Page 53 of Ruin

He shook his head. No, he hadn’t realized. Butshehad, and damn if that didn’t make him feel all warm and squishy inside.

Quelling the desire to pick her up and kiss her with enormous difficulty, he shooed her back behind cover and returned to keeping watch. But the smile playing on his lips remained.

That smile faded gradually as one minute ticked into two, then five.

“How much longer?” he finally asked.

“Almost got it,” Hush answered. “Fucker’s got added layers I’m havin’ to pierce through. Couple more minutes.”

“Get it done in three, or we’re goin’ loud.”

“Heard.”

He was almost to the end of his internal countdown when Hush made a low sound of triumph and announced, “We’re in.”

Turning, he activated his armor, drew one of his pistols, and took aim as Hush opened the utility hatch. On the off chance someone was waiting within, he wanted to get the drop on them.

Seeing it was clear, he nodded for the bot to go in first. This was it. No turning back now. He glanced at Lira, giving her a quick wink to ease some of the strain tightening her delicate features, then slipped inside the ship.

After thoroughly scanning the small alcove and peeking out into the corridor beyond, he signaled for her to enter. Hush came in on her heels and sealed the hatch behind him, then immediately moved to a panel set in the wall.

“Need’ta take juusstttt enough control to keep ‘em from leavin’ and being able to track our position,” Hush murmured, fingers flying over the interface, tail flicking and bobbing to a beat only he could hear.

While he worked on that, Ruin found a vent that led into the ductwork and cut it open with a laser knife. After scanning it to ensure it hadn’t been booby-trapped, he straightened and pinned Lira with his gaze.

Deactivating both of their transparent helms, he cupped her cheeks. “You and the bot?—”

“Beep.”

Ruin blinked down at her. “Eh?”

“The bot. I named him Beep.”

Why didn’t that surprise him? Either that she’d felt compelled to give the bot a name, or that she’d chosen Beep.

Behind him, Hush snorted in amusement. Swallowing down his own mirth, he nodded solemnly.

“You and Beep’ll keep pace, best you’re able, from the ductwork. Under no circumstances are you to leave till I tell you it’s safe.”

“Okay.”

“Your vow, Lira. I need to know you’ll be safe.”

Her expression softened. Moving into him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his abdomen. He immediately returned the embrace and bent to nuzzle his face into her hair.

“I promise.”

The tight, anxious knot in his middle eased a little. Blowing out a breath that ruffled her pale strands, he hugged her tighter, then shooed her and Beep into the ductwork.

“Got your viewers?”

Kneeling in the middle of the shaft, she shifted and pulled the visor he’d given her out of her pocket, then slid it into place over her eyes. The wide spectrum viewers would allow her to see through the ship’s walls so she could follow their progress without being entirely dependent on Beep to guide her.

“They workin’?”

“Whoa,” she breathed, peering down at the floor. “Oh, yeah, they’re working!”

“Good.” To Beep, he said, “Kill anyone an’ anythin’ that tries to hurt her.”

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