with her.
“Yeah, me too.” What Xori had said about choices kept bouncing around his brain. He’d have to tell Ward about that, because she was right. They were going to have to respect her decisions, even when they didn’t agree with them.
That realization was followed by another one. One that made everything stand still as, between one breath and the next, reality and his perception of it… of himself… was rewritten. He wasn’t responsible for anyone else’s choices. Not Xori’s, or Ward’s, or anyone’s. The team he’d once led weren’t his team anymore, they were his family.
Somewhere deep inside him, a knot loosened a little, and he walked like the gravity was a little less than it had been. It was yet another gift Xori had given him. He smiled as he made his way through the ship to Ward. They had a lot to talk about, and even more planning to do.
Chapter Fourteen
Ward leaned against the wall outside the med-center and watched for potential threats. Not that he really expected the Gray’s to make a move this soon, but he wasn’t risking Xori’s safety. Apparently, that sentiment was shared by the members of his family, because Toro stood on the other side of the corridor, watching over him.
It had been like that since they’d left the Malora—everyone taking shifts, watching out for each other, ensuring no one was alone. He had the feeling it was going to be like this for the foreseeable future. The data stick Xori had brought with her was full of information their enemy should never have been able to gain access to. They’d been more vulnerable than any of them had realized.
People were scrambling to make sure it never happened again. The only place that hadn’t been compromised was the Nova Club. Apparently, not even the Gray Men could find a way through the layers of security Phaedra Kari had installed before she’d left. It was the safest place on the station, bar none, which was a good thing, because damned near everyone he cared about lived there. He glanced back at the door to the med-center. Everyone but Xori…but if things went well today, that was going to change.
He started whistling as he stood watch, counting down the minutes until he could see Xori again. Alyson had made it clear that she wanted her patient left alone to rest and heal. Not even Archer had been allowed to see Xori, which made Ward feel a little better about being tossed out by the feisty blonde doctor.
She didn’t seem to mind them taking turns standing guard, though. In fact, she found it amusing. “All things come full circle,” she’d said by way of explanation.
That jogged his memory. Dirk, Blade, and Lance had once stood watch outside the med-center, almost exactly in the same spot he was now, only they were guarding Alyson against a different threat that time – him.
Full circle, indeed.
He reached out to his brother through their link. Not because he needed an update, but because it would help pass the time. “How’s it going?”
“The same as it was ten minutes ago when you last asked me that question. You need a new hobby.”
“But annoying you is my favorite pastime. You know that.”
“If you keep distracting me, we won’t get this done in time.”
“Maybe that’s my devious plan to keep you away so I can steal a few more minutes with our girl.”
“You can’t steal what’s freely given. Just let me know when you want me to join the two of you.”
They were identical in more ways than not, so it wasn’t a surprise they’d fallen for the same female. Sharing her affection, though, was going to take more communication than either of them had realized. Especially because until recently, Ward hadn’t planned to be sharing her for long. He’d believed that all he could hope for was a few glimmers of light from the brightest star in his sky. Her. “I just need to talk with her first.”
“I know.” And Vic did know, because they’d finally opened about the darkness they’d both been carrying since they’d become the Reaper. They’d talked a lot during the time they’d on the Malora, and the conversations had continued since they’re returned to the Drift the previous day. Sometimes they’d spoken in person, other times across their link.
Xori had made that conversation possible. Not just because they’d faced old demons while rescuing her, but because she’d known that both of them would try to sacrifice