Page 53 of Warped

“Ourship,” Rek interrupts.

Apparently my argument with Binx has gotten loud enough to rouse him from his slumber. He sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The silk sheet covering his lap is tented over his permanent erection.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

I start to answer him, but Binx beats me to the punch.

“Traven’s been going through my stuff!” she protests.

Rek gives me a questioning look, and I hold up the datastick for him to see.

“Found this in her coat.”

“A datastick? What’s on it?”

“Dunno. Haven’t checked.”

“So what’s the big deal, then?” Rek asks with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “It’s a datastick. Lots of people have ’em.”

“The big deal,” I tell him, “is that it’s the only thing she brought with her.”

For the past few moments, Binx has been staring at Rek imploringly, hoping he will save her from my interrogation. Now she turns toward me, wide eyed.

“You mean…?”

“That’s right,” I tell her. “I went through your suitcase too. It’s empty. Aside from the clothes you were wearing when you came on board, the only thing in your possession was this.”

I hold up the datastick.

“Now, I know damn well that you’ve never worked as a Warp companion before. I also know the reason you suddenly took up the profession is because you’re running from something, and I’d bet my bottom credbit that the information on this here datastick’s got somethin’ to do with it.”

“You’re wrong!” Binx says.

The slight tremble in her voice makes me think that I’m right.

“Listen,” I tell her. “I’m giving you a chance to come clean. I’m gonna find out what’s on this datastick, one way or another. Now you can go ahead and tell me in your own words, or I can plug it into the ship’s computers and have a look for myself.”

Binx scoffs.

“Youcan’thave a look for yourself,” she says. “The datastick is password protected. And I amnotgoing to tell you the password.”

There’s that defiant attitude again. The same blush in her cheeks. The same blue fire in her eyes. But this time, it’s accompanied by something else: the scent of desire. She’s getting wet down between her legs. So wet I can fucking smellit. She likes provoking me because she knows what kind of punishment I’m capable of meting out. If she keeps it up, she’s gonna get a taste.

Thing is, while she’s good at pushing my buttons and pissing me off, she’s not very good at lying. Hell, even before I met her, I knew her Warpseekers profile was a bunch of BS, and I’m pretty sure she’s BS-ing me now about the password.

I decide to call her bluff.

“Hey!” Binx shouts as I turn away from her and walk over to the other side of the bedroom. “Where are you going with my datastick?”

I open a panel on the wall, revealing an array of sockets designed to accept a wide variety of connections. I find the one that matches the little plug on the end of the datastick and prepare to insert it.

“Wait!” Binx cries, hopping off the bed to chase after me. “Didn’t you hear what I said? That thing is password protected!”

I pause and quirk a brow at her.

“In that case, you’ve got nothin’ to worry about, do you?”

Binx tries to play it cool, but the sudden dilation of her pupils gives her away. She knows she’s busted. Her jig is up. She turns back toward Rek, her last hope of salvation.

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