Page 127 of Trove’s Purpose

And if he didn’t want their first time to be a rushed, quick, heated fuck, he would have gone to her right then and explored those reactions at this moment.

She was on borrowed time though. He was going to have his female, he promised himself as he went to the privy. He was determined now.

Chapter 42

Chee

The two of them weren’t the last ones down today. But they were close. Only the twins, Sorbet and Tebros, were still missing. San was standing to the side, not getting in the way, as the others gathered in a circle, discussing something seriously.

Chee was floating on air, however. Nothing was able to bring her down as she clung to Trove’s arm and joined the others. Tanin caught sight of her hanging on him and grunted in understanding. He knew what they had worked through without them saying anything.

“I want your thoughts as well, Trove, Chee,” he said by way of greeting.

“With what, cap?” Trove replied evenly.

“The Imperium is going to make us an offer today,” he said, absolutely sure. “We already know they want to use us. It’s not going to be our usual delivery jobs either. I know it’s going to be more dangerous than that. I know it’s going to be more work.”

“But,” Garnet interjected thoughtfully, “we also know now that they pay. And very well. The tip they gave us for completing this job was as much as what they promised us in the first place.”

“It’s not just credz,” Trove pointed out. “The cord. That’s what originally caught our attention. It was the only reason we accepted that job. They know what we want.”

“Exactly,” Tanin nodded in agreement. “That’s why I want to know now: What is your opinion on taking him up on his offer?”

“You mean, if we became his hand?” Trove frowned, thinking. “I can’t say that I like the idea of us being owned by someone. Wasn’t the whole point of escaping Rik-Vane that we could be free and no one would control us?”

“That’s what I said,” Vytln grunted unhappily.

But Haven shook her head. “It’s not that. Hyde is offering to pay us. That means we can say no.”

“And I think that’s naïve,” Grace made a face. “Wealthy people don’t see it like that. People like Hyde don’t see it as paying you for a service. He definitely sees it as him buying us. Our skills, our loyalty, our time. He would expect us to do whatever he says, regardless of what else is going on.”

“But how is that different from our other clients?” Sway asked, shrugging. “We deal with entitled, wealthy people all the time who think they can just pay us for special treatment. They’re always surprised and angry when we don’t prioritize them like that. It won’t be any different.”

“It can be very different,” Goldie said. “Hyde knows who you all are. And worse: he has the means of dealing with you however he wants. He can blackmail you. If he tries anything, we can’t get away from him. You all are amazing, but you can’t defeat literal armies.”

“But he can also help us,” Rok said. “If he can give us more things like Alred’s cord, would it really be that bad to ally ourselves with him?”

Tanin was the only one who didn’t add his voice to the discourse. Tanin ran the crew like a king. Once he made a decision, that’s what the crew would do. He was getting their opinion not as a vote but as a discussion. To that end, he would not express his opinion lest it change the others’ minds.

Tanin kept a ruthless band of hardened criminals in line, so he was not a kind and merciful leader, but he was fair, and he listened without comment.

Chee did as well. It wasn’t her place to interfere with their decision.

At least, that’s what she thought until both Tanin and Garnet looked at her. And when she didn’t speak, the others did the same. All of them looking at her expectantly. Waiting for her thoughts. Chee glanced between all of them, straightening in surprise.

“Me?” She asked, pointing to herself.

“You know the Imperium better than us,” Tanin said. “You’d have greater insight into what it’s like working for them.”

“Oh, er…” Her mind scrambled. She had an answer, she just didn’t have her thoughts ready. She hadn’t expected to be called on.

But she was clinging to Trove, and Trove was crew. She was finally like the other girls here, she realized too late. Garnet and Haven and Grace were all members of the crew because they had mated into it. Goldie was the only one who wasn’t mated, but that was because Alred was a computer program and not capable of mating her.

Chee’s voice held as much weight as theirs because she had come here with Trove. They weren’t mated yet, but they were one and that made her crew.

“Hyde has been nothing but good to me,” she said carefully, trying to weigh the answer without her own bias, though it didn’t feel possible. “I don’t doubt that he could really ruin all of your lives if he tried… But I also think that he wouldn’t. Not without reason.”

“You trust him that much?” Garnet asked.