The pilots he’d shot. The soldiers gone down with the helicopters. Too many of J.C.’s men. Misha’s father.

Riley didn’t want to fight anymore. They’d had a good run. Riley figured he could deal with having to die in a hole underground if it meant he got to be with Misha and McClane at the end. It was easier to be brave when you didn’t have to do it alone.

“Misha?”

“Yes?” Misha replied, tense and ready to commit violence, never taking his eyes off the soldiers above.

“Take Andrej and Kolya and go.”

Misha’s head whipped around, dark eyes wide with shock and sudden understanding… and then they softened in acceptance. “I’m not watching you die again.”

Riley opened his mouth, about to protest, but his voice died before he could say a single word. Jesus. The look on Misha’s face. Do what you gotta do, it said. I’m right where I belong. Scratched, bloody fingers tangled with his, warm and sure. After a second’s hesitation, Riley relaxed and clasped Misha’s hand in his. All right, then. All right.

FIFTY

THEY were going to die and Misha was going to die with them and yet Riley was calm, so goddamn steady and brave in the face of the death, it hit McClane like a slap. Riley wasn’t Rik. He wasn’t wailing or babbling or willing to massacre everyone around in sheer hysteria. He wasn’t blaming McClane for not being good enough, strong enough, smart enough. Not the weapon he was supposed to be, nor the kind of armor that sacrificed itself for its host. The thought that McClane was supposed to protect him at any cost had never entered Riley’s mind.

Riley wasn’t thinking at all. He was….

… grateful that he wasn’t alone anymore.

Amazed by Misha’s devotion.

Happy to be with them, with Misha and McClane, because he’d loved Misha for a long time and he’d come to love McClane, too, and there was more than enough room in that big heart of his for both of them.

He was grieving for the people who’d died because of them.

Wondering how much it was going to hurt to be blown up.

Sorry that McClane hadn’t found the kind of host he’d wanted and was stuck with Riley now at the end.

And that… that was just… it was ridiculous. There couldn’t be a better host, not ever, not anywhere in the whole damn universe. There was only one Riley Cooper and McClane wanted him, with all his perfect imperfections, the insecurity and the stubborn pride, the poor conflict-solving skills and the laid-back open-mindedness that made the man such good company for an intelligent armor and weapons system with codependency issues. McClane didn’t even mind that this deal came with an external extension. Misha was a bonus. He made Riley all stupid and warm inside. McClane could appreciate that, because it was how Riley made him

feel. He couldn’t imagine bonding with anybody else, anybody who wasn’t Riley. He couldn’t imagine leaving this man behind for anything.