Breakwater: Rick (BBW Bad Boy Space Bear Shifter Romance) (Star Bears Book 2) Read Free Page B

be more than capable of making the rest of Lan Doro’s life a living hell. I’ve got no interest in giving the information to anyone, but as long as I have it I could ruin him and he knows it. So my information broker friend helped me hop from Lytos, to Trios, to Dalos XI. From there, obviously, I broke onto your ship and now we’re here.”

    “You have an information broker friend capable of getting you through Dalos XI’s security?” Hyde asked, eyebrow raised.

    “Kind of. He paid off one of the guards to not red flag my ID,” Zosha lied. One of the many caveats of being friends with Spinner was never admitting to knowing him. Best case scenario, someone would try to get her to contact him for information. Worst case scenario, someone would hurt her to try and hurt him by proxy.

    “I wasn’t aware Sixers could be paid off,” Dominic said.

    “There’s always at least one in every bunch,” Zosha said nonchalantly. In her experience, it was true.  

    “So why not just give the information to one of the Rahm brothers?” Annie asked. “Surely, that would get you some degree of protection?”

    “Two problems there,” Zosha replied. “The first is getting past Lan Doro. Running from him and his was difficult enough, and that was away from Lytos. On Lytos, he’s got eyes everywhere, or a friend who does. I’d have been dead in the water if I stayed. The second is that it could come back to bite me later. Let’s say I get information to one of the brothers, yeah? Well, if I get the information back to the younger one and the older one wins this little spat, then I’m one of his enemy’s people and I need to be eliminated. Same thing if I give the information to the older one. And either way, I’d be declaring a side, which I wouldn’t want anyways and which would put a target on my back. Running was easier and safer.”

    “Huh,” the captain grunted. “Well, you’ve got about a minute left. Anything else you want to add?”

    “I, ah…” Zosha searched for the right words that would convince the crew not to kill her immediately. “I’m good a cracking encryptions? And getting through security systems? And, well. I obviously have light fingers. I’d owe you a favor, and I promise I never meant to hurt any of you, I just needed to get out of Dalos XI.” She stopped herself from adding please don’t kill me to the end of that. Negotiating for your life was one of those weird things Zosha had found that it wasn’t good to look to desperate during. There was no way to tell when the person you were telling all about your five sick children would get bored and just shoot you in the head.

    The captain scratched his chin and stared at her. “I think this is one of those things people are always telling me to think through.”

    Dominic guffawed. “Sorry, lady, it looks like Leo blindly trusting a pretty woman that comes out of nowhere and demands a ride is something that only happens one time.”

    Annie smirked and kissed the captain on the cheek. “I say we watch her while she’s onboard and then drop her when we stop to refuel. That way we get rid of her without having to kill her or delivering her into this Lan Doro’s hands.”

    “Sounds good,” Captain Ingram said. “Anyone else?”

    “I say we space her now,” Hyde said. “That way we don’t have to worry about watching her.” Zosha stiffened.

    “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Rick said. “I can watch her until we get to a depot.”

    “Look, Rick, I’m all for you getting your dick wet, but time and place, yeah? I will personally buy you an hour with a nice girl on Gamma, but she,” he said, nodding at Zosha, “is getting of this ship now .”

    Rick walked slowly around the table to stand next to Hyde. “I don’t think I like what you’re implying.”

    “I’m not implying anything,” Hyde responded, shifting in his seat so he was facing Rick instead of the table and crossing his arms. “I’m saying