Page 69 of The Haunted Alien’s Mate

“I’m here. What I miss?” Tambi walked in, looking like she hadn’t slept. Her jacket was off, sleeves rolled, and she carried a data tablet and a fresh mug of something that smelled strong enough to strip paint. She took one look at the room, sighed, and sat down. “Do I need to hire someone new?”

“Fuck, no!” Cass said. “I’m going nowhere.”

“I mean, you clearly have options.” Tambi jerked her chin at Rennick. “Maybe Star Captain wants to whisk you off to have alien babies, or whatever.”

“Quit it! You’re my option. This place is my home.” Cass scowled at her. “I can’t believe you thought I’d ditch you to go make alien babies in space.”

Tambi wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never seen you like this. It’s... new.”

“You mean thoroughly fucked,” Monica murmured, a wicked grin on her face.

Tambi held my gaze for a beat. “People change, even when you think you have them all figured out.”

“I may have something with Rennick, but I’m on this crew. You’re my forever family. We’ve just... extended it,” Cass said. “Rennick can be family, too. You ladies like him, don’t you?”

Tambi’s gaze ran over me, head to toe, looking for a flaw. Then she nodded. “He’ll do. Okay, down to business. The trace is done on the financials. Credential clone routes back through shell accounts to a terminal registered in Navarre’s building. I matched the terminal access logs to the timestamps. His name is on everything. That sleazebag is going down.”

“You’ve been busy,” Cass said.

Tambi glanced at me. “We sure have. And it paid off.”

The relieved sigh I let out released a boulder of tension. I hadn’t realized how messed up I’d been over my family’s betrayal. They’d always operated shady, but what my uncle had done was unforgivable.

“Financial fraud, credential forgery, unlawful detention, aggravated assault, and conspiracy to commit murder. That last one comes from the kill order our two basement friends confirmed when sector enforcement picked them up at four this morning.” Tambi sipped her drink. “I also saw the building’s internal surveillance. I have footage of Cass being dragged into a transport.”

“What about sector authority?” I asked.

While Cass had slept, in between me giving her as many orgasms as she desired, I’d worked with Tambi to set up the pieces to tumble when my scum sucker of an uncle woke this morning.

“Navarre’s trade credentials are suspended pending investigation. His accounts are also frozen.” Tambi set down her mug and grinned. “We did it. He’s done, Rennick. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Cass put her hand on my arm. She said nothing, but the bond said everything. The cost of this, the family name, was visible to her in a way nobody else saw. Her thumb moved across my wrist, and peace settled into my bones. I’d chosen a different family. A family with the same values as mine. The bond of blood was irrelevant. The bond of trust and honesty was all I cared about. And I’d found it here.

“Will someone bring Devec in?” I asked. “He’s in the training room at the back of the ship. Now we’re all here, you can hear our plans for him.”

Monica snapped to mock attention and saluted me. She jumped up, but then slowed and swatted the air.

“Something wrong?” Cass asked.

“Yeah. I keep getting my damn butt pinched!”

“Trapped nerve?” Doc lifted her scanner.

“Don’t think so. It’s so weird.” Monica looked around, shrugged, then marched out.

“What will you do to your prisoner?” Doc asked.

“We have a plan,” I said.

Monica returned a moment later with the young Kelvane, Devec. His eyes tracked everyone carefully.

I pointed at an empty chair. “Stop looking so fucking terrified. If we wanted you dead, you’d be cooling in a junkyard by now.”

He settled into a chair, his hands clasped, and his knee bounced. I’d spoken to Devec in the early hours of the morning, and with Cass’s agreement, we’d come up with an idea. It was time to see if he’d agree to my terms and the ship would accept him.

“You’re prepared to testify against Navarre?” I asked.

Devec pulled back his shoulders. “Absolutely. The way he runs his business makes me sick. It’s dishonorable. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that.”