Page 32 of Rupture

“Fucking planty extremes or what?” Luca’s normally strident voice was hushed.

“Crew ahead.” Liev tapped the tablet strapped to his forearm.

Rose’s nails dug into Finn’s skin as they rounded a corner as one unit.

Finn came to an abrupt halt, his grip on Rose intensifying. Six bodies down. Four males, two females. They lay sprawled across crushed vegetation. It was impossible to tell if they were alive.

Fuck.Finn lowered his weapon. “Duke, six casualties in the biome, all unconscious. Get here.”

His comms crackled with the medic’s voice. “Moving.”

“Is she alive?” Rose wrenched away from him, lurching toward the bodies.

“Rose.” He caught her arm, spinning her to face him. “Who?”

Something flashed in her eyes.

“Who are you looking for?” He glanced at Luca, who was already checking vitals.

“Thea. Mysister.”She tore free, stumbling toward Luca.

Sister.

Duke pushed past, dropping beside the nearest casualty. Finn didn’t want to think about where Harris was now, probably shrouded in the dive room. “Breathing. Weak pulse.” Duke’s eyes narrowed. “Severe dehydration. I need immediate evac to medical.”

He fired off orders to Luca and Liev about stretcher retrieval, but Finn barely registered them. His focus was locked on Rose, who had collapsed beside one of the women. Dark hair fanned across the unconscious woman’s shoulders as Rose brushed it from her face.

“Thea. It’s me. Rose. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Finn closed a hand over Rose’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”

18

Rose swallowedthe bitter taste in her mouth. She’d thought she was prepared for whatever they might discover in the Io.

She’d been wrong.

She faced Finn—the air between them charged. The lab door behind him was ajar, offering a view of Duke ensuring her sister and the rest of the crew were taken to the med bay.

Stress made her shoulders burn. “You want to let go of my hand?”

He glanced down as if he’d forgotten his hold. “Of course. Sorry.”

He skimmed his thumb across the back of her wrist before releasing her. The gentle touch sent a whisper of butterfly wings up her arm and down her spine, but did little to soothe the anger simmering under her skin.

Rose forced herself to step back, desperately needing space to clear her head of the chaotic thoughts crowding her. She hugged her elbows, her hands cold despite the Io’s controlled climate.

Finn mirrored her defensive stance as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You want to tell me what’s going on here?”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s your sister back there?” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder toward the biome.

She breathed out, focused on keeping her voice calm. “It wasn’t a secret.”

“No, but you didn’t tell anyone either.” He closed the distance between them, his breathing roughening. “That your sister was down here. And not only that. She’s the scientific lead.”

“It didn’t seem important.”

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