6 Sweeten the Deal
Sweeten the Deal
S pie blinked incredulously at the feed of the trash collector sitting alone in the conference room. She was tempted to tap the three-dimensional projection, force it to rewind into a reality that made actual sense.
Underneath all her wild navy hair, a dark blue like the ocean at twilight, and her oversized shapeless jumpsuit, Artemis Ialan was more than a little intriguing.
With her fierce mouth and keen brown eyes, she possessed an unyielding defiance, a certain indefinable something that made you turn your head and take notice.
Nicky deserved that. He always gave so much of himself; he deserved something just for him.
And because Nicky would never fight for it himself, Spie would do it for him. She owed him that much and more.
“She actually turned him down.”
Next to Spie, Kalvin said nothing.
On the monitor, Captain Glossen’s armored form entered the conference room, distinguishable from the other guards by the captain’s spike on his left shoulder.
Trash Girl rose to follow him out. She looked worn, her shoulders slumped.
Impossibly defeated for someone who’d just been offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Spie didn’t understand.
Within seconds, all that was left in the conference room was a tray of half-eaten halibut.
“You should get some rest.” Kalvin reached around Spie to flick off the feed. “We have an early day tomorrow.”
“She can’t just turn him down,” Spie repeated. “This is Nicky we’re talking about . He’s the greatest catch in the galaxy. After myself, obvi ously. Is she insane? Isn’t there some way to get her to comply? Some form of leverage?”
“We’re not threatening the poor girl,” Kalvin said.
Spie flipped around. He’d engaged his CB and was busy bridging in discreet mode. All Spie could make out were the flicks of his finger in the air.
“I’m not saying we threaten, just...sweeten the deal. Nicky likes her, Kal. Do you know how rare that is? Nicky never likes anyone.”
Kalvin finished his message, lowering his wrist. “It’s out of our hands.”
Spie pushed away from the security desk, danced nimbly around Kalvin, and punched in the security room’s exit code. “You and my brother give up too easily.”