Chapter 60 Lacy
Lacy
I smoothed my shirt and patted down my hair for probably the hundredth time as Dax and I made our way to the mess hall. It was a short distance that we would usually cover quickly, but I was moving slowly.
Like he could read my mind, Dax held his hand out to me. “Ready?”
“Nope, not in the slightest.” I put my hand in his, grateful for the contact, the support.
He pulled me forward and into the dining hall.
Conversation stopped. Layla sat at the table, a bowl of soup and a glass of juice in front of her. Her eyes widened as she looked from Dax to our clasped hands to my face. I gave her a little half smile. Her eyes got even wider, then she smiled. He’s cute, she mouthed.
I tried to will away my blush but I don’t think it worked. My gaze swept the room as I tried to get a sense of everyone’s mood.
Burn lounged casually in a chair angled between the door and the table. If I didn’t know better, I would say that she was in a defensive, protective position.
Orion was at the stove ladling up another bowl of soup. And Mercer sat closer to my sister than I would have expected for someone with such disdain for our family name.
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?” I released Dax’s hand and swept across the room to Layla. She was already looking so much better than when we found her.
“Better,” she said. Her voice was still a bit husky and she reached for a glass of water. “Your, uh, friends here have been telling me how you tracked me down.”
“It was a group effort.” I looked at the three crew members, wondering what the hell they’d told my sister.
“Burn said you were very insistent that you go after me right away.”
I nodded. That wasn’t so bad.
“After you stole their ship.” My sister said the last absolutely dryly.
“Dammit, Burn!”
Burn burst into a belly laugh. “See, I told you she stole the ship. Why didn’t you believe me?” She wiped tears from her eyes.
“Lacy would never do anything to harm a ship. Why do you think you ended up with that piece of shit shuttle in the hangar?”
“You mean the shittle,” Burn said. She couldn’t stop laughing.
“I didn’t steal the ship.” Dax laid his hand on my shoulder and I felt his laughter. “Okay, I stole the ship. But I was only able to do it because he left the factory preset codes intact.”
Layla’s mouth dropped open. “But that’s . . . that’s an amateur move.”
Laughter broke out around us. I turned my head and sweetly said, “See, I told you so.”
“Dammit, Burn.”
Burn raised her hands. “Hey, I left that part of the story out. I was trying to make you look good, Dax.”
“If I go down, I’m taking you with me.” I gave Dax a sweet smile and he laughed.
I turned back to Layla. “Are you up to talking about what happened?”
She shrugged. “I think I’ve told you most of it. There’s something down there that I need to know.”
I took her hand gently. “It’s too dangerous for you to go back. Even if I want to go back and kick their asses some more.”
Layla smiled. “I’d pay to see that.”
“Don’t worry,” Dax said. “They’ll be punished soon enough.”
Eyes wide, I looked at him. “What did you do?”
Dax nodded toward Mercer. “He called some old buddies in the corps. Told them to start exploring missing ships and people in this region. And he may have mentioned that Kottke was a good place to start.”
My hand flew to my mouth to cover the laugh. “That’s not as much fun as what I was thinking, but probably more effective in closing them down for good.”
The trill of a message interrupted the conversation.
Burn looked at her comms. All the blood drained from her face and her communicator dropped to the floor.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Mercer got to her side quickest.
He picked up her comms and tried to give it back to her. When she refused, he looked at the screen, then her. “Shit.”
She nodded and turned away, but not before I saw a tear slide down her cheek.
Mercer cleared his throat. “Can I share this?” he asked gently.
A sound of distress escaped Burn, but she nodded.
“Aunt Bernice. I hope you get this message in time. Mother has decided that it’s my turn to bring honor to the family name.” Mercer paused and swallowed hard. “She’s marrying me to the preacher’s oldest son. Save me. Please. Your niece, Alia.”
“She’s thirteen fucking years old,” Burn said in a sad, tired voice. “He’s in his thirties.”
My stomach roiled. That was horrible.
“We have to go,” Orion said.
Everyone nodded, even Layla and me. There was no question.
“Clear the table,” Dax said. “We’ve got work to do.”
Ready for Burn’s adventure? Stolen Chances is coming Spring 2026.