“Ah.” Bastien grabbed food and water. “So what’s the plan now?”
“Pull back. Keep them after me and away from my family until reinforcements arrive.” He pinned Bastien with a hard stare. “If I die, go out with a major body count.”
“My kind of plan.”
Hauk took a few minutes to siphon fuel from the two airbees on board the skimmer and add it to the ones they’d ridden in with.
“If you need a good defensive place to lead them to, there’s an old abandoned base not that far from here where I make my home.”
“Bredeh’s?”
Bastien furrowed his brow. “You know it?”
Hauk laughed at the bitter irony. “Yeah, I do. It’s where I sent my family.”
“Oh. Damn. Hope they don’t find my porn.”
Hauk arched a brow.
“I’m kidding. I have it all locked up.”
Laughing again, he shook his head. “You have been alone far too long.”
Bastien sobered. “Yeah, I have. It’s good to be around people again.”
“Not people, human.”
“Not human, either, brother. Lost my humanity a long time ago when I got betrayed into this hell of a life.” Bastien glanced back to where they’d left the majority of bodies. “The caves will give us some cover, but trap us in an attack.”
“Yeah. We’re in the middle of the great Oksanan desert. Not a lot here, period.”
“Nothing but buzzards and raiders,” Bastien agreed. “Look, I know you don’t want to chance leading them to your family. But I’m thinking that we can use the old transmitter at the base to signal your girlfriend’s transport back from the city.”
Hauk went cold at those words. “What do you mean?”
“The blond who joined you? I couldn’t really make out her features, but she came in locally, right?”
“You saw her arrive?”
Bastien nodded. “She was dropped off a little ways from your camp a few days ago… You look like you had no idea.”
That’s because he hadn’t. “What all did you see?”
Bastien shrugged nonchalantly. “It was a small transport. Looked like it came out of one of the cities here. Didn’t appear space-worthy. It lacked shielding and…” His voice trailed off as he met Hauk’s gaze. “Why are you so pissed now?”
His breathing labored, Hauk felt sick. “Because I think I just handed my kids off to my worst enemy.”
And when he got his hands on Sumi, he was going to show her exactly what happened to people who ran afoul of an Andarion’s wrath.
CHAPTER 16
“Can’t we stop yet?” Darice whined as he intentionally dragged his feet in the sand.
Again.
And again Sumi shook her head. Even though it was late and she was exhausted herself, she didn’t dare make camp right now. “We have to find someplace to sleep that’s not out in the open.”
“But I’m so tired.”
“We all are¸ Darice,” Thia snapped at him. “You’re not alone in the misery. Now shut up already. You’re only making it worse. For all of us.”
Sumi yawned as she forced herself to continue on. That set off a round with the kids, who quickly followed her example, and made her long for their fierce protector to lead them to safety.
“I wish Dancer was here.” Darice rubbed at his eyes. “He wouldn’t be so mean to me.”
Thia rolled her eyes. “Then why do you treat him so bad? Huh?”
“Because he makes me mad. I don’t understand why he can’t please my mom and make her accept him already.”
When Thia opened her mouth to respond, Sumi shushed them. “Do you hear that?” she whispered.
Both Thia and Darice looked up with pale faces.
“Engines,” they said in unison.
Sumi nodded. “We have to find cover. Run for the rocks.” It was next to nothing, but it was better than being out in the open. Illyse rushed ahead to crouch down.
Pulling out her blaster, Sumi prepared to defend them as best she could.
They’d barely reached the rocks when two airbees came into view. She held her breath, hoping the riders wouldn’t see them.
At first, she thought it was safe and they’d skim right by their location.
Until the airbees turned back.
Lining up the shot, Sumi was just about to fire on them when she recognized the black and brown Andarion desert clothes on the one rider. Hesitating, she looked through the scope to make sure she wasn’t imagining things.
She wasn’t. She’d know that massive, sexy male anywhere.
“Dancer,” she breathed, lowering her weapon. She motioned for Thia and Darice to stay hidden with Illyse so that she could make sure he wasn’t being forced to track them down. The rider with him could be anyone.
Friend or foe.
As soon as Dancer saw her, they landed the bikes.
Thank the gods he wasn’t hurt. Weak with relief, she hadn’t realized just how scared she’d been for him. How much his safety mattered to her.
Until he approached her with a stride that said he was out for her blood. This wasn’t the Andarion who’d been so protective over the last few days.
This was the warrior who’d stormed a League prison and killed everyone who tried to stop him from saving the people he’d come to protect.
“What have you done with them?” he demanded in a deep, terrifying growl.
His furious tone stunned her and she wasn’t quite sure what he was asking. “What? The kids?”
“Darice! Thia!” he shouted.
The moment they stood up, he ran straight to them and jerked them against his chest as if he’d been terrified for them. Her throat tightened at the sight of his protectiveness. He kissed each one on the head before he turned his angry glare back at her.
Why was he so furious? What had she done?
“What’s going on, Uncle?” Thia asked. “Is everything all right?”
The rage on his face was tangible as he made sure to keep himself between her and the kids. “It is now.” Hauk released them. He glanced over to Bastien, who was staring at Sumi as if viewing a ghost. “You two know each other?”
Sumi shook her head.
“Omira Hauk?” Bastien asked.
Hauk went cold. Those words definitely confirmed that Bastien knew Fain well enough to have seen the photo his brother kept of his ex-wife. And the panicked expression on Sumi’s face told him she wasn’t ignorant of that name, either.
Not by a long shot.
Just what the hell was going on?
Bastien scowled at Hauk. “What are you doing with your brother’s ex-wife?”
Blood fire shot through him with a ferocity so raw, he wasn’t sure how he kept from killing Sumi right where she stood. He’d put a lot of faith in a woman he barely knew.
And he was done with it.
Hauk gathered Thia and Darice and put them on the airbee he’d been riding. He locked gazes with Bastien. “Get them to the base. And you better not betray me.”
Bastien scowled as if offended he would even suggest it. “I would never.”
“Good. ’Cause that blonde, whose ass you’re ogling, happens to be the most precious and beloved daughter of Nemesis. And he has only one rule for dating her… don’t.”
The color washed straight out of Bastien’s face. “Your father’s Nemesis?” he asked Thia.
Thia sighed heavily. “On a good day, yes. On bad ones… let’s just say you never want to be on the same planet with him.”
Bastien locked gazes with Hauk. “Nothing, and I mean noth-thing, will happen to them.”
“Good. Because if his daughter so much as stubs her toe on your watch, he will hunt you to the end of time, even if he has to come back from hell to do it.”
“I don’t take threats, Hauk. But this one… I consider a suggestion for my continued health and well-being. Thanks for the heads up.” Clearing his throat, he inclined his head at Thia and Darice. “Follow me.”