Page 251 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

Kade closes the blade but doesn’t give it back.

‘You kept it all this time?’

‘Blaire gave it back to me. She had a box of things she’d rescued from the Estate, or so she said. Good thing too, really. The only things I had on me when they arrested me were guns, clothes and Mimi’s necklace.’

‘It says Kestrel.’

‘That was my codename.’

Kade nods. ‘And I was Cascade.’

‘Yeah.’

‘It’s gorgeous. Thank you.’

Lachlan rejects the usual place at Kade’s hip and secures it behind the magazine pouch instead, accessible to either hand.

‘If somebody traps your right arm, you can still reach it,’ he explains, pulling sharply on the carrier, testing the holster’s retention and flattens one final strap against Kade’s shoulder.

Then his hands settle at Kade’s waist.

The inspection is plainly over.

Neither of them moves.

‘There,’ Lachlan says quietly. ‘Now you’re ready.’

Kade looks down at himself, then back up. ‘You do realise I’ve been dressing for combat without you for years.’

‘I was your bodyguard.’

‘So you know my body, is that what you’re saying?’

A smile touches Lachlan’s mouth. ‘I might.’

Riley watches them with the exhausted patience of a man witnessing something inevitable and inconvenient. ‘Are you done?’

Lachlan steps away, cool indifference falling into place when he glances at Riley as if he’d forgotten he was even there.

‘You should dress up as a soldier more often, might rub off.’

Kade has the distinct feeling that Riley bites back a would-be excellent retort about rubbing off and decides to nip this in the bud.

‘No distractions and no bullshit, please,’ he says to them both, touching his earpiece. ‘Radio check. Testing, testing, please play nice.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Lachlan replies through the frequency.

Riley makes no such promise.

‘You’re sure you can get us in?’ Kade asks him again.

‘I’m sure,’ Riley says.

‘What about a way out?’ Lachlan asks, cracking his neck.

‘I’m sure you’ll make one if we get trapped.’

‘That didn’t work out great last time,’ Lachlan points out.