Even as his heart leapt with joy, Terror couldn’t forget the cold hard facts. “She still has a fugitive warrant and a terrorism charge,”
“She did,” Savage interjected. “Not anymore.”
“What?” Terror asked in disbelief. “How?”
“It wasn’t hard to convince the Council to grant her a full pardon and wipe her record,” Vicious explained. “Not after Devious testified and provided them with the facts.”
Devious. After he had been discharged from the hospital, Devious had been whisked away to the smoldering ruins on Prime. No one had seen or heard from him since.
“They’re planning to give her an award,” Noble said from somewhere behind him. “She’s earned full rights and citizenship through her courageous actions.”
“That means you can have her,” Orion added. “Legally. She can be your mate, and if you have children, they will have the same rights as any of ours would.”
Terror fought to swallow the lump in his throat. He tried not to let the tears burning his eye escape, but it was impossible. As a man who had always seen crying as a weakness, it was hard to let it happen now, especially in front of his close friends and colleagues. Not that any of them mentioned it. The only acknowledgment of his tears was Vicious squeezing his shoulder, and Orion patting him on the back.
“You earned this,” Orion said. “You and Maisie both earned the chance to be happy.”
Terror cleared his throat and roughly wiped his face. “Thank you.”
Orion stood. “Zephyr and Hazard are waiting at the departure deck. I’m sending Grim and Lethal with you as backup.”
“You’ve been given two weeks of leave,” Vicious informed him. “I would suggest you enjoy them here where we can be reasonably assured of your safety.”
“Noted,” Terror said, rising from his chair. At a loss for what to say, he clutched the box holding Maisie’s collar. “Thank you. All of you. I know I’m not the easiest person to work with, and I’m sure I’ve caused more than one of you serious consternation.” Overcome, he cleared his throat. “I’m in your debt.”
Not trusting himself to hold back the fresh wave of emotional tears threatening to fall, he pivoted on his heel and left the admiral’s office. When he reached the departure deck, he spotted Grim and Lethal waiting outside a ship. They had on civilian clothing, but Terror knew there were plenty of weapons hidden on them.
“Already stowed your gear,” Grim said when he approached. “Hazard and Zeph are finishing up pre-flight. We should be leaving in less than five.”
“Good.” Terror felt anxious to get going. After all these weeks of missing Maisie and worrying about her, it was agonizing to know she was so close.
“Feels like déjà vu,” Lethal remarked as they entered the ship. “Us five setting off to rescue your girl.”
“Try not to get shot this time,” Grim grumbled.
“With this crew,” Lethal gestured to the pilots in the cockpit and then Terror, “no promises.”
“Maybe we should drop in and pick up Fay,” Hazard called out from the cockpit. “Just in case Lethal needs to be rescued again.”
“Fuck off, Hazard!” Lethal called back. The tips of his ears were red, and he seemed suddenly very interested in his safety harness.
“Really?” Terror asked in surprise and slipped his earbud into place. “Weren’t you unconscious most of that night at their cabin?”
“Ask him to tell you about the sponge bath!” Hazard said across the ship’s private comm channel.
“Hazard, I swear if you make one more joke about Fay,” Lethal snarled.
“Listen, Lethal,” Hazard interrupted placatingly. “What happened is a completely natural reaction to having a beautiful woman rubbing a sponge on your—”
“Damn it, Hazard!” Lethal started to unbuckle his harness. He looked like he was ready to throttle Hazard.
Grim who hardly ever smiled actually laughed as he pushed Lethal back into his seat. Terror tried not to grin, but it was impossible. Up in the cockpit, Zephyr scolded Hazard like an unruly schoolboy. Lethal muttered angrily about not having any privacy and never trusting Hazard with a secret ever again.
Filled with the most incredible sense of lightness, Terror closed his eye and leaned his head back against the support post behind his seat. Their ship slid down the launch chute and left the Valiant with a burst of speed that mimicked his racing heart. How would Maise react when he found her? Would she be ecstatic? Would she cry? Would she forgive him for failing to keep her safe?