The Star Thief (Star Thief Chronicles #1)(49)
Author: Jamie Grey

Tightness built in her chest until it was hard to breathe, but she made herself continue. “I walked in on her shooting up with one of her Johns, and she lost it. I don’t know if it was a bad batch or I startled her or what, but she went into a frenzy, screaming and throwing things around. The John got out of there as fast as he could, so Mom took the rest of it out on me.”

Renna’s voice shook, and she cleared her throat. “She didn’t know what she was doing. Honestly, I believe that now. But she grabbed a knife from the kitchen. She was screaming about how she wouldn’t let me grow up to become her. That I’d be better off dead. And before I knew what she was going to do, she tried to slit my throat.”

A gust of wind caught her words, and they drifted out into the cold air of Banos Prime like a wisp of memory. Finn’s hand was still in hers, and he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. She was grateful he didn’t say anything.

“One of the other ladies heard the screaming and got me away from her before she could do anything more than cut me, but we couldn’t afford to go to the hospital, so she patched me up the best she could and let me stay with her for the next few days. Mom eventually came down from the drug and tried to apologize, but I didn’t want anything to do with her. I spent the next three years learning everything I could to get the hell out of there.”

“How old were you?”

“I was ten when she attacked me. I hopped a ship when I was thirteen and landed on Antibes Prime. That’s where I met you and Blur. Never saw my mom again.”

Well, not that Renna would admit. She’d looked her up once, last year, to see if the woman was alive. She was. Renna didn’t need to know anything more.

“I’m sorry. I remember how messed up you were when Blur found you out outside the warehouse. We weren’t sure if you were entirely sane for the first few months.”

She shrugged, still not willing to look at him. She didn’t want to see the pity on his face. Or worse, disgust. “Hey, I hear the shuttle.”

A moment later, it came into sight, flying directly for them. She jumped to her feet in time to see the door on the facility slide open and a wave of mercenaries stream out.

She ducked down behind the rock and pulled out her gun. “Give me yours, too. We’ve got company.”

Finn handed it over and tried to get to his feet.

“Stay down. You’re in no shape to hit anything but the side of a barn.” She peered over the top of the rock, aimed, and took out the first two mercs with a clean headshot. The rest of them pulled up slightly, giving Keva enough time to land the shuttle. Two of the MYTH agents dashed out and lifted Finn between them. Renna fired a few more shots to cover them before turning to dart into the shuttle herself.

“Get us the hell out of here, Lieutenant,” she called over the whir of the engine.

The door slammed shut, and they were off a second later. A few dings sounded as bullets ricocheted off the side of the shuttle, but none of them penetrated the thick material.

“What happened?” Keva demanded as she steered them toward the Athena.

“I could ask the same thing. Where were you guys?”

She glared. “The hole closed as soon as you went into the building. We waited as long as we could before going back to the ship. I prepped the Athena for a fast getaway, but we wanted to wait to see if you’d be able to get back out. We were getting ready to leave when your comm came through.”

Renna nodded. “Good timing then. We got caught, and they beat up Finn pretty badly. He needs serious medical help. There’s a MYTH outpost on Lenue; that’s where we need to go.”

Keva’s only response was to radio the ship. “Prep for launch. We’re one minute out. Set course for the Clare system.”

TWENTY-TWO

When the Athena touched down in the spaceport on Lenue, a team of doctors were already waiting for Finn with a hover car. Keva insisted on going with them to the hospital, but Renna hung back. Things had gotten intense with Finn back on Banos Prime, to say the least. And he’d almost died. Again.

She needed some time to sort through her feelings. Away from his distracting presence. Already, her mind was whirling, trying to process the thousand and one different emotions he’d dredged up. Emotions she’d thought were long gone. But when he’d kissed her…

She stepped out of the ship and inhaled, the scent of dusty earth and starfuel washing over her and clearing her mind. The babble of voices from the market filled the air, shouts and calls echoing off the squat steel and plastic buildings.

She shifted her pack on her shoulder. It felt heavier than she remembered, as if laden with the weight of her own guilt. What she was about to do went against every bit of her code, but what had happened with Finn made it very clear that this whole situation was beyond anything she’d dealt with before. She knew better than to get involved or let her feelings get in the way, but this mission—with Myka, the facility, the mechs and the clay—was based on nothing but feelings. Running was her only option. Promises be damned.

She’d packed the microchips she’d stolen from Aldani’s labs, as well as the destabilizer. Once she sold them, she’d be able to hire a transport and disappear. If she was smart, she’d wait to sell the goods later, on a non-MYTH planet, but she was running out of time. If she stuck around much longer, the guilt would devour her insides.

She tried to ignore her gnawing unease and joined the crowds of humans and aliens as they wandered past the market stalls. The scent of unwashed bodies and decaying fruit hung like a fine fog over the square, coating everything it touched. Renna wrinkled her nose as she slipped between a pair of short, round aliens from the Clava system. Their six eyes turned to her, then slid away, dismissing her as nonthreatening.

If they only knew the truth.

She moved through the crowds like a shadow, weaving past people who never noticed her. She’d always loved the feeling of disappearing in a crowd, of becoming invisible. Gods knew she’d had plenty of practice. And it had saved her life more than once.

“Download area map.”

Her implant overlaid it across her vision. The market sat at the center of the spaceport, surrounded by the alien barrios. Now, she just needed to find the right contact to buy her merchandise and she’d be free.

She rubbed a hand across her chest, as if she could ease the tension that hung on her heart like lead weights.

MYTH trusted her. It would be hours before they suspected she’d run. When they finally came looking for her, she’d be nothing more than a ghost. She could disappear. Leave all of this behind her.