Suddenly, a buzzing started. Bastien thought it was an alarm until he heard Ryn’s voice over the intercom. “Um, hey baby. Little busy right now. Can I call you and Mom back in a few?”
“Ach! Are you under fire, me Wassie loon?”
“Little bit, yeah.”
“And where’s me worthless brother who’s supposed to be a-watching your back?”
“Not here. Need to focus. Love you.”
“And you.” Mack cut the link.
Wow, that was some accent she had, and here he’d thought Jupiter’s was thick.
He winked at Ember. “Wouldn’t want to be Jory when he gets that call, eh?”
She laughed, then groaned.
A shot blasted them and broke through the shields. The ship began to whistle in that unique way that meant they were venting atmosphere.
Shit…
If it went out, they wouldn’t last any time. And with the way the ship was careening, they couldn’t reach the hardsuits.
This was getting scary.
“Everyone harnessed?” Ryn asked over the intercom.
“Yeah.”
“Good. I’m going to have to set her down. Hard. Brace!”
Ember turned pale. “Are we near a planet?”
“Hope so.” No one wanted to set down on an asteroid while leaking life support.
Her grip tightened on his hand.
Bastien didn’t say a word. He was too busy holding his breath as they dodged more fire.
By the time they hit a planet, even Ryn was cursing as most everything had begun short-circuiting. Which meant they hit the ground so hard, it rattled every bone in their bodies. Parts of the ceiling came free and crashed down around them.
Bastien smelled the burning wires and fuel.
Shit! They were going up in flames. His heart hammering, he moved to check on Iskander. “Can you move?”
He nodded. “Get to Ember.”
Bastien left him to check on her.
She was unconscious. Worse? Her harness had been damaged on impact and wouldn’t release. He pulled out his knife and began to saw on the straps. But because they were made to be fireproof and impact proof, they didn’t give.
The smoke thickened. His eyes burned and blurred his sight. Choking on the fumes, he tried the release again. It was still jammed.
Damn it!
Fire crackled and popped. His ears buzzed from his elevated blood pressure and he tasted bile as his panic rose up to choke him. “Come on, baby,” he breathed. “Don’t you dare leave me. You can’t do that to Florian. He’d never forgive you for making me his only parent. I’ll screw him up on my own. You know I will. I’m grossly incompetent. I’ll be feeding him sweets for breakfast. Letting him wear things you’d kill us both for. He’d never have a bedtime and we’d both be surfing for porn together.”
“Don’t you dare corrupt my baby!”
