Page 249 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘It’ll be like an air horn in my ear.’

‘So, no.’

‘Yeah, First Captain, that’s a no.’

Kade smiles to himself. ‘Heard, boss. Means you need to stay with me.’

‘Well, you’re my bodyguard. Makes sense.’

Lachlan is waiting by the weapons bench in matching black, checking the chamber of his sidearm. He’s given up entirely on wearing Kade’s clothes and instead rifled with calm entitlement through Iron Star’s stores, selecting several outfits that do, in fact, fit him better than Kade’s slightly too-long cargos. He’s wearing a softshell jacket over a black T-shirt. A rifle is slung across his back, twin knives strapped to his thigh. He wears a rig, carries a radio and has several additional magazines.

‘You’re all done,’ Kade tells Riley, who nods and ducks away from the nearby mirror.

‘Thanks.’

Lachlan steps forward.

He smells divine. Honeycomb and summer storm.

‘Your turn.’

‘I’m already suited.’

Lachlan taps under his elbows until Kade rolls his eyes and lifts both arms for him to start undoing every adjustment Kade made earlier.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Fixing it.’

‘I know how to fit armour.’

‘Not to yourself, apparently.’

Kade frowns, knows why.

He and Luca would usually do this for each other.

Lachlan shortens the shoulder straps until the front plate sits where it should, then closes the sides snugly enough that the weight becomes part of Kade instead of hanging from him. Two fingers slide beneath the cummerbund to test the fit.

‘Breathe in.’

Kade does.

‘Again.’

‘Are you enjoying this?’

‘Immensely.’

Lachlan shifts one magazine pouch half an inch to the left, turns the magazines so Kade can draw them cleanly and strips away a redundant strap before it can catch on anything. Every movement is economical and intuitively smart. He doesn’t just know where the equipment belongs, he seems to know where it belongs on Kade, how to make it sit perfectly.

Next, Lachlan lowers Kade’s holster slightly, cinches the thigh strap and makes him draw twice before adjusting the angle.

‘Again.’

Kade draws.

‘It’s actually better.’