Page 104 of Rupture

She took hold of his hand, kissed his palm. “I’m fine. You’re the one in hospital.”

“The swarm. Did we?”

“Yes. We did.” She exhaled a shuddery breath, pressed a hand to his chest. “Lie down.”

He complied, but before she could withdraw, he caught her hand, keeping her close. “Your sister. Thea?”

She looked away from him, to the window, to the dust motes dancing in the sunbeam, the distant noise of life outside. Her throat worked once, silent. “Thea’s gone. Ethan and Liev went back to the dig. There was no sign of her. Like she just up and vanished into thin air.”

“Rose. I’m so sorry.” His hand tightened on hers.

“It’s probably for the best.” Her shoulders lifted in a tiny shrug. She stared at their joined hands for what felt like an eternity, then met his gaze with vulnerable eyes. “I’m fine. It’s you we’ve been worried about.” Her voice choked, and she cleared her throat. “So. Just where were you going in this scrap of a hospital gown?”

“To find you.”

“Find me?”

He gathered her into his arms and claimed her mouth with a kiss. There was no hesitation—she softened under his touch, her lips parting as she kissed him back with a fierceness that made his blood run hot and his heart race.

When they broke apart, she was breathless, spots of pink blooming across her cheekbones. Her hand trembled as she palmed his jaw, her eyes luminescent. “I’ve been so worried,” she whispered. “You almost died.”

His hand came up to cover hers. The roughness of his palm caught against her soft skin, holding him here.Now.

Years ago, stepping in had cost him everything—a prison cell, a past he couldn’t change. But this wasn’t fists against flesh. This was something else. A different fight.

“Last time I protected someone, I left one person in a wheelchair and myself in a prison cell.” His voice was quiet. “I spent years wondering if I’d done the right thing. If my instincts to protect were just...” He trailed off, then met her gaze—clear-eyed, sure. “This time I know.”

She tilted her head, studying him with those keen eyes that seemed to see right through him. “You did the right thing, even though I hated it at the time.” She rested her forehead against his. “When you drove into that cave…” A shiver shook her.

“Protection doesn’t have to mean destruction.” His voice grew stronger with the certainty of it. “I chose to drive into that cave. And I would do it a hundred times over if it would keep you safe.” He squeezed her hand gently. “We all live with our choices. And this one...” He smiled, feeling the unfamiliar pull of muscles long unused to joy. “This one I can live with.”

58

The thrumof helicopter blades sliced through the cockpit, a steady heartbeat above the Kalahari Desert. Wedged between Finn and Liev in the climate-controlled cabin, their solid presence was a shield for Rose against whatever waited below. Through the front windscreen, dawn painted the sky in soft pink hues.

A new day.

A fresh start.

At the controls, Ethan and Nik guided the helicopter home. Across from her, Cade had succumbed to exhaustion, his features softened in sleep, head gently lolling with each air pocket they hit. Duke was beside him, glasses she’d never seen before perched on his nose, a cheap cowboy paperback balanced on his knee.

Beside him, Luca sat rigid, one leg bouncing in a ceaseless rhythm. His hands rested on his knees, knuckles raw, nails ripped and stained red from digging Finn out. Sensing her gaze, he looked over, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth.

She returned his smile.

A few days ago, their quiet efficiency had unsettled her. Now it felt like armor.

They weren’t just a team. They were family.

Family.

Thea.

Only now could she acknowledge how close they had come to losing everything—how close Thea,her sister,had come to ending it all.

Her fingers grew tight around her thumbs, nails biting into skin.

At least the Io was secure. A containment team was on-site. She’d proposed flooding the tanks with liquid nitrogen to put an end to the nanobots, but she doubted the OSC would abandon such a groundbreaking discovery—no matter how dangerous.

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