Madelaine decided to join in and help sell this lie. She immediately dropped a hand protectively over her abdomen.
The mercenaries looked even more uncertain. One of them muttered something about not signing up to hurt a pregnant female and another lowered his rifle completely to his side.
The leader scowled. “You’re lying.”
Jack shrugged. “Maybe.” Then his smile vanished. “But if you try taking her, you’ll never find out.”
Something dangerous entered Jack’s gaze.
His gaze said this was the man beneath the easy humor who would never let harm come to someone he cared about. He had five older brothers. Growing up as the youngest son of seven kids gave him a solid education on brotherly battles. He’d learned at an early age to brawl with assurance. Of that she had no doubt.
She’d once seen Jack and all of his brothers in a dog pile during a flag football game. Jack had started out on the bottom of that pile, but in quick order had ended up on top of the pile of that particular brotherly brawl. It wasn’t the only time it had happened.
She knew he had the skills to fight back. Even if he wasn’t usually the one to start a fight, he would most assuredly finish it.
The version of Jack that had survived all those other brotherly brawls shehadn’tseen had showed up today.
The mercenary leader apparently noticed his attitude. Unfortunately, pride won. She saw him mull his choices, then sneer and draw his weapon.
Madelaine mentally rolled her eyes. Totally wrong decision.
The instant the weapon cleared its holster, Jack moved.
Not fast. Fast wasn’t the right word. He was efficient.
Every motion flowed into the next until he’d succeeded. He’d clearly learned a few things in the years they’d been apart. He was amazing. Madelaine was in awe.
The weapon disappeared from the mercenary’s hand. She watched a twist. Then a pivot. Jack easily managed a sharp strike to the wrist.
The mercenary’s blaster spun through the air like it never had a chance. It hadn’t. Before the weapon hit the ground, Jack had moved to the next attacker.
Madelaine watched in stunned admiration. He wasn’t fighting like a soldier.
He was fighting like someone who hated fighting. Someone who wanted it over quickly because being on the bottom of a dog pile was usually the way he started.
The second mercenary swung a shock baton.
Jack ducked beneath it, grabbed the man’s elbow and used the attacker’s momentum against him. That worked like acharm. The mercenary sailed over Jack’s hip and crashed into the living ground. Hard.
A third mercenary rushed Jack from the side. Jack kicked one of the strange stone markers protruding from the soil, making the marker tip at a new angle.
The charging attacker collided with it and flipped headfirst into a patch of animated dirt.
The ground immediately began crawling up his legs.
The man screamed.
“I’m being eaten!”
“Oh, you are not! Don’t be such an infant,” Jack said.
“How do you know?!”
“Because I’m fairly certain the planet’s welcome brochure said so!”
Madelaine almost laughed. Even during a fight, he was ridiculous.
Two more mercenaries charged together. This time, Madelaine joined in. She tightened her hold on the package securely tucked under her left arm. She then grabbed the slender pulse baton from the hidden seam in the leg of her flak pants, wielding it with expert precision. It had been the one class she had particularly excelled at during Paladin Courier training.
