Darling snorted. “I’m not looking at your ass, Mari. I don’t want to go blind. But so long as Ture’s happy, who cares what I think?”

Sumi shook her head at their good-natured barbs. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have lifelong friends, and Dancer was lucky to have all of them. No wonder he was so devoted to his family.

She looked over at Bastian and Nykyrian.

Now that they were side by side, she saw the family resemblance. Dancer had told her that Bastien’s mother was the youngest sister of Nykyrian’s father. And it was her death, along with the rest of his family’s, that Bastien had vowed to avenge.

He thought to do it alone. But as she looked at the group that had shown up here to go after the female who’d threatened their brother, she somehow doubted that would happen. The one thing about The Sentella… they were a family, first and foremost.

And they always took care of their own.

Darling tapped the link in his ear to turn it on. “Yeah?” Cringing, he pulled it out and held it for all of them to hear Syn’s ranting shout on the other end.

“So I see how it is. The lot of you go off, leave me with the big baby to tend, and hunt down the bitch without me. Thanks a lot, guys. Tell Nyk to pick up his link!”

Rubbing at his ear, Darling grimaced. “I think somebody wanted to come with us.”

Nykyrian took the link and cut the transmission.

“Ooo,” Darling said with a hiss. “Somebody’s gonna get it later for that.”

“Yeah,” Jayne said, slinging her arm over his shoulders. “You are. It’s your link.”

Darling cursed. “Great. Just great.”

“C’mon.” Nykyrian jerked his chin toward the airbike he’d ridden. “Let’s go help Syn hold the big baby down for treatment.”

“Um, yeah,” Darling said. “I–I got a migraine. I can’t do Andarion babysitting right now. I’m still in therapy and having vicious flashbacks from the last time I tried.” He looked up at the sky. “Why, Lord? Why? I’m a new father. I need to live, and raise my son!”

Jayne grabbed a handful of his suit and hauled him after her. “Don’t worry, Darling. We have a secret weapon now that doesn’t explode.”

“And that is?”

She glanced back, over her shoulder. “Sumi. She’s able to bring down a thundering TAM with nothing more than a quirked eyebrow.”

Darling grinned. “Oh yeah, thank the gods, we now have the power.” He let out an evil laugh. “Let’s go make the most of it. Thinking I have payback to make.”