She lifted his chin until their gazes locked. “You almost were. But I would have forgiven you … this time.”
“That’s not what I want you to forgive me for, Elskamun.”
Ember choked on a sob at his use of her old nickname that he’d given her years ago.
He dropped his gaze to the stretch marks on her abdomen that were left behind from birthing their son. “I wish I could have been with you.”
“You didn’t miss much. I cursed you the entire time. And your parents and ancestors.”
Grinning, he leaned to kiss her belly. “I’m warning you now that if I survive taking down Barnabas, I’m going to ask you to marry me again.”
“Bas—”
He broke her words off with another kiss. “It’s okay, Elskamun. You can say no, but you can’t stop me from asking.”
She started to speak, but the alarms on the fighter went off. “What’s that?”
Bastien scowled at the panel. “Shit! Someone has their cannons locked on us. That’s their targeting system. We’re about to be blasted.”
CHAPTER 11
Squeaking at the fact that she was still naked and they were under attack, Ember grabbed at her clothes and hurriedly dressed.
Bastien attempted to reach his controls to engage, but because of her movements, it was impossible. In fact, she accidentally elbowed him in the eye as he tried. Cursing, he covered it as it watered uncontrollably.
“Sorry!” Her heart hammered in panic.
“Drop your shields, Sentella. Give us your mission parameters. Now!”
The light in Bastien’s eyes said that he was about to tell them where to shove their orders.
But she knew that deep, irritating voice. At least she thought she did.
Ember caught his hands as he reached for the communications and pulled them away from the controls. Making sure to keep the video off, she turned on hailing.
“Badger? Is that you?”
Static answered at first. It stretched out until she was ready to let Bastien blast them in case she was wrong.
Until she finally heard a hesitant answer. “Wildstar?” he asked in disbelief.
Grateful that voice did indeed belong to her Badger, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, knock off the target locks. What are you doing this far out?”
“Making a run and headed home. Why are you onboard a Sentella fighter?”
“Headed to see my boy. This was the only ride available.”
As typical, Badger wasn’t quick to accept her answers. “Why am I showing two people, then?”
“I have a friend with me.”
“Friend have a name?” That man was ever suspicious. He never took anything at face value. Not that she blamed him, given his past. She had trust issues herself, but he took them to a whole new level of ridiculous.
“G. G.”
“G. G. Sentella?”
Dear Lord, Badger was worse than a dog after its favorite bone. Hence the call sign they’d dubbed him with. He could have easily been employed as a League interrogator.
“No, he borrowed the ship.”
“Borrowed, or stole?”
Ember bit back a groan at his endless inquisition. Seriously, they all wanted to beat him at times when he started doing this. But then, when you wanted to annoy someone, he was definitely the man to call, for he did it well. And with panache.
Worse?
He actually enjoyed watching people’s temples begin to throb.
“Own,” Bastien said to her.
Ember didn’t bother repeating that to Badger, as it would raise his suspicion levels even more. “Borrowed. And no, he doesn’t have a blaster trained on me. There’s no need in being alarmed. Drop your weapons. It’s all good here.”
“Then why’s there no video?”
Bastien quirked a playful smile. “Yeah, Wildstar. Why’s there no video?”
“Shut up, both of you! Badger, stop being a kn?ttr. I swear to the gods … it has to be genetic!”
“What?” Bastien and Badger asked simultaneously, thus proving her point.
Ember barely caught her slip before she exposed something she knew would piss Badger off to no end. They needed to get on the ground before that bomb was detonated.
Closing her shirt as quickly as she could, she turned around in the seat and took over communications.
“Take the lead, Badge. Get us home.”
“Fine. Do your sisters know you’re headed in?”
“Cutting the comm, now.” She flipped it off and let out a frustrated sigh.
One not helped as she realized how tense Bastien was. “What’s wrong with you?”
He fell into that horrible quiet that only came whenever he was seething about something. “Badger your boyfriend?”
Was he serious? She couldn’t believe he’d even ask that. Let alone be so pissy about it.
How dare he!
“You better be glad you have your helmet back on. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to slap you for that.”
“Why?”
“Obviously, I don’t have a boyfriend. If I had, I wouldn’t have just had sex with you! Saint Jake, Bastien! That’s your territory, not mine!”