Usually, Scotty came, too, but she would be busy with Harvester’s reanimation. Assuming it worked.
Please let it work. Logan would be devastated if he lost Eva, and the Horsemen needed Harvester back.
“Yo, Mace.” Sabre replaced the lid on the giant pot of chili as Mace walked into the kitchen. “Will you keep an eye on this for a little while? I need to send Aleka some files that might help with the ritual.”
“You two are speaking?”
Sabre made a frustrated sound. “I’m her last resort when she needs something tested at a lab.”
“Why doesn’t she just ask Stryke?”
This time, the sound Sabre made was both amused and derisive. “She says Stryke is even more of an asshole than I am.”
She was right. But still. “What did you do? Come on. Spill already.”
Usually, Sabre just told them all to fuck off. Now, though, he paused in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder. “Ididn’t do anything.”
That was the most he’d ever said about whatever had gone down with him and Aleka. Mace wasn’t letting this opportunity slide.
“So, what didshedo?”
Angry gold flecks glittered in Sabre’s eyes. “She accused me of something and then refused to give me a chance to explain.”
“What did she accuse you of do—?”
The back door banged open, and Blade walked inside. He tossed down his bag and looked between Mace and Sabre. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Nope.” Sabre waved in both greeting and goodbye and took off for his quarters.
“Damn.” Mace lifted the lid off the pot and took a big, hungrywhiff as Blade fetched a couple of beers from the fridge. Crux would be happy. He loved anything with green chilis. “I almost got him to tell me what happened with Aleka.”
“Seriously?”
Mace replaced the lid and turned to his buddy. “He said she accused him of something, but he didn’t say what.”
“Don’t know what he could have done,” Blade said as he opened the bottles and handed one to Mace. “Dude is as straitlaced as his dad.”
Mace laughed. “And he doesn’t even see it. I called him Eidolon Junior the other day, and he acted like I was an idiot.”
“You are an idiot.”
Mace tapped his beer against Blade’s bottle in salute. “Love you too, bro.” Blade smiled, but it was half-hearted. “What’s up? You seem distracted.”
Blade propped his hip against the counter and stared absently out the window for a moment before speaking. “I went with Logan to help set up for the Harvester ritual. I feel bad for him. He’s terrified he’s going to lose Eva.”
“I can’t imagine what he’s going through.” Heck, Mace didn’t even want totryto imagine it. Nope. He preferred to keep negative emotions like fear and sorrow at arm’s length.
“I can,” Blade said roughly. “I thought we were going to lose Scotty on the way to the oil rig.”
The terror Mace had suppressed since that day surfaced like one of the sea demons that had grabbed her off the boat. How easily she could have been dragged to the ocean floor and torn apart. Immortality only went so far. If they hadn’t been able to wrench her free, she’d have been gone forever.
Mace slammed his bottle down. “I don’t like to think about that.”
“It’s all Icanthink about lately,” Blade murmured.
The sound of simmering chili filled the room, alongside a sudden, oppressive mood.
Mace was afraid to ask. But he had to.
