“Plus, it’s not beans,” Solara said, joining them. “No offense if you can hear me, Kane, but a girl can only take so much chili.”
Doran nudged his girlfriend. “Hey, that gives me an idea. Let’s load all the leftovers in the Banshee’s cooler before we leave.”
Cassia made a face. “Or not.”
“You’d better hurry,” Renny’s voice called from outside the tent. “Because your next job is loading our patients in the cargo bay. I want to be airborne by nightfall.”
“Midday’s even better,” Cassia suggested. Even with Ari Zhang dead and a shaky truce between the crew and the pirates, it wouldn’t be long before bounty hunters and hired mercenaries descended on Adel Vice to rescue the more influential guests trapped on the other side of the resort.
She sensed movement from the mattress, and all thoughts of pirates flew to her mind’s periphery as Kane began to stir. She tried to remember what she’d learned about grounding, a technique that was supposed to help him adjust more quickly by stimulating his five senses.
To evoke touch and smell, she took his face in her hands and leaned down, exposing him to the perfume microbes beneath her skin. Then she whispered his name to give him sound, and gently kissed his mouth so he could taste the salt on her lips. All that remained was sight, so she held her breath and waited as his eyes moved beneath their lids.
Finally, he blinked awake, and she exhaled into a smile.
“Hey there, sleepyhead,” she said softly. The stunner she’d used on him had probably worn off days ago, but to make sure, she asked, “Remember me?”
He narrowed his gaze for a moment as if trying to bring her into focus, and then a weak grin lifted the corners of his lips. “Cassy. I was just dreaming about you.”
His response filled her with so much happiness it leaked from her eyes and turned him into a wet blur. She helped him into a semisitting position and lifted a cup of water to his lips. “Was it a good dream?”
He drained the cup in three eager gulps and then took a moment to catch his breath before answering. “Kind of. We were skinny-dipping in the hellberry bog. Just when things were getting steamy, you stopped and said I needed a haircut.”
Her tears turned to laughter, and she ruffled his zebra hair. “Well, you do.”
“Hey, go back to that ‘steamy’ part,” Doran said, taking a knee beside the mattress. “That sounds interesting.”
Kane’s stomach grumbled, and he studied Doran’s bowl. “What you got there?” When Doran showed him, Kane turned his face away. “Smells disgusting.”
“More for me.”
Kane glanced beyond Doran and noticed the giant man asleep in the middle of the tent. His eyes brightened. “Cutter made it out of the pit.” He stretched his neck, peering farther, and smiled. “With his fingers. How about that.”
“You missed a lot,” Cassia said. Then she realized what day it was, and a nervous thrill passed through her. “In fact, the Eturian election took place today.” When his eyebrows rose, she filled him in on everything that’d happened back home, including the fact that his mother had been leading the rebellion. “I took the liberty of filling out your absentee ballot. I assumed your mom had your vote.”
“Not necessarily.”
That was sweet of him to say, but Cassia’s royal heritage guaranteed that she stood no chance of winning. “It’s pretty much a race between her and General Jordan.”
Kane wrinkled his nose. “I sure as hell don’t want his face on my currency.” Then he froze as if something had just occurred to him. “Wait, what are you doing here on election day? You should be home. Voters won’t trust you if you’re off world during the campaign.”
She shook her head.
“I mean it, Cassy. You should have gone back. I’ve been asleep this whole time anyway. I could’ve met you there.”
She cut him off with a lifted hand and told him the surest truth in her world. “I’m exactly where I need to be.” Then she planted a quick but firm kiss on his lips. “No more arguments.”
Solara snorted. “Right. I give it five minutes.”
Gage made his way to the mattress and crouched down, inspecting Kane’s eyes with a handheld light. “Your pupils are responsive. Are you feeling okay?”
“I think so.” Kane sat up all the way and experimented with his limbs, bending his knees and flexing his fingers. “I’m tired, but it’s not that bad. I feel like I just got over the flu. The last time I dried out I was so weak I couldn’t move.”
“Any, uh…cravings?”
“Not that kind. The only thing I want is a shower.” Kane’s stomach growled. “And a bowl of chili.” He smiled at Gage in thanks. “It looks like your injection worked.”