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I snorted. “I’m just a girl from nowhere. Anything that happened to you is because you’re wonderful.”
Crew leaned on the bar, stopping our conversation. “Are you two okay to close up for the night? Gunnar wants to make sure everyone gets home safely, and quite a few drank more than normal. Also, I’d like to find out why Scotch was alone tonight. I’m going to go see Tango and the others. Maybe he took off and they don’t know where to find him. I’ll be gone until maybe two in the morning, but I’ll hustle. I have no desire, none, to be running around when I could be home, tucked in next to Raven.”
Had anyone ever been so lucky as me? Gunnar bumped into him gently. “I’m guessing Ransom gets one side of her tonight. If I beat you back, I’m taking the other side. In case you’re curious, I’m going to beat you back.” He sighed, dramatically. “But Mace might beat both of us.”
“We’re going to make a schedule.” Crew winked at me. “Assuming Raven wouldn’t prefer to sleep alone. We don’t know, she could prefer to have a bedroom to herself.”
They got so still, I scanned their faces quickly, looking for clues. It was like they’d all braced for a blow, and I crumpled my brow at the thought of my words having that much power over them. “No, I liked the company. Please keep joining me. I feel…steadier when you’re with me. I feel more alive, too. Like I’m not about to blow away into the universe where no one will ever remember I existed.”
I spoke the words before I let myself even really think them. They hit me as I said them, and I instantly regretted my honesty. I have to find a way not to be too much. I have to…
Ransom’s arms came around me and he drew me against his chest. His heart beat strong and steady in my ear, and I relaxed into him with a sigh. “We will never let you blow away anywhere. And we will always know who you are. Want to know why that is?”
I swallowed, blinking fast. “Why is that?”
“Because you’re ours.”
Crew stroked a hand down the side of my face, drawing my gaze to his handsome face. “That’s right. You’re ours. So whatever you’re worrying about—and I can see that you’re worrying by your expression, and I can hear it in the speed of your heartbeat—don’t. You’re with us. I wonder sometimes, too, if anything about me matters. But then you came and suddenly I can see the point of my existing at all.”
Maybe I wasn’t the only one who could say big things. His statement didn’t make me want to run away. If anything, it just made me feel seen. I smiled at him in gratitude.
“Okay.” I pulled back from Ransom. “Yes, please make a schedule. I want to sleep with everyone as much as I can.”
“I will.” He laughed then kissed my lips again.
Mace leaned over and brushed his lips against mine, causing another little rush of heat. “I’ll be back. Got to get these drunk people home safely. Can’t let them hurt themselves.”
I smiled at all of them. “So you run the bar, take care of the patrons, and make sure people you know are okay. You’re all amazing.”
I watched as they left, feeling full, but not with food…with happiness. Ransom handed me a glass and I started drying them again. We had a routine, and although he could probably work faster without my help, he didn’t indicate impatience. Instead, he synced with me, and we found a rhythm.
After a time, he raised his head and winced. I considered him with a furrowed brow. “Something the matter?”
The door swung open seconds before a man entered—obviously a Super Soldier, and from Ransom’s reaction to his arrival, he wasn’t happy to see him.
“Evans?” He sighed. “What is it tonight?” He drummed his fingers on the bar. “What’s tonight’s complaint?”
He pointed at Ransom. The sober, enhanced man —whoops, Super Soldier—looked angry. “I want my gold.”
“You were paid.” Ransom sounded bored, as though he’d heard it before. “Actually, you were paid more than you were owed, because Crew felt bad for you. He’s kinder than me, because I would’ve told you to shove the gold down your throat until you choked on it. Mace almost died on that operation, because your fucking intel was bad. Despite that, you got paid. So, if that is all you want to discuss—and I’m sick of this shit—get the fuck out of here.”
He jerked his head toward the door once, as if implying Evans should find his way that direction. Rather than leaving, Evans took a seat at the table nearest to us. “How about a drink first? Considering all the gold you owe me—that you know you owe me, even if you’re being an ass about it—I’ll take a drink.” He stared at me then, as though he only just really noticed me. “Actually, make it a drink and a roll around with your whore, and I’ll call it even. She can pay me in pussy.”
Everything moved so fast, I could hardly track it with my eyes. I touched my skin, where the marks indicated my status on Clarke’s planet, and—that fast, Ransom was on Evans. He ripped Evans from his chair. “You don’t talk to my girl like that. Not about her. Not to her. You’ll never speak to our girl, or about her, again.” Ransom pounded on his face, one sharp punch and then another.
Evans laughed. They were both Super Soldiers, so punching him wasn’t going to be enough. Ransom knew it, so he lifted him up and then they ripped at each other with claw and tooth. I gasped. Were they going to tear each other to actual pieces?
Pieces of clothing went flying. They went for each other’s chests. I wasn’t wrong—they intended to rip each other apart limb from limb.
I rushed around the side of the bar, not sure what to do to stop them “Ransom, stop!” I didn’t dare get too close, as one stray punch from them that hit me could literally cave in my chest. “Stop. It’s not worth it. It’s nothing. I’m fine. I swear I am.”
He didn’t or couldn’t hear me. Or maybe he just disagreed? Regardless, the fight continued. Chairs flew everywhere, so I ducked out of the way of flying debris. That was when I saw it. Evans reached into his pocket and pulled something else out. It looked small, like a patch of something. I recognized it instantly, as I saw them used back home by Clarke and his goons to punish the enhanced.
“No!” I knew what he intended to do, and knew I needed to stop him. Knowing and being able to act fast enough turned out to be two different challenges, as I no sooner said no than he slammed the patch down on Ransom’s face. For just a second, I saw realization strike my guy before he fell to the floor, silent in his agony.
Oh, this isn’t good. I couldn’t help Ransom until I took down Evans, but I was just one person, and I wasn’t special. Suddenly, I remembered the townspeople gifted me with weapons, and Ransom put them behind the bar. I grabbed for one, pleased when my hand closed on something solid in the box. I recognized it, since Amias had one and he’d shown me how to work it, despite the rules.
Easy, I remembered him saying. Just point and click. I lifted it and fired it straight into Evans’ back, just like Amias showed me. Evans froze mid-movement before his body seized and he fell to the floor, still twitching. I dropped my weapon, my hands shaking and my knees going weak . Had I killed him? I really had no idea, but I couldn’t look, not then. I rushed to Ransom, ripping the pain patch off his beautiful face.
