2. Elodie

“Everyone,” Maro says as he walks into the room. “I want to introduce you to our new Chief of Engineering.”

I catch sight of the man who followed my boss into the room, and ice drenches my spine. His black hair is shot through with silver, and he’s grown a beard to hide his weak little chin, but I would know him anywhere.

“Meet Foder Throop.”

Fuck.

I don’t hate people. Hatred is a strong emotion, one I don’t typically indulge in. But Throop? I haven’t seen him in more than fifteen years, but he’s someone I will hate until the day I die.

When I was fifteen, I had a mentor, Tanvi Rei. Tanvi was a pilot and a mech, and I was just a kid who hung around by the spaceport. For some reason, Tanvi took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew.

Tanvi was a mugalari,someone who smuggledfamilies out of the Crill Empire. It was a grim job. The people who wanted out were truly desperate, and their desperation was a siren call for the worst kind of scammers. Most mugalariwere scum, but not Tanvi. She was good, and her heart was pure.

She had an old, beat-up SpiderRay that didn’t work more often than it did, and it took all her ingenuity to keep it in the air. It was on her ship that I learned to be a mech.

Then, one day, she hired Foder Throop to be a bodyguard.

From the start, I didn’t like him. There was something about Throop. He said all the right things and his background check uncovered nothing incriminating, but some deep-seated instinct cautioned me against trusting him.

I couldn’t go on that last run. My grandfather didn’t have long to live, and I was needed at the deathwatch. I told Tanvi I didn’t want her going without me, but she didn’t listen. “I have done this without you,” she teased gently. “Go be with your family, Elodie. They need you. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

But she wasn’t fine. It should have been a routine run, but somehow, when her ship limped back into the spaceport, everyone on board was dead. Everyone except Tanvi, who fell into a coma she never emerged from, and Foder Throop, whose injuries were suspiciously minor and who conveniently had no memory of what happened.

And, when I consulted the official records, Foder Throop was listed as Tanvi’s next of kin.

“We got married,” he told me. “We were in love.”

Bullshit.

Tanvi’s ship, her credits, her belongings—everything was suddenly Throop’s. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it got worse.

As her next-of-kin, Foder had the authority to make medical decisions for Tanvi. And he didn’t wait to see if she would recover. No, he found three doctors from stars-knows-where who certified that Tanvi was brain dead. In vain, I begged him to consult Karven medics. In vain, I went to the authorities and demanded they stop him from pulling the plug on my friend. Nothing worked.

I wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye.

Danica nudges my shoulder, and I realize everyone in the room is staring at me. Maro’s expression is neutral, but his grip tightens on the table, betraying his stress. “Elodie, please introduce yourself.”

Great. We’re doing my least favorite office ritual. Also the most pointless, given that our comms are already transmitting basic identity information to anyone in range.

“My name is Elodie Rinou,” I say shortly. “I head up Maintenance for the Class E division.”

Throop smirks at me. Oh yes, he recognizes me. “We know each other,” he says. “We crewed together fifteen years ago. I’m looking forward to working with you again, Elodie.”

I don’t reply; I just stare at him. If his words are meant to be a peace offering, I’m not taking it. Throop can go fuck himself.

The meeting eventually comes to an end. I jump up and rush back to my bay as soon as I can. I have an engine throwing out error codes, but my team hasn’t been able to get to the root of the problem. I grab a tablet, run diagnostics, and isolate the problem to one of the turbofans. Grabbing a multi-tool, I slide under the hoists to replace the malfunctioning part.

Stars, this is the worst. Sure, Onel Corp hasn’t exactly been the best place to work since Jarel took over from his father, but still, I wasn’t planning on looking for a new job this morning. Now, I have to because there’s no way I can work with Foder Throop. None at all.

I’m loosening the last fastening on the turbofan when I hear footsteps. “Elodie,” an oily voice says. “I’d like to talk to you.”

I slide out from under the engine and wipe my hands on a rag. “Throop.” I want to tell him to go the fuck away, but I can’t afford to be rude. Not until I’ve found another job. “What do you want?”

He gives me a bland smile. “I know our history is somewhat fraught, but I hope we can work together without any problems.”

Somewhat fraught? Asshole.

He’s waiting for me to respond. What does he expect me to say? That I’m looking forward to working with Tanvi’s killer?

“If you want me to absolve you of your past crimes, you’ll be waiting a very long time,” I say flatly. “As far as I’m concerned, you can burn in hell.”

His face darkens. “Just as sweet-tongued as you’ve always been, I see,” he sneers. “This upcoming trip to Luxaria is going to be a joy.”

“Luxaria?” I say blankly.

“The shuttle trade show,” he responds. “The one we’re attending so we can replace our fleet? You’re the expert on Class E ship design, and your opinion is valuable, of course, but as Chief of Engineering, the final purchasing decision will be mine.”

I forgot all about Luxaria, and now he’s coming on the trip? Nausea overtakes me. The thought of four straight days with Throop makes me want to hurl.

A smirk grows as he takes in my dawning horror. “I’m bringing my girlfriend. What about you? Are you seeing anyone?” He gives me a slow once-over. “I can’t imagine that scowl of yours is pleasant to look at. Not to mention the delicate fragrance of engine grease that clings to you.”

Oh, you colossal asshole.I grind my teeth and do my best to keep from snarling at him. Just then, Calder’s face flashes on my comm.

The comm that is sitting on my workbench, not far from where Foder is standing.

He glances down at the screen. “Who’s that?”

And then I do the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life. “My boyfriend, Calder,” I reply airily. “He’ll be joining me on Luxaria.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “And what does he do?”

I don’t know why I say what I say next. Well, I do know. I’ve never stopped being angry that Throop killed Tanvi. “He’s a bodyguard. One of the best on Harte. He keeps his clients alive.” I give the man in front of me a mocking look. “Not that you’d know what that feels like.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back. Because calling Calder my boyfriend isn’t the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life. Calling him a bodyguard is.

Calder, who gets beat up three times a day on Harte.

Foder’s eyes narrow. “Great,” he says. “Sarai and I would love to meet him. I’ll see you both on Luxaria.”