Page 61 of Ruin

Feeling much better, she watched the spaceport fade into a glittering speck against the vast expanse of space.

Ruin and Hush worked together as though they’d been doing so for years, their movements in perfect sync. Watching them made her wonder about the rest of the Vengeance crew. Would they accept her as quickly and easily as Hush had?

“Do you think they'll like me?”

Ruin glanced back at her briefly before returning his attention to the holo-screens. “The crew? Of course.”

He said it as if he couldn’t imagine anyone not liking her.

Hush bobbed his head and his tail. “Agreed. And if one of ‘em doesn’t, well… they can always suffer a tragic accident.”

“Hush!” she exclaimed, but Ruin was nodding in agreement. After a moment, her lips curled. “That means you like me.”

Lira could see just enough of Hush’s profile to catch him rolling his eyes. “Nobody fucks with my bestie’s mate. And anyway, you’re kinda like a little sister.”

Her smile grew to a grin so broad her cheeks ached.

As if he could feel it, he cut narrowed eyes her way. “Don’t make it weird.”

Ruin chuckled and shook his head. “You two’re both?—”

An alarm blared to life, cutting off the rest of his words. Lira’s heart lodged itself in her throat and she reflexively reached out to Beep, grasping one of his spindly legs.

Directly on the heels of that alarm, a violent impact rocked the ship.

“Onyx Corp fighters,” Hush groaned. “Fucker musta sent out a call before you popped ‘im.”

Two more collisions pitched them to the right. Her stomach rolled nauseatingly and she gripped Beep’s leg tighter, knuckles turning white.

It extended its two nearest wings and draped them around her shoulders and over the top of her head.

“Niirtt peep,” it twittered comfortingly.

Ruin and Hush called out over the blaring alarms, voices calm but urgent as they relayed information back and forth, hands flying over the holoscreens.

“Shields at eighty-two percent,” Hush announced. “Two more fighters comin' in hot on our tails. Beginnin’ evasive maneuvers.”

“Divertin’ auxiliary power to aft shields an’ droppin’ interference buoys.”

The ship's AI chimed in with damage reports. “Minor hull breach detected in cargo bay. Sealing now.”

“Returnin’ fire,” Ruin relayed just as the muffled boom of the ship’s cannons sounded. “One down.”

The guys’ movements were precise and unhurried despite the chaos around them—Hush dipping and rolling the ship while Ruin fired off shots.

He twisted to look back at her just then, those pretty yellow eyes narrowed with concern. She knew it wasn’t because they were in the middle of a space battle, but because he was worried she might be panicking.

“Bird, you good? Still strapped in tight?”

“I'm good.” She waved a hand at the viewscreen where enemy ships swarmed. “Just focus on not getting us blown up, hmm?”

“If you insist,” he said with a wink.

Hush gave a low chuckle as he executed a dizzying maneuver.

“Two down,” Ruin purred.

The ship shuddered under another barrage. Lira’s heart raced, but strangely, fear didn't follow. Maybe it was leftover adrenaline from their earlier confrontation that kept her from being afraid, but she didn't think so.

---