“I can handle this,” Vel assures me. With that, he slips out.
“Is she going to be all right?”
He shrugs. “She has a shot now. That’s more than she had before.”
“Good work out there today.” That seems to register where nothing else has.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I admit, low.
“I know,” I say softly. “I just thought, well, I was
afraid
—”
“Do you two ever finish your own sentences?” Jael asks.
Shit, I forgot he is here. If he didn’t look so beat-up, I’d hit him. “Rarely.”
I expect him to make some wisecrack, but he merely says, perhaps a touch wistfully, “Must be nice.”
“It has its moments. I’m going to clean up, Jax. Keep an eye on things for me.” He means the girl.
“Why do you have a Bug with you?”
“There were more?” I’m not sure if I really want to know.
“We killed six up top,” he says.
Is that a compliment? “I’m not at the top of my game right now.”
His eyes drift closed. “You should let the bot take a look.”
“I guess that makes me uniquely qualified, doesn’t it?” Talk about job security.
“It would seem so. Everything all right there?”
“Affirmative. The purge is complete as well. Emry should be secure now.”
“Still sleeping. How do you feel about station life?”
He cocks a brow at me. “It tends to be slow and boring. Why?”
“Because we’re in charge until the cleanup crew arrives.”
Jael and March swear in unison.
Thus commence the longest days of my life.
“It’s a sound program, Jax. And that
thing
saved Tiera and Vel.”
I sigh. “Fine. I refuse to be stupid on principle.”
Why do I put up with his shit? I grin reluctantly. “Damn right.”
“Mary forefend,” March says, following me out.
“Where we going?” he asks, as we step into the tube.
“Up.” I smile, knowing he hates when I’m cryptic.
“That would never happen,” he assures me.
I’m sure March would rather I fuck him senseless to help me through this, but I just can’t. Not now.
“I’m going to use the treadmill a bit. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”
I misunderstand deliberately. “It’s good for you.”
“Is it?” March raises a brow. “I expect certain ascetic brotherhoods would agree with you.”
“What are we talking about again?” I begin my stretches, careful not to look him in the eye.
“I want to know what the hell’s going on,” he bites out. “I thought we were—”