But Jayne wouldn’t hold that against Hauk. He seemed decent enough.
She met Syn’s gaze. “You trust him?”
“With my life, which is what Eve and Nero will come for if anything happens to either of you.”
“You’re expanding, brother. Proud of you.”
Syn snorted at Hadrian’s comment. “Don’t be. I’m still not sure I’ll survive this. Guess it’s a good thing I don’t like living, anyway.”
Hauk shook his head. “So, I’m just basically their guard lorina?”
“Yep. Make sure no one messes with them.”
He saluted Syn before he turned to face them. “Okay . . . where we off to, kids?”
“Mordacity Pride.” Jayne checked her comm. “We want to see what she has to say for herself.”
“Preferably before my brother kills her.”
Jayne gave him a false grin. “Or we get killed.”
Hauk tsked. “Now, now. There will be no dying on my watch.”
Her smile turned genuine. “One good thing about an Andarion . . .”
“We provide a lot of shade?”
She laughed at Hauk. “No. Loyalty and honor above all.”
A dark shadow appeared behind that disconcerting gaze. She glanced to Hadrian who winced.
“There are assholes everywhere, Hauk.”
“Stay out of my head, Tris.”
“I will try. Sadly, it’s not always up to me. I can’t help what gets through.”
Grimacing, Hauk made a scratching gesture on each side of his face.
Hadrian cringed as he dropped his backpack and covered his eyes with his hands. “Stop it! You’re killing me!”
“Yeah, well. You traipse there and you get where my thoughts go.”
Hadrian grimaced. “I need brain bleach.”
Syn handed him the bottle of Tondarion Fire. “It does wonders.”
“Thanks.” He took a swig before he turned back to Jayne. “You ready?”
“Lead and I will follow.”
Hadrian paused at her flippant words. Though he couldn’t read her, they struck him strangely as he had a feeling she didn’t really say them lightly.
He handed the whisky back to Syn before he resisted the urge to clap Hauk on the arm again. While he meant what he said about protecting them, the Andarion male was still skittish.
Not that he blamed him. Hauk had his own demons.
Maybe I was lucky, after all.
