sold you?”
“To Reegan Fleece, of all people.”
The news knocked Renny off his feet. From where he knelt, his legs gave out until he was sitting on the floor. Cassia could almost feel his pain. She didn’t know whether to hug him or make a quiet exit. When Kane caught her eye and thumbed toward the stairs, she knew they were both on the same wavelength.
But first they had to take care of something. She crossed to the supply closet and pulled out the scanning rod. “Arabelle, I need you to stand up for a minute.”
“If you’re dizzy,” Kane said, “I can help you.”
Renny started to object, but Arabelle silenced him with a glare. She pushed to her feet and stumbled a few times, refusing Kane’s arm when he offered it. Finally she was able to stand upright. She extended both arms to the side and clenched her jaw while Cassia passed the scanner over every curve of her body—twice.
The machine detected no devices. She was clean.
Arabelle propped one hand on her hip. “Happy now?”
“Yes, I am,” Cassia said, and pulled back her shoulders to stand taller. “You know why? Because you’re safe, and that’s what my captain needs to be happy. He loves you, and I love him. That’s how it works on this ship.”
Kane settled a hand on her waist, nudging her toward the stairs. “Come on. I’m sure they have a lot to talk about.”