"Don't mind if I do," Nathan said.
Owen held his position as Astrid lunged forward.
I tackled her, slamming her into the ground. We rolled. I got my arm around her neck, using it to crank her torso back.
Nathan regarded me with bemusement. "What are you doing?"
My glare was filled with irritation. "You mean you don't see the shimmering waif I'm wrestling with."
"No?" he said, making it sound like a question.
Figured. I saved him and he never even realized.
Diamond tipped claws came up, shredding the forearm I held across her throat. Blood splashed across my skin.
Nathan's eyes widened. "I see that though."
Owen lunged forward, his ax swinging in a wide arc. Nathan was already moving.
"If you wanted a vacation, you just needed to tell us." Nathan grunted as Owen barreled into him. He whirled, using Owen's momentum to shove him forward. "I'm sure Liam would have loved to accompany you somewhere warm and tropical. You didn't need to go to such lengths."
I snarled a garbled response.
This wasn't the time for jokes.
Owen caught Nathan's shoulder and threw him into a stone wall. My friend hit with a groan and fell forward.
Astrid took advantage of my distraction, sinking her elbow into my side. I curled around the pain. She wormed free, racing to Owen's side.
"Great friends you have there," Nathan said, still not standing quite straight.
I found my feet. "They're not as advertised."
That had him chuckling, the sound wheezy. The way he held himself, I was willing to bet he had a cracked rib.
"I'll give you one chance to come over here," Owen said, pointing his ax at me.
"You should know, I'm not very good at taking orders."
Nathan slid me a look. "Now that's an understatement."
Owen shook his head. "Very well. I'd hoped to go easy on you. You're right. We're being selfish demanding your help, but we've been pushed to the brink. You'll do what we want even if we have force the issue."
"Nice job offer you have there," I said with a thumbs up. "The benefits are really stellar."
"Sarcasm, again. Do you have any other forms of communication?" he asked.
I lifted a shoulder. "It's my love language."
Nathan snorted.
"You got a plan or were you winging this?" I asked.
"Everyone's a critic," Nathan said, his voice tight with pain.
"Bring her," Owen told Astrid.
I braced. This wasn't going to be pretty.
