Forged (Star Breed #10) - Elin Wyn Page 0,63

done. I could see that, even back then.” He kicked Luca, hard. “I’d hoped that I would have had more influence on you, but your father’s weaknesses ran through you both.” His hand rose, blaster aimed at Yasmin. “No matter, it ends now.”

I dove for Yasmin, pulling her into my chest and rolling away, covering her with my body.

The smell of scorched flesh filled the air.

But it wasn’t mine.

“I’m here, I’m here,” I murmured, pushing the hair back from her face. “It’s over now.”

“He killed him,” she said, still stunned. “He killed our father just to take the company.”

“I know, babe. I know.”

I glanced over my shoulder.

Denau’s body sprawled awkwardly on the stage. Jenke’s shot had gone cleanly through Denau’s forehead, and Jenke was already checking on Luca.

“Kid’ll be fine.”

Thalcorr ran across the room, pushing me away from Yasmin, flinging down a med kit he’d found somewhere next to her. “Let me see that leg,” he insisted. “You can fawn over each other all you want later.”

Whatever. I kept hold of her hand.

While he worked, I scanned the room.

Led by Alcyon, the Desyk troops regained their weapons and corralled the surviving ExaTek guards into a corner of the hub.

Knowing human nature, it wouldn’t take long for the previously terrified workers to be lending a hand, enthusiastically taking the chance to have a little revenge against their tormentors.

“Well, I guess we can get back to the business of negotiations,” Alcyon said, leaving his men in control of the crowd. “We like—”

Then the speakers went live, a deep rumbling voice echoing through the room, through the very metal of the station.

Open message to whoever the hell is running that place. If somebody doesn’t tell me where my men are right NOW, I’m going to come over there and tear you apart with my bare hands. You have ten seconds to answer.

And I’ll help! A second, chipper, voice added.

Jenke looked at me, jaw slack, eyes wide with shock. “Was that…”

“Ronan,” I nodded. “Sent a message to him that you were here before we came back over.” I rubbed my eyes. “I’ll explain Nixie later.”

“Another of your brothers?” Yasmin asked blearily as the painkillers kicked in.

“Yeah,” I stroked her cheek as her eyes closed and she relaxed into sleep. “You’ll meet him in a little bit, I’m sure.” I met Jenke’s gaze. “I told you, we don’t abandon anyone.”

Epilogue: Yasmin

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Luca asked for the fourth time since he’d come into the room.

“You want to take the bandage off and check it?” I asked. “Ambassador Thalcorr did a great job with the field dressing. The woman who came over on that new ship, Nadira? She’s a fully qualified doctor. She re-examined it, says I should be up and moving in a couple of days.” I narrowed my eyes at him, the swollen side of his face distorting the line of his jaw. “You’re not looking so hot yourself.”

“I just…I didn’t think you’d end up in the middle of everything,” he said quietly, his shoulders curved in as if to ward off another blow.

I patted the bed. “Come, tell me about it. Everything.”

Instead, he went to the replicator and made two cups of tea, waiting until I’d pushed myself more upright before handing one to me.

Dragging a comfortable looking chair closer to the bed, he sat, gazing into the steaming cup, but stayed silent.

As he must have been for years.

“When did you begin to suspect Ran?” Even now it hurt to say our uncle’s name. It was too hard. His actions had made the ties of family into a mockery, a travesty.

“Not for years,” he said. “But once I started working closely with him, I started seeing a side of him I hadn’t imagined.”

“You shouldn’t have had to handle that by yourself,” I said.

“It’s what we both wanted,” he argued. “I was going to learn the ropes, and you were going to put that engineering degree to use inspecting and improving our manufacturing facilities. That was the plan even before…”

Before everything had fallen apart.

“But it wasn’t Uncle Ran’s plan, was it?” I said.

Luca shook his head. “He always had to prove himself, always needed everyone to acknowledge he was the smartest person in the room. He was vicious if he didn’t feel like he was properly respected.” He finally took a slow sip. “And one day, I began to wonder how he’d really felt, working under Father.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “For someone who thought he was the smartest man