Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(56)

The urge to get in the ship and fly off to the ass-end of nowhere rode me hard. Maybe Veronica would like to go with me. It would be a lot of work, but the two of us could manage a ship this size.

Then the current bane of my existence stepped out of the transport and snapped me out of my dreams. I moved ahead of him up the cargo ramp. “Polaris, status report,” I said as I approached the door.

“No one has entered or left the ship, Captain. Currently there are three souls on board,” the computer responded from the speaker near the keypad.

“Open the cargo door,” I said.

The door slid upward, revealing the cool, dim, empty interior. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was gripping my blaster with white knuckles, as if I thought a horde of mercs—or worse, Rockhurst soldiers—would be waiting.

I stepped inside and Loch followed me. But when I stopped at the door control panel, he disappeared deeper into the ship. While I waited for the cargo door to close, I remotely locked the captain’s quarters. Loch could find a new place to sleep.

We had a few hours until we needed to leave for dinner. Rhys had tried to persuade me to stay, but I needed to talk to Veronica, and I’d put it off long enough. After all, why stop now when I could make this the grand slam of terrible days?

I found Veronica in her room frowning at a com. The door was open, so I knocked on the jamb. “Hey, you have a minute to talk?”

“Yes, come in. Let me tell Imma that I’ll be busy for a little while.” She stepped next door and murmured to the other woman.

I swept the room for bugs and trackers and found one. I destroyed it then sat in the guest chair and ordered my thoughts. Veronica returned and closed the door. She sat cross-legged on the bed. “Ask, and I will answer what I can.”

“You are running from Lin’s father,” I said. She nodded warily. “Which Yamado is it?” She looked unhappy but not surprised that I’d guessed.

House Yamado had just three heirs in my generation—two sons and a daughter. None had children of their own yet, so if Lin was the firstborn’s son, even a bastard, it would be very, very bad.

She ran a hand down her face. “It is Hitoshi,” she said quietly.

I half expected it, but the confirmation landed like a punch to the gut. Hitoshi was the eldest Yamado heir, and if I was honest, the one most likely to keep a woman hidden on a backwater planet.

“Hitoshi was so sweet at first,” Veronica continued. “It was perfect. And, naturally, I was thrilled to have caught his attention. But once it became clear that I was pregnant and going to keep the baby, he went insane.”

I sat back and tried to tamp down the tension her confession had caused. It reminded me of my own disastrous dating experience. Did anyone in the Consortium have a normal relationship?

“How did he get you to TSD Nine?” I asked.

“He kidnapped me from my apartment. My parents had kicked me out when they found out I was pregnant. We were well off, and I had been saving my allowance in a private account. It’s all I had. Hitoshi dumped me on TSD Nine and since House Yamado controlled it, he prohibited anyone from removing me from the planet on pain of death. When I finally contacted my parents, they didn’t care.” She spread her hands in an unconscious helpless gesture. Her parents’ decision had hurt.

“So how did you become a fence?”

“It took a while. Hitoshi sent me a pittance every month, but it was barely enough to feed myself. I knew once the baby was born I’d burn through my savings. So I started working. I started with legitimate goods, but with so few people and the other stores, it was hard to make money. Moving stolen items was much more profitable. I had some close calls, especially early on, but I learned as I went.”

I knew something about learning as I went. The first few months after I left home, I’d found that theoretical knowledge didn’t always translate into practical ability. I couldn’t imagine having to learn that lesson while also pregnant.

She continued, “After a couple years, I’d built enough of a reputation that smugglers from the dark side of the planet started using my shop to sell to the very men who hunted them. That’s when my business truly became profitable.”

“What about Imma? Do you trust her?” If I was Hitoshi, I’d be keeping an eye on Veronica and Lin by any means possible. And a nanny would be a perfect opportunity.

“She was my nanny growing up. We kept in touch over the years. When my parents kicked me out, she was the one who helped me find an apartment. She’s like my mother. I asked her to come to Gamamine and she did, even though I could barely pay her.”

She took a deep breath, sighed, and looked down. “But even so, I looked into her communications, family, and finances. I’m not proud of it, but Lin’s life was on the line. She’s clean. I trust her completely.”

I nodded. “What’s your plan now? And how can I help?”

She leaned forward, her face wary. “I need to stay mobile for a while before we settle or Hitoshi will be able to pick up the trail. I was hoping you would allow me to book passage with you.”

“That’s a really bad idea”—I felt obligated to point it out—“as I already have two Houses after me and this is a stolen ship. It’s not safe.”

“No, but nowhere is safe for me right now. You know better than most the reach a High House has. Hitoshi can find me wherever I go unless I obscure the trail completely. And you have reason to stay hidden, too.”