Bastien spread out on the ground and pulled Ember down over his body. “I’m just going to stay here for a few hours. Ryn… go get the ship and pick us up.”
“Ha, ha, ha. Not even. That would require I move, and I don’t think I can, either.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “What a bunch of old men I got saddled with. Fine. I’ll go get it. Y’all stay here and whine.”
But the moment he stood up, a shot rang out. It hit him dead in the chest and knocked him to the ground.
CHAPTER16
Bastien ran to Iskander to check his vitals while Ryn covered them. Choking and wheezing, Xander was bleeding profusely.
His eyes telegraphed his agony.
For the first time, Bastien realized how right Ember had been. Thiswashis brother. The fact that they were half-blooded didn’t matter for shit. Especially right now.
In fact, he liked Badger a hell of a lot more than Quin. At least he got along with him. He could put him at his back and trust him to protect it. And somehow over the last few months the sneaky little bastard had carved a sacred place in his heart and life. Yeah, Badger was a smart-ass, and crabby… a lot like Bastien.
But none of that mattered.
“I’ve got you,blyt theren. Hold on. Don’t you dare die on me.”
Xander met his gaze. “Are you high?”
Bastien cracked a grin. “Love you, too. And if you die, I’m going to hell so that I beat your ass for it. You hear me?”
He nodded.
“Bas! We’ve got to move!”
He wrapped his arms around Iskander while Ember took his blaster and offered cover fire for them. As fast as he could, he carried his brother to Ryn’s ship, trusting in Ryn to see to Quin and Myrna.
As soon as they were onboard, Ember went to help Ryn with preflight checks. Bastien took Iskander to the infirmary and tended him as best he could.
“Man, I should have paid closer attention in those field dressing classes.”
Iskander coughed again. “Yeah. I’ve seen the scars on your body. You should have.”
“You hassling me? Seriously? In your condition?”
“Can’t help it. I take after my older brother.”
Bastien paused to meet his gaze. It was the first time Xander had said that with any kind of affection in his tone. “Family?”
Iskander nodded and held his hand out toward him. “Family.”
Bastien took his hand and held it. “I’ll never leave you,blyt theren.”
“That, I believe. You’re too stupid to have any self-preservation.”
“I wouldn’t need any if my little brother could learn to not walk into a sniper’s kill zone.”
They were still trading insults when Ember came to check on them after launch.
She paused in the open doorway to take in the sight of her beautiful man with the warrior who’d stepped in to be a role model for her son, even though he wasn’t that much older. Because Xander had known how hard it was to not have a father around when he was young, he’d made sure that Florian never missed out.
It warmed her heart and soul to see the two men who were so important to her getting along.
To see them finally as brothers.
