“Hey, humans? You still with me?”

Hadrian opened the channel. “We’re here, Hauk. Is that you on my tail?”

“It is. I’m waiting on you to send me the nav I need for where we’re headed.”

Hadrian entered the sequence in and then sent it over to Hauk.

“Thanks. By the way, do we need to stop and get help for you?”

“No. I healed it.”

“Can you confirm that, Jayne?”

She smiled at the doubt in Hauk’s tone. “Yeah. He’s perfect.” Especially that tight eight pack she’d seen when he undid his pants.

“Noted. A Tris and an Andarion make an awesome team.”

“What about me?” She was actually offended.

Until Hauk responded. “Aren’t you Andarion?”

Oh . . . “I guess I am.”

“Then, there you are.”

She was amazed at how much she liked their Andarion bodyguard. He was very charming in his own unique way. Like Hadrian who was too charming, if the truth was told.

Don’t go there . . .

But it was hard after the half-naked image of him was seared into her mind.

Luckily, her link chose that moment to go crazy and distract her from dangerous contemplations.

Hadrian looked back at her. “What’s that?”

She pulled it out.

A horrible feeling washed over her as she read the content. Of course, it didn’t help that there was a giant picture of her along with a bounty that made Hadrian’s paltry. “What the hell?”

“No idea,” Hadrian said from in front of her. “I don’t know what you’re looking at.”

Grimacing, she handed her link to Hadrian whose eyes widened as he read it. “Sorry.”

“You should be, punk’n. You got me killed.”

Hadrian tsked at her. “You’re not dead yet.”

“With a bounty that high, my prospects for survival aren’t very likely.”

“But you forgot your secret weapon.”

A Trisani. She should be flattered and yet . . .

“Yeah. I’m glad Hauk is with us.”

“Pardon?”

Laughing at his offense in spite of her concern, she took her link back. But no sooner did she get it than it went off with a unique sound.

“What’s that?” Hadrian asked.

She placed her finger on it so that she could answer. “Normally means I finished my mission.” She answered it quickly because if she failed to answer it, it could cause an interstellar incident. “Hey, sis.” Jayne adjusted herself in her seat. “No . . . still alive in spite of the notice you just received that said I’m dead. Amazing, right?”

Hadrian shook his head as he realized what had happened. That they’d been declared dead. “Syn intervention?”

She nodded to let him know he’d guessed correctly. “Yeah. Love you, too, Evie. Talk soon.”

Hadrian let out a long-suffering sigh. “Couldn’t he have done that sooner?”

“Knowing Syn and his fear of your brother and my sister, I’m pretty sure he did it as fast as he could.”

“You’re probably right.”

Jayne saw him cringe as his own link went off. “Nero?”